a new friend squared.

I made not one, but two new friends last week while skating on the Monon. We went past an adorable Schnoodle puppy twice, and the second time around I just had to formally meet it (pets and all). After talking to the dog's owner for a moment, we realized we both had John Mayer shirts on-it was meant to be!

image from dogbreedinfo.com

a perfect summer surprise.

While in Minnesota visiting family, we had some extra time to kill so we hit the Como Zoo. Just moments after we entered the gates, we came across the butterfly tent. Normally I wouldn't splurge on something so frivolous (at the MN State Fair they charge at least $20 a head for those gimmicks) BUT...the wonderful thing about the Como Zoo is that it is FREE! I just had to walk through or I'd never live it down, so we waited in the short line. I was a little nervous because I'm not really a bug person, but my curiosity won out. Boy am I glad we did this! (And for the record, we DID leave a donation. I'm not that cheap!)

There were so many different varieties, and the colors were so vibrant! One landed on my hand, but flew away before I could snap a picture.

guiness book of world records.

Found in the wilds of Indiana!

the kitty.

I know she doesn't LOOK like a kitty, but she sure acted like one. Meet Misty, the family dog, who is no longer with us. She enjoyed rubbing up against your legs, curling up in the sun, and she even purred (due to her signature, shih-tzu breathing problems). I didn't have a blog back then, so this is a delayed tribute because I ran across this adorable photograph of her.

Although she really did enjoy curling up on the couch with my dad, nestled in the Sunday papers, the publication actually served another purpose, and I had to laugh when I found this picture. My mom would photography Misty next to the Sunday paper with the date exposed to prove to my sister that the photograph was in fact, recent, and that said dog was actually still alive (sister was away at college and feared the passing of her beloved friend would occur in her absence).

If anyone is looking for a great family pet, shih-tzus are hard to beat because they're small and they don't shed. Someday I *might* convince my husband that we need one of these. Until then, I've got some great memories of this one.

"look at you guy."

...says my husband as he walks out the door. Leaf or alive, you ask? Well, it's got legs, and eyes, and it started to move, so we're pretty sure it's not a leaf. What is it?

farmers market II.

Today I explored the farmer's market with my friend, Alli. We both brought our cameras and enjoyed taking pictures of the patrons and merchants. Some of the highlights included fresh bread from Flours Girls and Dough Boys, kittens, used books, and all the neat people there. Here are some photos I took.