Monday, February 13, 2012

This, That, and the Other

I have lots of little bits and pieces to share today and since I know you're waiting with bated breath I'll dive right in.

I had my first lesson with a local photographer on Friday afternoon. We're starting at the very beginning since that's a very good place to start. Did you know there was math in photography? Nobody told me there'd be math. I really enjoyed the lesson and felt like my brain hit the engage button....it's been on idle for a while now. He left me with a couple of pages of notes which is a good thing because even though my brain engaged it still feels a little bit rusty. He also left me a small assignment to complete before my next lesson which I'll probably try to incorporate into the February photo challenge.

Speaking of the February photo challenge...was there a prompt yesterday? Yes, yes there was. I know I said I like to follow the rules but I took a pass on Sunday's word-'inside my closet'. I recently cleaned and reorganized my closet so it's actually quite tidy at the moment. You'll have to take my word for it though, because that felt just a little too personal to put out there.

Even for me.
ahem.

Back to the weekend...hubs was in Turkey on business last week and returned home Friday evening. We may have opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate the fact that he has no work travel scheduled for the next month. Whoohoo!

'They' said we'd have some snow Friday night into Saturday but we awoke to what was really just a dusting. It spit a little off and on all day but nothing accumulated. The temps however, plummeted over the weekend. I guess February felt the need to remind us we shouldn't get too comfy with the milder weather we've had so far this winter.

We carried on with our Saturday plans which included driving closer to the city to attend a big dog show. We've got the fe-vah. Puppy fever to be more precise and its sweeping thru our house. Hubs especially has been stricken, but it's contagious you know. We have a Gordon Setter who is the sweetest thing on four legs and we're in love with the breed.


Look at that face. Setters in general have lovable personalities and that's my #1 criteria in a dog. We knew there'd be a lot of Setters at this particular show and we hoped to talk to a breeder or two.


You don't see a lot of Gordons around and it was so much fun to see a whole gaggle of them. I know a bunch of dogs are not called a gaggle but there are so many long legs in this bunch the word seemed to fit.


We're pretty set on another Gordon but we've also toyed with the idea of an English Setter. Hubs says he'd like one of each-an English, an Irish, and a Gordon. Uh, I might be crazy but I'm not that crazy!


The Gordons are black with tan markings but the English have varying coats. This guy is black and white which in dog speak is known as blue belton. Gorgeous. And guess what today's photo prompt is-'blue'. There ya go.

Anyway, we did meet some breeders and we'll likely put our name in for a puppy to arrive late summer. Gives me time to get my head around it.

We had our 'Valentine dinner' on Saturday evening. Actually we eat out most every weekend but we designated this one as our Valentine dinner because Tuesday doesn't sound as romantic as Saturday. We had a long lovely meal and talked our way thru five courses while the wind whipped outside and snowflakes danced in the moonlight.

Yesterday afternoon we went to see a movie-Safe House. Holy moly it's intense. And there is mucho violence. Can I ask here why parents feel the need to bring their ten or twelve year old child to a movie that has been rated R because it is inappropriate for a ten or twelve year old? Why?? I had a knot in my stomach watching this one and I wondered if they did too. Or if they didn't? Either way it's a problem.

Today I'm heading to the doc's office for some 'jabs'. In England they use the word 'jab' when they're prepping you for an immunization. fyi-if you tell a child they're going to have an immunization they might not catch on right away but if you say jab they pretty much catch on immediately. Anyway, a while back I mentioned some fun plans we have in the works for later this spring and I need the 'jabs' in order to carry on with the fun. Three jabs in one visit. Happy Monday!

18 comments:

  1. oh a new puppy how fun!!! have fun getting JABBED today. I was a bit disappointed in the snow this weekend. :(

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  2. So a new puppy (or two) is in your future. What fun!...
    Ouch for the jabs! I hate needles so I "feel" for you!

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  3. I would rather get jabbed than get a new puppy.:)

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  4. We've toyed with the idea of another puppy. Hubs is a big dog person, I tend to prefer smaller ones. Mostly because our house is so small and one swish of a happy big dog tail...well, you can imagine. LOL However, I do so miss our golden retriever. He was such a great dog. And Tucker does need a buddy!

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  5. Those are beautiful dogs. Looking forward to seeing which one you end up choosing and hearing about the fun of raising a new puppy.

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  6. Love the "blue" with 4 feet. Nice play on words. I loved that we had no snow, but the cold is hard to take.

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  7. Hope you'll pass along some of things you're learning from your photography lessons...I could always use a few pointers! I've never heard of a Gordon Setter, but that face is to-die-for! Can't wait to hear what your plans are for the spring...my mind is whirling!

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  8. if i share my home number will you and your hubs please call my hubs and convince him that we, too, need a new puppy...i've been unable to get him to buy into the idea

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  9. I know where you went! ;-) We'll be watching tonight (taped if the snow doesn't keep us from going to small group).

    Hubby has always insisted that we will be a one-dog only family ... we took in Toby (our Golden Retriever) from DD when T#1 was tested to be allergic to dogs (turns out he can be around dogs, at least for a day or two at a time, without any side effects). Now that Toby is gone, he's swearing that we won't get another dog when our Abby is gone. I'm going to abide with the 1-dog "ruling" so I can stand a better chance of adding another dog (Golden Retriever) when the time comes. ;-)

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  10. Ah, jabs. That makes the mystery much more interesting. Looking forward to seeing the "fruit" of the pain. :)

    A puppy! I'm 11 months into it and I don't know if I'd do it again, but knowing that sometime this next year her "puppiness" will decrease is what I'm looking forward to. Until then she is SO CUTE! I've never been a dog girl, but Biscuit has won me over.

    I like the looks of each of the setters you mentioned. I'm with hubs, if you're going to do it go BIG - all three. Ha! Just kidding. However, it would make good blog posts.

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  11. As I mentioned before, I've got puppy fever too, so I have complete empathy. Your puppy is sweetness itself and that English Setter looked beautiful.

    I want to see Safe House, but I wouldn't want a child to see the trailers let alone the actual film.

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    1. The Gordon Setter is such a beautiful, sleek animal! I haven't been to a dog show for quite a while, but I remember that it was fantastic to see all those great dogs up close and all my favorite breeds there! How fun! Have fun with the photography lessons.

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  12. Glad that your husband will be home with you for awhile! A new puppy sounds very exciting.
    Yes I agree, Saturday is date night and a perfect time to celebrate Valentine's Day. I haven't had a jab in a very long time but I am sure your jabs will be worth it!

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  13. We went out to eat and saw Safe House too. We also called it our Valentine's since my hubs is away again this week.

    Once you get puppy fever it is pretty much said and done. I have two dogs to prove it. All of those dogs are beautiful! It would be hard to choose.

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  14. Can't wait to hear where y'all are going! What will you do with hubs home all month??? You'll probably be ready for him to go back on the road so you can get some rest. wait...that didn't sound right...I meant because he's always on the go! :)
    We've got a bit of puppy fever, too. My coworker is pretty sure her dog is pregnant, so we may have a new puppy at the beginning of the summer!

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  15. Always love hearing about your weekends. Goodie for you, taking a photography class. Boy, there's so much to learn. I took my 2nd class last week and yes, there is a lot of math to it and it hurts my head. :o) Love the dogs, but like you, one or two would be a big plenty.
    Happy hearts day!

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  16. Wow, Joyce, so much info in one post! I'm envious of your camera class. I'd love to do that.

    A new puppy? Aren't you brave?! It's sort of like starting a family all over again, but fun, none the less!

    Hope your jabs didn't do you too bad, and that the trip will be worth it :) Kathy

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  17. Exciting post here on cameras and canines.
    When your spouse visited Turkey did he enjoy the native cuisine I wonder.

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