It's all about the dogs!

I have no idea why my e-mail sometimes doesn't want to sync, so it will download new e-mails containing the pictures for today's blog! Sigh................

Again -- thanks for the comments. Someone commented that extroverts are done with Zoom and want to be in person. Do not get me wrong -- I would die without personal contact with people; as a matter of fact, I was in an all-day class yesterday in an actual store! I learned a lot. I just don't want to do my weekly sewing in person. It's too much work and time and gas. 

And I just spent 10 days with people in the last two weeks. I'm an extrovert and LOVE to talk. We've been going to a restaurant once a week forever, and even during the pandemic -- we went when no one else was going! 

While I like in-person classes, I LOVE the Zoom format for some of them. With the presentations and close-up pictures of my one-hour lectures, the students get a lot more from Zoom than they ever would in person! 

And I would miss out on visiting people we've met over Zoom, people from Australia and Germany who pop into the Virtual Retreats. That would NEVER happen in person, and then there are the people who live in more remote locations who would NEVER have the opportunity to meet weekly to sew with people. The Zoom provides them that opportunity and keeps them sane!

So I'm NOT saying Zoom is the only way to go -- I'm picking what works best for me, and that's a combination! Thankfully, there are options for all of us! 

AHA --- I managed to get the e-mails. I like Outlook, but lately, it's become temperamental. But that's nothing new for me and technology!

I don't have much time as I'm on my way to spin class, so I'll share a bit about Murphy with you. Let's say she is quite the dog and super brilliant! Or incredibly lucky! I'll pick brilliant over lucky. 

One of her favorite things in the world is to play ball. I've been trying to get back out to weeding the gardens in the backyard. I was doing pretty well, then I went away and wasn't feeling up to finishing when I got back. 

Then earlier this week, I was in the back with the carpenter and the owner of the landscape company, and he said that he found it very therapeutic to pick weeds, which was a gentle way of saying - you should weed this beautiful space. I KNOW!! I explained why some of the areas were a bit out of control. Our gardener guy was ill earlier this year, so it had never been completely done this year. He is coming today, so I thought I'd get one more therapy session with weeding. 

It didn't take long before this happened. I like to sit on my little wheeled cart and pick the weeds, and the next thing I knew, Murphy had dropped her ball right by my foot, so I couldn't miss it. She started by dropping it behind me a couple of feet, and I told her that wasn't good enough!

Let's PLAY BALL

So with my gloved hand, I wing the ball behind me into the bushes. I try to throw it, so it gets caught in the trees (inside our yard, of course). Otherwise, she has that ball in her mouth before I can turn around to continue weeding. 

And there was only once where I heard a BARK, instead of a squeak, and that can only mean one thing. The ball is in the pond. Yep -- there's the ball, and she is sitting pretty on the rocks waiting for me to fetch the ball from the pond. 

Mom -- a little help here!

Other times, she would come back to me and plop down in the loose dirt (of course -- the messier the spot, the better for her) and drop the ball between her paws. This means she needs a wee break. 

Mom -- give me a minute!

Or, in some instances, if she lies RIGHT on the hostas, maybe I'll be more inclined to get her moving faster. 

Mom -- these plants are cooling my tummy!

Not only does she drop the ball at my feet, but if I ignore her, she'll put it right in the bucket of weeds, so it's pretty hard not to see the ball. I told you -- this is NOT luck. This is a super-intelligent being who knows how to seek attention!

The ball is right where I can't miss it

And then she plunked herself down with the leave of the lily over her nose. 

Mom -- look at me! 

And where is Lexi during all this? Oh, gosh, she would NEVER be outside playing ball, and that is for juveniles and idiots. The princess was safely in the house, sleeping. 

I do think that Lexi would play more with us, but she has been bullied by Murphy and says, "why bother?"  I feel bad about that, but she is happy, and that's all that counts. 

WAIT -- this is what happened to Lexi yesterday. We are out walking in the forest, and suddenly she goes off on her extend-a-leash. I turned to find her trying to confront this. 

Lexi's new friend - NOT!

NO -- that is NOT a black and white cat! It's a skunk. Thankfully, the leash didn't go that far, and we got home unscathed!

Every picture I take in the forest has a green tinge to it because of all the leaves. But I stopped at one point to pluck the dog! And this is what we left behind. The sad thing is that you can't tell where I removed all this fur from her; it just doesn't stop! 

After plucking the husky!

They are making progress on the front step. Slow progress, but that step will be so perfectly level and solid that nothing short of an earthquake will move it!

When I moved my car out of the garage yesterday, this is its condition. 

A little bit dusty?

It looks like an abandoned car for sure! I left it in the drive and was going to move it when I finished walking the dogs, only to find that one of the workers had wiped the dust off the car. Or most of it! Yikes!!! Those landscapers must think we are pretty messy people! They also cleaned the garage floor. 

Well, that's it for me. I'm off to spin class, and then I have a few days with nothing to do. Oh, you know what I mean -- NO appointments, other than a couple of people coming to pick up quilts, but for the next five days, I have nothing planned. WAIT -- that's a lie -- I have a one-hour Zoom tomorrow for which I still have to do my homework. 

Here's another good thing about Zoom  -- the FIVE people in that group do not live anywhere near each other. We have a like-minded interest and would NOT be able to share or do this session in person, but we can over Zoom. I'll share what I'm making after tomorrow. Just like I keep saying, I'll share all the other stuff. 

So will I give up Zoom? Nope! Will I give up in person? Nope! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!