YOW!!

How is it mid August already?!

I have rocked this summer with all I've had...I've been outdoors daily. I rarely use the AC. Crazy, I know. But the last two winters here have been so long and awful, that I must have open windows and stagnant and humid (if not fresh!) air!!

Curtis says hello. He's 3 years old now!

He loves: Car rides, multiple walks per day. Treats. Yelling at people who walk by our house....and US!


We also have a new sibling for Curtis..Miss Paisley. She's a rescue dog from West Virginia. You can take me out of the south (I lived in Tennessee for two years) but you can't stop me from going back AND gathering  new family members!!

Here she is! In a dream I didn't think possible, we managed to find ourselves ANOTHER labraweinie!! She is 2 1/2 yet she seems to act as Curtis' older sister. Very loving. She cuddles and kisses 24/7. Loves blueberries, squirrel patrol and oddly...red gingham! On this day, she said she was going for "Full Barbecue Regalia" as she searched through my fabrics. I couldn't say no!


This is true of both of our kids. Thank God for the barking. It is probably all that has kept us from being murdered over the past few months.

Finally..my sweet friend Tina from What We Keep blog (also known as TOT) sent me this a few months back and I LOVE it:

A great reminder! I love her embroidery. I honestly didn't think I liked embroidery anymore until I've had the good fortune of owning some of her lovely creations.  http://www.tinacarlson.com/

And..I'm off! The nice weather is calling...I believe there's another iced mocha to be had, a Better Homes and Gardens to peruse and then..back to work!

Rock This Wednesday!
xo~

T

Rest in Peace, Daisy May.

Hello Friends!

It's hard to explain where you've been when you've been gone for so long.


We lost our sweet girl Daisy in November. Just a few days before Thanksgiving.

Needless to say, I didn't feel very celebratory for the whole holiday season. I mostly sat it out. I got sick around Christmas. The season was a bust. Daisy was 13 1/2. She was like our child. A family member. Very loved and cherished. I'm SO glad we spent the summer just hanging out with her. We bought her a pool after I saw a lady with a disabled dog use it for therapy.

We put it up and she didn't stay out of the pool from June-September. She swam every day. Always clockwise. Never counterclockwise. It was hilarious. This is my nephew Emerson pretending to drown my husband Brad. Why this is funny? Daisy didn't care what was going on! She'd only growl when they got in the way of her laps.

She was old and had arthritis and joint pain (sidebar: Cosequin works like MAGIC for that in older dogs. After a month on it, she was running again.) and the pool was good for her. She lost a few pounds after a summer of swimming!

"You're in my way, Dad!"

It's hard to look at these photos without feeling incredibly sad. I can't believe she's no longer here although obviously..she hasn't been here since November.  I take solace in the fact that she had a very good life and was healthy until the last few months. I'm also SO glad I stayed off of the computer for the summer and LIVED life with her. She had lots of walks, swimming and she loved smelling flowers in the yard.

This was her favorite spot to hang out. I truly believe she thought "I could watch my Dad work ALL day!" That's where her pool was in the back (large, round, dead-of-grass area). We took it down because she had a bad rash that would not go away (not due to the swimming pool but an autoimmune disorder that she had.) Look at those cute spots!

She had the softest fur. My best friend said she looked like she should be in a shampoo commercial. AGREED! I loved to kiss her head and it always smelled faintly of fruit. How is that possible?

Going out on the flower walk with her sidekick, Curtis. This is sweet because as she aged, he became her eyes and ears.

Making the rounds. She's buried back here as it was her favorite spot. Peonies and sedum bloom here and we'll add some daisies and other plants here soon.

Regardless of how warm it was, she was chilly after her swimming. We'd dry her off and get her cozy and she'd spend a few hours napping.

He misses his sister, but is well overall. The saddest part (and there were many that were devastating) was when we buried her in the backyard (with her favorite toys, blanket and some gifts from Emerson, our nephew and the only child she ever loved.) and Curtis tried digging and then sat there crying. It was heartbreaking.



So...this is where I've been. I don't want to be a bummer, but I want to honor her life. She was here. She mattered. She is still loved. And she's so very missed.

She also always believed she was a "fall" as far as colors!

She loved:
Us
Curtis
Emerson
Carob cookies (dog kind. Found at Petco)
Vanilla sandwich cookies (dog kind.)
Flowers
Swimming
Adhering to schedules

She HATED:
Doorbells
Commercials with doorbells (she'd freak out)
Most people. It seemed everyone was a stranger to her!
The word "Oof"


Rest in Peace and Love, Sweet Girl.

xxoo