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.