Friday, July 9, 2010

Ricky timms

If anyone is interested in Ricky Timms, Libby Leman, and Alec Anderson they are coming to Jacksonville in Jan. for a 2 day seminar.
I got on the web site, it looks like a lot of fun. Also a good time to get out of the snow and cold, if anyone is thinking about that in today's heat.
Sara in Fla.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Kit

will fly into Charlotte (allegedly) at 4:52 so I might spend the night in a motel. Hope she'll be content there because it will be quite late before I could leave her in the car in her familiar crate. I'll spent some cuddle time with her before I attempt that and will bring supper for me or get carry out. Breeder told me this evening when we spoke that he bathed her today but didn't brush her. He says her greatest pleasure is to be brushed and has been known to push other dogs aside as he brushed them. He suggested that's the way to get off to a good start with the bonding process. I've got the brush packed along with treats, food for her, collar with my name and tel. # in case she gets away from me, leash, whistle as he assures me she responds instantly to that and I know the commands he teaches and food and water bowls for her. Hmm, anything else I need? Oh yes, water for both of us is in refrigerator chilling and will go in a cooler tomorrow.

Good news from shoulder surgeon today. He's fairly convinced that my symptoms and xrays indicate an impingement from a bone spur and bursitis in bicep tendon so he gave me a shot of cortisone and a scrip for 6 weeks of physical therapy 3x/week. Only if I don't respond to that will he order an MRI to look at the rotator cuff. I'm tickled to think that I can probably avoid surgery but not about all that PT and time it takes to come and go. Oh, Jane, quitcher bitchen.

My very funny dog loving neighbor who has cared for Shadow so often suggested that I go ahead and get a rescue and name him/her Caboodle. so I'd have, you got it, Kit 'n Caboodle. I'm almost tempted. She cracks me up but her husband rolls his eyes when she gets naughty as only southern women can. They are both natives of SC. At least he didn't blush this time though. Nothing naughty about Caboodle.

Jane

"Enough said"

Lavinia, my heart went out to you when I read about having to give your BC away. They are a very special breed of dog; intelligent, focused, energetic and beautiful. I hope you will have another in your life, if you wish. BC's have many of the same traits as the Australian Shepherd breed although the Aussies are not as intense and are structurally a heavier boned breed. Please forgive me for being flippant, but I'd have been tempted to keep the dog......and I won't say more. Some dogs just leave a very big hole in your heart.

Doris, you are right about no air conditioning here in the house. I have fans for our bedrooms upstairs but generally speaking, we might only have three or four days of this type of heat in a summer. This year we're expected to have more of this week-long over 90 degree fahrenheit heat. We are well and truly into the dogdaze of summer. Hope and Geordie are lying about, exerting very little effort to go outside and I, who never lies down in the afternoon, did today and slept awhile. It's move and melt weather.

I'm looking forward to hearing about Jane's adventure to Charlotte and the new addition to her home.

Rosey

Touching Base

Touching base after not reading here for some time. Jane, I am so sorry about your loss, but glad you have found a companion to keep you company. When we moved up here from SE TN we had to find homes for our two dogs and I never got over adopting out my Border Collie. We have a dog now (rat terrier) and she's a good girl, but it seems my heart will always remain with the other one. My husband insisted on giving them away (I think he was jealous of the BC). He's the one who adopted the one we have now. Enuf said.

It is miserable here, the air quality is so bad from an inverted ozone layer that you cannot walk out of the house--you simply can't breathe. The heat haze is so thick it hides some of the mountains. Worst it has been since we moved to TN in '96. Added to that we are in drought mode as well (it has only rained in Bristol and north of I-81) despite clouds and wind, no rain. A man was hauling a trailer of hay and it caught fire on its own there on the highway.

Doing a little quilting, working on a couple of charity quilts requested by a distant relative out west, the group I mentioned earlier. I chose twins to make them for, and the top for the boy is finished (There's a Dog on My Quilt) and I'm working on the girl's (There are Cats on My Quilt).

Jane, I probably will come to the Asheville Show, have not been to any others this year. Keep me posted on when you are going. I was schedule for a bus trip to the Knoxville AQS thing, but decided to stay home. DH recently decided I should do (WE should do) the East TN quilt shop hop so we got away for two days and nights. No, I didn't win anything LOL. Received some nice goodies from the 14 shops.

My grandson in SC decided to join the Army's Airborne Rangers, it seems he's at the age where they can conquer the world. So have to visit them sometime soon, although as some others have said here, there doesn't seem to be just a quiet time to sit down and have a conversation.

That's about all that is going on here, (that's enough). Hugs to all. Lavinia

Ashville

Jane-thanks for the offer. Arn't you a bit of a drive to Ashville? I was thinking it was one or 2 hours away.
I'm calling the "Traveling Together, Inc. group that puts on the quilt show. They are in Clearwater, Fla. so they should be open by now.
Have a good drive to Charlotte today. It's supposed to be supper hot, so make sure your a/c is working!
I'll get back with you.
Sara in Fla.

ASHEVILLE

SARA, That class must be associated with the Asheville quilt show which is always the first weekend in August. It is always a spectacular show and worth hanging around for a couple of days. There's a guest room here and the price is right...FREE. You just have to put up with a guest room which is one of those places where everything that doesn't have a place in the house is residing and, of course, me and my beast.

LAVINIA, are you coming to the Asheville show? I'm going to try to make it but my guild's show is opening on the 17th so who knows? Of course all you folks who can make that one are more than welcome.

I'm picking up my new girl tomorrow afternoon in Charlotte. She will be on a nonstop flight from Cleveland so it's be pretty easy on her.

Jane

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Anyone going to Ashville, N.C. for Mary Stori's trip?

I am so tired of my own company! Have been surfing the internet for some type of quilt thing sometime soon, and found one in Ashville, N. C. on Aug. 5th. It's a "bit" expensive, but includes several tours in the N.C. area.
Anyone going?
We have just about given up on the condo at the beach idea. Everything is just so expensive,
we are not even in the ballpark.
Sara in Fla

dogs

Jane in NC - I know what you mean about Kit being an investment in your mental health. That's what Sophie is to mine, after losing Alex. I did not want a dog, but needed one to pull me out of my mild grief depression. It worked. She drives me crazy, but I'm not depressed anymore. LOL She's going to be a wonderful companion for you.

Rosey P - It's currently hotter in the New England states than it is here in Tennessee. You're probably suffering the peripheral effects of that heat wave. Our highs here are 96° F but at least the humidity is below 40%. That helps. A lot. I can't believe I've been out playing golf in this stuff. I found some electrolyte supplements at REI to add to the water I drink on the golf course - like Gatorade, but without the unnecessary sugar - and I think it has really helped me tolerate the heat. That and the nice breeze make it do-able. I am verrrry grateful for air-conditioning. Rosey, I know you're suffering with this heat--I recall that you don't have AC. It's not supposed to get that hot in Canada!

I got new glasses last week, and I think the prescription is too strong. Something is not right and they are driving me --and my eyes-- bonkers. Optometrist usually has to weaken the Rx for progressives, and I think this time he forgot. I'll be calling them later this week. Argh. My eyes are impossible.....

Hugs to everyone, stay cool and hydrated, and replace electrolyes!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I'm back

and now am on broadband. It took several days and two trips from a Tec. still not going , DD growled at me and told me she could fix it,and she did , clever girl. I was ready to throw all of the mess out the window, and return to snail mail. Jane, I didn't even get time to tell you how sorry I was and now you have Kit . She looks lovely and full of life. I love Springers but my garden is much too small for a busy dog. A friend of mine has Daisy about 12 months of pure energy. She has always had Springers so knows what to expect. Gus is becoming an older dog and enjoys his comfort, so is quite happy to rest on my bed in the sun. Lazy dog. I daren't join him or I would also fall asleep and then freeze all night when I couldn't sleep. Hugs from all of us Bee in NZ.

Columbia's Snow Fox

And what a beautiful name, Jane...and Kit she is. How wonderful to happen this quickly. It helps to put this energy out to the right places, at least it's out there and the timing was right for you both. I'll be excited to hear about Kit's arrival on Friday.

Marion, you are so right about the grandchildren growing up. Ours are into football practices, hockey schedules, hip hop dancing, karate, piano lessons and so on. When they were younger, I felt like a grandma should feel. Now, I sometimes feel shelved, put up there with a label that says: Grandma Rosey and that I am where my mother was years before. The wheel keeps turning.

It's so hot and humid here in Southern Ontario that to move, melts me. I was in our pool all afternoon yesterday but the chlorine isn't good for me..burns my skin. Still, it's a fair trade-off.

Rosey

Monday, July 5, 2010

Jane..

So pleased to hear that you have a solution to your empty nest already. Kit looks lovely and will be a great companion for you. Shadow will be a part of you forever, but I'm sure you and Kit will soon forge a fun relationship..

We once lost a very much loved Labrador . She died unexpectedly at the age of three , when we were overseas. We had left her with dog loving friends and they were devastated to find her warm but dead, one morning. Evidently she had had a heart attack. She had had a good day before retiring for the night. We felt sorry that they had to give us the news . It was very difficult to come home to a house without a dog. At first we couldn't even think of replacing her but then her breeder contacted us , saying that they had a bitch they no longer wanted to breed from (she was too much of a lounge lizard !)and would we like her ? So similar to your story Jane ! We payed for her to be spayed and collected her. From the start she seemed to know that she was onto a good thing ! She was such a good dog and gave us so much pleasure. I walked her for an hour each day, she loved all the country smells. She was with us until she died . She coped with the arrival of seven grandchildren in three and a half years, they climbed all over her, poked fingers in her ears , sat on her, stole her food and generally treated her like a large stuffed toy. She loved them all and only reluctantly and rarely , got up and walked away signaling that she had had enough. I am really hoping that Kit will give you as much pleasure, Jane.

Yes, sad but true, the older they get the less the grandchildren want to spend time with the "olds" . Makes me pleased that I spent so much time with them when they were little. Those days were magical, watching them learn to walk and talk and finding them so loving and easy to entertain. Seems a long time ago. Four of them are teenagers now and the other three aren't far behind..

Just made my lunch for tomorrows walk... I was hoping that it might be rained off but...no.. the weather has cleared.... (!)

Marion .

KIT IN ACTION



She's either about to flush a bird or is on a hot scent. You can see the reason for the name. I love her already.

Jane in NC

NEW FUR BABY

Thanks, Marion and all the other folks who have expressed condolences. What is it about quilters that makes so many of us pet lovers and so kind? Is it some genetic anomaly?

I have advised those of you for whom I have email addies that within hours of notifying the breeder from whom we bought Shadow of her death I had an amazing response. While it has been my intention to adopt a rescue from a local group that not only rescues but fosters and gets vet services for their rescues so in the adoption you get a healthy animal whose temperament is known. I did mention to the breeder (the only one I know and in whom I have complete confidence in his very careful breeding with temperament and good health at the top of his list along with great nose and desire to hunt) that he’d told me a number of years ago that when he retires a brood bitch after a fixed number of litters he has them spayed and sells them at a bargain rate to older hunters who want a more leisurely pace than a young dog would have. They are fully field trained meaning good voice and whistle control before he breeds any of his dogs. The person who receives the older bitch has to promise that she will be a house pet, get the chance to hunt and be part of the family. He told me that never once has anyone complained about the dog adapting to family life or that they had problems with children. That says so much for this breeder. I mentioned this in the email saying that if he has one in the next six months or so and doesn’t mind that I don’t hunt I hoped he contact me. Within hours his response came expressing condolences and then said “Boy are you in luck!” He has a 3.5 year old girl that developed a uterine infection that required her to be spayed a bit prematurely and that rather than trying to sell her he wanted me to have her simply in return for giving her a loving home. I’m so excited. He’s going to try to ship her to me on Friday and I’ll drive to Charlotte, NC to pick her up from her flight from Cleveland. She’s fully recovered from the surgery and having been taken from the kennel into his home for the recovery she never made a mess and didn’t take long to decide she liked to sit in his lap on the sofa. He predicts that by three weeks or so she will adapt to me and her new home. He also says that while she’s quite dominant unlike Shadow, she has never started a fight and loves people and children. She’s fine with other dogs but “doesn’t take any crap from other dogs”. Shadow spent a fair amount of time on her back in her early years. All she needed was a hard look from us to correct her. This girl is also fairly large for a bitch field bred Springer at 40 pounds. Shadow was never more than 32 pounds and was down to 26 when she died. Maybe now I will be able to look forward to coming home when I’ve been out. It’s been dreadful coming into this house.

Marion, you’ll find that the older the grandchildren get the less time they have for Granny. I was in NY for 4 days and had very little down time with them. It was party, party all weekend due to graduations and everyone including me had a wonderful time but almost no relaxed time together. I’m not sure but what those days are over. They need to earn every penny they can get to help defray huge college costs.

Haven’t done any quilting in two weeks and the quilt show will be here in six weeks so I’d better finish up a couple of UFOs so I have something to enter. We always have a silent auction featuring small wall quilts as a fund raiser for the guild and I promised to have a couple of those. After DD’s CA king which is still unfinished I long to make a few small things and will do so. I despair of having her quilt done for her anniversary in August so will put it aside and do some quick stuff.

I feel that I’m on the road to a certain level of recovery from the loss of Shadow. I had known for a long time this was coming. At least when dear old crazy Molly died I had a back up dog. I shed tears at many unexpected times for a year afterward remembering her but the whole house did not die with her. Now that there is no roommate here the house is not a home for me. The new dog is an investment in my own mental health. By the way, her call name is Kit and when I asked the breeder where that came from he said it is based on her registered name of Columbia’s Snow Fox and of course a baby fox is a kit. When I googled snow fox I found that some are all white and some are dramatically black and white which she is. I have a picture of her and I’ll try to post it.

Time for bed for this old granny.

Jane in NC

JAne.

So sorry to hear of your sadness. Cry all you want to. All of us who have loved and lost a valued pet will understand .

My computer has been malfunctioning lately. I feel, sort of, maybe, responsible... I tried to post some photos here last week and got into all sorts of trouble. Kept getting "your post has published successfully" messages but nothing appeared on the BB. !! Wonder what happened there ? I sometimes think I should stick to pen and paper !

We've had some very cold (for us !) frosty mornings lately, followed by some sunny days. DH and I spent one day driving around, looking for anything that may interest us, property wise.... returned home with a new appreciation of what we have and wondered why we would think of moving ..... !!!!

School holidays here so I will be keeping clear of the city "mauls" where the teenagers seem to congregate ! I had hoped that some or all of the grandchildren may have come down for a few days but DD#2 has them booked into various holiday activities up there . I suppose that gives her some time on her own, which is what she needs, so I hope that works out. We will go up and stay with them next month sometime.

Have a good day. It's overcast here this morning and looking like rain.
Marion.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy 4th of July

For all of us here in the USA, happy 4th of July! If the weather cooperates we are having a cook out and party tonight in the back yard. Bar-B-Q ribs, potato salad, cole slaw, corn on the grill, etc. And fireworks (maybe).
JANE-I'm so sorry for your loss. My "girls" keep me company, sometimes they are a pain in the neck--such as this morning at 3:00 when they wanted out-- but mostly they are loveable balls of fur.
Off to a shower, more coffee and church.
Sara in Fla.