How much does a peaceful weekend cost?

The answer might surprise you.  Apparently the cost is .99 cents.  Yesterday morning I stopped at the pet store and bought a small rawhide bone.

That bone bought me a whole day.  She loved it and I got to get some things done around the house.  Best .99 cents I ever spent!  She is settling down and the time outs are getting less frequent.  Don't you love the time out face.......

Saturday my cousin came to fix my front step and replace the broken post.  It's nice not to see the busted stump anymore. Next weekend I'll paint if it doesn't rain.

Today I made a beef stroganoff in the slow cooker.  The smell was great in the house.  I haven't cooked much since Lola arrived.  

One last thing, if you have Netflix I found a great new show today. It's one of their new original series and it's fantastic.  Grace & Frankie.  Netflix has outdone themselves.  How can you go wrong with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston.  Check it out. 

Making some headway

Well, the last 24 hours have seen some improvement in Lola's "lucifer" tendencies.  Last night we worked hard all evening on the "drop it" command.  She responded well with treats and tons of positive praise.  

 

She now will bring me a toy, drop it, step back and sit and not lunge at my hands.  Yay!  She has not bit me all day! 

She's curious and nosy.  She loves looking out the door and making sure everything is OK :). She likes to keep an eye on the neighborhood. Mostly to make sure no other dog dares step on her lawn.  

She's not a fan of being "in jail" but these baby gates have been a lifesaver for my sanity.  This is her "poor me" routine

We were at the vet after work and she got her next 2 needles so tonight she isn't too lively.  Kind of a treat for me, because I got a few minutes to check a few blogs.  I will get back to your blogs eventually.  Little Lola is still very demanding but we are making progress. 

Mystery solved

First, thanks for all the tips and emails with suggestions on Lola's issues.  However this evening the mystery of her behaviors may have been solved.  

Her last home had taken her to a vet in another town for a bladder infection.  But it's not convenient for me to travel out of town for a vet, especially since I love the vet clinic here. Due to privacy laws, I can't get her info transferred.  The other lady has to make the request.  So I called her tonight to ask her to do this before Friday.  She wasn't home but her husband answered.   He said he'd give his wife the message and asked me how the little pup was doing.  Sweet, right?   Just wait......

I told him all the good things like how smart she is and all the new commands she is learning.  But then I told him the nipping and biting was a real problem.  My hands and ankles are like pin cushions.  He cleared his throat and began confessing 

"Well Dear, that might be my fault". He told me he used to play rough with her, let her chew on his "tough old hands and feet", tease her with a sock, play tug of war etc.  Grrrrrrrrr

Geez, I wonder why she bites???   I swear if I had been near that old fella I might have punched him.  I have the names of a couple of people who do training and puppy obedience classes so I will call them this week and hopefully soon we can reverse this behavior.  

Lola 1 - Me 0

Ok, Lola is winning the war on nipping.  She's actually breaking the skin now.  HELP!!!

She will be as sweet as anything all day but after supper she goes "bat crap crazy". 

 As soon as I get home from work I play with her to exercise her and tire her out.  But it's not working. I have searched dog sites online and tried several different things. Nothing works. She grabs at my clothes and then goes for the skin underneath.  

And we have been trying to work on walking on the leash but anybody walks by she goes nuts.  And I don't want to even talk about other dogs.  Her and the sweet neighbor dog Audrey.........just ugly.  Sigh......

I can patient with a lot of things but biting is not one of them.  Agpfter about the 8th time I pried her off my arm or leg tonight, I kennelled her upstairs.  Probably not the best thing to do but I was at my wits end.  

Pitter patter

Yes, I've been absent for most of the week. But I have a very good reason.  Once again, the pitter patter of furry little feet is roaring through my house.  I know I was expecting a little boy puppy in July but in a series of events, a sweet little girl has taken up residence with me instead. 

I'd like you to meet Lola

She's a 12 week old yorkie.  She spent the last few weeks with an older couple who soon realized she was too much for them and didn't fit into a semi-retired lifestyle.  One of my Dad's cousins called me and asked me if I'd be interested in taking her.  

I picked her up Thursday night and let's just say she did not make a good first impression.  We got home at 7pm and by 9:30 I was soaked in sweat and crying.  OMG she was wild.  She was almost demonic. I considered naming her Lucifer.  I pulled about 8 different things out of her mouth, she had my shoes, scarves, anything she could grab, chew and run wild with.  Lol. At bedtime i kennelled her and she slept all night, not a peep. (Thank the Lord).  Friday night when I got home from work I decided if this was going to work I need to show her who is the boss.  Turns out she does well with some firm discipline.  And she's smart as a whip.  The only thing the other people taught her was fetch.  This weekend we have mastered sit, come, down and about 75% of the time she will shake paw. 

We are working on "drop it" and "stay".  I think that's gonna take awhile. And potty training is proving to be a challenge. I tried the training pads but she eats them. Yes she tears them to shreds.    But the biggest challenge is chewing and nipping.  I'd appreciate any advice on the nipping problem.

She's a ball of energy but every once in awhile she does nap.  So sweet and quiet :). But when she's awake she requires 100% attention.  

And if she's ready for a nap she will cuddle.  My favorite part 

I think life with Lola is going to be a wild ride. 

An inside day

After a great day yesterday you can't really complain about a rainy day today.  Plus I really needed to do some housework. Since it's not my favorite thing, the rain was good to eliminate outside temptations.  I even made a batch of biscuits in my new oven this morning.  

After things looked better around here I focused on this pile of wool worms 

I can't seem to get rid of them and it's starting to really bug me.  So I decided one way or another I will win this battle. I grabbed a piece of linen, drew out a rectangle and decided to just freestyle.  Seemed like such a great idea.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking.  I don't know where I was going with this either!  Lol. Did you ever think something was great in your head but then.......it just makes no sense?  I ripped it out and grabbed a sharpie

Maybe this will be better.  I will win this war on worms.  I swear I will.  

A special treat for supper -  fiddlehead greens are out!  They are only around for a couple of weeks. I cooked a big pot and saved some for tomorrow. 

 I'm thinking fiddlehead quiche might be good to try next. 

All according to plan

Oh baby, the nice weather has finally arrived.  So far my weekend is going exactly as planned!  The crimes of last week seem a distant memory. The sun was shining, the windows and doors were flung open and the curtains blew in the breeze.  Ahhhhhh

I started my morning with the downtown market and coffee with a few gals as one of my other friends performed in the coffee house.  Love her version of Wagon Wheel. Lol 

Then I claimed my spot in the backyard. 

A sunny spot, a cool beverage, a good book on my lap, and of course those stark white winter legs were finally revealed!  

Pretty darn near perfect afternoon I'd say.  And then a nice light summertime supper

And to top it all off, the first little dandelion of the year has popped up.  The lawn mower has been tuned up so in a few days I expect the lawn will get its first haircut. I can't wait to smell the fresh cut grass.  

Life is good 

If you're looking for me....

Work week from hell.  One more day and then a long weekend.  Whew....I think I can make it. But I'm planning to just hibernate for those 3 days.  Those bears really know what they're doing.

The weather is suppose to be spring-like.  Lawn chairs, a good book, maybe a little wine..... I might putter around the house, inside and out.  The window frames need to be scraped and painted. I might tidy up the flower beds.  Or I might get curl up in my adult blanket fort.  

This week has involved a lot of people.  A lot of different people.  Tough week for an introvert-at-heart. 

One more day.......

Just monday

I always start every Monday in a state of delusion.  Yet Monday never disappoints.  Lol

But the bright spot of my day was getting a new photo of the puppy today.  This is Scout at 4 weeks old.  He's the handsome one in the middle.  

I hope you're not sick of seeing puppy pictures.  I can't wait to get this little guy home. 

Mothers Day

Auntie and I went to church together this morning.  I had sponsored today's church bulletin in Mom's memory.  This white carnation came home with me.  It's a tradition in our church (maybe others but I'm not sure). On Mothers Day all the women in church get a carnation.  Red if your Mother is still with you and white if your Mom is in heaven.  I just love that tradition.  

After church I made lunch for auntie and I - lobster rolls, another tradition.  I can home later and had tea in Moms favorite mug.  She would always only use this mug.  I only use it on special occasions. I guess I'm scared to break it

I was a little disappointed as I headed to the cemetary to visit moms grave.  The gates were locked!  Mothers Day is always the first day they open the gates.  But a bit later a friend told me a gate near the far end was open.  Some of the lane ways are closed because the ground is so soft and they are trying to repair the paths. So I went in later, drove partway and then walked in the rest.  It might sound silly to some but I really needed to visit her today.  Last year on this day she had not been buried yet and was still in the vault.  I hated having no place to visit. So I had my visit, pulled a few weeds and felt better.  In a few weeks I'll be burying sweet Millie with her.  

A couple of daffodils have sprouted up in front of the house.  So cheerful. They were a nice treat to find this morning.

I hope everyone had a lovely day.  Happy Mothers Day

Rocking the weekend

Four wild women took the afternoon off Friday and heading out on a road trip to the big city! We arrived late afternoon, checked into a very nice hotel, put on some war paint, threw on some party clothes and hit the city.   

We found a great little restaurant/wine bar and ordered a few glasses of Pino Grigio.  

After a few sips we looked at the menu and realized what we ordered was $18 a glass.  A GLASS..... (Thankfully when she brought our bills she made a mistake and it was only $13 a glass.  Sheesh, oh well, we don't go wild every day)

I had this delicious squash stuffed ravioli and followed it with some amazing chocolate gelato.  A really great meal.

Then we headed off to the main event.  We had concert tickets to see Alan Doyle.  Front row seats to the sold out show!!!

The show was incredible. Absolutely incredible!  We had such a great time that it seems we forgot we were middle aged women.  We convinced ourselves we were in our 20's or something.  We headed to the the Old Triangle Irish Pub where we sang and danced some more.  But this was the best part - the 2 guys playing at the Triangle had a guest on stage

See the lady sitting on stage in the middle?  She was 89 years old and was up there playing the spoons!  She was so cool in her funky hat.  The old doll had rhythm.  She played until midnight when her son decided to take her home.  We all hope we can be as vibrant as her in our golden years. 

We closed the pub and then wandered up to what is known as Pizza Corner. It's the spot where everyone ends up after the bars close to eat street food.  We were clearly the oldest people in the area (by at least 25 years).  Nothing like eating questionable street food at 2am.  Lol

I will say this morning was a little rough. I'm too old to keep up that pace anymore. I had to have a nap in the car while the rest of the girls hit Costco.  Sad but true.  

Spot and Scout

Finally finished with hooking the "Spot" pattern.  I embraced the wonkyness so.......that kind of led me to the finish of the bottom border.  

I'm so glad to be finished with this one.  And speaking of finished......did anyone notice??......it's all bound!  Lauren, are you proud of me?  Lol

But somehow it didn't seem to put a dent in my pile of worms.  I really do think they multiply like rabbits in the night 

I think I need to hook another project to get rid of these.  In other news, I got a new photo of little Scout.  He's 2 and a half weeks old in this picture. He's growing fast.  He is the handsome devil in the middle.  The one who is "too cool" to look at the camera.  Lol 

A great start

This weekend is off to a great start.  I hope this is the sign of a trend.  The sun was shining this morning for the first time in a week.  And the first time on a weekend since I can remember.  This morning I posted on facebook it was the kind of day that put the Zippity back in my Doo-Dah!  Lol.  But then I couldn't get that darn song out of my head all day.  

The sunshine and warmer temps just have me so much energy. I got a butt-load of chores done this morning.  First thing I wanted to do was hang clothes on the line.  I haven't been able to until now.  I love having a clothesline.  

I'm just showing you the shadow.  Didn't want to post a pic of my "unmentionables". Lol

Last night was Girls Night Out.  A few of us met for a nice supper and then off to a local theatre production.  We had a great time.  I was feeling a little bold so I decided to wear a pair of funky leggings.  They are all the rage around here.  

Wild legs and high boots.....you know we had fun on our minds.  

Up until last night I've only worn them around the house.  But I guess I felt like being a little cheeky last night.  Lol.  

Yes, its a name tag.  Don't ask ;)

Hope you're all enjoying this beautiful Spring weekend.