Harley Has No Worries

This is the little man in a very very relaxed position. Did he get tired while playing with the ball? or did Bug plop it there hoping he would take the bait? 

Ollie Ollie Ollie

Ollie is a 1-1/2 year old long legged Schnauzer. He is nosy and energetic. Whoever owned him before didn't do right by him and corral some of that energy into some obedience training. He definitely needs to learn some manners.

He's a sweet love of a boy that was found on the street by Animal Control. Although he was matted in his furnishings, his back was short enough to show that he had been groomed just a few weeks ago. He was at the pound for the required week and when his death date came up, they held him for 3 more days until we could pick him up because the workers there thought he was such a great dog. I am surprised that no one came to claim him. Maybe he traveled from a town nearby and the owners didn't think to call around to any distance. Ollie got lucky that he was captured by a soft heart. One of the ACO's wanted to keep him, but as a typical ACO or dog rescuer story goes....she already has too many dogs.

He will be put up on the website and I'm sure he will be a quick placement. Cuteness, sweetness, young and dog friendly -- that's what people look for.

UPDATE: Ollie was adopted on Oct. 22 and is now being spoiled as the only dog in the house.

Orange Makes Me Happy

Were you able to accomplish something this week that you've been putting off? 

Pam over at RetroRenovation is having a weekly 'stop procrastinating party.' Well, she doesn't call it that but that's how I feel about it. Celebrations of chores done that have been put off in the house. Trim not all up on that re-do? Room not painted yet and it's been 3 years of planning? Details in kitchen cabinetry not complete? Just plain clutter that needs to be organized? Get inspired and tell us about it. It's really a great way to get your butt kicked and get going -- it is for me anyway. 

This week I painted my front door and storm door. Last week it was the 'getting out' of the sewing machine. The door was white and boring and banged up, I'd been planning a repaint since moving in 7 years ago and finally took the bull by the horns, mixed an orange color that was in my head and put brush to door. I figured with the weather now getting cooler my chances of getting it done would be limited and I'd have to put it off until Spring. I was inspired by Kate painting her door last week and said to myself, "Just Do It" and do it I did. With family in from Wisconsin for the latter half of the week to attend a wake and funeral, this is about all I accomplished. But the list is long and I'm hoping to be able to get more done next week. I'm good with deadlines so this is working for me and besides, it's more fun knowing you're in the company of others also wanting to cross things off the list. 

A Good Dog Story -- NOT

I just picked up Teddy and Rex from my partner Shelly. She is going away for the weekend so I am dog sitting the two fosters she has. Teddy is great in the car so I didn't crate him. Rex gets motion sickness so I did crate him.

I had my boyfriend's car. 

I'm driving home, which is about a half hour or so from where Shelly and I met to exchange the dogs. All is well. I thought maybe Rex was shaking but I couldn't see him. (It ends up he just slept and didn't puke) Teddy was being a good boy and was laying on the back seat. He had bunched up the toweling I had on the seat for him prior to take off and he was all comfy.

Until he threw up on the seat. A LOT.

Did I mention it's my boyfriend's car? 

I pulled over and cleaned it up as best I could. I had thought I would clean the upholstery in the car this weekend if I had some extra time...extra time has now been made. 

We continue on. After a few minutes I see Teddy is restless. I'm on the highway. Teddy is restless. If you are a dog owner you know what this means, don't you? He's either going to throw up again, pee or poop. 

I looked back and he was squatting. I could only imagine that he was peeing because Shelly told me he is a squatter. Then the truth was known. He took a big nicely formed but, of course, soft enough to stick to the upholstery, shit. I was on the highway. I could not pull over.  I start my rant. Not yelling at him, more just blurting out one of my favorite sayings. "OH MY ACHING ASS" then added, "REALLY?" "YOU'RE KIDDING ME!" I think I said it four or five times with grunts and groans in there. I was dying inside. 

Did I mention it's my boyfriend's car? 

It stunk. He felt bad, tried to avoid the pile which I thought he was successful at, but quick backward glances don't always tell the truth. I was afraid he might step or sit in it so I called him to the front seat. BIG MISTAKE. Shit was on his foot and it smeared on the side of the passenger seat, then it smeared on the seat itself as he was making himself comfortable. I told him to just sit. Please, just sit. And, because he has been trained well by his former owner, that's what he did. I could see poop had gotten onto his foot, between his toes and stuck to his fur. NICE. 

Needless to say, when I got home the scrubbing began. If it wasn't raining in these parts, the upholstery cleaner would have been pulled out and put to work. Instead, hot soapy water was put into action with baking soda piled onto the wet spots. 

I told you it's my boyfriend's car, right?

Add insult to injury, I'm trying to get the toweling, a couple small bags of leftovers, the bucket and my mail into the house. A towel falls, I bend over to pick it up and the shit water spills down my thigh. Oh my aching ass. 

UPDATE: Teddy was adopted Oct. 15 and has a new older canine sister Schnauzer, Stella.

Anne Taintor Makes Cocktails

My friend Pam of RetroRenovation is having a giveaway. Anne Taintor has published a cocktail book, Pam interviewed her and is giving a copy away. Anne's captions are cheeky, clever and a lot of fun. I'm sure this book will give smiles whether there is imbibing or not.

I found this big glass at a thrift store -- 25¢ -- SCORE! It held some good ice coffees and a few tasty cocktails, too, this summer at camp.

Skull-A-Day Sunday Simulacra

This past Sunday on the Skull-A-Day blog a photo I sent in was one of 3 photos of Simulacra. I found this 'skull' while in Nantucket on the back of an SUV.

Check out the photo of the wrench that was submitted. Very awesome.

Oh Brother!

I cleaned up and oiled this baby and now it's purring like a kitten.

I really like the color of this Vintage Brother Galaxie and wanted to keep it, but let it go, I did. It is now being appreciated by a sewer that likes the old machines, too, and with the color it is, it makes ya happy while sewing.

I got that one out the door and my friend calls and he has 3 machines for me -- a Singer 319w, a Singer 15 and a Singer Stylist 354 Free Arm. THEN on the way home from picking these up there was another Singer on the side of the road, and it just happen to fit with the others in my car. I couldn't say no to these vintage goodies. Oh crap, I just remembered, a couple days beforehand I bought a 501 Rocketeer. That one is a keeper, I think the 319w will be, too, I don't see 319's or much about them, but what I've read is all favorable. All these new pals need some TLC.

I found a blog as I was researching for parts and information and that person said they picked up one machine and the bug hit and now they have a collection of 40. I'm not up to 40....yet.

Harley's Leg Update

I took Harley to the surgeon's office today to confirm whether or not he will need to lose his leg. He does. He will have surgery on Thursday the 20th. It will put the rescue in the hole, (the estimate is around $2000) but it needs to be done and it wouldn't be right to try to wait longer.

He has a few sores on his leg from gnawing on it. Although it is covered most of the time so he doesn't do this, it started right after he got the cast off. I have tried all types of bandages to keep it clean and covered. He is so active that it either falls off or he pulls it off. I've put some darn good bandages on there, too, and they have come off. As soon as one does, he's chewing at the paw and the leg. This is not uncommon, if left to his own defenses he would probably chew it off just by instinct. He does not have feeling in most of the leg and it is in the way.

Although I think the spots look raw and sore and just plain horrible, Dr. Thompson thought his leg looked good. He had mentioned a couple weeks back that dogs will chew on their unfeeling limb. If he thought Harley's leg looked good, I can only imagine what he has seen come into his office.



He had a sock on for the office visit. Partly I wanted to keep it loose enough these past couple days to let some air get to it, and partly for the ease of removal for inspection. It came off a number of times and frustrated the crap out of me. After getting home I wrapped his leg in soft cloth and then duct taped it. I did this last week, too. It works, it doesn't fall off, he can move around, I put extra tape on the area that drags when he walks. He's happy, I'm happy.

Soon he will not have to bother with that lame leg and he will be even happier.

Boats and 9/11

This YouTube video was sent to me and has been sitting unopened in my inbox. I wasn't sure what it was about, I put off opening it. I had a few extra minutes this morning to watch it and I'm glad I did. I didn't watch the programs surrounding the anniversary date this year of 9/11. Although I honor those that were triumphant in the aid they gave and those that sacrificed their lives for others and feel sadness for the many lives lost, I didn't want to feel and relive the sorrow of that day and the days that followed.

I have not seen this video until now, maybe you have not either. We've all seen footage at Ground Zero, this is what happened on the edge of the island...it is a tribute to those that took the call no matter the risk and to those who were being rescued themselves, yet helped others along the way.

I think it will touch your heart, too.

Heidi Loves Strawberries

Back in January I did some small drawings and posted them here. I thought I might try to do one a day. I got bored. It didn't last that long. But one of the drawings I did was of Heidi, a foster dog that my partner had in her care and adopted out to a couple that had adopted Rudy from me a year and a half before. Terry contacted me after seeing the blog post with the illustration and asked if she could get a copy. I told her I could do an original and gave her some choices on how she'd like it done.

This illustration is what came out of my fingers. It became more involved and detailed than the original plan, but that is not new for me. I have the idea and the hands do what comes out of them. Terry had let me know that they discovered that Heidi loves strawberries, so I couldn't help but add them in, I created them in the shape of hearts to show her love for them and for her new owners. She gave this as a gift to her husband Frank for his birthday. I'm so happy that I was a part of their celebration of life with Heidi. Terry has sent us updates of her with pictures and she looks to be one silly girl, very happy in her new home.

Harley in the 'Man Chair'

Now I think I'll call it the 'Little Man' chair. He loves it there and who am I to argue? His cuteness allows certain things.