At least I have had time to think about it. But I have to pay attention to the boys still. It's a lifestyle, having dogs. Cats are easy; dogs are time intensive. And I don't multi-task well at all!

I hope to import it over there eventually, but I don't know if I have the tech savvy to accomplish that at all, Marian! I'll be about periodically, but I just can't spend time blogging any more. I hope to get back into writing soon, too. Maybe for NaNoWriMo...

Cool! I am not sure how you do it, either!

molasses on pancakes instead of syrup! Yum! I think I could eat dirt with molasses on it. I love that stuff.

I know catmint doesn't attract cats, because it isn't catnip...I've had both, and it has always puzzled me why it's catmint when cats don't care for it. I always have a pot of catnip in the house for when the cats are looking bored. *evil grin* They are so funny when they get drunk on the 'nip!

I think I'm more like you describe yourself. I kill more than I grow. I try, though. It's getting expensive, lol.

LOL Charles! It is a lot of work. My friends and coworkers think I am nuts to do it by hand but I actually enjoy it. It's also good for my cranky back, so long as I'm careful. If you guys ever make it up to Maine, you and Lana are welcome to sit on the porch and watch me shovel dirt.

Thanks! It's a cozy corner indeed. We have been spending a lot of time out there. I still have to lay the pavers for the back yard, but the section that is done is really nice. The water fountain is really for the dogs to drink out of. I used the need for a dog dish as an excuse to make a water feature because I always wanted one, lol.

Yes, I think I'll keep the blog but randomly post non-relevant things as the mood strikes. When I feel ready to blog again, I imagine my good blog pals will be around still! In the meantime, we can email.

Sorry, I don't have it.

They are growing slower, but still growing!

Whew! *wipes face with towel* That was indeed a close one, FHH!

Heh. If you want it to, it does. :)

It is a particular flavor of humor that doesn't appeal to all, G. :)

Thanks, Whirl. I knew dogs would complicate my life, but the reality is they take every spare second, and the summer home owner to do list is much longer with them. I go to bed at 8pm in a normal way of things, just so I can get 8 hours of sleep, but now I'm getting to bed at 9+ and getting up between 3 and 4. It's a bit crazy.

Alas, I am presently forced by life circumstances to spend all my free time digging up my back yard. The pups cannot be allowed into the mud pit that it is until I dig up all the 'sod' that is mostly mud and at least get a couple inches of gravel base down. And I must get the entire area I just had fenced in paved this summer, too. Not the best excuse, but it's what I've got to do. I'm not even blogging, so you know how bad it's become!

YES~!!! I have to use pinch collars on them because they are constantly lunging. With 2 of them doing that, it can be really difficult to manage, not to forget dangerous. They pulled me down in the middle of route 2 (my street) once. Could have killed all 3 of us if a big log truck had been speeding along the road. (Okay, they were 12 weeks old at the time and one of them ran between my legs from behind, but, still...) It's difficult because there are two of them, not because of the high energy, to be specific.

Best description I can recall, Charles. And so true.

They are intensely aware of their surroundings. Excellent hunting stock...which means they are wanting to chase every moving or new thing they see, smell or hear.

They are both pretty boys in my opinion as well. What's really nice is how soft their fur is.

Well, I generally prefer my house to look nice, lol.

Re the Dyson, it's called the Animal, and it's the regular Dyson but comes with an animal hair attachment. (They colored the ball purple to make it distinctive, though.) The only flaw is that there isn't a specific spot to put the animal hair attachment, so you have to have it set rather awkwardly on the hose attachment wehre it gets in the way when you try to use the vacuum.

Oh bleh, LW. I vowed never to move again after the move to this house. I'd never moved a whole house of crap before, just a studio apartment. At least we only had to go 1.3 miles, but you have much further to go, wherever you decide to end up.

Yeah, just lost the years' long enthusiasm for blogging. I'm short of sleep, have a lot of work silliness as we go into new building construction mode, and my life is focused on a major yardscaping project (e.g. digging up half the yard, literally, by hand, and filling back with gravel and pavers, then moving the dirt I dug up into new locations on the bank and in a new series of beds.) I simply could not care less about blogging or others' blogs at this point. I won't drop the blog yet, but I'm sorely tempted.

There's a difference between flaming at someone and having a discussion. I never blasted teachers per se...I said that sentence diagramming was stupid in my opinion and what I thought about the use of it. Glad you have better experience of it. And, for what it's worth, I respect teachers a great deal. I got a college education that included basically a minor in education.