Archive for September, 2011

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September 19, 2011

I hope they can help her…

I’m not quite sure how to summarize this and struggled as to whether or not to even post about it, but I realized if I don’t, I feel like I’m holding something back and that’s just not me.

A few weeks ago we added another four-legged member to our family.   Although we weren’t really searching for another dog at the time, I always thought that when the time was right we would get a second dog to be a buddy and playmate for Darby.  We learned of Jake,  another rescue dog needing a home (Jake’s story), while Darby was staying at the Lucky Dog Pet Lodge for a few days in August. When they first started to describe him my ears perked up.  I asked the owner and staff to pay attention to how Darby and Jake got along.  Turns out they got along great.  In addition to his good looks, Jake is very smart, very sweet and became best buds with Darby.  It seemed like a no brainer.  So after submitting an application and having a home visit, Jake was ours.

Jake

We were all so excited to have Jake as part of the family, but Darby was the happiest by far.  She immediately went from bored to exhausted and had a puppy smile so wide her eyes nearly touched her ears.  She was in heaven!  We’d brought her buddy home.  The two of them are like two peas in a pod.  They play extremely well together, mellow out when it’s time and are really well-behaved.  Well, Jake’s almost really well-behaved.  He’s still learning that the furniture isn’t a launch pad, that shoes are for feet and that anything on the counter is off-limits, but considering he’s only 1-year-old, that’s kind of to be expected.

Playing around

Everything was going great until last week.  While playing in the back yard, Darby got hurt.  At first I didn’t really know what happened.  I’d heard a yelp from inside and immediately went out to see what happened. (It was one of the first times the two had been playing outside unsupervised).  When I there both dogs were having a blast tormenting a chipmunk, chasing it back and forth across the patio and trying to corner it.  In order to stop the game and give the poor little chipmunk a rest,  I brought the dogs inside for some quiet time.  It was at that point I realized something was wrong.  Darby came and laid by my feet as she always does, but this time, she was breathing loudly,  moaning with every breath and was starting to zone out.  After calling two trusted vets, both of whom were unavailable for 3 hours, I took her to the ER vet.    After an exam and x-rays, they determined that it was most likely a disc.  All I could think was, “What?! Seriously?  My dog hurt her back?  She’s a brut.  How is that possible?” So Darby and I headed home with some pain killers.  The next day she was already showing small signs of improvement.  Her little stub of a tail was perked up again and she was acting more like her spunky self. (I think all of the kisses from Jake helped as well.)

That night, however, things took a turn for the worse.  In the middle of the night she had decided to move from her dog bed in the living room to come snuggle with me on our bed.  She nudged me awake with her cold and damp little nose but I didn’t come around fast enough to help her up.  Instead she tried to jump, and missed.  She landed on her back on the hard wood floor.  I knew immediately she was hurt but didn’t know how bad it was.  She had staggered away defeated, but I brought her up on the bed, gave her more of her pain meds and snuggled her and tried to comfort her all night. The next morning she woke me early (completely uncharacteristic of her).  To my dismay, when she tried to get up, her back legs dragged behind her.  The tears immediately began streaming down my face.  She couldn’t walk.  No!!!!  This poor thing has already been through so much.  She just recovered from getting hit by a car only 2 months earlier and now here we are again.  Only worse.  After another visit to the vet and an addition of two more meds, I had high hopes for a quick recovery.  Instead, we use a towel to support her belly to help her use her back legs while she tries to walk.  And if she’s not feeling up to tackling stairs, she gives us a look as though saying “I could us a little help here.” and we carry her up or down.  Despite all of that  I’m confident she’ll recover.  She’s a tough girl.  She’s already been through so much in her life.  She has an amazingly strong will and I know she can get through this.

Darby

This afternoon our vet called to check on Darby.  After a very somber conversation, he recommended we take her to the U of M.  So tomorrow morning we will be heading to Neurology.  Although we don’t know for sure what will come of it, we do know that surgery is a strong possibility.  At this point I just want her to feel better.  I really hope they can help her…

Kate

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September 14, 2011

Jack Frost is lurking – what’s your plan?

The first frost of the season is threatening to strike the Twin Cities tonight.

The low is supposed to be around 35 degrees and frost advisories are out.  Even though it seems early and like fall came rushing in, it’s really right on target.  The average first frost date in this area is September 15th (another date for your garden calendar), and today is the 14th.  Not too far off.

So, what does that mean for gardeners?  It’s almost time to put things to bed as our growing season is about to come to a close.  There may still be some warm, sunny days left in the forecast as well as some warmer nights, but for now it’s best to take precautions or say your good byes.  If you’re new to gardening that means it’s time to either cover or bring your tender plants inside.  Tender?  What’s tender?  Basically any plant that doesn’t like the cold weather is considered tender. Remember warm season and cool season plants discussed earlier in the spring?  The warm season plants are also typically called “tender”.  Tender plants are also typically annuals.  And they are called annuals because they will typically only grow one year in our climate because they are usually a Zone 9 or Zone 10 plant (we’re Zone 4).  Long story short – tender plants/annuals like warm weather and frost is not their friend. One example of a tender plant is basil. If basil gets snapped by frost you will definitely know it!  One day you will have a lush emerald-green plant and the next you’ll have a sad, black and droopy mess dangling on sticks.  Another example would be begonias and impatiens (and other succulents) – one cold night and they will turn limp and mushy.  Lovely!  Tomatoes are another one that need to either be covered or picked.  Even if they are green, pick them and put them in a sunny windowsill.  They will ripen and still taste MUCH better than what you’ll find in the grocery stores.

Whether I bring things in or let them go depends on a few things.  Do I LOVE that plant and want to hang onto it for a while or did it “not quite” make the grade this year?  What’s the forecast?  Is it going to be pretty cool during the upcoming days followed by cold nights (in which case any warm season plants are going to put the brakes on and call it quits any way) or is it just one or two cool days followed by a warmer forecast where they still might “perform” for a while?  OR am I pretty much just “done” for the season? The ratty plants – yep, goners.  The average plants – it depends, if they’re common (petunias, impatiens, etc.) I usually let them go.  However, if it’s a new cultivar or somewhat interesting and can make it as a house plant for the winter, well then, they are welcomed inside!  I thank the rest for the beauty and fruit they offered this year and bid them farewell.

One thing to keep in mind – perennials are pretty tough.  They can handle our weather, which is what allows them to be perennials here.  The majority  do not need any special treatment.  No covers, nothing.

So here’s my plan for tonight… I’ll be grabbing some of my potted herbs and other funky (meaning cool) plants and giving them a home inside; cutting a bunch of basil to make a couple of recipes including pesto to freeze and use through the winter; grabbing the tomatoes, peppers and the like (which will also get gross if nipped by frost); then covering the remaining basil, peppers, etc. with sheets and hoping for the best on the rest.

Good luck – say “Hi!” to Jack if you see him.

Kate

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September 13, 2011

Time for an evolution

There are times in life where whether you think you’re ready or not, life pushes you forward.  This is one of those times for me.

Not quite a year ago I made a pretty significant job change.  I switched out of an industry I love into completely unfamiliar territory.  What was the draw? I’d been offered a job working with an old flame of mine.  Foreign language. (German to be specific).  Although I was scared to make the jump, I knew I needed to do it.  I’d gone as far as I could where I was and knew I had to give myself a chance at something new.  I took the leap and landed in, well, muck.  I was now standing in an industry that was completely foreign to me, focusing on customers that speak a language I once knew much better than I do now, barely knowing which end was up.  It was exciting at first, but still my heart and feet felt heavy.  Not only did I need to learn the new industry, its players and its lingo, but I also needed to figure out how the heck to translate all of it in German!  It’s one thing to talk about where you’ve been, what you’ve seen and how to order a beer in a foreign language, but it’s an entirely different gig to speak business lingo regarding something you just learned in your native tongue the day before.  Amazingly enough I came to understand the new industry and the cobwebs started to come off and my German vocabulary was growing.  I was even communicating with my German customers entirely “auf Deutsch”. But life isn’t a fairy tale.  I didn’t love it.  I loved the German part, but I was in Sales and really missed the creative side of what I used to do (Marketing) in an industry I loved (Landscaping).  So, a couple of months ago, I made another change.  After straddling the fence for a little while between Marketing and Sales, I eventually made the shift into Marketing.  Ahhh, that felt better!  Although I was missing the German interaction, the creative juices started flowing again and my spirit started lifting.  You might think the story would end here but it doesn’t.  (This is where that push from life comes in.)  About a week ago circumstances changed again and my Marketing role has been scaled back to a part-time deal.  At first I wasn’t sure what I would do, then a little voice inside me said – “let go of the safety net and go for it”.

That brings me to today. Rather than pursuing a second part-time or a full-time gig for someone else, I decided that I’m going to trust in myself and start free-lancing again.  In addition to landscape and garden designs and consultations, my plan is to expand into marketing services such as web, blogging, photography, etc.  I’m not entirely sure at this point what it’s going to look like or where it’s going to take me, but honestly, I’m extremely excited about this new opportunity I’ve accepted and look forward to working with and for myself.

I have a lot work ahead of me but expect to see a new website (or two), far more frequent postings from Walnuts & Pears and who knows what else.

So there you have it.  The beginning of another evolution.

See ya tomorrow!

Kate

Posted in Mindful Living | 4 Comments »

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