Nevada's Stick

Nevada has a stick. It is her very favourite stick. It is the very best stick in the whole wide world. No game is as much fun with any other stick. It is Nevada’s stick and has been Nevada’s stick for a long, long time. Rather then drag this stick back and forth to the school field, Dale and Nevada found a safe hiding place for this most precious of sticks. On the way to the field, they stop and pick up the stick. On the way home after their play, they stop and return their stick to its safe hiding place. And so it has gone for over a year now.

Today, Nevada’s stick was almost lost. Not once, but twice. Disaster. Total Disaster.

Nevada must have her stick. And Dale indulges her in every way – even with her stick. Today, after their play time, Dale and Nevada staggered into the house, cold, wet and bedraggled. Dale was in such a dither it took a while for him to be able to explain things to me coherently.

As usual Dale and Nevada had headed out for their walk and play time. And as usual on the way the field, they stopped to pick up Nevada’s Stick from it’s safe place. Then they continued on to the school, and behind the school where there is a small field to play. Here, the stick throwing commenced.

Eventually, somehow, the stick went down the steep embankment, which sloped toward the Penetangore River. Nevada flew over the bank – quite safely – and proceeded to search out her stick. She searched and searched, growing more and more frantic with each passing moment. It was nowhere to be found and she refused to leave without her stick. Eventually, Dale gave way and headed down the embankment – not quite so safely as Nevada had, tumbling head over heels till he reached the bottom. He oriented himself and stumbled to his feet. He and Nevada then continued to search out Nevada’s Stick, eventually finding it. Nevada, happy as a lark at this development, bounded up the embankment. Dale was not so lucky and it took several attempts to gain the brim of the “hole” as he now calls it. He started up several times only to fall back the steep, rough embankment. He finally worked his way round to a stand of trees and hauled himself up, bit by bit, with trees and branches. After stumbling round, puffing and panting, he eventually regained his breath and the stick game continued – with Dale carefully NOT throwing it near the embankment and Nevada gleefully racing after it.

But danger lurked everywhere today for Nevada’s Stick. After a few throws, the stick bounced and on the rebound, landed in a dumpster. An almost empty dumpster. At the very bottom of an almost empty dumpster. Nevada of course did everything but leap inside after her stick (Nevada, for those that don’t know her is extremely agile – even for a Weim ) Dale held her back and went to investigate himself.

He peered over the edge of the dumpster and way, way, down, at the very bottom was Nevada’s Stick. He couldn’t reach it – not even close. But upon further investigation, he discovered a bit of a ledge. He stepped up on this ledge and leaned over. He was much closer to reaching Nevada’s Stick, but couldn’t quite get his fingers on it. He helfted himself up just a tiny bit more, reached, almost had it, strained just a wee bit further, had his fingers on it, lost his balance and went head first into the dumpster, amongst the bits and pieces of garbage and rubbish.

Dale got to his feet. Nevada’s Stick grasped firmly in his fist and peered out. Nevada of course is sitting back watching these strange goings on with great curiosity, head cocked and eyes very wide. She is not about to leave until she has her stick clamped firmly between her teeth.

There is no ledge to step up on inside the dumpster and after many tries, Dale realizes he is stuck inside the garbage bin. He just isn’t agile enough anymore to swing his leg up and over the top. Starting to panic and with no help in sight, he gets steadily more agitated. He is out of sight, behind the school. No one was within shouting distance. No one knew where he was. No one could be expected at the school until Monday morning. (this was Sat. afternoon) Finally reason kicked in and he started piling the little bits and pieces of garbage in a corner until he had enough of a pile to stand on and haul himself out of there. He did finally get out, stick in hand, with Nevada waiting impatiently “on the other side”. Rather dirty and stinky, wet, cold and bedraggled, they staggered toward home, stopping only to put the stick safely back into it’s safe hiding place.

Roses in the Snow

I can hardly believe it. A sweet little rose bush in my garden has buds on it and actual blooms.
In freezing temperatures, with a skiff of snow, in Canada, in December.
And YES - that white centre in the one rose is snow!

You can see the little skiff of snow on the ground beside the rosebush.

This little Miniature Rose Bush was an Easter gift from my Granddaughter. I planted it once all danger of frost was past and then it was pretty much ignored for the remainder of the summer. But it grew and grew and grew. Much bigger than your average Miniature Rose Bush. And now all the buds and blossums. I am so impressed with this little plant.

New Items - Finally

Finally - I have had time to do some designing and some finishing! And of course listing. Can't sell items that I don't have time to list!!
.............................................................................................................

First item is a new baby bonnet in a wonderful turquoise with primary coloured accents. I absolutely adore this bonnet.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35934538

Another bonnet - again in turquoise, but with retro flowers and polka dots this time.
This is such a darling little bonnet.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35938210

And a hand crocheted baby blanket worked in a shell pattern, finished in dc and with sweet
little tassels on the corners. How very warm and cozy.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35937657

And lastly a new baby blanket with a vintage inspired fabric in a circus pattern on a bright, sunny, yellow background. This blanket is framed and backed in a yellow and white check cotton flannel, and lined with Warm and Natural.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35936852

Please check out my shop for many more items, sale items and OOAK items for the little one in your life.
www.oncottageway.etsy.com

Bathing Nevada

Nevada hears the dreaded "B" word and races into hiding. She figures if she can't see us - we can't see her.

Hiding didn't work - so she tries out her very most pathetic and beaten look. Adding a little shivering and shaking into the mix to try and guilt us out of her bath. Add a little limp noodle and top it off with a rigid ball to be truly pathetic.

But nothing workes - Dale gets her cornered and collars her. She is absolutely horrified by this indignity.

NO NO NO - Please don't take me - don't bath me - HELP HELP HELP
For heaven's sake - somebody help and get that idiot with the camera away from me!!!

Nevada is absolutely beaten, all her tricks have failed her and she is led away to the tub for the dreaded BATH.
But she was rewarded afterward with a lovely run on the beach.

Anyone looking at this and not knowing our Nevada would think we beat her on a daily basis, when in reality she is probably the world's most spoiled dog.
She is currently stretched out in front of the fireplace with Dale tossing her treats whenever she raises her head!
My - how boring life would be without Nevada.

PLAYING CATCH UP

I have spent the past few days playing catch up. Being hospitalized, even overnight, plays havoc with schedules. But I think I have finally caught up and am back on track now.

I finished these Christmas Stockings on Thursday and am very pleased with the results. The fabric and an old Christmas stocking to use for a pattern, was supplied by the client and I was simply told to "play with the fabric" and see what happened. Which I did. For the girls I added bits of antique lace, for the boys I made piping of contrasting fabrics.

The same client also came up with some favourite fabric of her daughters and asked me to make a couple of cushions out of the fabric. Again I was quite pleased with the results.

I had enough fabric to make 2 cushions - one is 14" square and the other 20" square. They should make a colourful addition to her daughters bedroom - a southern gal born into Canadian winters. Hopefully these cushions will warm her up in the cold months to come!!!!

A Day at the Tub

For those that are not local or have never traveled to the Tub, it is a village on the tip of the Bruce Penninsula of Lake Huron, otherwise known as Tobermory. Also where the Chi-cheemaun, ferries people across to Manitoulin Island.

Nevada Runs on Water

View from the Observation Tower at Fathom's Five National Park

Dale and Nevada following the seche on Singing Sands beach.

Singing Sands beach is one of the few in Canada that have a seche - a tide on a fresh water lake that activates with the weather. In this picture we had to walk almost a quarter mile to reach the water as the seche was out. When it comes in - it travels fast we have been chased off the beach more than once by the seche.

And now - back to work

I've been a tad under the weather the past few days so haven't listed anything new in my Etsy shops, but I have re-listed a few items. Here are a couple of them.

Here is a sweet little set of hand crocheted, all cotton baby washcloths to be found on my site
htty://www.oncottageway.etsy.com

This is a sweet little crocheted blanket I made for my shop, worked in a Granny Square with colours of sand and blue. Perfect for bringing baby home

Regency Cottage

I finally broke down and started to destash my vintage fabric and textiles. I was simply running out of room.
And so, Regency Cottage was born.
You can find us here:
www.RegencyCottage.etsy.com

Evey vintage item I list on my Etsy shop, breaks my heart a little.
And when it sells and I have to package it up and ship it out, it is all they can do at the post office to get it away from me to measure and weigh the package. Sometimes it almost develops into a tug of war. I"m sure they think I'm just a wee bit odd. LOL

Here are a few of the items I've sold.

More Warm and Cozy Winter Hats

Well - I have finally done it. Crocheted myself into a combination of Tendonitis in my left hand and Carpal Tunnel in my right. But I can't seem to just sit and and watch TV. Or even just sit and chat. I have to be doing something with my hands at all times. Here is an example of the children's hats I have knit and crocheted the past few weeks.

Skullcaps and Stuff

I have been busy crocheting these days. I seem to go in fits and starts are my many venues. My sewing machine is sitting idle, my knitting needles silent but my crochet hook is moving fast. I have made and listed several skullcaps on my Etsy shop the past while. These are all one of a kind OOAK as I use no pattern and different yarns for each. Sizes range from baby ( under 6 months ) to adult. To check out more, log on to http://www.oncottageway.etsy.com and look in the "sections" for knit and crochet.

My Listing for the Day

I found this really sweet fabric on Etsy with Texas Longhorns and Cowboys. I always have a hard time finding fabric suitable to make those special things for little boys and here was a great opportunity. It consists of a crib size blanket, burpee, large bib,m small bib, toy tether and pacifier lead. The blanket, burpee and bibs are topped with the funky fabric, lined with warm and natural and backed with cozy flannel. Come visit my shop for more pics
www.oncottageway.etsy.com or go direct to the item at
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32170528

Veteran's Day Parade

Yesterday, our town held it's annual Veteran's Day Parade. My Dad is always in this parade. At 86 he is the oldest surviving Veteran from the RCAF in our area.
My I present Pilot Officer Kenneth H. Linklater.

Baby Blanket Gift Set

I've spent the past couple of days designing and creating this great little baby gift set. It is a nine piece set with crib sized blanket, change pad, burpee, large bib, small bib, toy tether, pacifier lead and two snack sacks.



I ordered this fabric and was thrilled when it arrived. The colour were even more vivid than I had expected and I could hardly wait to get into it.


This is a one of a kind set, never to be repeated.


You will find it in my Etsy shop
www.oncottageway.etsy.com

Fast Action Beginning to Sleepy Sunday Morning

A RAPID BEGINNING TO A SUNDAY MORNING

Early this morning – around 5 – Dale gets up to go to his part time retirement job at the local golf course. Nevada and I hunker down for some more snoozing. Dale commences his usual routine, which includes opening the door for the dog, which has a large curtain hanging on the frame that serves as our version of a doggie door. A few minutes later, after much stretching and moaning about the early hour, Nevada slithers off the bed and yawning and grumbling, heads outside for her early morning constitutional.

Seconds later she comes torpedoing back through the curtain like the hounds of hell were on her heels. With this dramatic entrance she brings with her the stench of skunk and the doggie door curtain. Dale is racing around trying to catch her. Anyone that knows Dale knows that his only speed is “very slow and relaxed”. When he speeds up it means something drastic has blasted him out of his usual aplomb. Hearing Dale moving frantically about the house, hollering for Nevada ( he never hollers either ) brings my eyes wide open and all senses on full alert. I catch a whiff, discover Nevada hurtling for the bed, door curtain still in place, making her resemble something out of a Halloween Horror Show, and I leap out of her way, tripping and stumbling over the bed clothes. After rather rapidly assessing the situation, I take off after Nevada and she now has two of us chasing her down – me in my nighty and Dale is his – uh, well, skivvies – we finally manage to corner her and toss her out on the deck.

A few seconds later I hear her panicking, screaming and scrabbling, at the door and head out to give her a piece of my mind. Before I could open my mouth, I am face to face with little Mr. Stinky. I am not quite sure who was more surprised – Nevada, Mr. Stinky or Me. I make a quick snatch for the door and Nevada and I take a nose dive to safety pulling the door shut behind us. Before I could grab Nevada she races to the living room and rolls on the chesterfield, then evading my desperately grasping hands, gives the area rug the same treatment. Tripping and stumbling, I chase her through the house, with Dale hot on my heels. She beats us to the bed and has another good roll there before Dale gets his hands on her. She is carried in a very undignified manner to the bathroom and the door is slammed securely in her face. Dale and I look at each other and the air turns blue with our cussing. Dale heads off to get his breakfast. I head off to mix the de-skunking solution, only to find that I am flat out of peroxide. I make do with dish detergent, baking soda and water. I fight my way into the bathroom which now is absolutely unbearable with eau de skunk. I quickly turn on the fans and open the window. Nevada gets tossed unceremoniously into the tub, doused with my concoction and told very firmly to “stay put or else”. Nevada, for those that don’t know her, is a terrible weeny and she hates baths – particularly when it happens so abruptly. She has her legs spread and braced in every which direction. One foreleg is between and behind her hind legs. One hind leg shoved forward to the front of the tub and between her forelegs, to keep herself from sliding forward. The other two legs are anywhere she can find a bit of traction for them. She shivers and shakes, pulls her limp noodle routine, and basically acts like she is being murdered. I get her bathed, dried, the bathroom cleaned up and stripped of anything that may carry the rancid odour. I do the same to the bedroom. And head to the laundry room. Dale happily leaves me to it and deserts me for the golf course. After a bit the smell outside dies down so I begin opening windows. Soon the smell begins to dissipate. And I think “ah – not so bad after all”. Not a direct hit but a spray in Nevada’s general vicinity.

I think things are finally getting better and my son and Grandson walk in. The immediate look of horror on their faces and the grabs for the nose tell me that “no” the smell is still there, I have just become accustomed to it. The two of them do an about face and march straight back out the door, out the gate to the truck and drive away. Halfway home they call me. The hoodie that Caleb had left here the day before and which I had tossed to them on their march to the truck had assumed the vile odour and my son was driving home with it hanging out the window.

So currently, 5 hours later, Nevada is relegated to the floor – no soft surfaces for her till her smell improves. My washing machine is chugging away trying to dislodge the odour from my bedding and towels. Dale has not yet dared come home. I can guarantee he is taking his time with the greens this morning.

I cannot be sure that Mr. Stinky has vacated the yard. It is very securely fenced with only one place where he can get in or out. I left the gate open till daylight hoping to give him another means of escape. My yard is a cottage garden full of shrubs, masses of perennials, deep glades of towering trees and tall decorative grasses everywhere. He has a million hiding places if he hasn’t left the yard.

Nevada will be under very close surveillance for the next few days till we know we have the yard to ourselves again.

Now if I could just find a pleasant smelling spot to have a snooze I’d be all set.

What Kind of Fabric Is This??

I was given this piece of old vintage/antique fabric and I would like to know what type of fabric it is.
It feels a bit like cotton but is shiny, almost slippery on the pattern side. It almost crinkles when it is bunched up.

Choose the Photo

Help - I need opinions on which
provides the best background
for photos of my bonnets.
My single worst feature of my Etsy shop
is directly related to my skill as a
photographer.
Please take a look and leave your
opinion.


Fence Rail


Picket Fence


Primitive Brick Wall


Wall


Tree


Floor



Primitive Ladder


Shelf

I look forward to hearing your opinions.
So hearing opinions from others will be a great help.
Thanks.