he was a good dog. he was a great dog.

Today is a hard, sad day. 11 or so years ago I found Jake while I was on one of my evening walks. I had prayed and prayed for a dog. I wanted a buddy to go walking with me. I did not pray for a skinny, wasted, mongrel dog, but that's what I found on the road that night. He was so thin and hungry he could barely walk. He followed me home (with no prompting from me.. no, really. I, uh.. it wasn't my fault!), and I told my father to feed him or put him out of his misery. 20 minutes later, mom and I were at the store and we got the phone call to bring home dog food. And you know what? That scrawny mongrel turned out to be a handsome dog. A good dog. A Great dog. The whole neighborhood knew him. He went for daily runs, 3 miles or more, with our neighbor. He went "visiting" to all the neighbors' houses (where they gave him treats). He was the friend and champion of all our outside kitties. He followed my dad anywhere he went.. he was ALWAYS ready for a walk in the woods. He loved bonfires. And oatmeal cookies. And pepperoni. And roadkill. He was a faithful friend and companion.
Last week he started having trouble walking, and after 4 days of being in visible pain, it was time to let him go. We knew this day would come. He was at least 12 years old. That doesn't make it any easier.


Jake with his best friend, Little Boy

 He was the best dog I've ever had, and I'm going to miss him so very much. Goodbye, Jakey boy. I love you.

A Very Big Day

Today in the Lewis household is a Big Day. Today, Davey starts his first day of work at a new job. A new job that is 40 miles closer to home, and pays a good deal more. AND he gets the fancy-pants title of Director. Movin' on up!
This Big Change for Davey means some changes for me as well. For starters, he will still be here at 6 am, when I'm usually just having my first cup of coffee and enjoying some kid-free internet time. He'll be here, and he'll probably be on the computer. Curses. BUT, he'll also be here at 7:30 or so when the girls wake up and have breakfast, which means we can all eat together as a family. Which means that now I have to do more for breakfast than break up a banana and dump a handful of cheerios within reach of little grabby hands. Curses. He also doesn't get free lunch any more, so I'll need to fix him up a brown bag every morning before he leaves. He'll also be home at a regular and consistent time, which means I'll know when to expect him for dinner and we can all sit down and eat together... which means that I need to get dinner made at a regular and consistent time. Curses!
Seriously, though - I'm very excited for this change. We'll have more time together as a family, and anything that forces me to be more organized and consistent in my daily schedule is a very Good Thing. Because on my own, I suck at time management and organization. I really do. So even while I mutter curses under my breath and wonder when I'm going to get time to sit and read all my blogs and waste time on Pinterest, I know that this is a good thing for all of us, and I'll just have to remind myself continually: paid holidays! sick days! consistent schedule! less gas and  miles on the car! more time with the family!

Yep. A Big Day. A Good Day. But no matter what Davey says, I'm still not calling him 'Director'. So there.

why every girl should own a pair of overalls (and muck boots!)

Today my father-in-law came out with his tractor to mow our VERY overgrown pasture. It's very overgrown because a "creek" runs thru the middle of it and for 10 months out of the year turns the majority of it into a bog. The 2 months out of the year it's not a total bog, it's still at least a little bit of one. So, say it with me kids: Tractor + bog = STUCK. When the FIL came up to the house for lunch, he said "I think it might be time to call a tow truck", after trying unsuccessfully to get the tractor out himself. But wait, isn't your truck 4wd? Why, yes it is. Now, I may not be much of a farmgirl, but I'm sure willing to try. So I suggested we try to pull the tractor out with the truck before we call a tow service. I mean, how hard can it be?


I put the girls down for their naps while the FIL went down to get the truck in position and the chains on the tractor. And then I decided that before I headed down to the pasture, I needed to change. A cotton tank dress is not the outfit for pulling tractors out of creekbeds. On went my overalls and my pink muckboots, and down I went. 10 minutes later, the truck was out of the bog, and I. FELT. AWESOME.



My trusty christmas pitchfork. Don't I just look so farmer-y? Yeah I do.



Now, you may be wondering what overalls and muckboots have to do with anything. They don't really. Except that dressing like a farm girl makes me feel like a farm girl, and makes me feel capable of doing farmgirly things, like pulling a tractor out of a bog. Seriously. If I ever feel like something is just too hard for me to do, all I need is to put on my overalls and muck boots, and suddenly I'm capable. I can take on the world. Or at least an overgrown flowerbed. With my overalls on, household chores tremble. They know I'm coming for them and there will be no mercy. With my muck boots on, no weeds will deter me. There are no bugs to fear because they will not crawl across my toes. And if they try, I can pulverise them. With my muck boots. Forget diamonds. Overalls (and muck boots!) are a girl's best friend.