All Manner of Little Things

Hi everyone! I have been taking pictures and thinking, "Oh this is something to blog about." But you know what happens? I get busy with other stuff and by the time I get on the computer, I'm just not into it. So the pictures get lost in the shuffle. And all the little things become distant memories. Not today! Instead here are some little things, little happenings, and little news bits.

Let's start with this stinker. Doesn't she look just so sad? I was sitting at the table doing paperwork and heard a whimper of a cry. Little Little, our Maltese puppy, had poked her nose through the gate and gave me these puppy dog eyes. What a trickster!

A postcard I made for my sister. She received it Tuesday, which was the day she was expecting news about how the chemo is working. It's good news for now! Next step, gain some strength for a bone marrow transplant later this year.

A tiny hummingbird feather I found on one of the feeders. So sweet!

Richard made this bookshelf for a friend who will have a booth at a local artist market / flea market. The pictures on the right are the original shelves. The ones on the left are of the same shelves painted. She and I are going to "share" the cabinet. Her things will be on the shelves, my things will hang on the back. She wanted an aged look that would work into her farmhouse eclectic vibe. I love the look of beaded board. We both got what we want. Ahh, the joys of a handy husband!

She has the booth with the three pieces in it. I'm on the side of her behind the book shelf. 

I recently got in a small order of titanium coated needles from Superior Threads. I've never used these super strong needles, but they are supposed to last much longer than regular ones. I just like the idea of putting a needle in and going to town for as long as possible. Maybe I should put a sticky note on the machine to remind myself to be extra careful. Generally, I break a needle, not wear it down. I'll try to remember to let you know how they work. I have only a few regular needles left, so these may go into the machine before the end of the year. I hope not, but you just never know, right?

I should have ordered thread at the same time. Now I'll have to pay shipping, again. Why do I make such silly, nonsensical decisions? It's a rhetorical question. I expect that no one can answer it.

And I think that wraps up all the little things. I have bigger news, but that is for another day. Have a great weekend!

Wait. What? July 7th

Already? The last week has flown by. I'm not really sure when I slept. 

I'm kidding, of course.  There has just been so much going on. First, my very sad news is that our sweet little Cottontop, who has been my constant companion for over 17 years, went to puppy heaven last Wednesday. It's extremely sad to miss him so much, but he was getting in pretty bad shape, blindness from glaucoma, painful hips, confusion. I am happy that he is no longer suffering. Seventeen years is old and we have been expecting it for a long while now. Richard took care of burying him in our backyard. He had made a small wooden coffin a couple of years ago. 

At the time that he was dealing with my little Maltese, I was tutoring English. My student spent several days completing his assignments, testing and learning test-taking skills. I kept him pretty busy, poor kid. Today was his final and I'm anxiously awaiting the results.

Thursday I left for my modern guild quilt retreat. What fun! I had such a great time. I completed one top and almost finished another. Plus, I completed my "mow the lawn" strip for the Sugaridoo BOM. (I'll be so happy when it's complete.) And I made a couple of postcards for a sister, which I can't find at the moment.  The retreat took me all the way to Sunday. 

Monday, I went to a guild meeting and gave a presentation on thread-painting. That went badly. It also happened to be Will, our oldest son's birthday. They invited us to their home for supper and cake. Their kids and grandies were also there and we were reminded how noisy a house full of kids and teens can be. And be grateful to return to the quiet of home.

But aren't they cute?

Puppy Update on Cottontop

Hey, leave me alone

My sweet little Cottontop was only three months old when I got him for my birthday. Now he is well over 13 and is getting old and cranky. It's a bit like living with a 90-year-old man. He eats, sleeps, and waits for me to get home. 

Last night when I got up from my chair, I accidentally tossed my lap blanket over  him. When I returned several minutes later, he was exactly as I'd left him--a little black nose peaking out. 

Really? You had to move the blankey?

Of course, I decided he was too cute to miss the shot. 

And that lead me to consider that since I haven't posted anything about the puppies in a while, it would be about time.

You may notice that in some of these "portraits" he has what looks like a pink bow. It's actually a pink heart that Marley gave him for Valentine's Day. I stuck it in his hair thinking that it would soon fall out. Boy was I wrong! That adhesive is meant to stick.

After a bath

It's going to take a bath and some growling to get it out. I've tried a few times, but he does not appreciate it one bit. Snarls, growls, and snapping ensues. I've let go every time.

Newspaper is always fun

This picture is one I took after he had a field day with the newspaper, a toy and the pages of a children's book. Marley was not happy about her toy or her book. It didn't seem to matter that she'd already written in the book or that the toy had come from McDonalds. 

Don't move the toy...

this is where it belongs

These last two pictures are meant to show how smart he is, but it way work against him. He decided one afternoon that his toy belong in this place on the edge of his bed. I threw it several times. He would not return it to me. Instead he returned it to this place everytime. 
After a few times I gave up and stopped throwing the toy. He promptly climbed in the bed and took a nap leaving the toy perched on the edge. He has never done this since. 


On that note, he will not play with just any toy. He chooses the toy and will fetch or squeak it. Throw a different toy and he ignores it. It annoys the grands to no end, but they annoy him, so it's an even game. 

I hope you enjoyed the update on my sweet, cranky old man. Do you have a pet who's been with you for a long time? How long has it been?

Cotton's Studio Bed

I am on a roll! I've been going into the studio to do a bit of cleaning. By a bit, I mean a little bit 
(I don't like cleaning), then I do a bit of sewing. 


I moved some fabrics to their respective places, cleared out and put away a plastic bag of stuff, and salvaged some old lace. 

Then I happened upon an old pillow of Cotton's that I'd made several years ago. It was badly torn, but I had washed it by pining the opening closed, so the stuffing was clean. 

Did you know that pillow stuffing can be reused? The trick is to wash it in hot water with a little bleach and let it dry well. Then pull the stuffing out and, using very sharp scissors, chop the stuffing into small pieces. 

The fibers tend to clump up and adhere to each other over time, but cutting the pieces apart allows air to fluff it up. It's a good way to save money making pet pillows.  

I dug around in the stash and found some cute animal fabric that I'd used to make scrubs. Apparently I'd cut sleeves out and there was a problem, because the only fabric in the stash had been cut in the perfect shape of sleeves. 

The sleeves seemed like a good match for my needs--I left the shape as it was. I sewed the two sleeves together (RST) around all four sides making sure to leave an opening on the wrist edge so I could turn the pillow and stuff it. 

Cotton likes to rest his sweet little head on something separate from the bed, so I decided to make a pillow on his pillow. First I stuffed the bottom (or large part) of the pillow, and sewed a seam about three inches from the wrist opening. 

Next I stuffed the small section and sewed it closed on the machine. I rolled the small section over on the pillow and hand-stitched the two pieces together. Voila! Perfect little bed for my little boy.

This pillow will be somewhere near the sewing machine so that Cotton can be nearby while I sew. He prefers to be very close to me at all times. As a baby, he sat in my lap while I sewed. How much sewing do you think I got done that way? 

What are you doing this week to get your sewing space in shape?

Puppy Struggle is Real, Y'all

A puppy's struggle that is. Some people just can't possibly understand how difficult a puppy's life can be. I thought I'd tell you what it's like to be a five pound puppy in a family this size.  

And in THIS house, it's almost unbearable. After all, we are made to do all manner of chores. We have to keep a close watch over the family. Intruders are always a problem--you just don't know when to expect some marauding squirrel or cat. 

Don't think it's all that easy. I have to check the entire house. That means every time a door is opened, I run in and search in every corner, behind every door, under things, and in things. 

Nothing can be left unsearched. You just never know where a squirrel or cat or (worse) a mouse might be hiding. We've even seen opossums, foxes, and armadillos running round outside. What if they were to come inside?

If something makes a noise, we all jump up immediately and go after it. It doesn't matter what's going on or what we're doing; our job is to snap and snarl and bark and yap to scare off whatever made the noise. We don't like making all that ruckus, but it's important to our people. Sometimes they join in and help us make noise. That must be when they are really scared.

My special job is entertaining and making people laugh. But the people around here are a hard sell. Plus, you never know when they might expect to be entertained, so we are on 24/7 and have to keep appearances up at all times, just in case.  It's not easy doing all that grooming. 

Oh sure, they take pretty good care of us. They feed us well and we get lots of attention. Sometimes we have to take baths, but who wants to smell like a human? If possible, we go straight outside and roll around in the grass or, when we're lucky, something smelly. It's the best way to get rid of the people smell that no one likes. 

Sometimes one of us gets into trouble, like the time I tried to climb up on the dresser. I was stuck for a little while but not long. Another time, I went under a rocker and was afraid to get out. We are all really smart but it happens anyway. 

We just have to be patient and wait for someone to come help. I never whine or cry but other puppies do, sometimes. 

I like to take naps when there's not much going on.  I rarely get to take naps but at my age, but I have to try. Most puppies can find a few hours to rest or nap. 

I have to work really hard to find a perfect spot. But sometimes I get on a soft chair, or a puppy bed. Other times, I curl up in a lap.  I can't sleep just anywhere like the younger puppies, but I can sometimes get comfortable even in odd places. 

In fact, I'm ready for one of those naps right now. I think I'll go find one of those comfy spots and snooze. 

 It might be difficult to find the perfect spot but when my mom gets home from school, we share her big chair and there's nothing better or more comfortable than her lap. So I'm going to climb in her favorite chair and keep it safe and warm for her so we can rest when she gets home.

 What do you do when you want a nap? Do you have a special place to nap?

Pin It Weekly #168

My pinning has been lacking lately. We're back in school and, goodness, it's kicking my backside! I'm already swimming in papers to grade and we're starting our first essay tomorrow.  But I'm not complaining or whining. Well, not much. 

So, as I have been doing, I'm going to introduce you to other pinners and their boards. Luckily, several of you have mentioned that you enjoy these posts. Thanks for the notes.

Carmen Urra, has over 2,000 pins on her 10 boards, one of which, "perritos," is all about puppies.

Sandra Samiento Musalan is another pinner with lots of pins--over 6,000! You may want to follow one of her 18 boards. Look at these Christmas pins...aren't they just adorable?  She has lots of idea and patterns to share. Definitely check out her Pinterest!

These brilliant "outdoor fun projects" and "beachy" boards by Cynthia Holmes are just two of 19 that she has on her Pinterest. 

These last ones are from Martie Nutuschil's board, "Time and Tide Wait for No One." She's a pinner extraordinaire with over 79,000 pins and 345 boards! Yes, I keyed that correctly!

This last board reminds me of my "forsaken, heritage" board which contains many buildings, places, and objects forgotten by everything but time.  In fact I recognized a few of the pins. I think I'll have to revisit this board and pick up a couple of pins.

Thanks for visiting and a special thanks to my followers. I hope you enjoyed meeting a few pinners.