More cuteness...

Miles is making himself right at home.  Most of the time, as soon as I move, he is moving right at my feet.

I did get him taken to the vet yesterday.  I saw Dr. Clark instead of my normal Dr. Frame.  The first available appointment was with Dr. Clark and I did not want to wait two days to get him in to be seen.  She announced that he was underweight which means I can shower him with treats to fatten him up.  He appears to have a yeast infection in his ears.  Foster Mom, Rachel, had mentioned that he had a very large knot of fur on ear ear.  She suspected that air had not gotten to them because of the knot.  I think he had something going on before and that the knot was from his scratching.  He also has several hot spots on his skin.  These are from either flea bites or perhaps a food allergy or maybe mange mites.  He got a shot to relieve the incessant scratching and then pills that I start next week when the shot wears off.  We go back in two weeks to check him out and to get his last shots for a dog living in this area.

She also got a nice dose of ear ointment into his ears and I need to try to do the same every day.  His entire demeanor has changed.  He has stopped scratching, he sleeps peacefully, has started to play with the abundance of toys in the room.  Hopefully we can keep the healing going so he can settle into being a sweet, little dog.

Last night I once again opened the windows to let in outside air as it was cooler outside than inside.  This morning was the busy day here at the house.  At 10:00 AM the garbage men arrived.  About 5 minutes later the mail was delivered and 5 minutes after that the lawn service arrived to mow the grass.  With the windows open, Miles became aware that there was a window and a view outside.  So he bounded to the top of the couch and watched the activities while Winston stood guard on the floor and barked.

Today was Winston's turn at the vet but we saw our normal vet, Dr. Frame.  Winston has put on a couple of pounds, so he really does need to loose some weight.  He has a tooth that has developed a really bad tartar buildup since last year that is going to have to come out, an expense I really do not need right now.  I will get that scheduled by the end of the year.  He got his rabies shot, lyme vaccine and DHPP vaccine along with a heartworm test.  They trimmed his nails, too.

The rest of the day has been just chilling.  I find I am still trying to catch up on my sleep.  My sleep patterns have been a little off since I decided to adopt Miles and he slept with me the first two nights, waking up to scratch every couple of hours.  So after getting back today, I found myself nodding off, something I have done each day since Miles came home.  Last night he started in bed with me, but somewhere in the night he jumped down and I found him asleep in the living room.  I guess he is preferring to be with his furry brother and not me so much.  Works for me.  We are all adjusting and trying to fit in.

I had nodded off watching "On Demand" viewings of 'Somebody's Got To Do It' with Mike Rowe on CNN.  When I woke up, this is what I saw.....

He is really feeling at home these days.  This was Molly's favorite place to spend her time too.

And the cuteness continues....

It has been almost a week since I have posted.  And if I said my world has been turned upside down to say nothing of poor Winston.  For those of you without access to my Facebook postings, the newest member of my little furry family has arrived.

After trying out several different names, I have taken to calling the little fellow Miles.  It was suggested to me by a high school classmate.  Willa said she has always liked Miles as a name and since he had traveled so far to become a member of my family that it was a perfect name.  And I agreed.  He still has not figured out that it is his name, but he does turn every now and then when I call him.

I arrived in Fogelsville about 5 minutes before the scheduled meeting to find the van already parked in the lot.  I was surprised at the size of the van.  It was tall and about the size of a small bus.  The double side doors were opened and the one side was nothing but stacked and secured travel crates.  There were numerous sizes of dogs and I could her the occasional meow, so there had to be at least one unhappy cat.  There was a man and a woman (Cindy) in charge and they were refreshing a couple of the crates.  I was soon presented with Mr. Rubbles who looked confused but happy to be out of the truck.  After receiving his paperwork and medication, I turned to give him a walk.  When I turned back, the van was already pulling away to gas up and continue on their journey.  They were professional and loved what they do.  According to their web site they were also certified and insured.  Quite the organization.

Mr. Rubbles, now Miles, curled up on the seat of the van and slept or scratched or licked his butt and paws.  Rachel, his foster Mom, had indicated that after his vet visit, he had begun to scratch  at his ears.  But this was more body wise.  But we arrived home safe and sound. (Thanks to all of my friends and family who remained awake until 2:00 AM to make sure I got home safely.)

The introduction to Winston went well.  Winston had no idea and was not happy, but there was no fighting, just the occasional snarl.  Miles did try his best to mount Winston which was not well received.  He has tried it once or twice since, but has learned that is not acceptable behavior.

I am having two separate feeding areas and when eating, I close the baby gate so Miles cannot come out and eat what is left of Winston's food.  Unlike Winston who was satisfied with grazing all during the day and night, if there is any food anywhere on the floor, Miles is going to eat it!!  Winston has still lot figured that out, so when I put down the dry food, he might take one or two pieces, leaving the rest for later.  Miles is busy, in the kitchen, eating every last crumb.  If I forget... and I have... to move Winston's bowl out of his feeding area, Miles would finish off in just a few moments.  And once he gets going, do not even think about taking it away.  Snarling and gnashing of teeth will ensue.

Rachel had indicated in the initial conversation about Miles that he did not beg for people food.  This is Saturday evening chicken salad sandwich and the little head on the left is Miles, watching every bite I am taking, along with Winston, the set of eyes at the end of the recliner.  Perhaps he did not beg at Rachel's house, but he is certainly is doing so here.

There have been a couple of  nasty moments when Winston had been curled up on the end of the recliner and Miles has jumped up past him and onto my lap.  Winston initially growls to warn Miles not to play with his behind.  Miles then starts to snarl which puts Winston into snarling and the next thing I know they are really baring teeth and Miles is lunging at Winston's head.  I have to put one of them either in the crate or in the kitchen where they can settle down and forget what they were doing.  I think what happens is that Winston just warns Miles but Miles thinks he is growling at me, so he goes into protect Mom mode and then Winston does, too.  So I just do not allow any more than one on the recliner at a time.  Today... so far... no major snarling.

So, these are the new faces in my life.  They are getting along, but we have a long way to go.  Tomorrow I am taking Miles to the vet here to get him set up, and to see if we can figure out why he is scratching his ears and chewing on his body.  Winston goes on Wednesday for his annual checkup and boosters.

I go to a new cardiologist next Monday.  The one I had been seeing has left the practice, so I am checking out the replacement doctor.  Then on Wednesday I see a new family doctor.  Same issue with my doctor leaving the practice, so i am checking out a new one.  They are all in the same group and I am going to see if they can at least work together to schedule visits and tests so I am not getting overly stuck and checked.  I will let you know.

Getting Excited...

Yesterday morning, after I woke up and logged onto Facebook, this is what greeting me...

This picture was posted by this little fellas foster mom.  You can begin your awe's now!!  Isn't that the cutest face??

I have been trying out names.  Rubbles is not the name he will keep.  When I got to meet Winston, he looked like a Winston, so I kept that name.  But this little dog is NOT a Rubbles.

One of the names I like is Llewellyn (Lou for short).  It is Welsh and means Lion.

One of the names is Livingston Old English for Lion Stone, but I think it is too close to Winston and it might confuse both dogs.

The other name is Jin Xiao-ping which means, depending on which site you look at, Golden Happiness.

But I will reserve my naming until he is here and I get a sense of his personality.

In the meantime, I am over the moon and Friday night cannot come fast enough!!!

A Touch of Fall....

Last night, as I was making arrangements for my new furbaby to be delivered, I happened to notice that the temperature had dipped to a delightful 55 degrees according to the thermometer mounted on the front porch.  At night, I have my AC to dip to a nice, cool temp, but there was no way it would be as chilly as the temperature outside.

So I shut down the air conditioner (the first time since May) and opened up a window here and there throughout the house.  The fresh, night air poured in and shortly after the house temp was delightful and the stuffiness of a closed up house was evident.

I was online with my friend in Kentucky, JJ Walker, who was Winston;s foster dad.  My new furbaby is from the same rescue group, so JJ is helping arrange transport.  We were messaging on Facebook about all sorts of things until close to 1:00 AM.  JJ is more of a night owl than a morning person.  I am, too, but I rarely go that late.  I had mentioned to him that there were now new noises that Winston had not heard in a while.  And sure enough, a late night Amish buggy went by the house.  And, as I expected, Winston started barking and barking.  So while the fresh air is nice, if Winston continues to bark, the windows may have to close.  Hopefully Winston will get used to the new sounds and realize they are not something to be barked at.

It is now early afternoon and the temperature is only at 72.  I would be really happy if the high temps would stay at the 70 level and the nights in the 50's.  Life would be perfect!

Rubbles, the new Pekingese will be arriving around midnight on Friday.  I had thought the trip would be an overnight adventure from Kentucky, but once picked up, the courier will drive straight through.  He or she will call me 2 hours before they arrive at the designated location.  Fogelsville is just south of Allentown and an hour twenty minutes from here.  I will meet them at a large WaWa station there for the exchange.  So by Saturday, I will have my new little snuggle bug.

A new adventure begins!

Round the Bend....

So, I guess I have gone around the bend.

But when one lives alone, and even though I have lots of friends and do many things in my community and church, I still spend the majority of my days at home.

As I get older, I find I am more content to be at home or staying close to home.  I have gotten all of my sewing stuff back into the sewing room and have spent more time sewing this week than I have in a while.  I have several projects that I am looking forward to getting started on.

I did create 2 items for Sew Much Love this week.  I almost did 3, but I goofed on the first one, and I was tired, so I will try again tomorrow.

The snowmen are a No-Sew project for the ladies who say they cannot sew.  The Christmas Tree Napkins are a quick and simple napkin.

But back to the bend I have gone around.

I was fortunate to have adopted a lovely dog that I have named Winston.  I drove all the way to Kentucky to get him and in the process made friends with Winston's foster dad, JJ Walker.  Because we are also friends on Facebook and I have "liked" the Diamonds in the Ruff, Inc. Facebook page, I get to see all of the adorable animals that they have rescued and found new homes for.

Last month they came across an adorable  little dog that was wandering around downtown Pikeville.  They posted pictures looking for his owners.  And they posted again and again.  So I asked JJ what happened if no one stepped forward.  He said they would adopt him out and asked if I might be interested.  I said maybe.... you see, this dog was a Pekingese.

I had one as a young girl.  Miss Queue was the family dog and when my brother finally left for college, my parents were left with her.  But they adored her and when she died, my mother mourned her death.  So, I hoped that the owners of this dog would find him and yet wished that he might find his way here.

But I need another dog like I need a hole in my head.  But No one came forward.  SO I began talking to the Diamond folks and as of today, I have arranged to have this cutie pie transported from Kentucky next Friday evening, arriving in this area close to midnight on the 19th.  I will have to travel to Fogelsville, PA, which is about an hour away, just outside of Allentown.  His name is currently Rubbles.  But that will change.  But I want to meet him first.  His foster mother says he is laid back, house-trained and loves snuggling.

So my home will become more loving and wonderful.  And yes, I have gone round the bend.  But it is a lovely trip!! 

Back in a groove....

Sometimes I wonder why I do my trips.  I spend time getting organized and ready for the trip.  I enjoy going.  I enjoy doing whatever my trip was designed around.  I enjoy returning to my home base and being on my own.  But sometimes that can be a problem.

I usually find that I experience some real 'down' time upon my return.  Each time seems different.  This time, I got unpacked faster than any of the previous trips.  I have everything back in place where they should be.  I have finished projects that had deadlines and gotten items that were promised to the person/group that I promised them to.  I have almost all of the materials that I need for some Christmas projects for Sew Much Love.

But, the last few days have been just plain, lazy, "I cannot get out of my own way" days.

The calendar says fall should be showing up in cooler weather.  I have had enough of the 80's and 90's.  Yesterday we finally had some rain that was really needed.  My grass was beginning to look very spindly and brown in spots.

I did get to visit with Mary Alice Carroll this week.  I had to deliver an embroidered backpack for the Cecilton Lions Club Night at the Races.  I got to see her new home in Crystal Beach.  It is very quaint and suits MA and Billy to a "T".  Then we went to Shaffer's Canal House in Chesapeake City for a delightful lunch where we caught up with each other's lives over the last few years.  It is always good to stay in touch with our distant friends.  We need to do that more often.

For once, I have no other long trips planned.  That does not mean that I will not have one or more.  But there is nothing planned until Fancy Gap next year.

I have a letter to write and then I am off to the basement sewing room to begin working on some Christmas crafts.