The Closet (The Coat)

I had though that the season change was off to an auspicious start when I was able to repair a purse for under $0.50. Surely this was a sign of good things to come! Not.

A quick perusal of other Winter gear showed a coat with definite cold spots. OK, it is at least 12 or 13 years old. Surely I could at least think about possibly finding a new one? Maybe one with a hood?

Thinking is about as far as you can go these days about new things. With all of the talk I hear about the flourishing economy and American-made pride, I thought I would be overwhelmed with great choices. Choices yes, but certainly not great ones.

Anyone who lives up north knows the value of a warm coat. Sadly now I do too. It is approximately a mortgage payment. I had always been lucky enough to find something at an outlet store, but there don’t seem to be any around here anymore.

A check online showed that not only are coats super expensive, but for some reason every manufacturer has decided that current coats must a) be very form-fitting and b) have a zippered turtleneck. Models demonstrate the coats’ attributes while wearing stilettos and nothing else. Really? Are we supposed to be wearing our down coats over cocktail dresses? What happened to dressing in layers? How are you supposed to fit a wool sweater under one of those? I find this level of stupidity very frustrating.

And then there’s zippered turtlenecks. That is all you can find. I loathe zippered turtlenecks. They catch on your hair. They catch on your earrings. They constantly poke you in the face. Seriously? No one could think to buck the trend and place a zipper to the collar bone then a snap-closed insulated collar? Even if I could afford a coat I would either have to hate it as-is or commit surgery and void its warranty.

So, my unfortunate puppies are closet orphans for another week as I try to once again fix what I have. Toby enjoys going through my fabric bin with me and pulling out different insulators trying to find something to help. If I can’t find anything, maybe I’ll just stuff him in there. After all, my boys are always bragging about how warm their fur is.

Cairn terrier pup standing in snow.

My fur is warm. N’yah, n’yah, n’yah!

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The Closet (The Handbag)

Cold weather brings about many rituals in the North, including switching from Summer to Winter wardrobes. It is a time to reevaluate which items will be traveling with you into the next season and which will have to be tossed or donated.

This most recent change showed me that my beloved “Cream Puff” purse had succumbed to age. (Cream Puff was the label it came with, and it truly lived up to its name with its soft, sweet, poofy nature.) The top had finally cracked exposing the padding beneath.

Cracked top of beloved Cream Puff purse.

I checked several places for a possible replacement, but the quality of what I was finding was just so disappointing. I decided that I would rather keep what I had, so I looked for ways of making it better. The lady at the shoe and luggage repair store told me there was nothing to be done, and that gave me the permission I needed to experiment with my own solutions.

Small black Cream Puff purse with new black flap.

By some miracle, I found an upholstery fabric that was the exact color and texture of the purse I needed to fix. After all these years the original fabric was too delicate to take apart and reconstruct it, so I did a fudge-repair. I covered the old with the new and did the stitching by hand. I am grateful to still have my faithful buddy with me even though we don’t get to go out as often as we used to.

Toby thinks I am crazy for putting all of this work into a purse, but Geordie told him, ‘You are too young to realize but….those things hold biscuits!!!”

Two Cairn terriers sitting in the grass.

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Bitey Dog and Toby in POOPITER

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What I Did Today (No Good Deed)

I voted

Like millions of Americans, I went to the polls and voted. At the sign in table was a pile of little “I Voted” stickers. I asked if I could have one, then happily brought it home after my task was complete….happily until I watched the news, that is. On the plus side, voter turn out is higher for a midterm election than possibly any year before. On the minus side, the news had to do a story about municipalities refusing to offer stickers because of the tremendous cost to the budget.

Thanks for sucking the fun out of my sticker.

(In case you were wondering, Bitey and Toby did go along with me to the polls. They weren’t the only dogs to show up either. Did they vote Repawblican or Dogmacrat? They didn’t tell. Dogs are good at keeping their secrets.)

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Shadow Games

When I started Bitey Dog, it was really just a way for me to capture special memories of my boy. This post is one of those.

Carn terrier puppy hiding under a chair.

I played just like when I was a puppy!

Geordie has always loved chasing flashlight beams. He will run himself to the point of exhaustion barking at full volume while chasing the light all over the house. In bad weather, it was a nice cheating way to exercise my boy.

For some reason, Toby does not see the light as something to be chased…but Geordie is. Toby knows that if Geordie goes on a run-and-bark tare, he will be yelled at. Toby can’t stand raised voices or angry family, so he does his best to keep Geordie in check. As Geordie sprints by, Toby will reach over and chomp him on the butt.

When Toby’s tennis ball rolled under the furniture and I needed the flashlight to find it, Geordie insisted on a game. In spite of being sick, I had him running, barking and jumping all over the place just like when he was a puppy. Toby got in just as much exercise chasing Geordie and trying to bite him.

It was just a little game, but it was so nice to see that my Geordie still has the energy to run and play. It helps me to remember that he will always be that crazy ball of fluff both in this world and the next.

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To share some of Bitey and Toby’s other adventures, pick up a copy of Poopiter.

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Not Cool, Mom!

Sketch of Cairn terrier dog.

Seriously, you chose this picture?!?

When Geordie saw the picture of Toby I posted on the blog, he insisted that I put a picture of him up next. For some reason he is unhappy about this one.

This is a draft of one of the pictures in his (and Toby’s. Don’t tell him Toby is in the book too) next book. Although I have been working on it for a year, it feels like I am never going to get done.

This book is filled with so many memories for me. It has also been a great opportunity for me to learn more about working with digital media. At the rate I am going, though, I will die of oldness long before I ever get done.

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To read some of Bitey and Toby’s already finished adventures, pick up a copy of Poopiter.

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Halloween Memories

001 - Copy (2) - Copy We all know who did it. The guy in the middle.

004 - Copy

Bwaah! Too much partying last night!

003 - Copy

“Awwoo! I hate spiders!” (“And I’m none too fond of wolves.”)

003 - Copy (3)

I don’t know why no one comes to visit.

003 - Copy (4)

Come a little closer, dearies….

Back when it was just Geordie and me, we used to carve pumpkins together.

Geordie and the Pumpkin 1

He would climb inside the pumpkins as I would try to work and try to eat them from the inside out. Since Toby has come along, things have been too chaotic to try any holiday decorating. I feel bad that my little guy hasn’t had a chance to climb inside his own pumpkin.

If only he were Peter, Peter Pumpkin-Eater’s dog….

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Good News on the Headcount

We got word last week that our church attendance is good enough for the diocese to keep out parish open. Yeah! Of course the higher ups complained that we don’t give enough money. (We could give infinity and it would not be enough.)

Peek-a-boo!

Hey, does this mean we can keep peeing on the statues?

We have sort of consolidated into a smaller group of people which makes things more personal. It also makes you feel obligated to get involved and help out. I’ve been doing a little of that lately. Despite how recent posts might make it sound, I am not much of a church person, but I do like helping out. I would help any church that needed something I could provide.

This month we are collecting for the Cradle of Love to provide support for women who have decided to keep their babies. Although I don’t have much, I went to the store to stock up on baby supplies to bring this weekend. Maybe I will be able to help a child have an easier start in his or her life.

In the meantime, my boys and I will enjoy meeting our friends on the grounds and patrolling for bear and coyotes. We are really happy that we get to continue using the outside of the church for our special time.

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The Adventures of Bitey Dog

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