She makes me smile and laugh, this dog of ours. She's little but she's strong and fast and she gets into mischief every single day. Hanno is putting in an electronic fence at the moment so we can let her out into the front garden as well as the back. One of her favourite places outside is the bush house. She's been chewing on plants in there and wrecking plastic pots so the new fence will keep her out of the bush house too. It should be ready early next week, then we have to train her to use it. She's pretty smart so I'll think she'll pick it up quickly.
I'm closing the Down to Earth Forum in mid-March. I've run it with help from a small group of volunteers for the past 8 years. Now I'm looking forward to stepping back and spending time with my family. It will be sad to see it go but I'm sure the members will relocate to other sites and maintain their friendships and connections. Registrations have closed on the forum.
I haven't had much time for reading online this week but here are a few of the places I visited:
I haven't had much time for reading online this week but here are a few of the places I visited:
Oh Gracie! You Scallywag!
ReplyDeleteYou got that right, Lana. lol
DeleteRhonda, I was surprised to read that the forum will be closing down. I can only imagine the amount of hard work and the amount of time this forum has taken. Even though I have only been a member for a short time, I have learned so much and have seen it as a window to parts of the world where I won't ever be able to visit in person. I hope that everything is O.K. with you and Hanno. Blessings, Carolyn in Florida
ReplyDeleteWe're fine Carolyn, and looking forward to spending more time together. :- )
DeleteFor some reason I stopped receiving your blog post by email Rhonda so I will sign up again. Have a nice weekend. Best wishes ,Pauline.
ReplyDeleteAhhh just this week I have also been thinking long and hard about my online time and how I can simplify it to eke out some more time for my real life. I totally get where you're coming from. And that Gracie!! How gorgeous. You know we call our youngest 'puppy' because she behaves like one and brings such simple, silly love to our family. I hope you have a gorgeous weekend. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you for the gift of the forum. Your hard work and that of the volunteers has been very appreciated. I think it is wise to follow your heart and to know that it is time for you. When I got the email saying my application had been rejected I thought it was just me and I had been sent out of class for giggling yet again lol.
ReplyDeleteI love Gracie eyebrows. They make her look so mischievous!
No Jamie, it was not just you. I had a long list of about 20 that didn't make it. Pity you didn't apply last week. Gracie is a real character, that's for sure. She gets her own fan mail now. LOL
DeleteI love that first photo, Rhonda. I get the distinct sense from it that your Gracie might just know how much mischief she's in! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a pity the forum is closing down I haven't been a member for long but I've learned a lot in that short period of time and I'm happy to have found you and the forum...I've learned enough to do it myself...besides you're not leaving the d2e blog yet are you??? I'm happy for you, Hanno your family and Gracie...it was here where I've learned to put my family at the center and that was the best thing I've learned!
ReplyDeleteGracie is cute...we've got 2 dogs and one of them is a little rascal he brings more garden in then he leaves outside �� have nice weekend!! Angela
Oh look that expression on her face, priceless! She looks so grown up all clipped. Will you keep her groomed in a "traditional" Scotty style with a skirt Rhonda?
ReplyDeleteAggie needs her ears trimmed a little, so they are not weighed down. I'm due to take her back to the breeder so she can give me a lesson in grooming. She is a real bundle of fluff at the moment.
Xx
We had her stripped right back because it was so hot here this year but we're growing her skirt and furnishing out now, Emma. The groomer has given us a deal for a bath, nails, and face trim every month for $10. I noticed Aggie's ears are standing up now. She's looking good.
DeleteThat's a great deal.
DeleteAh, I see. We have had an unusually wet summer here, and much cooler then usual. Usually at this time of year lawns are brown and plants are stressed. But our front lip is lawn is green as anything and it hasn't seen a drop of water from us all summer. We are shaping up for a dry Autumn apparently.
Aggies ears are up, mostly though one tip is weighed down still a little. The breeder suggested feeding her cottage cheese and clipping them to help. Just so they are right for showing, if we decide too.
She is looking good, she's very brindle now. It will show up more so when she's clipped later. Her undercoat is brindle and her top coat is black. She's a scruff of a dog.
Xx
Thank you for all the hard work and dedication from yourself and the team at the forum. We have many chapters to our lives, this chapter is finishing but I have no doubt you have many wonderful chapters to complete. (Apologies for the library pun.) Gracie looks like keeping you all very busy with her mischievious attitude and no doubt will make you laugh. I hope all is well with you and your family. You are a great mentor to so many of us. I have recently returned to sewing after many years thanks to you.:)
ReplyDeleteRhonda - best wishes as you scale back your online involvement.
ReplyDeleteI've never had an electronic fence, but have known folks who have. The bad new is - the really smart dogs may find out that if they run really fast, they can get out of the fence with minimal impact. For your sakes, I hope Gracie doesn't find out.
Sorry to hear the Forum is closing but glad for you that you have made this decision......being the mindful person that you are, the time must be right for you and family should always come first.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I grew up with a Scotty dog called Tickey....one day if I find a photo I will post it here. Like Gracie, Tickey was smart, a good companion and cheeky too....Gracie reminds me of him.
Take care Ronda, and thank you for what you have, unknowingly and unselfishly, done for me.....making me challenge my beliefs, question my thought processes and feel more comfortable about simplyfying how DH and I live. Also thanks to the volunteers who have helped guide, promote and lead the Forum, you, and they, have done a marvelous job together giving me and others the space to connect, learn and grow. :)
Hi Rhonda
ReplyDeleteI first started following your posts on ALS, all thoughs years ago. I was living in the Middle East at the time, and honestly I was living the life of excess. When we moved back to Australia I wanted a more connected and simple life. So a big thank you for inspiring me on my journey. I wish you and your family health and happiness
I'm so sorry to hear you are closing the forum in March. It is so interesting and has been keeping me on track in my attempts to live simply for the last couple of years. I will miss them greatly. But thank you so very much for opening and hosting the forum and for giving of yourself so completely to the community you have established here. I've got three of your books and will content myself with re-reading each of them. Thank you, Rhonda Jean, Hanno and all the wonderful people who moderated the forum, for all you've accomplished and shared with us over the years. Enjoy the extra time you'll have, especially with Gracie, who looks adorable and mischievous! Mary (in Maryland, USA)
ReplyDeleteMary
I hadn't been to the forum lately (nasty winter weather here) and was so shocked to find it closed. I wish you and Hanno all the best and thank you so much for all of your hard work on the forum. I will miss the advise on sloppy soap, the recommendations on chicken breeds, the wonderful recipes, the cleaning product concoctions, the beautiful memorial of roses for Rose, the encouragement I found when our family was going through the heartbreak of depression, the wonderful pet threads and so much more. Most of all I will miss the opportunity you facilitated, the opportunity to find friends from across the world that understood the excitement of a truly bubbly ginger bug, the beauty of hand churned butter and the satisfaction found in the sea of filled bottles and jars following a 12 hour canning marathon.
ReplyDeleteMay your gardens produce boatloads and your soap always be sudsy!