I wonder, is that anything like searching for my next husband while Cliff is still alive? That won't happen, by the way. Once you've had the best, you won't settle for less.
Iris is still alive and healthy. Why am I researching all these various breeds of dogs?
My dog is a world-class champion hair-shedder, even worse than her predecessor, Sadie. I have vowed to never again have a dog that sheds. Iris is old; she may live another 10 years, but she is no spring chicken, and I want to be prepared.
Cliff would love it if I could live without a dog, but that would be SO hard for me. His second choice would be to have an outside dog. I would be fine with that, except for the highway that isn't so far from our house. You know, the highway where my dog Mandy was killed?
So I am researching the non-shedding dog breeds.
Poodles don't shed, but I've had one in the past. They're smart, but they don't fit my personality.
So why on earth would I be considering a Maltese? It's one of the most prissy, foo-foo-type dogs in the world.
Sorta looks like something Liz Taylor would have as a pet, right? Can you see me with this dog on my lap? Can you imagine this dog going out to the pasture with me to fetch the cows? I know, it doesn't seem like a good fit.
But you see, I once met a Maltese in Texas. He didn't look like the above picture. He was cute, he was smart... and he SINGS!
That's right. When his mama plays piano, he sings. He doesn't shed! Yes, he has to be taken to the groomer's every few weeks or he'll look like that other picture, but I like him. Apparently, all the non-shedding breeds have to be clipped from time to time. From what I've seen on the Internet, Maltese dogs don't come cheap, so let's hope I can afford one if and when the time comes.
Please don't tell Iris about this blog post, OK? She has a home here for the rest of her life, but she won't live forever. Yes, at my age I do realize that I'm liable to die before she does. Whatever.
If I outlive Iris, I want a female Maltese (I will have her spayed, of course). I already have her name picked out:
Frankie.
And yes, I WILL be taking her to a groomer and getting her shorn regularly.
The older I get, the less I mind being overweight. Of course, this is not as it should be, because the older we are, the more we benefit from keeping our weight at a healthy level. I heard last night on the news that one-third of Americans have type-two diabetes. It's a wonder I'm not in that number, since my mother was diabetic in her later years, but so far, so good.
The thing that really motivates me to get back to preparing the kind of meals that we should be eating around here is the memory of Cliff's four-way bypass seven years ago. If I don't eat right, neither does he. Do you realize what a burden that puts on me? But actually it's a good thing, because I need the healthful regimen too.
So as always happens after the two-month-long holiday gluttony that starts with Halloween and ends with New Year's Day (or in some years, the Superbowl... and then there's Valentine's Day), we're back on track. I'm using SparkPeople.com again, which means I'm entering every bite of food I eat into the calculator there and finding out just how many calories I'm taking in.
It's a wonder I don't weigh five hundred pounds, and that's with me eating the right stuff!
Cliff and I both have problems with portion control, especially when we eat out. The truth is, nobody who intends to lose weight should be eating out more than once a month to start with. I wouldn't have any problem with that if it weren't for Pizza Hut, especially the one at Higginsville. And Olive Garden, and the Mexican place at Lexington. But a lot of the allure of eating out is just the fact I don't have to cook it and clean up afterward. Now we're back to the occasional six-inch Subway sandwich if I want to get out of cooking.
Yes, it is possible to make wise choices when eating away from home. But if I'm going to pay anywhere from $7 to $25 for a single meal, I really don't want to graze at the salad bar. I can fix a salad at home.
If you can read between the lines at all, you can tell I don't want to do this. I want to get a chocolate dip-cone every time we pass a McDonald's. I want to bake an apple pie and fry that catfish that's in the freezer. But once more I'll make an effort at this, for about the hundredth time in my life, and hope it sticks. At least I have a lot of the right kind of recipes in my other blog.
The good thing is, we've never stopped taking our daily walk.
