The foundling

lost dog

Originally uploaded by dutchican

I had to add a picture because he is pretty cute although he is a complete spazz, this was the only way I could get him to be still enough for a picture. No lost signs anywhere today that I could find, guess I’ll be out there tonight posting my found ones. Surely he must belong to someone? He’s an awfully nice dog to be dumped.

Astray

I have a bleeding heart when it comes to animals. I have rescued 2 dogs and a turtle (that’s another post in and of itself) since I’ve lived here, and seen countless other strays. I’ve never lived in a place where it was so prevalent. Today I brought home a chocolate lab.

The first words out of my dh’s mouth: “You CANNOT keep this dog. Do you hear me? You CANNOT.” I am aware of this, as I need a third dog like I need a hole in the head.

But as I was driving home from the necessary evil that is Wal-Mart, I spotted this dog running wild exuberant circles around 2 kids walking home from school. It was obvious that the dog didn’t belong to the kids because in his excitement, the dog kept on running into the busy road. The kids didn’t seem to care. He was almost hit twice in the time it took me to turn around and pull onto the shoulder. I asked them if he was theirs, and they said no. I knew if I didn’t pick him up I would see him by the side of the road tomorrow. He had no collar on, and was pretty thin. He was more excited than shy, but he wanted nothing to do with my car.

Did I mention I drive a Civic? With a big convertible carseat in back? It was an adventure getting him home. The dutchkid sort of wigged out on me because he was pretty wild and tried to get into the backseat with her as I was getting him settled (read: pinned down) in the front seat. She kept calling him by our chocolate lab’s name (who worships the ground she walks on and would allow her to eat his ears for lunch).

I threw him in the back yard, my boys were not amused. He’s sort of half-grown and a total maniac. At least they’ll get some extra exercise. I guess I’ll look for lost signs tomorrow and maybe put up some found ones. I hate to bring him to the shelter, he’s mighty cute. Dh gave me a week maximum. Anyone need a dog?

Well, it went.

Last night was the banquet, and I provided the background music, such as it was. Their speaker was Alan Keyes. I had to look him up because I had not heard of him.

I arrived early, because it was held at a church and I have a thing about playing on strange pianos, the thing being that I don’t like it. I prefer a gentle action, because I have a lighter touch. It would surprise you if you had heard me pounding on the piano as a kid, but that’s how I am today. Particularly with church pianos you never know what you’re going to get, so I always test the waters first.

I knew that this church had a large grand piano. It was, in fact, a Steinway. Very pretty on the outside, but the touch absolutely sucked (for you non piano people, that’s how the piano plays, how hard it is to get a sound out). I am still trying to decide if it was the fact that I don’t ordinarily play on a grand (and their action works slightly differently, which could account for it) or if it was indeed a piano problem. I am leaning toward the piano. The action was strange, being harder in the lower registers, but the upper was fine. The sound itself was good, as I would expect from a Steinway… but difficult to control. I refuse to give myself carpal tunnel trying to pound it out.

Adding to my irritation was poor lighting, and the acoustics of the place (their worship center is this cavernous room). It seemed like the sound was sucked from the piano, and that is such a strange feeling to be playing, but unable to truly hear what it sounds like.

But it went. I was playing while people arrived and while they got their dessert, chit-chatted, and sat down. So hopefully everyone was distracted. I hope it was what the director was looking for and that they made lots of money. I’m still praying that no musicians were in attendance.

Ode to the brown towel

I used to hate those brown towels. The ones the Army issued my dh when he first joined, the same ones that he was required to buy more of for OCS. They are standard Army brown, the same as the t-shirts he used to wear with his old BDUs. They are an odd size, really just a plus size dish towel. I have a hard time imagining my 6’1″ dh drying himself off with one.

Over the years they have found their way into my linen closet, taking up valuable real estate. My dh, being the frugal Dutchman he is, absolutely cannot bring himself to throw anything that could be useful away (so he won’t let me do it either). They are too scratchy for my soft civilian taste so they just sort of languished there for years.

When we moved here I found a new home for them, banished beneath the guest bathroom sink. Yet somehow they now have become an indispensable part of my household. They are useful for mopping up all sorts of yuckiness, be it kid or dog related. You don’t ever have to worry about them getting stained or stepped on. I find myself washing them more often than my other towels and complaining if dh takes one to use for an unauthorized use (like cleaning his guns or washing the car).

I am actually thinking about going to clothing sales and *gasp* buying more! It’s official, I have been warped by proximity to Army related equipment.

A boring music post

I was asked last week to play some background music for an annual fundraising banquet here. The banquet is Monday, so I’ve been furiously practicing to polish up some solo pieces. They want at least 30 minutes of music. Even though I play every Sunday, both services for my church and teach lessons besides, it isn’t very often anymore that I get the chance to sit down and play some classical. It’s been fun to look through some of my music that has gone untouched for months (or years), although it is a little discouraging to see that my technical playing has suffered.

Playing for my church, which has very contemporary music, has challenged me in different ways. I’ve become a better sight reader and also learned more about playing from a chord approach, but I now can barely play some classical pieces which I used to play passably well. The Debussy pieces are the casualties I’m mourning the most. After we move I’m planning on trying to take lessons again.

So I’m moderately nervous about playing for the banquet. I’m sure 95% of the people attending will have no idea what I’m playing, or will even notice should I make a mistake. It’s that 5% who could be music people out there who I’m afraid of. It would have helped to have more than a week’s notice, too. I’m too much of a perfectionist to just go out there and play anything. But my repertoire alone is telling that I’m not a professional musician, I think.

In case someone is curious, this is what I’m playing (an eclectic mix, to be sure):

• Beethoven (the Adagio movement of the Pathetique Sonata, Sonatinas in G and F)
• Chopin (Nocturne Op. 72 No. 1)
• M. Albéniz (Sonata in D)
• Saint-Saëns (a transcription of Le Cygne – The Swan)
• Bach (Prelude from the Well-Tempered Clavier)
• George Winston (Lullaby. A good friend of mine transcribed it for me years ago)
• Yann Tiersen (my current favorite contemporary composer. A Frenchman no one seems to have heard of, although he wrote the music for the movie Amélie. I am playing 6 pieces of his)

And you thought YOUR dh was a tool sometimes

Do people still say “tool”? Or is that too 1990′s? I’m dating myself. Anyhow, this is not about my dh, and if you are married it will make you overflow with love for yours. If you are a guy reading this, you should put this in the: “Never do that” file. I think this is quite possibly the most hideous thing I have ever heard. (And since I don’t have anything else to blog about today, I’m going to share it!)

A couple we know were expecting their second child. The other day, the guy comes into work and says how his wife had been having contractions all night but they hadn’t gone anywhere. He asked a few people their opinion about whether he should drive to the airport to pick up his mother who was flying in (the airport is one that’s 2 hours away). Everyone said no, and some even offered to go and get his mother for him. He declined, saying that he didn’t think his wife was having the baby today. He left her alone with their first child (a toddler) to drive up there. His wife had a Dr’s appt and lo and behold, she was admitted. He continued on his way to get his mother while his wife had the baby.

Who does that? I mean really!? A tool, I tell you. I’m going to have to bite my tongue should I run into him.

Life goes on

My mom flew out this morning. She came for the dutchkid’s birthday festivities and for a little vacation (hence the sparse blogging lately). She had hoped to get some nice sunny weather, but I’m sorry to say that the rotten weather followed her down here. It actually snowed in some parts of town on the evening she flew in. And I live where people have palm trees in their yards.

It was hard to see her go today, as it always is. We have always been close. I consider myself lucky to have such a good relationship. It mystifies my dh, and he can’t seem to understand why it is that I need to spend money flying home so often. We try to see each other face to face every 6 months or so. I would like it to be a lot more than that, but flying gets expensive.

As the dutchkid and I were waving goodbye, I started thinking about how much will have happened by the time we see her next. How much of our lives she misses out on and how much of hers we miss. It probably seemed more obvious this time because when I greeted her at the airport I was nearly blinded by the diamond on her hand. My mom is engaged. It feels weird to even type that sentence. I couldn’t be happier for her. My parents divorced when I was in college, but it was a long time coming. My mom deserves to be with someone who will make her happy.

It just occurred to me today how her life will be totally different in the near future. And totally foreign to me. I have met her fiancé, but I don’t know him that well.  I felt sort of like I did when I came home after moving out of my parents house and found out that my younger brother had taken my room (or was it my sister? I can’t remember). It was very strange looking at some photos she had brought of a Christmas party with his family. How odd that she will be a part of a new family, one that I know almost nothing about. It’s so true that life goes on, even when you’re not there to witness it.

Growing up in the same area my whole life and being close to lots of extended family, I tend to imagine the dutchkid growing up like I did… but the reality is that her aunts and uncles and cousins will be unfamiliar to her. Heck, her new Grandpa-to-be is unfamiliar to me. We don’t even intend to go back to that area after dh retires from the Army. My dh insists that he will never live there voluntarily again. How do families work when you live far away? I guess I’m going to have to figure that one out.

The Birthday girl…

Last year she was so upset about the whole birthday process, but this year she had so much fun!

And a small trip down memory lane… us now and then:

what a difference a few years makes!

2 years ago…

I couldn’t sleep because I knew that I was getting up in the wee hours to go to the hospital.

I was so scared, and so nervous, but I was so ready to meet you.

Your daddy picked out a favorite shirt to wear. “Should I dress up?” he asked.

Tomorrow will be about cupcakes and balloons and opening presents. Your second birthday, but your first birthday with your daddy home. I don’t even remember looking back last year, maybe that’s why I’m sitting here doing it tonight instead of sleeping.

Someday, when you grow up, people will say to you: “Your life will never be the same after you have kids”. You will wonder to yourself if that is true. It is. But don’t let that scare you. Although I have never slept less and worried more, even when you are cantankerous, stubborn as only your (almost) 2 year old self can be, my whole world lights up when you laugh.

I am thankful for every day that I get to be your mama. I love you, baby girl.

They may look ordinary on the outside…

My first pair of adapted boxers for Sew Much Comfort! After only two days of hand wringing and gnashing of teeth. I have to send in my first pair for a quality check, so I’m thinking I might just make these my test run. I’m just not sure they’re perfect enough for a soldier to wear. My stitching isn’t exactly straight, I think I messed up on the velcro… trying to read sewing instructions makes my brain melt. I’m actually too afraid to send them in because I will be beyond humiliated if they’re rejected. Dh said he would wear them, but he’s required to say nice things like that.