Searching for a New Best Friend

One year ago, I went on craigslist and found this:

And saw her:

 

The first time I'd checked for a pup since our heartdog passed and I found not only the breed mix and color I was hoping for but, after texting with the breeder, she was going to be available on the perfect date!  

The stars and the planets were in perfect harmony...meant to be!

A Puppy No Longer!

 

Lila just had her first birthday today!  It was filled with yummy liver, lots of retrieving of sticks and balls, a long romp in a pasture filled with cowpies, and a new toy.

We couldn't have picked a better puppy.  She's perfect!  Also, sassy and demanding--right now she's letting me know that playing ball with her is a much better idea than a blog post.  

Okay, Lila, I hear and obey!

SPRING!!!

 Hurray! What a wonderful day this was!  The first day of Spring was filled with sunshine and birdsong.  There is only a teensy bit of snow hiding in the shadiest, most sheltered part of the yard.  Drumroll, please...there is finally no snow in our forecast.  Yes, we've definitely turned the corner on all things winter.

Fifty degrees, blue skies and the knowledge that it's going to rain tomorrow spurred me to get outside and do some gardening while I could.

Is there anything better than dirt under your fingernails?!

Yes, going on a playdate with your puppy's best friend and your favorite neighbor.

They played till they could play no more.  A tired puppy is a good puppy.

Enjoy life is their message and I'm taking their advice!

 

 

Such a Simple Thing

In the Olden Days of the Blogosphere, we all left comments on each other's posts and it felt like a neighborhood or community of friends.

Then Facebook seduced us with an icon so we could approve at the push of a button.  So fast, so easy.  But we still made short comments, at least.  Then heart icons on Instagram and Tik Tok appearred.  Is it just me or does typing a comment on those platforms seem a bit too pushy/unneeded/intrusive/over-personal? 

Blogs, however, don't have a cute little icon to quickly show I like/care/etc. 

I'm now guilty of reading a blog and sometimes not commenting. I got spoiled.  Putting my thoughts into words takes time compared with clicking a convenient little icon. 

Anyway, I just checked my Comments Setting and realized I'd been getting comments but had not approved them.  Mostly because I never saw them.  Might be the system never gave me a heads up via email.  Or it might have been something I did wrong.  (Not likely since I'm sooooo tech savy,)

I sincerely apologize to everyone who commented during my March Binge of Posts. When I checked my Stats, I was thrilled to not only see I had readers, but that some had commented!!! And I never knew and never acknowledged you.

Suffice it to say that I reset my Comments and they will just appear after the post (and I'll delete the spam as needed.)  Because I love anyone who is willing to spend a little of their time to make me feel pretty wonderful and connected through our common interests.  

Now I need to figure out how to respond to your kind comments.   Our give-and-take is a simple thing, but is really the essence of who we are!

I know have some technical learning/updating to do.  Blogger changed enough things since I was posting regularly--in a previous decade--that I need to relearn their system.  I'm grateful that adding photos got easier after their last iteration.  I never had a problem changing my banner from season to season or as the mood struck me, and that's a priority for me now.  The current truck and simple font is a lot different from what I'd prefer.  It does the trick, but I accept the challenge to upgrade my skills.

In random news, Lilypad Pond has been ice-free for a grand total of two days now.  Apparently Lila thinks it is warm enough to wade in.  Sheesh.

My 2013 Inspiration

Bring Joy.

It's a phrase that has been popping up in front of my eyeballs on reader boards, holiday gift wrap and Christmas newsletters.  When the Universe chooses to send me messages, I know enough to listen!

I love the fact that each time I saw "bring joy" (or a variation thereof) it resonated so strongly with me.  I feel like it chose me rather than vice versa.

Bring.      Joy. 

Two separate words.  It's the "bring" that inspires and challenges me.  I have plenty of internal delight in my life and I need to externalize it.

My brain is already whirling with ways to fulfill it: extra-clean surfaces to delight my poor long-suffering husband who lives with my enthusiastically creative messes, small birthday treats for friends near and far, spreading random acts of kindness in unexpected places, fluffing my home and my workplace to provide a nourishing environment, disciplining my inner life to match the outer.  Or should that be making my outer jive with my inner?    So many possibilities!



So I'm on a mission for Twenty-Thirteen.  What a challenge to live up to!  Wish me luck.

Bring joy,
 

Dogs Rock (and Roll)

Just a quick post with a link to Kharma's new favorite video--a link because I can't figure out how to get the entire YouTube screen onto our blog. Anyone else having that difficulty? Anyone solved it yet????

I think it's her favorite because of the border collies. It's mine because I love anything that show how smart dogs are.

Enjoy--

The Best-Laid Plans...

...are flexible!

Maybe I won't be taking photos of  Blondie-Pie (Kharma's newest nickname) against a dark background as part of my first tutorial (pet silhouettes) anytime soon.

Instead I'll be splicing video footage together for a SnowDogs movie and then uploading to YouTube. At least I will if the dogs cooperate and play while I'm looking instead of the minute I put the camera down.

Maybe I won't be painting my long-planned Meadowsweet Cottage sign just yet.  Getting across town to pick up a new printer cartridge can wait until the streets are free of snow. It'll look like this, more or less.  I just have to re-size the script to fit, print it out, transfer the outlines to the sign, paint, varnish and it'll be ready to hang.  I'm eager to finish!

Instead I'm finishing a new apron--Poulets des Provence.  If chickens are good, then hens living the good life en France are the best.  I don't need another apron for myself (duh!), but I fell in love with the fabric and knew it would make a perfect apron.  I have special plans for this apron so keep your fingers crossed!

Besides the snow, we are dog-sitting.  Zeke is much smaller than our dogs and he's a boy.  We survived his attempts to mark his territory inside our house (he's decided perhaps that's not popular) and he's survived playing with his two much larger "sisters".  He's part of our pack now--but we still watch over him carefully and that means less computer time for me.

 Believe it or not, I'm close to my 400th post.  I think that deserves a celebration so while I'm dog-sitting downstairs, I'm thinking of a fun giveaway. 

Perhaps a package of free snow?  Maybe not.  What about sunny skies?

How I Spent My Spring Break

I laid sod--ahhhh, lovely instant gratification. Here it is in all its tall fescue fabulousness, no longer dormant ocher, actually growing tall and protected from canine mischief by chicken wire, bedsprings, spare agility equipment and miscellaneous boards and plywood. Which so far, the dogs have mostly respected.

This little strip struggled to overcome a simultaneous battering by Golden-puppy paws (large variety) and a lack of irrigation due to the Fence Project That Lasted Forever. It lost.

The dogs didn't mind and thought we'd installed dirt specifically for their digging pleasure. Eventually the little strip, dotted by dog-dug craters, resembled a bombing range. Both dogs delighted in a canine version of spa treatments--pond-water soaks followed immediately by a leisurely roll in fluffy dirt. I guess you have to a dog to understand the allure. It drove me nuts.

This winter didn't include much snow, unfortunately, so the powder room sink looked like this for months each time the diggity dogs came inside.Have I mentioned how much I lurve sod?

It's like a cheap (I spent less than forty bucks on fourteen rolls) miracle and IT'S NOT DIRT! Life is good.

The Hole In The Ground

It's taken me all summer, but it's finally dug out. My goal is to have a pond by Labor Day. Originally I cut out turf for a pond about half this size. Then I lived with it and thought about it for a month, and and decided it was just too small for the yard. Looks kinda like a strip mine right now, doesn't it? But there's a reason for all those levels. The shallowest level is designed for bog plants. Then there's a deeper level for water lilies and iris and lotus and cattails. The very deepest section will stay ice free so plants can be overwintered down there.


I'm antsy to fill it with water and have it all be done. But I can't put the liner in until I get some "underlayment" down first to protect it from rocks, roots and other sharp objects. So I'm making a paper pattern (hey, it works when I sew). I'm using old maps, pieced together and cut to size. Tomorrow I'm gonna use these patterns to cut out pieces of old carpet to cushion the pond liner.

I'm determined to take the time to properly construct my pond. I'd rather be a bit slow and have it perfect than have to remodel it later because I hurried. I know I could do it fairly fast after playing around with the Queen Mother's pond for three summers. Going slowly has let me be more creative and artistic though. I really want this to look as natural as possible. I'm striving for a natural drainage pattern ending in an attractive pond surrounded by rocks and plants. I can't count the number of hours spent looking at other ponds and analyzing what I like and don't like about them, not to mention the research involved in how-to build a pond. It's been incredibly satisfying to take on a completely new garden project.

Meanwhile the dogs are very wondering about whether they should help me dig or not. Zelda has tried out those big golden retriever paws a time or two, but Kharma is letting me do the heavy work. Today they couldn't decide if the paper is a new toy or if I've gone loco. They look over my shoulder continually. Both girls are gonna be very happy to have their own watering hole to investigate, swim in, and drink from. I can hardly wait to have two wet, muddy dogs around!

Puppy Playdate

Kharma's made a new friend. We walked up the switchbacks to his house one morning for a playdate. Quincy and Kharma played for hours!

Kharma definitely approved of his huge backyard. It has a waterfall and pond and lots of bushes and good places for birds to hide. Kharma taught Quincy how to cool off in his pond. She tried to teach him how to chase mama quail, but I'm hoping that's one lesson he ignored.

Quincy is just getting the merest suggestion of feathers on his hocks and tail. His mom was a little sad to discover his first adult fur coming in on his back. He's going to be very blond and very fluffy when he grows up. He's probably the creamiest golden retriever that we've ever seen--we call him the polar bear cub.

Quincy invited Kharma to come visit him at his lake cabin this week. He's already learned to jump off the dock and swim even though he's just four months old. It's where Kharma learned to swim too. I can hardly wait to see the two of them together romping freely on the shoreline, chasing waves thrown up by the boats or swimming out to grab the frisbee. It's what summer is all about--water and sun, friends and fun!

Doing the Turkey Jerky Tango

Hi, Kharma here. It's been awhile so I thought I'd blog a little while Mom is making dinner.

I'm learning a new trick: Mom's been teaching me to "dance". I can stand up on my hind legs now for a long time compared to a couple of weeks ago. I love to dance because the treats are super yummy--usually REAL MEAT!!! (I'd do just about anything for real meat!)

Mom must have wanted me to practice on my own though, because she left a whole cutting board(!!!) of turkey slices that were almost-but-not-quite-dried turkey jerky sitting out on the edge of the kitchen counter.

I'm proud of myself because she didn't even have to ask me. I practiced a lot and the turkey snacks were delicious.

Uhhh, please don't tell my mom that I kinda rested my paws on the counter a couple times. 'Cause she doesn't allow my front paws to touch anything for balance when I dance. I think she might suspect 'cause she keeps giving me funny looks.

I like practicing my new trick on my own. I'm such a smart dog, BOL!

The Discovery Channel

If you stuff a Kong with a little peanut butter (organic, of course, nothing's too good for the pups), add a handful of kibble and seal the hole with mushed up bread...it will keep the pups occupied while you're away. No, duh.

If you do a good enough job of mashing up the bread, it's very hard for the doggies to get it out by licking or chewing. And with no opposible thumbs, they have a hard time using sticks or other long objects to coax it out so they can get at the good stuff inside.

If you don't check the Kong for a few days, it is also a great way to feed the local grease-eating ant population. So that there can be more of them. Like having the entire brick patio turn into one large ant-hive isn't enough already.

If you accidentally bring the Kong inside and lay it on the counter to refill without checking the innards, ants come along for the ride. I have plenty of awe and respect for the gift of Life, but the ants got smashed anyway when I discovered them roaming the counter. (There's some rule about Open Season if the ants are inside instead of outside, isn't there?) I was pretty stoked that I had my glasses on to actually SEE and destroy the little pests and take care of the minor glitch in Kong etiquette.

That was this morning. This afternoon I vacuumed the carpet and swept the kitchen. When I bent down to dust-buster the sweepings, what did I see...an ant. And then another, and another. GRRRR.

Kongs--the gift that keeps on giving!

My dilemna...were those leftover ants from the Kong episode or were they scouts from the patio colony foraying for new sources of nutrition for little ant larvae ripening in the nest?

Moving on, I swept the wonderful new ceramic tile that I adore in the refurbished laundry room and bent down again to dust-buster the leavings, only to make another discovery. When I re-texturized the walls, using my friend the air compressor, I apparently forgot to wipe down the door jams.

So add another project to the list, cleaning up the construction mess (not hard, take wet towel and wipe well). Kinda makes me feel sorry for all those hard-working contractors who have to deal with picky homeowners complaining about the mess that someone left behind. It's easier to do than I would have thought.

And now that I think of it, I never did repaint the ceilings in the laundry and powder rooms......

That Empty Feeling

The yellow bedroom is officially emptied of my junk and waiting for son #2's junk which will be arriving tomorrow; nope, make that today.

Yeah, it was lots of work at a really busy time for teachers but there's always a bright side:

1. I got a headstart on organizing my summer projects.
2. I'll have to sew/scrap/craft at full speed to create some nice empty space again.
3. When he finds a place, it will be a snap to re-paint the too-pale yellow a nice sunny yellow instead.
4. I found my porcelain squirrels.
5. I found my extra puppy photos.
6. I found my cardstock stash of primary colors.
7. Zelda ate my pond iris (whoops, that doesn't go on the bright side--file that under living with a puppy, again).
8. Since Zelda ate the iris, that's a giant hint that I don't need to be in a hurry to rebuild the drip irrigation that Kharma destroyed when she was a pup.

Kharma's Lament

First of all, Mom let the wind blow the fence down and I loved having twice the space. Especially since our very nice neighbor has two Bichon Frisees to play with. Happy is pretty carefree, but it took a little time to convince Cooky that I was a nice dog. We all had a good time. I wish my mom would just leave the back door open for me like the very nice neighbor; it was so nice to just be able to walk into her house and see what Happy and Cooky were eating or watching on TV (personally I like the "Dog Whisperer" because there's nothing like Bad Boy to spice up a Friday evening).

Mom knows how much I love to jump, because she put up some short wire fencing for me. It was even more fun to go visit the Bichons then!

Dad took down all but two of the fence panels for me and I loved seeing everything that Happy and Cooky were doing and I could also practice my ferocious bark on the workmen putting in cobbles for the very nice neighbor's front yard. Heh, heh, they didn't know I was teasing them. It was very fun and I don't know why Mom got so upset.

BTW,the grass IS greener on the other side of the fence; it's also longer and much more exciting to pee on!

Just when I didn't think things could get much better, Dad and Erkie ripped out another fence!!! Wow, having a yard three times as big was super-cool. My favorite little girls live next door and they would play with me all the time. We played chase a lot. I even do tricks for them when they don't have any treats for me, just to be nice. It was nice to sit on their back step and watch them eat dinner. I helped them barbecue on their back patio too.

Dad, Mom and Erkie dug up cement blobs for me to play on. I loved jumping over them and racing around them, but playing king-of-the-hill was best of all. They kept on digging up more and more of those cement things. I would have helped them if they'd asked, 'cause I know it was hard word for them,vbut they did it all themselves and told me to go away.

Then they had some workers come and grind up a stump. I didn't get to go out and bark at them, but once Mom cleaned up all the loose shredded stuff, I had a great hole to lie in. I looked so cool sunning myself there. I know the Bichons were jealous of me.

I didn't mind when my family started putting up the fence again, because there were lots of panels missing. When they put all the panels up, they must have known how much I enjoyed visiting the neighbors because they left nice holes to crawl through. I loved teasing Mom. She'd be working in the yard and get distracted and I'd crawl into the neighbor's yard and wait until Mom would miss me. She couldn't figure out how I disappeared at first! I was laughing my head off. When she called me, she was pretty surprised to see me come under the fence.

She made it even more fun by packing some nice soft dirt in the holes then. Wow! Digging through the dirt to go visit felt just super. I think Mom must have felt a little guilty about all those walks we've been missing. Hey, it works for me!

Then I must have done something wrong.

They took away all my cement blogs. All the fence wire got rolled up. They put rocks on top of all that soft dirt and yelled at me when I tried to dig. I know the neighbors are missing my visits. Mom is even wrecking my nice sunning hole. She's adding dirt and plants and keeping me away from it. Our yard was so much fun and they wrecked it all. I'm feeling really sad.

Maybe Zelda will come over with Erkie and we'll jump over Mom's new plants and roll around in the nice dirt.

Kharma Likes It

We started the week with a fence that had a few wobbly 4x4s that (obviously) needed replacing. Don't you love our hillbilly support system?


We ended Monday with something quite different. Our poor old fence tangled with the eighty-five mph wind gusts and just couldn't quite stand up to them.

Kharma went out to the yard and looked at me with approval when she saw her new and improved, much larger yard. Just goes to show--it's all in your perspective.

Just the Dog-gone Truth

Third part of the dog series. I promise this is the last one, really.

In many ways dogs are better than kids.

1. They eat less.


2. They don't ask for money every time you turn around.


3. They take less time to train.


4. They normally come when called.


5. They never ask for your car keys.


6. They don't hang out with drug users.


7. They don't smoke or drink.


8. They have no interest in the latest fashion trends.


9. Their tricks don't involve a garage roof and a Superman cape.


10. They don't need a gazillion dollars for college.

and finally,

11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Now go kiss your puppy.

To Our Non-Pet Owning Friends

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for your friendship. You don't have a pet and we appreciate the fact that you can overlook the fact that we do and still consider us friends. However your well-meaning complaints/comments/suggestions regarding our dog must end. In the interest of our continued friendship, I feel we should tell you why we feel this way.

1. The dog lives here. You don't.
2. If you don't want dog hair on your clothes, then stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it furniture.)
3. I like my dog more than I like youmost people.
4. To you, she's a dog. To me, she's an adopted daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

We hope you understand. In our house, dogs rule.

Fondly,

Your host and hostess

An Open Letter to a Dog

A friend (whose future golden retriever puppy should be born momentarily) received this email from her dog breeder in Colorado and forwarded it to me. It made me laugh so I blogged it for all you dog lovers out there...enjoy!


To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - preferably at nose height.

Dear Dogs:

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not automatically make it your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. Also, it is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other and/or stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. Before you arrived in our home, I had been using the bathroom alone for many years--canine attendance is not required. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered.

The proper order is kiss me first, then go smell the other dog's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Love,

Your human pack member

Sweet Dreams

Zelda the Christmas Puppy is officially big enough to move into her new home. Erkie brought her by this weekend, and we cuddled her and crooned her name and tickled her tummy and let her gnaw on our knuckles. Puppies are so little and sweet.

Kharma had her own ideas on how to entertain the new arrival. She brought out Hissy Cat and taught Zelda to chew on its leg/arm/tail. She then pranced by with her tug toy trailing entrancing and irresistable loops in front of the pup. We laughed at the little pudgy ball of fur trying to catch up with Miss Turn-On-A-Dime. Kharma knew just how to keep a smidge ahead of Zelda and the game of chase raged throughout the family and living rooms.

Pretty soon Zelda discovered the new dog bed from Costco. The one that Kharma had appropriated the whole day before Zelda arrived.

Hmmm...this is so soft. It smells just like that dog that is fun to play with too.

Ahhh...so soft. Feels best right here. My chin fits perfectly on the edge. Wow, it was fun to play. I like Kharma. I think I'll just lie down for a while. Mmmmm.

Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a minute. Or two. Zzzzzzzzz.

Zelda snores...cute snores, but still!

Congratulations on your adorable new best friend. Oh, and have fun getting up every four hours with her, Erkie.