I didn't do it.

Perry's old bed which Buster (Rusty Shackleford) has completely ignored, until last night.

I guess he wanted it gone.

Funny Face

What a mug.



Too bad he has no manners.
We got his adoption papers in the mail this week. If he is lucky we will sign them and send them back.

Tagged again

Kathy of wellerwishes tagged me for a funny, silly meme. Would have been funny if the book right next to me wasn't so depressing.

Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.*
3. Find the fifth sentence.**
4. Post the next three sentences, so if my math is correct that’d be sentences six, seven and eight.
5. Tag five people and post a comment to the blogger who tagged you.

Here are my answers...

Sentence 6:
And he was diagnosed with a tumor in his head, oh, about eight, nine months ago.

Sentence 7:
It's not malignant, doesn't cause him pain, but it causes certain disabilities.

Sentence 8:
And I would give anything, anything for this dog to live another two or three months.

Book:
Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's story of Joy and Anguish by Mark R. Levin.

Mom gave me this book, I have only just started it, and now I fear I will cry when I get into it. Ghaaaa!

Ok, this was a bit depressing, perhaps someone can lighten it up if I tag them!

I tag...Rabbit, Meilan, Noodles, and Jeri

Some Buster goodness

We had a playdate over at Raven's house, but Raven didn't feel like playing rough, Jape did however...

What a cutie pie!

Time for some frogging.

Thirsty!

Buster says 'Hi'!

Spring!

Tulips growing right through a dense bush.

I think this says it all. We are sooooo ready for spring!

(Picture taken while waiting in the drive-thru line at the Dunkin Donuts on Route One in Westwood)

Boston Handmade Marketplace

Please join me in Union Square, Somerville on June 28th for some great handmade shopping and music and just some fun outdoor time in general.

Jessica of my wonderful team, Boston Handmade, has made a web page in honor of this most fabulous shopping event, BostonHandmade Market please check it out for directions and times.

It should be a great time, providing the weather cooperates. Yay!
Rain date, Sunday, June 29th.

Meowing kitties

Buster's stomach has been making so much noise, I am convinced that he has kittens in there. I never noticed him swallowing kittens alive, but I guess anything is possible.

I don't think he feels so good, he hasn't eaten any food today except for some scrambled eggs I made him. Also, he has been eating grass outside, I don't like that one bit.

Kittens are loud when they are stuck in a dogs stomach.

Family on Bikes Cycles the Pan-American Highway

In a short 4 weeks or so, my online friend and bead lover, Nancy Sathre-Vogel and her family will embark on another incredible adventure. This family who in 2006 traveled 9,300 miles across America on their bicycles will be traveling from Alaska to the tip of South America, a total of about 20,000 miles with an estimated timeline of 2 1/2 years. Nancy and John's twin boys Daryl and Davy are hoping to break the record of the youngest people to ever bike the pan-american highway.

How cute are Daryl and Davy?

Please check out The Vogel's website Family on Bikes.

I have been following the Vogel's story since just before their last adventure traveling across America and Mexico from June 06 - June 07. It was so much fun to check in on them in real time via their website. I will enjoy this new adventure the same way, I am sure.

Also, check out the Family on Bikes blog for real time updates of their trip.

I am really looking forward to reading about this trip! I wish them the best of luck!

Just a curious Observation

Buster has been with us for 25 days.

When Buster had been with us for enough time that a bit of trust had been rooted (really only a day), I did a little check on his physical well being. I noticed that one ear was fine, and one had some rips and a lot of cauliflowering for lack of a better term, on the outer edge of that earlobe. I attributed this to his being on the streets in the past, and most likely fighting with other strays or other creatures for that matter. I never thought that those wounds were fresh.

Tonight I had this pup sleeping peacefully by my side on the couch, and I started looking and playing with his ears in a sort of unconscious way. I went back and forth from ear to ear touching, stroking and just massaging while he slept and I watched SuperNanny. All of a sudden I realized that there was hardly a difference between the ears, except for one rather small rip in the right ear. His cauliflowering has healed. His right ear is just as smooth around the rim as the left, except for that one little rip.

I am so glad to see some sort of physical healing for this little neglected pooch. It makes the bad behavior easier to deal with. We are working on the biting/nipping, it is getting fewer and farther between attacks. I think he will heal emotionally just as fine as his cauliflower ear has healed. Wish us luck!

These make me happy.

These little oil paintings make me so happy. I love when something can perk up your day just by looking at it, these little landscapes do that to me.



North Attleboro artist, Kim Morin Weineck creates these minuscule landscapes with oils on tiny stretched canvases. They are sold with little aisles to stand them on, and are very affordable for an original oil painting. These little works of art are only $40.



Her paintings are all about comfort, and it shows.


If you find these as sweet and comfortable as I do, please check out her website for more of her art at BretonBleu.com

I am the proud owner of this little masterpiece.



I placed it in my own studio on my workbench for inspiration anytime I need it.

If you are in the Norwood area, please stop by Custom Art Framing and Gallery 9 to view more masterpieces by many talented artists, along with Kim's full size works. They are truly a sight to behold.

Some Upcoming Show Dates

I have recently joined a group of wonderful artists who all have stores on Etsy called Boston Handmade.

Check out our blog and meet some of these talented people and check out the links to their etsy stores.

We will be participating in The JP Artisan Fair in Jamaica Plain, of which I will be showing on July 3rd, and August 7th both on the Curtis Hall lawn. We will also have a show in Somerville at Union Square called BostonHandmade Marketplace on June 28th outdoors.

I hope to see you there!

This makes me happy

There are about 10 of these trees all in bloom at the entrance of my morning job. It is finally spring walking through them to get into the office building. I love it!

Bezel Class

I went to my first class tonight even tho I probably should have stayed home. I really didn't want to miss the first class, but I was so sick and avoiding people that I most likely came across even more anti-social than I usually am. I hope I don't hear that anyone else got sick next week! eek!

This first class focused on correct measurements using pi...I can now calculate a length of bezel wire needed, instead of just eyeballing it. That alone is worth the price of admission. We got as far as forming the bezel wire, annealing it, and soldering it closed until we ran out of time. One thing I liked about this class is that we were given the information, and had to figure things out on our own. I actually had to get my cell phone out to use the calculator in it. I also realized that I need better files, a digital caliper, and a two scribe thingy that I can't remember what it's called.

So, even though I have nothing much to show for the first class, I did come away with some new knowledge that I am sure will be beneficial in bezel setting odd shapes.

Send a card to Max!

A friend of mine from Iowa posted this plea on a jewelry forum that we both frequent.
Please send Max a card!!!

I'm posting this only because I do know the family and that this is for real. Got this note in our church bulletin on Sunday:

Quote:

Can you help? Max ___ is a 3rd grader at Underwood Elementary School. His mother, Bambi, drives a school bus. Some time back, he had leukemia. It was in remission, but now is back. The teachers at the school wish he could receive one million cards. That is the goal. Even if you don't know him or his family - send a card. Send it to:

Maxamillion
PO Box 129
Silver City, IA 51571

This is his aunt's address, she is collecting the cards.

I thought it would be neat for Max to receive cards from all across the country...heck the world, so I am recruiting my online friends. I will keep in touch with the teachers at the elementary school (this is my little town) and will remove the address when the goal has been reached.

Feel free to post on blogs, etc.,....1,000,000 cards is a lofty goal!!!!

Please send cards by June 1, 2008. Thanks, so much!

Play Date

Buster and I just got home from Raven's house. He wants to play a little rougher than she would like, but she was very patient with him...thanks Raven! Jape instructed a little class of 'sit and wait' I am so pleased that Buster doesn't have any sort of food aggression, he did great! He does like to hog Raven's toys and play with them as if they are his own...he is hard on his plushies. It was so funny watching them play in the yard. Raven is so good, she knows he is still only a puppy, and a playful one at that. These two are going to be great friends, I know it!

It's a Dog's Life

I took Buster to the groomer's today.

I had called about 1/2 a dozen groomer's in the area, and they were all booked 3 weeks out. Then I got smart and told Buster's story to the last place I called, they took him instantly. He did great, and we have our next appointment in 8 weeks.

Hubby and I washed him when we got home with him on Saturday, but there is only so much you can do in a tub with a cup. He definitely needed the power wash. He did great, the people there loved him, he was sweet and now he smells sweet, too.

Yay for It's a Dog's Life in Sharon, MA. They really care for the rescues to take him so fast like that. They also were very accommodating to post the Boxer Rescue flyer that Jane gave me. I thought this may be a better spot than the gallery to post this flyer, hopefully more successful rescues will come of it.

I think he may have eaten some soap at the groomers, because he had a tummy ache when he got home (actually his stomach was audibly churning), but he is all better now. I had called Jane to see if I should take him to the vet, but she said that Boxer's are notorious for eating soap, she told me to feed him some scrambled eggs and some yogurt, I did, and he feels better now.

He continues to settle in easily, I really couldn't have asked for a better dog. It's funny, when I left him at the groomer's (I didn't know I had to leave him), I went home with an empty feeling and worried the whole time he was there. When they called my cell phone to tell me he was ready to go home, I flew out of the house and was there to pick him up in ten minutes flat!

Here is a very clean Buster totally curled up in a ball...

An artsy photo, I took lots and this one was the best. He was sound asleep actually snoring quietly, so I know I wasn't bothering him in my artsy endeavors...unless he is a really good faker!

The groomer's gave him back to me with a silly bandana around his neck. I left it on for a while until he started to try to rip it up while it was still on his neck. Ultimately, I took it off, he played with it as if it was a pully toy with me for a while but now it is forgotten and a toy no more...he likes to be au naturale.

Buster settles in.

Buster is settling in nicely. He has not shown a bit of aggression.
Yesterday Scott had to take his Sunday nap alone on the couch, so Buster was banished to the floor. Crappy picture, but so cute, I couldn't resist posting it.

Later Sunday night, Buster and I just hanging on the couch watching TV. Who could resist this face?


Today, I took him to work with me. He spent most of the day in the classroom playing with his pink rabbit (who sadly died today, and now is an empty shell). Mom came over 1/2 way through the day and spent a lot of time with him. She brought him a kong toy, he ran around with it like crazy. She gave him lots of treats and pets, they got along very well!

I had some extra work to get done so after I locked the gallery door, I let him have his way with the place. He just ran around in circles with his new toy in his mouth. He is so funny!

By the way, I found out today that he can jump 45" over a dog gate from the standing position! He is springloaded!

Introducing...Buster

It was a long drive, but we are home!

Buster is the sweetest thing! He took to us instantly, and showed no vicious behaviour at all. We got home and he took his time sniffing everywhere and running around the backyard. He even let us give him a bath!

Our first walk, this is somewhere in the Berkshires, Scott walking him with the longest leash I had ever seen.


Sniffing around...

Coming straight to me

And we are home in his new yard, he ran around like crazy for a while

On the back porch

I had to sit next to him for a picture, but I think he wants the spotlight alone...heehee

He got a pink rabbit as a gift from Jane, he was trying to kill it.

I think he killed it.

So there is your introduction.
He is such a loving dog, I can't believe he was treated like a vicious animal.

And...he's a dribbler after he drinks.

He's almost here.

So, the lastest is that Buster is doing fine, he is in the quarantine facility right now.
Jane dropped him there yesterday, and felt good about the place. He has a space of about 20 feet square with a bed and has some toys that he is tossing around all by himself.

If he got there before 5pm yesterday, we would have been able to get him on friday, but since he needs a vet check before we can take him home, he will be there until Saturday. He has an appointment at 10:45am Saturday morning, in Great Barrington very close to the quarantine shelter, so we are meeting Jane there then. He still needs a bath, she said he was extremely dirty, and he has some stress baldness. He spent 3 weeks and 1 day in a facility that treated him as if he was a criminal. My heart still bleeds for him, for what he went through, but he will be here soon, and I will take lots of pictures!

Thanks for all the prayers from everyone, I think they worked, and he is over his suffering now, bath notwithstanding.

Buster's been Sprung!

I just talked to Pam!

She told me that Jane is on her way back up from Delaware, and has Buster sprawled out on her backseat! And she will call Pam again as soon as she crosses the Massachusetts border.

So, Jane was appalled with the shelter. Buster was in the last cage, he is very underweight, extremely dirty and knew he was saved as soon as he saw Jane. He did the Boxer wiggle! I imagine he could sense her kindness, and was acting accordingly.

A big burly man (who was also dirty) grabbed a noose on a long stick to get Buster for Jane and she told him "Get away from the cage!" He did. She tossed Buster a treat, and he let her put a collar and leash on him. She said he was such a good dog, she brought him a toy and he took it in his mouth and they walked to the car and never looked back.

He is on his way!!!!
He will spend his 48 hour quarantine in western MA, and Scott and I will make the 2.5 hour drive to get him the instant it is over. Hopefully he will be with us Friday evening or Saturday morning!

I am just so happy he is out of there and can start his emotional healing, and gain some weight, and get clean

Another lifted picture.

Another picture lifted from the Boxer Rescue.

Cutie pie Buster. How could anyone leave him to fend for himself? I just don't get it. He will be here soon.

I have a Buster update!

I have an update!

I heard from Jane from Boxer Rescue today, she decided that a doggy train would not be the best thing for him right now, so she is driving down tomorrow to get him herself. I think she is worried about him being moved from car to car and person to person.

She found a quarantine facility in Great Barrington, MA, so that is where I will pick him up after his required 48 hour stay. That or in Sunderland, MA if Jane picks him up first, that is where the Boxer Rescue is located.

Looks like he will be here on Saturday if all goes smoothly. We will have to take it slow with him, as he has had a rough few weeks and is not so trusting right now.

Yay for Saturday!
I will keep you all updated!!!

Buster update

This is really hard for me to report, especially because of all the magic that happened last night.

Last night was a truley incredible experience for me. I had a friend reach out to some friends of hers and a snowball effect took place. This was so fast and furious that I was overwhelmed with emails and convo's and forum posts, it was so hard to keep up with it all. I went to sleep last night with the comfort knowing that I had a woman in Maryland (Chris) who was going to pick Buster up at the shelter and drive him up to Staten Island, NY. Then I had a woman in Brooklyn (Francine) who would pick him up from Chris in Staten Island and transport him as close to me as she could...probably somewhere in Connecticut. I was giddy.

I could barely sleep last night thinking about Busters trip, and wanting to get up as early as possible to call Jane and give her the good news. I left a message at 8am on her answering machine, called my two angels who were all ready to go as soon as I gave the word, and tried to do some busy work waiting for my call back from Jane.

10am rolls around and Jane has not called, so I called Pam, my other Northeastern Boxer Rescue contact. Pam was so happy with the news, but told me that the last time she spoke to Jane, she got the feeling that Jane was prepared to make the drive down to get him by herself. So I called my angels again, thanked them up and down and told them I would keep them posted, but for now it is on hold until I hear from Jane.

I spent most of today getting totally stressed out waiting, and not knowing if she drove down to Delaware or not, and not knowing if I was getting Buster today or not, but deep down inside I really was thinking that she just drove down there to get him.

At about 3:30pm, I got a call from Jane's husband. He said that Jane was going to drive down to get him, but that Massachusetts requires that all shelter strays be quarantined for 48 hours in a state approved facility before they can be fostered or adopted here. I had never heard of anything like this before.

So, now it looks like the earliest he will be with us is Wednesday or Thursday.

I feel defeated, depressed and just totally worn out emotionally right now. But I am still hopeful, and I just know that this will eventually end in Buster's favor...he needs to get out of there!

Buster's Hell

I spoke to Jane from the Boxer Rescue a couple of times today.
The first conversation was very disturbing to me, in fact, I find myself completely disgusted with the Kent County SPCA. Jane told me that she put a call in to them earlier this week and they just returned her call today. They say that no one can get close to Buster, he is acting aggressive. She did find one woman who works there who can pet him through the bars of his cage, but she is terribly afraid of the woman who runs the place and the rules there are that you 'do not pet the animals'. I also found out that this shelter does kill, so that is why they do not want their employees getting close to any of the animals. Jane is paying them NOT to kill Buster.

This is especially disturbing, since Buster was doing so well in his previous foster home before he was pushed from behind to get back into his kennel. He was getting into it with no problem following a treat thrown in. I fear his stay at this shelter is doing more damage to him than even being left on the street to fend for himself. So, in trying to make me understand how this shelter works, Jane told me that they shake the cage doors to get the dogs to move to the back when they feed and water the dogs. I'll tell you, if my cage door was being rattled, I would not be so happy with my keepers either.

Now this brings us to the snafu. Delaware is so far out of the area of volunteers that NBR has, it is proving almost impossible to find someone to drive him out of there. Jane actually asked the only girl at the shelter who can pet him, if she would be willing to drive Buster for a distance, with pay. She is so scared of her boss that I am worried she won't do it. I am hopeful tho, Jane said the woman is working on Sunday and Jane will plead with her again. I will pick him up as far away as I have to, hopefully no farther than New Jersey. Obviously this shelter is not out to rehabilitate dogs, they are nasty and disgusting and I am appalled.


Picture of Buster lifted from NBR, photographed by previous foster person.

Buster WILL be a good doggie. He will gain trust, have security and love here. He will eventually give love back, and I am eager and willing to work with him until he can.
The word 'Rescue' has new meaning to me now.

My Impatience is epic!

I can think of nothing more than a dog in Delaware.
A dog that I have not even met.

Impatience is a virtue. No, that's not right, it is patience that is a virtue...anyhoo....impatience is what I have right now, and I am virtuously waiting.
I am just about ready to take the next two days off and go pick him up myself. Too bad I cannot do that right now. If this was last week, I could have totally packed up and made the drive down there...oh well. I will remain virtuous in my waiting.

This is really hard. The waiting, that is.

Home Visit

The home visit with the Boxer Rescue volunteers went so well!
If Buster turns out to be even half of the great dog Winslow turned into, I will be a very happy girl!
I didn't want to let Winslow go home with them. What a great dog!
The couple and their two dogs stayed here for a little over an hour, we talked dogs, played with dogs, petted dogs, and got kisses.
When they were ready to leave, they asked us when we would be ready for Buster. We said as soon as possible, so they think they are going to collect a bunch of volunteers from Delaware to Boston, and make a driving train to get him here. Currently the Rescue is spending $50 a day to keep him in a no kill shelter, so I assume they will do it quick.
I am so excited! I really can't wait. I know he is going to be trouble at first, but I think we can do our magic and turn him into a trusting and loving member of our family.

And our new bed is just AWESOME!!!!! Scott's already had a couple of naps on it, I layed down for a while, but it was before the volunteers got here, so I couldn't sleep.

Oh, and it's a beautiful day, sunny in the 40's...Life is good!
Yay for Saturday!!!

Movin' on up....to Queensize....

New mattress coming in the morning...
new mattress coming in the morning...
new mattress coming in the morning...
no more sleeping on a bag filled with hay and twigs!

I just want to remember my last sleepless night on this lumpy sad excuse for a bed.

This has been a long week waiting. We bought the mattress on Monday, and couldn't have delivery until Saturday. Not entirely Jordan's fault, but they do TELL you when they will come, and then they GIVE you the 4 hour window, so since we couldn't pick, Saturday it is. The 4 hour window that Barry gave us through his recorded message is 7am - 11am...so we are getting up EARLY!!! It's okay tho, cause chances are we won't be sleeping too well anyway.

Tomorrow is a big day for us!
I bought new sheets...QUEENSIZE sheets....and new curtains for the windows that match...heeheee, I am giddy. I even got a bedskirt.

Buster

As some of you may already know, I have been in contact with the Northeastern Boxer Rescue recently.
I had been hoping to adopt a dog, but after a few conversations with some of the volunteers, and learning of Buster's situation, we are going to try fostering him.
He was in a foster home in Delaware, but seems to have gotten himself back into a shelter. This is heartbreaking to me. He will need a lot of work, including training, but I think I am up for the challenge. I think that after some love, affection and training, he will turn out to be a great addition to our family.

Picture of Buster lifted from NBR, photographed by previous foster person.
How cute is he?
Saturday we will have a home visit with a couple who volunteer for NBR and they will be bringing Winslow with them. Winslow has a very similar background as Buster, so they want to show us how much he has improved. They fostered him and recently adopted him. Winslow is a lucky pup!

Jewelry II Bezel Class!

I just recently signed up for a new metals class, and I am so excited, I can hardly wait for it to start!

This class will be at Metalwerx in Waltham.
The class I will be taking is Jewelry II - Bezel making for cabachons taught by Ann Cahoon, we will even cover odd shapes, not just round and oval. Did I say I can't wait?!?

I have already been creating my own bezels and setting cabachons in them, but this class will really give me some great tips and new techniques to really take my jewelry to a whole different level.

I fear April 17th won't come fast enough for me.

A few pieces from this weekend

I made a bunch of new stuff this weekend.
The Earth Bazaar has a sale called "Deal of the Week" on a fairly regular basis. I try not to look, because when I do, I just want everything. I think I need to ban myself from ordering from them. These new pieces are using some beads that I got from my last order with them.
Hessonite garnet crocheted necklace.

Labradorite earrings.

Tourmaline crocheted necklace.

Rainbow moonstone and garnet earrings.

I love tiny beads!

Jennifer's ring and pendant

I tried to capture what we spoke about but it was impossible to get the heart low in the corner because it needed two points of contact to be secure.

Here is the ring





And the pendant which has not been polished yet.




The two together, you can really see a difference in the finish here, but they will look the same when the pendant is polished.

March already?

I can't believe it is March already.
I feel like this year is slipping away from me, where does the time go? Ok, that was a rhetorical question...disregard please.

Anyhooo, I have been making a lot of stuff, listing almost daily and getting a decent amount of sales from Etsy and a few from the gallery. I need to check on Cheeky Diva this week, it's been ages since I have been there to check my stuff. I don't want to do consignment anymore, I think that's why I've been dragging my feet.
I have actually been getting a few custom requests from Etsy, one last week, and four this weekend that I am working on right now (they are in the pickle pot) and will list them as soon as I finish them.

This afternoon, Scott and I went to our oldest nephew's birthday party. It's nice to chat with the inlaws for a few hours (there were kids everywhere), but I am glad I can come home to peace and quiet.
I thought I would share the cutest thing I saw there...little Nicky rockin' out playing GH3.

Leah is playing with him, standing behind him. Check out the giant TV in the kids basement playroom.

Fluffy cat, and a monkey

So, I am on an animal kick. I don't know why, it just happened.
Here is another cat, a fluffy one with some serious attitude, he thinks he's all 'that'. Little does he know that the sharp end of his pin back is poking out of his bum-bum.

Here's a more attractive (and dark) picture of him.

And the evil monkey. He lost his barrel friends so he just wants to hang around your neck. Watch out though, he is only out to cause trouble!

Please don't ask me how I know that. It's embarrassing.

It's amazing how the rising cost of sterling silver causes one to seek alternative metals to play with....one meaning ME! These are copper by the way.

Kitty is a pin now

I successfully soldered on a pin back handmade by me with sterling silver wire...can you believe that? Yes!
So, now I think I have to make like 6 of these or so to appease all my catty friends and their mothers.
Here is the back. The front is the next post down.


Yay for cat pins!
Now I have to finish the monkey I am working on....Heehee.