Frankie Finds a Home

A couple came by this morning to meet Tink. I was excited for her, it sounded like it would be a perfect match. 

After all the dogs said hello to the couple (Ann and Alfred) and things started to settle down they took a seat and we started to chat. Frankie went over to Alfred for some petting and stayed there in a zone. Tink was being aloof. As we talked about the dogs they had in the past, Frank just sat there and Alfred chatted with him. Before you knew it, Frank was in Alfred's lap. Frank just stared at Alfred. Alfred looked back at him, continuing to stroke him and talk to him. They were so in love with each other, it emanated from each of them....and made me tear up it was sooooooo sweet. 

They had lost their dog of 15 years about a year ago and waited until Ann was ready to adopt again. Ann wanted to get a girl, she had great girls in the past and saw another in her life. Alfred didn't care of the sex, he just wanted a companion, a furry being to love and hang out with him in the yard while he works out there, a friend to accompany him to the campsite they go to, a traveler, a snuggler, a sidekick. It looked like Frank was up for the job. 

As Ann and I continued to talk, I sat down and as soon as I did, Tink landed herself on my lap and laid down, almost if to say, "sorry, I'm not going anywhere and you can't make me." 

I continued to talk to Ann about Tink and we both watched as Alfred and Frank made love to each other with their eyes. Jokingly Ann said that it looks like Frank should be the one going home with them. I had someone coming this weekend to meet Frank, and Tink would have settled in with them but I had to listen to the messages I was receiving from each of them. After finding out that they have a campsite, I told them they couldn't have Tink. She was too much of a high pitched barker. She'd be talking to everyone that went by. It's not fun to try to be peaceful at your site and hear a dog, especially one with a high pitch, barking away like she doesn't have a care in the world. Oh yeah, She doesn't have a care in the world!

Alfred had told Ann it was up to her because she wanted a female but the answer was sitting right in front of us. Ann said she wanted the dog to be her dog because the last one was more Alfred's. So Alfred handed Frank over to her and he sat on her lap giving her googly eyes. I said that he would be an equal lover to them both. The first dog they had in their lives was more Ann's and the second more Alfred's...well, the third would be loyal to each of them because he is a sponge for love and affection. 

This was so funny-- Tink wasn't paying them any mind until Ann had Frank in her lap. Tink jumped off me and onto the sofa to nudge and charm her way for Ann's touch. Frank had been straight in Ann's lap facing her....he got up, put his back to Tink, got in Tink's way and laid his head on Ann's chest giving her love eyes. You had to see how deliberate it was. He was staking his claim and no cute little female was going to get in the way. 

The whole experience was amazing to me. It just melded together. Frank knew he had to have these people. He looked back at me when he was in Alfred's lap again, and when they were getting ready to leave he 'front pawed' up onto my legs and looked at me with what looked like concern. I held his sweet face, looked him in the eyes and told him it was OK, that he would get lots of love and it was OK for him to go. With tears in my eyes I said goodbye. He is such a soul that touched my heart. I don't usually tear up when my fosters leave. 

Once that leash was on, he was ready to go, forward to the door, down the walkway and to the car, didn't have to ask him twice. 

He is going to be so spoiled, he won't know what hit him. This is the sweetness in the pie. He came feeling abandoned, had been the last to get attention in his former home, and the last years, which are still many to come, will be of pleasure, good treats and lots of love. 

I'll miss the boy....and this little girl here? she thinks she is home. I told her today someone will find her. She just looked at me as if to say, "no, I found you and here is where I will stay."

Slouch

Makes you wonder if she does anything else around here.

Old Postcards

These are so funny, produced by a paper company by the name of 'French' ...when were stamps 19¢?

these are also being offered on my ebay as a pack of 11 sets. I'll probably have to post all of them over time, I like the oddity, vintage advertising style and words, vintage comic flavor. 

A New Boy??

Nope, just one with a haircut.

how cute is he??? 

Frankie was so bouncy and proud this morning, I love it when dogs feel so good after they get a haircut.

This was him before his new 'do'....

See the difference in his eyes in this picture from when he first came here? in comparison to his eyes now? Yup, he's becoming more at ease, not worried, brighter, happy. 

Are Ya Comfy??

After an impromptu sleepover on makeshift beds...guess who thought the cushions and afghans were left there for them?

Yes, they have definitely made themselves at home! 

Dog Sitting Bella

Well, Bella came by for a few days of pouting visiting. 

The good girl that she is, she fell right in line with the other lazy bums....

Bella, ignoring me

My Hanzie, he's permanent, and oh what a poser!

Frank and Tink, foster dogs, loving the heat from the stove.

Tink gave her the 'what for' from the moment she walked in, Bella was not amused... 

oh my, Bella, what big white teeth you have. 

After she left, I spent almost 2 hours vacuuming up Black Lab fur. A reminder as to why I have non-shedding dogs. 

Different Day...

Same lazy dogs...a hot burning wood stove will do that.

You'd think Tink and Hanz were joined by their backs...she is often touching him somewhere. 

OH, OH, OH....A Thrifting We Will Go...

I dropped off some stuff at the thrift store and, of course, had to take a look around. I always go to the shelf unit that has fabric, and this was a good hit. Sometimes there's nothing, sometimes there's something...this was one of those times.

My eyes just glanced at this fabric rolled up and I KNEW IT WAS THE ONE, well, for now anyway...that I could put somewhere in my house. It's a heavier weight vintage decorator fabric. Unfortunately, only about 45" wide by 2.5' long. I think it will look great in my kitchen as a simple window treatment. I was trying to do something 'creative' on that window but there's not enough fabric for that to happen. It'll end up as a simple scrunched valance probably. This looks better in person because you can really "see" it. The larger of the flowers are about 5" and it's screen printed on a medium weight cotton canvas. 

then I found these diddies....

Mostly vintage. I debated whether or not to put the Cinderella novelty pattern on my ebay listings, it would make a cute backing for a baby quilt. I still might list it, who knows. I have so much fabric it's not like I don't have anything else for quilt backing. The stripey one is actually a pillowcase as well as the lime green leopard print, but hey, aren't pillowcases made to be cut up? 

I don't often peruse the needlework/craft booklet box but decided to and lookey what I found....2 booklets on Bargello. I really really like Bargello and hope to make a pillow sometime soon. 

Newly Listed

Been gettin' some of that decluttering done and loading up the ebay page...

....a mere sample

Today's Scene of Lazy

     Tinker, Hanz and Frank....like they have nothing better to do.

The New Kids

Someone was watching over me on the day that Angela took Lucy to the vet for to be euthanized so that my mind would not linger on the sorrowful event (although it still did and does) but it has been interrupted by these two little creatures.

Meet Tink, Tinker, or official name: Tinkerbell, age 3 1/2

She is so damn cute and her innocence is so apparent. She's a petite girl weighing maybe 14 pounds. She's happy and easy and a bit shy -- when someone comes into the house, she barks and runs and hides and barks while hiding in her crate.

She's so friggin' cute I could eat her up. She acclimated quickly and has made herself at home. She isn't showing any effects of the change in her life which is good in that a rehoming transition will work easily for her.

Then we have Frank, same day, different family. Age 7.

Frank also barks when meeting someone new that comes in, or someone he's met a few times, and he runs, but not too far because he's too curious, very cautious, but curious. Treats help, but he doesn't trust.

Unfortunately Frank is suffering from the change of life for him. You can see it in his eyes and in his actions. Trauma. There's a few dogs I've had this experience with and once you've gone through it with one, you quickly recognize it in another. You can see that he's not sure of why he is here. He NEEDS (he thinks) to be first for attention. He was the last one paid attention to apparently in his family of humans and 3 big dogs and one small dog. He's just dying to be loved, his eyes say it all. They are somewhat blank, hoping, wanting something. He's accepted me as his alpha human pretty quickly once he found that I'm the one that pets him, let's him out and gives him treats and food regularly. Once he gets used to someone new he is their best friend. Strong men with work boots for some dogs will throw them over the edge and Frank is no different. I am working on desensitizing him to this but he needs socialization and desensitization work to be carried on when he's adopted. Now, it's finding someone that understands this and carries through.

I have found that a lot of people don't want to work with a new dog, they just want it to plop into the family and have it be all peaches and cream. With some dogs, this is how it is. With most, especially rescue dogs that have feelings of abandonment, trauma of change, uncertainty of where it really belongs, there needs to be some work, consistency, obedience training, daily walks. All of this is helpful in bonding and creating a relationship where they understand that the humans are alpha. Problem is, many people don't want to be alpha, don't want to crate, don't want set limitations, don't want to ignore a dog that would have better behavior if often ignored. Many people adopt dogs for their own insecurities, or need for love. This messes a dog up. They don't understand. They need hierarchy and boundaries and rules.

When I tell people they need to ignore their dog, not pet it when it's asking for the attention, etc., they look at me like I'm crazy or they 'yes' me while in their heads they are saying "I can't do that" and then they have a dog that has separation anxiety, that's needy, that misbehaves. I always love it when someone says "oh, when I leave they poop on the rug because they're mad at me" No, the reality is that when you leave, the animal feels anxious and sometimes this results in peeing or pooping. Sometimes it results in chewing on the furniture, ripping apart a rug, tearing apart a shoe. It's anxiety, it's the dog not knowing it's place, it's a dog that needs some help in understanding because unlike us, they don't rationalize. They just ARE what they are feeling.

Wow. I don't know where all that came out of. The frustration, I guess, of people wanting a good animal but not willing to teach it how to be a good animal. The frustration of accepting some things about a dog's personality or quirkiness and not trying to change that aspect of it but to learn how to work with it. The frustration of knowing that Lucy needed understanding, diligent eye care, to be left alone because that is how she was comfortable and to not be forced to be a different dog than she was. An instance of me being "yessed" when inside they were saying, "um, that's a bit unrealistic" and look where it got her.

Yeah, I'm still not over it. It will take awhile because the whole thing was tragic and wrong and a waste. I'm very angry with it.

Then I get this boy, Frank, and see that he didn't get what he needed. That there was too much going on in that household for it to be noticed that he needed something different. Or, maybe people just don't notice, don't pay attention, want animals because they want to love them and be loved and it's just a 'thing' that can be tossed when it's no longer needed. When his owner drove away, there wasn't any sign of sadness or remorse, she actually joked about him needing a hair makeover. It was just one more thing to take care of doing. When two others were brought in together (each of these families are experiencing divorce) the woman that dropped them off was bawling her eyes out. Totally heartbroken that she could not keep her dogs due to her circumstances. I guess really it just goes to show how we are all different. I try not to judge, but like I said, this Lucy thing has me spinning.

so I should shut up now.

but here, you can enjoy a little play time because Tink and Frank became fast friends. Actually, it might be more that he likes the young girls! LOL

**ahhh, crap, the video disappeared.

What do you do on a snow day?

Lois decided since she was stuck inside doing Susie Homemaker tasks today that she'd top off the evening with putting on her frilly apron and pumps...and make meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas.