Puppy time

The puppy (she who remains nameless) is growing and becoming more independent.  Last week, I worked out a schedule of playing with her for a while, then letting her curl up in my lap for a nap while I worked.  This week, we will be working on that nap being in her crate, near me, but not on me.  And, we're working on her chewing things that are not our fingers and toes.  Goodness but those little teeth are sharp.  This is her enjoying time in the chair next to my desk, but that's Bella's chair, so the puppy didn't get to stay there long.  

She stiI've enjoyed making up names for her, like Wilhelmina's handbag and pink and purple people eater and Rufus.  When Rob took her to the vet on Friday, they entered the name "new puppy" so Rob didn't have to make a snap decision.  Right now, Bailey is a top contender.  I like Ruby too.  And, I really like Spot, but I don't think many people name their dogs like that anymore.  

Spring is really taking off in the garden.  I forget what it's like every spring when everything is coming up and starting to bloom.  This Broom is really going to be spectacular this year.  It's in a tall narrow pot, so is like a huge flower arrangement in a vase.  As long as it doesn't get top heavy and start falling over in the wind, I think it's in the perfect pot.  

And, the first Gerber Daisy has bloomed.  This plant has tried to bloom every time it warmed up over the winter, and each time, the flower got bit back by the cold.  But, now it's getting a chance to shine.  I moved all my Gerber's this year to be nearer this one.  They were in the wrong spots and struggling in the summer heat, so I've moved them to a place where they'll get some really good sun, but in the late afternoon, when it's really baking out there, they'll be in some shade.  

And, the little ground covers are going nuts.  Lots of little purple violets and ajuga blooms.  

The Mock Orange is winding up for it's show.  I really wish this bloomed longer than a couple weeks.  

My 12 year old car is having an engine problem for the first time.  It's bad timing, but honestly, I can't complain about it.  It's been a great car and has only been in the shop a couple of times.  I feel very lucky.  And, I'm lucky that I have a job where I can take time off to sit in the dealer's auto shop lobby for a day with a good book.  It will be nice to get away from it all and just waste some time.  

Potty training.  That really describes it all right now.  She's too young to expect her to really learn it, but she seems to be getting the message and we're letting her out so often that she's doing it in the right place most of the time, and being praised like she just invented air.  But, I will be glad when I can walk across the house in sock feet again.  

Everybody have a great week!  And may all the poop in your life be where it's supposed to be, and if it's not, then easy to clean up.

Lane

That episode where Rob got a puppy

 Good Lord what have we done?  Now we're saying things like "please don't do that in the house" and "how did you even get that in your mouth?"  

She's 2 months old and weighs 3 lbs.  And, she's all energy and the sound of a herd of cattle when she runs across the house.  And, everything goes in her mouth.  

She's never been alone.  

The first night, she cried about 20 minutes and then another 20 when we got up in the middle of the night.  And, I thought 'piece of cake'.  Last night, she cried and yowled and howled and barked and whined for 3 1/2 hours.  At 11, Rob asked what I thought we should do and I suggested we sleep on the couches.  So, we did.  Yes, a 3# puppy ran us out of our bed.  We should be ashamed, but at least we got a half night's sleep.  Tonight, I'm going to be sure to be prepared for a more pleasant night if I"m on the couch again.  

Bella is doing pretty well with it.  She's establishing boundaries and perimeters (probably better than we are).  She's never had a dog to play with  She was growing up in Syd's room when we brought Mable in.  This is a new experience for my 14 year old, stuck in her routines, "I vant to be alone" drama-chiweenie.  When she wants to play, they play.  When she wants to be left alone, she ain't playin.  

Rob seems to be pretty happy about it all.  He's very patient, except when it came to not being able to sleep in his own bed.  This is how I caught them napping yesterday.  I nearly died of adorable.

Okay, that's enough about me.  There was no yard work, no sewing, no knitting, no nothing except playing with a puppy and cleaning up after a puppy and buying things for a puppy.  And, she's lost interest in her chew toy, so now I'm back on babysitting duty.  Because I can't take my eyes off her or she'll be pulling Rob's scarf off the chair and running across the house with it.  Or chewing through an electrical cord.  Or worse.  

Be well.  Have a great week.  Don't chew that wire!!  

Lane

Growth and taxes

Weeks seem like they pass so quickly now and some weeks, it feels like nothing really happens although it really did...it just wasn't interesting.  I filed our taxes.  We had to pay this year for the first time in either of our lives due to a small error at Rob's company.   Not much.  Just enough to break our record of never having to pay at the end of the year.   My doctor is leaving the company and I had to find a new one.  I've been putting it off but then I saw that one of my prescriptions was about to expire, so had to get that done.  Telemed is nice, but I need a relationship with a doctor I can shake hands with and look in the eye.  I also scheduled an appt with a dermatologist.  Living in TX, it's way past time that I saw one.  And I had to go to the office one day.  Other than adding a restaurant to the list of places Rob and I would enjoy, it was a very nothing day.  

I spent as much time as I could in the garden.  The fertilizer last week really did the trick.  Everything is popping out of the ground and trying to get to the sun.  It's white season right now.  I don't grow a lot of white flowers.  Most plants with white flowers don't do well in the heat, so all my white flowers are at the beginning of the season.  It starts with the white iris.  

And, the white spirea.  This spirea was trimmed into an almost perfect sphere and then it bloomed and the weight of the flowers changed the shape.  Oh, well.  It should go back to a sphere when this is done.  

The white mock oranges are getting ready to explode next.  

I even got this one early yellow iris.  This iris bloomed in the fall when it shouldn't and now it's at it again.  Odd.

And, I worked on Rob's shirt.  Mary, I'm not sure how many shirts I"ve made.  I've been making shirts since before I decided to learn how.  These are the first two shirts I remember making.  I was very excited to give it a try.  They're made out of quilting cotton so were very heavy.   If you've been quilting since the 90's, you probably recognize the prints.  They were newly released when I got them.  The shirts were not good enough to wear out, but they were good enough to wear around the house and in the garden.  They're showing their years now and I doubt I could get them to button around me anymore, but I still have every shirt I made, except the ones I made for friends and the ones I really didn't like and cut into quilt scraps.  

I made progress on Rob's shirt.  I just need to hem the sleeves and do buttons and buttonholes.  I got a new button foot for the Bernina so am not dreading that they way I do so often.  I've tried a variety of feet to sew on a button with varying levels of success.  I'm looking forward to trying the real thing.  

Everybody have a great week.  In the midst of doing the things that have to be done, be sure to find time to do something just for fun.  

Lane

Spring chores

Spring is early this year.  I'm afraid that's a harbinger of a hot summer.  It's also meant that there's a lot to do in the garden and not a lot of time to get it done because all the perennials are off to a leaping start.  Yesterday I fed and watered, so no telling what will be happening out there next weekend.  

This is a French Broom.  I saw one at a neighbor's house and it was beautiful!  They had it in a large barrel at the end of their driveway.  I picked up a small one and stuck it in a tall pot and it did really well.  The neighbors left theirs out over winter and I'm not sure it's coming back.  I put mine in the greenhouse where it doubled in size over the winter and now it's started to bloom.  Not a lot.  It likes it HOT!  But, it's an early start.  It should bloom for a good part of summer.  While it doesn't look like there's a lot happening in the background, there is.  

I have a few early violets.  These will be in full bloom in a few weeks and they'll last all spring.  My Mom gave me a few many years ago and I've let them grow as a ground cover.  They do very well and don't mind a little sun.  But, they'd also like to take over the place and I've learned not to let them take hold in a flower pot because once they take hold, they're hard to get rid of.  

And, the grape hyacinths are getting started.  Just a few stalks now, but the rest look ready to go.  And, they've multiplied into many more plants than the little bag of bulbs I bought.  This is another plant that I don't think would like the heat, but they do fine during summer and stay green all year round.  

The white iris are getting started.  These are usually the first blooms of the year, but even they're confused by the early spring.  This is the only stand that has flowers open.  I have these all over the garden.  They're not very tall, so they shrink into the background during summer, but I enjoy having the early flowers all around.  

This orchid is putting on a really good show, so wanted to share it.  I love the green flower with the brown center.  I saw this one and loved it.  I don't know if they're particularly fragile or not, but I've killed a couplel.  Hopefully, this one will be the one that lasts.  

I don't think I give my orchids enough light.  They bloom in winter when the trees have lost their leaves.  I'm thinking of taking a couple out to the greenhouse for spring.  I don't think they'd like it out there during summer, but spring outside should be nice for them.  

I started a shirt for Rob.  I got it cut out and the front and back together on Saturday.  I've made the collar and am ready to attach it and the collar stand.  This one has extra size in the arm and I"m interested to see how Rob likes it.  

I needed to go to the new office last week.  The day was built up as a building tour and getting to know the new facility.  There are no assigned desks, so it's a free for all.  They offer monitors but no keyboards or mice or any other office supply.  Fortunately, I have a "desk in a bag" that I carry.  It has everything I need to get the job done and I bought a small keyboard yesterday so I don't have to keep the laptop open (I like having two monitors, but the laptop makes three and that's too much to keep up with.). I had been to a meeting where they showed us the floor plan.  I knew more about the facility than the manager that was leading the tour and when the managers would start to dilly-dally around, I'd move the tour forward to the next fascinating destination.  And, as is traditional in my team, the 5 guys who all have private offices kept having impromptu meetings in the cubicle farm where the rest of us work.  It's like they can't possibly meet in one of those large offices with extra chairs and a window view, so they have to meet in the middle of people that are trying to get something done.  I guess that will never change.  I still don't plan to spend any more time in office than they make me.  And, if they try to make me too much, I'll mention maybe moving my retirement date up a little.  That should bring a stop to that.  

You know I love to share the thoughts of others that are pithier than me.  I loved this one.  

And this one.

Everybody have a great week!  If your state votes on Super Tuesday, I hope you voted early and don't have to stand in line or that you make it out to vote.  It may not feel important because we've been cornered into making an awful choice because of an ancient man's fragile ego, but it's still important because there are other races down ballot from there where we need to make our voices heard before the false-christian nationalists try to take us all out unless we bend a knee to their racism, homophobia and bigotry.  

Lane