Gratuitous Puppy Pictures

Some people are into cats.  I, however, am decidedly a dog lover.  Specifically, I like little dogs.  Consider these two examples:

Aren't they cute? 


The top photo is of Casper, a chihuahua.  He belongs to my aunt and her family.  Casper weighs 3.6lbs (1.6kg) but he doesn't let his small size slow him down a bit.  He thinks he's the biggest dog in the house.


Cole (9lbs, 4.1kg) is a papillon.  The name of the breed comes from their distinctive ears-- the size and shape of them resemble butterfly wings, and papillon is the French word for butterfly.  Cole is my sister's dog, but I've convinced him that he belongs to me.  He keeps me company throughout the day, and sleeps in my bed at night.  The only think I don't like about him is his long white hair that he sheds on everything.


There you go.  Dogs are one of my chief pleasures in life.  One of the best things about being home (as opposed to globetrotting) is being able to cuddle with the little guys.

Return from South Carolina

Last week we loaded up our mini van with clothes and dogs (four) and headed south. After about thirteen hours of driving, my mom, dad, sister, and I arrived in South Carolina at Grandma's house. My parents would continue on to Orlando, Florida (another seven + hours) for the Ligonier Conference, but Erin and I stayed with Gran.

Here's what we did:

• dogsitting
• thrifting-- I'm hoping to start an Etsy store and sell some of my vintage wares.
• cemetery-- We rambled through a Confederate cemetery. I happen to have about ten relatives buried there!
• Twilight-- we bought the movie and watched it late one night. The film is HORRIBLE-- don't waste your money buying it. If you really must watch it, check it out from your local library.
• Sookie Stackhouse-- my sister turned me on to the Sookie Stackhouse books. They're a series about vampires-- sort of who-done-it mysteries set in small-town Louisiana. There's an HBO series, True Blood, which are based on the books.
• Yummy food-- one of the nice things about being in the south is the food I get to eat. I ate pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato chips, fried okra, rutabagas, and other southern delicacies.
  

Today and Yesterday

Today:

A "dog" nap this afternoon. There are three dogs-- can you find them all?

The first snow of the season-- it dusted the flowers!

A Year Ago Today:

My friend, Holly, and me at an event in a hotel in Dubai, U.A.E.