Excavation

Yup, Jeff is still working away on that fence of ours.  The back wall is now completely finished, and he built a mighty fine gate for it last weekend.  Quite frankly, I am proud of all his hard work.  Arriving at this house, we both knew next to nothing about home repairs, and now I feel like we have really learned an awful lot about houses and all that comes with them!

Next up on the docket is the side fence, so Jeff (with my help!) dug out the old cemented fence posts that were about 4-ft deep and created bigger, better holes.  Jeff has been busy on this task, and so far he has cemented two brand new posts, out of about seven, for the fresh fence.  This does, however, still leave many holes for the Milt to explore until those too are filled.  That being said, Milt's new favorite game is to pick a hole and drop his ball in.  Then, of course, he digs it out and drops it again.  Oh what fun our goldendoodle can create for himself when left to his own devices!

Sizing up the hole!

A drop in the hole

Uh oh!

Going deep

Must get it out!

It's always amusing now when Milt returns from a trip outdoors because as soon as you look at his muddy face, you know what he has been up to!  If you are interested, check out the little video below.

I equate this video to watching wild animals on safari; not much is happening except an indigenous beast going about his routine activity.  You will probably be all set after a brief snippet...!  Actually, I guarantee you will be all set after a brief snippet.  Enjoy.

Ode to Milton

This post is a bit late today due to poor cell phone Internet connectivity at 5:30A.M. this morning...absolute horrors!

Anyway, one of the best parts about moving into a house is the decorating aspect of it all.  At times it can be frustrating because I obviously want everything to be finished immediately and picture perfect, but it takes time if you want everything just right.  One decorating feat that I am particularly proud of is this:

Ta daaaa!  What do you think?

I thought it would be nice to have a little family picture wall starting with a wedding photograph of Jeff and me surrounded by some of Milton's most memorable photographs.  I think it turned out well as an "Ode to Milton"; Jeff thinks it looks more like a shrine...!  In case you are wondering, yes, that is an old telephone stand in our hallway.  It lends a little bit of charm.

On another note, here is Milton lying on our brand new rug.  Jeff actually pulled this rug, all grimy and gross, out of the attic, and I cleaned it up.  It was quite the find!

The Milt

Have a lovely evening, everyone!

Puppy Photo of the Week

Over the weekend, Jeff and I went out of town for a night to a friend's birthday party at a lake house.  Subsequently, Milton spent the night at Downtown Dog, his daycare.  The next day when we picked him up at 9:00A.M., he was zonked out!  It was much too much effort for the Milt to keep his eyes open all day long.  He literally slept from 10A.M. - 6P.M.  Jeff and I thought we partied pretty hard the night prior, but obviously Milton went all out all night long!

On that day we returned, Jeff worked outside on his fence, and like always he wanted his Milt to join him.  Jeff sometimes likes to consult with Milt about fencing particulars...!  Of course, due to Milt's crazy night, he had no interest in going outside to help his dear old dad, but rather he preferred to snuggle up on his bed.  Jeff dragged him out there though, and since the gate was open, Milton was tethered to a lead to keep him secure.  However, whenever Jeff needs Milt's help, he unties him and lets him wander loose.  Well, after a long while, Jeff came inside to check on my painting job, and Milton bypassed us to walk very slowly and purposely, with yellow rope dragging, all the way back to his bed in the foyer.

Escapee

Tired boy

The greatest part about Milt's lack of energy was it enabled us to get an awful lot of work done around the house.  The sad part is we really miss him when he's not working side by side with us.  Well, perhaps it is best to just let sleeping dogs lie!

At Last...!

Jeff and I will have been married two years in July.  When we joined households, we brought together a hodgepodge of furniture.  Jeff owned quite a few "pieces" from his bachelor days, and I was loaded up with garage sale finds and side of the road treasures.  So, we combined forces, junking some items and keeping others.  Overall, I have been quite satisfied with our eclectic furniture, all except for our bedroom set.

Post college,  I was driving home from waitressing, when suddenly I received an urgent call from my mother urging me to check out the furniture on the side of the road.  Turns out the family of a little girl, who I babysat a few times, was selling her entire yellow floral bedroom set.  To me, it was a roadside steal!  The next day we sealed the deal, and I have been sleeping atop a princess bed ever since.  Don't get me wrong, I adore my yellow floral, but it has just been incredibly funny to see Jeff in my princess bed!

When you get married, you expect to have a grand bedroom set befitting of a newlywed couple.  That doesn't always happen, in our case due to space because I wasn't about to chuck my floral set just to make way for something new.  So, here we are two years later, and finally we have our first real live bedroom set.

Jeff and I spent all day Saturday visiting six different furniture shops, Weir's Outlet, Bassett, Thomasville, all around Dallas.  We hemmed and hawed, but I finally saw "The Set" at The Dump, and I fell in love.  I actually teared up a bit!  Jeff was a little more blase about the experience, but I knew that this set was absolutely perfect.  It just seemed so right.

Saturday morning arrival!

The four-poster bed

We finally upgraded from our tight double to a roomier queen.

Jeff's male dresser, note his iRobot Roomba (Jeff's first pet!)

Heidi's female dresser

Milt's rightful place at the foot of the bed

Sometimes we haul in his other bed too for another option

With the anticipation of the new furniture, we packed Milt's crate up and stored it in the attic.  It was so large and cumbersome; it actually was a bit of an eyesore in the room.  Milt is not the type of dog who is overly fond of his cage, anyway.  He would rarely if ever rest it in during the day, and we would always need to lure him in with treats at night.  It felt odd seeing it go away though.  I felt like we were packing up a baby crib until we have our next one (puppy!). 

So far, Milt is unphased by all the new furniture, as could be expected.  I think he does find it interesting that Jeff and I now sleep so much higher off the ground and away from him!  Last night, he was resting his head on the bed looking lovingly up at us.  Taking that crate away makes me hope that Milt does not suddenly take another interest in nighttime chewing, on our new bed...!  Jeff thinks we would wake up and hear him, but I am not so certain.  So far, so good though!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

As you might recall, I love the holidays!  Valentine's Day is one that I have always enjoyed, mainly because it is a silly lovey dovey holiday resplendent with chocolates and flowers.  Growing up, Valentine's Day would fall just before or during our winter vacation, and my family would always be somewhere hot, sunny, and tropical!  Our trips, and this holiday, hold fond memories in my heart.  Likewise, for years now my big sister, Heather, has mailed me a Valentine's Day box complete with holiday decorations, stickers, picture frames, towels, etc.  I always look forward to receiving that fun-filled box!  Here is our decorated home:

Welcome to our home!

Heart entry into the living room

Mantle

Dining room spread

Cheer in every corner

Cutesy kitchen

So, what's not to like about Valentine's Day?  Jeff, however, does not appreciate the day.  He thinks it is a Hallmark Holiday intended to suck money out of him...!  Hence, we did not celebrate Valentine's Day on the actual date, but rather we celebrated "Heidi & Jeff Day" on Saturday.  This day was in fact similar to Valentine's because we exchanged cards and ate chocolates, but the difference is we stayed away from February 14th.  Oh no, we are too avant garde for that...  Ha!

Here are a few select photos from Heidi & Jeff Day:

Lobster main course

To every New Englander's dread, for our Valentine's Day tradition, I bought frozen lobsters rather than live!  Growing up in New York, this is just something that you never ever do.  Here in Dallas, though, lobsters are pricey, and I did not feel like driving to the far reaches of the city to get a good deal on a crustacean.  So, I fell for the two frozen lobsters (from Canada!) for $10 deal.  A good-sized lobster is about 1.5 lbs, and a 2 lb. lobster is even better.  These little guys rang in at probably a whopping .75 lbs...!  Despite serving a plethora of side dishes, we were still left with wanting more.  Next year I vow not to cheap out!

Beet cake

The beet cake, on the other hand, turned out spectacular!  Beets in a cake, you say?  Why, yes!  You roast two medium sized beets and then grate about a cup into the batter and two tablespoons into the frosting to give it that delightful pink tinge.  Believe me, though, that cake is heaped up on sugar, butter, and cream cheese.  If you want this to become part of your Valentine's Day tradition, like ours, check it out here:  Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting

Of course, the Milt was a full part of the celebration!  Here he is looking fancy in his Valentine's Day bandanna gifted to him by his daycare.  His Momma bought him a tasty confectionery, shaped like a doggie doughnut, from our local Pet Supplies Plus.  Milt felt loved.

Yummy

Licking away

Tearing it up

Taking a break

The Milt dog certainly enjoyed himself.

Licking those chompers

Eating and lounging

I do believe the Milt enjoyed his very first Valentine's Day!  He certainly is one lovable dood who loves and is loved by many!

Puppy Photo of the Week

I know you are probably all thinking, There's that blogger, Heidi, in her fuzzy pink bathrobe again!  Is that the only thing she owns?  Well, I really enjoy the early morning hours, and I will wear one of my fleece pajama sets and bathrobe as long as humanly possible.  When I return home in the evenings, I cannot wait to get it right back on!  Here is a shot of Momma, in her pink bathrobe, of course, and her Milton enjoying a little quality time during a quick break from grading.


Milt is after that Squeaky Crocodile

As today is Presidents' Day, I have the day off  (Jeff too!)!  The Milt likes when his Momma and Daddy Dog are home on an unexpected weekday.  It is quite the holiday for both of us!  You better believe I will be luxuriating in the bathrobe for a good long stint.  I hope a lot of you are too!  

Milton's Fortress

First and foremost, Happy Valentine's Day!  Make certain to eat some yummy chocolate and sniff a rose or two.  Jeff and I are not celebrating today (more on that later), so I will write about that next week.  For now, here is our weekend adventure!

Pop and Momeaux arrived back in town this past weekend, which means stuff got done.  In particular, Milton's fortress was begun. Pop came to Dallas anticipating completing our entire fence in one weekend with his apprentice's help, of course.  Little did he know that our current fence posts were rotted away, so instead of utilizing the originals, he would need to construct entirely new posts, then the framework, followed by the planks.  Well, wood was purchased, cedar to be exact, and the project was underway.

A few of the materials

Pop and Jeff attacked the far back fence first, which left our house exposed to the alleyway and Milton free to roam.  Hence, this led to a tethering of the Milt to prevent runaways.

Good boy

North side exposure

The men worked hard on the outside, while Momeaux got to work with her needle and thread on the inside!  She sewed many a beautiful creation.

Foyer bench cushion

Lace to "hide" a bedroom door

Kitchen seat cushion

Dining room curtain tie-backs to match our dining room set

Momeaux working away with her granddog at her feet.  She is actually sewing green sashes for the other windows.

Getting back to the 8-foot fence, Milt kept the men company outside for the majority of the days.  Jeff likes to hook Milt's leash to his belt (odd, I know!), while he works, to teach Milton how to follow along, so he will be better on leash.  I wish I thought to take a picture of that!  Here is Milt, instead, with a pile of brush.  Lots of yard work was also accomplished, by Momeaux and me, under the guise of fence building.  It actually was necessary to rake out a lot of leaves and cut back an overload of honeysuckle to prepare for the new structure.

Always in on all the action

Wandering around

You might recall that two weeks ago, Jeff and I raked and raked, along with the Milt, and heaped it all on the side of the road.  Our garbage bags of leaves were rejected, however, because it was not a Bulk Trash Day.  Well, Monday was, and we had twice the trash to share.  Thankfully, this time it was actually collected.

Lots and...

Lots!

Well, the back fence was begun on Thursday and partially finished late Monday evening.

Burning the midnight oil

Our fence is not only beautiful, but it smells very nice too!  We still have more to accomplish in regards to the remaining fence perimeter, but the back of our fence is looking good.  Jeff will continue to work on it, and Pop might return again to provide further assistance!  I, for one, am learning that "Patience is a virtue," of which I lack.  Nevertheless, I am quite thankful for Momeaux and Pop, the best in-laws a girl could have!

Myth Busted

One of the main incentives that inspired us to purchase a goldendoodle was the "fact" that doodles do not shed.  A doodle is part poodle, so there should be enough poodle genes mixed in to prevent that annoying side effect of dogs.  Since Milton is an F1 (cross between a golden retriever and a standard poodle), we were aware that he might shed a "little" unlike a F1b (cross between a standard poodle and a F1 goldendoodle) who supposedly does not shed "at all."

When we acquired Milton, we lived in an apartment for the first six months.  We vacuumed a tremendous amount, but what we sucked up looked like an awful lot of dirt (He's a dirty dog.) combined with an awful lot of my hair.  Jeff and I never saw Milton's blonde hair on the carpet, rarely on our clothes (unless we wore black), and certainly never on the tile floor.  Foolishly, we assumed that our doodle was a non-shedding one.  Now that we live in a house with hard wood floors, we have changed our sentiments. 

Fur ball

Fur balls

These are the fur balls that roll across the room at any given moment like tumble weeds.  These light clumps of fur tend to collect behind doors, under beds, and around tables.  They are certainly "dust bunnies" for as you go to sweep or suck them up, they simply hop away from you.

Here are the remnants from a recent vacuuming.  Yuck.  I know. 

Grimy, kind of impressive

Is our goldendoodle's fur and dust habit a deal breaker for us?  No, of course not.  Compared to the average shedding dog, Milton's shedding is "practically" non-existent.  It is really the dirt that gets under our skin.  To have a cleaner home, Jeff and I certainly need to be more vigilant with the brushing and bathing of Milt. 

Fur clump from recent brushing - reminiscent of sheep wool!

Milton is a tough dood to keep up with in the cleanliness department, but we certainly are trying!

The Milt

Puppy Photo(s) of the Week

Is your dog ever really, really bored, and you need a cheap thrill?  Well, grab an old cardboard box (We tend to use our Amazon.com leftovers.), put a few tasty treats inside, and then tape it up nice and tight.  Now let your doggie at it!

 

Chances are he or she will be amused for a solid 15 - 30 minutes, just like our Milton.  I wish I could say this diversion lasts longer, but I can't...!  Happy Monday, everyone.  I hope the weekend was a pleasant one!