a pink kerchief & Gwen Stefani

Miss Dixon with her new pink kerchief

Two walks yesterday, the second short, but in glorious, melting, warm sunshine, 2 days and 13 hrs since my boy got up from his last episode of badness, (shook himself off and barked for some cat food - he comes out of these spells just as suddenly as he goes down), and counting. Of course I'm hoping, (praying, and wishing) that all this badness will just one day not come back, just disappear as suddenly as it appeared, all the while trying not to think about it at all, for fear of (in this case) the dreaded laws of attraction.

SO ... onto Sunday news. Yesterday was phone chat day, not something I regularly do a lot of but both calls were from people I hadn't spoken to in a very long time. First my cousin Joni at about wool which was great and I hope that she and I make a tradition of these phone calls. She and I have just recently been back in touch with each other, via blogs and emails - and I do believe that she is a kindred spirit, and I can always use more kindred spirits in my life. The second call was from my Uncle Derek, my father's brother and another fantastic, long catch up chat while mildly multi-tasking with my cordless phone. I love my cordless phone and could not gab at any length unless I was free to walk around and do things while talking.

I made a batch of dog cookies, beef n' bacon, my boy and Miss Dixon love them. They are so easy to make and each batch makes a good size tin full of cookies. I cut mine into very small little squares, training size. All I have to do is whistle and put my hand in my pocket and my boy will turn around and come to me, instead of following his nose and launching off through the pastures or into the woods and out of sight on another of his big excellent adventures - which he does love to do. See ya later guys, he says I think I smell something rotten, that's my Noodle dog. Carefree & careless. These little training cookies have been working some magic in keeping my 13 year old lug on our beaten path.

Had great plans to Etsy-it all afternoon yesterday (prepare my wares for my shop opening this week)- and I'm afraid that just didn't ever happen. I was still, I think, returning to normal from our mid week crisis day, when I honestly was convinced that Jake was dying right here in my living room. And since then, our trip to the vet, and oh so much angst and tears and fit full sofa sleeps, it's really been exhausting. That little machine in my head was just pooped. This morning I feel well rested and it all seems long ago and far away, and just maybe a very bad dream. I feel thankful and more thankful ... while not thinking, too much, about it. (wink, wink)

Yesterday afternoon, les chiens and I cruised around the village in our teal blue 97' Ford Escort wagon, apres our walk in sunshine, doing a few errands and pretending it was summer. We had the windows rolled down and American Top 4o with Ryan Seacrest turned up on the radio and we were all singing and bopping, me and the dogs, along with Gwen Stefani. We love Gwen.

Smile.

1:30 update -After a brief consultation with Miss Dixon, slightly influenced by Miss Vee's pleading comment re: not being a winner in the beach treasure give away on our blog Saturday, we have decided to add a 4th prize -a prolific commenter prize - and that prize could only go to Miss Vee whose always here with us at 29 Black Street for a daily visit, please hotmail me your postal address Vee and we'll get your package ready. I do appreciate your offer to trade for origami ornaments but since my life's quest is to have less stuff, combined with my almost complete lack of Christmas spirit, I do believe those ornaments would be better saved for your own give away, for those elfs who will do them holiday decorating justice.

Moral of the story - it pays to plead. Wink.