Let the Madness Begin ~

You know me.  I will never learn that less is more . . . sigh.  I have begun to haul boxes down from the attic.  10+ trips down and countless more to go.

Thanksgiving was wonderful!!!  Time spent with family ~ and mine is very small ~ is important.  My Las Vegas son Bill was home for a few days.  Good for this mom's heart.  He is the guy in the Browns' shirt.  Younger son J and his son Jake are bringing up the rear.  Jake is officially taller than his dad.

When hooking in Millersburg, I had to leave for a few hours to attend the Seville Antiques Christmas open house.  I can't believe I came home with another Peaseware container.  I have others already put away.  It will be fun to see all I have when my house is back to "normal" in January.

And speaking of Millersburg, while there I pulled a few loops on Ole Jack but still not done (unlike Saundra).  I did hook Mr. Jingles and last evening added his shoe button eyes and those on his chest.  Another Santa rug was started, but not enough progress to show.

This is in my yard today.

The sidewalk in the front of my house was in dire need of leveling.  Because the problem was due to tree roots, they could not just be leveled.  I have been trying for two years to find someone to do it.  I had gotten a couple estimates that were just totally outrageous so was happy to find someone who though expensive, did not totally break the bank.  Suffice to say it is costing many yards of wool and hooking camps 😞

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Gotcha ~

Two years ago today Molly officially became a member of my family.  What a difference two years can make.  When I adopted her, she and Ernestine (DSO's pug) got along.

Now they cannot be in the same room together unleashed.  Ernestine was originally the aggressor, but now Molly is just as bad now if not worse 😢

Some Molly facts ~

~ She not only doesn't get along with Ernestine, but she hates all other dogs!  I have heard a dog with that attitude referred to as an "only".  I call her my pit pug, but that is insulting to pits 😞

~ She recently finished an antibiotic for an ear infection and two antibiotics for UTIs.  Did you know that a urine culture for a dog costs $120 and we have had three done?  Cha ching $$.  Any non-animal persons reading this just won't understand.

~ She has pug myelopathy, a neurological condition which affects the use of the back legs and a few other things we won't discuss . . . lol.  For quite some time she has been losing her balance on smooth surfaces such as linoleum, but it is now happening on carpet and the lawn.  Thankfully it causes no pain.  You can read more about it here.

She has also recently been diagnosed with a mast cell tumor, a form of skin cancer common in pugs, on her back.  Ironically, Ernestine just had surgery for the same thing about a month ago so I say she caught it from Ernestine 😁  She will be having surgery to remove it on December 13th and while under anesthesia, will also have a dental.  Once again, cha ching $$.

Molly is going to be my million dollar baby, but I love her to pieces and will care for her in the best way I possibly can.

PLEASE REMEMBER!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Happy Thanksgiving ~

 🦃 Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

We have much to be

thankful for

and we must always 

count our blessings 😊

xoxo

Lauren

Once Again Battling Technology ;-(

Some days you just can't win.  Suddenly, when I leave a comment on a blog, the email that the blogger would normally receive showing I left a comment, comes back a delivery failure.  I haven't changed any settings.  I've restarted the computer.  So far, no luck.  I am wondering if when you leave a comment on this post if I will receive a notification.

Then my PC (non Apple product) would not recognize my iPhone for me to download my pictures.  That issue seems to have self corrected.  Fingers crossed it stays that way.

As usual, I took too few pictures at the hooking retreat in Millersburg.  I'm not sure if this is a Caroline Twigg pattern, but it was color planned in a class with Caroline.  The "dirty" spots at the bottom are shadows.

Sweet little pattern by Maria Barton (Star Rug Complany).  You can spot her patterns a block away.

What fun.  Between the whipped edge and the hooking, she added some butcher twine.

This was a free Tonya Robey pattern, I believe in a 2013 Create & Decorate magazine.  Her example was hooked as a black snowman.  (Am I allowed to say that?)

Another free pattern (me thinks), this one by Lucille Festa from a few years ago.  I believe it was in a Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine (but don't quote me on that).  This pattern was purchased on linen from Lucille.

A couple close ups.

Woolnuts pattern, being hooked by Heidi, the designer.

Last but not least . . . and this one is for you, Saundra.  Ole Jack, pattern by Cathy Stephan of Red Barn Rugs.  The same pattern as I am hooking, but this is the large version which is REALLY BIG.

Close up of the horse.

My intentions to take more pictures were good, but we know the road to hell is paved with good intentions 😁

My Las Vegas son was scheduled to arrive at Cleveland Hopkins airport at 1:00 AM.  As they were boarding the plane, they suddenly announced that this particular airplane was actually heading to Memphis and everyone heading to Cleveland had to deplane.  Really?  Don't you think they would know that in advance?  So . . . he is headed to a different terminal and as of this writing, is scheduled to arrive about 2:30.  There is absolutely nothing glamorous about flying!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

New Old Treasures ~

You know me.  I love my old stuff.  I went to a great primitive antique show a couple weeks ago.  My new old treasures.  A wonderful crock ~ the damage is hidden in the back.

A large Peaseware container to add to my collection.  The other pieces were put away when Halloween decorations came out and won't be put back out until after the Christmas season.  Once again, the damage is hidden in the back.  (Do you detect a pattern here?)

A fun bootjack turned shelf.  (No damage!!!)

Last but not least, I found this really cool old lamp base.  I can picture a narrow hooked rug hanging from it . . . or an applique piece . . . or even cross stitch or wood sign.  Of course, all those projects are just floating in my head 😁

Thursday I am heading to Millersburg, OH, for three and a half days of hooking heaven.  Always a fun time spent with like minded hookers.

I will leave you with a bit of canine humor.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

The Secret is Out ~

Rug hookers are familiar with Rug Week at Sauder Village held every August.  It is the holy grail of rug hooking.

The 2022 class and vendor list was published yesterday.  Guess who is on the list?

Oh, it was so hard to keep this secret for so long!  Melissa and I are beyond excited having been asked to vend.  I know what I am going to be doing all winter!!!

Remember the rusty bicycle I pulled from a dumpster down the street?  I finally got it in the yard.  For now a pumpkin will suffice, but need to find a basket to fill with greens for the Christmas season.

We had our first flurries today.  The first couple hours it did not stick, then starting hanging around, and then melted.  I am ready for spring.  Anyone else with me?

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Remember Why ~

We celebrate today.

Please take a moment to thank a veteran.

Freedom isn't free.

God Bless America.

Progress ~

I was pleased with the progress I made on Ole Jack until I checked the calendar.  I started it seven weeks ago at rug camp, so I guess I'm not doing quite as good as I thought I was . . . sigh.  There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel and it doesn't look to be a freight train.  I must say, though, I am getting tired of hooking those large circles that are the border.  Binding may be troublesome since I do not have a defining line and am making the border somewhat wonky.  As "they" say . . . whoever "they" are . . . I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

I was having great difficulty approximating the correct colors in the rug.  I moved it so many times and took many photos, but just couldn't capture the true colors.  Why is it sometimes it comes out good, and the very next pic is awful?  

What a gorgeous day today!  We finally had our first frost, so this is our Indian Summer . . . or are we no longer allowed to say that?  Don't you get tired of all the political correctness BS?  The Cleveland Indians are no longer the Cleveland Indians.  I don't pay much attention to sports so I am not sure what their new name is.

I dug up daylilies today and replanted them in a new little flower bed.  I still have a few more to plant, but I ran out of steam.  This growing old is not for sissies.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Two Hot Messes ~

 

Ernestine was an Ohio Pug Rescue pug I fostered for just a few days before DSO adopted her . . . a little over three years ago.

Molly was a pug I fostered through Ohio Pug Rescue and I adopted her almost two years ago.

So the back story is a few weeks ago I made an appointment with the vet for Molly.  She was just a month shy of her annual checkup and we were having some potty issues.  DSO decided to piggy back (puggy back?)  the appointment with Ernestine because he had recently discovered a growth on her head.

The diagnoses . . .

Ernestine had a mast cell tumor.  It is basically a skin cancer, very common in pugs.  She was also in need of a dental.  She had surgery Monday.  They removed the tumor and did a dental with five extractions.  She is doing great, but for the time being she is a frankenpug 😁

Now Molly . . . she is a total hot mess!  She had a horrible ear infection and is quite deaf (what?).  No big surprises there.  She also had a UTI and was prescribed an antibiotic.  The week after I found out about the UTI, I noticed the fur on her back looked funny and when I touched the area, there was a lump not there the week before.  So . . . we go back with another urine sample.  I expect the infection to be gone.  NOT!  So she is on a stronger antibiotic.  Plus can you believe the little lump on her back is also a mast cell tumor?  I jokingly have said that she caught it from Ernestine.  AND . . . she also needs a dental.  Surgery is not yet scheduled.  The vet most likely will wait until after she is off the antibiotic.  

They will be our million dollar babies . . . but worth it.  Gotta take care of the furbabies.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren