We've both been forcing ourselves to get back in the groove of school the past couple weeks. I'm taking two Accounting classes and Jonathan is taking a drawing class. This is the last term for both of us, I keep chanting, "I think I can, I think I can..." It will feel so good to be done!

So, not much is new for us, but Shinobi got a fun treat this week:

I try to keep up on brushing Shinobi's teeth (we pretend it's a game) but I wasn't sure if it was really doing that much good. I have given him rawhide bones in the past, but they didn't do anything except give him an upset tummy. I was reading an article the other day about dog dental health, and a veterinarian shared how his patients' overall health has improved from suggesting the owners feed their dogs raw bones. He said that dog breath is actually a sign of gingivitis and the bacteria from it can affect a lot of areas in dogs' bodies. He also brought up the point that the discomfort that gingivitis causes in the mouth and gums is something so many dogs have to bear their whole lives and it broke my heart! I found out that bones smoked at a low temperature are as beneficial as raw bones (cooked bones can splinter in their stomach, but I didn't want raw meat all over the carpet) and, lucky for me, the butcher shop near my office sells them! I made sure to ask the butcher about the source of them and the process, and he assured me that he gives them to his dog all the time. So I bought one and had them cut it in half, since Shinobi is so little. 

Oh my, he was a very happy boy! I put down a towel for him to eat it on just in case. He went off of the towel once or twice, but then I would say, "Ah ah, on your towel." And he would pick up the bone and walk back to the towel and get back to chewing. He's so smart! I don't know how he picks up on this stuff!?!

The best part though, is that all the stains on his teeth are gone and his breath smells like nothing! I'm amazed how quick his mouth improved. Guess he'll be getting these treats more often.

I can't believe it's been a year since we first met little Sophie! We went to her birthday party this weekend. Thirty adults and a few kids came and there were savory and sweet cupcakes, and cocktails. A very posh first birthday indeed. Even Shinobi was invited! Sophie is already running around on her own and has such a fun personality. Here are a few photos I stole from the birthday girl's father. All the people in them are from our home group, the Thunderwolves.

We also watched a glorious Duck football victory. We're watching the ESPN games via a live stream on ESPN's website so we can keep our basic cable and don't have to go to a sports bar to watch. Genius!

Even though we wear sandals and shorts or skirts most days, it's beginning to be chilly when we take our nightly walk with the dog. It's fun to bundle up again for a stroll with my sweet hubs. Something is so good about walking and talking together in crisp cool air. Jabbering about anything and everything under the sun, and how good the Lord is.

I have completed my table project! The table was (nearly) fun to sand, and I enjoyed the sense of accomplishment and artistry from priming and painting. The chairs on the other hand, well, I got through sanding two of them and decided that I had never liked them in the first place and certainly didn't like them enough to put so much effort into them. You can see in the before photo how complicated they are. So, they can stay for now, but I am going to keep an eye out for a killer deal. Our style is more clean-lined modern with an earthy flair, and I think a lot of different chairs could go with our updated table. The point of this project was to save us money in the long run so that maybe we can avoid the expense of a dining table. I'm amazed how costly they are. I think a good compromise is saving the table and getting different chairs. Especially since I barely spent any of my birthday money on supplies. I'm torn; I don't want to care about appearances very much, but I also want our home to feel home-y. Anyway, on to the before and after photos:

 Shinobi was a good little supervisor for this project.

And our shiny new table with some cheerful sunflowers. I used Olympic's no-VOC semi gloss paint so it will be nice and wipeable, not that we ever spill food... Not bad for a 1980's hand-me-down!

I have been eating steel cut oats for breakfast almost every day for nearly a year. Something about a chilly Autumn morning demands oatmeal. I stumbled upon a way to make batches of steel cut oats the night before instead of having to stand over the stove stirring for half an hour in the morning. Back when this committed relationship began, I was adding brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of flax seeds, a splash of whole milk, and diced apples to the prepared oats. When Winter appeared, I substituted dried cranberries for the apples and omitted the cinnamon. During that time, I discovered how beneficial raw coconut oil is and added a tablespoon or so of that each time to my recipe for some light sweetness and added boost of energy. I was more than ready for the delightful berries and stone fruits that Spring and Summer bring. It started with blueberries, then nectarines and peaches, and I am still enjoying a bounty of strawberries and raspberries as my fresh, in-season fruit of choice. 


When I first purchased steel cut oats, I bought the cute old fashioned tin of McCann's. With how much I liked them, I knew that would get expensive fast. So now I buy them in bulk from Whole Foods at a great price and store them in the cute tin. 


I adore my oat ritual! I have had enough people ask me about my recipe, that I decided I should share it here. 


About an hour or more before going to bed, I prepare the oats. Pre-made oatmeal can last in your fridge for up to a week, but I make enough each time to last me three breakfasts. You need a 4:1 water to oat ratio. For three breakfasts, I boil two cups of water and add a half cup of oats. I add a tablespoon of raw coconut oil while it is boiling. I let it boil for 90 seconds while stirring occasionally. Then I turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. I stir it a couple times while it's cooling. Once it's cool, I put a third into my little glass bowl with a lid that I take to work and put the rest in a larger storage container. When I'm ready to eat it in the morning, I microwave it for 30 seconds, give it a stir, and microwave it another 30 seconds. Then I add my toppings (I love watching the brown sugar melt into the oatmeal and swirl with the milk) and enjoy!

We had a great holiday weekend. Jeff and Julia were in town Saturday through Monday so we spent some time with them. We also got some laboring done: Jonathan started his homework for his new class and I put in some time sanding the table. We also watched some college football. I am very excited that football season is starting again.

On Monday, we got up early and headed to Half Moon Bay to bodyboard with Jeff and Julia. It was ideal weather and the waves were just right. It was nearly impossible to miss one. After we had worked up an appetite, we met our home group plus a few others at a popular fish and chip place and then headed to the beach again. Doesn't get much better than that.