well, i have another blog, so check that out if you’ve been coming here:

www.ableknife.blogspot.com

thanks!

why do i do that?

he’s pretty awesome.

he’s already house trained, listens quite well to commands and loves to snuggle.

what’s really cool is to sit here at the desk, drinking some tea, listening to music while little gibson sleeps very contented at my feet. there’s such a comfort in just having him right there.

the schauermann clan is complete.

for us, after having chloe, it has always been to have a dog. we really dislike cats (i have to remind myself not to say “hate” in front of chloe, or anyone, really), and i am allergic to them, and rabbits, and almost anything with hair besides certain types of dogs. good thing we LOVE dogs!

after taking the time to find the dog that fit our little clan today, we now have 2 days to think of a name. poor guy has to get fixed tomorrow, so he won’t be ready for pick-up until sunday. he was a stray and doesn’t have a name that is known, so we are left to decide.

we had always thought of dog names based on our favorite baseball players, but applied those names to little toy dogs like pugs. our guy is a white, poodle mix, more like a large terrier than a poodle, to me. all the names like Gibson, Edgar and Ichiro just are not the same. we have found a unique dog and he deserves a unique name that suits just him. and so the search goes on…

so far we like Albert (for Albert Pujols, one of my current favorites), but a name is really so important. the Bible talks about our names being sacred things. they represent so much. in fact, the Jews’ name changed as a part of God’s covenant because they were no longer seen in the same light- they were God’s, and thus their name changed. it’s the same when a woman gets married. regardless of what you think about taking the husband’s name, it’s a similar idea of moving from an incomplete state to a complete state, a better place, and taking that name as a reflection of your new, whole self.

maybe we should take that into consideration as we think of a name. not only is this dog going to be the final link in our little chain, but we are his family, too.

that’s what i love about dogs: love and affection are reciprocated (unlike many cats).

anyway, this is sort of a crap post. very stream-of-consciousness.

on other notes, chloe and i have been on all sorts of adventures this week. here is a photo of the latest, strawberry picking:


ciao

i suppose that’s what all of this is: a new start for us. many times since we’ve been here, i have wondered to myself about who has lived here over the past 50+ years. how many owners? families? what changes did they make and add to this mid-century relic? who decided to plant this giant tree? what insane person thought it was cool to EVER plant ivy and vines all over the freakin’ place?! anyway, it’s fun to make up stories or at least imagine. but honestly, it’s even more fun to begin to dream about what you and your family will add to this little house’s legacy.

we love this house. in case you’re in the dark ages, we did buy a house and moved last saturday with the help of the very gracious hands of many friends. and for those who haven’t seen it yet, here it is:

a bit country, but homey none the less.

jared told me that he wanted to die in this house. maybe a slight exaggeration considering we have only been here 4 nights, but oddly, i have that same sort of feeling. there is something that feels so right about it. i think about all the houses we looked at, many that we wanted to put offers on, and feel so thankful that this is where we came to rest.

a few things have been welcome adjustments:

• space! we actually have too little furniture, which is fine.
• a yard! chloe is in heaven
• a garage! jared has begun to transform it into a man approved space.
• a window above the kitchen sink looking out to the sunrise
• my own trash cans!
• NO SHARED WALLS, FLOORS OR CEILINGS!
• my own washer/dryer
• the ability to do whatever the hell i want to it (save build a fence less than 16′ from the curb…darn city code).
• this front porch!

as i was scurrying around doing odd projects like putting a chain lock on the front door, washing cooped up linens, spraying bugs and replacing light bulbs, i began to feel anxious and overwhelmed. trying to remember too much at once. suddenly, i remembered the front porch. we put our 2 nice, heavy iron chairs out there, but haven’t really utilized the space. how nice, i thought, to just sit in silence with a book and a drink, simply watching neighborhood life pass by. so, after churning my right thumb into oblivion screwing and unscrewing that silly chain lock, i grabbed my drink and headed to the very place i sit now. that’s the other great thing about a house…your internet connection can go outside with you!

sitting on a porch, to me, can be likened to walking through a new city as opposed to driving or taking a guided tour, or just spending a day there. you can drive down a street, even look into a certain house, but never know the flavor and character of that neighborhood. sitting on the porch gives me the opportunity to observe and understand the goings on of those around me. i can say hi to new people, or maybe just notice how the wind always blows the front gate closed. but more than anything, it gives me a place to be still. no clutter, no tv, no apartment neighbors smoking in the common area…this is my/our area. jared has the garage…i have the porch.

when i traveled through europe, i preferred to stay in a city for at least a few days, preferably a week. i spent a week in paris, a week in croatia, 3 weeks in mallorca, a week in ireland, a week in switzerland, a week of combined stops in germany, and then skipped around, usually in 3 day stints, to other places. the places i came to admire the most, were those in which i could slow down. i took up smoking while i was there. something so sexy about smoking. but i can understand why they do it…they like to sit at cafes and watch their world, their neighborhood go by. having something to be orally fixated with in the process is nice, and comforting. i guess that’s how i got to know europe.

i no longer smoke, save an occasional clove, but i do plan on having some drinks, sitting with my friends and family on our porch and getting those same warm sensations of joy, happiness and comfort that i got in my other home, europe.