dust and the american dream

two recommendations if you are interested in the intersection of the two... namely, how the former ruins the latter...

1) a book: the worst hard time by timothy egan. i'm almost through it. it's about the people who stuck it out during the great american dust bowl. also starring: fdr and the new deal.

2) a documentary: libby, montana. this one about a corporation (w.r. grace) killing a small town via asbestos. also starring the epa, with bit roles by gwb and ronald reagan as secondary villians.

illinois folk

just a couple photos of some residents across the border...

from last weekend's trip to the land which shares its lincoln claim-to-fame with two other states, though it is loathe to admit it. and that is the only grief i will give it in this post... onward and upward!

that little brown dog is only a visitor.

a michigan transplant...

wait a second... this is not an illinois resident... was, but is not...

a friend from high school opening gifts for her son-to-be. illinois residents by about 7 miles...

and that's it for now. tomorrow: the year's annual apple picking, applesauce making, apple pie baking day.

12 week update

okay, so what do you think?

from my perspective, i feel a little pudgy. and, in recent days, a lot less nauseous! now that is a nice concept!

so, those pictures were taken while on a walk in our old neighborhood. we packed up ollie and drove over there because it is such a happy neighborhood in the fall... mums in every yard, pumpkins on every porch. not quite that way yesterday... just a cool and crisp evening which made us nostalgic for that area of town, and fall.
after the walk we drove back home with ollie's leash still on him and him sitting in the back seat. when i got him out, i realized his leash was no longer attached... because he'd spent the 7 minute drive home chewing through it...

ah well. it is only the second such leash to meet this fate way before its time.

an update of pictures

here are some of the photos i have neglected to put up, but have been meaning to. life (i.e. work) has me running around right now, and when i'm not doing that, i'm catching my breath, but one day i will get into the routine, and veralouie will not feel so skinny!

a few photos of a recent(ish) housewarming party. that little masternard puppy, whose brother we chose not to adopt, is now a 90 lb. 6 month old... here, with Ollie, that little brown puppy who remains a little brown puppy... (above: Oliver adjusting to the fall-like temperatures)

by the middle of the day, there were 5, mostly under one year old puppies...

Oliver, after a time, finding refuge...

and later, back at home, worn out...

not that he was the only one...

being smalliver has its advantages...

next up: kentucky for labor day weekend...

our first opportunity to visit since our wedding.

southern spider...

swimming...

baseball...

and that's all for now.
tomorrow is 12 weeks along (approximately), so i will try to get a photo update... but it will probably look just like the first!

this counts

i will update the blog. i will update the blog.
especially because i'm almost another month in and so you'll want to see how not pregnant i still look.
but i feel it-- tired and pukey--without actually following through on those (sleep and etc.)... although that's not true, i am trying to sleep. in fact, that is why i am not really updating right now with pictures and such, because i am trying to take advantage of a potential 9:30 head-to-pillow rest time with a 6 a.m. head-from-pillow wake time, for 8.5 hours of sleep. woot! wish me luck!