Anniversaries

It's been a year since I started eating low carb as a lifestyle (vs. my previous dieting fits and starts of all kinds.) I lost 15 pounds, only to gain back about 8 from October - December...by eating everything in sight. Since the holidays, I've lost 4 of that, so I'm happily back on track. I'm glad I didn't regain ALL the weight I'd lost, and I'm glad to be able to get back in the saddle. That adds more to the "lifestyle" feel of this, vs. being perpetually on a diet.

It's been about a year since I started this blog. It's been a lot of fun.

In March, DH and I will celebrate our 21st anniversary. Not bad for a couple that got married thinking, "What the heck--we can always get a divorce!"

And this very weekend marks the anniversary of our moving to Salem. We'd been in self-imposed exile in Santa Fe, NM for 4 years--and for 3 years and 364 days of that, we knew we'd made a mistake in moving away from the Pacific Northwest. In the land of sunshine, blue sky, and desert air, the longing for green and gray and moisture was like a constant ache. We tried to make the best of it, but as soon as a resume-appropriate period of time had passed, we got the heck out of there.

I moved to Salem first to start my job, while DH stayed to finish selling the house. I stayed at a co-worker's house for 6 weeks...I'm still amazed by her generosity, when I think about it. During that time, DH flew up for a one-day marathon house-hunting expedition. Fortunately, we found one we liked, put in an offer, and it was accepted.

In March of that year, I flew back to NM to help with the final bits of the move. DH and I drove separate cars, packed with 4 dogs and enough belongings to get us by until the moving van caught up with us. We left NM with a fierce snow storm snapping at our heels--they were closing I-25 behind us, but fortunately we squeaked through first. I had the feeling NM was reluctant to release us from its clutches...a feeling that was strongly reinforced by the fact that as soon as we crossed the AZ border, the storm ceased. Hmmmmmmmm.

But our first few years here were, let's face it, pretty horrific. Here's the Reader's Digest version:

In July 2005, Smokey, who was essentially our first dog and who got us hooked on Keeshonden for life, and who was riddled with serious illnesses (epilepsy, hypo-thyroidism, Cushing's, arthritis) died. Then Peeka, our other Keeshond, was diagnosed with lymphoma in September, and she died in December. They were both only 8 years old.

DH's father died in October of that year. And I lost my mother in November that year.

2006 stayed uneventful, and was even pleasant for quite a while. We had adopted Raff in August of 2005, and then in April 2006, we adopted Wyatt. I started playing Flyball. All good stuff...until that fall, when calamity struck at work. The financial aid budget was overpsent by $2 million. While I was able to demonstrate, with hard data, the causes for that (underbudgeting combined with a higher need population), the administration was still understandably upset and wanted a fall guy. I spent the entire fall semester justifying my existence and defending my position.

In January 2007, just when it seemed that I was going to be able to keep my job, I got a call from Human Resources, telling me that one of my employees (whose name was kept anonymous) had accused me of financial malfeasance and of creating a hostile work environment, and that there would be an audit and an investigation. Those words are not designed to enhance anyone's calm. I started buying wine by the case, and DH and I "went to ground." I spent every evening holed up in our cave (what others might call a living room), drinking wine and watching Firefly DVD's...this was every evening for months, mind you. You do what you have to.

Fortunately, the investigation showed that there was no hostile work environment (and I will now express my eternal gratitude to the wonderful women in our office who rose to defend me with stunning ferocity). The anonymous employee quit. And the financial audit showed no evidence of financial malfeasance, so that issue was resolved as well.

By July 2007, I had been cleared of all charges, and I also had a new boss who had faith in my abilities and had no desire to fire me. Things were looking up...finally.

The rest of 2007 and pretty much all of 2008 were good. More than good. They were great. Everything I'd dreamed of, while in the depths of my despair in NM, came to pass. I played. Played and had fun! I played with dogs until my knees ached. I played in our yard and took steps to make our little home a little prettier. I played in the kitchen and found a way to eat without constantly doing damage to myself. My biggest challenges this year have been facing Sheila's retirement, accepting Raff's temporary lameness, and dealing with gaining 8 pounds. Oh, boohoo!

It's a fundamental truth of the universe that bad times will always be followed by good times...only to be followed by bad times again...but then there will be more good times. And so on. I find it easier and easier as I grow older to cherish--relish!--the good, and then lean in with my shoulder to muddle through the bad, recognizing the alarming temporariness of it all.

Down Shifting Dog Sport

Well, Raff's limp went all the way back to really bad, just like he was in October. We suck. He can walk around, but no running, jumping, etc. Needless to say, Flyball and Agility are off the table.

But I hate the thought of doing absolutely nothing with my Raffles. I mean, I think he's just too dang cute to leave at home!

So, I'm thinking Rally. I've done Rally w/Sheila (she has her Rally Novice title.) And Raff can already do most of the Rally Novice exercises...we just need to work up to doing them outside of the backyard, and without treats on my person. It's not as exhilarating as Flyball or Agility, but it's still pretty fun. Raff's breeder is teaching a Rally 1 class on Monday nights, and she said we could join them for the last three sessions, so we'll give it a go.

Speaking of Dirt...

There's a reason why the local Flyball team is name "Muddy Paws A-Flyin'". We live in the Pacific Northwest, where the rain and the earth collide with startling, frequent...and seemingly endless...regularity. Add a few high-drive dogs that require daily, hardcore exercise, and you too can have a backyard that looks like this!

Everyday, we play fetch in the backyard. And so everyday, dog paws get muddy. Raff and Sheila attract a normal amount of muck, as you can see here (Boca doesn't play fetch, and so her paws, naturally, remain pristine.)

But I never knew muddy paws--and underbelly and everything in between--until I met Mr. Wyatt.

And this isn't even a bad day. This is a bright, sunny, pleasant January day.

Everyday, rain or shine, I hose down 12 dog paws, wipe them with old towels (which get laundered twice a week), and even with that effort, I have to sweep the kitchen/dining room floor every day, just to keep us from living in complete squalor. I'm sure most dog owners in this neck of the woods have their own ways of dealing with this...it's just a way of life.

Thinking about Peonies

With two dogs down (Raff started limping again, so I think I've pushed him a little too far, too fast from his hip flexor injury, and Wyatt has a scratched cornea...probably thanks to his sister Sheila's sharp, pointy teeth), and with no almond flour in the house, I'm left with just dirt to ponder.

Last year, I concentrated mostly on dahlias. I bought this collection, plus a few individuals, and they did really well despite the fact that I put them out at the last minute.

Now I'd like to focus on peonies. They bloom early (vs. the dahlias, which are late summer/fall), so they'd be a nice addition. I have one peony plant now, but I'd like more.

There's a peony farm here in Salem, Adelman Peony Gardens. I'll definitely be visiting them when they're gardens are open to the public in May, and these are a few of the ones I'd like to pick up.

Chief Wapello

White Sands

Nippon Beauty

Charles White

Madame Butterfly

Coconut Flour Crust - day 2

You know how meringue pie is kind of gross on the second day, with the crust having gotten all soggy from the weepy meringue and filling? Well, not with the coconut crust! It is as firm and fabulous on day 2 as it was on day 1. Guess those moisture absorbing properties are a blessing, ultimately!

Low Sugar Lime Meringue Pie with Coconut Flour Crust

This turned out pretty well. There's one teaspoon of real sugar in it (which doesn't add a lot of carbs but does help cut the "Splenda-y" taste) and, of course, fresh squeezed lime juice. With the sugar, corn starch, and rice flour, it certainly isn't no-carb...but if you can tolerate some carbs, you might be able to get away with this.

First, start singing: "You put de lime in de coconut...."

Coconut Flour Crust
1 c. coconut flour
½ c. butter, soft
1 egg
1/8 c. water (approx.; enough to make the dough hold together)
Cut butter into flour until you have lima bean-sized lumps. Mix in egg. Add water until it is pie crust consistency. (Note: coconut flour absorbs liquid like crazy, so just get it to the point where it will pretty much hold together—it’s okay if it’s still be a bit crumbly, since we’re not rolling it out. Better too little water than too much.) Press crust into greased pie or torte pan. (Greasing might be unnecessary, but I took that precaution b/c coconut flour tends to stick like a s.o.b.) Bake at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes—and watch it b/c it can burn fast! Let cool before filling.

Lime Filling
1 1/2 c. Splenda
1 t. sugar
2 T flour (I used brown rice flour, given DH's celiac-ness)
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. water
4 egg yolks
1/3 c. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 T. butter

Meringue topping
4 egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. cornstarch
1/2 c. Splenda
1 t. vanilla extract

Mix Splenda, sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in saucepan. Add water and mix well (whisk, if necessary, to eliminate lumps). Whisk egg yolks, stir into water/Splenda mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is quite thick. Remove from heat, add lime juice and butter. Mix well (I ended up with some lumps, so I used my whisk to get rid of them...that's the beauty of rice flour!) Pour filling into pie crust. Allow to cool while preparing the meringue.In medium sized mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add remaining ingredients and continue beating until slightly stiff peaks form. Swirl over pie filling, making sure to touch the edges of the crust all the way around.Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool before serving.

The Party's Over...

Holidays are done, which is actually fine by me. The tree, indoor and outdoor decorations--all gone. Good. They get a bit wearing after a while, and once New Year's has past, I'm impatient to get back to normal life.

But, sadly, a big part of normal life is going back to work. I've had two wonderful, restful weeks off. I was able to lose track of what day of the week it was, at any given moment. I didn't have anywhere to be and had nothing in particular to do. I woke up each morning without looking at the alarm clock and mumbling "f**k".

And I did accomplish a few things:
I cleaned out my closet.
I started knitting a throw for the bedroom (that's gonna take a while to finish, so nobody hold your breath.)
I read (The Secret Life of Bees, and #6 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series).
I cooked.
I played with dogs a LOT, even took Raff back to Flyball (he did very well again last night, btw. Just baby steppin'.)
Sent off Raff's entry to an Agility trial, which will be Feb. 14 & 15. (This is in the spirit of "not quitting our day job"...he's showing promise in Flyball, but let's be realistic.)
Played a lot of computer games (my current personal favorite being Flight of the Hamsters...thank you, Shanan!...a close second is Gold Miner.)
Watched a lot of TV (marathons of That 70's Show, NCIS, True Blood, CSI, and movies.)
Other than battling a bit of cabin fever and my back acting up (probably from the TV marathons), I've truly enjoyed myself. I am going to make a fabulous retired person.

Tomorrow, and for the next 20 years or so, I'll be up at 5:25am. I'll let the dogs out, then make coffee, feed the dogs, sweep the laundry room/kitchen/dining room area, and make my lunch while the coffee brews. I'll take 10 - 15 min. to drink the coffee while staring off into space and petting any dog that happens to be within reach. Then I'll shower, dress in "dog clothes," and hit the backyard for three-way fetch with Wyatt, Raff, and Sheila for about 10 minutes. After that, it's time for Boca's 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. When we get home, I change into my "school clothes" and head off to work. Oh joy, oh rapture.