Sort of Sonnet

Not a lot of time because I am preparing to go out of town to Austin to visit my parents (Hooray!). I took a creative writing class at Metro this quarter to have something to do during the winter that didn't involve complaining about how I hate winter. I wrote several poems and thought I would share one with my readers...all four of them. The assignment was to write a "sort of sonnet." We didn't have to adhere to every rule, but just a few. For more on sonnets visit: Wikipedia. This sonnet materialized out of a journal page written about what was under my bed. Enjoy!

My Bed

There is an eddy under my bed

The swirling of dirt is like a tumbleweed; light and airy

The tent of poplin sheets contains the dread

The swing of the door pushes the particles and causes them to marry.

The socks trapped in the dirt are unwilling guests.

They would much rather do the jobs of warmth holder.

The dust clings to the chenille ripples to create a mess.

Retrieving these defacto swiffers is hard on the shoulders.

Newsprint, magazines and assorted papers fall victim to the suction

The papers are wrinkled and ready to meet the recycle bin.

The space heater brings in the winds and rustles up a disruption.

The papers rise off the ground, elevate and then drop like a fish fin.

The bed seems to breathe these objects in and out.

It is a breathing animal that will eat anything; a goat.

Will Work for Food

I spend a good portion of my day on the phone with pet owners looking for advice on how to peacefully co-exist with their furry friends. I talk to many dog owners with high drive breed under two years of age. I always ask how much exercise the dog gets and many people say a walk a few times a week. Lately(it has been freezing here), it has been common for them to say, "not much." For most high drive breeds a walk is an exercise hors devours.

My advice to everyone is your dog needs to work both mind and body everyday. If they do not get this enrichment dogs will find other ways on their own. A few suggestions to add enrichment to your dog's day. For physical exercise teach your dog a retrieve (fetch), an appropriate tug of war (it can be done), or socialize him with other dogs for play. Exercise your dog before you feed him. How do you feel after a big meal? Do you want to exercise?

After your dog has gotten physical exercise, provide him with mental stimulation by getting rid of his food bowl. That is right. Throw it away. We make the mistake with young adolescent high drive dogs by feeding them out of a bowl. It takes my young dog about 10.2 seconds to eat his food out of his dish. Instead, I make him work for it. There are several toys out on the market that can be stuffed with food. Premier makes has a great toy line called Busy Buddys. You can also use a Kong. These toys require the dog to work their jaws and use their brain to eat. If you are running short on time it is just as fun to just pour your dog's food into his kennel or scatter it all over your patio.

Have fun and look for more tips soon.

Save vs. Splurge

**Disclaimer: Because I have realized how much I enjoy it when other people actually post on their blog, I am going to try to make an effort as well. **

I am a magazine addict. There, I said it. The problem with this addiction is that it is not just one type of magazine. I can read Marie Claire, Glamour, People US Weekly, Family Circle, Time, No Depression, Interview, Entertainment Weekly, and the Economist to name a few. If someone went through our recycling on a regular basis they could get an update on make-up choices, who Britney is now dating and the current state of the war (in case you didn't know...it is not going well).

One of my pet peeves in fashion magazines is save vs. splurge. This is a regular feature of many women's mags. Here is the thing, when I think save vs. splurge I think Old Navy vs. Banana Republic or Target vs. Von Maur. It is always momentarily exciting to me to check this out until I remember that it is a big joke. Many of these features contain save fashions at roughly $250. I don't know about you, but to me that is definitely a splurge. The other night I went in search of an actual save vs. splurge site that was realistic and found Shop Happy. Check it out.

So here is my chance to see if anyone will read this posting. Readers: What was your favorite fashion save?