Life in the Doghouse

For a few hours yesterday, we were a 5-dog house. 

How did this happen? Simple enough. This week, we got to work with the local animal shelter, photographing the pups and then putting them online at Petfinder. The results: %100 of the adoptable dogs that week were placed! How wonderful is that?? Of course, we can't take all the credit. Cute puppies help a lot. ;)

There was a family of beagle/dachshunds among the lot. Two of the puppies were adopted right off and while the mum and dad waited for their transport to a foster home, they sat in our den. The third puppy, Ginger, a golden fluffball,  has excited adoptive parents coming to pick her up on Monday. So guess who gets to keep her until then? Yup. You should see me now, Bebe on one side, Judy on the other, little miss Ginger snoozing in her crate just a few feet away.... 

We're a 3-beaglemutt house. And it's pretty awesome.

(This blog will be returning to its regular diet of posies and pretties soon - look for a new foster-blog coming up!)

N.I.C.E.

Eli the Bunny is no more.

We're going to miss our grumpy clown. Bebe may think she's a cat, Abby may think she's a watch dog, but Eli always knew he was prince of rabbits. 

(N.I.C.E. was his ear tattoo from the show days - nearly eight years ago!)

Hi dears.

How are you? 

Busy week.

It's nice to have Judy back from the vet's. When did she become such a couch hog??

Just so you know, "Lorna Doone" is impossible to get into.

Helping put really great dogs from our local shelter onto Petfinder is an awesome feeling.

Having an adoption pending on three of the puppies in under 72 hours is even awesomer. 

Watching Kate Winslet on TV is something like watching an old movie in reverse. (She is SO lovely....)

Eli, the resident lop, has been ill. :(

My paperdoll was featured in an Etsy treasury - and then sold! In her first week! Hmm...which doll should I paint next?

Living a prayer tonight and breathing praises. Thank you, dear Lord, for this life!

February is for Bunnies

It's slightly late notice, but Eli and Abby (the resident house bunnies) would like for you to know that February is Adopt-a-Rescue-Rabbit-Month. If you are looking for a pet, rabbits are a quiet (usually), clean and lovable addition to a home. Giving them time and attention, you will find them full of personality. (Not much tops a bunny kiss.) Search for 'rabbits' at  www.petfinder.com or your local shelter/rescue. 

I did it!

ETSY SHOP NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS: SHEERIDESIGNS. 

Emily, as promised, is the first one there and I'll be adding more things through out the next week, so keep watching! 

(these redonkulous photos are what happens when I don't have a sister handy to monitor blog content!)

Silver-Lined Heart

Despite a few questionable lines, this poem pretty much kept me afloat the last week. I could read it over and over again! I was surprised at the "font" that came out when I copied it into my journal - and that I didn't run into the margin more than once or twice! 

"Silver-Lined Heart"

Taylor Mali

I'm for reckless abandon

and spontaneous celebrations of nothing at all,

like the twin flutes I kept in the trunk of my car

in a box labeled Emergency Champagne Glasses!

Raise an unexpected glass to long, cold winters

and sweet hot summers and the beautiful confusion of the times in between.

To the unexpected drenching rain that leaves you soaking

wet and smiling breathless;

"We danced in the garden in torn sheets in the rain,"

we were christened in the sanctity of the sprinkler,

can't you hear it singing out its Hallelujah?

Here's to the soul-expanding power

of the simply beautiful.

See, things you hate, things you despise,

multinational corporations and lies that politicians tell,

injustices that make you mad as hell,

that's all well and good.

And as far as writing poems goes,

I guess you should.

It just might be a poem that gets Mumia released,

brings an end to terrorism or peace in the middle east.

But as far as what soothes me, what inspires and moves me,

honesty behooves me to tell you your rage doesn't move me.

See, like the darkest of clouds my heart has a silver lining,

which does not harken to the loudest whining,

but beats and stirs and grows ever more

when I learn of the things you're actually for.

That's why I'm for best friends, long drives, and smiles,

nothing but the sound of thinking for miles.

For the unconditional love of dogs:

may we learn the lessons of their love by heart.

For therapy when you need it,

and poetry when you need it.

And the wisdom to know the difference.

The solution to every problem usually involves some kind of liquid,

even if it's only Emergency Champagne

or running through the sprinkler.

Can't you hear it calling you?

I'm for crushes not acted upon, for admiration from afar,

for the delicate and the resilient and the fragile human heart,

may it always heal stronger than it was before.

For walks in the woods, and for the woods themselves,

by which I mean the trees. Definitely for the trees.

Window seats, and locally brewed beer,

and love letters written by hand with fountain pens:

I'm for all of these.

I'm for evolution more than revolution

unless you're offering some kind of solution.

I'm for the courage it takes to volunteer, to say "yes," "I believe," and "I will."

For the bright side, the glass half full, the silver lining,

and the optimists who consider darkness just a different kind of shining.

So don't waste my time and your curses on verses

about what you are against, despise, and abhor.

Tell me what inspires you, what fulfills and fires you,

put your precious pen to paper and tell me what you're for!

Conquered!

Spring (or at least the early hint of a Carolina spring) seems to bring a boatload of blogging ideas with it. Among other things, that I have finally "broken in" my new journal! Since January, I've been using it as a nice little planner - but no journaling in sight. Laura brought home 1000 Journals from the library and it did just the trick!

{1000 Journals, my journal, Master Gardeners manual & newspaper}

 

Now if I can only keep it up....

(It is so encouraging to see Christian artists in books like 1000 Journals!)

The Charm of Children's Books

I was exposed to a lot of children's fiction in the last week...

You know, the sweet old kind where everyone is always polite and baking cookies - you wish you could just step inside of their courteous little world for a day. "How nice to have friends to share with!"

Or the bright new illustrated ones where the text is incorporated into the story, getting bigger as the drama grows: "And then the big bad shark, he munched and he crunched!"

And then there are the sort that are really too hard for an eight-year-old, but he likes to hear them anyway because the words tumble around so nicely. (So nicely, in fact, that I cannot remember a full line.)

Children's books are nice things. 

Brain Overlaod <<<

I want to tell you all about all the cool things that I'm learning in Master Gardeners. I want to show you doodle-notes and the super-thick Training Manual. I want to tell you that I'm helping with the newspaper's gardening column. (!!!) I want to tell you that gardeners make awesome food and are really fun, gentle folks to hang around. I want to tell you that the weather lecture was fascinating and that words like "morphology" and "physiology" and "winged schizocarp" make my brain tickle. I want to tell you that onions and potatoes are actually stem modifications - but that sweet potatoes are not. (??)

But alas, the brain has wandered off and found a hot cup of tea to steep in without me... 

See you tomorrow!

Honey, I'm Home!

Week 2/1-2/7 in Pictures

Sunday: Judy loves her breakfast.

Monday: Quick shot of Blake's first piano experience before rushing out the door to Master Gardeners.

Tuesday: President Austin. Photo MIA. (I've got to figure a way to get it off the cell phone...)

Wednesday: Austin and I are French chefs making tacos.

Thursday: Baby fingers and toes in the sunshine are sweet.

Friday: While I pack, Blake plays in his exer-saucer.

Saturday: Laura and Blake blow kisses (er...bubbles?) together!

Hope that you've all had a lovely week!

Some upcoming posts:

The Charm of Children's Books

The Differences Between Gardeners & Quilters 

Dog jacket update

{You Are a Pick & Mix}

PICK & MIX

You have an eclectic approach to decorating and furnishing your home, mixing and matching on a whim, without worrying necessarily about 'design credentials' or forbidding price tags. That's not to say you lack style or flair - far from it. In fact, your home is a happy expression of your personality: relaxed, quirky and interesting.

Living Room

You go for a fusion of styles that express your taste and personality. In the wrong hands, an eclectic approach can end up looking like a living room of leftovers. The great thing is that anything goes (well, almost). The challenge is to seamlessly pull everything together. Build up the elements of the room around key pieces of furniture, and exercise some discipline: lucky dips are all well and good, but what if you end up with the proverbial bad penny? Feminine accessories will make the room pretty and welcoming. And by exercising some discipline over your naturally eclectic instincts you can help pull the look together without detracting attention from key pieces of furniture. Vibrant, jewel-like colours command attention while tactile finishes and soft furnishings cry out for company. After pottering about in the garden, your living room's somewhere to put up your feet and take a well-earned rest.

Bedroom

Your bedroom shows a love of country comforts. Sleep is fundamentally important to our well being. Clean, fresh air can truly aid sleep, but so, too, does a well-made bed and the best mattress you can afford. Touch is an important issue in the bedroom, from crisp, linen sheets to wool or even sheepskin underfoot. You love the classic country look in your bedroom, using classic, neutral colours and textures to create an oasis of calm.

Dining Room

You're a home-lover, bringing a light, feminine touch to mealtimes. At home, your dining room may be quite formal at the same time as being light and airy, with pretty finishing touches. You're a home-maker par excellence, and mealtimes are the perfect occasion for bringing everyone together. If you like patterns ,especially floral ones, be careful about overdoing it: there's a thin line between feminine charms and the gilded lily. When it comes to entertaining, you like to make an effort for family and friends.

Home Office

A little of what you fancy does you good -- even when you're working. Hot desking is all very well at work, but having a designated 'office' space at home really does make sense, even if it's in a corner of your bedroom. Your innate sense of style will probably lead you to creating a work space that's as individual as the rest of your home. Just bear in mind basic ergonomic principles, especially when choosing a desk and chair.

Conclusion

Your home's a happy hybrid of styles and influences that take your fancy.

I'd say that this sounds pretty accurate! I'd like to know, however, why when I took the quiz the first two times, I was a Pot-Luck Pro and now I'm a Pick & Mix.

What's your style according to Imagini?

Take a Pause

Please excuse the interruption. I've been out with the boys (my nephews) and will be back again later! 

(First Master Gardener's class coming up tomorrow!)