A Cocktail and a Conversation: Thanksgiving Edition

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Seriously. Some of us had kids. We have great partners. Some of us got new jobs. We got new houses. We're graduating. We're healthy.

But of course we are thankful for all of that!

So this year at Broke and Bookish, we decided to break with tradition and divulge our silliest, most off the wall things that we are thankful for.

Bridget says: I am thankful that we will be on Long Island for Thanksgiving this year, which means I will get to partake in real pizza, which my life is currently lacking. (No, we don’t eat pizza FOR Thanksgiving. But I wouldn’t complain if we did.)

Daisy says: I'm thankful for Zoey the Zebra, a toy that endlessly entertains my daughter and makes her dance, which is the best thing ever. I'm also thankful for the existence of sushi, since I can eat it again now.

Julia says: I am thankful over the air digital receivers so that I will be able to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while not having cable. Also for free XM for the weekend so while I am driving around Ohio to hit up all the family gatherings, it will be with a great variety of music.

Jana says: I’m so thankful for cozy blankets because they make me unbelievably happy. If I’m sad or not feeling well, I curl up with one. I love being surrounded by soft things, so I own way too many blankets.

Lori says: I am so thankful for hot toddies. Bourbon. Little bit of honey. A hot drink on a cold night. I think the citrus will help prevent me from getting scurvy this winter. And I'm thankful for fuzzy socks. I could live in them!

Kimberly says: I'm grateful to have a dog to help clean up the floors after my nieces and nephews have picked through their Thanksgiving meal.


What off the wall things are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Rules for Life

Having recently marked the occasion of my birthday, I began contemplating what all I've learned and what all I've concluded during my years.  I shot for thirty, one rule for each year.

Here's what all I came up with:

1. Always keep a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge for celebrations, like Thursdays.
2. Even the inexpensive champagne can be quite good.
3. By all means, reduce your intake of carbs, but never give up on them.
4. Add a little half and half or cream before scrambling eggs.
5. Sometimes the best meals are for one.
6. Invest in boots, purses, gloves, olive oil, books, jewelry, coffee, planners, notebooks, knives, and your laptop.
7. Even savasana can be a rigorous practice.
8. Baked goods are perfect for winning over the hearts of children.
9. Otherwise, baking is largely overrated.
10. Cooking well, even just one dish, can garner admiration.
11. Bar stools make great places for thinking and writing, plus you get better service.
12. Find a local liquor store and make friends with the workers.
13. Buy toilet paper in bulk--you won't not use it.
14. Pack light, but always bring an extra book or two.
15. Buy multiple copies of your favorite books.
16. Re-read old favorites, even if you only read part--it's good for the soul.
17. Don't be afraid to say goodbye. If someone was meant to be in your life, they won't hold it against you and will welcome you fondly.
18. That said, apologize if you need to.
19. Conversely, don't give someone too many chances.
20. Throw things away.
21. Don't spend much on sunglasses.
22. Don't smile if you don't want to.
23. Try to be good. If that fails, try to limit your damages.
24. Always keep a corkscrew in your travel kit (but check TSA if flying).
25. Keep those little NCIS flashlights scattered throughout your house.
26. Get yourself presents for the holidays too--from you, to you--and to hell with anyone who snarks at you for it.
27. It's OK to disengage from being social at any time.
28. Never let your birthday plans depend upon someone else coming through.
29. If it's not working, try pivoting a few times. But know when to pull the plug.
30. There are always exceptions and exceptions to exceptions and so on.


What rules for life have you come up with?

Cocktail and Conversation

It's time for another Cocktail and Conversation with the Broke and Bookish ladies!

This week we're talking about fall:

What are you most looking forward to as we head into fall?

Bridget says:  I am sooo looking forward to opening the windows, lighting candles (Yankee Candle Kitchen Spice or bust), wearing boots and sweaters and jeggings, offices being a reasonable temperature instead of feeling like a refrigerator, the leaves changing, finally having an excuse to wear tights with my dresses, less humidity aka less frizziness...I could go on!!

Jana says:  I love the cool, crisp weather that makes sweaters so cozy! Pumpkin bread from my favorite local bakery. Drives up the canyon to see the leaves change colors. I love the atmosphere of the excitement surrounding Halloween and the spooky novels I read around that time. And I loooove Thanksgiving! 

Lauren says:  I'm looking forward to the weather cooling down and not freaking out every other day. I'm ready to sit on the swing outside to read without sweating to death. Oh yeah... and new book releases of course. :)

Lori says:  I can't narrow it down!  I've started missing my boots and scarves.  I will always be a summer girl, but I do love those clothes.  College football, for sure.  I love waking up on a Saturday and knowing my entire day is already full of the games.  It doesn't even matter who is playing--it's just fun to watch.  Lastly, the endless supply of chili that goes with the endless supply of college football.  I have an awesome recipe.



What are you looking forward to with fall?

Cocktail and Conversation

It's been a couple of weeks since our last edition of Cocktail and Conversation.  Pour yourself a drink, pull up a chair, and let's chat.

This week's question:  What is your favorite room/spot at home? (Not just for reading, but generally)


Lori says:  I love our back porch.  My boyfriend and I sit outside on the back porch for hours, just chilling and having a couple of beverages.  I also love doing yoga, eating, and reading out there.  I bought a lot of plants and flowers to cover the porch this spring, which makes it just lovely.


Jana says:  My favorite spot in my house is my bedroom. I just re-did the entire thing last summer, so I've got a book nook and tons of bookshelves, a really comfy chair with throw pillows and soft blankets, and a cute little lamp that puts off the coziest warm light. I love spending my time reading there or watching my favorite old movies.

What about you?  What's your favorite spot in your home?

A Cocktail and a Conversation

It's time for another cocktail and conversation with the Broke and Bookish ladies!  Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join in the conversation...

This week's question:  What ritual or act helps you feel pulled together?

Jana says:  That's hard because I never really feel pulled together! Haha. My answer would have to be straightening my hair. I've got super curly hair that feels majorly out of control most of the time if I let it go wild, so if taking the 30 minutes to straighten it each day makes me feel much more in control and confident. And that's not to say I don't love going curly here and there, I just love the feel of silky smooth hair I can run my fingers through!

Lori says:  As superficial as it sounds, I feel put together when I put on mascara and moisturizer and my jewelry.  Bonus points for myself if the bed gets made.  :)  If everything else is going to shit, I feel less bad and more human when I do those two (or three) things.

Kimberly says:  Putting on eyeliner and straightening or curling my hair are pretty much guaranteed to make me feel put together and capable of being a functioning human. It's not much, but sometimes it's all I need.

Lauren says:  I'll be completely honest here... putting on my bra. Yup. I don't go anywhere without it on and usually even wear it around my house  even if we don't have company over. And bare feet! Of course I always have shoes on when I leave the house. (I may be from Kentucky, but we aren't always barefoot. Haha.) But I still have to have socks or flip flops on if we have company. I guess I feel exposed or something. I don't know. So I guess this girl has to have things covered up or the day is ruined! Haha. :)

Julia says:  I guess I feel put together when I leave the house in not a t-shirt and jeans and I actually feel like I could pass for being somewhat fashion relevant. I've been trying to do it more lately in case I have surprise meetings with CIOs of major US Healthcare providers and don't end up wearing my dinosaur hoodie again.


What about you?

Recipe--Breakfast Stuffed Green Peppers

I love cooking.  So much.  I'm at the point where I like to do some meal prep on a Sunday and be pretty well set for breakfast and/or lunch for most of the rest of the week.  It just makes my life easier.  I know I'm getting good food with little repeat effort, so I'm less tempted to eat crappy food.  This week I decided to make stuffed green peppers with a bit of a breakfast hint.  My plan is to get four meals out of this recipe, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients
2 Bell Peppers
1/2 lb Ground Beef
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chili Powder, to taste
Garlic Powder, to taste
Onion Powder, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Onion (I used about an 1/8 of an onion, but whatever)
3.5 oz can Green Chiles
Salsa
Hashbrowns  (I used sparingly, like 1/4 cup, because I'm cutting carbs--you do you)
Grated Cheese  (I used cheddar, but whatever would be good)
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 Tb Flour

Cut the tops off of the bell peppers.  Set the tops aside.  Remove the seeds and whatnot.

Boil the peppers in water for 5 minutes.  Drain.

Meanwhile, dice up the tops of the peppers and the onion.

This might not be a bad time to start the oven.  350 degrees.

Cook up the ground beef.  Add your seasonings.  Add your pepper tops and onion.  Cook until they look good.

If your hashbrowns need any pre-browning (see package for directions), now would be the time to do that.  After cooking, if needed, add to the meat and veggies.

Add your green chiles.  Add your salsa.  (I think you could totally use Rotel, but I had fresh, homemade salsa that I wanted to use OR jalapeños would be a nice addition--the key is use what you like and/or what you have on hand)  Add your grated cheese.  I used approximately a shit-ton of cheddar because I like cheese.

Spray a loaf pan with Pam and put the peppers side by side.

Spoon the mixture in.  If you have extra, just put it in the pan around the peppers.  It's a tasty little bonus.  :)

Mix the milk, eggs, and flour in a separate cup or measuring cup or other receptacle.  Pour on top of the stuffed peppers.  If you added any extra stuffing to the pan, pour a little there too.

OK.  Now...the baking time was where I hit some issues.  I baked covered in aluminum at 350* for 30 minutes.  But the eggs were not done, so I wound up uncovering and adding 10 minute increments for another 30 minutes.  So maybe don't cover them?  Using this as a guideline, just cook them until the egg is set.

Then you can add more cheese on top.  Or not.

Eat up!  Add more salsa or hot sauce or avocado or whatever.

I ate half of one for supper.  My plan is to eat a half at a time throughout the week.  They're nice and savory, so you don't feel limited to eating them at breakfast, which I like.  Especially because I'm more of an eat in the late morning kind of person.


I love tweaking recipes, so if you try any variations, I would love to hear how they work!

A Cocktail and Conversation

This week's question:  What is you favorite thing to cook and why?

Bridget said:  Probably my mother-in-law's macaroni and cheese recipe!! So easy and so delicious. Perfect for potlucks and picnics!

Kimberly said:  I'm not sure if it can be called a recipe, but I love making pasta salad. It's pretty simple, but so so yummy! It's perfect this time of year too, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, pepperoni and cheese with Italian dressing.

Lori said:  I love experimenting with pasta, but in the interest of something different--my favorite meal to make is fried chicken, fried potatoes, and corn bread.  I love the amount of time it takes to make the whole meal.  And my fried chicken recipe is just damn good.  :)

Jana said:  I love this chicken!  Sooooo good! I use a glass dish for baking instead of the foil, and it's crunchy and amazing.


What about you?

Cocktail & Conversation

Pour yourself a drink and pull up a seat!  This week's question for the Broke and Bookish Ladies is:

Water park or amusement park? Why?


Bridget says:  Amusement park! I hate being all wet and squishy walking around the park. Plus I always just feel slimy with all that gross water, and awkward walking around in a bathing suit all day. Gimme a roller coaster over a water slide any day!

Jana says:  Amusement park! I'm with Bridget, I hate being wet all day and walking around in a swimsuit. I also fry and end up looking like a lobster after 30 minutes. I love roller coasters and other rides, though, and I've spent many summer days hanging out at various amusement parks. So many memories!

Lauren says:  I choose... both! For now I'd rather go to an amusement park because I am on my weight loss journey and I don't quite feel comfortable wearing swimwear yet. Plus I LOVE roller coasters!

Julia says:  I enjoy both water parks and amusement parks, but I usually go to amusement parks over water parks if I am looking for a vacation or a break. In fact I am heading out to one today to ride all of the roller coasters! Let's hope for good weather.

Lori says:  WATER PARKS!!!!!  I love chillin' in the lazy river (although kids have NO CHILL and constantly bump into my tube), but I also love riding the water rides.  I like being able to be outside, getting some sun, and staying cool at the same time.  Where's my fruity umbrella drink?  :)

Kimberly says:  I really like both, but I feel like I get bored with water parks faster. It could be because the only actual water park I've been to is Lagoon here in Utah. It's fun, but once you've done a few of the slides you've done it all. But I do love amusement parks! It's something I've missed this summer being pregnant, I could go walk around but I'd have to skip all the rides and who wants to do that?



Your turn!  Water park or amusement park?

Cocktail and Conversation with the Broke and Bookish Ladies

It's been a while since we've done a Q&A post, so we decided to give it a shot.  This week's question is:

What do you miss most about being a kid during summer break?

Kimberly says:  I miss summer days with my Grandpa. I spent a lot of time with him as a kid. I remember very distinctly the smell and feel of mornings at his house. (Freshly brewed coffee. ) We'd go on adventures and do crafts. It was paradise for a kid!

Jana says:  I miss how valuable and precious summer used to be to me as a kid. School was out, and I had a few months of freedom. The sky wasn't even my limit, and I loved living every summer day like it was a gift I was given. :)

Jamie says:  I miss endless pool days with my sister, eating ice pops all day long, bare feet, the ice cream truck coming around after dinner....I just really miss not having any structure. My sister and I had so much fun during summer break -- from playing games we made up when we were little to sunning ourselves and reading by the pool when we got a bit older.

Lori says:  I miss how the summer just seemed endless.  Each day seemed like an opportunity for something huge and exciting to happen.  I also miss the summer reading program at the library.  (Why don't they have those for adults?!)  I miss going to the pool all day and not having to worry about the tab I was running up at the snack shack.  Basically, I miss the freedom to just do.

Bridget says:  I miss not hating the heat! I used to live for summer, like a lot of kids, but now I hate it. This could be due to the fact that I live far more south than I did when I was growing up (grew up in New York, currently live in North Carolina) and the heat here is just unbearable. I truly miss looking forward to summer rather than dreading it! Give me crisp fall weather any day and gtfo with your heat and humidity!

Daisy says:  I miss having the whole summer off and just getting to spend it having fun and being lazy! No responsibilities and not having to figure out what to have for dinner or actually make said dinner. All those endless days in the sun, swimming and reading piles of books were amazing!

Lauren says:  I miss hanging out with my grandparents and following them around all day. I miss running through the sunflowers that were taller than me, chasing butterflies, picking up baby birds that have fallen out of their nest and putting them back. Out of all of the memories I can sweep up, I miss sitting on the swing with my grandma. We'd talk about anything and everything, or we'd just swing and enjoy the country life. Oh... and I miss running around barefoot. :)

Julia says:  Reading all your answers. I agree with with them all. I'm so nostalgic for summer!

There you have it...What do you miss about being a kid during the summer?

Lori and Yoga with Adriene

Behind the scenes at The Broke and the Bookish, we've been talking about making some changes, by way of writing posts about other things of interest to us.  This is one of those posts.

Since I was a teenager, I've been interested in yoga as a physical and mental exercise.  I've never gotten into meditation, but I love being in my head, in the zone, while I'm practicing.  For a period of time, I was able to go to classes a few times a week.  Then life throws you some curveballs.  That's OK.  We live in a wonderful age in which you can find just about everything you are looking for on the internet.

That's how I found Yoga with Adriene.

It was just over two years ago, shortly after my beloved papa passed away.  I was living with my parents, working retail, trying to figure out what to do with my life.  I wanted to do some yoga, so I did a search for "yoga challenge" or something like that.  The results took me to a YouTube channel--Adriene's.  I started a tentative practice with her videos.  She had recently done a 30 days of yoga for the month of January, which is what I began with.  But she posts new videos every week throughout the year.  Beyond that, she has a members only site through VHX that has a lot of members only content.  It's a great resource.

I've practiced yoga with Adriene on and off since then.  Honestly, more off than on.  Especially lately.  Time--both finding it and making it--has been a major issue.  There's that impulse of if you're going to do something, do it in a big way.  At least that's my impulse.  But that's really not how yoga works.  And that's definitely not how Yoga with Adriene works.  Her tagline is "Find What Feels Good."  Sometimes, occasionally (but not so much for me at home), it works to do that hour long practice--and Adriene has plenty of those.  More often, though, the shorter practices fit better.  That's traditionally where I thrive.

Like I said, I have been more off with the practicing of yoga lately.  As in for the past over a year.  Not much yoga-ing going on.  And I've been feeling like shit the past few months in particular.  Bad moods.  Bad eating habits.  Bad energy level.  Bad everything.  Yoga has been on my mind quite a lot over the past couple of weeks, kind of like the window that's open despite all of the closed doors.

This morning I decided to take a bite.  I logged onto the VHX site for the first time in I don't know how long and began looking around.  There were longer practices to be sure.  But I fought the impulse to attempt to commit to 35 minutes, when I was pretty sure I'd peter out, frustrated and full of self-loathing, after about 15.  I found a set of videos that were flow yoga videos.  Most of Adriene's videos are flow videos, but these were top videos dedicated to flow.  I found one that I had done before and really liked.  It was 18 minutes.  Perfect.  The video is available on YouTube and I've provided a link below for those interested.

I rolled out my yoga mat, sipped some cold water to clear my mind, and hit play.  Sigh.  I am so glad I did.  The practice was short and compact and it had everything.  Funnily enough, the other day I was trying to remember the shoulder/elbow/arm roll she does in this video, but I didn't remember that it was in this video.  Perfect serendipity.

Anyway, now I'm off the mat.  My attitude feels better.  The tightness between my shoulders feels better.  I feel better in this moment.  I plan on going back to the mat to do this video tomorrow and for a few days after that, in the hopes of getting back to something I truly love and know makes a difference for me.  I don't know how many days in a row I'll do this video in particular or yoga in general, but I hope it's a good stretch.

If I can remember that that short, 20 minute practice is enough, maybe I can remember that I am enough.



Note--I was in no way compensated for this post.  I was not approached by anybody about writing this post.  I simply had a great yoga session today and wanted to share some thoughts.

A Gilmore Revival Marathon

Unless you live under a rock, you surely know what today is.  :)  When news of the impending revival was released, it went like wildfire through many a friendship circle.  My very good friend and I decided to watch it together.  In true Gilmore fashion, we planned our food.  I added food to it (I'm getting to double dip a bit because my boyfriend's family is coming into town later today and I needed to cook for them anyway).  I decided to write a post about it and update it as we watched or until I got too drunk to continue updating it.  This post will include food eaten, books referenced, and NO SPOILERS!  It will likely hold general impressions, like "After this episode, I was left feeling..."  But DO NOT WORRY about me blowing major plot points.  If you are commenting, I ask that you kindly do the same.

The revival experience began last night.  My friend met my boyfriend and I at my uncle's house for some post Thanksgiving meal drinking.  We ran to a grocery store on the way back to my house for her portion of the food.  We watched some football.  I continued drinking.  Then my lovely boyfriend said he would excuse himself so we could watch a couple of episodes.  We each picked our favorite episode.  I chose season one's "Love and War and Snow," while she picked "They Shoot Gilmores, Don't They" from season three.  Then we watched the finale.  We wrapped it up around 1:00am.  The new episodes wouldn't drop until 3:00, so we decided to go to bed for a while and wake up at 7:00.  I'm up.  I got me some water and some allergy meds.  I'm ready to go!  

The last time we saw Lorelai, Rory, and the gang, I was just finishing up my freshman year of college.  I totally felt Rory's sense of "OK, now what do I do?"  However, during the entire run of the show, I felt like I could relate way more to Lorelai.  The daughter who had to do things the hard way.  Anyway, I finished college, went to grad school, took a year off, and started law school (currently in my second year).  From what I've seen of the previews for the revival episodes, Rory's is feeling completely adrift--it looks like she's between jobs, not in a relationship, feeling rootless, like she's just marking time.  I TOTALLY GET THAT!  I always thought that by now I'd be way more settled down and rooted.  So, it's odd, but maybe in this revival, I'll relate more to Rory.  We shall see.

OK.  So, my friend, Kelly, is up.  Finally.  We're about to get started.  I'm still not ready for food.  But I have an awesome looking breakfast casserole waiting for me.  

Let's get started!


Episode 1

It was weird seeing everyone again after so long!  But it also felt like coming home again, in a way.  The first episode is "Winter."

Books Referenced:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Leaves of Grass
On the Road
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Not as many books as I would have thought!  But these are good ones.

Food consumed:
Powdered Donuts
Coffee
Breakfast Casserole

It took a while before I was awake enough to eat food, but I managed to scarf down some donuts.  Then I moved onto the breakfast casserole.  Super yummy!  I highly recommend the recipe.

We've both expressed some level of disappointment that now the revival is 25% over.

Quick bathroom break, then onto the next episode!



Episode 2

"Spring"  Ah!  This episode!  This is what I was talking about!  I love how it's all coming together.  And now we're sad that it's half over.

Books Referenced:
Shakespeare
Aeschylus
Death of a Salesman
Edith Wharton
Fiddler on the Rood
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Art of War
Dorothy Parker
David Foster Wallace
Cloud Atlas

So many more books this episode!  And I love the authors.  This is shaping up to be a pretty good reading list.  :)

Food Consumed:
More breakfast casserole.
More coffee.
More powdered donuts.
And we broke into the pie and ice cream.  :)


I guess we are on to summer!


Episode 3

Books Referenced:
Wild
Anna Karenina
Games of Thrones
The Godfather
Edward Albie/Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nora Ephron/I Feel Bad about My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman


Food Eaten:
Frozen pizza.  :)

The plot thickens!


Episode 4

Books Referenced:
Wild
Eat Pray Love
Macbeth
The Raven
Picture of Dorian Gray
David Mamet
Little House in the Big Woods
True Grit
Alice in Wonderland

Food Eaten:
Not much.  But I did make a pot of chili.

Ummmm...wtf?!  We're definitely going to need some more episodes!


Overall, I think there was a pretty good reading list to be gleaned from the episodes.  But there weren't as many books as I would have liked.  Nor did they reference some really good recent picks.  I was kind of surprised by how many classics were mentioned.

I'll have to watch the episodes again to see how many books I missed!

How to buy happiness (that isn't a book)

October is National Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. In an effort to help spread awareness and encourage everyone to consider adoption first, I (Kimberly) thought I'd share my own shelter dog story. Promise you're going to love it!

I grew up with dogs, so did my husband. It wasn't even a question of if, but WHEN we would adopt a dog. We had only been married for a couple months when I started looking online at local rescues. We weren't picky about what we wanted. Just something that would be a good fit for our townhome and our full time schedules. (Smallish, not a puppy)

After a few unsuccessful adoption fairs we decided to check out the Humane Society of Utah. Before we drove out there we looked at their website to see who was available for adoption. The only one that stood out was Copper. He looked cute in his picture, was described as friendly and great with pets and kids.

When we got to HSU we asked about him first. That "small, sweet dog"? Over 50 pounds, difficult to control, completely uninterested in us, only wanted to bark at everything that moved. While I'm sure he was the perfect fit for someone else, he would have been miserable with us. (We have a small backyard. He was known to scale fences over 6ft.)

So we went back to prowling the isles.

Top: The day after we adopted her
Bottom: One year later.
So much healthier

I walked past a kennel that I at first thought was empty, I quickly backtracked when I realized there was a small dog sitting in the back. When I stopped by the door she stood up and walked up next to the door. She had a small, barely healed sore on her nose. She was silent. Every kennel around me was practically vibrating with its occupants' enthusiastic greetings.

I opened the door and crouched down, ready to catch her if she ran out. Instead, she walked directly to me and put her paw on my knee.

Just like that, I fell in love. I knew at that moment I wanted her to be ours. I picked her up and she immediately curled into me, cuddling close. Still, I was nervous. What if she was aggressive around other animals? Or other people? We grabbed a leash and took her outside to play.

She was perfect. She walked right next to me, every few seconds she'd glance back, as if she was checking to see if we were still there. When we got to the enclosed dog run we took her off her leash to play. Instead of charging the fence to bark at the other dogs, she ran right back to us. If we knelt, she'd roll on her back for belly rubs. She completely ignored the ball. I picked her up again and just like before, she cuddled into me.


I looked directly at my husband, "She's ours."

"Are you sur--"

I plopped her into his arms and she curled into him, just as she had done with me.

"Oh."

Then I watched him fall in love.

That was it. She was ours.

We walked her back into the lobby and I went right up to the desk and told them we wanted to adopt her. They told us what little history they knew about her. She was 7 months old, had been at HSU for two weeks. Before that she'd been in a shelter in California for over a month. She'd spent almost half of her short life in a kennel.


The adoption process was easier, but also more complicated than I had imagined. We had an interview as well as a contract, promising that we would treat her right. The questions ranged from "do you know how to train a dog" to "No scientific experiments". Apparently we passed and didn't come across as animal abusers because about an hour later we were walking out the door, a family of three.

 

Left: At the shelter Right: First night at home

On the way home she got a new name. In the shelter she'd been called "Annie". She didn't respond to it, and we already had an Aunt Annie and a family friend's dog was also called Annie. So, in the spirit of one of my other favorite orphans, she became Cordelia. (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?)

We stopped at on our way home and bought all the essentials. Dog dishes, food, treats, a collar, leash, puppy packet, dog shampoo, blanket, dog bed... (You're welcome, Petsmart).

That night we bathed her, fed her, and fixed up the kennel so she'd be comfy overnight. We had no sooner closed the door on the crate when  she started to freak out. Whining, scratching, shoving her nose into the wires on the doors. We pulled her out as quickly as we could. The sore on her nose had reopened and was bleeding. (Which explained what had happened in the first place.)

Instead we put her on the bed. She immediately settled down and went to sleep. She has slept there every night since.

The next several months we learned a lot.

Some of the damage.
We were planning on tiling
this anyway...

First, she was actually a pure bred Jack Russell Terrier, instead of the Chihuahua mix the shelter had told us she was. (We weren't picky about breed!)

She had horrible separation anxiety. RIP blinds, carpet, and shoes...


She didn't know how to play. We had to teach her. She quickly discovered that her favorite toy is a squeaky ball

She had issues with food. She would cower if we startled her and we wouldn't be able to get her to eat again for several hours.

She loves anything soft. I guess after spending so much time sleeping on a hard floor in a shelter she has to make up for lost time.

She rarely makes a sound, but will give a short howl of excitement when we get home.

She is very protective of anyone she has deemed to be "hers". Us, my nieces and nephews, my neighbor... She once chased a much larger dog off the block because he was too close to the little girl next door. (Cordelia is a whopping 11 pounds, this other dog was around 40.)

She no longer knocks over the trashcan when we leave it out, instead, she picks what she wants out of the top. 

This is what I saw for a
straight 48 hours when
I was really sick.
Always so concerned.

She is the laziest Jack Russell I've ever seen. She'll sleep past 10am if you let her, and is done for the day by 8pm.

She loves people, and I love seeing her charm even the grumpiest of people.


We worked through our problems and learned how to make her the happiest we could. In return, she has been one of the best parts of our lives. 

If you actually read this, you deserve a cookie. Have you ever adopted a pet? What's YOUR story? Please share in the comments below! I've included some links to help you find your own rescue baby.

The Humane Society of Utah
American Humane

Pet Finder

Adopt A Pet
Best Friends