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October, the month of my discontent.....

10/24/2014

6 Comments

 
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October has been a crazy month for me personally as well as work.  Hubby came home after being gone all summer and the appointments and business we had to attend too took me away from the shop, the Scarecrow Festival and then preparations for Michele Micarelli’s workshops were all back to back creating a knot in my knickers.   Then my pups all came down with Kennel Cough and poor Jake suffered through some kind of stroke.  They say hectic, stressful times make you stronger, well let me introduce myself as Hercules!    

I’ve been slow out the gate with work but we’ve managed to keep our heads above water at the shop.  I didn’t get the October POM design drawn but it will go in the mail on Monday.  Sorry for the delay!  The blogs have suffered the most but some days I couldn’t collect enough gray cells to form coherent thoughts but now the fog has dissipated and I’m back rearing to go. 

The pups have all stopped coughing.  Jake has regained most of his strength except for jumping up on the sofa.  He is either afraid to make it after trying and falling flat on his rump, or he’s still a bit weak in his legs.  After the miraculous recovery he experienced we are hopeful he will go all the way in his healing. 

His personality has returned with an added perk.  As a puppy, he used to talk to me, make little noises in response to being touched or picked up.  That’s back and I couldn’t be more pleased.  I like little coos in my ear, he’s quite the little chatterbox.     I love all my pups, but that little Jake is a peanut.  There’s something about the way he puts his little arms around my neck and stares into my eyes that makes my heart go flip flop.   He has a very unique personality, I am so grateful to have my little boy back!   

Henri still has a bit of drainage coming out of the one eye so he’s sporting a cone collar, Charlene calls it the collar of shame.  There’s nothing wrong with his eye that leaving it alone wouldn’t cure, but he keeps rubbing it and then here we go again.  So now the collar stays on until I think we are over the hump.   

While they were all sick, I felt a heavy burden of sadness weighing me down, dragging my smile into a frown.  The fear of  it was like an overbearing perfume pushing out a fresh perspective.  Like I’ve stated many times before, I love my pups, no less than if I’d born them from my womb. 

Maybe once my hubby retires and is home, maybe I won’t need to place so much emotional significance on my four legged companions for happiness.  I often wonder if I assign too much importance on them, my neediness is almost stifling, placing a heavy burden on innocents to fill the void of my loneliness.   Aw well, they don’t seem to mind this important duty; they bring me more joy than rainbows, diamonds and all manner of things precious. 

They fill the maternal need in me.  Maybe I should have had more children, although, they’d be grown now and gone on to build their adult life as they should, while I sit on the perimeter looking in.  Children don’t belong to us, they aren’t chattel.  Like baby birds they hang around a while, then leave the nest to soar on their own.   Sure we are always part of their lives but they are independent and make their own way.  They don’t hang around at the end of the day to jump into your arms and cover you with dewy kisses….if they did, it would be so wrong! 

Dogs will be with me for life, stuck like Velcro.     Their only downfall, they aren’t here long enough.  They live a short lifespan, or maybe we just live too long.   I have a deep dread in me that hibernates in the pit of my stomach, ever present, ever waiting.  There will be deep sadness in my future, four times worth.   I can hope for them to experience a long journey on this earth, but no matter how much time they are with me it wouldn’t be enough……. 

When I arrive home after a day at the shop, my four babies run to greet me, one by one jump into my arms and act like the center of the universe has come home.  If only this could be bottled, humans would know no loneliness, psychiatrists could retire their couches, the word could be struck from the English language.   

If I should die prematurely, I’ve threaten to haunt hubby and his next wife if she doesn’t care for my babies in the way they’ve grown accustomed to.  Everyone laughs, ha ha, but be warned, I’ll cross any divide to get you………..

  
So…..Michele Micarelli has come and gone after the two back to back workshops.  Everyone had a fabulous time.  She’s a very unique kind of gal, interesting and very creative.  Because my dogs were sick, Mary graciously invited to host her for the week and I was so grateful.  My mind and my heart were only for the dogs, so this gave me the break I needed to nurse them back to health without distractions.  I didn’t smile much for a week so I would have been lousy company.  I spent my time massaging Jake and practicing acupressure on his limbs.  I didn’t even watch TV, somehow being entertained didn’t seem right when my babies were sick.  I played nature sounds and soothing music to aid in their recovery and we cuddled on the sofa. 

So I owe the lovely Mary big time!  Wednesday evening I felt in a much better place and invited Michele and hubby Anthony, Peter and Mary over for take-out Pizza and donairs.   I wasn’t quite up for cooking so delivery seemed the best solution.  Michele and I had a lovely, get to know you chat and I was glad to make a connection with her.  I was pretty much a no show during the time she taught at the studio, only popped in here and there when curiosity got the better of me.  

I was surprised at how many interests we share, like twins separated at birth.  We both have the same appreciation for the art of dying, no not dyeing, the end of life kind, no ‘e’ in the word.   She is interested in the oddities of life and death as I am.  We would have fun conversations for sure!

Shane was inspired when sitting in on a dyeing segment with Michele and has been whipping up all kinds of fabulous wools in the dye kitchen.  He’s fired up and gung-ho, experimenting with all kinds of combinations and techniques.  The shop is ablaze with new wools and colour!     His enthusiasm is drawing me in.   He will be offering dye workshops on an ongoing basis.  Stay tuned for dates.   

I will post pictures of the workshops with Michele in upcoming blogs.    


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6 Comments
Wanda
10/24/2014 10:18:24 am

The words you wrote about your puppies could have come from me. I feel the same way about my fur babies and dread the day we have to part. My little Guinness is like your Jake. The way he dances on the bed waiting for me to give cuddles after work melts my heart as does the way he can sidle up and be on my lap without me knowing how he got there. So glad your babies are doing better.

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Starr
10/24/2014 10:19:19 am

Glad the little doggies are doing much better! 🐕

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Bonnie Leslie
10/24/2014 11:42:40 am

So sorry about Jake. Know how u feel as my little Izzie had a stroke in March. All is well now except she has tilt head and her eye sight was affected. She does not like to jump on her chair and is very cautious of stairs. She is a Yorkie-terribly spoiled-asleep now on her pillow with her blanket and is snoring:))

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Christine
10/24/2014 12:49:18 pm

How old is Izzie? Are strokes common in dogs? I've never heard of it until Jake woke up and couldn't walk.

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Michele Micarelli link
10/26/2014 10:21:27 pm

Christine, sorry our visit was so brief. I have souch more yo discuss............. Yes I have a snake vertebrae necklace. Would ship the cat scull but afraid customs may not like it. Perhaps I can deliver it in the spring if we can cook something else up! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Hugs M

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Sherry Chandler
11/1/2014 10:52:33 pm

So glad to hear that Shane may be giving dyeing classes. I will be signing up for sure. Hope your doggies are feeling better

Reply



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    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
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