Halu-Halo

When it's all messed up with us humans...

Let's check in with our best friend, shall we, for just a little bit of an escape.

She who doesn't care if our country is in financial crisis, or that war has taken one too many lives.  She who, when I am a little out of sorts, will come and rest her head on my feet when I'm on the computer, or when I'm reading at the table.  She, who doesn't mind being thrown under the covers by my boys, who sleep with her at bedtime.

(birthday cake recipe here)

Do you all remember when we brought her home?  She was a blessing and she is still today, since she somehow manages to take away all of that wondering I've been doing (about our country's future, my children's livelihood, and the security or lack-of that our generation is leaving them with).  She is my own pet therapy.

I have to admit, that it hasn't been completely smooth sailings with our sweet Sugar.  There was the shoe-accident she caused and of course, the seven (SEVEN!) times she ran away when Hubby was deployed, with this being the longest and saddest of the incidences.  

But she more than makes up for it all every day, accepting our family in all of its rambunctious nature, and putting up with the antics the children put her through.  Like riding her like a pony, and chasing her around the house.  And holding out a treat to her until she drools like the Hoover Dam.

So, in this not so great week in our human world, her Birthday is welcomed even more with our eager hearts.

Happy 4th Birthday, our Sugar-y Doogar AKA Brown Sugar AKA Sugar (as named by C) You are, without a doubt, loved through and through by your human family.

Oh, ok...you're officially forgiven.

So you have run away more than too many times I would like to recollect.

So you ran away once for over 36 hours, to a home and to a man who renamed you Electra...a man who eventually returned you to me, thank goodness.

So you chewed up one of my shoes.

And you chewed up Baby J's first pair of shoes.

 

You are uncondtitionally accepting.

 

 

You are eternally patient.

 

 

And because of these, beloved.

I guess I can let all of that other stuff go.  :)

 

Furmommy Guilt

A while ago, I had admitted to another new mommy that my sweet pup is last on our family totem pole. She laughed and sympathized; it seems that most everything takes a backseat to a new baby, even for just a little while.  And just as Hubby kind of assumes care of the bigger children while I go through my babymoon and adjustment, he has accepted most of the responsibility of walking and loving on Sugar.

Sad, isn't it?  But it is what it is and adjustment *does* occur, and I, without a doubt, cannot be everything to everyone all of the time.  

Now, does it mean that I don't have this overwhelming feeling of guilt that I am not fulfilling all parts of my mommyhood?  On the contrary, before I close my eyes for the night, in absolute exhaustion I relay my day and try to figure out how to be a better mommy to my furbaby (along with, of course, my human babes), and I make peace that I did my best for the day.

Lest we forget, I did have my own Boxermoon with Sugar.  I chased after her the seven times she ran away from home when Hubby was deployed, one departure which lasted about 3 days, and have forgiven her for continued indescretions with our shoes.  I love this dog, no matter how much I seem to be ignoring her right now.

So in true sewist fashion, I quilted.  I had noticed how Sugar's bowls have been everywhere and no where in our kitchen.  As she eats, she kind of nudges them along the slick floors and at the end of the day they are never in the same place they started in.

What is black, white, and red all over? 

....Sugar's markings...

....placemat #1....

...and placemat #2  (with her dog bowl and just chowed through bits of kibble on it)

(it is a nice and almost perfect rectangle, I promise.  And two bowls fit on one placemat just nicely)

I opted not to do a separate binding on both placemats; I made the backing about an inch larger and folded and sewed the edges in.  I used my scraps for both of these, as usual.

Sweet Sugar,

I promise that once Mommy can leave Baby J for even a few minutes without her crying for her source of nutrition, I will pay more attention to you.  Until then, you'll just have to enjoy your placemats and not have to chase after your bowl as it slides on the floor when you are trying to gobble up your meal. 

Love, Mommy

You're lucky I love you more than my shoe!

I walked up the stairs tonight, and passed this little girl

 

She didn't move from her spot and just kept looking at me.  

I knew something was up.

I went on with my business and nursed Baby, put her down in the Co-Sleeper, and started to tidy up the bedroom.  

I bent down and grabbed a couple of things on the floor and....

(this is the 2nd shoe, the first of the pair she chewed up last week)

<flashback>

"You're lucky I love you more than my shoe!"

</flashback>

Deep Cleansing Breath.

...then Found

If you find a bag of money in the street, would you turn it in?  If you found a stray coat stuffed with jewels, would try to find its owner?  If you came across the dog of your dreams (that is to say, that if you were a dog lover), without tags, and their presence fit right into your family, would you keep it?

I do believe that Heaven gives mighty props for honest people that return bags of money, jewels and dogs of their dreams.  

 

My girl is back, and she was brought back to me by a dog-loving human who approached her, noticing that she did not, in fact, look like a stray.  "And," he had said, "Boxers are the dog of my dreams."

Her collar had fallen by the time he brought her to his home, and he intended to bring her to the shelter later on this week.  And although Sugar had immediately made herself comfortable in her his home, he still emailed me after he saw one of my flyers.

  

When I picked her up, I noticed that it was even bittersweet for this man; he kept crouching to say goodbye to her; it was obvious he had bonded with my pup.

How could he have resisted?  This dog is special, in my opinion anyway.

But last night I slipped in a little prayer that he gets those props for bringing my Sugar back to me.

Lost

I just had my household go to bed with 2 out of 3 children crying into their pillows.  It has been a long day for us.  What started last night a simple last run out in the backyard at midnight, turned into a night of emptiness and then a day of searching.

I keep asking myself, "where could she be, and how can we get her back home?  What more can I do?" My children look to me for comfort, and all I could do tonight with them was to pray, and I told them to have faith that she is settling in another family's home, until they can get her to where we can find her. 

But I, myself, am feeling quite helpless, and feeling lost walking around this house without my shadow...I don't hear her occasional sneeze and her snoring, or her paw on my feet when I'm sitting at the computer. When I do a mental count of where everyone should be, it includes her, and I had to say to myself, in realization, that she is not here and I don't know where she is.  

Sugar is part of this family.  Please, God, take care of her tonight, and lead her to a good human who will bring her back to us.

A Girl and Her Dog

Last year, around this time, I was exhausted.  Just after the kids started to get settled with school, tae kwan do started for the boys and we were at the dojo 3 times a week.  Next to the dojo was the town pet store, who housed animals needing new homes; consequently R and I were there 3 times a week during class just to pass the time.

One day R toddled straight to the back of the store, and by the time I caught up with her, her face was already smashed up against the plexiglass, and returning the favor on the other side of the glass was a sweet boxer pup. 

"Puh-pee!  Puh-pee!  Puh-pee!"  She was, in fact, talking to the pup, and she had totally forgotten that I was there.  The pup stayed exactly where she was, her nose against the glass...she wanted out to meet this baby.

I got on the cell phone and rang Hubby, who's voice seemed to be melting at my description of the event...and I realized that he himself probably wanted a puppy too.

So, puppy came home with us.  And we named her Sugar.  Short for Sugary Dugger.  Please don't ask what that means...we left the naming to the children.

We've had her for a year, and it feels like we've had her forever.

Kasal : (n) Wedding, Marriage

I have decided that once this move is over, I will put myself through a cleanse to rid myself of the caffeine my body has been accustomed to having.  We have now entered what I call: Zone of Stress.

Move across the country + Wedding to attend across the country right before the move = Zone of Stress

My brother is getting married.  We have been honored to have the entire family take part in the wedding: the boys as ring/coin bearers, R as a flower girl, and Hubby and I as secondary sponsors, to take care of the veil and cord.

In my stress, I spent last night packing, and refitting clothes, only to find this:

Of all of the shoes in my closet, somehow, a little gremlin decided to take this specific one...my favorite (and expensive) party shoe...the. One.  I was planning to wear to the Kasal.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure that it was in fact my shoe that was so torn up.  I even picked up this shoe and inspected it, to make sure it is mine...as if another 30-something woman lives in this home.

The suspected gremlin:

I am ashamed to say that I was so upset that I said out loud, "You're lucky I love you more than my shoe!"

And she is also lucky that I had my brother and his future wife's quilt to bind, because my fingers were so busy that it somehow worked the frustration out of me...and after 5 episodes of Army Wives, I was able to stop, take a deep breath, and actually smile at the completed quilt.

 

This is using the Yellow Brick Road pattern, in a lap quilt size, but you can see that it just covers the top of our queen bed.

The fabrics I used are a perfect Kasal of both feminine and masculine fabrics, which I thought really brought out what I was trying to convey to my brother and his new wife.  Marriage is a journey after all.  And a unification of sometimes 2 different people, cultures, and families.

The stippled throughout, and the backing is white muslin.

I bound the quilt feverishly, and now my pointer finger is numb from handling the needle.  I didn't think of using my thimble, because I was consumed with not just getting my aggravation of now having to buy another shoe out of my system, but I was heavily into Army Wives.

I think I may be the last to see this show, but after I placed my initial hesitation aside, I realized what a great concept it was.  I applaud them for attempting to portray the Kasal of spouses and service members, of the different cultures the military brings together in its communities. 

I think they have found another fan....

But the rest of the episodes will have to wait, because we have shoes to buy, and a wedding to attend.

Patience

Sugar sits and sits until we give her the command of "Ok".   She will sit for minutes, tall and prepared for the moment of her release and her reward of cuddles and snuggles and baby talk. 

I am amazed at her patience.




I have a lot to learn from this pup. 

Whatcha talkin bout Mama?

Is exactly what I read in her eyes when I asked her to come walk with me today.  It's hot here in our state.  Hot and humid, but probably a good preparation for us.

I received the same tone when I attempted to try to help this little girl as she used her chopsticks.

"I DO IT!"

But I sure hope that this quilt gets a better reception...a doll sized creation for a Doll Quilt Swap.  I never really know how well my swap items are taken, but I hope it will give the recipient a warm feeling.

   

This was inspired by Kaffe Fassett's "Crosses" from the book Quilt Road, using some of my well loved remnants that I find I keep turning to.  What will I do when I run out of them?

And again, doing my best to get my groove on with the darning foot.

Off to face the music and pack this up :)