In my husband's words...

"It was like Christmas and Thanksgiving all in one day. You're like a Santa Pilgrim."

I love you, too, honey.

Finished Patio...




...required lots of heavy lifting and endless leveling. But it's done, and we love it.

Patio...done.
Garage Organization...semi-done.
Fence Sealing...way harder than it looks. May need to get a sprayer.


T-minus three days and counting. Tonight we're going on a fancy dinner date. I even bought a new shirt for the occasion. We've had a gorgeous day here in the Pac Northwest, and we should have a table overlooking the harbor for dinner. We made reservations early to ensure a sunset view. I love sunsets, eating, and my husband, so it should be a great night.

So, with Maddie all healed up and with Will's deployment a week away, we've gone into project mode. Garage shelves, pegboard, patio...We're going to be organized and have a nice place to hang out in our backyard (well, I will, for the next four months, in the rain...).

A few thoughts on the projects and such:

-My husband doesn't like to read directions (does any husband?) but he lets me read them thoroughly and then tell him what to do. I love this (or, at least, the teacher in me loves this).

-We don't like each other's clutter - I don't like his boxes of uniforms from the Academy and random cardboard boxes (why are we keeping these things?), and he doesn't like my box of candles left over from our wedding (I know why we're keeping these) or my boxes of decorative items.


-I love pegboard and there are so many great organizational tools out there that if we are diligent we should never again have a garage we can't park in.




-I can't wait to park in the garage (especially with the imminent rain).

-I truly strive to enjoy the precious few days we have left before he leaves. Just spending time together is enough - the projects are a bonus!

-We can make a mean pseudo-Chinese dinner at 9 p.m. after slaving in the garage all day (thanks to COSTCO frozen Orange Chicken and potstickers, and Thai style jasmine rice). Teamwork helps when we're both tired.

Here's the little rascal - her eyes are a little glazed from the anesthesia, and they had to shave her poor little leg to put in the IV, but she's back at home and we couldn't be happier!

She's OKAY! I just got a call from the vet - they went in with the endoscope, but some of what they saw in her stomach had already passed to her intestines. This is good because it's no longer in her tummy, but they're watching to see if it gets stuck in her intestines. I can pick her up in a few hours, but we have to monitor her for signs of another blockage (vomiting, lethargy, etc.). The vet said we'll know if it gets stuck because it will be just like yesterday! I just can't wait to get her back home!!!

The vet did note that she woke up FAST from the anethesia (duh, she's a hyper dog!) and that she, once again, was wagging her tail.

Maddie Update:

So far, so good. The vet had to give her IV fluids because she was dehydrated and not drinking water on her own. On top of that they had to wait (longer than originally thought) to let the barium work it's way out of her stomach. They should be doing the procedure any time now (they said midday here, about 2 or 3 for you Central time folks) and I'll update as soon as I hear from them. I talked to one of the vet techs, you know, just checking on my Maddie girl...The girl was so sweet and said when she went in to check on Maddie that she was smiling at her and wagging her tail! BIG improvement from yesterday when I dropped her off. The fluids are obviously helping, and I know she'll be so glad to get that dang thing out of her tummy!

Maddie is sick...

She woke us up throwing up at 4:30 this morning. She kept it up until about 10, at which time she started shivering and looking very, very pathetic. She wouldn't even play with her toy. About 2 I decided we needed to go to the vet...she threw up (on me) as we pulled into the parking lot. All she did was sit right by my feet at the vet. If you've met Maddie, you know how unusual this is - there were four vet techs who were cooing over her and all she did was stare at them with glazed eyes. The vet (a super nice, super young gal) requested x-rays which showed something stuck in Maddie's stomach, as well as an enlarged spleen. They are doing a barium series to try to pass whatever is stuck in her stomach, and they're watching the spleen. She asked me what Maddie could have eaten that would be in her tummy, and I couldn't think of anything. Then the vet asked if she eats Greenies. Why, of course! They are her favorite! NOT any more! Apparently dogs with strong jaws (i.e. Maddie) bite off big chunks that get stuck in their tummies, as Greenies are not digestible. They end up getting "trash gut" where the object can't get out either way. My poor dog...

I'll keep you updated as I hear more. I had to leave her there for the afternoon. And to all you strong-jawed dog owners - avoid Greenies and the other dental bones on the market. Who knew? I am obviously not ready to have a human child, yet.

Edit: After some internet research, it seems that the companies that make Greenies and other hard pressed dog bones DO claim that their products are digestible. The disclaimer is that the dogs must "properly chew and eat" them. So, they are digestible if they are in SMALL pieces in a dog's stomach. I have read about some lawsuits over this very thing, however in those cases the dogs died due to the obstructions. Several vets are quoted as saying they've found treats that have been in dog's stomachs for DAYS, and yet they are completely undigested and hard. I cannot believe I have missed all of this info. Horrible feeling.

UPDATE: Maddie will have the foreign object removed in the morning, hopefully endoscopically. If they can't get it that way, they'll immediately do surgery while she's anesthetized. She can't have a procedure done tonight because her tummy is full of barium.

Whilrwind weekend with Will's parents...

Ray checking out the seafood at Pike's Market.

Laura with a coffee from the original Starbucks!

Will, Amy and Puget Sound.

Dabney Family Portrait (Charla's on the phone)

On the banks of Hood Canal...windy and chilly, but beautiful nonetheless.

Busy...for once!



This past week has brought a new feeling for me, at least since moving here. I'm BUSY! Shocking, I know. We had the blessing of having Will's parents here over last weekend, and we kept them going non-stop (or was it the other way around?)! I finally got to see the "touristy" parts of Seattle, which had been at the top of my list. I'd add pictures but they are all on Will's computer. All in due time...

To add to the excitement, I have worked the past two days, and am about to head out the house for day three (in a row) of working! It feels good. The only bad thing about it is that going into schools to sub makes me oh-so-sad remembering that not so long ago I was part of a school and a team of teachers there, and I truly miss that. I'm sure something will come along here, but again, all in due time...

Hope your weather is as beautiful as ours. Wishing cooler weather to our friends in the South (did we hear something about a cold front?)...

More recipes...


...mostly of the trial and error variety.

I really like to cook, which is a darn good thing because I seem to be doing a ton of it these days. My favorite thing is to bake, but regular cooking is fine, too. I thought I'd be the clever wife and make my husband a nice fall dinner of all-day cooked pot roast. Imagine my surprise when he came home and did not fall prey to the delectable smells wafting through our home. Instead, he suggested we trek over to COSTCO to buy some tuna steaks and sea scallops that he could cook on the grill.

{I must insert a small story here - A while back I suggested that my husband take a day of the week to cook. I do love to cook, but I get overwhelmed sometimes and frankly just plain tired of doing it every day. Seriously, who doesn't? Needless to say, my idea of said husband cooking once a week was not having him cook on a night that I had already prepared and entire meal. Defeats the purpose, no? End of side story.}

Well, I lovingly agreed that tuna steaks and scallops would be a nice treat, and thus tupperwared the pot roast to eat another night.

All of this to hear, two days later over a steaming bowl of microwaved meat and veggies, that my husband does not like pot roast. What? Why could this information not have been divulged when I told him on the phone that I was cooking pot roast? Or when he so sneakily suggested a seafood dinner so that he could get his cooking out of the way for the week? Why draw this thing out?

So, here you go - My attempt to cover up all taste of pot roast while still actually using the pounds of meat formerly known as pot roast.

Empanadas no de Pot Roast

Shred leftover pot roast. In a saucepan, saute diced onions and garlic. Add shredded meat (no longer referred to as pot roast) to the saucepan. Stir in a can of Mexican Rotel. Season to taste with red pepper flakes, hot sauce, salt, pepper, grill seasoning, etc. Simmer on low until thickened. Unroll two refrigerated pie crusts. Using a cereal bowl as a guide, cut circles out of pie crust (yields 4 per pie crust...if you are ambitious you can save the scraps and roll them out again to make more. I just smushed it all together, wrapped it and stuck it in the freezer for future emergency use). Spoon some of the shredded meat mixture onto the middle of the pie crust circles. Spread some egg wash around the edge of the pie crust, then fold over and seal, crimping the edge with a fork. Do this with all of the pie crust circles, then place them on a baking sheet. Brush the empanadas with egg wash. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy with sour cream and/or salsa.

Reincarnated Beef Brunswick Stew

Cut leftover pot roast into chunks. Put pot roast, veggies (carrots, onions, celery and potatoes from original meal) and leftover gravy into a stock pot. Add barbecue sauce and frozen corn. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, etc. to make it as spicy as your husband desires. Serve with jalapeno corn bread.


Come to think of it, you could just make meals that your husband likes, and then you wouldn't have to think up things to do with the leftover piles of meat! Ha! On a serious note, I wouldn't trade this marriage/learning things about each other that you never knew for anything. I love, love, love my pot roast loathing husband. (But seriously, who doesn't like pot roast?)

Sounds weird...tastes delicious!

There is an appetizer at a local wood-fired pizza joint that I think about and crave, although I've only had it once. It's called Brown Sugar Garlic Mozzarella Bread. Big name, big taste. These people have it down, and this afternoon I tried my best to imitate this amazing treat, and I think I came fairly close. Perfect for a chilly afternoon spent studying (Will) and experimenting (me).

Amy's BSGMB

☞Ingredients:

-Butter, softened
-A few (or more) cloves of garlic
-French bread - slices about an inch thick (I actually used "artisan" bread from COSTCO that had cloves of garlic baked right in - I really like garlic)
-Mozzarella Cheese (I used smoked because it was all I had) - sliced or shredded
-Brown Sugar

☞Directions:

-Preheat oven to 450∘
-In a food processor combine butter and garlic, with salt and pepper to taste. I also added parsley as I orginally used this butter for regular garlic bread.
-Place slices of bread on a cookie sheet and spread some garlic butter on the top (enough to coat but not get soggy).
-Toast bread in oven for a few minutes - it should just be lightly toasted, not browned.
-Remove from oven and top with cheese. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar (maybe one tablespoon per slice).
-Stick back in oven and toast until bread is browned along the edges and the cheese is bubbly and melted.
-Serve warm!