The Things You Find ~

I found this in a bag of yarn I had not looked in in MANY years.

What, you may ask, is it?  A very hard, dried pizza crust.  Some of you may remember my Ellie, a Jack Russell Terrier I "inherited" when my friend passed away.  Ellie was attacked while on a leash as we stepped out of my garage.  She did not survive.  I can't believe it's been over five years.  Ellie loved to "bury" treats and pizza crusts in bags and baskets of wool.  It has been a very long time since I found one of her buried treasures.  So bittersweet.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Class Projects ~

 

Here are some of the projects being worked on in last week's class with Carol Weatherman.  The room had lots of windows and was very bright (GREAT for hooking), but caused a few of the rugs to look very washed out.

Standing wool projects . . . 

On a sad note, it was one year ago today that I had to say goodbye to my Ellie after she was attacked by a dog in my driveway four days earlier.  The lawsuit I filed to hold the dog's owner accountable was finally settled.  I recouped the majority of my expenses, but he could not be made to pay attorney fees.  More important than the money was the fact that he was held responsible.  It just breaks my heart when I think about what poor Ellie went through.  She was such a little spitfire and there isn't a day that I don't miss her.  Run fast and free, my sweet baby girl.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Thank You ~

Thank you with all my heart.  Words cannot express how you have made me (us) feel.  Thank you for taking the time to let me know you care and understand.  So many of you know the grief, the heartache, the emptiness.  I know with each passing day it will get a little easier and the hurt will lessen, but for now it's almost unbearable.  Those furbabies sure do leave HUGE paw prints on the heart.  They are gone, but will never be forgotten.

Loocie's 10th birthday

11.11.2015

Run fast and free, my precious furbabies.

xoxo

Lauren

Meet the Granddog ~

Last weekend I watched my granddog Kali (the goddess of destruction . . . lol).  She is a year and a half old Newfoundland but she is ALL PUPPY.  Isn't she a beauty?  I think the ex-girlfriend got her from a puppy mill which saddens since it keeps them in business.  Supposedly the parents were HUGE, but she is small for a Newfie, making me more suspicious.  It is what it is and my son and grandson love her so that's all that matters at this point.

She thinks she's a lap dog.

By Sunday she started to calm down a bit ~ or so I thought.  I had her outside with me while I did yard work and when I wasn't paying attention, chewed her leash to shreds!  I may be watching her for 8 days later this month.  ARGH!  I must really love my son. 

I can't believe it's been seven weeks since Ellie was attacked.  I miss her so much and there are so many reminders of her.  Here she is getting ready to bury a bone in a basket of wool.  She had stolen it from Kali at Christmas.  I have not gone in the basket because I know it will break my heart to find it buried there.  Geez, I'm crying just typing this :(

This is how she was every morning ~ under the covers.

I've had to hire an attorney to try to recoup my vet bills which were over $5k.  The owner of the dog was only charged with a minor misdemeanor of dog at large (they said they could not charge him with vicious dog because the dog had never attacked or bitten before, but in fact it had attacked his daughter's pug last summer.  The police were called, but she did not press charges)  and because of that, the court could not order restitution.  My gut feeling is that the owner will try to say that I have no proof that it was his dog that attacked her.  I would just like to put this behind me . . . sigh . . . but I want him to take responsibility.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

How Does One Say Thank You?

I have received many cards and emails regarding my Ellie and I tear up with each one.  You have no idea how much they mean to me.  Dear Saundra sent a generous donation that is being given to Multiple Breed Rescue, the rescue where my friend Judy adopted her from.  If you don't know how Ellie came to be mine, you can read about it here.  This also came in the mail and I must say I sobbed when I opened it.  Kim had a friend of hers do a watercolor of Ellie.  He truly captured her spirit.  It takes my breath away and it is something I will treasure always.  Thank you so much, dear Kim.  It will hang in my bedroom because Ellie spent every night there (under the covers) with me.  The artist is Ben Pitman and you can find him here on Etsy.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Hugs :)
Lauren

Thank You ~

 

I don't even know how to begin to say thank you for all the kind comments, emails, messages and cards.  Our hearts are broken and the tears have not yet stopped.  With each passing day, I know they will lessen.  Ellen, Miss Ellie, Ellie Mae, Missy ~ she had many monikers.  She was such a loving little girl.  She will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

 

Here she is in her favorite spot ~ sitting by me in the hooking room on her favorite blankie.  My constant companion.  Run fast and free, dear Ellie.  Someday we will meet again.

 

 

 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

xoxo,

Lauren

With Heavy Heart ~

Dear DSO and I had to help Ellie cross the Rainbow Bridge this morning.  They don't know why things went so wrong but she was not going to recover.  It is one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make, but it was the right decision for Ellie.  We are heartbroken.

 

Since I am a pug girl at heart, I called her my "pug in the witness protection program". 

 

 

She loved to sleep under the covers . . .

 

 

. . . fall over to get belly rubs . . .

 

 

 

. . . curl up on her favorite blankie . . .

 

 

. . . hang out with Jake . . .

 

 

. . . and bury bones in my wool baskets.

 

 

My Ellie rug.  A True Friend says it all.

 

 

Run fast and free, Miss Ellie. 

 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for all the kind comments, Facebook messages and emails.  It is heartwarming to know so many people care.

 

xoxo

Lauren

Just a Quick Ellie Update ~

 

Thank you so much for all your kind comments and emails.  It is heartwarming to know how many people care.

 

Ellie and I did not go to work today.  She had a really bad night and this morning could not stand and would not drink.  She was totally lethargic.  By noon she was at a new puppy hospital. She will be there for at least 2 or 3 days.  I just got home a bit ago from visiting her.  She is so pathetic it just breaks my heart.  I am happy she is somewhere getting the care she needs.  I hope she can recover from this.  Please keep her in your puppy prayers and hug your furbaby tonight.

 

Here she is in happier times giving me the stink eye.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Ellie Update ~

 

I know some of you have heard about Ellie.  For those of you who haven't, she was attacked Friday evening just as we were leaving the garage for a walk.  A young man just happened to be across the street and came  to Ellie's rescue.  Without his efforts, Ellie would not have survived.  Another kind neighbor drove me to the vet.  I'll spare the details, but she had emergency surgery and came home this evening.  Thankfully her organs weren't damaged other than the spleen which was removed.  Poor baby is hurting.  She is on my lap as I type and often whimpers.  It just breaks my heart.  She will go to work with me tomorrow so she won't be alone.  The first two pictures were taken yesterday . . .

 

. . . and here she is today before coming home.  

This really ticks me off (to put it politely).  These signs are in several areas of the pet hospital.  I had to pay for the surgery before it was performed.  What they charged me for an additional 34 hours of care would make your head spin.  When I was checking out, I asked them what if people couldn't pay?  They said they just don't treat them.  "So you let them die?", I asked.  No, we just don't treat them was there response.  I know it's a business, but I just have a hard time comprehending how they can be so callous.

 

Please say a little prayer for a speedy recovery.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

What a Difference a Day Makes ~

 

They say if you don't like the weather in Ohio, stick around for a day and it will change :)  This morning the rain quickly changed to snow.  In a matter of minutes, northern Ohio (and many other places) turned in to a winter wonderland (though I have better names for it ~ wink).

 

The view from my wool room.

 

 

Progress is being made on my Ellie rug.  I guess the letters are okay from a distance.  Up close they don't look that great, but I guess that's normal.  I changed the outline of the ear.  It's better, but still not sure about it.

 

 

I've not yet planned my next hooking project.  It's on my to-do list, but so are many other things :)

 

A couple people asked about the scar on Ellie's hind leg that was visible in the last picture I posted of her.  When Ellie was found walking the streets of Cleveland (how did she ever survive?), she was taken to Multiple Breed Rescue.  She had surgery for a luxating patella.  According to Wikipedia, "Luxating patella (or trick knee, subluxation of patella, floating patella, or floating kneecap) is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location."  These are pictures of pictures, so not the greatest, but you can see the little cast she was in.

 

 

Be sure to check out my previous post if you are interested in a mystery give-away.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A True Friend ~

 

 

I'm back to hooking my "Ellie rug", A True Friend, pattern by Cammie Bruce ~ Primitive Junky.  Cammie has many great whimsical yet primitive patterns.  I've changed it up a bit to look like my Ellie.  The color of the rug is pretty close to her true color.  In the picture below, taken without a flash, the color is washed out but I just love the look on her face.  I still need to fix that line around her ear. 

 

Giving me the stink eye.

 

 

I think I started the rug in August, so I guess it's time to finally be finishing it.  Can you tell that I don't like to hook letters? 

 

The decorations are coming down more quickly than they went up, but not as quickly as I'd like.  I've made 20+ trips to the attic since coming home from work and have a couple more to go.  Then it's on to putting all the "normal" stuff in its place.  I'm just a glutton for punishment.  Maybe some day I'll learn . . . but probably not :(

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Milestone Birthday ~

 

Yesterday was Loocie's 10th birthday.  {{ I didn't want to trivialize Veterans' Day by posting this then. }}  I can't believe she is 10.  After "dating" my DSO for 10 years, he finally made a commitment.  We got a puppy and have joint custody.  Here it is 10 years later (yes, we've been together 20 years . . . lol) and we're still "dating".  {{ Love you, sweetie }}

 

Isn't she just the cutest thing?  That grey face just melts my heart.

 

 

Loocie and Ellie loved their party hats, can't you tell?

 

Worn out after too much partying.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Not According to Plan ~

 

My plan this weekend was to

• bind Old Tom
• finish Eke and Zeke
• start pulling wools for my challenge rug.

Well . . . I did bind Old Tom . . .

. . . and then I got sidetracked.  I thought it would be fun to hook a few sunflowers and put them on an old bedspring.  The other night hooking with at Hidden Hills Hookers, I was inspired by Deb's sunflower. 

 

 

I guessed the diameter of the center and started hooking.  When I finally added the proddy petals, I discovered that it is too big for the spring.  I guess these three will end of being table mats.  Because of the way I hooked the center, I just can't remove the outer row.  The overall diameter is about nine inches.

 

I used three different golds for the petals.  Fun to do and it hooks up quickly.

 

We've had some beautiful fall weather.  I wish it could go on like this until spring.  A hooker can dream, n'est pa?

 

Ellie is curled up on her usual spot on the couch soaking up a little sun.  She's not a wintertime gal, either.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren