Meet the Characters of My Life: Dolce

Dolce is my 3 year old Yorkie.  I love him like he's my child.  He's been in my household since 2008, when I rescued him from a vet's office where my friend worked.  His original owners brought him in with a broken leg; he'd been run over by a sand-cart.  :( He was too small and his leg was too swollen for the vet to x-ray, so they told the owners it was definitely broken and would likely need surgery.  So they decided it would be best to just put him to sleep, instead of paying for his leg bill.  I mean they'd already spent a lot of money purchasing him; why spend more?!  Horrified, the vet asked them to sign away their rights to Dolce, so they could find him a different (and better) home.  My friend immediately called me, and asked if I wanted to take him home.  She knew that I'd always wanted a Yorkie, and I immediately jumped at the chance.

I'll never forget the day Jason brought him home to me.  He was only 13 weeks old and barely weighed a pound.  I ran out to the car when Jason parked and eagerly peered into the car.  Where is he?  Where is the dog?  Dolce was so tiny that I couldn't see him nestled in a blanket in Jason's lap.  I promised Jason as a condition to getting him, that I would get rid of him if he was your typically annoying small dog.  However, the moment I saw him, I knew that would not be a possibility.

Happily, Dolce has turned out to be one of the best dogs I've ever owned.  He's smart; he sweet, and he's loyal.  He has his daily schedule down to a science, and I swear he understands English.    Dolce is allowed in our bed at 6:30 am and he'll let you know exactly when it's time. He loves to play fetch, especially with a tennis ball; although I'm pretty sure he has to dislocate his jaw to be able to pick it up.  His best friend is lab named Woodrow.  Dolce always pretends to be a real dog when he's with Wood.

So pensive, always thinking about something.

He has terrible allergies and has to take steroid pills to alleviate the incessant itching.  It's caused him to gain some weight lately, so now I call him my Porkie Yorkie.

"Quit taking pictures of me."

He's so patient.  Always lets me get my annual Santa Paws picture of him.

Honestly, I could go on, and on, and on about how much I love Dolce, but I won't.  I'll just wrap up by saying he helps keep me sane.  I love that he sits in my office while I study, and that he tells me when it's time to go to bed.  I love that he knows what time I come home, and that he always greets me at the stairs.  I love that he chases squirrels, and thinks that he's a guard dog.  I love that he loves the lake as much as Jason and I do. I love that he's my dog.

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

One of my favorite Sunday school songs.

When I left class night, there was the most beautiful sunset that I've seen in Dallas for a while.  I immediately ran home and grabbed my camera.

There's just something about a beautiful sunset that makes everything seem right in the world.

Or maybe I was just excited because it was actually daylight when I left class, instead of pitch black and freezing like it's been for the last several montsh.

And maybe it's just because I like things that are pretty.

Regardless it was a great way to end my week of classes.  And today is proving nothing short of spectacular as well.  The sun is out; the birds are shining, and I'm studying income tax with the doors and windows open (which in case you're wondering is the best way to study income tax).

Happy Friday All!

If it's the "Eye of the Tiger", it's definitely finals time.

Here's something you probably didn't know about law school- "finals" start about a month before finals actually start.  So I've officially unofficially been in finals mode since I got back from Gruene.  That means very little sleep, abnormal meals, and a messier than normal apartment.  I'm pretty lucky to have Jason keeping me, the dog, and himself sane while I run the finals gamut, but I do get pretty worn down.  I also made the ridiculous decision to give up coffee for Lent.  So I don't even have my daily (... alright 4x daily) caffeine fix.  I'm doing better without the coffee now.  It took about a week and a half before I could go an entire day without a pounding headache.  Yes, I was that addicted to coffee.

So where does the "Eye of the Tiger" fit in?  Well here's an embarrassing admission: I always listen to that song to get me  motivated.  It's pretty much on repeat for the "month" of finals.  The really embarrassing part is that there's usually some sort of dance routine involved, but only Dolce and Jason will ever have the privilege (misfortune?) of watching that spectacle.

Happy Listening!

Gruene, Texas: "Gently resisting change since 1872."

Have you ever seen the movie Four Christmases?  The one where Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn spend a "fun filled" day racing from Christmas celebration to Christmas celebration?  Well that's pretty much how Jason and I spend our Christmas vacation.  A couple of years ago though, his mom decided it was time to change that.

So instead of seeing her for a brief afternoon at Christmas time, we now spend an entire weekend together at various trips we take around Texas.  This year, we decided on Gruene, Texas and to attend Jerry Jeff Walker's Annual Birthday Bash.  So I spent last weekend in an adorable 100 year old farmhouse bed and breakfast and spent the weekend wining, dining, listening to good music, and enjoying a healthy dose of washers.  And in the event you are unfortunate enough to have never played washers, I recommend looking it up and giving it a try.  

For a family with a definite lack of children, spending a weekend together has been such a welcome change from the hectic Christmas schedule.  And, if you're looking for a weekend to get away from it all, I highly recommend you check out Gruene.  I hadn't been there since I was in high school...think floating the river and honky tonks, and I definitely enjoyed it more as an adult.

                                              

The old man with the ice cream cone makes my heart happy.

Texas' Oldest Dancehall.  Built in 1878.

Yep, we stayed here.

Yeah, I love that Sangria wine, when I'm drinking with old friend of mine.--JJW

Hope I'm still that much alive in my 60's

And that's the truth.

A couple of weeks ago, I took a friend of mine from Ohio back home to the lake  for the weekend.  We took the usual backroads to get there, and after exiting one of the many small towns on our way, she told us she felt like she was in a foreign county or an old Western.  I didn't understand it then, but looking through these pictures, I do.  And that's why I love the Texas Hill Country.

Many thanks!

to Sarah over at Sarah Wandering for sharing my version of the painted rug on her blog!  She was my inspiration and motivator for painting the rug in the first place, and I'm so glad she liked my results!  Head over to her blog and check out all of the other great things she posts and paints!

Thanks again!!