Progressing

It's a wrap on the weekend again.  My migraine did not return and I was able to enjoy this nice sunny weekend.  What has been a rare treat lately - an entire rain-free weekend! 

I have even made some progress on the abstract flower rug.  I think I have passed the point where I usually give up so you might get to see an actual finish on this one someday!  In fact, I think my original idea has expanded a bit, but before I go into any of that detail here - lets wait until I get a little further along.  (Just in case)

Since relaxing was the theme of this weekend, I thought I would close this post with a picture of the Queen of Relaxation.  She works so hard all day, following the sun spots around the floor, stretched out on all her glory, basking in the heat.   It is exhausting work, or so she says.....

Can't you just hear what she is thinking?  "Mommy I'm tired, please rub my belly".  What a life!!

Look Ma, no hands!!

My Sweet little Millie - drinking from her water dish.  I am not holding her or the dish!

Success!  At last.   If you are not a regular reader you might wonder why this is such a huge deal.  I wrote about her little psycho spell here.

For the rest of you, I can hear the collective cheer - WOOHOO!  Millie is back to normal (or whatever normal is for a super spoiled fur baby)

A little crazy

It has been awhile since I posted about Miss Millie, or as she has been affectionately known as at home - - the psychotic little fur ball.

I guess that should give you a tiny clue that her "issues" have not been resolved.  All is not bleak. There has been some teeny tiny progress.

Remember how she suddenly wouldn't come to her mat beside the table?  Well, it took some time but I am pleased to say that now she is back to staying on the mat 95% of the time.  Besides, I think she figured out it is much harder to beg for food from across the kitchen. 

I wish I could say we have made the same amount of progress on the fear of the water dish issue.  When I say that I have tried "everything", I really mean it.  Including getting down on the floor on all fours, over the water dish and making fake slurping noises.   Yes, I did it.  I was desperate.   STOP laughing!!

I bought 3 different water dishes for her to try - stainless steel, colored plastic, and ceramic.  No dice.  I sat on the floor and held the dish in my hands.  She took a sip, jumped back.  I stirred the water with my finger.  Again, a sip then jump back. I moved the dish a foot to the left - she sipped.  A foot to the right - she sipped.  I cupped my hands and filled with water.  She drank.

Well, I'm not doing that everytime she needs a drink!  The next attemp was to hold her in one arm and the water dish in my other hand.  TaaDahh!  She drank so much I thought she might drown. But she would only do this for me - no one else.  This went on for a few weeks. 

The last week or so we are making a little more progress.  Now she will drink if I just place my hand under her chest while she drinks.  After a few slurps I am trying to remove my hand.  I think we are getting a few extra slurps in each day.  If things continue this way, we may just have this water dish thing licked soon.

See, I told you it was teeny tiny progress.  But it is a whole lot better than when she first started her little crazy spell.  It really is a good thing she is so cute.  I think I'll keep her despite her issues :)

Easter Bunny Humor?

An Easter Bunny with a sense of humor?  But somehow when I woke up this morning to discover the blanket of white snow left behind, I was not amused.

I thought the Easter Bunny would leave me a pile of chocolate goodies - NOT a chore to shovel. 

When I was a little girl it was tradition to get a new skipping rope along with the other goodies.  I think I looked forward to the new skipping rope almost as much as the chocolate and candy eggs.  (Well, almost)  You could hardly wait to get home from Church and change out of your fancy Easter clothes so you could go outside and play with the neighbor kids.  That skipping rope would have been a big disappointment this year.

OK, enough weather whining.  I did get some chocolate.  The bunny now has no ears.  Now it looks like a gopher.  In fact, I picked away at junk food all day.  When it was finally time for the big easter dinner, I wasn't hungry.  Nobody was.  Sigh......what a waste of several hours of preparation.

These are the eggs Mom painted and dipped at Alzheimers Day Care this week.  They always find the cutest little crafts for them to complete.

Now  I am ready to reveal the little projects I was making from the scrap basket.  I did actually manage to hook a bit today, in between snacking.  They are small lavender sachet pillows.

I shared all your birthday greetings with Millie.  I think she was quite pleased!  She got lots of extra treats and loving yesterday.  Well, she gets lots of loving everyday.  I don't know if you have noticed, but she is kind of spoiled :)

I hope you  all had a lovely Easter weekend.  I still have one more day of vacation tomorrow.  Yippee!

Still Relaxin'

So, it has been more of the same around here.  And by that I mean lovely, relaxing vacation days.  On Day 2 (Thursday) I dropped Mom off at the Alzheimers Day Care and Auntie and I went to a nearby City shopping.  We had a nice lunch together and we did buy a few little things - mostly new clothes for Mom.   We had a great day - just like old times.  We laughed and giggled as opposed to the caregivers stress fights we have been having lately.

Yesterday I made our traditional Good Friday brunch of Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon.  It is so good I didn't even care about the calorie or cholesterol count.  I could just eat that Hollandaise sauce with a spoon :)  Then the day was capped off with a little gathering of friends.  There were lots of laughs, a few inappropriate stories and a few beverages.  Perfect!

I am working on a few little projects using the bag of leftover wool strips.  It seems that bag of wool strips never goes down.  The strips multiply like rabbits (or Easter bunnies??)

The last thing I am going to share with you today is another milestone.  Miss Millie turns 10 years old today.  It seems like just yesterday she was a new puppy.

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby!



Could it be?

Is it possible that Spring is on the way?  It certainly felt like it today.   What a perfect day! 

Blue skies, sun, temps way above normal.  Snow was melting like crazy and I felt a little bit of Spring Fever creeping in.  You could almost smell the tulips.

That is the best thing about March - you get a few of these days that just make you happy and hopeful after a long winter.

A little update on Millie.  She is still acting crazy.  I did enjoy reading all your comments and suggestions.  I have tried all that and more.  It was also nice to hear that there are other eccentric, spoiled fur babies out there.    We get a few seconds of progress and then immediately back to crazy town.   I just thought.....maybe she has Spring Fever too.

I finished the little Believe mat tonight.  All hooked, whipped and ready to be delivered tomorrow.

I'm sure I had more things to tell you but I seem to having a mental block right now.  Maybe something blog worthy will happen tomorrow.

Four pounds of crazy

Yes, Miss Millie is still crazy.  I am baffled. 

She looks so sweet and innocent but don't be fooled - this tiny little fur ball has some issues. 

She continues to be "afraid" of the kitchen.  I have washed her mat, replaced it with a new one, and even lined a path through the kitchen with treats.  Nothing works.

I'm not sure why this new little quirk is so disturbing to me, because Millie has always had her share of "odd" behaviors.

- She has always refused to eat her food from a dish. It "must" be placed in a little pile on the floor.  When the pile is gone she lays in front of her full dish and barks or growls until I take a handful  out and put it on the floor.

- She must have an optimal number of lumps on her blankets before laying down.  Smooth blankets are a no no. 

- She will not lay in her bed if a toy is in there.  She will bark until we remove the toy and then she goes in her bed.

- She will go up and down stairs up to 4.  Any number beyond 4 and forget it.  You must carry her.

- She will not "allow" people to nap in the living room.  She will bark and scratch at your arm to wake you up.

- When you enter my house Millie must be greeted first and quickly. If you take too long taking off your boots etc and don't stop at the end of the sofa to give her a little pet, she will hold a grudge.   She actually will turn her back to you and bury her head.  I am NOT KIDDING HERE. 

Believe it or not, this is just a small sampling of her unique personality.  But how can you not love her anyways??

I think I need the services of a doggie psychiatrist before Millie makes me CRAZY.

Merry Christmas

Merry  Christmas

from our house to yours

Trick or Treat

Hi everyone, it's me - - - Millie

My Momma dressed me all up today.   Don't I look pretty ??

Hmmm, wait a second - - I remember this orange dress

Gasp . . . . . I only wear it once a year . . .

It's that terrible night when creepy looking people bang on

the door for hours . . . .

Oh no - I'm gonna get a sore throat from all the barking I will have to do.

And even worse than all the banging and barking . . . .

Mommy gives treats away to all the little beggers

Hmmm, she always told me it was impolite to beg . . .

What's up with that, huh ??

Oh, Momma says to say . . .

P.S.  I hope no clowns come to the door or Momma's gonna freak



Time to fish or cut bait

I think I am at a crossroads with my rug hooking.  I can't seem to get going again. 

Things got busy and crazy around here and the hooking got pushed to the side for a few weeks.  Then another week passed and now it has been almost a month. 

I promised myself yesterday that I was going to work on the rug last night.   Didn't happen. 

I now am of the opinion that the problem is this particular rug.  It is too large and even when I hooked on it for an hour or so, it still looked like I had done nothing.    So today I debated my options.  For awhile I considered tweeking it to see if I could just finish half but that doesn't seem like it will work.

I still like the idea of the rug, but I just don't want to work on it now.  So I think I will just put it away.  I feel like working on a small something so I can feel like I am accomplishing.  The final result - I'm going to cut bait on this project.

I am willing to bet that in the middle of winter I will want to hook again with all these warm colors.

Today is was pouring rain and very chilly.  I couldn't seem to get warm today.  And poor little Millie actually had to be thrown outside.  She hates to get wet, so as soon as I open the door and it is raining, she tries to run back inside. 

She got soaked.  And then she got crabby.  And then she got spoiled.

Awww, how cute is she ??

The Switch

This is one of last Fall's photos.  It has nothing to do with this post, but I didn't want to do a pic-less post.

Today was the traditional "switch" day.  It was time to switch out the seasonal clothes.

What a mess for awhile. Mountains of clothes piled up on the floors of all the bedrooms.  The washer and dryer were thumping since early morning.

All the cute shorts and T shirts are history for now and all the cozy, comfy sweaters are back on the shelves.

We kept busy all day and had leftovers to eat so it was nice not to have to cook - just microwave. 

Miss Millie was back to herself this morning, running around and begging for treats.   I think the sneaky culprits have learned their lesson about being too generous under the table.  There were quite a few barks, snorts and growls of protest during supper.  Millie is so funny when she is ticked off.  She is one little ball of attitude.

It's back to work tomorrow.  It is always so hard to get going the morning after a long weekend.

Put on your big girl panties......

No matter how much you love your job, there are always some parts of it that are less than pleasant. 
And of course, human nature being what it is, we always put off, delay, procrastinate those little chores that we dislike.

Well, I couldn't put this particular part of my job off any longer.  Uhmm, well I could have but then I would have ended up on the shit list at work - and nobody wants to get on that list!

Somedays you just gotta put on your big girl panties and deal with it !!

So that's what I did.  I put on a nice crisp white shirt (to look professional), a little extra make-up (to distract), some high heel shoes (to click when I walk in), and my big metal cuff bracelet (because it always makes me feel like Wonder Woman)

Now that's over with for awhile.  Phew!     I wasn't the only one who had to put her big girl panties on today.  Miss Millie had an appointment at the groomers.  She was looking awfully shaggy last night in the photo. 

Here she is again -- all pretty and waiting for her treats for being such a good girl.

That is her serious "GIVE ME A TREAT" face.   

  There was a treat on the end of my fingers a split second before the camera shutter clicked.  She swooped in a snatched it that quick. 

Ahhh, tomorrow - mid week.  Also the monthly management meeting.  Think of me tomorrow - I may need to find a 2nd pair of those special undies !  I do not look forward to these meetings.

Too cold for May

It is just not right that you still need a sweatshirt in the afternoon of late May.  There is just something wrong about the whole thing.

Gardens and flowers are about a month behind here.  And the scattered few hours of sunshine this month are just not enough.  I am hoping that the month of June will make up for it.

This morning I spent a little me time.  I had to drive to Parrsboro again.  Last weekend we were there and did a little shopping.  When we arrived home one of the necklaces I bought was not in the bag.  I called the store and she put it aside for me.  So this morning, I went to pick it up.  Even though it was grey and drizzly I did enjoy the drive and having a few hours alone with my thoughts.

And last night I finally started my new hooking project.  I have my mojo back.  Last week I felt like I was spinning but a few hours alone today has me centered again. 

You didn't think I was going to show you the whole thing all at once did you??  That would ruin the surprise.  And it might be a big surprise for all of us because I am going outside my color comfort zone.  I'm winging it.   

Millie hasn't made an appearance here for awhile.  She was polite enough to interrupt her nap to give you a little hello.

One last thought - I am impressed with the dedication and persistence of the blog community.  So many have found creative ways to continue communicating despite the tech issues with blogger.  There are several different hints out there for finding ways around the problems.   Maybe some of us should work for blogger - maybe the problem would be fixed by now!

Now it's official

Even though the calendar  said that Spring was here several weeks ago, there were very few visible signs around here.

Maybe it's my old fashioned tradition, but it seems like Spring isn't official until Easter arrives.  And the weekend didn't disappoint - beautiful spring weather -- it was no jackets and flip flops.  It wasn't just me either ~ the neighborhood was full of kids of bicycles and the occasional road hockey game broke out.

And the buds have finally finally started to appear.  I know that this may seem like not much to many of you in warmer climates but around here (after the looong winter) this IS a happy sign.

And the tulips in the front yard actually have a flower head now.   So in a few weeks I will see color.

Speaking of color, you know I have mentioned that I want to have a bunch of dwarf sunflowers in my backyard this year.  I should mention that I do not have a green thumb.  I have killed just about everything I have ever tried to grow.  Two years ago I planted a lovely snowball bush.  It was doing great and I thought the curse was over.  All of a sudden for no reason it just died.   My family actually suggested that it committed suicide to avoid my killing it.  Can you imagine??  What a family, eh.......Lol

Anyway, back to the sunflowers.  Today I bought some fiber pots and planted some seeds to get them started inside.

I think I'll post regular updates.  I don't know why I am so optimistic.  It is highly likely that nothing will happen.   And I am ridiculously impatient.  I know that tomorrow morning I will look - hoping to see a sprout.   See.....this is why I don't garden.

One last sign of Spring - Millie went missing for a short while today.  This is where I found her.

She goes to what ever room has the largest sun spot of the floor.  When the sun moves, so does she.  She is a bit annoyed that I temporarily blocked her sun to take the photo.

Thanks for your comments and advice on the bird houses.   My problem is I love them both but I have to gift one of them.  I think I will keep the red one and hope that Donnie makes lots more next winter and I will get myself another one.  (or two)

Back to the grind tomorrow. (sigh)

Hooker's Crack ??

Got your attention, didn't I......

I should state right off the top that the title of this post should

not be comfused with something

like "Plumber's crack"

Ewwwww !

Have you figured out what "Hooker's Crack" is yet ??

WOOL

Yesterday while talking to a friend, the accountant called to say our taxes were done.  

And yes, there is a refund !

So then he says "Wow, you can buy a lot of Hooker's Crack with that".  (he meant wool people...)

I thought it was too funny because just like that other nasty illegal crack, we hookers get addicted to wool.  We can't get enough of it.  No stash is ever complete.

(As I re-read this post, I should note that I doubt anyone has ever gotten addicted to plumbers crack.....just saying)

Its TGIF and I'm feeling a little silly.  On another note, yesterday was Millie's 9th birthday. 

My Summer Field

Last night was the final session of a 4 week workshop I attended at Deanne Fitzpatrick's Rug Hooking Studio.  There were 10 of us in the class and each week we worked away on hooking a landscape field.

It was a lot of fun and I am sad to see it end.  And naturally, it was the last week that this group of strangers kind of loosened up and got to know each other a little better, as opposed to hooking like demons.  Each week was full of laughs and chatter but we seemed to gel as a group more that last session.

So, here is the finished rug - my version of a summer field.  (If it doesn't look like a field to you, then feel free to consider it an abstract)  LOL

This was a big stretch for me - being so free with colors.  But it was so much fun and liberating to just free-style with no color planning.  As with most photos of rugs, the colors look a little off here.   I'm pleased with it and now I'm thinking maybe I would like to do a larger abstract piece soon.

I had to include this picture of Millie who got tired out waiting for me to finish binding this rug.  Isn't she sweet?

Happy things

Despite a few bumps in the road this week, there have been lots of happy things to report.  One of those things is all of you.  Your comments and emails have been wonderful and it reminds me of how important friends are - near or far. 

Another happy thing is looking out the upstairs windows onto a bare (almost) snow free roof.  It may not seem like much but it really made me happy.  And I hope I don't jinx it - but it hasn't snowed a flake since Tuesday.  That makes me REALLY happy!

Then a family friend arrived at the door with a beautiful bouquet of pink tulips.  So springy and cheery.  I keep them on the kitchen table so they are the first thing I see when I walk in the door.

And last night was the event in honor of my friend who died of cancer.  His sister organizes the event to raise money for the Palliative Care unit at the hospital.  Last night over $4500 was raised and I am thrilled to say my hooked rug donation to the silent auction raised $205.   The only other thing at the auction that raised more money was a hockey jersey actually worn and signed by Sidney Crosby.  So considered the hockey fans around here I am very pleased.

I am also happy that Mom's swelling is down a bit more.  Still not back to normal but it isn't getting any worse so that's great! 

And no post on happiness would be complete without a  mention of sweet Millie.  She always makes me happy.

I hope you are all having a happy day too.

Kissing Cousins and big news on the horizon

Sunday we had company. (Yeah, what else is new right!)  My Mom's cousin and his wife arrived.  The wife is at least 10 years younger than Mom and has Alzheimers also.  Last year Bob had to place her in a nursing home but whenever he can, he takes her out for the day.  They live about an hour away so it is a nice little drive for them.  Before Dianne got sick she used to visit us every other weekend. 

They brought their little Yorkie JD with them Sunday.  He is a real charmer.  Meet Millie's cousin JD

We thought they would become great little playmates because they are almost the same size.  But then JD made his first mistake.   He grabbed Millie's snowman toy.

Oh oh!  The second mistake was when he jumped up on my lap and cuddled up.  Whoa!!  Princess Spoiled was NOT happy.  That was it.  She decided that this little intruder had to go!

JD tried his hardest to make amends, offering up a wet sloppy kiss.   Needless to say, he was turned down flat!

This last photo says it all.  "Mommy, how could you allow this travesty to go on in my house?"

BIG NEWS:  Well, actually this is just a little teaser but keep your eye out at the end of the week for a Fabulous Giveaway Announcement.  

I am very excited about it and am just finalizing a few details.