Jennifer Zalewski Studio

Almost 2 feet of snow– gone. The yard is wet, squishy, and dull.  Paws get black pretty quick and the washer is full of muddy towels. I miss the snow, but it’s nice to get a spring-ish reprieve between storms.

I know a lot of folks who refuse to make “New Years Resolutions” and I guess I see their point, but I do enjoy a bit of planning. See, I find that if I don’t set goals for myself, life kind of passes me by… quickly. And then I look back and nothing has gotten done? And where did time go–? The past few days, lots of other artist/craftsperson bloggers I follow have been posting their yearly wrap-ups and plans for 2011, so I’m jumping on the bandwagon too. Here we go…!

MY 2010 GOALS… how did I do? Meh.

1. Finish 2 pieces of art per month. Was doing okay until Lucy died in March.

2. PROJECT: Continue working on my portfolio of Greyhound Art. See above.

3. PROJECT: Begin working on documenting the Wildlife of Upstate New York in linocuts. See above- I did get one done, but that’s it.

4. PROJECT: Continue working on documenting the Landcapes of Upstate New York in linocuts. Nope.

5. My website: Combine that and my blog onto one site. I hate having them in separate places! Why am I paying for a domain name again-?? I just renewed my hosting plan and am going to start the process realllllly soon-! Yes! I did get this done!

I have personal goals too (lose that extra 10 lbs., (almost- I hit 6 lbs I think), eat healthier (well, this is an ongoing battle!), get Jack certified in animal-assisted therapy (no, although I have begun training for his CGC, which is the first step!), keep Lucy and Cliff healthy and limber on their NSAIDs (2010 was a bad dog year, except for Jack’s adoption. ‘Nuff said).

Okay, so my 2010 Goals were kind of… unfulfilled. Lucy’s death was difficult and I struggled creatively for a long time after. I hope things will go better (canine-wise) in 2011 but with a senior hound in the house, nothing is guaranteed. One day at a time, right?

Without further ado…

2011 GOALS…

Art Goals:

1. Two pieces of new art per month- I’m stealing this from last year. It’s certainly do-able (barring any canine catastrophes…).
2. Re-do my website- I love having my blog and website together on WordPress. I mean, it’s SUPER easy and convenient- there are thousands of templates to chose from with all sorts of neat plugins. I’m working on new content for my new site now and hope to roll it out at the end of the month…
3. Order “real” business cards, design a logo, etc- I’ve always made my own biz cards, but I’ve been hearing sooo many folks on the Etsy Forums who are enamored with Moo and Moo products. And I need to design a logo, too.
4. New “stuff“– not sure where this will go yet, but I’d like to work on a line of greeting cards, etc.

Personal Goals:

1. Fitness. This fall I began working out 5-days a week, running, kickboxing and a little weight training. Although I’ve never been obese, I’m definitely on the very-very-very high end of what I SHOULD weigh, for my height. My BMI is high and my doctor lectures me for it (sigh).  And I’ve started exhibiting some of the signs of pre-diabetes (another sigh). One of my old neighbors had diabetes and the effects were so awful he committed suicide –he lost his sight, then was told his circulation had deteriorated and he needed to have both legs amputated–I guess he freaked and hung himself. I wouldn’t mind doing the insulin shots but I’m really not, um, excited about the possibility of becoming a blind paraplegic you know? I hate the jiggling under my arms and around my stomach when I mow the lawn. I hate huffing and puffing like an idiot going up the one measly flight of stairs at work. Talk about embarrassing. Sadly, I realize that I’ve gained almost 40 lbs since graduating from college 11 years ago–and how the heck did that happen?? I mean, 40 lbs? That’s a Samoyed for God’s sakes. So anyway…  I’m continuing my running and training for a 10 mile Road Race this summer. I know I can do it, even if it makes me throw up LOL.
2. Volunteering. I want to amp it up.* Help more with dog transports, and get back involved in a local pet therapy group with Jack. On New Year’s day, I did my first transport of 2011 (yay!) and I believe therapy evaluations are coming up later this month, so I’m on track…
3. More Estrogen in the House. (LOL). Am looking to adopt a girlie (canine, of course) after I get back from my vay-cay in Florida. I’ve flirted with the idea the past few months and think the time is right, if I can find the right gal. Might be a Greyhound, might be a mutt, might be another breed I’ve been salivating over lately but will DEFINITELY be a rescue.
4. Writing. I love writing- I was even a Creative Writing minor in college. I have SO many ideas swirling around in my head for a book and I’ve never started in on any of them with any effort. That’s going to change this year!

Well… hmmm. I think that’s it for now. We’ll see how they roll out as the year progesses. Any other artsy/craftsy peeps planning their Goals for the Year out there?

Jen

*Some pics from my January 1st Pug Transport! We had to get 3 little victims of foreclosure into a good, safe rescue group over in New England. They were relayed across 3 states and I helped drive a local leg. Here’s Sissy, Mugsy and Porky- what sweeties!:

We’ve had quite, quite the weather change here in Central NY. We careened full-speed from fall to winter in the blink of an eye… but then again, that’s the way Mother Nature rolls around here.  Should I be surprised? Nuh-uh.

Thanksgiving Weekend. I work at a local university and there is a huge, huge fenced practice field in front of my building. Brought the boys out for a bit of a romp, and they had a blast…

Cliff’s looking pretty well, eh? Unfortunately – not sure if it was the ballfield romping, the car ride- but he had a really rough 2 days after this. Thankfully he’s back in action, had a second Depo spinal shot, and good to go! We’ll have to remember to take it easy, even on good days.

Now, flash forward to Friday. The snow has started- hooray! I love winter…

But the weekend… man oh man! The snow was coming down HARD and it hasn’t stopped since Saturday. We’ve been getting slammed, absolutely slammed. I know that three of the biggest cities in my area (Syracuse, Rochester and Binghamton) consistently rank among the top 10 snowiest cities in the United States, but even THIS dumping was a bit much. Witness….

Twenty-one inches. Twenty-one inches in only a few days!

Using my new snowshoes, I tried tramping down trails around the backyard for the boys, so they could easily “do their business” but alas… a few hours after making the trails, they would be filled up again. I tried. Well, I keep trying…snowshoeing is hard work but FUN.

This photo, from Saturday morning, is how we spent most of the weekend… working in the art studio, reading, and hunkering down!

“Word on the street” is that a nor’easter will be swooping in this weekend for another big storm… can’t wait!

This Thanksgiving Week, I’m most thankful that my beautiful Clifford is responding so well to his Depo shots…

…he’s been loud, playful, and enjoying walkies…

…as well as his new Raccoon stuffy that I couldn’t wait to give him!

…Go Cliff!

The saga of Cliffie continues. It’s a dense post- reader be warned- grab some popcorn and soda, you’ll be here awhile! P

Monday bright and early, we drove to C-Bone’s orthopedic specialist for a complete exam and possibly a Depo para-spinal shot. It was a rough drive- Cliff’s always been a bit excitable in the car, and in later years that excitability has blown to the anxiety side of the spectrum. He stood the whole 40 minute trip (which, given his back issues, must have been excruciating) and fell several times when I slowly crept around turns.  I had to pull over in traffic twice to open the back hatch and help him back on his feet, because he couldn’t get up. It was just so sad to see him that way (I was happy, though, to have made the trip without him pooping in the back for once! But wait- as soon as we went into the vet’s exam room, he lost control, tail went up and out it shot. I had to hold him up so he wouldn’t fall when pushing- not exactly the highlight of our day).

The discussion with Dr. B rather depressing. I’ll try to paraphrase the conversation, given I’m not great on the medical lingo and, 3 days later, I’ve already forgotten some of it because I’m a space cadet,– but, what it boils down to, is that Clifford’s spinal disease is getting much worse. Apparently the cord is inflamed at some point in his lower back, compressing nerves, pressing against the bone, causing sciatica and all sorts of gimpiness, pain, and fragility. It was bad this spring, but further compression (swelling?) has really amped it up. During the exam, Dr. B lightly pressed that area of the spine and Clifford dropped like a sack of potatoes (thankfully he warned me, or I may have had a panic attack!). It was just really sad.

As at our last consultation, we discussed the three most popular avenues of treatment for spinal disease:

1. Spinal surgery, which I’ve always been against given Cliff’s age and bad reaction to anesthesia at his last dental– but shit, I’m so desperate to see him well again I’ve been considering taking the chance. Dr. B told me, though, that it’s really too late at this point… the nerves have been compressed so long, they probably won’t bounce back, even with surgery. That kind of bites.
2. A Depo shot, which is some sort of cortisone injection in his back? Sometimes it gives relief, sometimes it doesn’t.  Maybe it works for a few weeks, maybe months, maybe a day.  Kind of  a wild card. Doctor B said there’s also something else I need to consider- that the medicine could very well upset Cliff’s sensitive stomach, blow into Colitis, and kill him. Once you inject that medicine in, you can’t take it out- so it’s a gamble that might pay or might have deadly consequences.
3. Then there’s the last option. Do nothing. In my mind, that means losing Clifford before Christmas- because I’m not going to string him along. When Cliff passes away, I want him to die with dignity- not crapping himself, not falling on the ground every few hours, not able to heave himself up from the dog bed. And the way he was this weekend- that time isn’t far off. Ugh.

We also talked about another issue- Jack. Despite all the glowing praise I gave him a few posts ago (ha) – he’s really one of those dogs that takes advantage of weakness. I’m not sure if this is related to his high prey-drive or something separate, but man- he seems totally willing to act the part of Grim Reaper if need be.  I was telling a few coworkers and greyhound friends about how, when Clifford fell in the dog door Friday and couldn’t get up, how Jack swooped in- and generally got two types of responses. First, there was the, “Oh Jack is so playful and thought Cliff was playing!” and the other is, “Jack was concerned his ‘brother’ fell and wanted to help!”  Ehhhh…. I don’t think so. When I explained that Jack really wanted to attack Cliff when poor Cliff couldn’t get up and fight back, I got a few horrified looks, a few, “Oh he really isn’t good with other dogs, is he?!?!” and a few, um… I guess, “Oh you poor person, how do you live with a dog like that?” expressions.  Even some of my dog friends were appalled.  To be honest, I’ve never had a dog like Jack that is so… primitive(?)? Even Nelson, my Alaskan Malamute, wasn’t that “wolfy” and spitzes are generally considered one of the more primitive types of domesticated dogs. But I do have to explain- Jack isn’t a BAD dog. He loves other dogs! He loves to play! He is super friendly and loving! But… BUT. He’s a dog-dog, for lack of a better term? For some reason… like I said- maybe because he is high prey? Genetic? His lineage? Something??- he just acts a bit more primitive and …uncivilized… than many other dogs when it comes to basic behavior.  From what I understand, a wolf pack will kill  sick or mamed pack members to keep their unit strong and viable- so maybe it hearkens back to that? Let’s just hope I don’t slip in the bathtub and break my leg anytime soon, LOL–!!!!

Anyway, I discussed my concerns about Jack with Dr. B. It was strongly recommended that the boys be kept separate, for Cliff’s safety, when I’m not supervising. Sad to say, this didn’t fly  with Cliff. At all. More on that later.

I also asked Dr. B what would happen if Clifford went into a split with his back legs, and couldn’t get up, when I was at work. The scenario wasn’t good. The doctor explained that Cliff would probably stress himself trying to get up, panic, go into Malignant hyperthermia, and because of his upper airway issues- would suffocate himself to death.The other scenario, of course, he falls- can’t get up- Jack kills him.

Not exactly a good way to go.

It wasn’t a hard decision. I decided to give Cliff the injections of Depo around his spine, in hopes that it would help (and that it wouldn’t blow into Colitis and  kill him- but it’s a risk I’m willing to take). The vet technician took Cliff in back, where he was shaved and injected. They told me he was very stoic, and didn’t cry once!!

Fast forward beyond the excruciating car ride home (Cliff standing the whole way, drooling on my shoulder)… and to The New Normal. The dog door has been deemed too dangerous for Cliff to use, so it has been sealed- much to my dismay (the boys don’t seem as upset about it, thankfully! But me- God, it’s totally cramped my style!!).  The boys are now separated during the day- Cliff in the carpeted bedroom where he has better traction to get up, in case he falls- and Jack is “next door” in art studio and living room. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, Cliff HATES this setup and has been angrily piddling all over the carpet while I’m gone. Because the dog door has been nixed, I have quit my lunchtime workout class (I had gotten into SUCH a good workout rhythm- kickboxing class two lunches a week, running the other 3)- and have to drive home to check the boys and let them out to potty early afternoon. Oh Dog Door, how I miss you!!! And working out during lunch… I never thought I’d say this (ever, ever, ever)- but I MISS MY WORKOUTS. I miss the energy burn afterwards the beautiful endorphins that kicked in after sweating buckets… that really good, good feeling of pushing myself to do something I didn’t think I could. I now need to get up extra early to run in the dark, or run after work in the dark (which is a PITA since I have no headlamp, no reflective clothing, and would rather get it done during lunch- plus crime in the area seems to be up and joggers seem to be getting mugged a lot recently, wtf?). I have to race home during lunch every day (and gas is up to $3.09/gallon, seriously???), let the dogs out, wolf my lunch down at record speed and then race back to the office;  then race home after work to spend a half hour crouching on the carpet scrubbing up urine- and smell that horrid cleaner is all over the house… AAAAAAAH.

It’s fine. We’ll get into a new rhythm of life, eventually. It’s not a big deal, it’s just a pain in the ass right now. Jack is the only one of us as happy as a clam. Clifford is pissed (literally and figuratively) and my stress level is through the roof trying to figure out a routine that makes myself and Clifford comfortable. The good news is that I’ve been taking out my stress on linoleum blocks, and have a couple ready to print- pics to come.

After another long hour of scrubbing up Clifford’s iniquities last night, I decided to let him stay loose in the house with Jack today. I’ll be home at lunch to check. Hey Cliff- you slip on the hardwood floor and he comes at you like a monkey on a hambone? YOU ASKED FOR IT. *I* had this great plan to keep you safe. A nice secluded bedroom- you have the whole queen bed to yourself, the cushy dog bed too, and guess what? Pain the ass little brother only gets the smelly loveseat. But noooo… that wasn’t good enough for you. You decide to defile my carpet to express your displeasure.  You know, you had me WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER. I mean, you could have played the sympathy card BIG TIME and you ruined it by acting like a whiny douchebag.* ARG, you can be such a card sometimes-!

On a happy note: The Depo shots seem to be working okay. With a bland diet and 20mg Pepcid every day (as recommended by Dr. B), Cliff’s poops have been good and no bloody diarrhea/colitis (yay). He can get up off the dog bed without help now. And he seems *slightly* less rickety! Next appointment: December 6. Another round of injections and I’m going to ask Dr. B if he’d recommend laser treatment. My friend Trace had acupuncture and laser work done on her greyhound’s spine, and the laser seemed to be really helpful (apparently the acupuncture, not so much). We’ll see.

Jen

*Hmmm, it just occurs to me- I suppose I should ask the doctor if excessive urination is a side effect of the injection before calling Cliff a douchebag. Maybe I am the douchebag. LOL.

My poor boy Cliff has been having a really rough few days- going into “splits” with his back legs, unable to get up, getting his back legs ‘tangled up’ on our walks and stumbling, stubbing his toes, etc. This morning was the worst. I got up after hitting the “snooze” alarm a bagillion times (no surprises there) and of course both boys were super excited- as was I- hooray, TGIF! Cliff grabbed his stuffed orange dog in excitement and made fast tracks out the dog door with it – for some reason he likes to bring a toy outside when he potties- he’s always done it, and I’ve always found it amusing…. who wouldn’t, right? Well anyway, after a few seconds I heard the “thwack” of the dog door flapping up, then another “thwack”, then some strange scraping sounds… of course I ran to investigate… and found poor Clifford had tripped trying to get through the door, collapsed, and had fallen with the weight of both dog door flaps pinning him down. I’m not sure who was more traumatized- him or myself!! Jack, being the jackass he is, quickly dashed in to get Fresh. I hollered at him to back off (which he did, thankfully) and I crawled into the dog door, raised the flaps up off Cliff’s back and lifted his back end up. It was horrible, but thankfully Cliff was unscathed (he was happily “hooting”- his happy barks- for cookies a few minutes later). But STILL. Talk about stomach-turning.

When I had bought our doggy door, I had purposely got the Newfoundland/St. Bernard size,  2 sizes larger than the hound recommended size… simply because I wanted the roominess. Sure, I knew it would let more cold air in. Sure, I knew the bigger size could let in, say, Jeffrey Dahmer or BTK (actually, it let ME in several times when I’ve locked myself out, lol). But it was important for me to have the huge, extra-tall, extra-wide door with a low, low rise for the hounds as they got older and lost their mobility. Unfortunately it never occurred to me that one of my pups would ever get so feeble/uncoordinated that they wouldn’t even be able to negotiate through something sized for a 220 lb. animal, but I guess it has gotten to that point with Cliff. What happened?? Last week we were out hiking… and now?

This morning I called my regular vet and Cliff’s orthopedic specialist. Both recommended that the dog door be closed up for Clifford’s safety- that he’s obviously not able to negotiate it safely anymore. The specialist is seeing him Monday for examination and a Depo shot in his spine, which may give him some back-end control.  I fretted all morning about him falling, and then rushed home at lunch to check the boys and lock-up the dog door as recommended. Cliff was a bit disoriented to see me (the boys aren’t used to me coming home for lunch!) and when we took a short walk in the beautiful fall sunshine, he dragged his toes and was a bit more rickety than usual. Maybe I was just being extra sensitive though, because he had taken that bad spill in the morning? I dunno.

Incidentally, when I had Cliff’s regular vet on the phone, I asked about using Benadryl or something to help with his breathing. She actually suggested Zyrtec, one pill a day. If Cliff seems to take the med okay, then we can up to two pills once  a day. I’m eager to buy a package and see if that helps open his airway at all.

Oh Clifford, you are making your momma worry like crazy!! It is so difficult to see you grow old!!

I’ve been a foster parent for homeless animals before, and would love to be again sometime soon. I’m trying to remember the cats and greyhounds that have been through- a very paltry amount compared to some, but there were maybe 5 or 6?  Two greyhounds, Diego and Dante, and the rest were homeless cats… Mickey, Queen Mary (she was a hospice foster), Morty, an orange tiger I can’t remember the name of…  Pete, maybe?  I’ve never really had issues with it, you know?  A lot of people have asked how you can do that? Take a dog or cat in, and not fall in love with them immediately? How you can give them up to someone else? They say they could NEVER do that, which kind of makes me feel a bit strange, you know? It’s one of those things that makes me go, “hmmmm”, I guess.  I just don’t fall in love that quickly. At all. I mean… I am a total, absolute animal nut.  My world revolves around Clifford and Jack. I obsess about them all the time. I actively choose to live without another human in my home because the company of dogs is much better. When I hear about women who have been dreaming about their wedding day blah-blah-blah since they were a little girl, I get embarrassed because the only thing I’ve been thinking about since I was a little girl was winning the Iditarod or Westminster Best In Show with a BBE. I guess I’m just not your normal girly-girl emotional fall-in-love-on-a-whim-let’s-get-married-and-have-2.5-kids-in-the-suburbs type. So although I can take in, enjoy and love an animal… I don’t fall in love with them that quickly. Or easily. It just takes time. I guess that’s what makes fostering (emotionally) easy for me.

Anyway, what this is all leading to is that Jack has been with our family for a bit over a year now. To celebrate, he got a  purple squirrel that “poops” treats out of its butt when rolled around on the floor. It’s a bit reminiscent of the blue Buster Cube that Lucy and Cliff used to have (that somehow got lost in the move??) but is much more rubbery than hard plastic. So far, it’s withstood Jack’s interrogations very well. Even Cliff has given it a whirl, but … well, Cliffie has me well trained. He rolls it, listens to the treats jiggle inside, then gives me the “Oh poor me” big-brown-eyes routine until I shake some out and hand-feed them to him, LOL. I rationalize that with his pinched nerve and bad back, it’s hard for him to bend over and maneuver it anyhow so it feels good to help him lol. ;o)

I’ve always loved Jack, from the moment he stepped into our home. He’s just been (for the most part lol) a fantastic dog. But it’s only now, a year later, that I’m finally starting to LOVE LOVE him. Like, I get that  warm heart/mushy insides when I look at him.  It took about a year with Cliff, too. And Lucy. I’ve had a few discussions with my friend Trace about this… how although we’re total dog people,  it takes us so long to form a strong relationship with our dog. And then, once it does- POW. We’re totally head-over-heels snookered for the rest of our lives. And yet other dog people take one look at a dog and are snookered from the get-go. It’s why they say they could never foster, because they fall in love too quickly. Some of us just aren’t in that class, I guess.

I remember the first year I had Clifford.  If his racing owner had phoned me and said, “oh shoot, we made a mistake and he has to go back to the track to race… ” … would I have felt bad? Yes. But I wouldn’t have been devastated because that cement bond wasn’t there yet. A year later and one day, magically…. WHACK. Cliff was my dog, and I was his human. Now, if someone tried to take Cliff or did something malevolently towards him, I’d not only kill the person but probably cyanide their whole family, too. But it took a good 8-12 months before we got to that magical loyalty-to-the-death point.

And now there’s Jackhammer. He’s hit the 12 month mark. Maybe 13 or 14. And he’s there- here- at last.  I get all googley thinking about going home and seeing him pogo when I get the leash out for his walkie with Cliff. I love buying him new toys to see how he’ll react to them. Rubbing his broad pink tummy and tickling his silly Roman nose. Cleaning the dried mud out from the cracks of his smelly feet and patiently monkey-picking through his fur after a hike to check for deer ticks. The way he curls his toes on the edge of the couch when I coo-coo at him, and how he buries his head into my clothes for as long as he can take it before he blows a big  “Whuff!” out of his nose. The way all three of us -myself, Cliff and Jackie- howl when the ambulances siren by on their way to the hospital on the hill (maybe I shouldn’t admit that??).

We’ve been housemates for a bit over a year, but now, finally, we’re family.

Happy Gotcha to FF Jackhammer, the greatest brindle pup I’ve ever had.

Aye, aye, aye. Last week was kind of crummy for walking– rain, damp, pretty frigid temps. We stayed in all week and hibernated (besides me going to work, of course. Ha ha). By Friday the boys were full-fledged maniacs and I feared the roof would blow off the house if I didn’t get them out soon! Thankfully the weekend, though cold, was rain-free.   We drove up the street to Clark Reservation early Saturday and took a nice hike along the Mildred Faust trail, which is senior-friendly and the perfect length for Cliffie. Since Jack is recovering from a torn pad (dunno what happened on that one, but let me tell you… pads BLEED LIKE A MOTHER. OMG, my house looked like a crime scene!!) the short walk was just right for him, too.

What good boys… for now. *evil snicker*

Heiberg Forest in Tully. FANTASTIC hiking. It’s a bit past the Fall peak in terms of leaf color, but still gorgeous. Unmarked trails but we didn’t get too lost. We did get a bit muddy though. P

And there were…

…FOSSILS! I love rocks anyway (nerd, I know) but rocks with fossils totally flip me out. This was the only one I saw. From the little I know about New York geology, you can’t find dinosaur bones in our state. I’m not sure why, but our fossils are from much earlier times than T-Rex and the Stegosaurus- maybe they never migrated up our way? Dunno. Anyway, During Cambrian and Devonian time periods, New York state was covered by a shallow sea*,  so we have mainly fossils representing trilobites, clams, etc. You can see a bunch in the rock above.

Anyway, can’t wait to go back soon.

*Kansas was covered by a shallow sea too but they had mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and other cool sea monsters. What gives? How come we only have clams??? Humpf.

Whew. Long time no post.  Finally bought a new laptop, new scanner/printer…yowza. My poor plastic hurts, if you know what I mean! And that wasn’t the hardest part. The REAL P.I.T.A. is that my Photoshop software, which is a gazillion years old in computer time, isn’t recognized by Windows 7 so when I put it in the update it… wonk. Reads the CD as blank. Utter frustration.

As a quick catch-up to the last few weeks, I offer this:

Clifford

The ol’ boy’s breathing has just been getting rougher and rougher. He’s been on aggressive antibiotics to try to squelch that awful cough … AND they seemed to work… mostly. X-rays have ruled out congestive heart failure and lung cancer (did I mention that before?). We now know it’s upper-airway related which means probably larangeal paralysis or some type of cancer. Ugh, can’t think about it.

Hiking

LOVE the cooler weather. The leaves are changing, the grass is frosty in the morning… ah. Goodbye summer heat and humidity… don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

The above pics were taken at Green Lakes State Park. The lakes there are meromictic, making them turquoise blue. I’m not sure you can tell in the photo but they were spectacular. Because the trails around the lake are flat, Cliff was able to come and had relatively few troubles, although his breathing was so rough by the end I thought maybe we shouldn’t have gone? He was charging full-steam ahead though, pulling the whole hike… so he enjoyed himself. And that’s what’s important.

Jack and I did another great hike recently- Jones Hill (aka Hang Glider’s Peak) in Morgan Hill State Forest, near Tully. Leaves were spectacular down there. The hike was pretty steep, but we made it to the top with relatively little groaning/complaining (on my part). At one point we were passed by a guy hiking with a maltese (!) which put Jack and I to shame. Oh well.

Keeping Busy…

I’m really trying to be a more fit person. I know I stay active walking and hiking with the boys, but I wanted to step up my game. Plus, I can’t seem to fit into any of my fall clothes without sucking in a lot (arrrrg). I’m lucky enough to work at a university that offers a variety of recreational classes to its faculty and staff, and this semester I’m trying out kickboxing. LOVE it. I’ve also started jogging with Jack (he’s a great runner) and in the mornings I do a 20-minute Jillian Michaels (of Biggest Loser fame) workout DVD. So between doing one or the other every day, plus eating a huge salad every day for lunch… I feel REALLY good. Have I lost weight? No. But I still feel awesome.:)

I’ve also started as a Transport volunteer with some New England rescue groups. Basically, when they get dogs from puppy mills or high-kill shelters and need to move them to safe havens, I help with the driving. It has been so rewarding! Here are some of the beautiful pups I’ve met on their journey. They were all wonderful and I get teary-eyed knowing they are on their way to new, safe, well-loved lives…

Mac

Omar

Singing Ottie!

Miss Wendy

Timmy!

Last but not least, ART…

Art. Sigh. I have been having such an identity crisis lately. I ADORE printmaking but it’s so ever-loving hard, and nothing comes out the way it “should” (aka, the way it is in my head).  After a few deep conversations about it with a friend, I decided to put down the blocks and ink and try something new. I decided on Colored Pencils. It was my medium of choice 15-20 years ago, back in high school.

Am I having fun with the cp’s? Sure. But…. hell. They are SO EASY. It’s almost boring working with them, in  a way? There are no surprises like there is in printmaking. No “WOW!” (or “SHIT!”) factor when you pull the paper away from the inked block and see what’s in front of you. Soooo… well, I’m plugging along but have been experimenting with Polyester Plate Lithography…

I bought a bunch of plates last year and barely cracked them out of the package. I’ve been experimenting with them- drawing on the plates with china markers, litho crayons, Sharpies, and tusche- washing the plate with a gum arabic/water mix, inking it up and printing… and I’m really liking it. More spontaneous then Linocutting, but not as out-of-control as Monotypes. Stay tuned… I’ve gotten the itch for this process!

Hmmm, I know there’s more but I must sign off… Biggest Loser is about to start and I need to get my pizza in the oven (does anyone else stuff their faces with junk food during that show, or is it just me??)….

Later Gators!

Jen