Watch out for those Impulse Purchases!

We almost made a huge impulse purchase. One of the worst kind. A
puppy. A puppy is a terrible impulse purchase because they are so cute
and sweet at that 8 week mark. They snuggle in and murmur in your neck
"take me home." Unfortunately, about one sleepless week later the
Tasmanian Devil emerges and you are wondering what the heck you were
thinking. Tom found an ad (with pictures) on Craigslist for Border Aussie puppies;
just the mix we had been hoping for. It took us several months (and 4
chickens) to cope with the loss of our beloved Molly, but being the
dog people we are it wasn't long and we were again craving that
undeniable devotion that only a dog can give. But we wanted to wait
until spring. I have had puppies in the winter and puppies in the
spring and when I have the time in the summer to devote to
housebreaking and training a dog things go much better. That weekend
in particular we got sucked right into the throes of impulse-puppy mode. We
were thinking up names and Googling How to Get Ready for a Puppy videos. But since we had one roadblock keeping us from going to get her we were forced
to end the weekend puppy-free.

"Wow that was close!"

"I do not want another dog!"

"The middle of winter is a terrible time to get a
puppy!"

“Did you see the neighbor trudging through the rain walking his dog? Glad I’m not doing that!”

"I am so glad we didn't get that puppy!" I even said to a
friend in the copy room.

But we couldn't let it go. We thought, and talked, and strategized. And then, exactly one week later we drove downstate and got a puppy. She was cute and snuggly that first sleepless week and then came the Tasmanian Devil. We now find ourselves doing and saying all of the things new puppy moms and dads do and say.

“Bite the toy!” (instead of the furniture or my hand)

“Go pee outside!” (instead of in the dining room or under the Christmas tree)

We take her out at 11:00pm and 3:00am and get up with her at 5:00am. We take her for walks in the rain. We drive home at lunch to let her out and eat our lunches in the car and the next day start all over again. We watch puppy training videos on YouTube and we get puppy snuggles and puppy breath. We are exhausted and frustrated…and happy. It might be an impulse purchase, but if you’re ready for the hard work and challenges that go along with it, it’s the best kind. Welcome home Betsy.

An Old Fashioned Knitting Bee

We are an old fashioned “knitting bee.”  We meet on Thursday nights in the lobby of a church in Charlevoix. We range in age from 11ish to 60-something.  We knit (or crochet) tell stories, laugh, relax, and unwind.  A friend of mine invited me to this knitting group a year or so ago. The ladies who attend are a mismatched set of individuals with the same common goal; to make stuff. Some of us aren’t very good at it, some are absolute beginners, and some are advanced, with yarn collections that could put you in awe. Only a few attend every week without fail, but we keep in contact about who is going to try and make it with our weekly Facebook messenger thread that not only includes who is coming, but who needs thoughts, prayers, or hugs.  The dictionary definition for a bee is:

            (noun) a social gathering  for a specific purpose, as to carry out a communal task or hold competitions: a quilting bee

I am guessing that the “hold competitions” part refers to things like spelling bees. We don’t do any competing. We do begin each week with our little “show and tell” of projects we have completed. Stacey usually has the most to show. And then we show what we are working on this week. If Carrol comes, she is our resident expert in both knitting and crochet and helps those who need it. She usually brings skeins of cool yarn she has recently added to her collection. Greer is the youngest of our group and one of the regulars, who doesn’t seem to even notice that she’s the only youngster among moms and grandmas (although sometimes she does bring a friend). Not to mention that her knitting skills could put any one of us to shame.  There are many Thursday nights that I don’t make it. Most of the time I am just too doggone tired from the stress and business of my everyday life, which is exactly the reason I should go. When I do make it, I find a spot at the round table where I can get ahead on a project without distraction from the pile of dishes that need to be washed or papers that need to be corrected. I can chat with or listen to a group of ladies with whom I have at least one thing in common. I may not see them at any other time during the week, but when we get together in that lobby, around that table, with our yarn and our stories, we are friends.