Cooler Days

Gracie's favorite spot, under the lounge chair

My boy on the deck

Jake needs a facial hair trim. The poor dude has eyebrows that grow every which way over his eyes. I did let it go, and realized he looked like something out of a horror movie, so now he gets a quick trim....when I can do it. There is the problem. He is pretty good sitting still, but wants it all done with one snip of the scissors. After that first snip, I'm out of here, mom. I think it's the noise of the scissors. One thing I have discovered, dogs are extremely sensitive to noise.

We had a playdate yesterday with a Wheaton Terrier named Dega. Dega brought a new toy. It was a homemade pull/tug made from scrap pieces of fleece. This is the type of stretchy, soft fleece that everyone is using to make blankets. You would have sworn this thing had been dipped in prime rib au jus. Jake went nuts, trotting around the yard with this in his mouth, daring Gracie and Dega to take it away. Gracie ignored it, spending her time trying to hump Dega or chasing him so she could hump him. Life with dogs, what can I say.

This weekend the dogs are going to the pet sitter in the country, something they love. She has a huge fenced in backyard with fresh smells. They love to sniff. I am going to be great-grandma for the weekend. Pray for me.

Enjoy yourselves.
Linda

Folly Beach

Under the dock in the banner picture

This was early in the morning

Little guy looking for breakfast

I think I may have mentioned once or a hundred times that the May vacation to the Charleston SC area was one of my favorites. I had loaded the photos I had taken that week to the Mac, played with them just a bit, and promptly moved on to something else. Probably walking the dogs, feeding the dogs, letting the dogs out and in, buying dog treats, or picking up dog poop in the yard. You get the idea. Life does have a tendency to go on, and you lose track of what you were going to do.

So today I took a second look at some of the beach pictures. I loved staying right on the beach. Loved it. We slept with the sliding patio door open all night. We were on the 8th floor of the hotel, and our thinking was if someone could scale the exterior wall to get to our balcony, have at it. The white noise of the ocean every night was so soothing, along with the clean, crisp air. Perhaps that is why this vacation ranks so high on my list. We were out all day, every day, but at night it was so relaxing to return to the beach.

Hanging in the hotel lobby were photos taken by a professional of the dock, from the beach. I wanted to duplicate that, so the day before we left, I took my camera down and took several shots like the ones posted here. Of course mine don't compare to what they had, but I captured the flavor I was looking for, and my memory can still fill the gaps.

Someday I will return to this area. And once again I hope to stay at the beach, listening to the waves roll in late at night. Have a great day.
Linda

Sundays

Tilly herding last fall

Today is sheep herding day. You know. The day that Gracie gets to run around and bark while I get to walk backwards with a paddle in my hands. Fun for all.

I'm getting better. Still not good, but I am getting better. And Gracie has matured into a good little herder. At least she knows what she is suppose to be doing. I'm still catching on. An interesting side note to all of this herding is that my dog now wants to herd other dogs. She has figured out that running in circles and occasionally barking is a way to move a group of animals. Gracie just used to play at the dog park. Now Gracie wants that order to her life. "Okay, all you brown dogs line up over there, while the black ones are behind me." Life is not always in order, as she has found out.

It seems that everyday there is new information about what goes on in a dog's brain, or what motivates them to act this way or that. I try to keep up on what is best for my dog, and weed out the here-say. It amazes me how many dog owners there are who are totally clueless as to why their dog, or mine, do what they do. There was a woman who came to the park last year who screamed at her dog if he sniffed another dog's behind. Hello? That is how they identify one another. Gross as it may be to us, it is normal behavior for a dog. So this woman spent her entire time chasing and screaming at her dog.

When I encounter a person who "doesn't like your dog barking at my dog", I have been removing Gracie and Jake from the big dog park, and going over to the small dog side. I don't want to see Gracie get hurt, and I don't want to be aggravated. It would be a waste of time to explain my dog's behavior to a person who already has a closed mind.

Interesting, isn't it? I wonder if these same people vote? Have a great day.
Linda

Retirement

I am retired. I can prove it. I collect a survivor pension from my late husband, and a social security check. So I should be admiring the garden, relaxing like Jake in the photo above. Am I doing that? Hell, no, I'm not doing that! Sigh.

This is my day: teach classes at the aquatic and recreation center, walk the dogs, pick those little sticky weed balls out of Jake's fur after the walk, let the dogs out, let the dogs in, and repeat those last two items 28 times. Add cleaning, laundry, cooking, painting the shed and trim on the house, and all of the other chores involved with home ownership, and there you have it.

Where do the hours go? I need to craft items for the December show and for the new Allyscraps shop, which opens next week. I should be studying for my AFAA certification in November. There are stacks of books to be read. I even have books on my Nook from last May that I downloaded when we went on vacation. The Nook needs to be recharged.

How do we get so busy? The days fly by, and I realize the long list of chores that didn't get done. But I do have my priorities: walking the dogs is up there, as is going to the dog park. A tired dog is a good dog. And when my life is just too chaotic, too hectic, that is when I will take just 30 minutes and head into the craft room. Working on a project has a calming effect on me, and when time is short, it seems that is when I turn out something I am especially proud of.

Whatever you are doing today, or this week or month, enjoy it. Cherish the moments because the days whiz by.
Linda

Imagine

Imagine.

What would the world be like if 9/11/01 had not happened? What would we, as Americans, be like if the horror of that day had not been embedded in our souls, our brains, our hearts?

This is a day of rememberance. It needs to be a day for self-examination, of reflection, and of goals. Our country is divided at this moment. The barbs and slings bounce back and forth between politicians, the fuel fed by the talk shows and radio programs. The media lights the fire, and the internet sets it ablaze. There is no courtesy, no consideration. Rudeness is the way of life for generations. I, Me, Mine.

Our nation was one after 9/11. WE were Americans, lending a helping hand, reaching out to comfort those hurt by the terror. People did because they had to do something, anything, to help alleviate the devastation from the attacks. In the past decade that has been lost. There was hope at the last Presidential election, but once again the division has grown.

This is my opinion only, no one elses. I don't presume to speak for another human being. I am what I am, and it is what I feel: that we need to regain respect for all peoples, that we need to regain the tolerance for different races and faiths. Margot, the daughter of Ann Landers, recently wrote of this issue when a reader submitted a letter that basically said "I can no longer read your column, you support a woman's right to choose abortion." I am paraphrasing Margot here: Your God is not my God, your bible is not my bible, but I respect the fact that you believe what you do.

Imagine all the people, living life in peace. John Lennon.

What would the world be like if Muslims tolerated Christians, if Jews tolerated Muslims, if right wing conservatives kept their religious beliefs out of politics?

And in my darkest hour, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, Let It Be. Paul McCartney.

Have a day of reflection. Have a day of peace.
Linda

You Never Know

We had to get up early this morning, because I had a class to teach at 8am. So the dogs were fed and in the yard by 5:45am. Gracie wanted to stay outside when Jake came in, and I let her. It's chilly, overcast, and spitting rain here and there. My Aussie loves this weather, and unless she goes into barking mode, I will allow her to sit on the deck and survey her domain.

When she came in, her head was down. Didn't think anything of it, until about 15 minutes later she came up to me, lifted her head, and her right eye was swollen shut. Total panic. I had her jump up on my bed, and applied a warm compress. It appeared she had been bit by something right next to the eye. Leaving the compress on for about 15 seconds seemed to help, so I did this several times. By 7am the swelling had gone down, so I made the decision to wait and take her to a vet after 9. It's so hard with your animals, you just don't know.

The vet was very kind, and after a general exam including taking Gracie's temperature (not one of my dog's favorite things in this world), the doctor felt it was some type of bite on the eyelid. She did check for eyeball scratches and there were none. The Diva is home with eye drops, and I must run to the store for some Benedryl. Today's little adventure was $88. It truly is like having kids, isn't it?

Have a great day, hug your pets.
Linda

The Diva

Gracie on the deck 

The dynamics of the relationship between the dogs, and with me, has changed once again. Gracie, smart little Aussie that she is, has figured out that if mom is busy correcting Jake, mom may not realize what she, The Diva Princess, is up to. At other times, she will automatically come to my side if I'm correcting Jake, and look up at me. "I'm the good one, mom" is the message.

Last night at the dog park, we met a new dog. Her name is Roxanne, she is 5 months old, and a mutt. Definitely has some beagle in her, but beyond that it is anyone's guess. Roxanne was a bit shy at first, and allowing my two to dominant her. This went on for about 10 minutes, when the girl said enough. I was cheering from the sidelines. Jake had been circling her, barking, swatting her with his front paw, and she turned and let Mr. Jake have it, nipping back and chasing him around the park. This is exactly what he needed to learn that not every other dog is going to think he is just soooooo cute, that he can get away with his rude behavior. From that point forward, not only did Jake treat Roxanne with respect, so did Gracie. The Diva had been watching this, running around in a larger circle, and when Roxanne stood her ground, Gracie sat down to watch.

Can dogs chuckle? I swear Gracie was laughing...
Linda

Store Display

Front of the Fancy Pants album

One of the inside pages

Love the Maya Road small envelopes

Back of the album

We are trying to make up a lot of new samples for the store, which opens September 21st. So I put this little album together Saturday night, and finished it on Sunday. Love the colors in the floral paper. The album itself was made with some Maya Road luggage tag chipboard. I've used that particular product a lot. The size and shape are adaptable to so many projects.

Heading for a second cup of coffee and getting ready to walk the dogs. We may have to wait a bit, as it is quite chilly this morning. Crazy, crazy weather of late. Either 110 heat index, or 49 degrees.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.
Linda

Say what, again?

Wait, mom. There is a bird flying overhead.

Gracie can be so intent. We went sheep herding yesterday morning, and she did well enough, and I did well enough, that I am considering entering her in a trial next spring. The first round was in the medium size pen, which we have been using for months. Second time around, Leah suggested we see what she does in the big field, and mercy, the dog did what she was suppose to do. We pushed her into a little driving action as well, and my little girl acted like she had been doing this forever. It could be I am finally getting my act together, or it could be Gracie has matured enough to know this is her job.

Whatever the reason, it all came together and we left very happy. Plus, and this is a big plus, the weather has finally decided to change seasons. We have been stuck in "blazing hot" season for 2 months. Now it is suddenly 60 degrees, and the dogs are loving it. Lots of walking going on. A good thing for the kids and for mom.

Enjoy yourselves.
Linda

Sneaky little boy

I am so innocent...

Don't bother me right now, okay?

Yesterday afternoon it was too blazing hot to do anything outdoors, so we were inside the house. I had cleaned, then went into the scrap book/craft mess room to work. After about 10 minutes I heard chewing. Moms: you know what I'm talking about. It doesn't matter how far away you are, or what other noise is in the background, your instincts kick in and you just know that they are up to something. Kids, dogs, grandkids, it doesn't matter who it is, you know.

I looked in the hallway. Gracie was in your usual spot, asleep. Couldn't find Jake in my room, or in the living room, so I glanced into the guest bedroom. No, not there. But then that noise started again. The guest bedroom is small and contains a queen size bed and two matching dressers made of oak. Big, heavy furniture. The bed sits high. Gracie can't fit under the bed, and neither could Sarge, so I have two large plastic storage containers for gift wrap and ribbon, shoved under this bed.

When I walked over towards the wall and looked down, there was 1 inch of hind leg sticking out, and the noise suddenly stopped. Uh huh. Little Shit can fit under the bed. I squeezed into this foot of space between the exterior wall and window, and the bed, and got down on my hands and knees. Jake looked at me, tail wagging like crazy. "Hi Mom!" He had maneuvered the lid off of one of the containers, and removed a spool of paper ribbon. It was between his front paws, and he was methodically shredding the ribbon into tiny pieces.

"That, young man, is a NO!" and I removed the spool and bits of ribbon from him. He crawled out, ears down, tail now wagging to save his life. Yeah, you are cute. Yeah, I forget that technically you are still a puppy. We think he'll be two in November, but it's a guess. The shelter got him as a stray.

I am going to seal the containers with duct tape. Not that this will deter him in any way, but maybe it can slow him down.

Life is good.
Linda

We're Having a Heat Wave...

Gracie

Jake

Petunias on the deck. End of the line.

Our forecast for today is 101. Yes. 101. Do I live in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona? Why no, I do not. I live in central Indiana. This has been one of the hottest summers in the history of record keeping for the weather.

I had the dogs at the park for our morning walk by 7am. I am so glad I did. When we finished at 8am, it was already sticky hot, they were panting, and I was ready to quit. Gave them some water and we headed for home and the air conditioning. The backyard is still in shade, so we sat outside and enjoyed the warm breeze for over an hour. The remainder of the day will be indoors until it cools tonight. "Cool" being a relative term. Tomorrow it is only (yes, only) going to be a high of 97. Whoopee.

Maybe it is an aspect of getting older, but I truly don't remember the extremes in weather that we have experienced in recent years. Layers of ice and snow in the winter months, stretches of 90 plus temperatures and no rain in the summer. Autumn is my favorite season, and I'm hoping it is just average. There is nothing wrong with being average. That would allow me to take the dogs for longer walks, inhaling the scent of the drying leaves. I love that.

Stay safe. Stay comfortable.
Linda

Scrapbook layouts

The title is on pop-up adhesive, so the letters "pop".

Little Miss Bella

The chaos of this paper fits the lifestyle....

I have never photographed my scrap book layouts before. It ain't easy. I don't know how others do it to post to their blogs or enter contests, but I obviously need to practice a different technique if I want to do this. One of the pages turned out so poorly in the photo, I wouldn't even put it on the blog.

Perhaps I need new glasses. Perhaps I need to wear my glasses when I'm doing this. I could go on, but I won't.

So these are a sampling of what will be up in the new store when Cathy opens. I used my Cricut to cut out the letters for the titles. Far cheaper than using other lettering, and it is fun to experiment with the various fonts and sizes. My favorite of the above examples is the one with Bella. I just like the way it all came together.

Stay safe during this short heat wave. It officially hit 99 degrees this afternoon in downtown Indianapolis. Dang.

Linda