Puppy Life Lessons

This morning we were greeted by a thin blanket of snow on the ground. 12 week-old puppy Chloe has seen and walked on snow before. I worried about slipping on the icy steps. She sniffed and pounced on tree roots and dug under the snow to find dried leaves. My intent was to see she did all her “business” outside and her intent was to hang around outside in pursuit of something good to chew on.
Chloe is definitely in the teething stage and wants to bite on everything, including my sweaters, stocking feet, and hands. Substitute toys don’t always seem to distract, so this morning I gave her an ice cube. She really liked that.
What she also likes is my company, my presence in her “safe room” which in our house is the tiled and heated side porch. I don’t always want to be sitting out there because it’s not the most comfy room in the house, but Chloe will be lonely if we don’t spend time together. Often she is content to play while I write on the computer.
We talk in generalities about the importance of being present to support others in our life, as well as being present in the moment to savor and enjoy what we have. The youth and exuberance of a young puppy lasts just a few months, so even though she got me up at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, I’m appreciating Chloe and her fresh perspective on a walk in the snow.

Puppy 101

My new puppy Chloe is now 12 weeks old and she is growing quickly. What a chow hound. As soon as she sees her food bowl coming, she starts jumping frantically in anticipation. While I know it is good training practice to reinforce the concept that a dog should settle down and “stay” before starting their meal, she is just a little puppy and evidently VERY HUNGRY. We visited the Vet last week an he recommended her food intake and reminded me her real growth spurt begins at 4 months, so we a have a few weeks to go before she needs to bulk up and its important not to let a dog get too overweight. I read it is a good idea to feed a puppy in their crate so that they associate the crate as their little home. That all seems to be working fine. So far, she has not messed in her crate once. Her dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. and no water after 7:00 p.m. Bedtime is around 11:00 p.m. and I’m running downstairs to her “safe room” at 6:00 a.m. to let her out of her crate and take her outside.
She has had a few peeing accidents, so we rushed out to buy that special cleaner that breaks up the enzymes in urine. Yesterday no accidents. It does help that I am home to check on her each hour and to make certain to take her outside at least every two hours if she is not in her crate.
My hands, however sport numerous little teeth marks, as she is still learning that difference between a bite and a lick. Shoving a chew toy in her mouth works sometimes, but not always.
Her favorite game is run and fetch. I throw a toy and she brings it back again and again.
What a good dog!

New Puppy & New Magazine!

2012 got off to a wonderful start with the arrival of Chloe a beautiful Labradoodle puppy (now 10 weeks old). While I did have every intention of adopting a Golden Retriever rescue, fate had other plans. And perhaps with all our strong memories of our beloved Grace of Naptown, it better that we have switched breeds for an entirely new dog experience. For those readers unfamiliar with Labradoodles, these dogs are a hybrid breed created originally to work as service dogs in place of Golden and Labrador retrievers in households with allergies. These dogs are a cross of poodles and retrievers and thus have the kind obedience of a retriever and the cleverness and non-shedding coat of a poodle. Chloe is third generation, so both of her parents were Labradoodles. Both her parents weigh between 40 and 45 pounds, so she will be large but lean.
She is being crate trained and is sleeping well through the night. Of course by joining our family she gets plenty of exercise. We have not taken her for a downtown walk yet, but she has taken plenty of walks in the neighborhood to investigate and become accustomed to the sights and smells of the Murray Hill neighborhood.
This past week in media news Jefferson Communications signed and agreement with HDJ publishing to purchase the Annapolis area lifestyle magazine Taste of the Bay. Jefferson Communications will begin publishing the former Taste of the Bay as Chesapeake Taste in April and I have been named as the new editor! I’ll be working with Karen Gaspers, who has been doing an excellent job of managing both the calendar, resource books, and Chesapeake Family content for Jefferson Communications along with new hire, Betsy Stein who will be leaving her previous editor’s post at Maryland Family where she worked since 2002, winning numerous awards in her field. Betsy will be putting her primary focus on Chesapeake Family. This means I have about one month to strongly focus on Chloe before there will be a radical change in my daily routine and I’ll be back working in an office other than the one in my home.
THANK YOU to all my friends and colleagues who offered encouragement and support during my rocky times during the closing months of 2011. While I still have some reduction in mobility in my neck and back from my injuries, I continue to go weekly to P.T. and try to do all my exercises faithfully. I have not been cleared to resume pilates but I’m hoping that eventually I will be able to return to my previous fitness routine. There will be, however, no horseback riding for me. I will be very content to do my trail exploration on foot.

My new puppy!

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New Location for Rotary 2012 barBayque

The Kansas City Barbeque Society is coming back to town, Naptown that is, known by some as Annapolis, Maryland. Mark May 4th and 5th on your calendar, if you love barbeque.
It’s been a while since I’ve attended a Parole Rotary breakfast. The club meets at the Doubletree Inn on Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. I came as the guest of my husband Peter Crilly, who was forced to miss a number of meetings last fall due to my back injury. But now that 2012 is underway, and we are getting the schedule off to a correct start, so to make up for all the meetings missed, we both attended. First subject of importance was the May Naptown barBayq and since the funds raised at that event are going to two good causes–the Anne Arundel Medical Center Pediatrics Emergency Inpatient Unit and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County– I will make the event the subject of today’s posting.
First off, if you happen to be reading this and are a business, the Parole Rotary Foundation is looking for sponsors to help support this event. There is no exclusivity of sponsorships this year, so if you’d like to support the event, please contact the club directly.
Second off, the event which was held last year at the U.S. Naval Academy Stadium has a new location. It is being held the first weekend in May at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds.
Twenty-five live bands will be playing music on two stages. Admission is only $5 and children under the age of 12 are free.
Competing barbeque teams will be competing for $9,000 in prizes. This is serious business. Competing teams, devotees of “the art of barbequing” travel for hundreds of miles to participate in these competitions. As an attendee you’ll be able to sample and buy, particularly if you purchase a VIP ticket for $25 in advance or $35 at the door. You’ll also be able to purchase a variety of food and beverages, depending on your preference. This year numerous regional artists and craftsmen will also take part in the festivities offering jewelry, pottery, photography, artwork and more. There will be a Corn Hole Tournament and other family-oriented activities. On Saturday, there will be a Special Kid’s Korral featuring moon bounces, obstacle courses, spin art, face painting, special entertainment according to the Rotary barBayq website.

Naptown barBAYq
& Music Festival FACTS
Dates: May 4-5, 2012
Hours: Friday 4-10pm
Saturday 11am-10pm
Admission: $5/Daily for Adults
Kids under 12 Free
VIP Tickets $25 in advance / $35 at the door
Location: Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds

PARKING IS FREE

Blue Skies Today in Annapolis

Another beautiful unseasonably warm day in Annapolis and a Sunday morning means plenty of time for a long walk. First to pick up a cup of coffee and then down to the end of the dock to gaze at the water and look across to Eastport and the U.S.Naval Academy.
Fortunately, this morning I remembered to put my driver’s license in my pocket which meant I could get access on to the Academy grounds to extend our walking time. We are so lucky to live in Annapolis!

Bluebird of Happiness/Blue Bra

Yesterday the springlike weather started to arrive and I couldn’t resist the urge to make a new wreath to place on my front door to welcome the new year. It looks so bare without the Christmas wreath. The next big holiday is Valentine’s Day, so of I opted for a pink bow and red flowers but I wanted to feature a Bluebird as a touchstone for good luck and positive thinking. The bluebird is considered sacred and special around the globe. The Bluebird is considered a sign of spring and a symbol of happiness and love. They were considered special by Native Americans because their color matched the color of the sky. The Pima and the Cherokees tell a story of the bluebird achieving her beautiful blue color when she bathed four times in a sacred lake and sang a special song.
Associated with love, contentment, and hope, the bluebird is the subject of many poems, stories, and songs including the 1934 classic Bluebird of Happiness.
Today my attention was drawn to an article in the metro section of the Washington Post by Sally Quinn talking about the Blue Bra Revolution. Within a few short weeks, wearing a blue bra has come to symbolize solidarity with oppressed women, after a young woman was stripped down to her blue bra after being beaten and stomped on during a demonstration in Egypt. Says Quinn, “The blue bra, for me, has become almost a talisman or amulet. It keeps away bad feelings. It makes me feel lucky and protected in the way that wearing certain numbers or carrying charms does for ballplayers or religious symbols does for soldiers headed into battle.”
Blue is the color of the fifth Chakra, one of seven power points in the human body thought by eastern spiritual believers to circulate life force energy known as prana. Each chakra is aligned with a position in the body center, close to the spine, and the blue chakra is centered at the throat and is associated with communication and expressing feelings through speech. As a writer who repeatedly finds my life calling in the field of communication, it is one of my favorite chakras and when I start getting sick I always feel it in my throat first. The color blue has thus come to be associated with inspiration, devotion, infinity, spirituality and peace. No wonder Sally Quinn finds wearing a blue bra soothing.
I find it appropriate that blue has now also come to symbolize solidarity and the freedom of expression for all women around the world. The freedom of expression is one of my many positive affirmations for 2012. May we continue to live it.

Another Coffee Shop in Downtown Annapolis?

There are over 10.000 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants around the world. (They recently opened one in Xi’An, China.) This month one of their newest locations is here in downtown Annapolis, in the former location of Pad Thai. I’m not a fan. While I admit to stopping at Dunkin’ Donuts while on road trips, lured by their sweet sticky donuts and freshly brewed coffee, we have so many better local alternatives on the block of West Street above Church Circle and nearby. Let the coffee wars begin! For one thing, their sign looks ugly in historic Annapolis, for another I personally like a stronger blend of bean. I’m not a Starbucks fan, but I do like the dark blend served by City Dock Cafe and the individually brewed cups of coffee served at Pronto. I’ve been known to enjoy a cup of Joe at Hard Bean Cafe, surrounded by all those books. Across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts is Pony Expresso that brews a fine cup of coffee, a very local enterprise, and then of course there is one of my favorite places for breakfast meetings– 49 West which serves good coffee and a pleasing breakfast in a nice setting with local artwork and plenty of reading material. Head up the street away from downtown and Metropolitan serves a great cup of coffee and breakfast to accompany that coffee. (Try their croissants.)
So just to review the choices downtown: two City Dock Cafes- one near City Dock and the other on Maryland Avenue, Hard Bean near City Dock, Two Starbucks- one in the basement of Maryland Inn and the other in the City Dock area, Pony Express Coffee Shop and then coffee and full breakfast at Chick and Ruth’s or 49 West. Did I leave anyone out? The point is, we didn’t need another coffee place and particularly not a national chain. It is bad enough to have all those Starbucks around. Just so no to all this globalization, particularly when it comes to coffee. Although I am forced to admit that if we don’t have global trade, I wouldn’t have any coffee to drink! My favorite brew comes from Sumatra Indonesia, and that’s on the other side of the world. Ah well, I’m still not going to patronize the downtown Dunkin’ Donuts and I’m hoping they will go the way of the former Micky D’s in that very same location.

Happy 2012 Wishes to Good Friends Far & Near

The start of a New Year gives me the opportunity to once again thank everyone who offered words of encouragement, cards, flowers, home cooked meals, and just plain spent time with me taking walks and helping to accomplish what were previously small tasks around the house. My family and I are so thankful that I am almost recovered, recovered enough to enjoy the beautiful recent “springlike” days and take a walk in the woods. While I do enjoy my daily visits to City Dock and the streets of downtown, I’m lucky enough to also live within walking distance of Truxton Park. The nature trail behind Bates Middle School takes you on a journey past Chesapeake Children’s Museum over the wetlands beyond Spa Creek and over to the docking area of Truxton Park. The photos were taken at “Lookout Point”. What a great view.
My son Chris continues to be interested in the various mushrooms we encounter, so the photo is of another as yet unidentified by handsome variety. I enjoyed spending time over the holiday break with daughter Alex, who is already back on the West Coast, about to start her 2nd quarter tomorrow but I do miss my son Justin, working hard on the other side of the world and currently in Singapore. At least we can Skype and 2012 promises to provide more flexibility for his travel plans.
Here’s to “New Beginnings”. May everyone have a safe, healthy, joyful, and prosperous New Year in 2012.

SERC in Edgwater: a Hidden Gem

Wednesday my daughter Alex and I combined a nature hike with a visit to my son Chris, who is now doing post-doctoral research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). Who knew that one of the leading environmental research centers in the world is located right here in Edgewater Maryland. Two thousand six hundred and fifty acres of land serve as headquarters for a team of more than 180 researchers, technicians, and students lead by approximately 16 senior scientists. Tucked off the highway near Muddy Creek Road, the acreage that once included a 265 acre dairy farm, is nestled along the Rhodes River, providing diverse habitats for terrestrial, wetland, and estuarine field biology and ecology fieldwork. Much of the scientist’s lab work is currently being conducted in temporary trailer structures, so a large lab facility is currently under construction.
Visit their website to check the calendar for upcoming educational events. There are programs for children, families, and adults.

The crisp sunny day enabled us to explore the trails that cross a bridge that spans over a wetland and takes you to see fish weirs and possible sightings of foxes, deer, voles, squirrels, and birds. Chris, who is studying bay vegetation in his professional work, has a particular fascination with mushrooms. This photo shows a Turkey Tail mushroom, a medicinal mushroom used to make tea. According to Chris this is a very pretty specimen because the purple shade is less common than the maroon color of most turkey tail mushrooms that you will encounter. Mushrooms grow very successfully in tree logs, and Chris is planting an entire farm of mushrooms in his yard where he lives. (We’ve also got a few currently starting out in our basement!) Check back in a few months and maybe I’ll have some photos of homegrown mushrooms.
I look forward to visiting SERC again and seeing it change through the seasons. Spring, Summer, and Fall there are guided canoe tours. If you are bringing a large group for hiking suggest that you call in advance. Normal hours for visitors are 9:00-4:30.

Adopting a Dog is Serious Business

I have now been officially approved to adopt a Golden Retriever from either of the two local rescue organizations: GRREAT (Golden Retriever Rescue Education and Training) and Goldenheart. These are two excellent volunteer organizations which work hard to make certain that Goldens that are abandoned, lost, or displaced find good lifetime homes. They take pains to screen both the dogs and the families, to make certain that everyone is completely aware of potential issues that may arise with the dogs behavior or the owner’s habits.

P.S. If you are wondering about the puppies I’m holding in the photo, they belonged to our previous Golden Retriever and member of our family, Grace and were born in 2005. All went to wonderful homes and were spayed or neutered, so no descendants. Awfully cute!