i heart winter.

a pretty day of snowing and shovelling and romping. m came over and cleared her perimeter paths, then inside for tea and muscle relaxants. and then a lovely drug-induced nap.

living in the north is a wonderful adventure. i really do love the winter - i love the wardrobe change, the scenery change, getting to complain about the crazy weather with the other crazy northerners, and the summers are glorious. every part of the year is beautiful.

but i gush. it's a good feeling to live in a place i really feel at home in.

beautiful eve

a big snow coming tonight - we should get about a foot and a half! playtime for pup tomorrow - she doesn't want to come in when there's just a bit on the ground - and when there's lots of snow, my little mountain pup is all about the snow romp. with her boots, of course.

she has her yearly check-up next week, but her vet is no longer at the university - i'm sorry to lose her. we're seeing someone new, and i'm sure they are very knowledgeable, but i'm prepping myself - if they don't work, i'm finding someone new. pup has the last say, really. we'll see what happens.

she's been very healthy lately - 4cc's of percorten-v every 31 days, DES once a week, PPA twice a day and .5 mg pred every day, plus her Urinary SO diet - she has energy, her incontinence is completely under control, and her appetite is that of a normal dog. she sometimes pees in the basement while i'm at work, even though she's very housebroken, but we're working on that with pred doses.

when she was first diagnosed with Addison's disease 3 years ago, i didn't believe that it was possible to get to 'normal'. time is a beautiful thing.

and so is pup.

valentine

i had a lovely valentine's day. i know just how lucky i am - i was seranaded by my knight in shining armor, swept off to an exclusive dinner with lovely atmosphere, and entertained by an exciting performance of skill.

translation: i got a completely charming e-card from my boo, and went to a basketball game for brats, popcorn, and a victory - those college guys really play! m has been working two jobs for the last month, so my real gift was just being with him for more than an hour over lunch. i know that the time he took was the most precious thing he has right now, and that he shared it with me makes me feel very loved.

plus he's coming over this weekend for dinner and snuggling.

we've been together 5 years, and evey valentine's has been lovely. we've done the whole spectrum of celebrations - making dinner together at home, going to white castle for white linen service (highly recommended for those who usually go to nice restaurants for other occassions), and now going to a great basketball game.

the best part is that Valentine's Day isn't the only day he does special things.

but it is the day i realize it.

go bears!

superbowl is fun. and pups are cute. life is good.

sweet little brown-eyed girl.

pup in boots, bored.

finally. i'm back online. it's been out about a week, and now i'm all hooked up, baby.

and pup has boots! born in the fall, she was a tiny sausage puppy through the 2000 winter, and the nights were cold. she lived in a barn her first 6 months, before coming to me. all of the puppies got little spots of frostbite, and mine has a few bare toes now. these bare bits keep her from staying outside in the coldcoldcold for very long.


but now, with her little paw mittens? romps in the snow for as long as she wants! walks along salted sidewalks! hikes in the park! well, as soon as this freakish cold is over and mom can come along. s'posed to be below zero this weekend. *sigh*

and so i am inside with a bored pup and the internets. maybe there are new youtube dog movies.