Good Kitchen Blog: Sage in September

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Our favorite girl is back on the blog today, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Friday at the end of September.

Wait, the end of September?!

That snuck by so quickly, didn’t it? but here we are, getting ready to say hello to October in a few days. I hope you’re holding a pumpkin spice latte right now (or almond milk dark chocolate, half sweet – new obsession – or PUMPKIN CHAI SHAKE WITH TAPIOCA PEARLS – other new obsession) because looking at pictures of Sage in a fall sweater is just not the same without it.

Is fall just so glorious where you live? I mean, I don’t want to be a show off, but I feel a responsibility to help you vicariously experience fall at its best. Fall in Minnesota is just textbook. Total and utter perfection. Just this week, a handful of trees on our block are just starting to turn caramely-golden and fire-red, and in my mind, they smell like the White Barn Candle Company at the mall. In reality, it smells like good, clean earth. Close enough.

These days, we wake up to chilly, sunny mornings and a layer of frost on the grass which always makes me think of walking to elementary school in little frost-protecting boots as a kid (yes, I’m 80). It’s already at the point where you probably need at least a light jacket if not maybe a hat and a hot chocolate in hand when you go outside, and the sun has started setting as early as 7pm. Never mind the fact that it will be 6pm and then 5pm and then 4pm before we know it – for now, it’s deliciously cozy and it begs for fires, soups, and movie marathons.

Being that she’s a Minnesota girl through and through, Sage obviously loves fall.

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FALL FASHION

One of her favorite things about fall is definitely the outfits. She has a furry hooded sweater that she adores (and by adores, I mean tolerates because she’s literally the best dog ever) and that we make her wear for about 15 minutes every year to get a few cute pictures.

Last year, Sage dressed up as a ghost for Halloween, and there is a 99% chance that we will repeat that costume this year because I literally cannot think of a time when I laughed so hard at her cuteness. There were tears. There was rolling on the ground. It was my best Halloween to date.

Do your dogs celebrate Halloween? Please tell me everything.

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BACK TO SCHOOL

With Back to School season in full swing, Sage has started something new and exciting this fall called SOCIALIZATION CLASSES. That’s right – we’ve made the official jump. We are those people. Every Thursday, she and all the other socially awkward dogs gather at a little dog school training center with their owners to get tips on how to be normal and nice. (Of course, Sage – and the other dogs – are VERY nice already and we love them all very much, but she could really use some pointers for keeping her cool around strangers, knocks at the door, and people moving in any way, shape, or form within 100 yards of her.)

Bjork and I didn’t know how she would respond, being her usual nervous, anti-social, hair-standing-up-on-end self, but you guys, she is Loving it. With a capital L. The mass amount of hot dog niblets that she gets every night at class definitely doesn’t hurt the cause.

Not only does Sage love it, but we humans are learning so much. It’s a classic rehabilitate-the-dog, train-the-people scenario – we went in thinking that we need to get her some help, and then learned that a lot of her weirdness has to do with how we’re taking care of her. Doh. Since class started four weeks ago, we (the three of us) have learned a new, more relaxed way of leash walking, growl/bark reduction strategies, and general obedience techniques that help her realize – We’ve got this one, bb girl. No need to stress out about people walking by or the neighbors coming home or the mailman – again – at the same time every day. You’re safe and we’ve got this one.

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TRAVEL

Last year, we took Sage on a fall vacation (like, a legit vacation where we stayed in a dog-friendly hotel and everything) and it was life. We probably won’t get a chance to do that this year since our big Europe trip in November does not include a dog-friendly itinerary, but I don’t think our good girl minds too much. She will get to spend some time at her favorite Dog Camp – aka my parents’ house – eating too many treats and taking long naps on a new-to-her couch (um, Mom, we sent you those dates, right?).

She’s a comfy homebody at heart, and besides, when we already have the best fall weather around and all the people we love near us, every day feels like just a little bit of a vacation. ♡

Hope you all are loving fall as much as we are. Here are some pictures of Sage in September!

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