Week Six: Armleder Dog Park

Armleder dog park is my favorite dog park in Cincinnati. There's nothing fancy about it; it's pretty close to where I live and there's lots of space for the dogs to gallop and play.

Armleder is large enough that you can sit on the grass without getting run over by a pack of romping rovers.  There are plenty of shade trees under which you can lounge with your tired-out pooch after they've run themselves ragged.  In warm weather there's also fresh water available both inside and outside the gated areas.

This Friday afternoon Andrew and I took Olivet & Meynard out to Armleder.  It wasn't too crowded, and there were just enough dogs in attendance to make it fun.  The weather was perfect and we had a delightful time.  Andrew threw tennis balls to Olivet for about an hour until she finally ran out of steam.  Meynard had a great time playing with the other dogs.

I'm thankful for SPCA Cincinnati who fostered Meynard for 3 months before we adopted him.  I met him while volunteering to walk the shelter dogs there, and he was my favorite dog from the get-go.  I would start each shift by checking for Meynard in hopes that he had been adopted.  My heart would sink every time I realized that he was still there.  Unfortunately, he was just one of the many "long timers" that hadn't yet met his new family.

Eventually I realized that he might be waiting on me to take him home.  So, that's what I asked for from Andrew and Olivet for Christmas.  We brought Olivet up to the SPCA to meet Meynard and she was fine with him (a Christmas miracle!)

Meynard was 5 years old when we got him and came "pre-programmed" with tricks and manners.  He's a shining example of how adopting an older dog can be just as rewarding, if not more so, than adopting a puppy.  And he's been a great big-brother to Olivet.

So far I'm on Day 2 of  Happy Herbivore's WHOLE Days challenge.  I feel pretty good.  You can check out my thoughts on the 30 WHOLE Days Challenge page of this blog.

I did allow myself one small appliance purchase for this challenge.  (I'm an appliance junkie - it's just a fact).  I bought an old school hot air popcorn popper so I could make popcorn without oil.  I was worried I wouldn't like plain popcorn, but I do!  I forgot I used to eat plain air-popped popcorn at my babysitter's after grade school (before microwave popcorn even existed!).  It's by far my new favorite snack.

Week Three: Homemade Soap

I'm lucky to have a friend in the soap business. This weekend she invited me to her charming house for a "Mischief, Mayhem, Soap" party.

Each soap was simple, beautiful and decadently scented. She offered several varieties including Lavender w/ Salt, Green Tea, Rosewater, Calendula, and several types of shaving pucks. It was hard to choose a favorite, and I ended up walking away with six bars!

I'm thankful for the Handmade Crafting/Do-It-Yourself Movement. I love the idea of art created for and by the masses as a part-time hobby. An everyday object such as a bar of soap becomes extraordinary simply because it's homemade. Many do-it-yourself artisans live the dual life of an 8 - 5 office worker by weekday/crafter by weekend. For me, crafting is a great way to balance the benefits of life in the rat race (the pay, health insurance, etc) with my artistic, creative sensibilities.

This weekend, I also attended a housewarming party of a co-worker. She mentioned that there would be a fire pit, so I made vegan S'mores mini-cupcakes for the occasion.

These cupcakes involved several steps, including cutting and dipping individual graham cracker squares into melted chocolate and letting them cool. It was quite a production, but I loved how they turned out decoratively. The extra effort was worth it, as they were both adorable and delicious.

Andrew kept me company in the kitchen during this process. He helped by taste-testing after each step. He also decorated his own cupcakes for the first time!

Week One: Sundays

I love Sundays.

Sundays allow me to pack in several activities I love into one day.

Breakfast.

This Sunday, I made a big breakfast of Tofu Scramble, toast and vegan sausage.

My mom always made a big breakfast on Sundays when I was growing up. We would eat while we listened to classical music on WEBN. I suppose that's where I get the idea that big breakfasts should be eaten on Sundays. It's also the only day of the week I drink orange juice. I only love orange juice with a big breakfast.

Andrew.

Sundays are also usually one of the few days I get to spend time with my husband Andrew. Andrew can usually be found out Serif Sound. This is the venue where we spent lots of time together when we first started dating. I don't make it down there too often anymore. But when I do go, I'm always impressed with his cool stuff.

This AMPEX tape machine looks like it's smiling at me:

The studio was built in the 1970s and is full of shag carpeting. I find the orange shag carpeting delightful.

Olivet & Meynard.

Finally, I love to hang out with my dogs, Olivet & Meynard. Sometimes we go to the park, sometimes we stay at home and nap. As you can see they are pretty much up for anything.