Fill in Your Caption

It has become very clear that I have adopted a Westie who loves the outdoors. Being my third, I thought I pretty much knew the basic personality of the breed. My first two were definitely indoor dogs, afraid of the water, not much on sweating in the sun. Not so with Savannah! She loves, loves, loves to be outside, and makes herself heard when her space has been breached. If it's not the polaris in the pool, then it's the squirrel who dared to step into her yard! And it's not so much the capture as it is the chase! So, from first yawn and stretch in the morning to several outings during the day, and finally to her last potty break, Savannah will beg to go outside.

I'm working with her to learn some commands, and have found that she already knows a few (I guess from her former owners). She's pretty good at responding to me, except when she's just not ready to come in! With that in mind, look at this picture and tell me what you think this Westie girl is saying to me! I'll go first.

Me: Savannah! Time to come inside!

Savannah: That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!

or...

Savannah: You're cracking me up, Mom!

OK. Your turn. Fill in the caption!

Rag Quilts for My Grand Boys

A few weeks ago I saw a quilting blog that featured a Rag Quilt, something I've never tried before. It looked so cute and an idea started forming in my head for making this kind of quilt for my grandboys. The blog featured a fabric kit called "Charm Pack" and I set out to the fabric store in search of one. Using the charm pack and following the easy directions, this quilt emerged for Andrew.

 Using only the charm pack pieces, I felt the quilt was a little too small if the intended purpose was to use at the park or for picnics. So I found some material that matched one of the squares and put a five inch border all around it. Now it's just perfect for Andrew, even for a nap. 

My friend, Ruth, sent me a tutorial to make a pillowcase (I'll post more about that later), and I jumped on that with a quick trip back to the fabric store and bought some coordinating material to make a pillowcase.

Once I had Andrew's quilt done and had all that experience stored up, I started the process over again with a quilt for Adrian. He is so fond of trains right now and I found this adorable train material that worked well even for blocks sewn side by side. Each block is "quilted" individually, then sewn together in strips that will become rows to be sewn together until your quilt is the size you desire. The seams are all on the "right" side of the material so that once they have been fringed, washing them brings about the "ragged" look.

Look how cute the ragged seams are! I should add that the back of the quilt looks like a "normal" quilt and the "X's" give it a finished look.

I went back to the fabric store and bought extra material to make a matching pillowcase for Adrian. His quilt is a little bit bigger and he'll be able to take it to Kid's Day Out for his naptime quilt. He can even play with his little trains on it, letting his imagination run wild! I guess you might say I let my imagination run wild with these Rag Quilts!

A Little Bit of Cuteness

Savannah has brought a lot of "life" into our home since she moved in almost a month ago. Certainly she has me up and on my feet much more than usual. Graham too. We walk at least once a day, sometimes twice. And she is always anxious to get outside and chase the squirrels in the back yard. They have her figured out now and tease her without mercy. She has calmed down a lot and can now stay outside by herself (with me watching from the window) for longer periods of time.

One of the unforeseen bonuses of a younger dog is her zest for play! She has two balls - one tennis ball and another with a loud squeaky - that she loves to chase. And guess who has caught on to the game? Our fearless number two grandson, Andrew! I really must get a video of him ~ with sound ~ throwing the balls to Savannah. He giggles and giggles as she runs after first, one, then the other, sometimes trying to get both balls in her mouth. Then she reverts to playing soccer with one and that's when Andrew can get it and throw it for her again.

A new term I hear a lot these days on the news is "unexpected consequences." Usually these are of the bad variety, but there is one unexpected consequence that is quite welcome. With Andrew's fearless playing with Savannah, he is coaxing his big brother to lay aside his fear of the doggie and join in the play. I couldn't get a picture of Adrian throwing the ball this morning, but he is making great progress in feeling that Savannah is really going to be his friend. And I will get that picture - soon!

Home Farming in the City

For as long as I can remember I have loved home grown tomatoes. My grandmother had tomato plants in her garden, my Daddy had them in his, and I have them in mine. So I've been a "city farmer" for a long time. Now that Graham is retired and has the time, he has developed an interest in gardening. So this year will be a little different and more expansive than before.

 Here is the first tomato of the season, from our "Bush Goliath" tomato plant. He leaves lots of baby tomatoes on the bush!

 One of my most favorite veggies to grow - Kentucky wonder Beans! They're quick, they're easy,and they make lots of beans! There are also spring onions and radishes in this container.

 Here's that Bush Goliath and several of the maturing tomatoes. We have four other plants - an Early Girl, two Romas and a Juliet. (No, not Romeo and Juliet!) All have flowers and little baby tomatoes, but Bush Goliath is ahead of the pack in production.

 These are Graham's potatoes. I ordered this potato bag in a kit from Gardener's Supply along with a bag of Maine seed potatoes. These are just coming up. When we drove through Maine last fall, we were given some tips about the potatoes - how they grow and when to know they are ready for harvest. Very timely!

This is the second year I've grown herbs. Meredith has encouraged me by showing me how to cook with them. I have basil, mint and parsley. In the rose garden there are three Rosemary plants that I started last year. And yes, I do cook with all of them frequently. Just like the Barefoot Contessa, I can run out to my garden for herbs!

I have to say, though, as proud as I am of my little city garden, my niece in Boerne is growing a "country farm" size garden with something of everything I've ever heard of, and a little of some things I've never heard of! Good for her! She has four boys who are learning a whole lot about growing food and good nutrition to boot. In this day of uncertainty, plus ever increasing prices at the grocery store, we do well to learn the art of growing our own food while we can.

Saturday Pics

Savannah had another "dip" in the pool on Saturday, trying her best to capture Mr. Polaris! So we decided that would be a good time for a bath. She was already wet, and her feet were mighty dirty! So off to the sink we went. She does pretty well, except for having her head and face washed. We'll have to work on that another time.

She really enjoys chewing on this blue squeaky ball. It's great fun to throw it and have her bring it back. She is learning to leave it at our feet so that we can throw it again... and again! Now here's a pretty portrait! I found some cute scrap material in my quilting closet that makes a nice {but temporary!} bandanna. Savannah is turning into a very pretty Westie girl. As her fur grows out, she is getting her Westie profile back. I think she is as happy to be here as we are to have her.

Smile, Savannah!

I am discovering that she knows some basic commands. Quite by accident I found that when I say "come here!" she will immediately sit in a "down" position. She will sit on command and sometimes will stay when told to. I want to look into PetsMart's training schedule and see if we can get some lessons on walking together. Her attention span is pretty short when we're out and about.

So that was our Saturday. It's now Sunday afternoon, post nap time and just about time to run around that pool again!

Easter Cake

I'm making this cake for Easter! Since Meredith gave me a choice of salad or dessert, I thought this would be a cute (and easy) thing to make. You can get the picture tutorial here at the Picky Palate. Savannah has pretty much dominated my blogposts lately, so this is a colorful diversion. While I am digressing, let me say that we are now officially Savannah's owners! Her guardian at Westie Rescue called tonight and happily confirmed our decision to keep and love her. I have a couple of projects I'd like to get started on, and then there is the big "renovation" that will begin right after Easter. Our Beth Moore Bible study is finished for now, but I have an interesting video series that will give us six weeks of study, enough to go through the month of May. I'll see who isn't "studied out" and is willing to go six more weeks! Spring is now here, the tomatoes are setting, the beans are growing, and I cut some parsley and basil for my pasta supper tonight. Now, as soon as that pool water is warm enough, Savannah will have some swimming buddies! Bring it on!

Obsession!

How would you define "obsessed?" The online dictionary defines it as "the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc." I would venture to say that applies to my darling Westie, Savannah! She, more than either of my previous Westies, has some serious obsessions! From the first day she arrived she has been "obsessed" with the Polaris pool cleaner. She has jumped into the pool twice, and now I have limited the running time of the Polaris to an hour and a half. As long as it's not running full steam, she will manage her obsession without leaping into the water. Here is a sampling of her afternoon delight!

Settling In

It has been thirteen days since Savannah came into our lives. Tomorrow Paula will call from Spring to see if we are going to keep our girl. And I will say, "Yes! We are settling in to life together. Savannah has found her forever home!" We are learning the art of compromise, something the Democrats and Republicans need to learn! Savannah's energy level requires me to take her out on walks twice a day, and to get her in the backyard to chase the squirrels or try to bite the Polaris in the pool. In return, she has agreed to lay at my feet while I'm sewing or working on the computer. In the evening she'll sit by me on the sofa and we'll watch TV together. Yes, we are settling in and getting to know and love one another. She is not Maggie, and she'll never replace Treasure. She's Savannah, an independent but very loving Westie, who is quickly finding her place in my heart.