******NEW BLOG**********

I JUST SWITCHED BLOGGING SITES BECAUSE BLOGGER IS *ALWAYS* MESSING UP. ITS COME TO THE POINT WHERE NO ONE CAN COMMENT, I CANT SPELL CHECK, I CAN'T ADD HYPERLINKS, MY PICTURES ALWAYS POP UP AS HTML AND THATS ANNOYING WHEN TRYING TO POSITION THEM ON THE PAGE. SO WHILE POSTING HERE AND I RAN ACCROSS ALL THOSE PROBLEMS, I THREW MY HANDS IN THE AIR AND GAVE UP ON BLOGGER. I'VE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLE SWITCHING TO WORDPRESS BECAUSE OF BLOGGER PROBLEMS AND I FINALLY DID THE SAME. ALL OLD POSTS WILL REMAIM HERE, IF YOU WANT UPDATED INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO MY NEW PAGE:

http://snowflakesnbunnies.wordpress.com/

SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE!




-goodbye blogger. you are dead to me.-

ROXY IN THERAPY

We've recently put Roxy in therapy because we want the move to go as soomthly as possible for one reason, another is; even though she has improved tremendously this first year, we still can't take her out and feel comfortable that she wont freak out at someone. we can't take her to the center of town to do shopping because we can't take her inside (too many people, too close together) and she gets freaked out waiting outside (too many people passing too closely to her)and no one wants to wait outside and take turns poking around in stores. PLUS we love her so much and her barking and growling and lunging is all because she's stressed about something and we don't want our dog to be stressed all the time in public, its not fun for her either.

she's had two therapy sessions so far. the first one went ok, i guess. pretty much what we expected: alot of barking and alot of growling and she wouldn't let the therapist near her.

last night was her second session and it went ALOT better. i was so proud of her and so amazed to see her acting calmly to her normal triggers: 1.someone rising from their chair 2. scuffing feet in said chair 3. THE DOORBELL! 4. someone running towards her. she sat so calmly for all exercises (towards the end of the hour and a half) we learned the correction technique that she resopnds to best, learned to use it whenever she is doing something we dont want her to. a little growl? BAM! correction. playing strip poker in our basement? BAM!
everytime someone comes to our house she is not to go in her cage anymore but to go on the leash (i tried to get gregory to follow suit on that technique a while ago but he didnt do it. he hated anything that gave her restraint. but now he sees she needs it. but of course i didnt have any correctional techniques to use with it so it probably wouldn't have worked out so well anyway)
we learned that she will work hard at staying calm for large yummy treats. so we will now keep a bag of large yummy treats by the door and if the doorbell rings and she's good she'll get one and whenever any guests come over they will be asked to take a handfull of large yummy treats and use it so they can come in the house calmly and sit down at ease and get up with ease.
luckily the "treats" we give her are actually kibbly bits from a store bought brand FOOD for dogs. in the world of dog food its cheap and therefore not healthy to eat as regular meals but we figure its better than actual dog candy. so if one of her three meals a day gets replaced wiith treats its not so bad because its still food and not candy. it still claims to have all the vegetable and minerals and vitamines in it, and its soft and chewy to make for fast chomping.

her next appointment is in a week. we will use this week to practice what we learned, and even invite some people over to help with the whole "people coming into the house" thing.
we were told no more than 2 new people at a time.

i'm so excited for her and so happy that she might actually become a calm dog outside of the home!(and inside with guests!) we might not ever be able to let her off the leash in public, and we might always have to ask strangers not to pet our dog, but if we can go on city walks and be around people and sit on terraces to eat a meal with our dog not acting like a killing machine then that is all we ask for.

updates and things

-Roxy had her first therapy appointment lasy night
-it went fairly well i guess
-it would have been better if she didn't lunge and nip, but thats why she's in therapy i guess
-she did get to the point where the therapist could touch her face and stroke behind her ear
-but then relapsed
-i completed my first week of pictures with only missing 1 day
-which is better that i expected, honestly
-gregory and i actually got up at a decent hour this morning
-and i completed everything on my new morning routine list
-but now have slacked off and need to get back on track

day 7:

more proof

I had once shown in article about squirrels attacking in Russia and knew it was only a matter or time before they went on a rampage in the states. well take a look at this magazine cover:



OK look past the scantily clad celebrity and look at the left where they highlight what you can look forward to inside their magazines. THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE ARTICLE DEDICATED TO MENACE SQUIRRELS.

when will someone believe me that my fear is not irrational but completely logical?!


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SIDE NOTE:

changed blog template to flowers because i thought some color and LIFE would brighten up these dull, grey days

365 DAYS

i've started a new project... again.

some of you may remember i had mentioned i would be doing a photo project last year, but i never actually did it. i had taken a few pictures but they were mostly boring and stupid so i had never posted them anywhere. this year i've decided to give it another try; however, this one is slightly different. the last 365 project was to just take a picture a day but this one is a self portrait a day. it doesnt have to be of your face, according to the group rules on flickr, just as long as part of your body is in the photo then you're fine. and of course, no one else can take the picture, because then, it wouldn't really be a self portrait, would it?
i'm on day three. i invite you all to have a look at my flickr page and see how it unfolds.

here's my submission for today:

UGH

I went thrifting today and it was a total BUST! i didnt get anything! every store was boutique style with over priced crap. umm hello, i would have to debate spending 30 euros on a shirt 1st hand! never mind second hand. please. nothing even looked that good.
a few good blazers but all way too expensive for someone else already owning and wearing down the clothing. 3 euros, sure; 30 c'mon!

i had dreams of finding lovely necklaces, rings, purses, skirts, shoes. but nothing like that at all!

i guess nothing wil ever beat the american thrift store. i cant wait to go back and pick my hobby back up again.


speaking of going back, something i'm seriously considering buying when i return to the states is a juicer. i've been reading up on the benefits of juicing and it seems really..beneficial. clear skin, more energy, lower weight, less headaches/sinus problems. it speaks to me.

excited!

i finally figured out that, YES, Belgium does have thrift stores with actual clothing in them.
gregory and i go quite often to a local thrift store that happens to be a large european chain much like salvation army only with the tinest, ugliest selection of clothes. we buy other junk like bags of buttons, knitting needles and knick knacks there (or is that just my list of interests?)
anywho its been a frustration of mine basically since i've been here because thrifting has been a hobby of mine for quite some time now. and of course i've asked gregory about this many a times throughout my living here but he never has any answers to my questions. his interests have always included skate boarding, going out and drinking, watching tv and sleeping before i got here. (they're beginning to broaden!) so whenever i have any questions about clubs, organizations, any other interest i might have, he never has any idea if it exists or how to find it)

lately my own language skills and self confidence with it has improved by leaps and bounds. i can now find things for myself and do things myself which feels AWESOME. (just yesterday i found for the first time, cheddar cheese that i had always wished for) i've even been able to extend myself so far as to voice my discontent with people. i mean honestly, you don't really know the language until you can tell someone where to go and where they can shove it, right?!

so anyway, with all these skills i've brached out and thought hmmm..there must be thrift store somewhere and i thought of the search word to use and where to search all by myself and i found a buttload of listings!
not in kortrijk, though. but thats ok, i dont mind a little road trip.
so today i bought myself a map of Brugge, where there is a wopping 11 thrift stores!
i mapped out where all the thrift stores are in relation to the train station and i found a great route that seems quite do-able. so this friday (or sooner if the weather picks up) i will go to Brugge and hit a total of 5 thrift stores. i cant even contain myself! thinking of all the crazy european treasures waiting for me will surely keep me up at night! yay! can't wait!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Christmas pictures:


Christmas eve. a church in Kortrijk center


Starting christmas morning right!



opening presents:









christmas dinner at gregory's parent's house. here i am watching cartoons with the twins. matthijs is wearing the santa hat and xander isn't.



caught off gaurd. sitting at the dinner table with grandma herpoel. i don't normally look that miserable. she does, though.


keep christ in christmas