Before and After

Before humans started messing with the locations, not to mention the genetics, of dogs, the various breeds lived in particular areas of the world. These dogs had a purpose, a job, be it a sled dog in the cold North of Alaska, a toy dog for an emperor's lap, a hunting dog in the wilds of Scotland, or a sheepdog guarding a herd in England. 

Maggie before

But as humans are want to do, we started moving these animals around the world. Dogs soon became pets and it was up to the human caretaker to realize that not all dogs were made for all climates. Sheepdogs were NOT meant to live in Oklahoma. Even inside, these poor dogs can overheat.

Thus enters Maggie the sheepdog into this story. Sheepdogs have a coat that grows and grows and . . . grows. People may think these dogs don't shed, but they'd be wrong. Chunks of fur tend to get caught under chair legs, not to mention the furry dust bunnies that just appear within hours of the house being cleaned. This dog's fur is unique in that if a sheepdog has to fight a wolf -- to protect the herd, of course -- it is so thick the teeth of the wolf can't 1) get a good grip, 2) get deep enough to do major injury.
 
Uh, we don't wolves in Oklahoma, at least none that I'm aware of, nor do we own any sheep.

So we do what we have to do to keep the dog comfortable -- we shear it. Well, truthfully, my hubs does the hard work.

This first picture was taken at about 0730 last Saturday morning.



The fur from the back of the dog

Same fur pile, different view

When I went upstairs to change for my walk, my hubs took a picture of the first pass of shaving Maggie's back.




Did you know people can and do use sheepdog fur to spin yarn? We've also found it in bird nests and bunny nests around the yard.

Four hours later, we had a sheared and bathed dog.

Maggie after

She also wouldn't sit still for a picture, because she had sat/laid/stood for hours while being clipped. She's happier now with her short hair.

I don't even want to think about how much it would cost to have a professional groomer shave this dog, but I could hazard a guess that the $200 Oster clippers would be paid for within two visits to the groomer. If you have a dog that needs grooming, consider doing it yourself . . . of course, you have to start when they are very young to get them used to the sound and feel of the clippers, and fork out a chunk of money for some very good clippers, but it's worth it.

If we could train our cat to like being vacuumed (Yes, Kato was vacuumed weekly. When we would clean the house, he would chase the vacuum down to remind us he wanted his turn!) , then you can train your dog to behave while being groomed.

Remember to take care of your furbabies. They are the only critters out there that give  us their unconditional love. In fact, my Maggie is currently taking up room under my desk where my feet should be. . . . it was cute when she could actually fit under the desk, but now she pushes the chair out to have enough room to curl up.

Okay, I'll admit it . . . it's still cute.

 Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Before and After

I entered a Weight Watcher contest at the last minute. It was called "Celebrate Success". Weight Watchers had to write a 400-word essay, submit before and after pictures, along with evidence of their weight loss success. There will be a group of 'finalists' posted online and Weight Watchers from around the world will get to vote on their favorite.

*fingers crossed* Here's hoping I made the cut!

So when I was looking for pictures, I wanted a truly hideous BEFORE. In this picture, I had been on WW for about three weeks and had lost about 7 pounds.

July 2011

And for an AFTER picture, you want to look really, really good. I didn't have any pics of me in a bikini, so I went with a vacation picture--45 POUNDS lighter.


July 2012 -- in front of the Hogwarts Express Train

Yes, my 11-year-old is taller than I am.

Here's a pic of my online Weight Tracker. It might be a bit fuzzy, but you get the idea.

July 2011-August 2012

And here's my essay. After I had one wonderful CP read this--another CP found some more mistakes! Yikes! I think this is clean.

When I joined Weight Watchers--for the fourth time—I knew my path wasn’t simply taking me to a destination (a vacation, wedding, or class reunion). Instead, this journey of self-discovery would continue beyond simply reaching my goal weight. I needed to make a permanent change to correct my poor habits. Throughout this journey, I’ve climbed mountains of self-doubt, forded streams of defeat, and stumbled over many rocky moments on my weight loss path, but I’ve also acknowledged my weaknesses, grown as a person and overcome obstacles that stood in my way. 

For a number of years previously, I’ve blogged about the writer’s life, my stories, and insight into life in general. Less than a month after joining WW, I decided to dedicate one blog a week to my weight loss challenges, aptly named Weighty Wednesdays. Sharing my insights, challenges, tips and tricks, along with my success and failures helped me focus on the bigger picture: honesty and accountability.

Brutal honesty is my mantra to the extent of confessing my sins when I ate an entire can of frosting in a day. I didn’t excuse the behavior, but it happened. If I pretended it hadn’t happened, then I would be lying to myself, and lying to oneself is the first step backwards. Be honest. Be accountable. The only person who loses is you.

And what happens when you reach that ever elusive number that we call our goal weight? Do we miraculously have all the answers? Do we keep the weight off without having to think about it? Do we stop exercising? Stop counting points? Thinking about food?

No. Those challenges and obstacles when we lost weight are still there, waiting for us to relax our habits and get lazy in our routines. Staying healthy takes constant maintenance. While working to reach our goal weight, we discover the knowledge and the tools to help us succeed at maintenance. The key is to enjoy life and food, while realizing that treats are for special occasions and not daily consumption.

We gain weight and we lose weight. That’s life.

And I intend to live it to the fullest.


I'll let you know if I made the cut. Time to get back to work!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Gardening

1.6 pound weight gain this week. :-(

Bummer.

My only excuse is that I did fly to Atlanta to visit family and attend my niece's baby shower. While I imbibed in wine, beer and margaritas . . . and a few shots of Grand Marnier and Irish Whisky, I was also very naughty with the bite-sized lemon thingy's and pound cake, which gave me an overall weight gain despite walking a hilly terrain 3 out of 4 days for 40-50minutes.

*whew* That was a mouthful of a sentence!

I had fun, but now we are rolling down to the end of candy season with the final event--EASTER. Yeah, I just spent $54 on candy and stuffed bunnies for the Easter baskets.

So, now is the time to double time your exercise!

But this doesn't mean going to the smelly gym twice a day. . .

It means gardening!

Mini rose--Chasing Rainbows

I have 26 rose bushes (climbers, floribundas, minis and micro-minis) and this is the first rose of the season.

In February, I did all the basic spring cleaning gardening chores: cutting back perennials, roses, grasses and other plants that die all the way to the roots. I cleaned up the beds, weeded, fertilized and hubster mulched the beds.

When you do this, all you have to do is wander around the garden, admiring your beautiful plants, while picking the random weed or two.

Here are a few before (March 12) and after (April 3)pictures:

creeping phlox (blue)

creeping phlox (blue), hydrangea (corner). butterfly bush (rt-slightly trunked up), crepe myrtles (lft)

crepe myrtle tree, Batik iris, rose bush to far left and center (red tipped)

same pic, different angle.

Carpet rose is on left. Batik iris between sprinkler head and crepe myrtle, and the red tipped rose, Moonlight Scentsation (smells WONDERFUL) is on the right.

And the back corner under two Loblolly pine trees:

Daffodils are still in bloom

cloudy day, but you can see the phlox in bloom

It really doesn't take much time and effort to have a pretty yard or garden, BUT it does take due diligence. If you don't keep after it, then weeds and seeds will take hold and over run the place. A heavy application of mulch does more than make the garden look pretty, it helps keep the soil moist and provides a thick barrier which keeps weeds out.

Later, Peeps!