Phoebe has a tumor

Phoebe has a tumor.
She loves her tumor, as do we. I don't think she can live without it. Odd thing to say about a tumor, but it's true.

Okay, so before any of you freak out, watch this short video clip before reading the rest of this blog:







That having been said...
This is Phoebe's "Tumor":




She carries it with her wherever she goes. She absolutely adores this toy!
Phoebe has proven to be THE most destructive dog we've ever had when it comes to dog toys. She destroys every one she gets a hold of. Kongs, mere childs play, she might as well be chewing a stick of soft butter. Virtually indestructible my arse!! However, this one toy she has singled out as her favorite and she takes very good care of it.
It's a ball-shaped, sherpa-covered stuffed toy. It's actually a left-over from our other dogs that never played with it (or destroyed). She carries it all around the house, sleeps with it, carries it outside when she goes potty, amuses herself by playing fetch with it, but never, ever, no NEVER does she chew on it or try to de-stuff it. She simply carries it around with her. If for any reason it doesn't end up in the crate with her when we have to pen her up, then you can be certain that as soon as she's turned loose, that's the first thing she does is go find her tumor.
I haven't figured out why this toy, but I'm just glad there is something that has survived. Tumor is starting to show some wear and tear as it's getting old, and even though she doesn't chew on it, let's face it, her teeth do sink into it when she carries it around, so small holes are starting to appear. I've been searching all the pet stores in hopes of finding a new one (and additional ones to put back for the future), but so far haven't been able to find any. So if anybody knows where we can purchase a new tumor, please, let me know! If nothing else, hopefully Phoebe's tumor will hold out 'til the dog show comes in to town in March and I'll be able to find one at one of the vendor boothes.
The funny thing is, despite being totally deaf, she seems to have learned to read lips or else is reading my mind. On the rare occasion that she sets tumor down when she goes outside, if she tries to come back in the house without it, all I have to do is look her in the face and say, "go get tumor", and darned if she doesn't turn and go get it. Now if we could just get her to start "listening" to us about other things.
Okay, I hope this has made you smile, as seeing her walk around with her tumor always makes us smile.

The Thanksgiving Curse

I swear, I honestly think that there is some kind of Thanksgiving Curse that's been cast upon my family, for reasons I just don't understand.
It's as if we were never meant to enjoy the month of November, ever!
At work this past Friday, the boss and I were making idle chit-chat about the upcoming holiday and I said, "yeah well, somebody in my family always dies in November". Of course, I was being facetious even though it was a semi-true statement. Little did I know what was yet to come...
As I was pulling out of the parking lot that afternoon to go home, I got a call from my mother that the doctors were calling everyone to the hospital as they didn't expect my grandmother to make it... only she did make it, exactly another 48 hours.
She passed away just after 4pm on Sunday afternoon, November 20th, 2011.
But wait, there's more.
The previous evening, one of my cousins on the other side of the family passed away.
Holy crap, we lost TWO family members this time! I guess that's to make up for having gone 13 years without a November death in our family.
I wasn't kidding when I said we always had a death in November. Two of my grandparents died on November 22, exactly 1 year apart from each other, and a great grandfather also passed on the 22nd, 50+ years ago, and another distant family member (I can't even remember the relationship now), also passed away on that date a long time ago. November sucks for us, more specifically, the 22nd. If either of our recent losses had held on until that date, I honestly would think there was some kind of curse.
So once again for our family, Thanksgiving will pass with somewhat of a shadow cast over it. And when next year rolls around, we'll be waiting with baited breath wondering who's next?
So here's where it gets even a little more creepy. We had all been talking about my grandfather and how he was waiting for her, which got me to thinking about the song "Far Side Bank of Jordan". I pulled it up on my ipod and held it to my hear to listen to the song, but I had the volume turned down low so only I could hear it. The song finished playing and I turned the ipod off when suddenly my uncle loudly goes SHHHH! Everyone grew silent and looked at my grandmother as she drew her final three breaths.
In case you've never heard the song, here it is. Listen to it and see if you'd be a little creeped out if someone passed seconds after the song finished playing...

Weekend in review & other stuff

I realize the week is nearly over, so it's a little late for a weekend in review, but better late than never, right? Maybe I should call this the "past month in review" instead.
Running season is winding down. Well, at least for me it is. Once the Santa Sprint is over in early December, that's it for me, I'll hang up my running shoes 'til spring. Competitive running that is. I'll still hit the treadmill at the gym over the winter. Hopefully, my time will continue to improve and the last few pounds will finally come off.
When I started doing 5ks waaay back when (what, 3 years ago?), I was doing good to walk them without keeling over, pretty much always finishing in last place, and usually at around the 53 minute mark, +/- a minute. Since I started going to the gym and taking off the pounds, I have finally been able to start running some of those 5ks. Maybe not running the entire distance, but at least running part(s) of it. My time has improved dramatically. I now average around 36 minutes per run, +/- a minute. Not exactly a land-speed record, but for me, that's nothing short of amazing. Of course I should probably thank Phoebe as she's so excited for that first mile when we take off, she's practically dragging me along the course. I don't know as I'd go as far or as fast if I didn't have her with me. We just finished the inaugural Louisville Pure Tap 5k this past weekend. It was sooo cold down by the river. I actually probably could've turned in a better time had #1) the course not been along river-walk which is a narrow path and there is no room to pass slower runners if there are other runners coming towards you after the turn-around, and #2) if I could tolerate wearing less clothing when it's so cold. Since losing the weight, I get so cold, so easily and really have to bundle up.
I'm taking this weekend off from running as I have a run to do on Thanksgiving morning at the YMCA and another one the next afternoon downtown. Hopefully this year it won't be raining on t-giving like it did last year. Brrr, gives me chills just thinking about it.
Phoebe's obedience classes are almost over with for the year. She's been doing pretty well in class. Of course, much of what's being taught is something I'll never use, as I would never take my dog for a walk off-lead. But I'll continue to take her to classes thru the spring, maybe early summer, as I do it more for the socialization than anything else, all in preperation of her becoming a therapy pet like Olivia.
Now for the real shocker...
I'm giving up riding lessons. At least, temporarily.
Once this month is over, I'm going to take the winter off, most likely to resume in April or once the weather has warmed back off. Did I mention I can't tolerate the cold like I used to? Ugh! I'm definitely going to miss it. Figures, after 2 1/2 years I finally learned to post on horseback and now I won't be riding. Wonder if I'll remember how when I resume??
John's dad is now back home, in his own home that is, after a stay in the nursing home in Lebanon, and once again under his daughter's care. So now John's at his sister's beck and call once again to run over and play nursemaid everytime the whim hits her. ('scuse me while I roll my eyes and bite my tongue before saying anymore).
So that's about it in a nutshell.
Have a great weekend everyone!!

The latest quilting project

Did I mention that I was re-taking the quilting class that I took last spring? It started back at the beginning of October and time flies by so quickly, it's hard to believe there is only one class left. **sniff** I do love my quilting time!! Those two hours every Wednesday absolutely goes by so quickly.
I was the only repeat student in this class, which was quite a bit larger than the previous one, and was full nearly every week. I had the option of doing a different project than the other students, but chose to do the same one again, with different material choices. I did do one panel differently, this time avoiding the Dresden plate (I hate doing applique'), intead doing a panel called "card tricks".
As I've been putting it together, I've been liking my color and pattern choices less and less. Certainly I liked the ones in my first project better, but the quality of my work this time around is so much better. Still a long way to go in the scheme of learning and getting good, but still better than before. My stitching is much more even and precise, not as hectic and uneven as before. I'm still having trouble getting my seams to line up correctly. I can't quite figure this out as I measure so carefully, twice usually, before cutting, and do my very best to follow the 1/4" seam allowance, and still, things just don't line up like they should. Oh well, live and learn. That's why I keep taking the class over, to practice and get better.
I'm planning on taking it again next spring, although I think I'll definitely do a different project next time.
I guess I should've been flattered, as a few of my fellow students frequently looked to me for advice if the teacher was busy, or just to get my input. But I
would get so flustered, for fear that I'd stear them wrong or confuse them.
Last night, I finished getting the panels put together and the sashing and border in place. I just need to get my corners mitered(sp?) and then I can begin to pin the backing and batting to it and start quilting it together.


It's gone together much faster this time around with fewer bouts of ripping things apart and starting over. So I guess in that respect I'm much improved over last time.

I'll post more pictures when it's completed.

A death in the family

The husband and I experienced a loss this week of a loved one that has been with us for a very long time. Relax! It wasn't one of our k-9 kids.
"Chester" has been around since the beginning of our marriage. He has lived in all three of our homes with us, although admittedly, he was somewhat cast aside at our #2 home and forced to live in the detached garage where he was seldom looked at, much less interacted with. It wasn't my decision, but since I didn't own the home (we lived with my f-i-l), I didn't get much say in the matter. When we moved in to our current home, I was only too happy to welcome Chester back into our lives as an active family member. And he seemed only too happy to resume his role as productive member in our household. He's been steadfast and faithful these past 23 years and I'm going to miss him.
Chester had quite an appetite and would sit there with his mouth wide open ready to accept whatever food we wanted to send his way. He wasn't picky. Aside from whenever we would feed him groceries, you hardly knew he was there. Sitting quietly in his corner of the room, only occasionally did you hear a little hum coming from him before he'd grow quiet again. I noticed Tuesday morning that Chester wasn't actually humming, but seemed to almost have the hiccups. Much like a mother would look down a child's throat for signs of redness, I opened Chester's mouth and looked inside. I was horrified by what I saw. It didn't look good. I knew the end was near for Chester. It was time to pull the plug, so I did.
So long Chester ol' buddy. You'll be missed more than you'll ever know. Thank you for your years of steadfast service to our family. As much as it pained me to end your suffering, it was for the best and the safety of all concerned. **sniff**
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Okay, so by now I'm sure you're all wondering who Chester is and why I've never mentioned him before. Well, honestly, as much as I loved Chester, he wasn't the warmest, or exactly a cuddly kind of family member. In truth, he was hard and had a cold demeanor. But those were good things.
Chester was our deep-freeze, aka: chest freezer.
Yes, it's true. He was an appliance.
When John & I first moved in together nearly 24 years ago, the first appliance we bought was a refrigerator, quickly followed by a washer and dryer. After that came our first luxury appliance, our deep-freeze. Chester. I honestly don't know how any family can get along without a separate freezer, I mean, aside from the one that's a part of the kitchen refrigerator. He's held our large bags of frozen vegetables, the many frozen pizzas I buy from Schwan's, the ice blocks & frozen gel-bags we keep ready for use in a cooler or on a bruised/sprained body part, and the large quantities of whatever we have found on sale and stocked up on. Our freezer was filled to the brim and when I opened it Tuesday morning and it appearred to only be half full, I knew that Chester was dying an agonizing death. I quickly closed the lid and discussed it with the husband. We decided to beg the neighbors to let us put as much of our still frozen food items in their freezer as they had room for. Fortunately, they had quite a bit of room. A few items were tossed out that in all honesty, probably should've been tossed out a long time ago (years ago?). I took 6 lbs. of not-so-frozen mixed fruit and pureed it, so I'm thinking a lot of daiquiries (sp?) might get made and drunk this weekend. Perhaps we need to have a party around the fireplace.
The pie crusts are thawing in my fridge and I'm planning on making chicken pot pie tomorrow night, and then I'll be doing some serious cooking this weekend, something I haven't done in a long time, so I can use up some of the stuff. We shall eat well.

All in the Family

I've been away for a while. Not just from bloggy world, but literally, away. I've been house/kennel-sitting for my friend for the past 10 days. Glad that's over!

I was struck with the realization while there, that every single dog I was caring for, was directly related to my Olivia. That hasn't always been the case in years past, unless they were like distant cousins. This time though, the familial ties are much closer. Many of these dogs you've "met" over the years, but they are aging gracefully as they enter their senior years.

This is Bella. She was our Bootsy's litter-sister, and half-sister to Olivia.

This is Sara. She and Olivia are full-sisters, just from different litters. Every time I see Sara, I see more and more of a resemblance between her and Livvie. Of course not in the markings, but in the structure of their heads and in their eyes. Did I mention she's a retired champion??

This is Candy, Sara's daughter/Olivia's niece.

This is Sawyer. He's Bella's son/Olivia's (half)-nephew. Also a retired champion, at the ripe old age of 3!!



And this little cutey is Little Bootsy. She's one of Candy & Sawyer's babies. Sara & Bella are her grandmothers, making her Olivia's great-niece.


And last but not least is Magic. She and Sawyer are litter-mates, making her Olivia's (half)-niece.



Now for some updated pix of my kids:

See that green thing under Phoebe? She had her Kong tucked in between her legs and it looked like she was trying to hatch an egg.


Is it too early to start humiliating the dogs for Christmas?
My quilting teacher made the holly-collar for the dogs so they took turns modeling it for her. Phoebe doesn't ever seem to mind getting "dressed up". She's so agreeable to anything we do to her.

Can't really say the same about the others. We have to snap their pictures really fast before they start trying to wiggle out of things.

Olivia looks embarrassed, doesn't she?


Eliott is just glad to have some attention directed towards him for a change.