Sweat...

Women "glisten" and men sweat. Right?! Not! Today, I'm sweating, and huffing like Kirsty Alley on Dancing with the Stars after one of her dances, lol. Now that my breathing has re-set to a manageable level [grin], it's time for me to post (hubby was exclaiming 'bout my lack of new posts t'other day - yes, we do "talk"; however, he's a regular reader of the blog and well...).


It's been raining for several days. I just cut the grass last week, but it's growing like the proverbial weed on steroids. The weeds are even worse. It's become impossible for me to find all the landmines left by the dogs. Hubby has been very busy at work and oh-so-tired when he gets home. Much as he's gonna give me right sh#\!* when he gets home, I figure I have a few hours of blessed ignorance and hope that he won't read the blog before then heehee.

Mowing the lawn is tough work. Not-so-bad when it's a little overgrown. But really, really hard on you when it's, like, 6" long, lol. Couple that with the fact we have a honking big gas mower. Wonderful to chug through the heavy stuff, but hard work. I pull it out of the shed and hang the grass catcher on it. Then I top up the gas. I think the hardest part is the initial start-up. Pump the prime button a few times. Just the right amount mind you. More than the 3 it tells you, but less than what it takes to flood it, lol. Then, while holding the starting bar engaged, pull that honking long cord a couple times. Hard! Try not to dislocate your shoulder, lol. Crap. Okay, tie down the starting bar, put foot on wheel so it doesn't roll and pull. Whew. Success.


So, I am puttering around the yard and stopping periodically to empty the bag before it gets too full and heavy for me (gets full far too fast and the grass is too long to leave on the ground). In my own little world I am when I hear something. Just 'bout jump outta my skin, lol. It's the neighbour offering to do the front lawns with the gas mower when I'm done. Who am I to argue as the sweat (yes... s-w-e-a-t) pours down my back and my hair comes loose of the clip I've put it up in? I finish and gladly hand it over. When neighbour is done, he exclaims how freakin' heavy the lawnmower is (but it does a great job). Ya think?! And I've done the hard part of getting it started, lol. Any stoppage after the initial shoulder-dislocating cord pulls is a piece-of-cake to start it up again. It's almost more a light tug of that damn cable, lol. I take off the grass catcher and finish up outside our yard where the city has made a right mess working on some housing across from us. Can't wait 'til that's finished.

So... now that my system is back to normal, I feel quite good 'bout my accomplishment. Take that hubby [grin].

I'm just waiting for my chauffeur duties to begin for my youngest (he's almost 20 now). He's off to escort his girlfriend to her prom. Can't wait to see the two of them all dressed up. Hope he'll let me take/get a pic (without him rolling his eyes, lol).

Oh, and the convention went well. It's always nice to go to and re-connect with old friends (not in the chronologic sense, but that too, lol) and see what's new. It's a nice show but I have to say I was disappointed with the attendance this year.
Those that were there were excited and really wanted to be there, but the numbers are a-dwindling. New things are in the works for next year to attract more attendees and we will do our best to spread the word. I stayed Sunday night as it's a long drive back for me and driving alone, in the dark, especially during a storm... well, not the most optimum or safe conditions. So I wandered home on the Monday and stopped to stretch my legs... in Shannonville (about the 1/2 way point for me) so I could "just have a peek at Ecstasy Crafts", lol. Well, really... I needed to stretch my legs and what better place?! Yes, I did do some retail therapy, lol.

~Shelley

It's that time again

What time? Well, painting convention time. This week I will drive to Mississauga for the Coast to Coast (C2C) Painting Convention and set-up and man (woman?) the booth for my friend, Willow.

Today is Easter Sunday. I will shortly put on a small turkey roast for the family. And then I will probably start to panic about what I DON'T have ready, lol. No list, no booth supplies gathered, no packing, no laundry done, piles that I had vowed to remove from my hubby's eyesight still there...

OMG...oodness! LOL! Well, I shall take a breath and handle what I can, as I can, and go away and have a damn good, but exhausting time, come back with a smile on my face and... knuckle in to everything I left undone . And life goes on. Oh, but I WILL get my nails done before I take off on Wednesday. Priorities, lol.

~Shelley

And then there were four...

Yup, it's, unbelievably, been almost 2 months since we said goodbye to Hunter. The dogs and I are moving on with life and making new paths. Whisper has become my shadow, Molson yappier, Shimmer and 'Squeak no noticeable change. I still occasionally find myself looking for Hunter. Counting dogs in and out and finding it hard not to count to five .

Whisper is 13 and I just took her into the vet to get some more arthritis medication for her. This time we'll try the Deramaxx rather than the Rimadyl to see if it offers a little more comfort. It's also s'posed to be a tad more cost-effective. Ya right, lol. At, still, $1.00 per day for a 30 pound dog... I thank goodness she is not a big newfoundlander, lol.

The visit to the vet. I have to talk about that. Whisper is the Alpha Dog. She can be quite cranky with other dogs that invade, what she calls, her "space". Like our past matriarch, Sheena, who we aptly named "the Shark" in old age, you can never be too sure if the "space" is 2" or 20' lol. Whisper likes to be in control of the situation. She doesn't like changes and she HATES the car. Always has, always will. All you have to do is call her to the front door and she happily comes thinking it might mean an unrestrained wander to the mailbox or to accompany you out around the yard. Pick up those car keys tho' and she becomes a cowering mass under the kitchen table and no amount of cajoling or ordering can get her out. She must be dragged kicking and yes, sometimes, literally, screaming.

So... I digress. The visit to the vet. Laid back, that was an understatement, lol. The car ride was all that was expected... chattering teeth, shaking body, drooling (from her not me, lol). Short trip later she was out of the car like nothing happened, waltzed into the vet ...and just lay on the floor patiently, when I directed her to, while everyone fawned over her. Her tail wagging constantly. She loved the vet (but all those who know him adore the man too, lol) and made google eyes at him, followed him around, begged for cookies and stood perfectly calm under his examination and fond attention. Then, while waiting to pay the bill, she broke her down stay in the waiting area afterwards to mark the floor for a young male pup that was looking her way (she's in heat - looking for a man at this age, lol)! Why don't dogs have menopause!? Geesh. That's my girl. Tough as nails but a marshmallow (and shall we say "tart"?) at heart. Vet thought she was in great shape and a sweetie (are we talking 'bout the same alpha dog with the selective hearing?) apart from her backend getting weaker in old age.


So our pack gets a little smaller. The dynamics change. But some things still stay the same. And where is this marshamallow right now? Well, right at my feet as I type this missive. Baring her teeth at the others if they come too close. They must lie elsewhere (the other side of the table is quite fine).

~Shelley

A long goodbye

Well, yesterday I decided it was "the" day.

As mentioned, once Hunter's body decided to age, it was a rapid decline. My once perpetual puppy was decidedly old. Her body was not co-operating. She had more bad days than good days. She was always known for the smile on her face. She wasn't smiling like she used to. Last week I decided it was a day-to-day. Stop greeting me I said with a lopsided smile. Stop following me. Stop bouncing up the stairs from outside (with a hitch in her step, but my once bouncy dog continued with a little spring in her step - she NEVER walked where she could run, and she continued to try to do so). Stop eating. Show me a "big" sign.


Wednesday night she was a little more restless. She went out to do her duty and got lost. I had to get her and guide her. She followed me around the kitchen for her bedtime treat but with less gusto and I had to hold it in front of her and show her where it was; however, she did snap it up when she found it. I figured I'd call the vet the next morning. She lay in "different than usual" spots in the downstairs area; this was unusual. Apparently she went out for hubby in the morning but was even more lost and confused. When I got up she was lying in another "different than usual" area. She went out for me and when she came in, she just couldn't seem to get warm. She had tremors.


I gave her some juicy treats. She snapped them up. But I knew it was time and called my favourite vet. Hated to keep getting him to "do the dirty" on my dogs, but... he made it easier for all of us.


Hunter and I spent our last hours together. I locked out the other dogs and just pet and cuddled and treated my shadow of many years. When I took her to the vet's for the last time, we were both more than ready. It was time. I gave her a few
more special treats and the vet was s'prised at her appetite... and the strength of her vital organs even tho' her body was betraying her. She was very peaceful and, I do believe, thankful. She had a good life and she rested with her favourite person by her side. No tears. It was a good time and we had the best of times. I know she's running and jumping and yapping up a storm at the Rainbow Bridge. She was always the happiest, friendliest and smiliest dog I ever had or met... I hope she's smiling again.

~Shelley

Okay, she's not 105

But she's old, lol.

Dog years. Aging. It sucks. The old rule of thumb was 7 human years = one dog year. That has been revamped. Partially because a one year old dog is capable of reproduction while a 7 year old human is not... no kidding.

Whatever, my Hunter is still old. She's over 15 now and I guess, then, that by the chart, she'd be in her mid-80's. Funny. You don't notice the big changes in the first year or two. Well, let's be realistic... you do notice your pup gets bigger, a tad smarter, housebroken and hopefully integrates well into the household. But this all takes place over the first year or two and the time in between that and "old age" is not as dramatic.

However, since telling Hunter in late summer that she could not have the run of the house anymore (she was getting a bit forgetful of where the backdoor was), the changes ARE dramatic. She has AGED. The dog that approached her 15th birthday was old by the calendar, but still spry and aware. The changes in the last few months have taken that spry old dog to a slower, more confused, less aware of her surroundings shadow. It sucks. The path to that final time is FAST. Changes measured sometimes daily rather than by weeks or months.

She goes outside still, but it takes her a loooooong time from her pillow bed to the backdoor and she sometimes gets "lost" in the backyard. She eventually finds the door to come in, but... it's noticeable the change. She doesn't do laps of the yard as much. She doesn't move about the house as much. She doesn't see well, her hearing is almost non-existent and her sense of smell is dulled. She gets incredibly cold, right to her bones, and needs a blanket (loves the "towel blanket"
we drape her with and wears it proudly). But she still looks forward to her food dish (still once a day) and her treats. Oh those treats. Woe to the silly human who forgets that bedtime cookie (and it must be a marrowbone or beef-basted cookie [grin]). She can still get up the "fight" for the right to her bedtime cookie and will throw herself against the glass kitchen door if you forget, lol. Better, too, that you put it on the floor in front of her as that "pacman-like snap" is deadly, lol. And when she does wake up to greet you, that tail still wags, even tho' the body is a little less steady and wobbly, and there is still a slight smile to her face.

She's not ready (and truth-be-told, nor am I) to let go yet.

No, she's not 105, but she's OLD and losing more ground each day. Sigh.

~Shelley

It's Official

Yup... I am now a Stampin' Up Demonstrator. So make sure you keep me in mind when you're thinking of ordering anything related to papercrafting [wink]. You can see all the products on the Stampin' Up website.

So now you know why I also need to do a clean-up and out as mentioned in the previous post, lol?!

About three years ago, I decided to create an album for my parents' 50th Anniversary. Looking back, I know I was nuts to create a 70 some page album spanning their entire life together, including their "growing up" years and also pages from many family members. I had never scrapped a day in my life and in fact, thought it was a rather silly and expensive hobby. I mean... why spend all that time on pretty papers, sayings, journalling and a book when you could buy ready-made photo sheets and just plunk pics into those or get little photo corners or those albums where you could lift the clear sheet and just stick pics in?! However, I had so much freakin' fun experimenting and playing with papers, glues, embellishments and basic techniques that... the rest, as they say, is history. Why not just jump in with both feet?! I was hooked. Hook, line and sinker.

Then came the cards. I will NEVER make "homemade" cards I said. I didn't understand why anyone would spend all that time, energy and not-to-mention money on a card that will just be thrown out?! I mean, really, it is so easy just to buy one at the myriad of stores... especially dollar stores. Geesh, what did I know?! Never say never. They may get thrown out, but the process... the creating, the playing... just puts a smile on my face. It's the journey, right?


I was hooked. Paper. Embellishments. Ink. Diecutting machines (my latest and I think greatest is the Big Shot Pro that my husband bought me for Christmas - but it is honking HUGE [grin]). Ribbon. And the STAMPS! Good, golly, gosh... I was/am addicted.

So... what better way to feed my passion than to sign up with a company that gets a lot of my money anyway, lol. A company that has all the above and more. Something to feed my passion.

So... the craft area. It's so gotta get organized, lol!

~Shelley

Be afraid... be very, very afraid...

Happy New Year!

With the New Year comes New Year's resolutions and while I am so not a fan of making New Year's resolutions (yes... because I break them, lol), this year, I have made one for my own (and hubby's) well-being.

Organize and purge. Yup. I need to. For my own sake. I am trapped in a messy state of my own making. I am a crafter. I know the collecting and hoarding of stuff is part of our make-up, that our "stuff" encroaches on other spaces in the home and our lives in general. So many of us have shared this on online lists and we've triumphed that we're not alone [grin]. However, not only is this dampening my creativity, it is throwing me back into a depressive state that I need to (mentally and physically) climb out of. Many of us, when we hit that "wall" of realization, grab a partner, like in some of the t.v. shows or the businesses created to help re-organize homes and rooms, but I am finding I work much better on my own. When someone is there, even with good intentions, I feel judged and guilty and suspicious of their thoughts. I don't want someone else to label me as disorganized, a clutterer (which I own that I am) and wondering why in the world I would let my stuff come to this or why the need to have ALL that... lol. I beat myself up enough.

So... I have started with my craft area and vow to get it under control. Manageable chaos, lol. There are two small cupboards in the basement. One I had already laid claim to and the other that had old childrens' toys and games. Both have now been emptied. New shelving units have been installed and now begins the process of weeding out before some gets put back. Particularly the painting books, magazines and surfaces. I'd really like to purge some of these but realize it may be an ongoing project later as not only will it require time to go thru each piece, but also to spend computer time deleting entries in a database that holds all the information on those books and magazines. Baby steps. But need the boxes accessible and neat. So those I will put back in the far cupboard as I don't use them regularly.

The more accessible cupboard will get some of my scrapbooking stash. The "inventory" so-to-speak. The extra pads of paper and cardstock etc. so that the wall units installed by hubby a couple of years ago can be cleaned up and re-purposed for more go-to stuff.


Lofty plans, but I have begun to chip away. Slow and steady. Lots of breaks. It didn't happen overnight so I cannot expect to clean it up overnight. This is not a 1/2 hour t.v. show, lol.

Then maybe I can start tackling the other corners of my house and life. Those cupboards and drawers... hey, I know I'm not the only one who puts stuff outta sight, outta mind, lol.

Here are some "before" pictures. Wish me luck and hopefully I will soon post "after" pictures.

~Shelley