Doing okay, eggplants and halloween

Random title, right?

So, if you've read anything here recently you'll certainly be aware of the ridiculous horror of our lives in the recent month. Losing both our beloved puppies within two weeks of each other is more than anyone should have to endure. I have heard many stories about how this can happen, that once one goes, the other cannot survive, but I didn't think for a second that that would be the story here...

In any case, we cry, we sob, we try to move forward, and day by day it becomes just a skoche easier. The tiniest nano-millimeter easier. I can at least sort of function again.

I've been trying to do things that will make me happy. Lunch with friends, calls to people I've been missing in my life, reconnecting with past interns and co-workers that have meant so much to me. Funny how you get all involved in your life and how certain people sort of fall through the cracks. It's nice when you can find them again and see how their lives have changed. Mostly everyone is doing so well, I'm happy to hear. It sort of makes the loss of my babies a little easier hearing about how people move forward. It still sucks the big suck, but it's a little easier.

AND? OhMYGOD. I got to hold a puppy. I went to the shelter a couple days ago to donate dry and wet food that we had here. I needed to get that out of the house. It was making me sad thinking about feeding the dogs.

So, I walked in and the lady remembered me from two weeks ago when I had gone in to give them Koty's treats (Sadie could only eat soft ones due to lack of teeth)...And so she put two and two together and immediately broke the rules and sent me off to have "puppy-time" as she put it!

There was this little, pudge of a soft, velvet baby girl snickerdoodlepie laying on her back on some toys. She took one look at me and then - wag wag wag wag wag wag - upsidedown with her giant, pink belly just asking for a rub! Of course, what was I to do? I loved that little wriggly baby! Her name was Claudia and she was a baby, tiny lab/beagle/maybe dacshund mix. All I know is she smelled like puppy and was soft as velvet. She was calm and cute and waggily and just loved me! Lots of puppy kisses...It was the best thing I've felt in a long, long time, just her little heart beating...All that promise of a good life ahead.

So, I've asked to volunteer at the shelter until we can get a new baby or two in the spring. The house is so effing empty I can hardly stand it.

Ok. Onward and upward, shall we?

Eggplants! I picked my first one tonight! One of the eggplant plants next to the back door is nearly as tall as I am! It had one giant eggplant and three smaller ones. I picked the big one to make an eggplant sauce for pasta for my dinner tonight! SOOO exciting!



Also, today is October 1st, so I decorated for Halloween! It always makes me happy, so I decided to just go for it again today!
Here are the results:








Also have much going on still in the garden - side yard is pretty as hell still:



Pretties by the back door are flourishing - note the eggplants in the flower beds on the right and left!:


One of the Montauk daisy bushes is just starting to bloom:


So, that's all for today. I'll take some photos of the back yard soon - it's still gorgeous back there, as well! The hydrangeas have gone absolutely rogue! 6 feet + tall and even wider than that! Yikes!

Hope all is well in your world!

Thanks for reading...

Ciao for now.