The New Kid

There's a new addition to our family!  I haven't been without a dog for more than a couple months at a time since I was 9 years old, and now that Eric has had one, he can't be dogless either.

Enter Jack.

Our new guy is just over four months old, half yellow lab and half either great pyrenees or husky.  No matter what he is, how amazing is that smile?

We got him through the Save A Pet Rescue in Stroudsburg, PA, from their sister organization, Crossing Paths Animal Rescue in Alabama.  I have to say, working with Save A Pet and Crossing Paths has been an absolute pleasure.  They've got an amazing outlook regarding rescue work, and Eric and I would recommend them to anyone, not to mention work with them again ourselves.

They drove all night to transport Jack and his compatriots up from Alabama to Pennsylvania, where we picked him up at 7:30 on Saturday morning, and headed back to Petsmart to get him tags and let him pick out some treats and toys before bringing him home to settle in.

Because he was coming from down south, we couldn't meet him before adopting him, but we already loved him.  In fact, I spent three nights making this dog bed for him.  I made the pillow first, and then the bolster to fit around it.  I left it as two parts, and we brought the pillow to PA for him to lie on during the ride home.

He loved it immediately!  And after being in the truck all night with his puppy compatriots, he sacked out for most of the ride home.

A stop at Petsmart for some toys, a bone, and training stuff, and he was ready for a walk around the block and some fun in the yard.

It's love already!

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Dealing with loss, to be blunt, sucks.

First, the Winnie the Pooh hive.  We're really glad that we got the second hive started, the undersea one, because the Pooh hive is, in short, defunct.  The second queen is gone, the population is abysmal, and the colony is just not going to make it.  At this point, it's way too late in the season to rebuild, so we're focusing on the undersea hive, which is going gangbusters, and we'll restart the Pooh hive come spring, either with a split from the undersea hive if it's strong enough or with a new nuc.

Then, worse, and more heartbreaking, Meg.  It's been hard for me to talk about this.  I got Megaera when she was a 9-week-old puppy in 1998.  You've met here (with video), here, here, here, and here.  Best dog ever.  Smart, stubborn, fun, active, caring.  If I was upset, she'd run over to kiss me and make me feel better, every time.  She was half sheltie/half eskimo, and we had fun watching her try to herd the cats.  When she was younger and more spry, she loved hiking and was as agile as a mountain goat.

On Thursday, June 26, I came home from work to find Meg wounded and rushed her to the vet, finding out that she had a mast cell tumor.  We got her medication and tried to bring the swelling down so she could have another good couple of months, but it didn't work.  On the morning of Saturday, June 28, we brought her back to the vet and that was that.  She was 16 years, 3 months, and 16 days old.  I know that's a good long time and I know she had a good life, but it's never enough.  Not really.  Eric had only known her since April of 2008, and he was as much a mess as I.

We love her, always will.

We'll get another dog, for sure, and in the not-too-distant future.  I've had dogs since I was 9 and can't be dogless.  And Eric's always wanted a dog, so of course he wants another.  At this point, it's been almost 4 weeks, and I surprised myself that I'm already able to look at adoptable dogs without hysterically crying.  Just a week or two ago, I couldn't.  I'm still torn, feeling partly like a traitor to Meg, but mostly like there are other dogs that need good homes, and honestly?  Eric and I need a dog.

So we'll see.

I suppose I really am 42.

(the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything!)

And I suppose it's reasonable that my eyes, my 20/20 vision of always, my perfect eyesight of yore... would start to fail.  (Sigh.)  I finally dragged my sorry self to the eye doctor for the first eye exam I'd had since I was in 6th grade and they did 'em in school after I couldn't read some small print in a catalogue and had to have someone else read it for me.  Yeah.  Really.

(Sigh.)

It turns out I need reading glasses, though I'm hearing those more experienced than I in the eyeglass-wearing population call them "magnifiers" more than glasses.  The prescription is for +1.5, which I gather isn't all that much.

So once my eyes undilated and I could see again, I dragged my even sorrier self to CVS and bought - count 'em - two pairs of reading glasses, since they were 2/$10 and it made sense to me.  I picked two different styles, since I couldn't decide.  One a thin metal frame in a hematite color, with rectangular lenses (Eric thinks these look better) and the other oval lenses in plastic frames in a classic mottled brown color my mother always called "root beer."  (Most of my friends prefer these.)

And to console myself, I also bought some 75% off Halloween decorations.  Because if you saw my recent Halloween post, you know I need more Halloween decorations.  But then, you can never have too many Halloween decorations.

That was Saturday.

On Sunday, I decided to embrace my reading-glass-wearing self, and realized I'd need to bring them to work with me.  That meant transporting them, and that meant risking damage.  I needed cases!

So I made 'em.

And I matched them up with the two pairs of glasses.

And then, me being me, I made another one for the shop!

I did them narrower so that your narrower style glasses, especially like reading glasses, won't slip out.  There will be more forthcoming, but the one above is made from cotton paw print fabric, cream and black linen solid fabric for the contrast band, cuff, and lining, and a fleece layer between the outer and lining to promote the safety of your glasses.

Craft Wars: Episode 3

Yes, yes, I'm late this time 'round, but hey, bonus!  Two Craft Wars posts this week!  Right now, of course, I'm talking about last week's episode, wherein the pop challenge required the contestants to build toy boxes out of toys.

This was the biggest and most involved one-hour challenge they've tried so far.  Remember, the first week they had gym bags made from gym equipment, then birdhouses made from junk drawer items.  And now full on toy boxes.

I was really happy to see that my favorite one didn't get the crafter sent home, despite the admonitions against her use of felt and spray glue.

Her lagoon monster was just too cute, and definitely the cleanest looking of the three, at least from the vantage point of my living room couch.  I loved the mouth opening & xylophone back, as well as the cardboard brick scales and paddle fins.  I loved the colors and the concept, and think for a single hour, it was executed damn well.

I also thought the robot toy box was very cute in the end, despite his mishap with the wind.

I love the face and antenna, the spring arms, and the fact that he's got two sections for toys.  But again, like the issue I had with the birdhouse challenge, I think using foam core for the structure was a copout move.  In fact, the crafter admitted that she used it because it was faster than wood.

Also, with the initial instruction that the box has to hold up for real, it baffled me that the fact that nothing was said about the fact that foam core for a real toy box wouldn't work; a couple of rowdy kids would beat that thing up in two seconds flat.  And with how the judges harped on the unlikeliness that felt would hold up on a toy box, how could they not question foam core?  On top of that, only the briefest mention was made of those wobbly cardboard legs, when we saw right on screen how unsteady that robot was.  Filled with toys and topheavy, that box would likely land on some kid.

In the end, though, I really wanted the guy to go home.  He builds castles for a living and still didn't properly put together 3 pieces of wood to make a box.  I get that a triangle is funkier than a rectangle, perhaps, and maybe he was going for originality of design, but honestly, a triangle box just really required beveled edges to avoid his fatal flaw - those awful spaces between the sides.  Had he made a rectangle, he could have avoided that problem.  Two other problems I had with his box... for a guy who's not used to covering things in felt (an advantage the monster box creator had, which explained her affinity for the stuff), why on earth would he do that?  The judges were right:  paint.  And yeah, I know he wanted to use felt as a quickie lid for the thing, and maybe he felt that aesthetics called for carrying it through to the walls, but that lid was pretty bad anyway.  Oh, my last big problem with his - if you've read my earlier posts regarding Craft Wars, you may know what it is.  I really can't stand it when the crafters don't use the challenge items in the design, and just slap it on because they're forced to use it.  That's what it looked like this guy did.  "Oh, crap, we need to use these toys!  OK, let's paint 'em so they blend in and stick 'em on randomly."  That's not ok to me.

And something tells me that when Tori Spelling tells you you need to stretch your felt neater... you need to stretch your felt neater.  Take heed, future contestant's.  Tori told the maker of the monster box to line the inside, she did, and she stayed.

But yeah... with all the issues I saw with glitter chick's box, I still was not rooting for this guy.  Oddly, even with all my issues with the show, I do tend to agree with the judges' decisions.  We just apparently reach them from different routes.

Speaking of which, I agreed with their final decision too, on the challenge to make pet mansions from pet items.

Don't get me wrong, I much preferred the California girl's pet condo in terms of design and the clean look.  I'd own hers over the winner's any day.  It's much more my style.

How awesome is that thing?!  Had this chick had one more hour, it'd have been totally gorgeous.  But I knew she was in trouble as soon as she used spray glue for the fabric wallpaper.  See, in the first challenge, Tori said to line the inside, chick lined the inside, and she stuck around.  But the judges admonished her to only use fabric glue with fabric.  This time, she didn't listen, and see what happened?  Also, I had to agree with the judges:  the upstairs needed embellishment and there again was that fatal flaw for me:  She didn't much incorporate the challenge items as elements.  Yes, she turned stuffed animals into beds and made some new stuffies to hang in the cat's apartment.  But that was really it.  Laying bones and bowls in the joint doesn't really "incorporate" the elements into the design, per se.  But man, it sure was a gorgeous design.  And I know Meg, Hunter, and Catimus would love it.

I knew glitter chick was going to win, though.  Although she also didn't listen and insisted on using her spray adhesive for all that crazy glitter, and although her mansion was very much not my style, not as clean, a little clashy in color (I really wish that entrance curtain wasn't red), and somewhat messy... chick incorporated the challenge pieces.

From balls as front yard decor to glittered (of course) milk bone embellishments to a mat made of woven leashes, she used her stuff.  I have to say, while the judges went nuts for the leash mat, I kinda really loved the table with a base made of newspapers and tennis balls.  That's what I personally like to see; the elements used in construction, not just stuck in 'cause they gotta.

So... though I really liked the condo better, I think the glitter castle was the right one for the win.

You?

Meg's been featured!

I entered a giveaway at bouffe e bambini, for Southern Inspired Treats, billed as organic, all natural dog treats with a southern flair.  Well, I won!  A whole pound of them.  I chose the peanut butter cookies for Meg and received them a few days ago.  They came packaged in a pretty gift box tied with a brown satin ribbon.

(If you have any dogs or dog owners for which you need gifts, trust me, these are the way to go.)

In the box, and apparently every box that leaves Peyton's kitchen in Jacksonville, FL, was also a real cotton boll!

I have no idea why or how, but I knew what cotton grew like, though I'd never seen a boll in person.  Eric, on the other hand, not only had never seen one but had no idea how cotton grew, so it was especially fun to receive.  It's now residing in my craft room/office, just 'cause it's so cool.

I haven't eaten any of the treats, though apparently I could without harm, since they're all made with organic, human-grade ingredients.  I do have to tell you, they smell amazing.  Every time I go anywhere near the box, which we've got hidden on top of the fridge, Meg goes crazy for them, so I can't get an actual photo.  I've therefore stolen the product photo from SIT's Etsy shop.

If it's possible, they actually look better in person.  And in the end, the most important thing is that Meg inhales them and then cleans the floor - or couch - where any crumbs might be lurking.  I have a feeling I might not be able to purchase snacks from any other source for her anymore.  I've found her favorites, at age 13.  And really?  I trust the shop.  These treats, after all, were created because of a diabetic dog who deserved treats that wouldn't harm him.  So they've got no sugars, preservatives, or allergens.

Hey, I'm trying to eat healthier, why shouldn't the pup join me?  And she's happy.

As the winner, she's been featured on their blog too!

What's doin'?

A lot of life has been happening, so I thought a "what's new" post might be in order.

For instance, Eric and I went to our very first opera!  We saw Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC.

This awesome chandelier was right int he lobby.  Fab!

We chose Wozzeck because Eric was pulling for a German opera and because it was only 1 hour and 40 minutes.  Plus, it was touted as being pretty twisted, dark, and intense, which we both like.  What we didn't realize was that box seats can be really cool, but you definitely want the lower level of them.  We had to go into this passageway, which was neat.

It's hard to see behind that railing, but there's a door there to the lower tier of the box.  The door at the top of the stairs was ours.  Our box had just the two seats, so we loved that, but it did mean a bit of straining to see the show.  We also didn't count on the fact that a lot of this particular show took place in the downstage right corner (the corner most difficult for us to see).  So that was kind of trying.

And the last bit we didn't know was that Wozzeck is known to be a great example of really discordant music.  Of which I'm not a fan.  I actually don't like jazz.  (Gasp!)  Eric loves it, so he loved pretty much everything about this opera.  I'm bright enough to realize that the orchestra was freakin' phenomenal, they really were.  And I enjoyed a good portion of the music.  But then there were those jarring bits.

So this was probably not the best starter opera for me.  The voices were incredible, the story engrossing, and the acting terrific.  But it wasn't 100% me.  I definitely want to go back and maybe see something a bit more traditional.  Maybe Italian and more melodic.  Betcha I'd like that 100%.

We definitely enjoyed getting dolled up for the occasion, even though some of the people there were wearing jeans.

Sigh.  What's with the jeans, people?  OK, maybe a red gown and a black suit were a little much, but how about a skirt and blouse?  Nice pants and a sweater?  Jeans?  Really?

Then again, jeans to a Broadway show kind of make me cringe too, and you see that all the time.

In other news... we have daffodils!  You'll remember that we moved into this place in September, so we really had no idea what Spring here would be like.  Turns out we've got some daffodils in the front yard.  So bright & cheery!

And, in keeping with the theme of yellow and happy... we've got forsythias too!

I've also (finally) been decorating my office the way I like it.  I still have one more wall to do and a few more knickknacks to bring in, but it's pretty good so far.

And then, this past Sunday I did the annual MS Walk with some friends.  It's our 11th year doing it.  Most of those years we've done the Manhattan walk, but this year we chose to do it in Ridgewood, NJ.  Nine miles, and my legs are still sore.  If you're keeping score, it's now Wednesday!  Ouch.  We did see some new sights, though.  Like this front yard with a strange sculpture thing happening.

I'm still trying to figure out what they were going for.  I kinda like the flowerpot as a piece of wall.

And the skulls in the coffee pot were definitely interesting.

This little guy was cute.

I'm just not sure what the correlation is between the broken brush and the baroque electrical plate.

Or whether the sneakers really fit with the theme.

The best photo I got was when I got home, though, and Eric posed Meg with her newest stuffed animal.

So that brings you up to date with our lives.  How about yours?

How We Celebrated

First, there was Chanukah.

We all met at my sister and brother-in-law's house for mom's brisket sandwiches (yum!) and latkes (yum!), and to exchange gifts.  My nephew became totally enamored with the dreidel, which my brother-in-law spun for him.  I can tell this kid is going to love tops.

I'll have to get him one ASAP, if I can find one for under-three kiddos.

At Chanukah, we gave my nephew his mooshy belly bunny and bear, as well as a See 'n' Say (remember those?) and a CD version of "Free to Be You and Me."  We gave my sister this travel tea infuser from Libre Tea.

And of course we gave her some loose tea to go with it.  She's been taking it to work every day, where people have liked it so much they've bought some too!  To be honest, I really wanted one also, and was deciding whether I should just get one.  Turns out I didn't have to.  I'll get to that.  This is gonna be a long post, so find a comfy seat.

My sis and brother-in-law got us a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant, which was funny because then our parents surprised them with one too, so now we can go together on a double date!  And they got me a beautiful paperweight, since I collect art glass.

Our parents gave us great stuff - the serving dishes and cereal bowls to our china set,  plus a remote starter and a gorgeous new Coach bag for me!

Then came Christmas.

On December 24, Eric had off from his day job, and I worked 1/2 a day.

Before we left, the office staff gathered us together to give us gifts, which I thought was really sweet.  I got this great set of pancake & biscuit mixes, preserves, and syrup.

Then we got together in Manhattan with a friend Eric hadn't seen since high school and her husband, who were down from Canada.  From there, we drove them back to her parents' house in Queens, and then went to deliver the Christmas present for our nephew on Eric's side, who lives in that boro.  The baby and his parents weren't home, so we dropped off the gift, and then headed to Eric's brother's job to surprise him.  It worked, too, he was shocked!  From there, we picked up some more of Eric's friends, and hung out for a bit.

It was really a great Christmas Eve, seeing a bunch of people we otherwise wouldn't have been able to see.

Then we came home, in a great mood, and hid from each other to wrap gifts and stuff stockings... and by then it was nearly 1 a.m.  Impatient Eric asked to exchange gifts since it was technically Christmas, and I relented.  He's so like a kid!

The biggest gift I got him was a 14.5 gallon stainless steel conical fermenter for brewing beer.  This is serious stuff!

Should I be concerned that he keeps giggling over it?  I also got him an organic cotton t-shirt that says on it "Save the Ales:  Support Your Local Brewery," which he loves.

In his stocking, in addition to every bag of Reese's candies I could find (his favorite), I put some funny books and a cute little game.  That bottom book is The Zen of Zombies.  Who doesn't love zombies?

For me, he outdid himself!  He got me a SodaStream, which I really wanted, but never mentioned to him.  And he was afraid I'd think it was stupid!  I love it!  I'm a big seltzer drinker, which normally unfortunately can mean lots of plastic bottles.  This is such a green substitute!  Plus, I can order all-natural & unsweetened flavors to add... for healthy and yummy seltzer all the time!  

It was apparently a really hot item, too.  He had to run to a lot of stores to find it, and they were all sold out.

As "stocking stuffers," he got me new Bare Minerals lip glosses.  I'm addicted to Bare Minerals, so that was perfect.

And they're in great colors for me!  He also got me - and this is why I don't need to get myself a Libre Tea  - a travel tea infuser from Teavana!  I swear, sometimes we share a brain, because I hadn't really mentioned that I wanted one of these either.  Instead of the clear glass, he picked a ceramic one for me, because it was blue, my favorite color.

But wait, there's more!  He also got me, allegedly as a stocking stuffer, only it wouldn't fit in my stocking, a kit and instructional book on how to do aromatherapy and hot stone massage!  

Of course, it's  more important that he read it and learn to do it on me than I read it to do on him.  Right?

Best gifts ever.

On Christmas Day, we spent a rather uneventful but satisfying day completely cleaning our house.  We put away stuff that hadn't been put away since we moved here in September, and cleaned to a state of "sterile" this house has never seen, probably not even when the owner was living here.  It feels great!  It was necessary because of our Sunday guests, one of whom was to be our one-year-old nephew.

And then came the blizzard.

Yeah, that's our wrought iron deck table and the umbrella that had been closed until the wind blew it open.  I righted the table and put the umbrella in the garage, but one by one, our friends and family dropped out of coming to dinner on Sunday, leaving just one couple to brave the snow.  And they did!

A good thing, too, since our 20 lb turkey was already defrosted and marinated.

And I had the green beans and honeyed carrots ready to go (which I served in our new serving dishes from my parents).

And of course we did roasted potatoes.

But first there was salad, served with a dressing Eric made and some amazing homemade croutons from my boss' wife.

All of this, though, was built around the main course, that turkey, which my kamikaze husband and his insane friend deep fried in the driveway on a rig Eric built!

In the blizzard.

Seriously.

When the turkey was finally ready to come in, Gina had to catch the oil on a pan.

While I got the stuffing balls ready for deep-frying.

The turkey looked almost as great as it tasted!  Eric and I both took turns carving it, with some help.

After all that, we were seriously stuffed.  But did you think we'd skip dessert?  Silly, silly people.  Of course there was dessert!  Who do you think I am?

I baked nut fingers!

Oh, and if you ever want to have some great guests?  Invite Rand & Gina.  In addition to a huge umbrella for each of us, they brought Eric a set of Mikasa Brewmaster glasses and me a great tealight holder.

The blizzard turned them into overnight guests, too.  I'm glad we have a guest room!

The next day, we had to deal with the snow.  Eric had already taken the day off from work, but then the governor declared a state of emergency, so my office was closed too.  I shoveled this mess, with some help from Eric.

Meg was happy, though.

Now Eric just has to break out that massage kit, since my muscles are all sore...