More Fiona

We didn't get to bring Fiona home until she was 16 weeks old.  Usually breeders hold puppies until they are 12 weeks to decide if they are show dog worthy.  One of Fiona's siblings was and became a top notch female winning her championship in record time.  Fiona had too short of a muzzle and an odd trait...if people looked at her, she's put her tail between her legs & cower.  Not exactly what a person is looking for in a show dog.  But to me, she was perfect.  We waited those four longs weeks when we actually when the breeder was on vacation & then we went of vacation, so Fi was almost 4 months old by the time she came to live with us.  Fala could have cared less about her, but Skye & Casper were happy to have a little puppy to play with...until they found out that she loved to bark.  Oh yes!  Fiona was/still is a barker. She'd bark if she saw a fly. She'd bark if she saw a leaf fall off the tree. She'd bark if an ant passed gas a mile away (well, that one might be exaggeration but you get the picture).  When I told the breeder about Fiona's joy of bark...she remarked that yes she knew & was happy when we picked her up!  LOL!...

Fiona's Birthday

Dot and Chris meeting Fiona for the first time

Such a lovely face to be only 1 week old

We are on a count down here in Westerville.  On April 1st is Fiona's 12th birthday!  She's Diabetic so we cannot give her those doggy birthday cakes (which she did have on her 1st birthday), she is blind so she can't take nice long walks without getting upset, or can I take her someplace to visit other dogs as she barely tolerates Frodo (her son) and Arwen messing with her.  So I decided that for her birthday she'll get not only one but two big birthday brushings. She LOVES sitting while you run a soft bristle brush all over her body.  You can hear her moaning in joy.  So here are a couple pictures from my photo stash that I found the other day while working on another project. 

For those wondering if I still bead or create this past month, I have. But I just can't seem to get motivated to set up the photo shoot area to get better pictures.  I haven't made a doll in over three months, but my bead weaving skills are improving.  I'm working on all those kits I got at Bead Daze.  Met Innmon's kits are amazing.  I finished one luscious necklace, but can't wear it because if I do it will break because...me has no crimp pliers in all this maze of bead stuff I own. So I'll have to either buy a pair, or just go to 1 Stop and beg to borrow one to fix this necklace.

Early Spring

The weather this past week has been gorgeous.  Temperatures in central Ohio have been 20 degrees warmer than normal, so everything is sprouting and the birds are just going crazy.  Saturday morning we woke up to the Canadian Geese making such a roar as they flew over the house that all of us woke up.  The big Maple tree behind my house has buds on it, the lilac bushes are sprouting green leaves, and all the flowers are in full bloom.  It was so lovely yesterday that we decided to take a walk in one of our favorite Metro Parks in Columbus.  Highbanks sits above the Olentangy River and has a variety of trails to walk on including a very nice dog path meandering through the hills.  We decided to take the river walk and enjoyed the warmth of the Sun, the rush of the river, and all the small wildflowers decorating the path.  I wanted to take close ups with my iPhone 4's camera, and boy did it do an excellent job.  I had fun photographing some of the holes in the old trees and even found one hole with a little living world inside.  But back home, we checked out the yard & wow! the Magnolias are starting to bloom.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the weather stays warm & Spring when if officially starts next week, stays.  A couple years ago we had weather like this where all the fruit trees bloomed, then whammo...Winter came back & that year not a single apple.

Olentangy River at Highbanks Metro Park

Mossy log

Chris standing on the River trail at Highbanks

Magnolia tree in our back yard

So Welcome Spring...we sure have been missing you.

MIA

Hello Blog.  I have missed you & apologize for my long long absence.  Do I need to get a permission slip from my parents for my absence?  I feel like it as I've been busy with nostalgia train. Why?  Well, I hate to admit my age, but this is the 40th reunion from my high school class.  Yes...I graduated from high school in 1972!  I've gotten the old year books out, reconnected with some of the people that I went to school with, and am actually seriously going to the reunion in 1972.  Shock!  If you would have asked me last year if I was going, I would have said NO. But...I have changed a whole lot of my perceptions about my family's home town after belonging to a group on Facebook called "You know you are from Portsmouth if..." which was started originally by a class mate to tell funny stories about the home town most of us left due to the economy of the area.  It started simply with about 70 people who we went to high school with. Then more and more and more people invited family, friends, and the whole mixture of the group changed and people started to share idea, stories, picture, and most of all history of Portsmouth Ohio.

I only physically lived there 10 out of my 58 years.  I was born there & my parents moved to Los Angeles when I was 3. Then when I was in 8th grade, they moved from LA to Portsmouth.  Oh yes, a true culture shock.  I didn't have many friends as I mainly was the family baby sitter having to be home 1/2 hour after the 3:15 pm "school's out" bell rang.  About the only thing that I really got to do was to be in the Senior play which I had to beg & beg & beg to do.  On one of our 1972 reunion FB pages we discussed what we would have done different back then.  I definitely would have rebelled against my Mother's rules & done more in school to met people and not be such a loner.  I think my life might have been a little different if I would have just said no ever once and awhile instead of being the good girl.

I did move back in 1975 & met Chris at Shawnee University.  I was in MLT school and he was in Electronics school.  We shared lounge with their class (oh our director told us to stay away from THOSE people, but I saw those brown intense eyes, long hair/beard, and just melted).  We moved permanently to Columbus in 1977.  I didn't go back much even though my family lived there.  I had some pretty negative thoughts about Portsmouth with lots of anger thrown in as a seasoning.

Okay so back to NOW and the Portsmouth Facebook page.  I can't tell you how much I've learned about the vast and rich history from this group.  My Father's family were some of the first settlers in the area & there is a whole chapter of them in the History of Scioto County.  We all get on sharing pictures and stories about this establishment, that teacher, this building, that perfect make out place! And what have these people done...first of all, they've helped me heal the big gash that I felt whenever I thought about Portsmouth.  They humor and caring has made me a part of a community that is constantly questioning what happened to this once vibrant wonderful town to make it known to the world as Pill Capitol?  Thank goodness, we've found through this group those who still live there that are on the front edge changing our hometown to wipe out the corruption and the crime.  Those people are the true heroes to me.

What started out as a simple smile gathering group as now reached over 2050 members!  And they are all planning on having a get together there in Portsmouth next month.  The Daily Times is a part of the group now & on Sunday's post comments from the group along with photos that people are sharing from their personal albums.

Back to my reunion...I've found a group of very caring folks I went to high school with.  Many of them stayed in touch all these years.  They have opened their arms to me making me truly feel a part of that 1972 class that "keeps on Truckin'".  We've lost 20 from our class and with each mention, I pick up those year books and see the young smiling faces and see that person I was in Chemistry class with, or shared 321 study hall with, or just passed in the hallways.  I'm rediscovering a part of myself that I thought I would never see again.

Fiona's age

Time never seems to poke its head out and wag a finger at me, because usually I'm too busy to even think about it.  But the other day, after Fiona came home from her latest Spring grooming, I looked at her & thought...is she a Dalmation?  She has spots showing through the short fur making her look like a Spotty Scottie.  I took pictures & looking at them realized that she is definitely showing her age.  It made me so sad as I still remember the day we went to the breeders house to see the week old puppies with eyes closed and laying in the welping box.  I instantly feel in love with her when I picked her up and snuggled her against my face, and heard her sigh. 

Fiona is going to be 12 years old on April 1st. Yes, she was an April Fool's Day puppy.  She is blind from the Diabetes, sluggish from old age, and now has liver spots all over her body. She's demanding and has insomnia.  She sleeps where ever she wants and there are times when we have to touch her to make sure she is still breathing as she sleeps so sound.  But let me tell you...when it is breakfast or dinner time, that old girl can still dance a jig that would make a 2 year old put to shame. 

I guess I just forgot how old she is, and it dawned on me that she is the oldest Scottie I've ever had.  Fala only lived to 11 1/2, and Skye was only 8.  So we have a matron here...and she runs the house!  But we love her still & both of us love it when she decides to creep up and want some loving.

We are just happy she has made it this long with us considering 18 months ago she almost died.  She definitely knows what she wants & makes sure we get if for her when she wants!  Life with an old dog isn't easy, but that is the contract I made with that sweet puppy almost 12 years ago.

Last day

Boy it was so sad to wake up that last day knowing that I would have to leave and make it back to Columbus leaving my old friends (including Molly the best doggie bed warmer ever), new friends, and the snow!  I drove separate & wow, almost rear ended Maggie who drove in front of us. The roads were horrible.  Liz said at one point Maggie asked her if we were behind them & she said no we were right beside them...waves!

Last day is always bittersweet, but what a way to end.  I had so much fun making pinwheels for Met's Pinwheel Encore necklace.  What a totally unique way to get rivolis caged.  As I was making one, I thought that this would be a wonderful way to use rivolis on bead embroidered collar or cuffs or dolls or...well let's put it this way...I was inspired.  We worked up until 4 pm laughing & enjoying each others' company.  Only sad thing was that Liz was being a teacher's helper in Tracy's class. 

Drive home wasn't too bad.  I plugged the iPhone into Element's jack, and listened to Pandora all the way home.  And wasn't it wonderful to be home again.  I gave Chris a big hug, then plopped  down on the floor to get my fix of Scottie kisses.  They had been saving up all week long and gave me a surplus of love. Then they all shuffled back to the couch and slept the rest of the evening.

Everyone busy working on pinwheels

My very first pinwheel...peyote...there!  I finally matched you.

Sorry for the shadow, but here are my pinwheels and Kudu spiral

Another of Met's kits.  I want to make this SO BAD!

It is always sad to leave and come back home, but this time I brought so many wonderful memories with me and know that I WILL BE BACK!  So how many more days until Bead Daze???

Bead Daze: day three

Thursday night, Detroit area was hit with a Winter blast.  Sirens had gone off letting everyone know to move their cars as there was a predicted snowstorm dumping lots of snow.  We ignored it all Thursday as the three of us sat beading, downloading funky apps, and laughing so hard we almost had to go out & buy a box of Depends.

Next morning we woke to some snow but not what was predicted.  Driving to class we drove through snow, sleet, freezing rain, and more snow.  The one thing I keep wondering during our drive was wether Janice Berkibile was going to finally wear some socks and boots (she was wearing sandals all week long in Michigan in February).  Whew...Janice did have boots on!  As we were getting out of the car, I had to take a picture of Sharon in the snow so that she could show her new friends in Tucson how she was suffering (cough cough) here in the MidWest in Winter. 

Snow for Sharon

Oh yes...it does snow in Michigan!

My second day with Met was a bit of a turning point for me.  I struggled the first part of the day with structure peyote, but after ripping out my piece more times that I can count, the light bulb went off and I realized that if I actually read her instructions more closely instead of just winging it, I could succeed.  I can't blame Sharon, Liz or Maggie for not letting me concentrate (aka, blabbing) as I was by myself in this class.  Finally with the last hour ticking by, I got my medallion done.  The necklace...well, that will be later, but with Met's instructions I won't have a problem finishing. 

Met's sample of Subtle Elegance.

We all took Liz and Al out for a nice Middle Eastern dinner. Susan S. joined us.  While there, I realized that I'm not the only one that can't go someplace without seeing people I know!  Several of the residents from Liz's program were there at dinner too.  Oh and who did I met in the Detroit area that I didn't expect to see?  Well, there was this little couple who I KNEW I KNEW!  Wound up that they frequent AFIC here in Columbus and both remembered me.  Amazing...but true.

Bead Daze...another day

Now for more pictures from Bead Daze.  Am I tempting you to attend next year?  I hope so.  The classes if you are a member of the Great Lakes Beadworker's Guild are such a deal!  This year the classes were only $40 each day.  Look at the prices for Bead and Button in Milwaukee, and you'll agree with me that it is very worth it to join the Guild and make it to the Detroit area for the classes.  They also have classes almost every month with some of the most talented bead teachers ever.  This month is Amy Katz, and later one is Jill Wiseman.  Unfortunately, my job does not allow me to get off to attend, but WOW!  I actually wish I lived in Michigan! 

Met with all her organized class demos

Met wearing her award winning necklace based on her kits Egyptian Wave

 which I bought

Dinner out with the teachers at Pinewoods

Liz and Metal Goddess Tracy

So much food we could NOT eat it all

Cynthia Nixon & Sharon

Second day at Bead Daze with Met Innmon.  This woman is probably one of the most organized instructors I have ever met in my life.  She has really inspired me to work on my own presentation skills when teaching.  And she is so lovely. She & Nancy Cain are friends from Colorado Springs, but I knew from her accent she was from someplace else.  I nailed it by guessing Texas.  Met's instructions are just amazing too.  They are so clear and detailed that anyone can be successful with her color coordinated instructions and well laid out patterns.  I was so lucky to spend three days with Met.  She showed us the class she is going to be teaching at Bead & Button in June and oh my!  I'm seriously looking at just going up there to take this class...but the drive, the cost, the housing...maybe the GLBG will have her come back next year so I can take her Bali Breeze class.