It's there if you look...

Today I saw a beautiful thing. Sometimes I wonder how many of these beautiful little occurrences happen and never get noticed by anyone, how many happen in front of me that I miss, and how many we all miss because we are just too busy in the hustle & bustle of "getting to" the next destination or are frustrated by "all the traffic" or are simply not paying attention to anything except our own little world...
I was in "School Bus Traffic" today - you know what I mean... you creep along for a mile and a half in a single snake-like line of cars following those mammoth yellow-orange carraiges, obediently stopping for their flashing red lights at seemingly every other driveway as kids get delivered home after school...
As I was sitting there in line, another bus was approaching from the other direction; I watched a Mother come out to the end of their side street half riding, half pushing a scooter accompanied by an enormous German Shepherd. She and the Shepherd looked anxiously toward the oncoming bus. As it neared, the dog got up and began prancing. His anticipation of seeing his soon to be arriving playmate was great. I had the feeling that this was a daily ritual. The bus stopped down the road a bit from them; Dog and Mom watched intently. Suddenly his tail was wagging furiously and he emitted a deep, "WOOF!" A little girl in a pink jacket waved at them and picked up her pace as she headed toward her beloved friend who was awaiting her arrival eagerly.
Traffic moved just then, and as I passed them, I saw the beauty of this moment as the girl hugged them both, hopped on the scooter, grabbed the leash and together they headed home.

What Breed Are YOU?

Follow this link below to find out! This is a lot of fun! Can you guess what I am?

http://usanetwork.com/sports/westminsterdogshow/dogfun/profiler/

It's good to be home! Amber stood on the front porch and cussed me out for a good 5 minutes before letting me into the house. She is so funny! She was so excited; running up and down the stairs like a puppy again! You'd never believe she was 13. She's my good girl. She doesn't like it when I am gone. She's such a Mama's girl!

I started a new shrug project 3 times now and on the way down to San Francisco, I frogged it and started all over again! I am finally happy (I think) and it is so much simpler - which is why I didn't want to do it this way to begin with - but making increases and decreases for the sleeves in seed/stockinette block pattern and adjusting it all to grow in pattern as it widened (then eventually decreased on the other side) became more work than I was looking for in this project. I just want something fun I can wear with jeans that is casual, classy and has more to it than just St st or Garter. So I frogged it all and did a Seed stitch border and am doing the blocks across. As it grows, I am really liking it. I like the yarn (Sirdar Denim Chunky) better now that I have knit more rows, but it does like to tangle when you're half through a skein; which is quite annoying. Regardless, it has promiss for a very pretty shrug and I hope to enjoy it this summer! I didn't get a lot done in California as I was too busy, but I accomplished a lot on the plane and made a lot more progress last night during the Westminster and the Olympic Games, but the camera is off the Carribean on it's own little vacation, so this is all you get to see for now.

Speaking of the Westminster, I just have to say that while all the dogs are so wonderful and it is so hard to choose a winner, I was delighted to have a Golden as a finalist. Andy, Chuckanut Party Favour O Novel, is from Bellingham, WA and while I don't know him or his owner/handler, we were rooting for you all the way! Two Paws UP!

Did you take the profile quiz yet???

According to the test, I AM a Golden Retriever... "You are the most laidback, loyal friend anyone could ask for. Easygoing and reliable, we're as likely to find you outdoors with a Frisbee as spending a lazy Sunday on the couch. You're brainy and sporty, and your expressive eyes convey your sensitivity to other people's feelings. Just don't let anyone take advantage of your kindness and you'll be top dog." (quote from USA Network/Westminster Dog Show profiler, see link above.)

Blogging Backwards

I haven't had a great desire to post this year, mainly because George is gone and without his incredible antics, I have lost a lot of my drive. That isn't to say, however, that I don't absolutely LOVE and ADORE Art & Amber and at this very moment I am missing them terribly. I have been out of town for going on 3 weeks now and tomorrow I come home. While I wouldn't say "homesick" is the right word for how I feel, I miss them, and the rest of my family and friends and I am so looking forward to seeing you all again.
It has been quite a little adventure that I've been on and I think I'll use the next few posts to tell the tale, but for now, I will sign off by saying that I truly had a lot of fun, I learned a lot about myself and other people ...and I met many interesting people... and managed to overcome some pretty bizarre and scary moments during this little journey.
I think the thing I probably missed more than anything were... hugs.
(and puppy kisses, which I managed to find a few of; Thanks, Dejah!)