They have large, furry and jagged leaves with light green alien like pods.
Almost weed like, they are not asethetically pleasing to the eye, that is....until they bloom.
I have fallen in love with these oriental poppies that were planted by the previoius family, the only owners who built this home from ground up over fifty years ago.
Since we purchased the house in winter, I was unaware of the beautiful flowers planted on the property.
I look forward to watching these bloom each year, for many years to come.
Schnoodles are part poodle and part schnauzer. I love our Schnoodle Maestro. Actually his full name is Maestro Sugarbaby Hecate which is inspired by our love of music, all things cute and the heavy metal genre. It's funny that when you get to know the personality of something that all of a sudden a new nickname starts to stick. We often call Maestro "Pigs" or "Mr. Pigs" because when he gets excited he starts grunting like a pig.
Why I love Schnoodles....
1. They are Soft and Cuddly
Maestro's fur is extremely soft. Since schnoodle's are part poodle, they have more of a hair like texture. Shedding tends to be very minimal to non-existant with this dog. Certain dogs seem to bother my allergies, but since Maestro is part poodle I have not experienced any difficulty. This dog loves to snuggle and sit on laps.
2. They Have Unique Personalities
Though maestro is small at fourteen pounds he is very athletic, maintaining a big dog mentality. He is great with people and other dogs. He has his own unique quirks and is always entertaining to watch. My fiance swears the dog has said "I love you" and "Hello".
3. They are loving and loyal
Maestro will rest his little chin at the sill of our big picture window with his tiny head peeking through the curtains just waiting for us to come home. We do not have a problem with him running out of the yard, because he hates being away from our side. Though schnauzers can have a stubborn streak, we have found maestro to be extremely loyal to follow command while consistenly displaying his gentle character.
I had a week off work for spring break which was absolutely lovely. No set in stone plans were made and I was able to actually relax for a change. I enjoy being alone to simply exist.
The trees are flowering....
It actually felt like spring a few days over break which is sometimes unusual for an Ohio vacation in April. Of course it tried to snow a few of the days, but seeing the sun shine through the trees in the morning was pleasant.
Taking the time to just breath and soak in the beauty of my backyard was refreshing. It is imperative to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and enjoy some of the simple things in life.
I was worried about the lilac bush as it was looking ragged, but the deep purple flowers are coming in nicely. Surprisingly, spring break in Ohio has been wonderful!
The epiphany seemed to come to me quickly, but the
depression, anxiety and emptiness that built up for years seemed to
continually drone. I had tried to
figure out why I could no longer find pleasure for quite some time. First I thought if I went back to
school, spending onwards of $25,000 maybe I could switch careers. Possibly a more fulfilling career with
a higher income would work (to pay of the horrible student loans that would
follow). I then realized I had no
idea what I wanted to go into so I just settled on something, special
education, where there would be job openings. I concluded I may get tired of teaching health and would
need a backup. Once you are a
teacher it is hard to leave the profession, with the time off and good benefits
even if you are unhappy almost each day you enter through the doors of the
school building. I even read,
“What Color is Your Parachute”, to find out that I am an introvert who prefers
to work alone for the most part.
So that weeds out many professions with which I have experience. When searching for a masters program, I
came across speech language pathology and thought hey this is it! Then I realized that to get a Master’s
you need to take post baccalaureate classes, than pay to pass the GRE. Plus, you cannot work when classes are
only offered during the day! It
made no sense to quit working, plus I couldn’t afford it with a mortgage. I spent the summer moping and
depressed. I laid around many of
the days not finding the energy to do things I enjoy. At this point my view on work and money was affecting me mentally, physically
and socially. I had put on 15
pounds since getting my new position as a split day health teacher at a middle
school and high school. I would
come home from work mentally exhausted.
I would spend money just to fill whatever emptiness I was feeling. Instead of cooking a nourishing meal
that would be allergy free I opted to buy packaged foods or eat out. I was slowly loosing myself as my debt
increased. At this point I
realized I was not enjoying life, just going through the motions.
I knew I needed to make a change now, no waiting around any
more. Starting with small tasks I
could track and control seemed reasonable. No credit cards would be used and a budget would be kept on
finances. This helped me to see
where my money was leaking. The
credit card debt is huge because I owe money to corporations who are now
charging me finance fees. It felt
difficult at first and overwhelming, but I am starting to see the light at the
end of the tunnel. I have
connected my consumption of material objects to my decreased happiness. The more I work, the more money I make,
the more I buy and the less I experience real life. If I can get my debts paid off I will not need as much money
to buy material objects. You can’t
take them to the grave.
Next, I needed to let go of the idea that work was going to
get better. I decided that I would
do what I could and if something didn’t get done, it’s not the end of the
world. If a student is going to be
impossible and not do what they are supposed to, too bad. I can’t save everyone and I refuse to
be a martyr. I didn’t go to 5
years of college to martyr myself daily at work.
I have some goals in life. First, to pay off my debt. Next, I really want to get married and start having kids in
about 2 years. Ideally I would
like to work part time and raise my kids. I want to become more self-sufficient
and lead a happier life doing what I enjoy. I know this can be done!
