Friends
Do you ever feel
Like you're going in circles
doing the same things over and over again
do you feel like you are going it alone
never stopping to rest
the scenery may be beautiful
but it passes by too quickly
Sometimes it's hard
just trying to stay on track
when the world is gaining on you
Just
keep on smiling
because
with a friend by your side
you are never alone
life can be ruff, go with a friend!
peeling back the layers
I love the four seasons in Maryland.
I really don't have a favorite but I know I am not fond of Winter after the first 20 inches of snow. Any more than that and I tend to get pretty testy. Not because I hate snow.....but because everyone else around me hates snow. They get nasty and crabby and all cabin feverish.
So it makes it difficult to enjoy Winter.
Somebody slap me
Why am I thinking about Winter ! ?
Right now I am enjoying the end of Summer. The clear crisp air, cooler temps and chilly evenings. This time of year I am usually thinking about a fall vacation. but last year I decided to go full steam ahead and rescue dogs full time. This meant not so many trips for me for a while. Well not long trips anyway. Since I'll be home more I 'll be able to devote more time to my quilts.
I store my finished quilt tops in the spare bedroom on a full size bed. The plan is to store them there for only a short time and then add batting and backing, and then quilt them. They wait for me while I am busy putting another top together.
I really don't have a favorite but I know I am not fond of Winter after the first 20 inches of snow. Any more than that and I tend to get pretty testy. Not because I hate snow.....but because everyone else around me hates snow. They get nasty and crabby and all cabin feverish.
So it makes it difficult to enjoy Winter.
Somebody slap me
Why am I thinking about Winter ! ?
Right now I am enjoying the end of Summer. The clear crisp air, cooler temps and chilly evenings. This time of year I am usually thinking about a fall vacation. but last year I decided to go full steam ahead and rescue dogs full time. This meant not so many trips for me for a while. Well not long trips anyway. Since I'll be home more I 'll be able to devote more time to my quilts.
I store my finished quilt tops in the spare bedroom on a full size bed. The plan is to store them there for only a short time and then add batting and backing, and then quilt them. They wait for me while I am busy putting another top together.
Let's peel back the layers and take a peek
 |
| white and multi-color batiks |
 |
| black and multi-color batiks |
 |
| red, grey,black chevron |
Niki quilt ( leftover from last year)
So with this many unfinished projects, ( and there are more hidden around her somewhere ) I don't think I 'll be having a hard time making it through Fall or Winter this year.
I'll be all comfy cozy at the end of the road,
in the forest, in my small house,
with my dogs
and you ...
.......my new friends.
Oh .....and my DH, a grouchy guy who hates Winter.
Winters can be ruff, go make a quilt!
Marianne
Theme Thursday
I know I know.....I just posted a Theme Thursday yesterday.....Butit seems I had the wrong Thursday.
This is this weeks Theme..... Autumn.
This is this weeks Theme..... Autumn.
I love how the crackle turned out on this one. Crackle is so unpredictable. There are so many contributions on the Theme Thursday Challenge Blog....go take a look
Autumn Sunset
 |
Autumn Sunset |
Theme Thursday Challenge Blog's theme is "square" this week. Perfect for this piece. I have been playing with photoshop. This started as a photo of one of my spirit bundle dolls. After tweaking several layers I was happy with the warm glow that the original piece lacks. The glowing face reminds me of a sun. Wouldn't it be great if we could tweak everything as easily. This was my first time participating in the challenge. Why not play along with us. You can find the challenge here. Hopefully I will be able to play every week.
Thanks for stopping by!
Marianne
Theme Thursday
I know I know.....I just posted a Theme Thursday yesterday.....But it seems I had the wrong Thursday.
This is this weeks Theme..... Autumn.
This is this weeks Theme..... Autumn.
I love how the crackle turned out on this one. Crackle is so unpredictable. There are so many contributions on the Theme Thursday Challenge Blog....go take a look
The owl and the turtle
Now where was I?
Yesterday I told you about the challenge at Patches. I promised to not leave you hanging with just the duck.
After making the duck, I had this piece of fabric left over.
Life can be ruff, go create something fun!
Marianne
Yesterday I told you about the challenge at Patches. I promised to not leave you hanging with just the duck.
After making the duck, I had this piece of fabric left over.
There was certainly enough left over for another block. I love owls and since they are so popular again I thought an owl would be perfect. But the owl has to sit on a branch. Right?
Without boring you with all the details I'll cut right to the finshed owl...
...yes this means I have no "in progress" photos.
But I do have some close-up shots of the perfectly imperfect stitching.
Now after the owl I still had a workable piece.
I thought about another type of bird. Maybe a chicken or a swan.
But in my mind I saw a turtle shell.
So a turtle it is.
His eyes aren't quite right yet. Maybe he needs a hat.
By the time I was finished with the three blocks I had grown to like the ugly fabric and I ended up purchasing a yard. Well now I need some help in trying to decide what animals I should make.
Please leave a comment and let me know which animal you would like to see next. I like a challenge.
Challenge me.
Marianne
I love collections
Collect
I like that one definition: to regain control of (one's faculties,etc., or oneself). HA !
Those who know me know that I can't pass up a reason to collect something. I have been a collector of things all my life. Owls, suns, buttons, Santa Claus, mugs, rubber stamps, cookbooks, dinnerware, hostas and of course fabric and paper. Oh and I have even inherited a few collections like my mother-in-law's bells and an Aunt's elephants. Some people even call my rescue a collection of dogs.
So now with this new found love of blogland it was only a matter of time until I would need more than one blog. Since I have a collection of hobbies, a collection of blogs fell right into place. And since 5 is my favorite number, 5 blogs seems right. This one for chatter about everything under the sun, Studio for my creative biz....yes ...someday....soon.....there will be etsy or some other marketplace.
My dog blog will be about..well dogs. I expect that most of my posts will be on PaperPlay and SewRuffHaven. I have new posts on both right now. Hope to see you there.
Links to all five blogs can be found in the sidebar and at the bottom of this page.
Life is ruff....go have fun!
The duck the owl and the turtle
My quilting style is eclectic to say the least. I started out as cute and traditional back in the early 80's when my children were young. Kids like bright colors and so that's what I was drawn to. During the 90's to 2005 I was wrapped up in scrapbooking so my sewing machine gathered dust. Lots and lots of dust. I didn't drag that machine out til about 2005 when mixed media took over in the studio and I needed that sewing machine to stitch on my card and scrapbook layouts. So there I was, full circle, back in love with my sewing machine again.
This time around, I was drawn to more earthy colors and loved working with batiks. Having used up my stash from the 80's I needed to gather more fabric. I found a great quilt shop, Patches in Mt Airy MD.
I was like a kid in a candy shop there. I couldn't believe the wonderful fabrics. Quilting has come a long way since my days of calico in the 80's. With my arms full of new 1 yard cuts and fat quarters I made my way to the counter. The staff was super friendly and the owner made me feel like I had been shopping there for years. They welcomed me with open arms and I've felt like part of the family ever since.
On my third or fourth trip to Patches they announced that they were hosting a challenge for Project Linus. I am always up for a challenge so I joined. It would be the first of many, and I didn't realize at the time how much fun it would be.
The challenge was to create a quilt square for a quilt that would then be donated to Project Linus.
The rules were simple: Use the piece of fabric chosen by the store and at least two other fabrics purchased there to complete the square.
Ok. That sounds easy enough.
Then I was given the fabric
ugh.....
Talk about a step back through time. I asked if it was leftover from the 60s or 70s. Nope. It was current and quite popular. Hhhmmmmmmmmmm..... ok. So this was where the challenge part came in.
How do I work with such an ugly piece of fabric?
I took it home and stared at it for a few days.
Then it hit me. It's for Project Linus. It's for a child. And I didn't have to like it. I sat down and drew some simple animals shapes. It would be easy to make an applique for the square. With that idea in mind I set to work.
This time around, I was drawn to more earthy colors and loved working with batiks. Having used up my stash from the 80's I needed to gather more fabric. I found a great quilt shop, Patches in Mt Airy MD.
I was like a kid in a candy shop there. I couldn't believe the wonderful fabrics. Quilting has come a long way since my days of calico in the 80's. With my arms full of new 1 yard cuts and fat quarters I made my way to the counter. The staff was super friendly and the owner made me feel like I had been shopping there for years. They welcomed me with open arms and I've felt like part of the family ever since.
On my third or fourth trip to Patches they announced that they were hosting a challenge for Project Linus. I am always up for a challenge so I joined. It would be the first of many, and I didn't realize at the time how much fun it would be.
The challenge was to create a quilt square for a quilt that would then be donated to Project Linus.
The rules were simple: Use the piece of fabric chosen by the store and at least two other fabrics purchased there to complete the square.
Ok. That sounds easy enough.
Then I was given the fabric
Talk about a step back through time. I asked if it was leftover from the 60s or 70s. Nope. It was current and quite popular. Hhhmmmmmmmmmm..... ok. So this was where the challenge part came in.
How do I work with such an ugly piece of fabric?
I took it home and stared at it for a few days.
Then it hit me. It's for Project Linus. It's for a child. And I didn't have to like it. I sat down and drew some simple animals shapes. It would be easy to make an applique for the square. With that idea in mind I set to work.
At this point I was starting to like this fabric. I used a fusible interfacing to hold the pieces in place and then a blanket stitch to applique it to the background.
The next step was to cut 2 and a half inch squares to make a border.
I chose square eyes to mimic the squares in the, not so ugly now fabric.
After re-arranging the squares to get the best possible balance. I stitched them together and added them to the background.
A little machine embroidery for feathers on his head and he was finished.
cute? no?
This block took me by surprise. I had developed a very artsy fartsy style while playing with mixd media paper and fabric art. Most of my pieces were earthy in nature and not at all cute.
But this was my challenge block, inspired by the fabric and the early 80's and the child who would one day own the quilt it would be a part of. It was ready to go to Patches where it would hang on display and hopefully earn enough votes from other participants to win. I really didn't care to win anything but, it would be nice to have the other customers like my square.
So where's the Owl and the Turtle? You ask
When I got home I realized I had more fabric left. So as a personal challenge I decided to make another square. This time an Owl.
But that's all for tonight. It's almost midnight and as much as I'd like to stay here with you all, I do need my beauty sleep.
Come back tomorrow to see the next two squares.
Life can be ruff, go have some fun!
Marianne
But....what about Goldie's family?
ahh...... I do have readers. Whoa! did I get emails this morning or what?
And many of them have asked..........But wait, didn't her family claim her?
I asked about this too.
They thought at one point they had located her family. But it turned out that she was not their dog.
There was another yellow chow chow rescued and that dogs name was Peazy.
a little more.....
Goldie must have gotten hit on the head or something during the storm because she was and still is a bit unpredictable. She was NOT adoptable. They received so many inquiries that they had to tell people she was not there. Pat worked with her for months before he felt he could release her for adoption. She was at BestFriends the whole time.
The following year after I had brought Goldie home ( 2007) I attended a Workshop at Best Friends to learn how to operate a rescue.
(I'll save that story for my dog blog.)
It was then I learned that Goldie was taken to California several times for fund raising events. She was quite the attention getter and had raised a lot of money. I have a feeling that if Goldie didn't have her quirky and annoying habit of barking in other dogs faces, she would still be there. Everyone seemed to love her.
Luckily for me she drove people and dogs nuts.
There are several other stories brewing about Goldie. The fun didn't stop when we adopted her. But I'll save those for the dog blog.
Thanks for asking everyone!
And many of them have asked..........But wait, didn't her family claim her?
I asked about this too.
They thought at one point they had located her family. But it turned out that she was not their dog.
There was another yellow chow chow rescued and that dogs name was Peazy.
a little more.....
Goldie must have gotten hit on the head or something during the storm because she was and still is a bit unpredictable. She was NOT adoptable. They received so many inquiries that they had to tell people she was not there. Pat worked with her for months before he felt he could release her for adoption. She was at BestFriends the whole time.
The following year after I had brought Goldie home ( 2007) I attended a Workshop at Best Friends to learn how to operate a rescue.
(I'll save that story for my dog blog.)
It was then I learned that Goldie was taken to California several times for fund raising events. She was quite the attention getter and had raised a lot of money. I have a feeling that if Goldie didn't have her quirky and annoying habit of barking in other dogs faces, she would still be there. Everyone seemed to love her.
Luckily for me she drove people and dogs nuts.
There are several other stories brewing about Goldie. The fun didn't stop when we adopted her. But I'll save those for the dog blog.
Thanks for asking everyone!
 |
| Goldie and Ginger |
A Sleepless Night
Welcome back.
The conclusion of the continuing story about adopting Goldie.
the story starts here: Love at First Sight
A Sleepless Night
I don't like to fly. In fact I hate it. Hate is a strong word and I use the term only when I mean it. Hate is a strong emotion and one that only causes destruction. But I can honestly say I hate airports , airplanes, jets, airbuses, and flying.
Well sometimes things just don't work out and for reasons I will never know. Goldie's family was not able to take her home after all. She was returned to Best Friends.
I knew it was a sign. I had to figure out a way to convince Lifeguard that Goldie belonged here. But I couldn't waste precious time, so I logged onto the website and found Goldie and her link to Petfinders.
So without his knowledge I had to start the adoption ball rolling. Surely others had fallen in love with this dog too. A call to Kristi at Best Friends confirmed my fears. There were several people interested. A few had submitted applications already. ugh... I may be too late. But it was worth trying. Adoption competition was not something I wanted. So my application had to be thorough and honest and as detailed as possible.
I've adopted 4 dogs prior to this and the adoption application that Best Friends required was three pages long, and more detailed than any other I have ever seen. I was impressed but frustrated. The clock was ticking here and I needed my application to be perfect. I contacted my vet so she would be ready for the phone call. I knew Best Friends would be calling all references. I knew my vet would vouch for me.
Then with fingers crossed, I faxed in my application. The date was March 5, 2006.
I received an email reply that Maryland was so far away and they try to adopt "questionable" dogs to people who live closer, just in case the dog would need to be returned.
Questionable????
Returned? I have never returned a dog. You return clothes that don't fit and gifts that aren't right, appliances that don't work. You don't return dogs. I wouldn't ever think of returning a dog.
You just make it work.
So I wrote a very long email to plead my case. I poured my heart out in that email and offered several references who would confirm my experience and abilities with dogs, and it worked because I received the reply I needed to hear.
I was on the list of possible homes for Goldie !
I received a call from Goldie's trainer, Pat W. He had been working with Goldie to try to get her to stop her most annoying habit. She would constantly bark right in the face of any other dog close enough. This resulted in her being moved From octagon to octagon because she was annoying the other dogs. ( The octagons were the specially designed pack style kennels and runs that the dogs at Best Friends live in.)
I convinced Pat that I would be able to break her of that habit. After a very long conversation about various issues and what I would do to retrain Goldie, He had determined that I really did know what I was talking about and felt I could train Goldie. He gave his approval. ( yay! )
Kristi L was the adoption coordinater who called a few hours later.
They wanted to schedule a home visit.
On March 7th Mary D. was scheduled to come to my home for an interview and inspection. She lived locally and was a part of the extensive Best Friends network. We had a wonderful visit and she was completely in agreement with me that my home was the perfect place for any dog to live. I am so grateful to her for giving me a glowing review. She notified Kristi immediately and I was one step closer to meeting Goldie.
That evening I received another call from Kristi. She ask one more question.
"When can you come out here to meet us and Goldie?"
Thud ! My jaw hit the floor and my excitement went through the roof !
This was when I realized I had not told Lifeguard. He had no idea I had taken these steps to adopt her. You can't just sneak away for a few days and show up with a dog. I had to tell him. But first I had to book a flight. Yes a f l i g h t ..... yikes. I swore I would never fly again. I hated flying.
But for Goldie....I would fly.
I booked a flight . Then I called Lifeguard.
"Honey, I'm going to Utah . Will you and the dogs be ok for a few days? "
"WHAT?!" He was not happy. It was Spring. he was busy. And he was coming down with a bad cold.
Men can be babies when they get sick. And he was milkin' this one. Good thing my daughter is a nurse.And from this day forth, on this blog, she will be known as Nursie.
I called her.
"Hi sweetie, I was wondering if you could come over and help Lifeguard with the dogs so I can go to Utah to meet a dog?...... Please?"
"WHAT?!" "Mom, you're crazy! You don't need another dog." Nursie scolded.
"Please?" "The dog needs me."
"What does Lifeguard think of this?" she asked. I did not reply to that.
"Are there no dogs in Maryland who need you? Or Ohio? Why do you have to go to Utah?" She asked
she will never understand me.
"Oh nevermind." she sighed. " I'll be there. When are you leaving?"
"My flight leaves on the 12th."
Ok. Nursie and Lifeguard were not happy with this whole idea, but they agreed to keep an eye on things while I was away.
But yet another roadblock was on the horizon.
On the 11th of March Lifeguard really wasn't feeling well at all. He had a fever of 103 and it was climbing.
I know it sounds bad, but I still wanted to go to Utah to meet Goldie. And if I cancel my flight I could lose the cost of the ticket. Nursie came over as planned.
"Mom ! You can't go! 103 ! he needs to go to the hospital! Now! " Nursie was right.
Even though Lifeguard kept saying he was fine. We had to take him to the emergency room. It was a long sleepless night and I was so angry at the universe for the lack of planning. How dare he get sick when I have to go to Utah?
I really am not that self centered and I did make the tough decision to cancel my flight. But first things first. We had to take Lifeguard to the emergency room and make sure he wouldn't die. After a few hours there, he received some good meds and the news that he will not be dead in the morning. Whew. One less thing to worry about.
I contacted the airline to cancel. But I just couldn't do it. The fight was scheduled to leave in a few hours. What to do? what to do ? You just can't imagine how torn I was. I was lucky to have booked my flight on Southwest. They were so nice. I explained the whole situation, the hurricane, the dog, my sick husband, and they said if BestFriends would agree to me coming out with-in two weeks, they would reschedule my fight without a penny lost ! In fact I got a small refund because of a special fare they were offering to Vegas. Yay ! One more obstacle out of the way. I had to send my new itinerary to Kristi to prove I was not backing out of the adoption. She agreed to hold Goldie two more weeks.
Ahh...............
Now I could breathe..............
A Five Hour Flight (part 4 but included in this post so my readers don't revolt )
March 26th, 2006. The flight to LasVegas was 5 hours long.
Five..... F I V E..... Five Hours....... I hate flying. huff.
But I managed the long crowded flight West to Las Vegas. And once there I was thrilled to rent a cute little PT Cruiser for the drive to Best Friends. A 4 hour drive East to Kanab Utah.
Yes four hours. F O U R.
Was I nuts? ( don't answer that )
To travel..... N I N E.... H O U R S.... to meet a dog?
I had plenty of time to think about this as I drove.
There is so much to say about the drive. I chose the route that would take me through Zion National Park. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. But that's another story for another time.
I could hardly control myself when I finally reached my destination.
The Welcome Center at Best Friends
I introduced myself and received instructions as to where to go next.
Dog Headquarters.
I had an appointment with Kristi and Pat. I was at their mercy. It was Kristi who would make the final decision.
There were more forms to fill out and more questions to answer.
Pat gave me hints and tips about Goldie's odd behavior and what he was doing to try to change it.
Kristi gave me instructions on what to do with Goldie on my overnight Visit.. At Best Friends you must take the dog for an overnight visit to see if you are a good match before you actually adopt it. Thank goodness all the motels in Kanab have dog friendly rooms for this purpose.
Then finally the moment I was waiting for.
They brought out Goldie. She was even more beautiful than her photos. And she was so much smaller than she looked on the cover. And of course so much cleaner. You can tell she had been bathed and groomed for this meeting.
I watched her as she sniffed around the main area of Dog Headquarters, she looked happy and very healthy and very aloof. She wasn't at all interested in the people in the room.
But then she came to me and I asked her to sit.
She sat.
Then she looked at me with those eyes, those big soft brown gorgeous loving eyes.
I melted.
We just stared at each other. I know this sounds silly but the love in the room was overwhelming. Everyone was watching Goldie. I knew right then she would be coming home with me. Pat and Kristi knew it too. She asked if I needed the overnight visit. I said yes just to be sure. But I knew. Goldie was going to come home with me
And yes, I am tearing up just writing about it.
Everything else happened so fast. Dr. Mike came out to talk to me about Goldie's health and medical history. (yes I met Dr. Mike so cool )
Ethan came to talk to me about the rescue. ( yes I met Ethan....double cool )
When I met him I realized why Goldie looked so big in the photo. Ethan is not a big man. Not big in the physical sense. But he was a giant in the eyes of everyone who knew him and the team that went to rescue so many animals in New Orleans.
The overnight visit was a success. While in the room I had made several calls to airlines to take Goldie home with me. I did NOT want to wait two more weeks for Best Friends to ship her. The plans were in place. I would drive Goldie to Vegas and ship her to Baltimore on Continental. At the time they were the best when it came to transporting dogs. My flight was on Southwest.
Goldie's one way ticket was twice the cost of my entire trip..... airfare, car rental, and room. !
The next day I had one more form to sign, an adoption fee to pay, and Goldie was mine. Troy Snow took a photo of the two of us for their next newsletter. cool.
After many hugs and happy tears I loaded Goldie into the crate in the back of the car. I promised to return to Best Friends often. I waved good bye to every one and thanked them for all they did for Goldie and me.
One more night in the motel and we were set to go home.
I had purchased an airline dog crate at Best Friends. I had to have her at Continental Shipping at LasVegas Airport by 1:00pm on March 29th. My flight wasn't till 5:00pm. That meant Goldie would reach our destination before me. Lifeguard was going to have to pick her up. As I watched the men put Goldie in her crate and tape food and water to the top for the trip, I began to cry. I was sobbing like a baby. I hate to fly and now I was putting my dog on a plane? I knew I should have rented a van and just driven her home. The man behind the counter asked me to declare a value for insurance purposes.
I had to put a price on this dog?
Just in case.
Just in case of what?
"$30,000.00" I said between tears. I just blurted out a figure.
The man's eyes opened wide. " How much!?"
I said " $30,000.00 "
He asked what her breed was that made her so valuable.
I told him she's a " Kanab Collie" she's the only one ... a rare gold nugget from Utah.
Of course I was making this up, heck she's a mixed breed. Who cares what breed she is.
He said "The limit is $5,000.00 , Ma'am, how long have you had this dog?"
I answered between tears again.
"One ...sniff. ....day.... sniff "
"Oh brother" he replied. We both laughed. he wrote $5,000.00 on the form.
Then he reassured me that she would be fine. She was sitting quietly in her crate just looking at me with those eyes.
As they wheeled her away I began to cry ...again.
Lifeguard had to be at the airport to claim Goldie. While waiting for my flight to arrive he had taken her to a grassy field so she could relieve herself. She made the trip without a hitch and was well rested when they met. He ran with her through the gassy fields near BWI airport while waiting for my flight. He really knows what a dog needs and she needed to run. I doubt that she had run very much since the horrible storm that changed her life. He had a chance to bond with her. I couldn't have planned it better.
When my flight landed I hurried to the parking lot where I knew they were waiting. They were standing outside the van and Goldie started to wag her tail as I walked to meet them.
yes ! she recognized me !
A quick kiss for hubby and a sheepish grin.
I looked at Goldie.
I asked her to sit.
She sat.
She looked at me with those eyes.
She tilted her head to one side.
Lifeguard and I hugged her.
Welcome Home Goldie
The End? Not at all... it's just the beginning. Because of my experience with BestFriends and Goldie I was inspired to do more for dogs. RuffHaven is now a Sanctuary for old dogs and dogs with special needs.
The conclusion of the continuing story about adopting Goldie.
the story starts here: Love at First Sight
A Sleepless Night
I don't like to fly. In fact I hate it. Hate is a strong word and I use the term only when I mean it. Hate is a strong emotion and one that only causes destruction. But I can honestly say I hate airports , airplanes, jets, airbuses, and flying.
Well sometimes things just don't work out and for reasons I will never know. Goldie's family was not able to take her home after all. She was returned to Best Friends.
I knew it was a sign. I had to figure out a way to convince Lifeguard that Goldie belonged here. But I couldn't waste precious time, so I logged onto the website and found Goldie and her link to Petfinders.
So without his knowledge I had to start the adoption ball rolling. Surely others had fallen in love with this dog too. A call to Kristi at Best Friends confirmed my fears. There were several people interested. A few had submitted applications already. ugh... I may be too late. But it was worth trying. Adoption competition was not something I wanted. So my application had to be thorough and honest and as detailed as possible.
I've adopted 4 dogs prior to this and the adoption application that Best Friends required was three pages long, and more detailed than any other I have ever seen. I was impressed but frustrated. The clock was ticking here and I needed my application to be perfect. I contacted my vet so she would be ready for the phone call. I knew Best Friends would be calling all references. I knew my vet would vouch for me.
Then with fingers crossed, I faxed in my application. The date was March 5, 2006.
I received an email reply that Maryland was so far away and they try to adopt "questionable" dogs to people who live closer, just in case the dog would need to be returned.
Questionable????
Returned? I have never returned a dog. You return clothes that don't fit and gifts that aren't right, appliances that don't work. You don't return dogs. I wouldn't ever think of returning a dog.
You just make it work.
So I wrote a very long email to plead my case. I poured my heart out in that email and offered several references who would confirm my experience and abilities with dogs, and it worked because I received the reply I needed to hear.
I was on the list of possible homes for Goldie !
I received a call from Goldie's trainer, Pat W. He had been working with Goldie to try to get her to stop her most annoying habit. She would constantly bark right in the face of any other dog close enough. This resulted in her being moved From octagon to octagon because she was annoying the other dogs. ( The octagons were the specially designed pack style kennels and runs that the dogs at Best Friends live in.)
I convinced Pat that I would be able to break her of that habit. After a very long conversation about various issues and what I would do to retrain Goldie, He had determined that I really did know what I was talking about and felt I could train Goldie. He gave his approval. ( yay! )
Kristi L was the adoption coordinater who called a few hours later.
They wanted to schedule a home visit.
On March 7th Mary D. was scheduled to come to my home for an interview and inspection. She lived locally and was a part of the extensive Best Friends network. We had a wonderful visit and she was completely in agreement with me that my home was the perfect place for any dog to live. I am so grateful to her for giving me a glowing review. She notified Kristi immediately and I was one step closer to meeting Goldie.
That evening I received another call from Kristi. She ask one more question.
"When can you come out here to meet us and Goldie?"
Thud ! My jaw hit the floor and my excitement went through the roof !
This was when I realized I had not told Lifeguard. He had no idea I had taken these steps to adopt her. You can't just sneak away for a few days and show up with a dog. I had to tell him. But first I had to book a flight. Yes a f l i g h t ..... yikes. I swore I would never fly again. I hated flying.
But for Goldie....I would fly.
I booked a flight . Then I called Lifeguard.
"Honey, I'm going to Utah . Will you and the dogs be ok for a few days? "
"WHAT?!" He was not happy. It was Spring. he was busy. And he was coming down with a bad cold.
Men can be babies when they get sick. And he was milkin' this one. Good thing my daughter is a nurse.And from this day forth, on this blog, she will be known as Nursie.
I called her.
"Hi sweetie, I was wondering if you could come over and help Lifeguard with the dogs so I can go to Utah to meet a dog?...... Please?"
"WHAT?!" "Mom, you're crazy! You don't need another dog." Nursie scolded.
"Please?" "The dog needs me."
"What does Lifeguard think of this?" she asked. I did not reply to that.
"Are there no dogs in Maryland who need you? Or Ohio? Why do you have to go to Utah?" She asked
she will never understand me.
"Oh nevermind." she sighed. " I'll be there. When are you leaving?"
"My flight leaves on the 12th."
Ok. Nursie and Lifeguard were not happy with this whole idea, but they agreed to keep an eye on things while I was away.
But yet another roadblock was on the horizon.
On the 11th of March Lifeguard really wasn't feeling well at all. He had a fever of 103 and it was climbing.
I know it sounds bad, but I still wanted to go to Utah to meet Goldie. And if I cancel my flight I could lose the cost of the ticket. Nursie came over as planned.
"Mom ! You can't go! 103 ! he needs to go to the hospital! Now! " Nursie was right.
Even though Lifeguard kept saying he was fine. We had to take him to the emergency room. It was a long sleepless night and I was so angry at the universe for the lack of planning. How dare he get sick when I have to go to Utah?
I really am not that self centered and I did make the tough decision to cancel my flight. But first things first. We had to take Lifeguard to the emergency room and make sure he wouldn't die. After a few hours there, he received some good meds and the news that he will not be dead in the morning. Whew. One less thing to worry about.
I contacted the airline to cancel. But I just couldn't do it. The fight was scheduled to leave in a few hours. What to do? what to do ? You just can't imagine how torn I was. I was lucky to have booked my flight on Southwest. They were so nice. I explained the whole situation, the hurricane, the dog, my sick husband, and they said if BestFriends would agree to me coming out with-in two weeks, they would reschedule my fight without a penny lost ! In fact I got a small refund because of a special fare they were offering to Vegas. Yay ! One more obstacle out of the way. I had to send my new itinerary to Kristi to prove I was not backing out of the adoption. She agreed to hold Goldie two more weeks.
Ahh...............
Now I could breathe..............
A Five Hour Flight (part 4 but included in this post so my readers don't revolt )
March 26th, 2006. The flight to LasVegas was 5 hours long.
Five..... F I V E..... Five Hours....... I hate flying. huff.
But I managed the long crowded flight West to Las Vegas. And once there I was thrilled to rent a cute little PT Cruiser for the drive to Best Friends. A 4 hour drive East to Kanab Utah.
Yes four hours. F O U R.
Was I nuts? ( don't answer that )
To travel..... N I N E.... H O U R S.... to meet a dog?
I had plenty of time to think about this as I drove.
There is so much to say about the drive. I chose the route that would take me through Zion National Park. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. But that's another story for another time.
I could hardly control myself when I finally reached my destination.
The Welcome Center at Best Friends
I introduced myself and received instructions as to where to go next.
Dog Headquarters.
I had an appointment with Kristi and Pat. I was at their mercy. It was Kristi who would make the final decision.
There were more forms to fill out and more questions to answer.
Pat gave me hints and tips about Goldie's odd behavior and what he was doing to try to change it.
Kristi gave me instructions on what to do with Goldie on my overnight Visit.. At Best Friends you must take the dog for an overnight visit to see if you are a good match before you actually adopt it. Thank goodness all the motels in Kanab have dog friendly rooms for this purpose.
Then finally the moment I was waiting for.
They brought out Goldie. She was even more beautiful than her photos. And she was so much smaller than she looked on the cover. And of course so much cleaner. You can tell she had been bathed and groomed for this meeting.
I watched her as she sniffed around the main area of Dog Headquarters, she looked happy and very healthy and very aloof. She wasn't at all interested in the people in the room.
But then she came to me and I asked her to sit.
She sat.
Then she looked at me with those eyes, those big soft brown gorgeous loving eyes.
I melted.
We just stared at each other. I know this sounds silly but the love in the room was overwhelming. Everyone was watching Goldie. I knew right then she would be coming home with me. Pat and Kristi knew it too. She asked if I needed the overnight visit. I said yes just to be sure. But I knew. Goldie was going to come home with me
And yes, I am tearing up just writing about it.
Everything else happened so fast. Dr. Mike came out to talk to me about Goldie's health and medical history. (yes I met Dr. Mike so cool )
Ethan came to talk to me about the rescue. ( yes I met Ethan....double cool )
When I met him I realized why Goldie looked so big in the photo. Ethan is not a big man. Not big in the physical sense. But he was a giant in the eyes of everyone who knew him and the team that went to rescue so many animals in New Orleans.
 |
| getting to know Goldie in the Best Western. Kanab, Utah |
The overnight visit was a success. While in the room I had made several calls to airlines to take Goldie home with me. I did NOT want to wait two more weeks for Best Friends to ship her. The plans were in place. I would drive Goldie to Vegas and ship her to Baltimore on Continental. At the time they were the best when it came to transporting dogs. My flight was on Southwest.
Goldie's one way ticket was twice the cost of my entire trip..... airfare, car rental, and room. !
The next day I had one more form to sign, an adoption fee to pay, and Goldie was mine. Troy Snow took a photo of the two of us for their next newsletter. cool.
After many hugs and happy tears I loaded Goldie into the crate in the back of the car. I promised to return to Best Friends often. I waved good bye to every one and thanked them for all they did for Goldie and me.
One more night in the motel and we were set to go home.
I had purchased an airline dog crate at Best Friends. I had to have her at Continental Shipping at LasVegas Airport by 1:00pm on March 29th. My flight wasn't till 5:00pm. That meant Goldie would reach our destination before me. Lifeguard was going to have to pick her up. As I watched the men put Goldie in her crate and tape food and water to the top for the trip, I began to cry. I was sobbing like a baby. I hate to fly and now I was putting my dog on a plane? I knew I should have rented a van and just driven her home. The man behind the counter asked me to declare a value for insurance purposes.
I had to put a price on this dog?
Just in case.
Just in case of what?
"$30,000.00" I said between tears. I just blurted out a figure.
The man's eyes opened wide. " How much!?"
I said " $30,000.00 "
He asked what her breed was that made her so valuable.
I told him she's a " Kanab Collie" she's the only one ... a rare gold nugget from Utah.
Of course I was making this up, heck she's a mixed breed. Who cares what breed she is.
He said "The limit is $5,000.00 , Ma'am, how long have you had this dog?"
I answered between tears again.
"One ...sniff. ....day.... sniff "
"Oh brother" he replied. We both laughed. he wrote $5,000.00 on the form.
Then he reassured me that she would be fine. She was sitting quietly in her crate just looking at me with those eyes.
As they wheeled her away I began to cry ...again.
Lifeguard had to be at the airport to claim Goldie. While waiting for my flight to arrive he had taken her to a grassy field so she could relieve herself. She made the trip without a hitch and was well rested when they met. He ran with her through the gassy fields near BWI airport while waiting for my flight. He really knows what a dog needs and she needed to run. I doubt that she had run very much since the horrible storm that changed her life. He had a chance to bond with her. I couldn't have planned it better.
When my flight landed I hurried to the parking lot where I knew they were waiting. They were standing outside the van and Goldie started to wag her tail as I walked to meet them.
yes ! she recognized me !
A quick kiss for hubby and a sheepish grin.
I looked at Goldie.
I asked her to sit.
She sat.
She looked at me with those eyes.
She tilted her head to one side.
Lifeguard and I hugged her.
Welcome Home Goldie
The End? Not at all... it's just the beginning. Because of my experience with BestFriends and Goldie I was inspired to do more for dogs. RuffHaven is now a Sanctuary for old dogs and dogs with special needs.
A Gold Dog's Plight
This is part two of a three part story. Part 1 can be found here.... Love at First Sight
Our vacations have always been enjoyed in the 48 continental states. If we wanted to go somewhere, we would drive. Because I hate flying and we like to take all of our dogs with us. We would load up an RV or van, dogs and all and drive. On this vacation we were in Florida. It's a 1000 mile drive for us. We drive it in one day. The average time is 18.5 hours. Two drivers four stops for rest, food and gas. If you traveled with three or four dogs you would drive it in one day too. It's just easier.
So on the way home we talked more about Goldie. Did we want to go visit Best Friends to see if she is there? We don't really have to go home right now. We could take more time off and turn left as we head out of Florida and keep going until we reach Kanab Utah and Best Friends Animal Society.
( for all you rubber stampers out there.....Kanab Utah was also the satellite home of StampinUp. They made the stamps there....... yes I would want to visit if we went to Kanab )
But after driving six hours and realizing a cross-country trip with three dogs and no plan was probably not a good idea, we stayed the course and drove home to Maryland.
We enjoyed the holidays at home and drove back to Florida in January to ride out the winter. Occasionally we would talk about Goldie and wonder what had happened to her. We also visited the shelters and PetFinders pretty regularly because it was obvious that we did have room for another dog in our life. As long as it was the right dog. We know it is not always easy introducing a new dog to a house full of dogs and every time a new dog is adopted, the dynamics of the pack changes. But we also knew that we were crazy and up for the challenge. Again.
BestFriends had changed their website and they had an awesome adoption page in place. Just for grins, and to see if she was there, I searched for Goldie.
Nothing.
She wasn't on the website.
There was no information about her at all. I couldn't even find a story about her.
But....
there was another dog.
Hobo Mississippi . I wish I had a photo to share with you.
What a cool name. And what a gorgeous dog !
"Hey Lifeguard, (aka... DH ) Look at this one. Hobo Mississippi."
"He's handsome, find out about him." was his reply.
So I contacted Best Friends about Hobo Mississippi.
A leftover Katrina rescue. hmmmm..... ok
Not good with other dogs...... oh boy.
Bites.....ugh......
Un-adoptable.........ugh again. Strike three.
At least he will have a home forever at Best Friends. That's not too shabby.
While I had the girl (do not remember her name) on the phone
I asked "Do you remember Goldie? The dog on the cov..."
The girl interrupted "Yes Yes Yes .....we had Goldie here. She was so pretty. But she had issues."
"You had Goldie?" "Does this mean she is not there now?"
"Yes, Goldie was re-united with her family. " she told me. "She was...blah blah blah...and They were blah blah blah" "blah blah blah blah blah "
I didn't hear the rest of what she said. My heart was breaking even though I knew this was exactly what should have happened. I thanked her for her time and hung up the phone. I cried.
I was happy for Goldie, she had found her home, but I was very very sad too.
So again, I decided to be happy with the three dogs that I had and stop looking for a while. Ginger Dutch and Shadie were great dogs and everyone loved them. It would probably upset the pack anyway if I brought another dog into the house. All that work with training and re organizing the pack. Too much work. It's better this way. Goldie is happy with her family. This is good.
yeah , that's what I kept telling myself.............
to be continued....just one more time...
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