Cone of Shame ~

Or shall I say donut of shame?  This inflatable cone is so much better than the hard plastic ones.  She is able to eat and drink (though she has not yet 😭).

As you can guess, Harper was spayed yesterday.  They said she did great.  We had an uneventful hour ride home from the vet's office.  She sat quietly on my lap, looking like Yoda!  She was pretty drugged up.

Came in the house, drank some water and proceeded to throw up on my hooked rug in the kitchen.  At least the other times she got sick was on a hard surface.

I thought I would be able to hook a bit with her sitting next to me.  Uh, well that wasn't meant to be.  She insisted on being on my lap, so I obliged.  I wish I could figure out how to post the video of her on my lap, but I am not that tech smart 😓.  It was a hoot the pug noises she was making!  

Still looking like Yoda . . . giving me the stink eye.

She is contentedly sleeping beside me while I type this post.  I am hoping she has a speedy recovery and in two weeks she will be ready to find her furever home.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Harper hugs 😊
Lauren

NEVER will I ~

 America is mourning.

May God bless America.

Lauren

Out of Control ~

I think the world has gone mad.  The senseless murder of the young Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska, in Charlotte, N.C.  Pure evil.  This country needs to deal with mental illness and judges need to stop releasing criminals.  Why is mainstream media not talking about this?  It happened on August 22, and it is just now being talked about.  I don't consider myself a prejudiced person and I am certainly not a racist, but if that was the killing of a black woman by a white man, they would have been burning cities down.  And now I have just learned that Charlie Kirk has been shot on a college campus in Utah.  As of this writing, nothing is being said about his condition.  What the hell is going on in this world?  What ever happened to agreeing to disagree?  I am just sick to my stomach over these senseless acts of violence.  

Please pray for the families of Iryna and Charlie.

Lauren

Nine Years Ago on this Day ~

I am not sure where the last nine years have gone.  It feels like just yesterday I retired . . . but my day job seems like a lifetime ago.  It may not have been the smartest move financially, but it was the best decision for me and I have not regretted it for a second.  If you are thinking about retiring, I say JUST DO IT!!!  I have yet to be bored and there are never enough hours in the day.  How did I ever have time to work? 😁

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Seriously!!!

Why does anyone in their right mind have 6+ tubs of Halloween decorations.  Not fall . . . Halloween.  Does that mean I am not in my right mind?  Highly possible 😁

On Labor Day after getting home from my brother's, I was in the kitchen with Harper and heard a rustling.  I looked out the kitchen window to see if my neighbor was making the noise.  Nope.  I opened the cupboard door under the sink, and there was a 

  

in my recycle can desperately trying to jump out.  To say I screamed like a girl is an understatement!!!  Thankfully there were only a couple things in the bottom of the can so he wasn't able to climb out and I was able to carry the can outside and dump him out.  Tuesday I put "mouse food" in the garage.  I have had mice before and they just make me feel dirty and they are most unwelcome in my house.

Still no hooking to show.  Perhaps after the Halloween decorations are out I will find time to pull a few loops.  I miss being creative.

I am still getting a crazy number of hits on my blog.  Still haven't a clue what is going on.  My AI visitors?

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Kicked my Butt ~

The antique sale at my house Friday and Saturday really kicked my butt.  I feel like a walking zombie.  I had so much left over from my outdoor show two weeks ago, but I kept pulling more and more from the basement to add to the sale.  First, though, I had to clean the garage (which is NEVER clean) to make room for tables.  Since I don't have a storage shed, I had to work around trash cans, lawnmower, edger, etc.  Hauled them in and out of the garage countless times.  But . . . I am totally blown away by my sales.  I set a pretty low goal so I wouldn't be disappointed, but surpassed it by several times.  I am absolutely thrilled.  Today has been spent boxing it all up (and I am not quite done!) to haul it to my friend's in a few weeks and do this all over again.  The more I get rid of, the less will go back to the basement 😁

Tis midge season near the shores of Lake Erie.  We get them 2-3 times a summer, but I never remember them this late or this bad.  They look like mosquitos, but don't bite.

For 4-5 nights at dusk, there have been dark clouds of them in the sky and the noise they make is eerie.  A low, droning, buzzing sound.  Here is one person's take on them . . .

"One drawback to living on the shores of Lake Erie is the annual swarming of midges (aka muffleheads or muckleheads).  Your house, car, bushes, well . . . EVERYTHING is covered with 1000's upon 1000's of these harmless, non biting insects.  This time of year they ascend into the sky just before sunset, forming thick, undulating clouds.  This orgy in the sky is the last chapter in their lifecycle before they lay eggs in the water and die."

If you walk by a shrub in your yard and get too close, thousands of them will swarm.  One must keep his/her mouth shut and do a lot of exhaling!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Diary of a Former Hooker ~

That is what I feel like.  I have only pulled a few loops on some coneflowers.  I wanted to have three made to take to guild today for a raffle prize, but that didn't happen.  Here is my measly progress.

So what have I been doing with my time?  Cleaning the garage (which is beyond hope) and getting ready for an antique sale this Friday and Saturday.  I sold a lot of stuff when I vended at the outdoor show a couple weeks ago . . . but I also brought lots home.  So I figured I would try to sell more and haul more stuff up from the basement.  The more I can get rid of the better, no?

I posted many places on Facebook and there has been much interest, but here's my gripe.  I have a collection of 16 pre-1948 world globes.  Some guy was going to come buy the lot today for a great price.  Well, he didn't come around the time he was supposed to, and many hours later said he got tied up and he was going to pass for now.  Didn't want to hold up on me selling them.  Why not just be honest and say you changed your mind.  Then another woman wanted to come today also.  Another no show  WTH folks???  Let's just be grownups!

Harper had her vet visit yesterday.  ARGH!  The vet I must use is an hour away.  Thankfully the vet proclaimed her in good health.  Her spay is scheduled for September 11.  She really is a sweet, loving girl, starved for attention.

Something is really going on with blogger.  Supposedly I got 1,039 hits on my last post.  That's about five times what I normally get.

Geez, just after 8:30 and it is pitch black outside.  I hate it!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Harley hugs 😊
Lauren

Sauder Rug Show ~ the end

Rug week at Sauder has been over for a week, so I will share a few final rugs with you.  No rhyme or reason, just some of my favorites.

You can't go wrong with a patriotic rug!

I've shared Donna Hrkman's self portrait before, but worth sharing again.  Be sure to read the bottom of the rug!

Saundra . . . this one's for you.  Too bad the skylights washed out the color.

Needle felted panda.  He was absolutely adorable!

Another Main Exhibit was braiding.  Beautiful, but not something I am interested in.

Great words of wisdom ~

When in doubt, PAUSE

When angry, PAUSE

When tired, Pause

When stressed, PAUSE, and

When you pause . . . PRAY

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

3-3-3 Rule

The 3-3-3 rule for rescue dogs outlines the adjustment process in three phases:

• 3 Days:  This initial period is often referred to as "decompression".  Dogs may feel overwhelmed and nervous as they adjust to their new environment.
• 3 Weeks:  During this time, the dog begins to settle in and show their true personality.  They may start to feel more comfortable and secure in their new home.
• 3 Months:  By this stage, the dog should have fully adjusted to their new surroundings and routine.  They will likely exhibit more confidence and stability in their behavior.

This guideline helps set expectations for new dog owners and emphasizes the importance of patience and understanding the adjustment period.

First off, I forgot to mention that Harper turned 7 at the end of July.  I was initially asked if I would foster a puppy.  The answer was not only no, but hell no!!!  Previously when I fostered, the youngest was about a year old.  I prefer the middle aged gals.

She is doing ok.  She did "mark" a couple times . . . that I know of . . . even though she has barely been out of my sight.  I was sitting at the dining room table and she walked to the next chair over and lifted her leg.  ARGH!!!  Hopefully her spay will help this issue.  I just need to be patient, but I've never had a marker before.

She looks like the flying nun in this picture.  (Am I showing my age?)

Hooking may be a bit difficult.  Here she is sprawled across my lap while I am trying to pull a few loops 😁

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

NEWS!!!

As many of you may recall, I adopted (Bad) Miss Molly from Ohio Pug rescue in November of 2019.  She was my first "foster fail", meaning I was fostering her and then adopted her.  Here she is shortly after I adopted her.  This picture always makes me smile.  She just looks like she's saying, "Mom, please get me out of here".  

She ended up having pug myelopathy and was losing the use of her hind legs and bodily functions.  She began having seizures and sadly got her pug wings in April of 2023.  Those grey faces just melt my heart.

Fast forward to yesterday.  I finally welcomed a new furkid in to my life.  Meet Harper.  She was such a good girl on the hour ride to my house (after having spent three hours in a car heading north from southern Ohio).

On our morning walk.

Chillin' in the kitchen.

Poor baby.  Last evening her tail was between her legs.  Today she is showing off her great curl.

Harper has been through a lot in the last few days.  She and her sister were surrendered by their owner Saturday morning.  The owner had health issues and couldn't take care of them properly.  She spent three days with another OPR volunteer who brought her north.  In only three days she became so attached to her.  She just wants love and attention.  She is very sweet but has come with some baggage as I understand.  She "marks" if you walk away to another room and leave her.  I haven't left her loose out of my site!!!  She currently is in a crate while I work on this post.  She is not too happy, but last night she was the bestest girl in the crate.  Not a peep and the crate was clean this morning.  She also occasionally chases her tail which I was told could be a sign that she was confined to a small area.  Thankfully she is easily redirected.

You will be hearing lots more about her in the coming weeks/months.  She has a vet appointment next week and at that time a spay will be scheduled.  I just hope she does not come in to heat which would delay the spay by about three weeks.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Now I can truly say pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Sauder Rug Show ~ part four ~ More Special Exhibits . . . and another Main Exhibit

 

I hope you can enlarge and read about Janine.  Her self portrait rug will be in Celebrations.

Sorry I failed to take a picture of the description of the exhibit.  I am just sharing a few of these beautiful rugs.  There were so many more!

Two versions of an antique adaptation.

And finally . . . this is the first year I entered any rugs in the show.  Here are two of them (the horses) 😉

Still more to share.  I find it hard not to share everything . . . but in the next post I will share some non-hooking news.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren