The End of August

Here we are on the last day of August, and at least here in Philadelphia, it's hot, humid, sometimes sunny, sometimes overcast, and frankly I'm done with it. I mean, I was done with it at the beginning of August, and we had some nice days, but I still live in the past weather-wise, where towards the end of August, really hot days were not that common. 

Also, it's Monday. I've gotten some things done, and The Tim is at work, but everyone else is quite loungey. 

Katie came home from the dog park and was exhausted.

Esme and Alfie are still enjoying this Chewy box from about 2 months ago ...

Milo the Koodle was feeling cute - which means he wants you to try to scratch his belly so he can maul you. Today I did not fall for this ruse!

*****

So here's a bit of a summer summary (as opposed to a summer summery) for you. I know there are still a few weeks of the season left, but I'm one of those people who see September 1st as the time to close out some summertime activities.

Plan 1 for the summer: 

Knit a tee and a tank.

Knit several pairs of socks.

Finish summer cross-stitch.

Actually accomplished:

Knit one pair of socks. 

Worked on summer cross-stitch once, got quite a bit done, never picked it up again.

I am still knitting a tee. I thought I was nearly finished, after knitting the neckline yesterday, and getting ready to do the sleeves. Tried it on, and in spite of what my measurements told me, it was not long enough for me. I know a lot of people look good in cropped tops. I just like to feel like when I sit down, my top will still cover my back down to my butt. So this morning I started picking out the bottom hem, which is especially fun, since it is an Italian bind off. I know you're feeling jealous right now. At least when I have the new length knit, only two short sleeves will be left to do. I originally wanted to have this finished by today, but last week I did not knit a single stitch so everything that's left won't be happening today, LOL!

Plan 2 for the summer:

Clean up the garden, and plan for planter/plants in front of house.

Call landscaping service to trim trees and bushes.

Buy some new/additional furniture for the garden.

Sit outside as much as possible.

Barbecue and/or eat outside once we have a table.

Actually accomplished:

I did clean up the garden, and was able to keep it in good shape. I found the perfect planter that I wanted, but could not afford it, and then of course nothing else appealed. I've told myself that next year, I will definitely decide on something, rather than have nothing.

I called the landscaping service, and they were booked at the time, so I said I'd follow up. Forgot all about it until last week, but I did call, and we are currently waiting for an estimate.

Bought no new or additional furniture for the garden, for the same reason I did not buy a planter; went to look to see what might be on sale last weekend, and every place was pretty wiped out. So much like with the planter, I will try again next year and try to be less finicky.

I did sit outside a lot, with Alfie at first and then with Alfie and Katie. We were fortunate to have a lot of nice days, or at least nice mornings, when we would be out there for an hour or so. Of course there were long stretches when it was unbearable to even think about being outside, but this is one thing I really felt I accomplished like I'd hoped.

We never got a table for outside, so never ate a meal out there. 

So as you can see, it was not all that I'd planned or hoped, but since I'm only responsible to myself, it's really OK. Do I wish that more had been accomplished? Sure. But it wasn't so I'm just adjusting things and moving along.

*****

You may recall that Patrick, my niece Amanda's husband, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia right before last Christmas. He has been receiving intensive treatment, and at the beginning of July he had a successful bone marrow transplant. Last Friday, he was able to ring the bell to signify that it was all successful and he is now considered healthy again! All of us are so incredibly happy and relieved that he has done so well, and that he and Amanda can get back to their regular lives. I wanted to thank those of you who said they would keep good thoughts and/or say prayers for him - they made a difference! 💗 Since they live in Baltimore, he had care at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, so he was extremely fortunate to be in a place where they could provide the latest in treatment. 

Now I would like to ask you to keep my brother-in-law Patrick (Amanda's father) in your thoughts and prayers, since he is also dealing with a health journey that is very unlikely to end with a cure. But we are all hoping he can get to the point where he can enjoy whatever time is left to him. So if you would keep him and my sister in mind, that would be wonderful.

And on that happy/sad/hopeful note, I'll finish this post. I hope your August was as good as it could possibly be. I have a couple of small things to finish doing this afternoon, and then it will be time to sit down and get back to picking out that hem! 😡

I'm telling myself that it will build character ... but I've also decided that character is overrated ... 😏

See you next month!

My Life in Dogs

Today is International Dog Day. I couldn't let it pass without mentioning the dogs that have made my life better and my heart fuller.

Before I ever had a dog of my own, I would hear stories about the dog my mother grew up with, a black Chow-Chow named Pete. Like most dogs in other people's stories, he sounded perfect, smart, cuddly, and irreplaceable. You know, like all dogs ever. ❤️

And then there was Whiskey, a wire-haired fox terrier that was on the scene before I was born. I really don't remember if he was my parents' dog when they were first married, or when my sisters were kids. But apparently he had quite a personality! 

The first dog I remember is Herman, a beagle/bassett hound mix that my father found by his workplace (a common theme for a lot of our pets) when we lived in Chicago. I remember being so excited to have a dog! His favorite person was my middle sister, Mary Ellen, who thought he was OK, but wasn't as crazy about him as he was about her, LOL.

In second grade, someone my dad worked with was giving away a dog for who knows what reason, so of course my dad brought him home. (Side note: my dad was as animal crazy as I am - I get it honestly!) That was Bud (Sir Budweiser Carlton III to the AKC), a black cocker spaniel. I remember pictures of me dressed for my first communion on our front porch, posing with Bud. ❤️

Next up was Toby, a Standard Poodle/Airedale mix puppy that my mother got from a friend whose dog had puppies. Toby, God bless him, let me dress him up, teach him some tricks, hug and kiss him to within an inch of his life, and probably never had a moment left alone if I was home. 🙂 He was stolen from our back yard.

He was the last pup that was part of the family while I was still at home. I had other dogs I adored, and would take care of for friends and neighbors over the years (;ong-time readers probably remember Doughoy!), but the next dog who was part of our family was this one:

Dug the Doodle Dog! ❤️❤️❤️

Followed a few years later by Hamlet, the Retired Seeing Eye Dog ❤️❤️❤️:

It wasn't until earlier this year we adopted our Angus Podgorny ❤️❤️❤️💔:

And then most recently, the ridiculous Miss Katie Potatey❤️❤️❤️:

I will admit that my first love has always been cats - maybe because no matter what else was happening, or where we lived, we always had a cat. And we've also had birds, fish, turtles - whatever I could talk my parents or The Tim into. I am still, at my age, wishing for more animals in my life!

But dogs are different, as you know if you've had one. It's a different relationship than with other animals - just as all relationships are different with any creature. For the most part, I would say that at least the dogs I've had are willing to put up with a lot more active attention than anyone else. Heck, even The Tim wants to be left alone more often than not! 🤣

So thank you to every dog, past and present, that I've ever even come across, for letting me love you, and for giving some of it back, even if I've just been able to pet you in passing. 

And to my own dogs, past and present - I love you more than my own life and always will. ❤️. If you have a dog or other friend in your life, remember to hug them and thank them. I would bet they will love you right back.

Double Dad Day and Hang Them In the Louvre!

Happy Friday! I can hardly believe how nice it is today. Here we are at about 10 am here in Philadelphia, and the temperature is currently 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Perfection. It's so nice to have the windows open, and to sit outside in the garden without feeling like you're roasting. 

Today is also a bunch of heavenly birthdays in our house. Our cat Tess, our calico, had a birthday on August 21. This is largely because we decided since it was already a special day, we'd give her this day to celebrate.

Because it's Double Dad Day - both of our fathers had birthdays on this day, isn't that a funny coincidence? My dad would be 110 years old, and I think The Tim's dad would be 93 years old. I hope there are a lot of celebrations happening in the beyond, and that everyone is enjoying them.

💖💖💖

This morning, sitting in the garden with Alfie and Katie, I took these two photos:

As you can see, Katie takes Squirrel Patrol very seriously.

This one amuses me because they are looking in opposite directions. 

I sent them to my friend Lisa, who is in love with our animals, and she texted back "OMG it's a series - hang them in the Louvre!" 

I told her that I wouldn't even consider it, because I know they would be stolen. 🤣🤣

Right now, we're all back inside, where Alfie is curled up in an old Chewy box with Esme - they established residency there about a month ago, so until they move on to whatever is next, we wouldn't dare recycle that box!

Katie and I are headed to the dog park for a game of fetch. She is obsessed with two things: squirrels and playing fetch. When we go to the dog park, she doesn't mind the other dogs, but she is there to RETRIEVE THE BALL. We usually stay for 20 minutes to half and hour, and then she is a happy girl for the rest of the day. We don't go every day - though if the weather agrees, The Tim takes her there on both days of the weekend. Which of course is another reason he is The Favorite.

Other than that, no big plans for today. I've decided to stop at the seafood market up the street to see if they have any nice-looking bay scallops for dinner tonight. I saw an easy but yummy-sounding recipe to try, and didn't have anything else in mind. I like going there, because you can get the amount that you want to get, instead of having to buy more than you need at any given time. I'll let you know if I try the recipe and how it turns out.

The weekend plan is to go to IKEA to find new living room rugs. We sent our nice rug to be thoroughly cleaned about a year ago, and then wrapped for storage until such time as Milo the Koodle departs this mortal coil, since it is his most fave place to pee. In the meantime, we have been buying medium-sized area rugs at IKEA that are under $100 and usually last us a couple of years (well, OK, others would probably replace them sooner, but anyway ...) If the weather is going to stay nice, I'll probably sweep and clean the garden one day, since there are lots of sticks and leaves and other pieces of nature that are making a mess, and getting trailed in and out of the house.

And that's the excitement here. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and feel free to join us tonight in toasting Tess the kitty, and Double Dad Day!

Furball Friday - Confused Cats Edition

When we had Dug, he would happily sleep in his crate, or even just go there if he needed a break from everything (unless a cat was already sleeping there).  Hamlet had never been kept in a crate, so we didn't even set it up for him.

When we got Angus, the crate we had was WAY too big for him, so we ordered a soft-sided crate, which is much more manageable and frankly nicer-looking. I mean, it lives in the bedroom so it's not something most people see, but it's still a nice one. Angus didn't always necessarily want to go in if we were heading out someplace, but if you put a treat in there, he'd go. And he knew it was where he would sleep at night.

Katie was allegedly crate trained, but in reality ... not so much. The first few nights we had her, she would let us put her there to sleep. During my first volunteer shift, I put her in there with a peanut butter bar doggie treat, as I used to do with Angus, and figured that for the couple of hours I was gone, it would be fine. This way, since we weren't sure how she would be when she was alone with the cats, we didn't have to worry.

So imagine my surprise when I came home and Katie greeted me at the door! Upon inspection, it was clear she had clawed her way through the mesh and got out through the hole she made!

OK, we get it, you don't want to be in the crate. 🙄

We kept it up though, becasue sometimes at night, she would go in to lie down at least for some of the time.

The cats however - who think that every single item in the house is first and foremost theirs - have no problem taking possession of dog items. 

Please note what this bed says, and the animals it depicts. Milo thinks it's very comfy in any case. 

Esme thinks the crate is extremely comfortable, sans dog.

So does Alfie.

Oh well ... I guess it's good that someone is using these things?

Have a comfortable weekend!

OK Here Is Some News For You

Hello again. I'm sitting here on a so-far rainy day that is supposed to turn into a 5-day heat/humidity wave which annoys me greatly. Yes, I know we have been lucky enough here in Philadelphia to have a nice long string of lovely days and perfect nights. But that only makes the prospect of having to go back to ick weather even more depressing.  

I've decided I'm done with this summer. I know there is still plenty left, and things to do, enjoy, etc., but it's all been a lot, personally and in the universe, as it were. I'm sure we'll all survive, but you have to admit, this whole universe part of things is more than exhausting, right?

Anyway, on to better things and some news I think you'll enjoy. 😉

Say hello to Katie (aka Katie Potatey)! Even shortly after we had to return Angus to the rescue where we got him, The Tim said he thought we should still try to get a dog. After a bit of thought, I figured it was worth another try, though I am still heartbroken. But as he pointed out, you don't want to close yourself off just because of one bad experience, when there could be other good ones waiting. So we thought that we would look for another dog to add to our family this fall, when the weather would be nicer, and our house - whose a/c is questionable at best - would be more comfortable.  

Then a friend who knew the story of what had happened, mentioned that an acquaintance of hers told her about a great dog who had been at a rescue about an hour out of Philadelphia* and was looking for a family. The owner of said dog had to give her up because they had a terminal illness, and no longer had the strength or the finances to care for her. 

Well, we certainly understand how hard it is/was to give up an animal, even when you are in good health; I told The Tim and we decided it was worth looking into. I filled out an adoption application for the dog, and the woman at the rescue called me first thing the next day to tell me that a) we'd been approved, and b) to talk to me about the dog. So as the Magic 8-Ball might say, All Signs Pointed To Yes.

That was all on a Tuesday morning. Since the dog was far enough away to be a bit of a drive for us, I asked the woman if we could wait until the weekend to come to meet her, since it would work better for us. She said that was fine. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Katie is 6 years old, half Wheaten Terrier and half Golden Retriever. She is pretty well-behaved - unless she sees a squirrel and then good luck to anyone with her - and she is also quite ridiculous.  Milo loves her - we haven't seen him so happy since before Pip died. You may remember that we got him for our first dog, Dug. So Milo has always had and loved having a dog buddy. And after Pip died, he was kind of bereft, since they were buddies. And even though he gets along with Alfie and Esme, they are pretty much glued to each other most of the time. Katie is not 100 percent sure what to do about Milo's friendship, but she is fine with it. 😊 Alfie, who used to love dogs, growled at Katie first thing. So she is afraid of him, and Alfie takes full advantage of that, 24/7. Esme would clearly like to get in One.Good.Sniff of Katie, but of course is too afraid to even really try. So cat-wise, things seem to be working out fine. We always tell any dog who joins the family that there are only two rules in our house:

1. The kitties were here first.

2. You have to be nice to the kitties.

Katie is doing fine on this front.

She is unexpectedly cute - I mean, her face is cute enough, but she is kind of a low-rider, which is amusing in itself:

The woman at the rescue told me that she LIVES to play ball! And she wasn't kidding! Other than squirrels, Katie's philosophy is that Ball. Is. Life. Her favorite kind of ball is the kind with spikes on it, but any ball is a good one.  The woman at the rescue also told me that she carried around one ball all of the time, and the woman said she thought it was an Emotional Support Ball. 😃 

It's true - Emotional Support Ball (aka ESB) is a constant now in our household. The Tim mentioned that ESB was looking a bit worse for the wear, so we'd best make sure we knew where we could find another one. I took a picture and asked Google Lens where we could get one, and fortunately they are $3.99 at PetSmart! So when this one heads to the great ball pit in the sky, we can easily have another on hand - phew!

(ESB in its current condition)

Katie hasn't been here very long, but she seems to be a real keeper. She weighs about 35 pounds, so she is not very big, and we've had some success getting her to obey some basic commands. I suspect she already knew them, but during the time she was at the rescue, had a large field to be outside in, and so didn't need to understand walking on a leash anymore. One thing interesting about her is that she is not really food-motivated, which has never ever been the case with any of our other dogs. Not that that's a bad thing! 

She seems to be happy to be with us, especially The Tim, who if you have not intuited before, is always the Good Cop. She enjoys going to the dog park, not for the other dogs, but to play ball of course! And we took her to the vet who said her previous owner clearly took good care of her. 

I recently sent the woman at the rescue a text with the picture of Katie above, telling her that she seems to have settled in well and that we are loving having her. I said I wished her former owner could know that - not that it would make things better, but that maybe it would be some small comfort. The woman said she was going to forward the message, so I hope it was some comfort to the person who had to give her up, and who seems to have more than enough on her plate. 

One thing funny to us is that Katie is from Scranton, PA - home of both Joe Biden, and Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company in "The Office." The Tim says he just hopes she didn't live before with a character like Dwight K. Schrute. 😂

So that is the latest news from here, and the story of Katie joining the family. 

I will never stop loving Angus, and I still cry missing him more than words will ever be able to express (I'm crying now), but she is a wonderful distraction. ❤️ And I hope with every part of my being that Angus is as lucky now as she is. 

*An hour outside of Philadelphia = The Wilds/Terra Incognita to us! 🤣🤣