Rain, Rain, Go Away

For the last two days it has been absolutely beautiful, 65 degrees and sunny. Well like most things, all good things must come to an end. The rain started late last night and has carried on throughout the morning. Lovely. So I guess this is God's way of saying get to work on packing and more laundry. Kirby and Hope are great sports when it comes to having their picture taken especially when it cold and wet. Well back to packing, I guess!!

Thanks Brother!!

For Christmas, I had asked for two things, Wii Fit and Books on Gardening. Well I must have been a very good girl this year because I got both the Wii Fit and FIVE books on gardening. I have read four of the five since christmas! Poor Anthony, everytime he turns around I am reading. Well the fifth book is probably going to be my favorite and it was given to me by my brother!!! (Thanks Jay) It's by one of my favorite authors Michel Pollan and its called Second Nature: A gardener's education. Of course I just started the book so I have only gotten through the first chapter, but I am in LOVE! The first chapter talks about the idea of two gardens, the one in your head and the actual garden. I think this is so true, I know it is for me anyway. The first year I had a garden, I started out with this grand plan and by the middle of summer life had caught up with me and my plants and by the end of the season I had a mess with very little success. The second year was better, but I had a little more vested in these plants as I had started them from seed. However, with our move in July it stressed my poor veggie plants out and although most of them recovered a trip towards the end of summer pretty much did them in. I was more successful this past year, than the year before and have high hopes for this coming spring. So back to the book, Mr. Pollan talks about bringing the imaginary and actual gardens together. Although in my opinion your imaginary garden will always be better than your real garden. I am going to give this a try. Thoughts? However, this year wants to can, freeze and dry my success to try and make it last throughout the year. I currently have all my seeds picked out and ready to order, but Anthony made me promise I would wait until we got to Missouri before I ordered them. So here I sit and WAIT!

Today is a beautiful day in Georgia, which I love since I can kick the dogs outside and get to packing without any distractions. Plus Anthony isn't home either which means I can throw things away without being questioned! YIPPEE! Alright off to pack.

St. Louis, Skype and other Random things

We are finally in the middle stages of moving to St. Louis!!! YAY! After spending a week there the first part of January, we have decided its final, we are moving. Although the weather was freezing and it snowed five inches while we were there, it didn't ruin our plans. Suprisingly, people actually knew how to drive in the snow and there was more than ONE snow plow. House hunting was a little trying to say the least. We spent 3 solid days looking at every house that was for rent in the St. Louis and surrounding subarbs. Finally the very last house that we looked at was great!! It was a good thing too, because Anthony was feeling totally deflated and I was just tired and ready to just give up, so it was a blessing that it worked out. It has a huge yard and a really neat fire pit and patio, that I think will be great to have in the spring, summer and fall. We were approved for the house and we will hopefully be moving in the middle of Feburary.

Also, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of packing, trying to figuare out a game plan and just everyday life our beloved laptop finally died for the last time. After reviving it almost everyday for a month it finally could not be revived. So last Friday Anthony and I ventured out, armed with a limited budget and of course two different ideas of what we needed. I, of course just wanted to get a cheap computer that would do just what we needed and nothing else. On the other hand Anthony had bigger ideas. As we walked through the doors of Best Buy, I thought to myself, 'this can not end well.' Well, we actually compromised, which was an amazing feat because I usually just give in and just let him have his way, especially when it comes to electronics. However, the laptop we bought is great! What we love most about it is that is has a camera built in and last night we discovered how to use SKYPE. What a cool invention! The first people we skyped...my parents. It was great fun and the dogs on both ends of the country were completely freaked out that they could hear voices of people that they knew but couldn't figure out where it was coming from! I think Kirby that he was hearing voices in his head and kept looking up at the ceiling as if God was talking to him! It was hilarious!

Lastly, I think I have picked out all the vegetables that I am going to grow this season. I have been reading as much as I can about Missouri and it sounds like a great state for gardening, there are clubs, groups, magazines and newsletter all about gardening just for the state. Anthony and I have been looking up all the great farmer's markets and restaurants that are all organic and sustainable! It's really becoming a HUGE movement, what a great thing to be a part of. We are so excited to get up there, move in and begin exploring our new city! What an adventure!

Happy New Year

Well, it's 2010, but where did 2009 go! As we begin the New Year its always filled with big dreams, hopes and of course the dreaded resolutions! My 2010 resolution is to de-clutter my life and to continue to get out of debit. However, with the purchase of a new car and the beginning of the dreaded pay back of school loans it seems as though I have acquired more debt than paid off this year. Sad I know, but I guess that is life. Maybe I will win the lotto!

On an exciting note I just received my first seed catalogs of the year!!! I was so excited when Anthony brought them in from the mailbox, I could barely contain myself. I have already started to highlight, circle and budget for my seed purchases.

Well with the New Year brings a big move for Anthony and I. We are moving to St. Louis!!!!! I am so excited!! We will be visiting this week to look at some rental houses and to explore our soon to be new home. We have our sights set on a home about 30 miles east of the city that is affordable in rent and has A GARDEN SPACE! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it on the internet. It is actually in Illnois, instead of Missouri but it is all the same from what I have been told. The growing season will be shorter from what I have read but equally as fulfilling.

I hope 2010 brings everyone Joy, Peace and Happiness and may it be filled with all the love we can hold and more. I promise to blog more and stay on top of things alittle better.

Kirby's First Veteran Debut

Yesterday I drove 4 hours north to Concord, North Carolina! Thankfully I did not have to leave at the crack of dawn but either way it was a long drive. A few weeks ago I entered Kirby in a Doberman Specialty. It would be his first time entered in a dog show since 2006! While I knew he had not forgotten how to act or what to do, I did think he would be so excited he would not be able to contain himself. This thought turned out to be VERY true. I entered him in the Veteran age group of 7-9 years of age, I was very excited as he will be 9 in February and looks fabulous for an old man. So I arrived in the very cold and blustery state of North Carolina around 1:30pm, the specialty started at 2:00pm so this gave Kirby plenty of time to figure out just exactly where he was. It took him all of 2 minutes! I brought him into the building and I swear my old man was bursting with excitement. He showed beautifully, a little wild but I could not be more proud of him.

I do have to admit that both on the way up there and on the way home, I did break down and cry! Driving all alone just me and him, brought back so many memories. Kirby and I have been all over the Northwest from Washington to California to Nevada to Montana and every where in between. He has been the most loyal friend anyone could ever ask for. I only hope I have been half the friend to him. To be honest I am a little suprised that he is not deaf, after all these years of listening to me sing. LOL!! The tears on the way home were brought on by the thought of what life would be like without him. Somehow that thought just doesn't even seem possible. While I know in reality that someday my life will be without him, I can't help but wish he will always be there. With as much winning as he and I did together those are not my favorite memories of him. I never thought after Queenie passed away that I would ever love a dog as much as I loved her, but Kirby is easily loved that much! He makes me laugh everyday, he is clueless to the idea that the world does not revolve around him. So with each day that passes I try to make sure I give him an extra hug and remind him of how much I love him. I can only hope he knows how much I do love him. He sleeps on our bed every night and makes sure to guard me while Anthony is at work. I often wonder who will fill his shoes when he is gone, for those shoes are so big it may take multiple dogs to do so.

Hurricane IDA

Ok so for the last two days I have confirmed the fact that I WILL NEVER live in Florida!!!! This past weekend it came on the news that Hurricane Ida was going to come ashore on Tuesday. It was also said that Georgia and surrounding states were going to be getting some rain! SOME RAIN, how about hurricane rain from 12:30am Tuesday morning until 3:00am Wednesday morning!!!! The poor dogs are miserable, they cant go outside, we cant go to the park all we can do is clean house and watch movies, which is fine for about 3 hours then we all get restless!! Now today, Wednesday we have 25-30mph winds! My beautiful pecan trees that were changing colors and the leaves were beginning to fall are mostly BARE! My back yard ressembles the Florida Everglades, minus the native wildlife! The wind is blowing so hard it sounds like a train hurling itself right into my house! So agenda for the day, laundry and watch more movies! I will take pictures of my everglades and my very bare, pathetic looking pecan trees! On a positive note all those leaves in my yard.....my landlord is going to clean up! Bless him!! He does all of our mowing and lawn maintence. We are very lucky tenants!

Been a while!

Well it is been sometime since I posted, but we/I have been busy! These past two weeks I have been away at dog shows. Glad that is over, I don't like being away from my hubby, nor my dogs! Also we had Maddie Grace's second birthday, complete with cupcakes, and party hats! Some interesting news on the homefront by the way........ I am pretty sure we are moving to St. Louis, MO!! While I was in Virginia Beach (beautiful place, highly reccommend it as a place to visit!) Anthony called and said that Jaco (who is the chef he works for) was offered a promotion if he transfered to St. Louis. Jaco took the position and told them that he had a person he wanted to bring him too! Soooo......when Jaco got back he told Anthony about his offer as well as Anthony's offer too. This move will also be a promtion for Anthony! I like to think Jaco was not only looking out for Anthony but for me as he knows how much I want to get the HECK out of here!!!! Ultimately I think we will make it to Washington but this is kind of a weird twisted half way move! I never thought I would live in St. Louis, but then again I never thought I would live out here either! This is all not going to take place until after the first of the year, so in the meantime I am going to start going through junk and start throwing away at the speed of light! I DO NOT want to move half of this stuff we have so I am just going to start in our closet and move throughout the house! I WILL SHOW NO MERCY! Some stuff I think I am going to venture out and sell on ebay or craiglist!

We are currently looking at possibly purchasing a house as having 5 dogs, does not make us prime rental candidates! Anthony and I have discussed a plan of living there 2-3 years. Hopefully we can accomplish all of this all before spring comes! I need to garden, I love it and it keeps me sane!!!

Tomorrow I will spending some time at Starbucks using their internet looking for a job for me, housing and costs of moving! I am sure by the end of tomorrow I will be depressed but I will also make sure to post all the pictures I have been meaning to post!

Thank you Vicki for the stuff!! I already planted some stuff that I knew would grow!