Wow...I just realized I have written nothing, NOTHING, since April of 2012. So much has happened since then! In my last post, I had just really started my diet. Now, eighteen months or so later, I have lost the astounding amount of fifty pounds. FIFTY pounds! That's the weight of an airline approved checked bag. We went home for the summer to Arkansas (more in a different post later!) and as I was packing my suitcase for the return trip, I kept picking up the suitcase to weigh it to make sure it wasn't going to be overweight. I'm shocked that I used to carry that much weight on my body and was able to schlepp it around on a daily basis. No wonder I stayed tired!
Since my last post I have started decorating cakes from my own home, finding a passion and joy I never knew I had within me. True, I've always loved to cook and bake, but this was a challenge I started tackling and keep learning and growing with every day. Because of my new hobby and my determination to clean up my diet, and therefore the diet of my family, I managed to make the entire experience even more rewarding. I've even managed to sell a few cakes (mostly just to cover ingredients) this past year.
We also added a new family member. Wait! Don't jump to conclusions, he's a really furry, very big German Shepherd we rescued from the animal shelter. I nicknamed him Groofus as a combination of his name and the fact that he really is a goofy dog. This past November, right before Thanksgiving, my husband and I started playing around with the idea of getting a second dog to keep Furry Child company. When we discussed this, we always assumed it would be at least six months before that would happen. My mother happened to be visiting for Thanksgiving at that time and agreed it was a good idea to do that...in the future. In my excitement, I went to the website for the local animal shelter to research how much adopting a dog would cost, what it entailed, and to see if I could be put on a mailing list or newsletter to receive information. And there he was. He was an emergency case, he needed a home and he needed a home RIGHT THEN. His elderly owner had gotten Groofus as a puppy when the man turned 82. Seven years later, he died suddenly (okay, yes, he was 89, maybe not so sudden, but for Groofus, it was sudden). The owner's family lived in a big city and could not keep a dog that size with that energy level, so they put him into the city animal shelter. Groofus, grieving and unhappy, started starving himself. This beautiful animal only weighed about 65 lbs. when I first went to visit him. I did so with a skeptical mind, telling myself not to fall in love at first sight with those big brown eyes.
That first day, he was newly neutered and was still groggy from the anesthetic. He drunkenly sniffed my hand and licked at it. That was it, folks, I was in trouble. Over the course of that week, I came by with Furry Child (who let Groofus know she was the boss and he would respect her by not engaging in childish games and goofy tactics) to introduce the two and to walk him on a daily basis. My mom kept wondering aloud where I was disappearing to during the mornings. I kept Groofus to myself before I was sure he would be a good addition to our family. When we did decide, I took a t-shirt of mine and took it to him to put in his bed. We brought him home that weekend and the rest is history. It took patience and love to make him feel secure; that and a load of tennis balls. He can open doors, back talk, put soccer balls in his mouth, and generally love you to death. He's up to 72 lbs., a good weight for his frame and build. Furry Child tolerates him and gets even by hiding in the bushes and biting him on the butt when he goes past her hiding spot. A chase usually occurs right after until she goes inside to sleep.
I would like to say I saved him but, in a way, he's been such a joy and blessing to our family that I feel like he did us the major favor. He drools too much, sheds a lot, is expensive because he eats a ton...but in light of that, he's already a member of our patchwork family.
I fully intend to write more. Life is hectic, so very hectic, with two children, two dogs, a social life, a husband, and a house to upkeep. Living in a foreign country adds a new level of difficulty to every day life. Going to the grocery store can be frustrating, even now, nine years after living here. Here's to more updates from this southern belle/steel magnolia. Happy Friday, everyone!
