Hope Charlotte will find a home with you. Italian Greyhounds definitely will not need rough and tumble companions, their legs are too fragile.
Great that you finally make a living again. The real estate market is right now so unproductive. Several people I know in the field also quit that rat race.
That's the side job to have, earn money for what you want right at the job site, enjoy it.

That's a beautiful dog. I post under the name Gabriell,the name of my beloved late cat.My name is actually Charlotte,interesting that is the name of your dog.I hope things work out for you.

I love Muir Woods. I miss the Bay Area so much at times and it's been over 35 years since I lived there.

I'm glad you're pet sitting is working out for you. Making money is good. The artists shop sounds very cool, but there goes the money. LOL.

It sounds like sweet Charlotte has had a rough time. I hope she gets to have her forever home with you. I had the big greyhounds years ago. Sweet dogs.

Not too much happening here. Keeping the home fires burning, with the ac on. LOL. I didn't get to have a garden last year so this year I'm doing containers on the front porch with a bit of hydroponics thrown in for good measure. Getting everything out there set up right is my current project. Seeing who needs water each day and such. It's so great to have fresh basil again. I'm such an Italian food nut and my basil is high on my list of priorities.

MJ..did you used to be Cat Karen or something like that? I'm thinking you are the same person. If so,how will your cats react to Charlotte,a totally beautiful dog.She will be very lucky if you become her new mom,that's for sure.

Me?..doing chemotherapy every week and hanging in there and usually feeling pretty good.I try to keep up all the gardens but this year with all the rain the weeds are as big as me.I'm still active in several organizations and see friends as much as possible these days. I had lunch with Pidge 2 weeks ago..we do that at least twice a year and it was a lot of fun as usual.Digby the miniature poodle and the two cats,Rootie Kazootie and Ferrell keep me hopping as all pets do. Where on earth do they get the energy? DH and I just hang out a lot and don't do much traveling these days,but hopefully in August our family can make our annual trek to the Outer Banks of NC and just swim,sit on the porch and watch the dolphins go by and eat our brains out.My brother is an excellent cook and insists on being the chef which is wonderful. We've been doing this for 30 years and it's pure heaven.I need to get away for at least a week and this is the perfect place to do it. Thanks for starting this thread.

Karen, yes, I know what it is like to live on air and Ramen noodles. Not just as a university student. Congrats on the dog!

Coconut, you hit on two of my favorite things in life, California woods and basil. Be sure to make a pesto dish to share with Jesse.

Houses on stilts. You just described my favorite childhood vacation M. It was Nagshead. The most perfect place with rocking chairs and hammocks next to the kitchen window with smells that come out while the ocean lapped down below. You stepped from the stairs onto the sand. Heaven on earth. Enjoy it tremendously!

I am doing so well right now. I have dug my way out of financial ruin and have been on trips, paid off bills, and have actual savings. Real life savings. It's so wonderful. I was doing next year's budget as we get raises in July and I realized, my landlord may not want to renew the lease in August. There are no guarantees in life. I got to wishing LF and I could move somewhere that was a house all our own. No neighbors upstairs. We love M, but a four year old is something we're not as thrilled with at 6AM on a Saturday morning. Sure enough, J and L are considering adopting another child and the costs are so astronomical they would have to move into my part of the house and rent the upper part. Raising my rent wouldn't work. I can't afford it. So there I was with the real possibility of having higher rent and being farther away. Yesterday, I looked on Craigslist, and there is a house, triple the size of any home we've ever owned for 33% less rent than our current home. They just want someone who can be self-sufficient at taking care of the home. Um, you mean someone who can do plumbing, drywall, replace things? Do you mean someone like me? It's so awesomely wonderful. I am absolutely keeping my fingers crossed. And. And, it's only a mile from where I already live. It's exhorbitant to rent here, so it would literally be a miracle. Win-win for both of us. If she hasn't already dedicated herself to someone else. Crossing fingers, toes, legs, arms, hair, you name it! I hate to move, but we'll all be happy. I think. Except the moving part.

:)

Hi Karen, hope there are many furry things out there needing your sitting skills. I'm sure Charlotte the Greyhound will be lucky to be yours should it so pass. Where far north are you shopping/working?

I've been happily busy here farther north, writing speeches (!), planning some diving, begging the tomatoes to fruit, watching cats stalk bugs, biking around. It's all good.

Ann, it's the Andersonville Galleria, about a block north of Ann Sather's. You would LOVE this place!

Hope life in your neighborhood is good.

Karen

If you do end up with an Italian Greyhound, you're in for a treat. They are wonderful little dogs. We have an Iggy Mix. There is some sort of terrier thrown into his bloodline too. We absolutely adore him, he loves us and tries very hard to please, and whatever you feel like doing, whether it's hiking or being a couch potato, he'll gladly go along with it. Clean, tidy little dogs and super intelligent.

One caveat, however, if you do have cats. They're sighthounds and sometimes are not cat friendly, especially if they have not been raised from puppyhood with cats around. When ours was first rescued, he was not trustworthy around my adult cats. My siamese took up residence behind my computer and only came down when the dog was sleeping, and the big old male tabby also cut him a wide swath after getting nailed once.

He seems to be more tolerant of kittens, but I shall have to give them a lot of time watching his reactions before I ever leave them alone together.

mj, I hope you get the dog of your dreams. What a lucky dog.
What's going on?
I've taken up a new hobby, making terrariums - And as usual with a new hobby, I have a lot to learn, but I'm having a ball doing the research and making it happen.
The best "hint" I've seen to water the plants in a terrarium is to use a "turkey baster". Who knew, not me. Sometimes it takes the small things that makes a difference.

Well, I am still on 32 hrs a week. Love that three day weekend, the check sucks but we are getting by. My mother has been a year in the independent living and well, it is not a 100% success, but I do not worry like I use to and sadly I can see her getting very scatty in her thinking. I also don't think she would be happy no matter where she was so I try not to feel guilty about making her move.

Looks like we will have a wedding in the fall (DS) and an engagement (dd) by the end of the year. Like both of my future children in law very much.

And we have a grand puppy. one of those designer dogs. a torkie part yorkie and part toy fox terrier. when he comes to visit the five cats (all at least twice as big as him) sneer at him, ignore him or swat him when he gets to rambunctious.

Oh yeah, the first %&*%&*$%#@ Japanese beetles have arrived.