The Deed is Done

I took Venus back to her no kill shelter yesterday. Emma cried that she missed her snuggle-bug doggy and that she was a perfect dog for her.

For me it was finding the missing peices to a puzzle. The wonderful gal that runs Diamonds in the Ruff. Kennel 12-16 dogs in her house. Her heart is big for these big and mostly unwanted dogs. She desparately needs a true kennel where each individual dog has it its own running space and they can learn some training.

As it is now, the dogs all clammor at the back door and race into the house--Well no wonder Venus had no door manners and would jump and clamor and push her "pack" aside to gallop into the house!

It also explained why she had not clue on the leash! Lynda just doesn't have the time or space to work with this dogs to help them become more suitable for a family.

So with all the dogs running around, it really becomes a no-brainer as to why we saw such poor behavior from Venus.

Had she been about 6 inches smaller and 20 lbs less, we could have all figured it out.

So here is the $150.00 lessons that I learned.

Never sign a contract until you know you are keeping the dog...ask for "foster" status. If they say no, then don't get the dog.

Don't trust people when they tell you, it is best they bring the dog to you. Always insist on seeing the animal in their current living conditions; especially if they have been there for a long time.

Take the dog on a walk with a leash!!!!!!!!!!!!

When you husband or S.O. says "It's up to you." It really means, I do not like the dog. Do not get the dog. Read between the lines....I don't want to be the bad guy, here."

We we live, we learn and tomorrow we start looking for the right dog!

If you live in Hamptons roads and have a big heart for big dogs, with lots of time and patience for retraining. There is a dog just waiting for you at www.diamondsintheruff.com.

My Life with Venus Bowie Snugglebugs - the Hound

I think getting a dog is a lot like getting a child. They both need lots of attention and we all have to get to know each other. Initially, you might have 2nd thoughts, but you know it is a forever deal!

I admit I have had 2nd thoughts. at 18 inches to the withers (shoulders) she is bigger than I wanted and solid. She has had a couple of run ins with the girls and we have had tears. I have to remind herself if we had gotten any dog, this would be the case. These run ins have shown the girls how important it is that we teach Venus Bowie Snugglebugs good manners, so we can always love her! At first they weren't so sure that this real.

I am sure there will be lots of I never realized in this case as this is a new breed for me. I never realized what a pack really meant until Venus arrived. She has completely bonded with Hannah.

This is a photo I took when I went to check in on her at nap time. I am not a dog on the bed kind of gal. However, I am a realist and think that this is a losing battle. Hannah told me she told Venus she could snuggle with her....good think she is kennel trained! I don't know if I could handle a dog in the bed all night......just waiting to visit mine!

In a secondary manner, Venus has also bonded with the rest of us. I noticed this when she seemed very reluctant to go outside with out any of her mates. Of course, for me the answer is another dog. With Hubby that would be as easy to do as to get him to move to a new place.....not going to happen unless utterly forced! I would secretly love to adopt Venus' brother who is also at http://diamondsintheruffpetrescue.com/dogs.htm. I know this is an unrealistic wish for me! Beside training two dogs at once would completey insane and disaster would occur.

Then last night, at bedtime, she refused to go to her kennel until the entire family went with her. I got the girls in the room and she went right to Jeff, sat down and looked at him until he got up and had Venus follow him to her kennel. Right in she went. You could see in her eyes that she secretly wanted to sleep with Hannah.

This big lovable pack hound, woke up, just like a kid, whined in her kennel. From the night before, I had learned it wasn't that she needed to go out, but rather, she needed to be reassured that the rest of her pack was near her. Since my pack was in bed with me, I left it and went in and stuck my finger in her kennel. She gave it a lick and went back to sleep!

Today we will try some more leash training. I guess a trait of a hound is if it benefits them, they will train. If it doesn't, they won't. This seems to be true for Venus. We have a lot of work ahead of us to show Venus that it is imperative that she get a good handle on the leash.

Losing my mind and other such things

I have gone and lost my mind! AGAIN! Those darned ingrained beliefs and such! Here I was living a nice life with two kids and a great husband. Was there anything wrong with this life? NO. But in my mind for the last two years something has been missing and I have have dilly-dallied, wish-washed over the issue as there are always pros and cons to such things. I had a discussion with Hubby and finally got him to agree to this new adventure. Then I made the plunge!

Yep! We got a dog. I am sane enough to know that a puppy would be true insanity, and found a lovable, stinky dog! Her name is Venus Bow-ie Snuggle Bugs. She is a hound mix. We found her living in a no-kill shelter. She had been waiting for a home for two years!


She is so sweet and loving and just thinks the girls are her pack mates. As she has been living in a kennel environment for so long and probably ran free for a while before that, she has a lot of manners to learn. She is smart but hard-headed. In hopes that she will be the perfect dog for us eventually. My free time is now all focused on helping her find some manners and give her some loving consistency in her life!

So the first night we sent her up into her kennel and went to bed. and her this howling sound. As a mommy who needs her sleep, I knew listening to the howl all night would not work, just to get her in the habit of being by herself. So I let her out of her kennel and she zoomed upstairs right in to Hannah's bed. She is about 40 Lbs....no small dog. So I revised my plan again and put the kennel in the girls room and the dog and the girls are thrilled to be with eachother! Next challenge: good sit-stay.....harder than I thought! LOL

Jodi

mid-life crisis?

Well, I seem to be hitting a mid-life crisis.Although, but genetice, I should have at least another 3 -5 years before I hit mid-life. I have no idea what direction my blogs are going! They seem to be floating in the wind. I think perhaps it is because I have so many interests and responsibilities as a stay at home mom, I just can't focus on one thing right now. SO instead, I will declutter.

I tore apart my craft closet yesterday and started pulling fabrics to either give away or sell. I realized, I have at least one large bins of scraps, I need to go through and down size. I think there are just so many scraps a girl can keep for "FUTURE" projects.

Once that room is finished, I will be moving to my closet. It is filled with unknown clutter. Since becoming a stay at home mom, my "professional" wardrobe" has been replaced with jeans and t's and most of it has been purged over the last 3 years during reality checks! Now, it keeps things we just don't know what to do with but still have use. I will find a place for it all!

Much of this limbo angst is also coming from the need for me to return to the work-force in August! My husband is retiring from the Navy and the unknown financial future weighs on his mind. My returning to work will ease that some. Although, it brings me sadness as I love being a stay at home mom! Okay, I love not working as well! I don't miss teaching, lessons, administrators, parents and all of that.

I hate to think I have collected all of this fabric and won't have time to do much with it once I am back at work. LOL! I am only going to teach part time, but between that and the girls, I think my poor sewing machine will start to collect dust as teaching is not an "at work" only job. For a 40 hour week, I usually worked another 20-30 hours at home. Of course, that was teaching high school students English and grading papers. I am going to move down to kindergarten so the reading essays won't be a huge issue. Nonetheless, the transition weighs heavily.

So I am cleaning and purging and starting a huge project to do list to sew myself out of a huge fabric collection. Today, one of my favorite quilt shops is having 40% all of the 100% quilt quality fabric and I really want to shop. Unfortunately, one look in the stores of fabric I have, I don't think I would buy much at all! Ohhhh that is just so sad! I could bury myself in quilt fabric! Do you shop anyway or do you just hope that you will dig yourself out of a huge sewing hole and maybe by next year, you will be able to buy new fabric???? Such a dilemma! --

Fancy Dress

I have always been a little daunted by "fancy bodices". But my little sweetheart asked so nicely for a fancy dress and I have my new sewing machine, so I figured the worse that could happen is I could swear a lot while doing it.

It was much easier to make than I thought and it took a lot more concentration than I am used to. The skirt I made from my own design. It is 5" squares linked together in 3 rows then gathered and sewn together.. I added a coordinating petty skirt for lift and twirl. Then I went out and bought a pattern for the top. Did I mention I am pattern stupid. My mantra is "hate patterns, hate patterns." The problem is I like to look the pictures and they never tell me what I need to know. SO I have learned that I have to read out loud over and over and hold the fabric and ready out loud over and over, then I finally get it! Well maybe as soon as 3 or 4 times of repeating myself.

I learned that if I make my button hole go slow and steady it makes pretty button holes and I get to watch.

I learned that having a lot of patience with myself makes a task more enjoyable.

And as always, it is not a sewing project unless one swear word comes out of my mouth, immediately followed by the ripper and me telling myself...it wouldn't be good if I didn't have to rip at least once!

Outfit!

Yes! I made the outfit for her first day of school! The matching jeans totally rock! I'll get a picture up of those when it get's cooler!

Insanity and Stress and getting arrested

The girls and I leave for a 3 week vacation tomorrow. I have been completely stressed about the whole thing and a total procrastinator. As a travelor I have learned that procrasitnating is bad. I usually have everything on a list and am packed days ahead of time so I don't stress. This year, I have a "what's the point?" attitude. With the hurricanes, they will just unpack and re-pack and I will have no clue as to what is in the suitcase. So this year, t's shorts, and the undies and that's all I am worried about.

I always try to clean the house before I leave. I have been really stressed with the tornados who follow closely behind leaving destruction where ever they go. Yesterday, I was reminded, that this is something I don't have to worry about. I live with a self proclaimed Man "B". He will do the cleaning and there will be no tornadoes to mess it up! I have them! I just need to do my areas and whoosh it is all done.

My sewing project list is a sure sign of my insanity and procrastination over this trip. I had two custom outfits on auction...both sold ..to sew... I had a repeat client request two overalls .....and I still had a new purse on my list. I have been a sewing fool. Of course, now that I don't have to clean I may get the sewing all done!

I started the purse yesterday. Now, I promised myself, I would only be using my stash, which has been growing and growing for the last year. Here in lies the problem: Most of my stash peices are less than a yard and most purse patterns take at least a yard. Hmmm now how do I make this work. I resized the pattern. Now I like to guestimate rather than do real math. The purse is smaller than I expected and I have had to do some sewing management to make everything work. Now I have to put it together. At least I will have a new purse. I think it is going to be one funky purse!

When I sew, the girls usually play. I listen to their antics and monitor what they are doing. I hear my oldest talking about finding all of these dead animals and that she has to find the killer. (Yes, I would say too much Animal Planet.) She went to the point of lining up the animals. The next thing I know I am getting arrest for the crime. Here is what I was arrested for killing two dogs, a horse, a turtle, and a Care Bear. A Care Bear????? Who could kill a Care Bear????? I pled innocent and although, i wasn't believed I was released and left to sew again. I keep thinking...a Care Bear?????/ ohhh that would be a horrible crime..heheh now there are some toys I am absolutely guilty for removing from the premises, the barbies, the load croaking frog, and the annoying Wiggles guitar. I just blame it on the gnomes. Shhhh Don't tell!

I am about 3/4 way through the Jodi Piccoult novel. I haven't read much further. I am anticipating the tragedy that will befall; while my heart prepares for the joy of a reunion. I don't know if I can handle it. Maybe I will just leave it until I get back from vacation and take something foo foo with me. Oh dear, that leaves 2 books I have pending. Hmmmmm what will I do?

Bins and the sewing zone

I suppose as a stay at home mom having random adult thoughts throughout the day is pretty normal. Right? Since my days aren't flat and there are lots of different to do's, my thoughts usually have no like to one another. On the mom side, I was folding laundry yesterday and noted that I had an awful lot of bins. Then I started thinking about ALL the bins I had. Oh Dear, it might be a problem.

I think it must be understood first that I am not a person that spends a lot of time worrying that everything must have a place; That would be insane for a stay at home mom! However, with two small hurricanes that move through the house as mach speed, I have had to adjust my ways because I just can't handle that much mess! My Solution is bins. I love them. You put dirty laundry in and then the clean laundry. They are great for sorting clothes! One bin for each member of the family. The girls can sort their own laundry. The clothes stay contain, until we get back to them.

We have bins in virtually everyroom for toys and we have the empty toy bin that gets hauled out for really messy days! Bins are a lifesaver! Everyonce in awhile I go through the bins and re-organzie, but until I get around to it the bins hold stuff happily.

I also have bins for my sewing stash. They merrily keep my colors and seasons sorted, so I can get what I want, when I want. Although, I must admit, the my fabric likes to just hang out and be looked in plan making for future projects. THen there get to be too many plans, and l I can't handle the overflowing stash anymore and have to choose a few peices to go back into the bins.

I think the best part of bins are the bins used to store stuff. You put the bins away for a season or a holiday. When it comes around again, it's like opening a present with the joy of already having warm memories of vents or even the renewal of an old love, like your favorite sweater! I even rotate the toy bins and the girls get all excited to rediscover new toys!

Bins are Divine!

As I sat down to try to squeeze in 10 minutes of sewing yesterday, I realized that when one is in the sew zone, one should stay in the sew zone. On Sunday, I started a headband project! I ran out of time and left my remains on my sewing table. Now the problem lies in the fact that I have red thread on top and black on the bottom so my reversible head bands will be uniform with their thread. When I was in the sewing zone, it was easy to remember. When I sat back down a day later, I discovered that I was no longer in the zone. It was lost and it was very frustrating to remember red on top and black on the bottom. Of course, my three year old was in the mood for attention as well so she was crawling all over me like a monkey. I suppose sometimes, if you can't be in the zone, just leave it alone! I went back later and was able to finish several headbands. Take a look at the pictures. To see them all, check out my home page in a couple of days and they will all be there!