Saturday, June 19, 2010

Saturday morning in the country

Grace, I'm glad to see your posting and how difficult these trips must have been for you and John. It's a long drive for you both only to have sadness waiting at the other end of the trip. You know your way in here if you need to stop for a cup of tea but perhaps you'll be staying put now for awhile.

I'm very glad to know that others have dogs that talk. Hope hasn't spoken since but that one time was so startling that both Mary and I were very touched by it. Ceilidh was the one who was the spark in the threesome. The toy box is now quiet.

The nice thing about being able to edit posts is that I don't have to keep looking at mine and thinking, I'd rather change something or add something. Today, I drove 1 1/2 hrs. s/e to the small town of Stouffville, Ontario where my step-grandson was participating in a dance recital. Dance is not what it was when I was growing up. I don't know how to describe what it is now. Certainly, there was some ballet and tap, of which he was not a part of but hip/hop, fast moving/good beat, I could have stood in the aisle and danced myself. Except I remembered something my mother said as she was in her late seventies: "I don't know who that old woman is looking back at me when I look in a mirror". I used to be the mother taking kids to things; now I'm the grandmother, elevated to the post my mother was years ago.

Rosey

Friday, June 18, 2010

Catching up

I have not been here for quite some time, so tonight I was catching up.
Rosey so sorry to here about your lovely dog. I remember her quite well.many hugs to you, and that is a lovely picture. I loved how you wrote about Hope talking to Mary. You can book us a room also because yes dogs talk and they actually make more sense than some people I know. Our Precious, (yes I know some people laugh at a dog being called that, but that was her name when she came to us and after losing Pebbles she was Precious) talks to our DS all the time. They actually roll on the floor together and have conversations.
There is a reason I have not been on the board for such a long time. We have been traveling down to Southern Ont. quite a bit. John has lost two DB and a DBIL since the end of Feb. It has been sort of a devastating couple of months. Our brains are like mush right now, we have a hard time thinking and remembering things and are extremely tired. Hopefully with the summer here we will slow down a bit. Taking baby steps is good and that is what both of us are doing.
from now on it will not be the same when we go home. The family that is down there will be noticing the missing family members every day and some how get used to it, but we only go down once in awhile and the first time we go down it will be hard to not see these DB's
I guess life is a circle, we rejoiced with them when the babies were born, those babies got married and had their own babies, so this is what is next. the circle is complete.
Hopefully I can get to the sewing machine in the next couple of days and work on some of my sorrows.
Jane , hope all goes well with your pup.
See you all later. Don't feel too bad for me, we are doing fine and I only mentioned and wrote about this to let you know how life has been here and why no comments, especially to you Rosey.
Grace In On

Thursday, June 17, 2010

talking dogs

Yes, Rosie, that is a beautiful picture and your story was heartwarming.

We could understand every one of Wulfie's barks - "we have a visitor", "Shut up, Kody", "I want to go out and it's urgent!", "My water bowl is empty", etc, etc. Kody is less talkative (except for the visitors [known vs unknown] or passers-by barks) but we are learning his language slowly - with him it's more body language and eye contact LOL

I'm assuming it's a given that the funny-farm applicants will be able to bring their dogs with them?

Fran in S'Oz
(Where it got to 0 deg C two nights in a row this week and it's only the beginning of winter!)

book me a double room

Please book me a room with a view.
DH might object, but I guess I'd have to take him with me. That would solve the moving issue.
Sara -in Fla. where the 98degree temps are, and we are having thunder storms now

Make that a block- booking Rosey...

There are many of us who spend time talking to our animals ! Why not ? They listen to us, do as they are told (?) are responsive, always pleased to have our attention, devoted to us and loyal... I could go on...
Thank you for posting that lovely photo of your beautiful Ceilidh. How touching to hear of Hope's response to Mary this week. Holly is at her most talkative when she sees our neighbours car approaching, she knows that her Beagle friend Gemma, will be coming here for a play- day...

A beautiful morning here but certainly very nippy. Heavy frost last night but the Alps look spectacular and we will have a day of sunshine and clear blue skies. DH has gone off to play golf and I intend to get my spinning wheel out and find a sunny spot to sit in while I spin some wool... I need another home-spun jersey, they are so warm and light and perfect for wearing on long walks when you want warmth but not weight.

It's been a busy week so I'm pleased to be home today.

Jane, I'm so pleased that Shadow has picked up a bit, you'll enjoy this extra time with her. Those of us who live on rural properties and a long way away from our children, share similar problems... Too many difficult decisions and all at a time in life when we just want an easy ride !

Bee, if you think it's cold in Auckland you should try a week down here... !! Auckland is often a full 10degs warmer than Canterbury. I keep an eye on the temperatures because we have family up there and they are always complaining about the cold ! They need to harden
up !. Sounds as if Gus has stepped up the pecking order ! I'm sure we'd all love to see a photo of him one day ! He sounds a real character.

Marion.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

It worked


I'm always amazed when I remember how to upload a picture. This is my screensaver. This is Ceilidh; her sister Hope on the floor beside her. She was a pretty girl.

Rosey

Rosey and Jane

make that a room for three, my lot talk all the time specially the old cat . He chirps and carries on all the time and Gus is positive he now belongs to me and snuffles and snorts and yips to tell me all sorts of things. I have one particular friend who thinks I am potty to talk to my lot . while I always feel I get a better answer than the supposedly real people.Hugs for now I have to get the quilt show's quilts velcro backing done. What a stupid idea costs a lot and then as we only have to use one side what the #@$# do we do with what is over? Bye for now, Beeeeeeeee in a cold NZ

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

OF COURSE THEY CAN

ROSEY, make that a double room at the funny farm. They just don't use the same language you and I do but those of us who live with them day in and day out learn to understand most of what they have to say.

Shadow is doing quite well. The shot she received a week ago for gastric pain is still in effect and she's quite herself. Apparently the shot can be administered several more times so I guess she's going to be with me for a while longer until it is no longer possible to make her comfortable.

Right now sewing has taken a back seat to preparation for the long drive to visit childhood friend Julie in northwestern NJ on the way to Rochester for the graduation festivities for DGSs. One of them called to say that they've reserved that weekend to spend some unhurried time with Grannie. Oh how I love those kids and wish there weren't 900 miles separating us. I just can't afford to give my current place away and that's what I would have to do to make a move before the real estate market picks up again. Besides, who knows where they will end up after college. Their sister is just three years behind them so she will be off into the big wide world before we know it. Considering taxes up there I probably couldn't afford to make that move even if the real estate market were to improve. Oh well, I will cherish the time we do have together.

Hope you are preparing your entries to my guild's show in August. Even more so, for the NC symposium hosted by the guild in 2012 at Western Carolina University, about twelve miles from here. Better yet, hope some of you will come here for that event with great teachers, accommodations at the university, great exhibits including the university's collection of vintage Appalachian quilts all snuggled here in the glorious southern Appalachians. Check out the website at http://www.smokymtnquilters.org/ for information and entry forms etc.

Jane

Only for dog lovers

I can assure you that while the Wild Hungarian Gypsy does make an appearance every once in awhile and you might question the fact that I am quite sane, sensible and mentally in a reasonable state of mind, which I'm sure will create a great guffaw for Hope & Ceilidh's breeder up there on Wainman Line when this posting is forwarded on to her courtesy of her snoop here on the board. Mary came today. Mary helps me out with the cleaning here every two weeks and has been with us for years. She has not been here since Ceilidh died on May 24th due to a sore shoulder. Mary is our dog's favorite person. She shares her lunch with them. This morning, when Mary came in the door, Hope, who never 'talks', talked to Mary this morning making little noises in the back of her throat and carried on a quite expressive up and down tonal conversation with her. Hope is Ceilidh's sister and she had a lot to say, apparently. Mary and I both had the feeling that she was trying to tell her that Ceilidh had died and that she misses her very much.

There, you can assign me a bed in the funny farm. I believe dogs can talk...lol.

Rosey

Monday, June 14, 2010

Dogs, and back home

It seems that dogs and moving are topics we can all relate to.
Pumpkin and Polly did very well on our trip to and from So. Fla. My Mom is only 92, not 93 as I was saying--oops. She actually seems better now than a few months ago when I saw her. She reads the local paper every morning, is very interested in politics, and wants to know what's going on in the world.
She has a hard time getting around in her little house with the walker, too many angles and hallways, but is otherwise OK. My brother does an outstanding job of taking care of her.
About 10 min. after we arrived back home DH opened the front door to go to the neighbor's to get the mail, and dogs took off down the road, out on the big road, and ran up and down for about 10 min. I mean they RAN-guess they were making up for the time in the car. DH ran after them, I got the leashes, ran down to the road (in my slippers) and they both went the opposite way-I motioned to a pick up truck that was driving by to slow down. It is a curvy road, and the speed limit is 30, he went about 20 feet, saw the 2 dogs and stoped to get out and help.
He caught Pumpkin-the Alpha dog-- and I called Polly and she came to me.
Whew! Too much excitement after a long, hot drive.
I'm thankful that the truck did stop, mostly friendly people around here, and I've found that with 2 dogs there is almost an instant connection with other dog owners.
Moving--This is a spread out city--supposed to be the largest city in land east of the Mississippi.
Generally devided into 4 parts--the Beaches area--north, south, and the "westside".
The beaches area has a branch of the big downtown hospital Baptist Beaches, and the main hospital is actually Baptist South. There are 3 or 4 other large hospitals also.
It is a 30 min. drive from our house to the beach. Yes, city traffic. I could not relate to living in a vast area of the country like my DD is now in.
If I were really rich I'd have a place close to the area where Jane lives. I love the NC mountains.
And a place here at or near the beach, for the winter time.
Alas, unless I win the lottery it won't happen. Since I don't buy lottery tickets the chances of that are 0.
Friday is quilty morning at the beaches guild. --I'm calling it my support group, as in " I have support group on Friday morning, don't want to miss it". Will make appt. with real estate person to see a larger condo. in a building there I like. Maybe 1:00ish.
ROSY-I think that owning and running a B & B is lots of hard work. I love to stay in them, and have seen all types. The ones in St. Augustine (think there are about 30 in the historic area) change hands often. People think it is a fun, romantic idea, but it's lots of cleaning and washing, and so on. Two to three years is all most people do.
We plan on going to Peace gardens-DD is planing our vacation-on the border of ND and Manitoba, Canada. Do you know it?
OK, it's now 7:35 and I must get dressed and go for morning walk.
Sara in Fla. --going to be 95 today, as was yesterday

Descrambled today

Most people in the B&B business don't stay in it for more than ten or twelve years; five or seven at most in year-round tourist destinations. I've been in it for eighteen years but not in a year-round situation, thank heavens. Getting over-stressed is likely the first sign that I'm getting to the point where I might consider not doing it. But, what would I do with my time. I don't sit down easily. And, I would miss the interaction with guests. No doubt about that.

Yesterday was a scramble. Without the thought of back-up here, as sometimes happens, it becomes difficult when something extra lands in on me. So, I did an edit and removed my post and thank you Marion, yes, I was stressed yesterday. My fellow volunteer is in hospital; I'm in charge of feeding his cat and my supervisor is taking over for me today. She spent most of yesterday at the hospital with our friend and volunteer who has been with Telecheck from the beginning and who instigated the programme after his wife died and he had five cats to care for without back-up family support. This is a wonderful programme run by volunteers with one paid supervisor...a very economic programme for a town or city to have in place for seniors with no cost to them involved. We have intervened in a number of crises and so far, only lost two on my Monday shift.

Today is another day. My two guests who have been here the week, leave this afternoon for the airport and return to Italy. They have been delightful guests. The gentleman is an International horseman and competitor.

Another drizzly day but the sky is clearing to the north. There may be hope yet for my laundry on the line.

Rosey