Snug as Bug in a Rug

Just in time for the "cold" snap that is headed our way, anything below 70 degrees is a cold snap in SC, but I digress. Winslow is sporting his brand new bespoke doggy sweater. You cannot see it in the picture but it matches his little collar perfectly. He even seemed happy to wear it even though the weather has not snapped yet. I have a friend from my quilt guild who has taken to knitting dog sweaters for the fun of it. So for the price of a skein of yarn I have this beautiful sweater for Winslow to snuggle up in this winter. Snuggling is something that he does very well! We have already settled into a routine in the mornings. After Steve goes off to work I venture downstairs for my first cup of coffee to sip while I read my appointed Bible readings. I sit cross legged on the sofa and Winslow snuggles down into the hammock of my nightgown and snoozes blissfully while I read. Last Saturday I slept in while Steve sat sipping coffee and snuggling the dog. Winslow was quite happy where he was till I wondered in and sat down on the sofa in my usual way and Winslow could not get out of Steve's chair and into my lap fast enough! I just shrugged as I looked at Steve and explained that Winslow and I had a "Thing"...The truth is that was the first time I realized that we did have a thing. Before he sat in my lap because it was the only lap around, but when he gave up his sweet spot with Steve to come have his morning cuddle with me, well...I was pleased. After all, I still smart from the fact that my dear Panchito dropped my like rock and took up with Steve without ever looking back. On another note, potty training is on an upswing! He is doing really well, yesterday he got to have the run of the downstairs for several hours and not a single incident!

I'm OK, You're OK method of house training

So its been a few years since we had to house train a puppy. In my mind Milford was a puppy prodigy ...a wunderhund of house training. Of course that is not true, I am sure it was a long and nasty ordeal for all involved, but apparently I have repressed memories about the whole affair. Wanting to do the right thing by Spazlo... I mean Winslow, I bought a book on the current methods of house training. Basically we are crate training Winslow, supposedly tapping into his denning instinct to keep him from pooing and peeing in the house. I get the concept and it has actually worked, he has kept his crate immaculate accept for an unfortunate day shortly after the de-worming medication kicked in. The part that we are having trouble with is the idea of positive reinforcement only. We have paid good money to be instructed to not scold, spank or otherwise traumatize Winslow if he should have an"accident" in the house. Well, no, not an accident, but I maintain that Winslow has had very few "accidents" but rather has made some MISTAKES and needs to be corrected. So with three solid weeks of what we have taken to calling the California method of house breaking we have finally thrown our hands up in surrender and have gone hunting for a rolled up news paper. Now when Winslow makes a mistake we let him know. Because we monitor his every move we are there when the mistake happens so there is no doubt in his mind why he is being corrected. So with the magic words "BAD DOG" ringing in his ears our little Winslow has hopefully turned the corner. With three and half solid days of old school housebreaking and no accidents in two and a half days...who says newer is better?

Honu Quadrille

This is the last of my Hawaiian applique blocks for my Aloha Album quilt. I was a bit intimidated by this block, the inner segments of the turtle shells had me on edge. I finished it while in NM and was surprised at how easy it was to do, it turns out I worried over nothing. Us chronic worry worts do that a lot. Now I worry if I will ever get time to sew another Aloha album block...But its probably a waste of energy too because the quilts that are keeping me from it are coming along nicely and I will be able to add the Album back into the rotation in a few months. I look forward to it, I miss the trips down memory lane that working on this quilt has triggered.

Spazlow's hierarchy of Needs

Years ago in one of Steve's classes we learned about Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Essentially it explains that we must tend to the basics before we can start fussing over the more refined elements of our existence. Have you ever been so distracted by needing the bathroom that you could focus on little else? That's Maslows hierarchy of needs at work.

Maslow never met Winslow...we are into our fourth week of potty training and as recently as yesterday Winslow refused to pee though given multiple opportunities to do so. He finally let loose a torrent right by his water bowl after just having come in from another unsuccessful potty run. That was the third time in as many days...the only other common denominator in the equation is Steve. It always happens on Steve's watch...Once I could actually blame Steve for it, but the other two times were patently not his fault. So why is our little furry ball of joy putting us through such hell? We just don't know. But this morning he rose to the potty training challenge and has done a good job and I remain optimistic that its the start of a nice long accident free run... hope really does spring eternal.