CarmelKnits, etc.

End of August we flew home to Minnesota for a long visit with my family and friends. We hit the Minnesota State Fair, mom and I ate a slew of fried cheese curds and shared some beers. Dale branched out and tried some other offerings, but not wanting a stomach ache, I stuck to cheese curds, beer, and dole fruit whips (delicious). It was hot while we were home. So hot and humid that when I took my camera out for pictures it always fogged up... The trip was awesome. It was great to be with my mom, G, my younger brother and his family. It was great to see my best friend for over 20 years now. Then we came home. Said good bye to our Gabby. Then I was off again for a conference in Las Vegas. Dale flew down at the end of the conference for the weekend. Vegas is exhausting. However I did learn a few things of what I would do better next time. 1. choose a hotel with an awesome pool and an awesome theme like New York New York or Paris...

I've been thinking about the word 'community' a lot this week. With the passing of Gabby I realized that I have a very large, loving, and supportive community. Not only in our cul-de-sac, my office, and our friends, but also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I share so much of my dogs lives on social media and the outpouring of support & love when we made the decision to let Gabby go was intense and amazing. In this age of cellphones, laptops, iPads, net books, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc., our community has grown beyond definable borders and become Worldly as well as neighborly. We miss our girl so much but reading comments, emails, tweets, texts, and hearing voicemails have eased a little bit of the hurt. Thank you everyone for the kind words, the love, and the 'community'.

You came into our world at 8 months old. The sweetest little Boxer girl who's only concerns were, football, loving up D & I, and food in your bowl. Remember the time you had tuna salad the first time? I do. You checked your food bowl four times to see if you'd missed any. It has never been shinier. Remember that Christmas Eve you got a new football? You were so happy about it you brought it bed that night. Your rescue story promised you'd return all love given to you tenfold. The amount of love, joy, laughter, and amusement can't be summed up. We had some rough times. You ate a nylon and had to have emergency surgery after your 1st birthday. Later that summer you decided to eat every single cherry that had dropped in the yard. I don't think Mr. Brown has forgiven you for that blowout yet. Two torn acl's, two broken toes, a mild concussion, a bleeding ear that turned our house in to a crime scene, a bloody toenail that made th...