...old ice cream with old friends...

Mary and Niki

...time marches on...

I was made so keenly aware of that fact as I sat down to have lunch with Mary and Niki, two dear friends from my college days, whom I hadn't spoken to in over two years.

That fact breaks my heart a bit...

I am the worst person for keeping in touch. Mind you, I see and favorite and comment on their lives through Facebook, but that's not the same.

Over the last few years, I've been trying to improve on my "touch-keeping" skills. Still, I know there are more than a few people who might think I have forgotten about them.

I never do forget them. 

I'm thankful for ladies that allow our friendship to pick back up where we left it, without malice or injury.

As we enjoyed a delicious Italian meal at Maggiano's, we chatted about where we had been and where we were headed. We laughed about our college days, about life, and about getting older.

After lunch, we sloshed through the late summer heat to The Fountain on Locust, one of the first ice cream saloons to sweep the nation.

A quick fact: the ice cream is aged, meaning it is held at high temperatures for 4 days, so as to allow the flavors to develop.

The Dark and Sinister Sundae - with a splash of caramel...
...because, you know...caramel...

I couldn't help but smile when I read that. I've always wondered, do we get better with age?

I'm so impressed with these two women, my friends. They have created such wonderful lives for themselves and their loved ones, and they continue to grow and become more beautiful every time I see them.

Our days are numbered. And as time pushes us inevitably forward, it's comforting to know that we don't have to succumb to western societies disdain of age. We can become better, filled with more life, more love, and more flavor.

For more information about The Fountain on Locust, click here.

With life tossing you to and fro, how do you manage to keep in touch with your old friends?

...a good day...

Buddy met #BabyNoa. Clip here. Hopefully, Buddy was not being inappropriate. (Not sure dad, John, would have allowed that.)

I dusted off my sewing machine and helped Noa's mom, Megan, stitch up and enhance some pretty sweet curtains. I was most thankful for the quiet conversation, Target tags and all

Buddy played with his Aunt Maggie. Clip here.

Andy, Buddy and I picnicked in Frontier Park and then went on to find 7 cakes in the St. Charles area.

Site of the First MO State Capitol

Lewis and Clark Boat House

Ameristar Casino

Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Charles Old County Courthouse

Lindenwood University

Centennial Greenway/KATY Trail

Only sad part: my camera lens was dirty and it was so sunny that I didn't realize it until it was too late...

Nevertheless, it was a full and fun day! I hope yours was as well.

...peace and hope...

I happened to have my phone with me on my morning walk with Buddy, a fairly rare occurrence since I wasn't in the habit of grabbing it before rushing our puppy out the door to “potty.” Upon running into a neighbor also walking her dog, she began to recount to me the nightly news, which she had stayed up until 2am watching. Her conversation revolved around riots in North County. Looted stores.

A burned down QuikTrip.

My heart began to pound. Andy, who has been a night manager at QuikTrip for the past two years, was working in North County last night. Surely I would have heard if something had happened to him? Still, it was well past when he should have been home. I called, only to hear his voicemail and leave a message.

Refusing to freak out, I sat outside with the little puppy until Andy called and gave me details on his night.

As it turned out, it wasn't his store that was looted and burned, but his store was close enough to the rioting that headquarters decided to shut it down for the evening and move all the workers to a different location. With a personal touch, he rehashed the evenings events, the riots, the looted stores, the burned down QT, and his own fears from the previous night.

Not a great way to begin a Monday morning.

So, instead of going out on adventures, I have spent the majority of my time reading. Reading the news, reading editorials, reading blogs, reading posts and tweets, trying to understand. Then, I journaled out my own thoughts and reactions, in a vain attempt to make sense of it all.

I am a woman of facts. I can be moved by emotions, but I must first be swayed by facts and reason. Without the latter, the former is worthless to me. Much of what I have read has been jarring, mostly due to the fact that we are aware of so few facts. Then there are the troublemakers, only seeking to stir the pot with twisted logic, false reports, and misrepresentation.

Bitterness, pride, anger, resentment, fear...all these are playing into how everyone responds.

Compassion, patience, respect, understanding, love...all these are in limited supply.

Nearly two weeks later, and I'm not sure that I know many more facts than before. The facts that I do know are heartbreaking, for all involved.

I know many people that have been negatively affected by this issue, people that are choosing to fight back bitterness and work together toward something real and lasting. Perhaps, if these issues can be voiced and dealt with now, it will lead to a stronger more unified community in the future.

One can hope...

If you have the means and opportunity to help Ferguson, here is an article offering practical ideas.

...pets and vets...

Stranger: Ugh! What's that smell?
Me: Oh, no, it's just me. I have a poo in my purse.

(You should have heard the backpedaling on that one!)

I'm experiencing so many firsts with this little creature, that's it's difficult to keep track of everything. The days seem to go by much more swiftly than I can ever remember.

Today, we went to the Parkway Animal Clinic, where Buddy was much beloved and well behaved for his first vet appointment. I learned much more than I could retain about my dog and his needs and my responsibilities, and left a little light headed from all the information. And while Buddy did get a shot, it hasn't seemed to slow him down yet.

Then, walking through Target, Buddy in his carrier, his head and his front paws peeking out the top, we were on the receiving end of some shocked, disgusted and exasperated stares. At first I was concerned and a bit put off. Then I caught a glimpse of us in a mirror and laughed. We did look pretty ridiculous.

Being responsible for the well being of this little guy has certainly changed me, in many ways, for the better. I might have wept when we left him at the groomers, concerned that they wouldn't be tender with his fear of the blow dryer, terrified he wouldn't remember me when we came to pick him up, and I'm not sure I'll be able to hold it together for his first day of Puppy Preschool tomorrow.

I didn't realize my heart could stretch this far.

May your week is filled with heart-stretching love.

(btw: In case you don't have animals, I had the poo in my purse because you need to take a stool sample to the vet so that he can examine it. It's not that I'm disgusting. Just wanted to clarify.)

...into the wilderness...

Before we adopted our little Buddy, Andy and I had planned a camping trip to Johnson Shut-ins, and we decided that we should stick with our plan and take our new puppy with us.

This was only my third time camping in my life. The first time was with my sister and brother-in-law when I was 13. The second time was last year with Andy. Both have their own stories attached to them, and I loved both experiences...mostly.

You see, I want to be adventurous, but I never feel fully clean out in nature. Not having to wear water shoes in the shower and not having to wade through the blackness of night to use the bathroom matter to me. It's certainly made me more thankful for what I have.

In the hopes of really roughing it, I booked us a basic campsite. Immediately upon our late afternoon arrival, we began to set up camp. The tent was assembled quickly and Andy went to work starting a fire for dinner while I was tasked with making our little tent a home for the next few days.

As I pulled our meager belongings out of the car, and sifted through the camp box contents I came to startling realization: We hadn't packed the air mattress.

Okay, I know how silly that sounds, as we were intent on roughing it, but I will defend our need for an air mattress out in the wilderness.

So I jumped in the car and drove to find the nearest Walmart to purchase one. I figured I could just start driving and ask google maps to direct me to one, but, as I sped down the two lane highway, my phone only continued to register "No Service." I was completely out of my element. After 50 minutes of driving, I arrived back at our campsite empty-handed, and took my lack of wifi out on Andy.

We wasted the evening driving around, desperate to cling to our small comforts, frustrated and befuddled that there were people in America that lived without wifi. How do they surf the web? Are they using dial-up?!?

On a whole, the trip ended up being really wonderful. Johnson Shut-ins is an amazing place and we plan to go back again.

We introduced the pup to the joys of swimming...not so sure he's a fan...

We learned how ticklish our little man is...

We battled rapids...

....and leaped from high heights...

...we marveled at the beauty all around us...

...and had a super awesome time...

...all without dropping the phone! (now that's impressive!)...

On our last day, the rain became so torrential that we packed up in the morning and headed to Andy's aunt and uncle who live about thirty minutes down the road. We made them breakfast and played a game of Hand and Foot with them before hitting the road for our own home.

The days of summer are passing through my fingers like sand. I'm desperate to cling to all these moments. I'm hoping I'm still making the most out of them.

Have you made the most of your summer days? There's still time to make some amazing memories! Don't let today pass you by...

...becoming a mom...

...a puppy mom, that is!

Since adopting this sweet boy on Friday, the weekend has been a bit of a whirlwind. I realized two things today. Thing One: having a puppy is, in some ways, similar to the stories I have heard about having a child. Thing Two: I hadn't showered since Thursday. This is mostly due to issues surrounding thing one.

How is having a puppy similar to having a newborn?

Currently, my life revolves in hour and a half cycles. While I don't deal with a lot of feedings, I am constantly on edge trying to potty-train this little puppy. What we've basically learned is that he can hold it for one and a half hours before he gets antsy and pees in the house.

We've had our share of “accidents,” though, if I'm being honest, almost all were my fault. So now when the sweet boy barks at 12:30am (and 3:30am...and 6:05am) I'm out of bed like a bolt of lightning, pulling on whatever clothes are available and sleep walking him out onto the lawn while I wait for him to “perform,” all the while, cheering him on and cleaning up after him when it's all said and done. Who am I? It's awkward all around.

If I leave the room for more than a second, he whines...or he follows me. Even into the bathroom. The days of peeing by oneself are over. (Someone, please tell me puppy separation anxiety ends!) The click, click, click of his nails on the wood floor sends a slight sense of panic through me each time I hear it, and sometimes I want to hide.

Should I be embarrassed that I couldn't wait to go to Shop n' Save by myself, and the most exciting part of my day was filling in my game pieces for the Price is Right Collect and Win game? (If you aren't participating in this game, would you consider giving me your game pieces? Maybe we could work out a great deal?) This is what my life has become.

My diet has consisted of cheese and crackers and fruit with a little bit of meat thrown in when it's easily available. At one point today, I found a piece of a cracker in my hair...and I ate it. Also, sitting down to eat is a luxury I can no longer afford.

I missed a date with a friend because I was so self-absorbed in this new little addition that I've completely lost track of the days. (Another excuse I'm using for not having showered.)

And everyone has advice. Which, in some respects, is good, because I've never owned a dog and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. It's just funny when they all contradict each other. It's in those moments that I turn to the internet and Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer.

But mostly, I'm glowing from the warmth and love of adding this great little guy to our family. (Or maybe I was just really greasy.) All joking aside, I'm totally showered now.

And we decided to call him Buddy. It just suits him. He's our little Buddy.

Come over and visit if you like. He loves making friends!

A Day In the Life of Buddy

Snuggling with Dad after a morning walk

Shopping with mom

Puppy selfie! My very first! I'm sure there'll be many more!

Watched the neighborhood boys play ball. Maybe someday I'll join them.

Hid under momma's skirt (my favorite place to be!)

Did some afternoon reading.

Come over and play with me...or just snuggle...I love to snuggle!

...a rundown of my week...

It's been a busy one!

Sunday, I hiked through Mastodon State Park. Mastodons are an extinct mammal species related to elephants. It is the site of the Kimmswick Bone Bed, one of the most famous and extensive deposits of ice-age fossils. Though I didn't have a moment to explore the museum, I worked up a sweat trying to stay upright on these tricky trails.

Tricky trails!

Monday, as I posted, I went to see the corpse flower with Megan and Amber. What a great experience that was! I didn't even realize that it should have been on my bucket list of things to do. If you ever have the opportunity, don't hesitate.

Such fun ladies!

Tuesday, a natural and organic grocery store, that focuses on locally grown products, Lucky's, opened up in our neighborhood. Because Andy is Facebook friends with Lucky's, we were invited to a special Friends and Family opening the day before their big Grand Opening. They deals were excellent, and the staff were magnificent, willing to help in any and every way. I went back on Wednesday, and they were packed out. We are so happy for their success and we're hoping that it continues!

Grown here, not flown here!

Thursday, it happened. The last carpenter left at 2:30pm, and left us with the task of putting our house back together. It didn't take me long. I can't even begin to explain how happy we are to have our house back in order. There will be many days of cleaning ahead, but it will all be worth it.

So, today, after many long months of discussion, Andy and I quite suddenly adopted a little dog. Born into a puppy mill, he was brought in by the Senior Dog Project, and we sort of fell in love with his sweet, little face when we saw him online. We drove an hour into Illinois, hoping only to meet him. When we arrived, we could hear some serious yapping in the back room.

Apparently, they decided to blow dry the little guy after his bath, and he wanted nothing to do with it. When they brought him out, he was shaking terribly, his whole body in tremors as I wrapped him in my long skirt and held him close to me. After a few minutes, I passed him to Andy, still shaking. Andy wanted to see what he would do when put on the floor, so Andy gingerly placed him down, and he immediately ran under a chair and huddled in the corner by the wall.

I let him stay there for a second before moving the chair and pulling him out. I'm not sure what his life has looked like up to this point, but he is a scaredy dog. His favorite place is in a corner or under something, though he's really taken a shine to flopping himself down on my feet. I hope we can love him into being courageous and loving. He is already so kind.

He's a Peekapoo. A Pekingese-Poodle mix, though they think
he has the look of a Brussels Griffon, so they aren't totally sure.

We're still not sure of a name. They were calling him Owen at the boarding kennel. Though scared, he's still curious, so we thought maybe he would grow into Sherlock. We've been calling him Buddy most of the day. And I kind of like the name Lucky. Any suggestions? What does he look like to you?

I hope you've had a great week!