Catch a Wave and You'll Be Sitting On Top of the World

Sophia admires the coming sunset and incoming tide from Alki Point.

I rushed home from my shift as "MatchMaker" at the Seattle Animal Shelter and bundled Sophia into the car to go find some sunshine. It was 43 degrees out - she wore her purple Polartec jacket and I had several layers on and gloves. The breeze on the beach makes it seem much colder than it is and the sun only helps a little bit.

I am so thankful that I was able to adopt Sophia before she was put into a shelter environment. It's very noisy, with all the barking. The dogs are competing for attention from all of the visitors or just trying to tell us something. Sophia is very sensitive and she would have been super messed up if she had ended up in that sort of environment. She has a long memory as it is - we were rushed by a white pit bull on our evening walk over a week ago and we saw a dog today at Alki Point that had a similar build and Sophia was straining against the leash to go any direction but towards that animal.

It's not that it's "sad" to see all these dogs waiting for new homes - I think dogs available for adoption are a good thing - there are many dogs there on hold that are not available for adoption yet due to legal issues or timing of how long the owner gets to claim the dog. But possible adopters are able to get "first choice" when a particular dog does become available, and I was happy to see people have put dibs on so many of the dogs. It was unusual to see a shih tzu there - he had been found loose somewhere but wearing a blue tie-dyed shirt so obviously he just got away. The problem here is that the animal didn't have any tags on - and no microchip.

Now, my cats don't have microchips in them, but Sophia was given one when she was a puppy so when she came to us we registered her in the HomeAgain program "for life" so she will be returned to us if she got away from me and happened to lose her collar. If you have a dog that doesn't have a microchip you seriously should consider having them put one in the off chance your dog gets away from you and/or lose their collar, so they still might get back to you! I can't imagine losing Sophia and not knowing what happened to her. The guilt would just kill me.

So here's your friendly reminder/warning - get your dog microchipped if you haven't already! And then REGISTER IT with the appropriate service.

Thanksgiving Wisdom

Turkey and dressing, candied yams
Potatoes, gravy, hot rolls and jam.
Apple, pumpkin and pecan pie
The food on our plates is piled high!
We stuff ourselves until we're sick.
How to stop? That's the trick!

This Thanksgiving, let us use
Wisdom, as our food we choose.
Can we stop with "just enough"?
Losing weight can be so tough!
Instead, let hearts be stuffed with love,
And thanks for blessings from above.

Poem by Connie Bean

Take a moment for a year-end review of your mortgage health!

My personal life – my fun life! – is such a big part of what I talk about that you may or may not know that in my day-to-day life I perform marketing for several loan officers at Eagle Home Mortgage. I primarily work for one, Ted Buchanan – who for without his financial genius and mortgage savvy Stephen and I would not have become home owners four years ago this last October.

I am such a strong believer in Ted’s abilities that I chose to go to work for him nearly two years ago. I get to do my favorite thing of all – write a newsletter. But I also spend a lot of time on the phone helping clients sort through their paperwork and getting their documentation in order so they can put their best financial foot forward.

Ted made a deal with me when I started with him – he’d cough up part of his company commission to me for every referral I brought him. That hasn’t turned into as many as I had hoped it would, but I think that’s because I am just not doing a very good job educating my friends and associates about the power of referral and how it would really benefit me and my ability to pay my own bills if people would work with us on their mortgage.

Keep in mind also it’s not the mortgage company you work with but the individual loan officer that is going to make your transaction flow smoothly and be in alignment with your financial needs and future goals. Ted Buchanan has been doing loans for almost 15 years and knows what he’s doing – not to mention, he’s a pretty darn nice guy.

Please take a moment now – and always – to keep your radar up among the people you know. If someone mentions they want to buy a house, or their ARM is starting to look scary and they want to get into a fixed rate mortgage or otherwise refinance – RATES ARE STILL HISTORICALLY EXCELLENT. Please send them my way and I will arrange a phone consultation with them and Ted so they can determine if they are all a good fit to work together.

Ted can meet or beat almost any written estimate – we are mortgage brokers after all and have access to almost every program imaginable. You would be doing your friend or family member a favor by giving them another lender to compare rates with.

Please call me – or have your friend or family member call me – and I will arrange something convenient so all of the parties can connect by phone. Almost everything is done by fax and email so they won’t even have to go into the office to meet with him (unless they want to)! I send out several loan servicing updates via email to all parties involved throughout the process so you always know where you stand.

Thanks for your time – and your thoughts – and your referrals!

Wendy Hughes-Jelen, mailto:whughes-jelen@eaglehomemortgage.com
Toll free at the office: 1.800.599.1933

Eagle Home Mortgage is licensed to lend in the following states:
AK
AZ
CA
CO
CT
FL
ID
IL
IO
KS
MA
ME
NC
NE
NH
NM
NV
OR
RI
SD
UT
VT
WA

The Family Motoring in the MINI

Welcome to our weekends. The goal? To find as many dog-friendly errands to run as possible. Sophia has a huge denim-covered, down-filled doggy bed on the back seat, with toys and bones strewn about. We installed an after-market arm rest, which I call a "paws rest" for Sophia to put her front feet on between the two front seats. When no one is in the passenger seat she uses it to bound back and forth between the front and the back. Normally you'll find her like this, standing on it, leaning into the curves and keeping her eyes on the road!

On the way to The Wash Dog

Sophia went for a bath on Sunday. She makes a great co-pilot.

Cuddle-pup

Sophia and I cuddle whenever I return home from somewhere. She makes cute little happy noises.

Pearl Arbor

The red cedar arbor was put together this last weekend. This is the grand entry to the new garden space on the south side of the house.

The Eye of the Needle

Yesterday I marched myself into Group Health to get not one - but TWO - shots.

I decided I wanted a flu shot this year because I don't want to get sick before, during, or after our big trip to Italy. I had a flu shot about 15 years ago, and it made me sick. I haven't had one since. Turns out they don't make you sick anymore, they inject you with inactivated cells. So, I'll probably get a flu shot every year from now on! If you haven't gotten one yet this year, there are 3 different strains in the injection so you have less chance of contracting a strain that actually makes you sick.

The other shot was for tetanus and diptheria. Did you know you need these vaccinations every ten years? Neither my doctor or my nurse could believe I had never heard of this and not had any shots since some time as a kid. I've had health insurance most of the time and not a single doctor I have ever been to in the last 15 years has bothered to mention that adults need vaccinations, too. I thought you only needed to get a tetanus shot after you got yourself caught on some rusty barbwire or something. Since the likelihood that I was going to step on some was slim to none, I never thought about it otherwise.

Shortly after this conversation with my doctor in September there was an article about the need for adult vaccinations in the Seattle Times. You can read it for yourself at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002524716&slug=healthadultshots28&date=20050928 It's very enlightening.

You may have noticed it still took me two months to stop making excuses and get myself into the clinic to actually have the vaccinations done. It's not that I am scared of needles - not really. Altho I don't donate blood. My reason? Selfish, I know, but I had so many accidents as a kid, and was hospitalized for all sorts of things from dog bites to horse crashes, that voluntarily sticking a needle into my flesh was not on my list of things to do in my life. I've had lots of surgery, and also stitches, from these escapades, I felt I was exempt from voluntary needle torture.

That's until I started pursuing my own health. It requires frequent blood tests for all sorts of things. I actually have a scar on the inside of my right elbow from where they stick the needle to draw blood. There's only one place on my body they can actually find a vein to get blood out of - otherwise they would probably move the punctures around and I wouldn't have the scar. The most vials of blood taken at one time? Nine. The intern from a local medical college was overwhelmed, it was the most blood she had taken from one person at one time. I bet she is still telling stories about it.

I also started receiving acupuncture in 2004 for my health problems and pain issues. I credit acupuncture, and also massage, for making it possible for me to hold down a job and maintain the quality of life I do. I have a lot less pain, and even got rid of minor annoyances such as night sweats and always being hot. Acupuncture can do a lot for you, too. You can learn more about it by reading at http://www.prevention.com/category/0,5775,s1-1-52-0-0-0,00.html
If you live in the Seattle area and would like to talk to a Licensed Acupuncturist, I can highly recommend my licensed acupuncturist, Kathy Nordgren. Her phone number is 206.933.6087 ext. 19 or email kenordgren@yahoo.com. Her practice is located at Arbor Vitae Natural Medicine. I am sure you will also notice she looks a lot like Helen Hunt!

I'll leave you with this parting thought and bit of advice - don't look at the needle! Whether it's drawing blood, getting an injection, or a long beautiful acupuncture needle meant to make you well...looking at it protruding from your body might well make you cry, or feel sick. Look away and tell yourself how brave you are, and how it's good for you. You can get through this.

The Gardener's Palette

A gardener's dream is coming true. Last March, when we had the cedar fence built, it suddenly created a space that could become an intimate tribute to nature with the right components. Previous grass turf and ancient foundation shrubbery gave way to stripped sod and a spring and summer attempting to amend the soil and garden here. Midway thru the summer, with plants not germinating and weeds proliferating I had an epiphany - this was not going to one of those recycle and reuse projects. It would take YEARS to amend the soil to something that would support plant life other than weeds - I mean, it was clay. Yuck.

I hired a garden designer who took my desire for color and ease and came up with a sketch and plant list. And her first suggestion was to take out 6 inches of soil and put in 8 inches of new top soil.

Ok, that may look like a small gardening space to you, but when you're talking about moving this quantity of soil by hand in wheelbarrows it becomes a hard, sweaty, daunting task. I knew I couldn't do it on my own - and I knew Stephen would murder me if I assigned the task.

I have some very talented, smart, gardening-type friends who lead interesting lives - which include making just enough money to live and having the rest of your time to yourself to pursue your passions, whatever they may be. I don't mind financially supporting this idealogy, and both are very hard workers, native plant stewards, and experienced gardeners. They also had strong backs and were willing to work on the weekends.

So I want to thank Katie Kadwell and Steve Richmond for helping me achieve this dream. And also my husband, Stephen, who was another back and set of legs abused but not broken.

At the front of this photo will be a cedar arbor to match the fence - it is here and waiting to be assembled. The trumpet honey suckle currently draped over the water barrel I have had here and we are relocating so it will climb over the arbor. My dad surprised me with a garden bench as a birthday gift that I just received last weekend - I have an idea for where I am going to put it. And of course Katie wants to come and help me plant the plants - that's the most fun part! After all that sweat and back-breaking work, planting the plants is good closure to such a tough process.

So here it is in all its beautiful glory - about 7 yards of top-grade top soil, with extra steer manure thrown in. You should have seen it steaming as we filled this area in yesterday, in a freakin' rain storm. Steve Richmond remarked how beautiful the dirt was and "if you can't get any plants to grow in THIS stuff...". "there is something wrong with me" I finished for him.

Thanks everyone! This is truly an amazing feat.

Wendy

What do you mean Barbie is not a role model?

My former colleague and friend, Angela Semingson, currently living in Florida, makes a very good point about Barbie and the sort of role model she is for girls. I never really thought of it this way. Here is Angela's message:

*****
Leave it to me to argue, but what do you mean Barbie is not a role model??? She is an astronaut, princess, rodeo queen, mermaid, ski instructor, Miss Plastic America, a business woman, nurse, mother, teacher and the list goes on! Granted, she may not be a true blonde, and her breast size is rediculous for her body size..but she can be the example to young women everywhere that you can do anything you want to do with your life. Be like Barbie! Embrace the pink!

Angela
*****

She would have posted this herself but my blog was previously restricted and you had to be a member to post a comment. I have removed that restriction and anyone can post as part of the conversation. So if you have something to add about Barbie and pinkness, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks for your valuable comments, Angela. And I am glad hurricane season is over so I can stop worrying about you!

Wendy

What's still blooming in fall?

Here are some flowers still in bloom in the planter box in front of the house. Caught this when returning from my morning walk with Sophia.

~ Pink Therapy ~

You will have noticed the color theme of my blog is pink. Not just pink, but PINK. There's a reason for that.

Up until about 9 months ago, I wouldn't be caught dead in pink. I've been told it's a bad color on me, and I've always identified it with "Barbie". And Barbie was not something to look up to or model in any way, shape, or form - or color.

I started working with a hypnotherapist, Lisa Crunick, last February (you can find her web site at www.health-through-hypnosis.com). I started talking to her to see if I wanted to join a diet program. I discovered after going to a group meeting, however, that I didn't have a relationship problem with food. I had a relationship problem with me, my past, and the fact that I am a woman.

After a hypnosis session that ended with "think pink, breath pink", I launched my own self-styled "pink therapy". It started with a pink handbag - of which I get numerous compliments on in public. I now have a whole section of pink clothes in my closet (and they look GOOD on me). I have even have little pink tennis shoes (City Sneaks, Converse knock-offs). Women co-workers see me and think pink themselves. It's been very effective. I now embrace my femininity, from top to bottom. And brush my teeth with Weleda's pink toothpaste twice a day.

I even went out of my way to adopt a female Italian greyhound over a male - so I could have fun putting her in pink, too. (Her name is Sophia and you will hear a lot about her.)

Pink is a soothing color on all levels - physical, mental, and emotional. It can be used to soothe conditions of anger and feelings of neglect. Pink can be used to awaken compassion, love, and purity. It can be used in meditation to discern greater truths. It is comforting to the emotional energies of the individual.

Maybe you can "think pink" and discover a new side to yourself as well. It's been a very good thing for me.

Testing AudioBlog - preparing for Italy!

We managed to catch sunset down at Alki Beach during our walk on November 7. This is a selfportrait shot with my new PPC-6700.

Getting ready for our trip to Italy

We'll be traveling to Italy over the holidays this year, and we've been challenged by finding a way to communicate overseas with our friends at home. Annual newsletters I do, even a monthly newsletter for my job in the mortgage business, but personal blogging on a regular basis is just not something I have ever done. Looks like things are a-changin!

Keep your eyes here for more as it happens...including photos and audio messages from Italy!