Teddie is three months old today, and full of it! Whether she is nipping at fingers, playing Godzilla by jumping on my face when I lay down, or pulling out clumps of my ever thinning hair, she is a happy, healthy puppy full of life and love. So much what I needed at this point in my life. She has worked her way into Ms. Ellie's heart, or at least her bed, and is very responsive to the older dog's direction when the playing is a little too manic or rough. She immediately flattens out like a tiny polar bear rug and waits until she can safely strike again. She is excellent at finding corners of my home that need domestic attention (and there are many right now) and investigating them like a golden retriever. She brings me lost things that she finds -- two pens, a pair of reading glasses, a napkin, a paintbrush, and a paper towel roll have quietly appeared at my feet as I type this. Maybe she is telling me to get cleaning? At last -- I have a helper with my inability to pick up things I drop. At least I know she is developing a healthy immune system!  Ah, puppyhood! 

School is great and I truly love my classes this year. The kids are just so respectful and open to playfully learning, and for the most part, are doing their middle school bests. Some years are less cohesive than others -- this one is terrific. I started using Zippy (the Mobility Scooter) at school this week and the kids are great about it. They want rides and to "pimp it out" -- one suggestion was to print "Ropple Rollenator" on the back of the seat. I'll pass on that, but my Cricut might be involved in some cool modifications at some point.

Using Zippy to scoot home at lunch to check on puppy has made me realize how much difficulty and pain I've had walking for the past several years. Because of the foot/ankle/leg pain and numbness, I've been looking down at my feet while walking, trying to avoid a stumble. Hadn't realized this until I was cooking along on Zippy at a stunning 5mph and able to look UP -- at trees, the sky, houses, etc. And do it without the constant stabbing pain of walking. I don't need to use it all the time, but can see it is beneficial. Will take a while to get the balance right of when to walk vs. ride, I think. 

I still feel VERY self conscious when riding it as it just seems weird to me, but this really just makes me question my own reaction to people with disabilities that I've seen out and about. It is a truly unconscious reaction of seeing someone who uses a mobility aid as "different" in such a basic way that the difference becomes more exaggerated in importance than it really is.  Food for thought. 

Yesterday I taught my first class at Michaels on using the Cricut Maker! While it would have been much better if the internet had worked more consistently and if my laptop recognized the maker as it did at home, it was still okay. Repeating the class today and am looking forward to working out the kinks! The machine is amazing and I have yet to tap all of its possibilities. Where are the extra 8 hours a day that I need so desperately? 

This weekend will be spent making Teddie's home more habitable, giving her another much needed bath, and hopefully getting in some art time to get the beading on the current piece underway. I can't wait for that step! Hope everyone is getting their creativity on as the colder air comes in, and our step towards hibernation begins. Bring on the beads!

Teddie is only here for two weeks, and she broke already! Yesterday when I took her for a short walk up the street with her Maltese friends, she seemed fine and was happily snuffling through the leaves at the edge of the sidewalk. She was doing puppy zoomies, with little growls of excitement, as she zipped ahead on the leash, and then....the scream. It was a very big scream for a little puppy! I looked at her foot to see if she stepped on anything and then whisked her home. Her front left foot was limp and she was in obvious pain, whining and whimpering as though her leg was severed. It has to be broken, I thought. But how? Huh? The reaction was similar to when Tilly dislocated his hip!

Anne came over with a little ice pack and held her while I called around to find a vet that could see her. I know Carol wasn't open, but I tried anyway out of habit and because I was freaking out and I love Carol. Then I tried two more local vets, and Reading Animal Clinic said to bring her right in. They whisked her in the back and when the nice vet came out to tell us it was a bee sting, and that her little eyes were puffing up too, we all cheered. Steroid shot and benadryl, and all is well. What a scare! 

Oh, puppies.  Puppyhood is tough for all of us!

She has learned how to be a good puppy and self-soothe with toys rather than crying anxiously for help, which I think is the best thing ever. She now has the run of the front room with Ellie (sorry, Ellie!) and for the most part is wee wee pad trained. She is up to 3 whole lbs now, too, so is eating well and growing normally. She loves to snuggle and play at bedtime, but settles in pretty quickly for a good night's sleep. Overall, I think I am the luckiest person in the world to have come across this little lady and have her here. She is a dream! 

A dream that will be fashionable, it seems, as on Friday my work friend Bob left me a massive bag of costumes and clothing for little girl dogs. Every holiday is accounted for, in addition to various weather conditions. She will need her own wardrobe for all this stuff!! I think, now, she might be a bee for Halloween! 

I did manage to move my art piece along this week, still at the stitching stage, and more ideas for some elaborate couching are on deck. It just will take time. I have to accept that new motherhood will have an impact on my art -- though she is great about chilling out when I work, so I really can't blame her. It is more my health that causes delays. Extreme fatigue at the end of the day. So heavy that I don't even eat dinner -- I feed the pets and go to bed. At 6:30! And sleep all night. Or, just high pain levels all over that preempt an evening's work. Sucks, really. It will get better, booked for a Remicade infusion soon, and I hope it will do SOMETHING, even though it seems like it doesn't. 

One foot in front of the gimpy other, I guess! Cheers. 

She is here! She is here! Right now she is playing quietly by herself in her little pen, sitting so she can keep an eye on me as I wake up with a cup of coffee at 5 am. What a doll. As my mother would have said about her, she is a real "doll baby." She weighed in at a stunning 2.8lbs and has captured the love of everyone who has seen her. She trots along by my feet like a little butterfly, is cuddly, is smart, and is just a wonderful puppy. I couldn't be more blessed. She is already using the wee wee pad (most of the time!) and doesn't bark much (yet...) She does bay like a tiny little wolfie when she wants attention and I can't give it to her right away, but that is normal. Hapi will be baying like said wolfie before long. When I think of all that could have arrived on Saturday, and see this canine perfection, I can not help but feel happy. 

Happy? Whaaaat's that? Only sort of kidding, here. The Struggle of Life has been a doozy for the past few years with health and other issues. When Tilly passed the door kinda slammed shut on that feeling, as he was the one who kept me connected to uncontrolled joy. The last little thread of happy in my life. Every time I looked at that dog he would smile back with his eyes and be pure love and joy. Now, I've noticed that I can look at Teddie and the same feeling is starting to creep back into my heart again. She is so little and funny, it is impossible not to feel love for her. She looks at me (and everything) with such amazement and wonder, and has no clue what our hopefully long adventure will look like. I don't either, but am happy to give it a go! My little angel. 

The cats are figuring things out, slowly. Uncle Theo rests by Teddy's pen all day, pretending not to care about the puppy like a Real Cat should, but lifting his head to look if her squeals and yips are louder than normal. He is a mothering kitty who used to clean Seamus when he was a kitten, and I can trust him 100% with the birds. He is wonderful. Seamus, on the other hand, feels like our "pack" has been disrupted and is causing trouble. He ran into the kitchen and bulldozed Theo yesterday in a menacing way, prompting a hissy fit on behalf of both angry cats. Their relationship is tenuous on a normal day, and puppy has rocked the leaking boat. On the bright side, I woke up at 1 am with both cats sleeping on the bed with the puppy, so there is hope! As always, I feel optimistic that the dust will settle and everyone will get along. 

Ellie has started to be stiff and somewhat lame sometimes in her hind quarters. Her vet thinks it is a neurological degenerative problem, with an inflammatory component. She struggles on stairs and stumbles from time to time, and is very stiff upon waking. Like me! She is on a trial of meds (one of which I take, too!) and seems to be a bit more comfortable. Will know when I spend more time with her this weekend. She is nearly 14, and I can't help but fear the worst for my old girl. I want her to live forever as she has been such a good doggie. 

On the art front, things are bustling! STILL working on the current still life piece that I like very much, and hope to get the bead step started this weekend. Really looking forward to that. It needs more surface texture on top of the stitching. I've got a name for the piece now (not telling) and see how future pieces can relate. Love being in this spot. If only I had more healthy time.

I am working with a lovely lady at the Reading Public Library to set up an exhibit there next year. The current series I am making will fit nicely in a library context. If I can get the work done! And, there is the piece for the Norwegian museum I signed up to make based on an important historical weaving, and and and.  Am cutting lots of stencils on the cricut for gelli printing, and have set up a gelli print area in my classroom for kids to explore, too. This week most of the 7th grade is away on a nature-based field trip and the remaining kids are regrouped for nature-related workshops here. I am giving them a crash course in gelli printing with leaves -- and it is a blast! At least for me! Some kids get it right away, others will need more play time. Looks like I will need to start hoarding small bottles of acrylic for the kids to use. So much art, so little time! 

Onward to feeding Ellie da Pug wet dog food by hand (this is a new wrinkle) and of course, giving the baby the hundred kisses she needs every day. Cheers!