My Treat!

No tricks here…  I got to bring Gretchen to work with me yesterday!  The Knight was home sick, and he evidently didn’t feel like catering to the weest one, so MJ was glad to have her with us.  (I think she could easily come back again; she was VERY calm and quiet.)

She spent much of the day like that.  (Photo by MJ.)   No accidents either!

In the afternoon, I was too hot for such, so she just sweetly slumbered on my desk blotter.  (The blankie was a gift from her breeder, rubbed against the alpha puppy of her litter before we left, but it had to have a bath the next day because of a little spit-up.)

Shadow was GREAT with her too.

I do still knit, just not so much.  Fredfoot is finished, but it will be another week or so before you get to see it.  I started no fewer than three different projects for a friend having a baby, but frogged one after the other.  Currently, I’m working on booties that seem to suit me more than the others did.  Maybe you’ll get an FO report or two after the weekend?

What does your weekend hold?  I have a meeting tomorrow night and a Pampered Chef fundraiser open house on Sunday.  (Need any stoneware?  It’s 20% off…)  Otherwise, we’ll be serving our sweet girls.  We’re planning to take them out tonight to meet and greet a few of their fans and family, in their costumes of course. 

Don’t forget the contest either.  It runs through tomorrow. 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Howloween

The girls weren’t so cooperative, but if you’re a regular reader, you know I don’t let bad photos stop me from blogging!

The Princess surveying her kingdom

The reluctant ballerina

So, Sissy is supposed to be a ballerina princess.  She doesn’t mind the costume much, but like any kid, getting her to stand still long enough to put it on is the challenge.

A blurry pumpkin face

Skinny Jack o' lantern

Gretchen is going in the only tiny costume I could find, but since I also call her little pun’kin, it’s appropriate.  Poor gal; the head/neck are almost too tight to wear, but the body is a bit big.  She doesn’t mind wearing the shirt, but the head part is totally unacceptable, which was Mugsy’s take on his similarly styled devil costume last year (see previous post).

Don’t forget to visit the other Dogs on Thursday, and happy little Firday to you!

Coffee Swap Topic #2

With Halloween coming up this Friday, tell us what you think of when you think Halloween! Do you love it? Hate it? See it as a sign of Fall? Are you a total sucker for candy and little kids in cute costumes?

Oh, here you get some insight into fickle me.  My knee-jerk reaction is that I hate Halloween.  I live far enough off a country road that with no lights on, even the kiddos we do know don’t stop in.  I didn’t enjoy trick-or-treating as a kid either, but I didn’t mind a party, and I loved bobbing for apples.

However, I simply cannot resist shoving my dogs into costumes. 

Literally.  That’s MJ and Pop shoving Mugsy into his devil costume last year.  Fred never would tolerate my nonsense, but Mugsy was a reluctant but tolerant participant.  (Don’t be surprised to see Gretchen in that costume next year!)  I’m hoping to get some photos tonight so I can share what my girls will be wearing this year…

And who needs a special excuse to always have candy on hand?

Paid Forward

Dear Grace has paid it forward, and I am working on the items for my recipients.  (Don’t look for your packages before the holidays though, okay?!)

Missing from the photo is the tiny, sweet-smelling tea light I didn’t find when I ripped into the package while the Knight was showering so we could go pick up Gretchen.  I never did find it in the box, but the taller dog at our house (hem, hem) found it…  Luckily, “leave it” is the one command Sissy performs without fail, so there’s not so much as a tooth mark on it.

What you do see is the bee tea cozy, which is so very special because Grace and I both have an affinity of sorts for bumble bees.  It will also be my cold-weather cozy, because it’s nice and thick and will make my teapot wish it had the ability to snuggle into the walls of the “hive”.  There’s also a tea wallet, complete with a Grace-picked assortment of tea bags, and it went immediately into my handbag, so that I’m never without tea.  A pretty post card and a box of tea are rather hidden, and then you see the cloth the Knight has made his own, and the very special yarn.

Grace’s own knight, aka: Master Blocker, dyed that.  He might have to become known as MBD, as it seems he’s a rather accomplished dyer too.  It looks very much like what we see out of any window in our little house in the woods right now.  I love a very vibrant, red fall, but the colors are rather muted again this year.  Still, it’s a lovely work of art every day.

Thank you, Grace (and Master Blocker), for a very thoughtful, special package! 

 

Here’s another special delivery.  Nichole sent goodies for all the gals in our house.  The pretty raspberry wad in the rear is a shirt for me, and the girls got birthday and new arrival treats from Nic’s local pet bakery.   Gretchen just had her very first puppy treat yesterday, so we saved these for tonight, and they’ll share Gretchen’s little pupcake.  Then, we’ll let Sis have her birthday “cake” over the next few days, while passing Gretchen a bit of puppy biscuit or something.  Thank you Nic and gang, for honoring a special time at our house with unique treats we sure can’t get around here!

Here’s your gratuitous puppy shot for the day.  Sissy really does mother the daylights out of Gretchen, when they’re not playing too rough and getting in trouble!

Wishing you a happy Tuesday.  We’re having a rather cool, blustery day, but I know some of you have snow…

Fickle, Fixed

Remember Aerial?  I hope not, because Friday night, she became Scudder/Scuddy.  No reason, really… I just didn’t feel right standing in the yard squealing “Yay, Aerial!” when she pottied, and next thing I knew, I was calling her a little scudder.  I was watching House, so it was a natural transition to Scuddy… and the Knight hated it.

We threw names back and forth all weekened until yesterday afternoon, while the Knight was holding the puppy.  He picked her up, and asked her if she was a Gretchen, and that was that.  Sure, it was one of Sissy’s many monikers, but she didn’t mind sharing.  Sis was getting tired of us looking at HER puppy and calling it something different every time too.  No registered name yet.  That was going to be my project today, but unfortunately, I’ve had to work at work for a change.  Hrmph.

The weekend wasn’t conducive to good photos, but when has that stopped me?  You get a shot of my nightie, the mess the pups made playing at my feet, and who knows what else.  I’m counting on the puppy cuteness factor to overcome such issues.

Sissy is an AWESOME big sister and love Gretchen very much.  She rarely goes out without the pup, but under no circumstance does Gretchen go outside without Sissy in attendance!

They play together well.  As we all get used to each other, Gretchen is acting more and more like a Jack Russell and so before we went to bed last night, Gretchen was put in time out (on my right side, next to the arm of the sofa, under the laptop) for nipping Sissy’s jowls.  Sissy doesn’t cry out or snap; she just dodges and hopes a human will help her out.

Gretchen is a little gem.  She’s smaller, quieter and definitely more willing to please than any other young Jack Russell I’ve been around, and I’ve known plenty. 

You might see Fredfoot lurking in the background too.  I finished it on Saturday, save blocking.  I hope to do that tonight.

Celebrate, Celebrate!

Happy Birthday, Princess and to Anne!  Many thanks for all of the birthday wishes and cuddles; Sissy has gotten them all and then some already.  We’ll have a little party at the house tonight…

Hide & seek?

Another cute photo from Anita, taken last month.  I knew when I saw it again yesterday that I wanted to save it for today.  Is it not the silliest photo ever?  I know Anita played with Sissy, but I didn’t know they played hide and seek…

photo from breeder

Technically, she’s my anniversary gift from the Knight, but he also kept telling Sissy he was getting HER a baby sister…

The breeder called her Maggie, but no fewer than a dozen of my friends and relations have or have had a Maggie pet.  According to one website, Maggie is the most popular pet name right now.  My life reflects that.  I had a name picked out, and was going to call her Cami, but the Knight didn’t like it, and she’s no Cami.  Her personality is VERY similar to Sissy’s, in that she’s deceptively sweet and calm, and then when she’s comfortable, she bounds and bounces and runs…

Sissy is being even better than we’d hoped.  Because the baby had been being paper trained, we were going to have her try her first night in the crate, as the Knight and I know nothing about un-paper training.  We tucked her in after some supper and a snuggle in her Dadaw’s lap, and she settled right down.  We all slept for a few hours, and then she cried out.  Sissy and I stumbled out to her and went outside, where she made a nice little wet spot, Sissy did much more of the same, and we tucked her back in…

Sissy was soon out of bed and staging a sit-in at the crate.  Baby cried quite a bit before the sit-in began, as evidently, Sissy had decided that just wouldn’t do.  So, baby spent the night on a folded bath sheet between our pillows, with Sissy happily in her spot at my knees. 

We went out one other time before the slightly premature 6:10 wake-up lick.  The little monster didn’t want to go out in the cold; she wanted to play.  Sissy normally does the same thing between 6:20 and 6:30, so it would seem the right girl came home with us.

So, to celebrate Sissy’s birthday, our new arrival, and 11 years of wedded mostly bliss, we’re having our own Oktoberfest.  The contest runs through November 1. 

Please leave me a comment with your favorite fall vacation destination, explaining why it is your favorite spot.  (It can be a day trip, whatever!)  The winner will be selected by the random number generator.  Prizes will include something yarnish, a treat of some sort, and something that gives a nod to two happy dog-girls…

And we’ve FINALLY settled on a name.  (Just this moment… hence the lack of a name above…)  She shall be Aerial.  I’m still working on her registered name, but I wanted something not serious (and aerial does have an obscure meaning that IS “fanciful” ironically) but not too weird either.  So, the Knight and I bantered around fire department related names on the ride home last night, while the little nut was nestled on my right shoulder, tucked against my neck.  Our firehouse doesn’t have a ladder truck (aka: aerial), which bothers some of our members.  Now when they moan about not having an aerial, Asst. Chief Knight can correct them! 

The synonym to Ariel, the Little Mermaid of Disney fame, is a fine touch too.  As you can see, she’s got rather auburn hair, and we sure are hoping she’ll love to play in the surf at the beach. 

There’s not really much need for a weekend report.  It will involve Sissy and Aerial, lots of “let’s go potty!” and hopefully, a fine meal out tomorrow night.  I’m missing the River City guild meeting, but the Knight begged out of an event with his friends to spend the day with me, so… 

I’m also still predicting an FO report on Fredfoot any day now.  It was only right that I did a few rows en route to pick up Aerial yesterday.  She’s a gal Fred would have loved too, I’m sure.  Then, I have some gift knitting to do for a birthday and some special gifts that are a bit overdue to those who helped me let go of dear little Mugsy…

What about you?  Any yummy dinner plans or fun happenings in your corner of the world this weekend?

All Growed Up

Photo by Anita 9-08

Tomorrow, our sweet princess will be a whopping one year old.  She’s been with us all but about seven weeks of her little life, and we’ve treasured every minute with her.   She’s the sweetest, brightest, prettiest girl, even if she doesn’t meet the basset breed standard so well.

She loved her big brother dearly, perhaps too much, in Mugsy’s opinion.   She wanted to be wherever he was, doing whatever he was doing.  I’m sure that while she remained happy-go-lucky after his death, she grieved as deeply as we did. 

Happy birthday a little early, sweet princess.  May we have many, MANY more years of fun, snuggles, walks, laughter and great companionship together.

Thanks, Anita! 9-08

 Don’t forget to visit the other Dogs on Thursday pups!

Happy All Kinds of Day

First of all, it’s Gaylen‘s birthday!  Happy birthday to a dear friend who always understand what Sissy is thinking and who loves me even when I’m snarky…

photo by Anita 9-08

Then, because the three year old version of me is driving the bus today, “I know something you don’t know…”  (but I’ll tell you soon… don’t those of you in the know spoil the secret!)

I suppose it would take an older child to carve a pumpkin, but since it’s a simulator, there are no sharp objects… 

Follow the link to my favorite Halloween link!

See you tomorrow with some great photos of Sissy from Anita’s visit.

AACS Topic #1

So this week’s topic – what makes a “Fall day” for you? How do you know it’s here, and what do you love about the weather, the scenery, or something else that makes Autumn lovely?

That sums it up nicely.  It’s not a great photo, but I love it just the same.  The boys loved to sun in the driveway, and the falling leaves tempered the sharp edges on the gravel.  We live in the woods, so I enjoy watching the leaves change, taking the dog(s) for a walk…

Everything about fall delights me.  I love the cool, crisp air in the mornings and evenings.  It makes me happy to pull out my sweaters and socks, and I love knitting with a shawl across my shoulders.  I love apple cider, pumpkin ANYTHING…  Knitting with wool without sweating…

In other news, Fredfoot is coming along nicely.  I still hope to finish up this week, ahead of schedule for a change.  I love the yarn, and it too speaks autmn to me, but more importantly it, it says FRED, and will soon be keeping my shoulders warm.

I found that while looking for Fredfoot photos.  That was taken 11 months ago.  I’ll get you a photo of my pretty shawl in the special colorway sooner or later.

Dianne presented me with an I Love Your Blog Award.  Thank you, Dianne!  I try, I really do.  I use my blog to track knitting projects, but I also whine and moan here and share other things I think you might care to read.  Along with the award, there are some rules:

1. Please put the award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate 4 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.

And, that’s where the train derails, because I hate nominating some of you and not others.  So, help yourself to the pretty blue ribbon if you’re so inclined and let ME know if you do…

You also need to know about some special birthdays coming up this week.  Gaylen‘s birthday is tomorrow, so please stop in and wish her well.  Anne‘s birthday is Friday, and she has the honor of celebrating with Missy Sissy!  Since this has been a month of highs and lows, we’re going to have some sort of contest to celebrate Sissy’s birthday, but you’ll have to check back later to see what Sissy and I decide to do about that.

Is it just me?

I have bad luck with restaurants.  Stop me if I’ve rambled about this before.  I have hair in my food rather regularly.  My steaks are rarely cooked correctly of late, and I’ve had half-cooked shrimp in an entree at least once that I can recall.

However, I hate to send stuff back.  The hair issue is different; I’ll flag someone down in a heartbeat.  No, I don’t want another plate; I’ve lost my appetite, thanks much.  Sure, I realize that stuff happens, and at least once, I’ve wondered if it was my own hair (or a stray dog hair from my clothes), but it does kinda’ make me lose interest in the meal.

Now, a steak that isn’t cooked correctly is where I get meek.  I’m not sure why, but the Knight has decided enough is enough, especially at the price of food these days.  Last night, he sent my overcooked steak back.  I always wonder what happens when food is sent back.  Does the disgruntled cook spit on the replacement?  They did dump it atop some garlic sauce that wasn’t there in the first place and I would rather not have had at all.  I wasn’t about to send it back again, so I ate it and told the Knight I’d not care to go back again.

Now folks, I know we eat out more than the average bear, so the odds of having problems should increase, but what really galls me is the response.  Two weeks ago, the waitress and the manager had cows AND deducted my entire meal when I found a hair UNDER one of the last bites on my plate.  They were beside themselves, but frankly, I found their responses appropriate.  It’s the ones who just go, “Oh gosh, sorry!  Let me get you another one,” who leave me shaking my head.

I wish I had photos for you from the weekend, but we are getting VERY close to a decision on a friend for Sissy.  Stay tuned…