Tuesdays With Tag - Just Hangin’ Out…

 

Hi, Everybody!

This week is gonna be short (no pun intended).

It’s been rainin’ the past couple of days, so that means I only go outside when I have to. I’m not the kind of guy who likes gettin’ wet unless I’m swimmin’. It also means I can hang out with my favorite person… the guy who feeds me! Dad, of course!

Mom’s not a fan of quilts on the new furniture, but where would I be without them? On the floor, of course! This way, I can leap onto the cushion next to Dad, and nuzzle up to him while he catches up on his emails. He gets the pleasure of my company, and I have a clear shot of the road. That means I can see cars comin’ down the road, so I can get a head start at barkin’ my fool head off.

Looks like we’ll have better weather for the next couple days. That means I can catch up on my favorite activities…snoozin’ on the porch, eatin’ animal crackers, and avoidin’ Claudette. She’s actually been rubbin’ up on me lately. Cheeky puss.

I’d love to hang out and visit with you, but we’re burnin’ daylight here. According’ to FaceBark (and they’re always accurate, right?) It’s “Pet Appreciation Week”. Another excuse to paaaarty! If you’ve got a pet, give ‘em a little extra cuddles today. They’ll appreciate it.

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Been There, Chewed That!"

Tuesdays With Tag - Update...

Artwork by Mary Sparrow - Herdin' Corgi

 Hi, Everybody!
I thought you might like a health update today, as I saw the vet again yesterday. 

If you've been followin' me on Mom's Facebook page, I've been havin' a few little issues that concerned Mom, so she figured she'd better get me to a professional. I'm sharin' this picture, because the vet tech decided she needed to take my temperature while I was there. Good times. Not!

After a checkup and some bloodwork analysis, the vet said he thinks I might be havin' intermittent, little seizures. Mom's supposed to journal any new occurrences, and she'll be keepin' in touch with the vet. I haven't had any more episodes since last week, so that's a good thing.

I have a kitty update for you, too...

Remember the cats that Mom took to Critter Junction in Fond du Lac? I'm talkin' about Crystal and her six babies, and Mrs. Katz...the sweetest cat in the whole, wide world, and Claudette's four kittens. Mom got a text from the lady at the shelter to let us know how they're all doin'.

Mrs. Katz was adopted by a couple yesterday who will shower her with love and affection for the rest of her life. Crystal and her babies have all gone to new homes. Two of Claudette's boys found homes already, but two of her boys are still at the shelter.

Renee said that she'll be really sad when those two boys leave. Apparently, they're really sweet, and they're "training" cats. When unsocialized kittens come in to the shelter, it's the job of the two little kittens to acclimate them to kennel life, and get them socialized. It's important work.

Mom and I were really happy to hear all about all our cats and kittens. She hasn't said anythin' about them lately, but I could tell they were all weighin' heavy on her mind. She's so happy to know that all those beautiful cats and kittens have found their forever homes. We're glad they're happy and loved. They deserve it. We can sleep better at night now.

 I'll see you again in seven. 'til then..."Corgi On, Corgi Strong!"

Tuesdays With Tag - We Are Family...

Brynwood Needleworks - Taggart, June 2021

 Hi, Everybody!

I'm comin' to you today from my favorite throne perch here at the farmhouse. You may have noticed that Mom changed up her blog header this past week. I've been tellin' her that people are gonna think she's livin' under a rock if she doesn't know it's not winter anymore. She finally changed it up. 

Thing is...she told me I have to make a concession in the new header. I have to share credits, so I'm not gettin' top billin' anymore. I admit I was a little hacked at first.

Brynwood Needleworks - We Are Family

Then we went out into the yard. I'm really good at photo shoots, but honestly, those girls! One would sit up, the other one would lie down. Then, they'd both sit up, and The Kid would run off after a butterfly. Mom asked Dad to help with the control issues to help keep our session under an hour. I can't even tell you how many pictures she had to take to get this good one. 

Boo and I are rockin' it, but what can I say about that other one. Mom said I should learn to be patient. I was a puppy once, too. We have to remember Carly's only a year old...and she is fun. I mean, who else is my wing man girl when I want to run around and act a fool? (and I am happy to act a fool at a moment's notice!)

So, in the end, I think it's safe to say, "Who needs top billin'?". I'm happy all three of us are together in our blog photo. After all, what matters most is that We Are Family.

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then..."Corgi On, Corgi Strong!"

American Gatherings...

Brynwood Needleworks - Primitive Gatherings "American Gatherings" Fabrics and Book

My dear, sweet Handsome drove me to Menasha yesterday morning to pick up my Wool Box at Primitive Gatherings. (My right knee is giving me enough grief that I didn't think it would be a good idea to stress it by driving myself.) Of course, Tag, Bella and Carly rode along.

I needed a few other things while I was there, so I set aside the wool colors I needed, and then grabbed a copy of Lisa's latest quilt pattern book, American Gatherings. Of course, I knew I'd need some of the fabric line, too, so I figured a couple of charm packs, a jelly roll, and a couple yards of fabric would be plenty to make a nice, patriotic lap quilt. Something that would hang nicely over the rail this summer, or be just the right size for a nap on the porch.

I needed a yard of natural colored wool, but there wasn't any in the shop, so I prepaid and Debbie (who works at the shop) promised to ship it. I decided to wait until we got home to open my Wool Box, so I could really savor the contents, so we drove home and I brought my "haul" into the house. 

When we arrived back home, I got out of the truck, I came around through the garage and saw Claudette waiting for me on the driveway. She was giving me that "Where have you been?" look. I knew what would be tumbling out of the truck into the yard behind me, so I quickly tried to shoo her toward the barn. I wasn't quick enough. She meowed, and I saw her fur rise and her eyes get big.

I turned around and the girls had seen her. The chase was on. She turned for the nearest hideout, and ran to the kitchen garden to jump into the hollyhocks (which are a veritable jungle). The dogs ran in behind her, and she came flying out the other side (fur all bushed out), and tore for the barn. By then, Tag had joined the pursuit and they were close behind her. 

She managed to make it to the barn doors and flew through the opening, leaving the dogs panting...proud of their chasing skills, and it took Handsome and me more than a few minutes to get them off her scent, and coming back to the house. After leaving their piddles behind (a gesture of "There! Take that, strange fur beast!"), we all went into the house. 

 

I went back out about fifteen minutes later to find Claudette in the loft of the barn. They wouldn't be able to get her up there. I called her down and she let me hold her for a bit. I had a little conversation with her about the wisdom and staying in the barn when she heard a vehicle. Or not. Now that she's fully aware of how fast our dogs are, perhaps she'll know to continue to stay just out of reach.

I took my purchases up to the studio and brought the Wool Box back downstairs so I could take my time going through it - only to find it was the same Wool Box I got last month! How could this be? I called and Debbie answered the shop phone. I told her she'd given me Box 14, and I though we were due for Box 15. Was I wrong?

She asked me to hold, went to the stacks of boxes behind the counter, and came back to tell me they'd stacked 14s on top of 15s. She was so apologetic, and then told me that the natural wool had been brought over from the warehouse, so she'd send my wool and Box 15 to me yet today, and I could bring Box 14 back next time I was going up there. (I told her I'd take it back next week.) So, I have my new fabrics to play with, but I'll have to wait for my Wool Box.

That's okay. Perhaps I'll be giving Claudette lessons in staying out of the hollyhocks, and heading to the wood shed when she feels the need to stretch her legs. Honestly, my heart can't take the stress of the chase. Now that she's back, I just want to keep her safe from all the predators, apparently, including at least two fast Labradors!

I'll be working on "Everlasting" this weekend. We'll see how far along I can get with it. I'll share updates next week. 

 

I hope you have a restful, reflective Memorial Weekend. I'm grateful to all who sacrificed for our freedom, and those who are currently serving. God Bless them, and God Bless America.

 

The Guardians of (My) Galaxy...

Brynwood Needleworks - My Favorite Caretaker, And His Sidekick

Sorry this is up late (for me). Surgery was a bit more complicated than originally contemplated. I got home a bit later, took my medicines, and went to bed. Except for a cup of soup for dinner and more meds, I slept the entire day and night.

Actually, I'm only up long enough to let you know I made it safely home, and I'm alive. lol I'm having a light breakfast, and then back to bed for now.

Brynwood Needleworks - He Won't Leave My Side

 

I've got a new Emily Kimmelman "Sydney Rye Mystery - Book 13" to read, so that's my plan for when I'm awake. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully much brighter-eyed and bushy-tailed.

 

A Facebook Giveaway...

I'm having a little giveaway on my Brynwood Needleworks Facebook page to

celebrate reaching one hundred followers there. The page is a public group, but

you need to request "membership", which (of course) I accept when I see it.

I recently won the Almondina™ Biscuits assortment giveaway, and as I'm the 

 one who eats them here, I'm happy to share some of my good fortune with you.

I made a mug mat in my favorite pumpkin fabric for this October gift. There's
even a little pocket in the green dot fabric for tucking in a little treat or a note.

  Lastly, I'm adding one of Tag's caricature pins. It's detachable, so you can even wear it if you'd like. (I know Tag would love it!) I think it's just a little fun touch.   The Brynwood group allows for all the members to share what they're working  on, and I share creative things that I find related to sewing, quilting, knitting, and everything else that's beautiful, creative and inspirational...not just my work.
If you're on Facebook and haven't joined Brynwood's group, you can still get  in on the giveaway. Just click HERE and ask to join the group. Then, leave a comment on the giveaway post (there) and I'll choose a winner on Sunday.

Relaxing On Labor Day...

"Gwendolyn" by pinkgloves2 on Etsy

First, I'm sharing this image because I love it. It makes me happy and reminds me

of the holsteins that used to graze in the fields next to our marsh (and sometimes

hide in our woods or visit our front stoop when they broke through their fences).

I may have to order it to hang somewhere in our home. I'm that enamored of it.

It also reminds me of our Labor Day Weekend parties. Before we moved south,

we hosted up to 250 friends and family members at our parties. Everyone brought

a small dish to pass, some brought rolls and/or soft drinks, and we supplied the

grilled meat (pork roasts and brats from our farmer friend up the road). Our sons

and their friends camped in our high ground woods...and there was always music!

One year there was karaoke, another time a jazz ensemble (Handsome on drums),

our younger son and his band played, and one year we even had a barbershop quartet!

There were volleyball games in one part of the yard, horseshoes in another area and

bocce ball or jarts on the hillside. Each year, the celebration got bigger and bigger.

I took photos each year and put them all into their own photo album. We have 

fifteen of those albums, beginning with the smallest gathering of about 15 people.

So many fond memories of summers past. We continue to make memories, but 

these will always remind of of special times with great people in Wisconsin.

 This year, there are no big gatherings, but the days are lovely just the same. I'm blessed to have these days with my Handsome husband, local friends and Tag.    I've been in the studio a bit this weekend, but have yet to complete any project,  with the exception of replacing a broken zipper in a skirt. I have also done a little work on the guild raffle quilt for 2016. (Didn't I say I would take a rest from guild  quilts for a while? I'm not quite sure how this happened. More on that another day.)   The rest of my time has been spent with Handsome and Tag, and I'm going to 

continue that program for the rest of the day today. Nothing better I'd like to do.

I'm sure many of you will be back to work tomorrow, so enjoy your extra 

day off today. Have good fun and, if you're traveling, please stay safe.

Tag will be back with his post tomorrow...September 1st (already)!

 

Wishing you a Happy and Restful Labor Day!

Cuddling Over Sewing Any Day...

I certainly never expected this to happen! Every year when I come to Wisconsin, I take a little drive over to Beaver Dam to check out what's new at Nancy's Notions. I saw this and it was love at first sight. 

This is Babylock's Crescendo quilting/sewing machine. What caught my eye was the wide open throat space to the right of the needle. With 11-1/4", there's a lot of room to do my own quilting after the quilt tops have been pieced. 

This are the other features that made the Crescendo so appealing:   1) A Digital Dual-Feed Walking Foot System  In addition to mounting like the other walking feet, this one also has  a USB cable that attaches to the machine for precise fabric feeding.   2) A Laser Guide Beam for Sewing The stylus connects to the computer for the sewing machine. It tells the machine exactly where I want the needle and stitches positioned. The pen designates stitch width, placement and stopping points on the fabric!   3) A Laser Guide Beam for Sewing No need for vinyl guides or other tools attached to the machine.  I can just follow the light beam to guide my stitches. I went back to The Cloud and read through all the literature. (The Aria is  the same machine without the Laser, Sensor Pen and large sewing table  attachment, so I had some feature-for-feature/price comparing to do.)    I returned to the campground to think about it. I talked with Handsome  and decided to go back to get the Crescendo this week. (She's going to need a new name, too. Anyone have any ideas they'd like to share?)
  I love Miss Prissy (My Espire), but it's time for her to move to a new home.  She's a hard worker and reliable, so I know she'll find a good home where  she'll be appreciated and used more. (If anyone is interested in pricing and more information, just send me an email through the link in my left sidebar.)   Otherwise, when we get home, I'll list up Miss Prissy and Evvie (my Evolve  serger) for sale. I only really use Evvie at Christmastime when I'm making  Grammies Jammies, and with all the specialty feet that come with her, I know   she could be used exclusively for sewing and quilting! (I actually know  someone who only sews with a serger!) It's a shame for her to sit around  most of the year when she could be serving someone else more often. Miss Ellie will be staying here at Brynwood. She'll continue to sew and  embroider for me and the Crescendo will be busy helping me make new quilts.

I decided to get acquainted with my new machine by making a new project. These panels are the front and back of a great wooly sheep tool bag.

I finished the front and back yesterday, but I took break and will assemble the pieces into a new tote bag today.

"Hey, Mom. Did you see that fuzzy thing lickin' on me?"

 I happily set my project aside to visit with this sweet, little guy again yesterday.

Tag was quite taken with him. He's never seen a tiny baby before,  but I can tell you, he loved this one. He was very curious and gentle.   Mommy and baby came to the campground and we talked and cuddled away  the rest of the day. I can't believe how much he's grown just since I saw him  at the baptism! It was great spending just a little more time together before  we get ready to go back to Florida. Our departure is just around the corner.  

All in all, another wonderful day creating new memories in Wisconsin.

Tuesdays With Tag - Getting Along With Kes...

Kes asked me today if I was actually going to start writing about her newest little affliction.  I had to explain to her that Tag's fans are anxiously awaiting news of just how he's fitting in here at Brynwood.

She just sighed and said, "Fine. When are you going to write about this old dog? Tag. Tag. Tag. All I ever hear is Tag!"

I told her I'd include her in my first official Tuesdays With Tag post. That seemed to settle her down a bit. It's really difficult nearly impossible to take Tag for a walk that Kes doesn't want to hobble along. Seems she's more jealous than protective, but she tolerates him as long as he isn't trying to bite her face or feet. She hates that!
We took him for his first visit to the vet last week and I'm proud (and relieved) to announce that he's received a clean bill of health. The vet says he's perfect...having all the essential elements in all the right places. You know how happy we were to hear that good news! He also has spots on his tummy that our granddaughters refer to as "polka dots"...and our grandson says that Tag reminds him of a little bunny when he's lying down. Our own little "bunny butt with the polka dot tummy"! I like that.

Tag officially weighs 15 pounds, and as you can tell from the age ticker that I've installed on my right sidebar, he's now three months, three weeks and two days old. Pretty soon he'll be growing into those ears of his!

He's doing a fine job of becoming a good corgi citizen. We're working on sit, stay and "don't jump" right now. All the little girls love him unless he jumps up on them. It's just not the polite thing to do. I've been telling him about the adventures he's going to have once we start herding tests, so it's very important he learns the obedience basics first. He's not convinced yet, but we'll keep working on it anyway.

He also learned a new trick last night and jumps through my arms when I hold them in a circle. He did it about ten times before he lost interest. Once I know it's not a fluke, I'll ask Handsome to do a little video that I can share with you.

Well, Kes just came to inform me that I've written quite enough too much about "that darn corgi" for this week. I'll make sure she's napping next week when I write his post. We don't want the Labrador getting her nose out of joint, after all.

  

Wet Pants...

Not mine, silly. Tag's! Yesterday we walked along a safe beach for our first foray into the water. You might have thought the little guy was a duck rather than a corgi!

What I learned is that my bold little guy loves mid-day walks in the surf and sand...

and taking a dip "au naturel". He loved his first swim and would have probably gone out further if Mom hadn't decided that keeping him on a short lead was in order.

Before we knew it, he was back on dry land - with wet corgi pants. Next time, we'll let him swim without the lead. I tickled to think I have another swimming corgi. I can see a pool party video be in Tag's future!

The Search For A Finished Project...

It wasn't easy finding a finished project. I had to enlist the talents of an intrepid corgi, and even then, it took a while. You see, it happened like this...

The dashing young corgi cut quite a line as I approached him in his element. I inquired as to the cost of his services and he looked casually over this shoulder to inform me that he "worked for kibble". We quickly agreed to his terms, and shook on it. In no time, he was on the job and employing the services of his trusted mentor, the well-known Retriever, Miss Kessler. 

Of course, Miss K wanted to start by canvassing the yard. She always finds what she's looking for there, but something was bothering the corgi. You see, he'd been in the yard for a while and hadn't seen anything that looked like one of my finished projects.

Nevertheless, how could he possibly inform his mentor that she was on a cold trail? He decided to take a new approach after the yard yielded no results (or rabbits to chase).

In his best corgi stealth mode, he ambled into the side yard to see if he could glean information from any of the talkative humans. They never even knew he was there - his parabolic ears capturing every word...every nuance. Still, there was no lead.

Finally, he relied on his instincts and figured that the object of his search must be misplaced. He turned his attention indoors. Eureka! There, tossed carelessly on a mattress was the most recent completed quilt, looking finished but forgotten.

He rushed to me to tell me he'd located the piece and that I should take a picture immediately. Having found it after dark, the image was less than stellar. I promised him that I would take a much better photograph of the aqua quilt tomorrow to share with all of you.

Tag would love to say goodbye for now, but he's very busy enjoying his payment for a job well-done. After he's finished counting his kibble (and teasing Miss Kessler for being of no assistance whatsoever) he'll be off to take a well-deserved nap.

I guess this is the official end of Silent Fridays. Thank you all for being so supportive as I worked my way through a difficult time. Happy Days are here again. 

Stop And Smell The Roses...

Tag has been busy learning about being a good and faithful corgi. He borrowed a corgi book to look at the pictures. He's only three months old and hasn't learned to read yet.

I want to tell you how I chose his name. Many of the names in the past came from favorite books or movies. One of my favorite books is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.  One of the main characters is Dagny Taggart who owned Taggart Transcontinental Railway.

After going through my list: Brody, Bromm, Frodo, Bilbo, Merlin, Chase, Dodger and many others, I decided that Taggart, aka Tag would be a perfect name for our new little guy. 

We stayed with our dear friends, Doug and Marion during our trip. They are now Tag's first Aunt and Uncle. They were so sweet with him and know first-hand the joy of sharing their life with a corgi. Their beautiful Ben has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but will always be in their hearts, too. They were gracious hosts and we all had a grand time together.

One of the things I want Tag to know is that it's always important to stop and smell the roses. (Or in this case, hydrangeas.) I think that's something we should all remember.