Late Bloomer

I didn't know what to title this post. Thoughts like 'never give up' and 'shame on me' came to mind. I had brought my dahlias in about a week ago. For lack of nurturing over last winter, I had gotten a measly three blooms from one pot and nothing from the other. Looking pretty dreadful, I put them on the bottom shelf of my potting stand until I could get around to emptying the pots and throwing away the contents. No water, no sun, no nothing. 

Today, after letting Astrid outside, I stopped at the potting stand on the way in the porch and mindlessly picked up the pots. My intention was to assess how big a bag I should get when removing the dirt and bulbs. This pictures shows what I found. I know it isn't a pretty picture, but how or why I missed the struggle of the one pot to bloom, I just don't know. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but these bulbs are going to get a third chance next year after over wintering the right way. 

Astrid's Big Weekend

What a fun weekend we had! First, Astrid had a 10:30am pedicure appointment. She is even happy while she waits.

Next, it was off to Pet Essentials for some cookies. She doesn't mind waiting in line to pay for them. It gives her a chance to schmooze the other customers.

She picked out two cookies and was ready to go. She needed cookies to snack on while Mom and Dad had lunch.

Next, it was off to our new fave restaurant for some lunch.

And finally time to go home. Thank you, Showmar's, for being so pet friendly and having yummy food too!

There's A Story Behind The Mistakes

I've been trying my hand at these old fashioned crochet doilies lately.  My Swedish grandmother had the time and patience to surround herself and her home with homemade things like this. Well, maybe not quite like these as you may find mistakes in mine. Especially that little white one. Why is it all scrunched up against the others you ask? Of course, there's a story behind it.  And of course it involves Astrid.

Astrid is well trained. I could put a sandwich on the floor and if I told her not to touch it, I could leave the room and return and still find the sandwich on the floor. She touches nothing that isn't hers. Except once. It was Christmas time and a dear friend sent Astrid a stocking with her name on it. Of course, she joined in the excitement as we opened it but I was super surprised when she picked the stocking up and ran off with it! That was a few years ago and she hasn't 'stolen' anything since. Until last Friday night.

Astrid's dad had come home later than usual. We were in the living room. I was working on crochet. Apparently, she got a little beside herself with jealousy as her dad and I ignored her while we talked. She grabbed my work out of my basket and ran off...leaving a nice little trail of unraveling crochet thread. She only traveled a couple of feet, but that was enough to undo my work a little. Wow...talk about guilty looks! You should have seen her face when she realized what she did. I'm not that experienced at this tiny (and tedious) work, so I tried putting it together as well as I could. But there's a mistake(s) and it's noticeable. Hence, the scrunching up of the little white one for the picture. 

I don't imagine Astrid will continue in her wayward behavior. We all act irrational when our emotions get the best of us so I forgive the doily runaway. But the stocking? Do I think she is so smart she can read? Of course not! But it did have her name on it.

Dining With Dogs

Astrid joins us a lot at restaurants around Charlotte....everything from fast casual, one of our faves named 'Showmar's' to finer dining at '131 Main'. It wasn't always that way. For the first couple of years, there was not an official rule 'on the books' regulating dogs on restaurant patios. Then finally...officially, if the owner of the restaurant approves, all well behaved dogs are welcome to enjoy patio dining. 

There are about three rules for dining with dogs on patios. One, of course they need to be pleasant around strangers but not too inquisitive about every other patron of the restaurant. We don't meet and greet everyone who arrives at the restaurant and takes a seat in our vicinity so our dog shouldn't either. Two, they should have a 'reliable settle'. That's a term I've learned at dog training classes when the teacher doesn't want the dogs jumping up and down and barking. You are confident that they will quietly and patiently lay down beside your chair. Giving them a bite here and there is perfectly acceptable as long as they will resume this 'reliable settle' (don't you love that phrase) when you give the word. 

The third rule is for the dog's dining companions...mom, dad, whoever. You will eventually run into 'the jerk'. They will want to know why anyone would bring their dog with them to a restaurant. It is hard...it is so very hard not to come back with a harsh remark. Here's your chance to change someone's mind or at least give them something to think about. I usually reply 'since well behaved dogs are now welcome on restaurant patios as long as they are welcome by the restaurants owners, we take Astrid everywhere. It's a nice break from all the Therapy Dog work we do.' Yep....I slip in a brag. And I try not to be too smug about it all.

Falling Big

This year for Autumn, Astrid's Etsy shop is going big. Big in size, that is. Our new 2013 Halloween collection is all larger sizes. We still have a few of the smaller favorites in our shop from 2012, so you little ones won't miss out. The first six shoppers will also be getting a sweet little surprise in their package! Happy shopping, Happy Halloween!

Not So Dreamy Dahlias

Dreamy Dahlia

For my first time ever growing Dahlias, I was very proud of the flowers produced last summer. I followed directions, full sun, water when needed and they rewarded me with big, beautiful blooms. Then, the frost came. Of course, that wasn't unexpected. I cut the dry straw like stems back to the soil surface....and that's where I left them. Sure, I had every intention of removing them from the soil and placing them a card board box on top of paper towels where they would over winter and be ready for an even more spectacular display next summer. Unfortunately, they were neglected. Sure I saw them and told my self I had plenty of time. Time went by and on one of my trips out the back door I passed the Dahlias in their pots. And they had green sprouts. They had tried to take care of themselves without me. I couldn't continue to neglect them, so picking them up  I took them outside to where they will receive full sun at least 8 hours a day. And produce flowers ...even without my tender care. They are producing small, dull in color, very small blooms with very short stems with already brown curling edges.

Not So Dreamy Dahlia

I usually write blogs about dogs. This one is too, in a way. Many of us take our dogs to classes or train at home all year, gaining skills, them shinning in their particular sport. Then summer break comes. We look forward to the rest and we think our dogs do to. We don't water them so much with practice and metaphorically speaking, maybe they don't get all the sun they need. Then we go back to class wondering why they seem a little brown around the edges. Astrid and I have a whole month to work on her skills before they will need to be displayed. We won't make the same mistake twice.

Great Pictures Boost Shelter Dogs Chances

No matter how broad minded and informed we might think we are, the picture of a shelter dog in a beautiful setting will elicit an awwww and draw our interest. Take that same dog and tie him to a door, taking his picture while he stands there nervously and that awww will turn to a pitiful one, probably with the thought that we hope someone overlooks his surroundings and gives him a second chance at a good home anyway. The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is especially true when applied to shelter dogs. Shelters know that they just often are too busy tending to each new dog that arrives at the shelter often at a frantic pace. Often shelter workers are over worked, under paid (if at all) and emotionally drained from the sight of one beautiful animal after another that has been thrown away at a human's whim and ending up at their shelter.

Pet Finder, along with the Center For Shelter Dogs are teaming up and are currently taking a survey on Pet Finder's website to see what makes a picture most appealing. We are really looking forward to how they are going to use this information to better the chances of finding a forever home for shelter dogs. Until their new information is available, Astrid (alumnus of Santa Cruz Humane Society) and I hope that everyone, whether you are considering adopting or going to share a photo of an animal in need, will look past the background of a picture and look to the soul....and all the other things...size, temperament, age (Senior Dog Rocks!), etc., etc., that will help you make the decision of whether that dog in the picture might be right for your family.

On Being A Therapy Dog Team

We had another lovely visit at the rehab and living center as a therapy dog team today. We are actually in our fifth year of doing this. With no special talents, Astrid loves to get petted and fancies herself a trick dog at times, and I have a talent for talk with people I don't know. If you are reading this and are considering becoming a therapy team, I have a little advice you may not get anywhere else. We all sometimes think that will walk into these facilities bringing rays of sunshine and happiness. Sometimes we really do! Other times, the people we saw last time have gotten sicker and aren't in condition to visit. But there are times....times when you really really know you made a difference. One that comes to mind is the lady that was sent to rehab after a colostomy. She wanted to visit with Astrid so much but was embarrassed over the smell. She said we may not want to come in because of it. We told her that when someone loves dogs, and they want to see Astrid, nothing stands in our way. I haven't see this lady for the last two months. I choose to think she learned to cope with her new inconvenience in living and went home.

And then there is Miss Jean. What she wants most is to first, touch Astrid and second, she would like to make sure she is keeping her mind sharp by telling you how she worked at BellSouth Telephone Company for 35 years. Also how her mom was the teacher in a one room school house in South Carolina, During this, Astrid stretches out on the cool wood floor for a nap while I listen and ask questions about what life was like all those years ago when telephone operators all sat in and row and offered assistance. This is where one realizes the definition of the word team in 'Therapy Team'. It's obviously my turn occasionally.


Mostly, therapy work is fun and pretty routine....room to room to room making people smile. But there will be those that you will remember for other reasons.

Lighten Up...I'm A Dog

To treat or not to treat? To click or not to click (clicker training)? To stick out your tongue at your dog or not to stick out your tongue? Look...don't look. How do we know which is the best training method for our dog? Like me, maybe you have been all over the training map and still feel like a beginner. I want my dog to love me, but not just for treats. I want to know that if I forget my clicker one day, my dog won't run away. I want to know that if I stick out my tongue at Astrid, that I'm not violating some 'canine rule' and she will be ruined for ever. And I want to know that if my dog looks at another dog and the other dog reacts badly, that I'm not the one who is all wrong. Alas, I have learned the answers to all of these questions. Yes, no, sometimes, maybe and most important...what works with my dog? I'm not saying to leave things up to our dog. It all works to some degree. Try it all out, then keep what works and leave the rest. What have we found works best? Treats are good, ask your dog but don't leave it up to them...make them work really hard for it sometimes. No, Astrid doesn't run away if I forget my clicker. Our emotional bond is stronger than that. Sticking out our tongue at our dog might violate a canine rule, but it sure is funny teaching this one and your dog will forgive you when they see how much it makes you laugh. And the other dog reacting badly when your dog looks at them? You just might want to quit looking at them....some dogs are like that. Our only cardinal rule in training is that whatever class we are taking, we go by the instructors rules while in class. We fit in better and our dogs will appreciate it. If our dogs could talk, we think they would say "lighten up, it's all good".

Play Date Style

One may think that play dates with other dogs is a little far fetched, but it makes perfect sense when socializing our dogs. We often expect our dogs to be well behaved around other dogs. The only way to accomplish this is to actually be around other dogs! Be the trend setter in your neighborhood and invite that canine cutie over for a short play date with your dog. 

Pictured here is Astrid modeling perfect play date attire from the 'Cute As A Button' collection at her  AstridNicoleEtcetera Etsy shop.