Getting Back in the Groove...

This past year has been full of a few ups then downs and it just sort of left me in a little bit of a funk where I just didn't want to do much of anything on the blog.... But, I'm beginning to rebound and now I feel that am finally getting back into the groove.

We hope your holiday season is a joyous one!

Until next time...

JD

Did You Know Sometimes Life Gets a Little Sad....

It's hard to believe that April was the last time I updated this blog. I think about it all the time but I just couldn't seem to bring myself to sit down and write.

On Thursday, August 6th, late in the afternoon, my Mom passed on.

I am happy that she isn't scared any more. I drew this picture because I believe when she left her body she was greeted by my dogs, and hers, that have passed on. Together they walked along a path framed with zinnias, heading forward where they will once again see all our long lost family and friends who were waiting for her on the other side of the hill.

Until next time...

Must Love Dogs....

I love dogs. 

No ifs and or buts about it.....

I have three Labradors who are loved and spoiled - Kasey is my old lady who has always been a nervous mess, Chloe is big, thin, and lovable, Maizie is my clown (she makes me laugh and smile the most - not that I have any favorites). 

The other night I thought I'd stretch my horizons and do a couple quick sketches of some different breeds of pooches....Here's what I came up with....and to my amazement I find that I love drawing mutts....who knows where it will lead....

I have a friend who is passionate about making quilt tops, another loves dollhouses and fixing up her house,... what about you...what is it that you love to do?

Wishing you all the best!

JD

A Bird Painting...

Working on a bird painting....

Until next time...

JD

In case you were curious......

This is what 87 looks like.....

This is a picture of my mom on her 87th birthday this past August....still going strong.

Wishing you all the very best!
JD

Amazing Maizey....

We've gone insane and adopted another dog....my daughter was fostering a young female lab mix and we just fell head over heels for her....She reminded us so much of our Ruby - loves having fun, independent and crazy for the water....so after much back and forth debate on the advantages of having only two dogs versus three....we made the commitment and adopted her....

Please meet the newest edition to our family.......our Amazing Maizey....

To help the dogs become more comfortable with each other we loaded up the car and took Maizey and our other two girls, Chloe and Kasey, to the dog park yesterday. 

Below is a picture of our Chloe Bell....Kasey seemed a little camera shy so we didn't really get very many good pictures of her....

Our county off-leash park is a wonderful three acre dog paradise with large trees and a big pond. The dogs love exploring every inch of the three plus acres and swimming in the mini lake....

Everyone - even our pets - should have a fun place to sneak off to for a little fun in the sun....How about you,  is there a great place where you and your pets can enjoy a little adventure? 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

JD and the girls

Time....

The past few weeks have seemed to last forever. I'm not a big fan of wishing my life away but I'm glad they are over.....My day job has been hectic, everyone coming from every corner, needing this, wanting that, wondering why it wasn't done yet.....then this week on top of the craziness at the office, I get a call from my 86 year old mother that she's in pain and uncomfortable.

Within an hour of that call we were at the hospital and she was being admitted so they could run tests. I won't go into the long story and all the details because she's back in her apartment and feels more comfortable; but things have changed. She's more frail, seems a little weaker, and the feeling is that there's not much the doctor's can do.

So even if the weeks ahead feel long and like they last forever, I know that on the day my mom isn't with us any longer, it will seem that time has flown by.

Thanks for stopping by,
JD

My Ruby....

My Lovely Ruby
02-02-2002 - 12-09-2012

Just before Thanksgiving our Vet diagnosed my lovely Ruby with advanced cancer. They told us it was pretty advanced and we could keep her comfortable with steroids for a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months.

She's been in our family for almost eleven years and I count her as one of my very best canine friends. She is curious and fearless. She would have made an excellent search and rescue dog, because she has never been wrong when she would insist there was something under the couch, tv console or the bed....even if we didn't see it right away she kept insisting it was there until we eventually found it.

If I raised my voice during a television show, such as when I was cheering on Seabiscut or Secretariat, she would come running and place her head in my lap, those gorgeous eyes full of worry watching my face until I reassured her it would be okay.

She's never been far from me when I'm home, laying in the kitchen when I cook dinner, curled up at my feet when I sit on the couch, and every night, she has slept next to my side of the bed where I could reach down and touch her back......I have to be extra careful when I get up and head to the bathroom so I didn't step on her leg or nose by accident.....

My Ruby loves the water in any form, drinking from the hose, standing over the sprinkler so it sprays her belly, or laying in the backyard waterfall.

Ruby isn't doing so well now. The cancer is advancing and we are going to have to make a decision on how to help her. She's my girl and I love her dearly.


Thanks for visiting.
JD

Santa's Aching Back,,,,

My brother has a website for his book Santa's Aching Back now!

If you have a minute, stop by and check out www.larrymayberry.com.

Thanks for stopping by!
JD

Family Gifts...

About 24 years ago we were finishing Thanksgiving dinner at my in-laws when my mother-in-law walked into the room carrying a quilt, a white chenille bedspread and a bowl with two pieces of paper folded up inside of it. 

She placed the bowl down on the table and asked my sister-in-law and I to pick one of the folded pieces of paper. The paper I selected had the word "quilt" written on it. My sister-in-law got the one with the word "bedspread". My mother-in-law explained that these two items had been put away years ago and never used them so she gave them to us.

To say the quilt is beautiful is an understatement. It was made by my mother-in-law's grandmother and given to her when she was young. Fortunately, my mother-in-law never really used the quilt and tucked it away. Even now, 24 years older the quilt is in perfect shape. 

The pattern is called Flower Garden and no two flowers are the same. The flowers and the white background are made of individually cut and hand sewn octagons. It was then hand quilted. 



There must be a thousand or more pieces. I can't imagine how many hours my husband's great-grandmother spent working on this quilt to give it to her granddaughter. What a wonderful loving gift to her then and to us on that Thanksgiving night 24 years ago. 



I love these items that are passed down from generation to generation. Some day when my daughter has a home of her own, I will pass this family heirloom to her, maybe as we finish up a Thanksgiving dinner. 
























How about you? What family heirlooms have been passed down to you or are you starting one to pass along to someone in your family? If so, I would love to know your story! 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

JD

Spending Time with the Girls...

Chloe and Casey

I love it when the girls stop by for a visit! 

Almost There...

My favorite son finished off the roof today.

It is finally looking more and more like a shed and the list of things left to do is getting shorter and shorter. All that's left is the door, trim on the corners, and landscaping. 

The blue pool to the side is for the pups but today they found a better way to cool off.

Charlie climbed into the backyard pond for a quick dip. 

Fences...

We finally broke down and took a good hard look at our fence....my husband said it had character....we won't go into what my thoughts were.....

So we did some comparison shopping and priced a new vinyl fence with a local company. After making a decision on which one we wanted we spent the weekend taking down the old fence, digging up concrete posts, and chopping down three trees that had grown along the fence line. Fortunately, we have a great neighbor who was kind enough to let us remove one of his trees that was very close to the fence line.  

The installers came on Monday and finished up Tuesday.

 I love our new fence! 

Now, if I could talk the hubby into a new shed! 

The Family Expansion....

Last week my daughter decided to adopt a puppy so we did some research and found a rescue organization that had a litter of puppies ready for adoption. Saturday morning we met the puppies at PetsMart and instead of coming back with only one little girl, we came back with two. The one my daughter wanted and we brought a sweet little girl home to live with us.

Here is Charlie (my daughter's pup) on the left and our newest addition Chloe is in the pink collar to the right.


Chloe and my son share a quiet moment by our backyard pond.

We don't believe in keeping a dog in a kennel all day so here is my husband's attempt at blocking an area in our kitchen for the pups to stay in while we are at work. Needless to say, the puppies out smarted him....I came home and they had escaped and were having a fine time running around the house. 

Puppies keep life interesting don't they? It is a good thing I have such a wonderful husband who is so patient and loves dogs as much as I do.