tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7507838523792958812024-02-19T10:37:31.979-06:00Captain Laura's Crafts 'n' DogsCaptain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-13973016276593846622012-08-23T14:03:00.001-05:002012-08-23T14:03:53.331-05:00Still HereSo, I'm alive. I've been working on some new projects lately that I'd like to highlight here, so I'm resurrecting the ol' blog here.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-43825156206096817732010-07-10T18:07:00.008-05:002010-07-10T18:29:34.605-05:00Blogging the Cake BallsEver since m friend Erin's birthday last weekend, I've been totally obsessed with sweets. We had some amazing petit fours from Clayton bakery at the winery. Later on that weekend I bought two cupcakes at the grocery store, and as soon as I finished those I wanted more. I've been wanting to try<a href="http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/"> Bakerella's Cake Balls</a> recipe for some time now, and an upcoming 30th birthday party gave me just the excuse I needed.<br /><br />My Friday evening got going with this Facebook status update:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyc4G6sAt-gdzZiIS0RAkDfMX_8bSu4sc0ElXUoZneLtJmrfZRys7cdcHrvUpEQczmQe3rjQB9rguxnM1zyxMK0JXwAEDlmJde6Ax_0SlucqtUlIZt9NR48141Hg4dipnWYeNLYJKrG0/s1600/Facebook.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyc4G6sAt-gdzZiIS0RAkDfMX_8bSu4sc0ElXUoZneLtJmrfZRys7cdcHrvUpEQczmQe3rjQB9rguxnM1zyxMK0JXwAEDlmJde6Ax_0SlucqtUlIZt9NR48141Hg4dipnWYeNLYJKrG0/s320/Facebook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492419296698677794" border="0" /></a>I followed the recipe exactly and refrigerated the balls overnight. I got up this morning ready to dip 'em in chocolate.<br /><br />Now, the recipe suggests microwaving the chocolate 1-2 squares at a time, dipping a few, melting down a couple more squares, and so on. I did a bunch this way, and I got really tired of having to pull the chocolate bowl in and out of the microwave. Plus, I was having a hard time maintaining a good consistency with the stuff, and I ended up with a couple of kinda hairy-looking balls.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRTPyXgR-1VHkQuJ9LnQKORIGM0HcqviN4GJ9BbAqk5LCZdCW-Ry1VfdB0jo_QlmSsB-yXngaf_PMOCHI6hkoC32_xBAOBjRlBrFLikeFlLoROZ1bCHow3LYqs2gKtxVtm_M6JbCb18Q/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRTPyXgR-1VHkQuJ9LnQKORIGM0HcqviN4GJ9BbAqk5LCZdCW-Ry1VfdB0jo_QlmSsB-yXngaf_PMOCHI6hkoC32_xBAOBjRlBrFLikeFlLoROZ1bCHow3LYqs2gKtxVtm_M6JbCb18Q/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492420724537097778" border="0" /></a><br />I decided to get tough and pull out the double boiler. Now let me stop for a second and explain why I even own one of these things. I definitely have never needed one in the past, and I didn't exactly purchase it with baking in mind. It's this ancient enamelware thing I picked up at an estate sale for a quarter, and I only really bought it because I like the color.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVgIC0G8CrLeUveedl5_ak9eRHwZOOJea6XhdjaUNeeMrUDYYMziWI38xMGRNoY25GaLhK05KVnjOxFHQhs3J5XmF_yEZGgRrP3jbQwCQMT4N4Ugxv5VQfvzr9tNgBJaT_FAQjWStank/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVgIC0G8CrLeUveedl5_ak9eRHwZOOJea6XhdjaUNeeMrUDYYMziWI38xMGRNoY25GaLhK05KVnjOxFHQhs3J5XmF_yEZGgRrP3jbQwCQMT4N4Ugxv5VQfvzr9tNgBJaT_FAQjWStank/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492421366971943986" border="0" /></a><br />So. I put the water in the bottom half, threw the chocolate squares in the top, and turned on the gas. I am fairly successful at steaming veggies and I figured this wouldn't be too different.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-usEu8_XI_3dchiCXqyqdVkWZUNE3f9Y5h9F8YVNMoSupPUigLOHz66jlTUbmsVYx3nAANPBVRC0wKKnUxMT9OfqSglS4PhRfSalx87otBXnj4z-zsdrBYQKnQ5Fu3dD3UDrb0Gywfr0/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-usEu8_XI_3dchiCXqyqdVkWZUNE3f9Y5h9F8YVNMoSupPUigLOHz66jlTUbmsVYx3nAANPBVRC0wKKnUxMT9OfqSglS4PhRfSalx87otBXnj4z-zsdrBYQKnQ5Fu3dD3UDrb0Gywfr0/s320/DSC_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492422256664898530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then the stove caught on fire a little.<br /><br />I *think* that the water boiled over the top of the pot. I'm not sure what else exactly happened, but when I took the thing off the stove the water inside was pink. Unsure why.<br /><br />At any rate, I managed to melt the rest of the chocolate and dip the balls. I'm not a pro at maintaining a smoothly melted pot of chocolate, but that just means I have more practice opportunities ahead of me. And the cake balls? Amazing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-EuicUl1xBYZ2Xgo7djBQ8ztg2BM9_UY5E6P56wFMt0_g-g0pNKRE7UGhBNAPFEe6Gb2K4CTJLDTLGgEWSODgzyJoGgrEyGn9YTsLdqJqxFrTaVQR14UnEVjcsaZJkmsCwpNcR2YGg0/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-EuicUl1xBYZ2Xgo7djBQ8ztg2BM9_UY5E6P56wFMt0_g-g0pNKRE7UGhBNAPFEe6Gb2K4CTJLDTLGgEWSODgzyJoGgrEyGn9YTsLdqJqxFrTaVQR14UnEVjcsaZJkmsCwpNcR2YGg0/s320/DSC_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492423102739415746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDepQp1ndBdlsKyoFYyPde70OBDFIzY6FkP_tAyiy4fhBFkrVj9pYGFa3RCWmEQ3sQIN3ok0Zf6fprECguGB3tzFCOvv5-qR8D5RJqLkm7ZhJnQ4WEf5GPgWCP6y4ZfUx39lZrIGyl_vc/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDepQp1ndBdlsKyoFYyPde70OBDFIzY6FkP_tAyiy4fhBFkrVj9pYGFa3RCWmEQ3sQIN3ok0Zf6fprECguGB3tzFCOvv5-qR8D5RJqLkm7ZhJnQ4WEf5GPgWCP6y4ZfUx39lZrIGyl_vc/s320/DSC_0009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492422920542237154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUttnoYhJ2ggLyW3jmUELDL2f_gthb3-LrBPM3BweJ4Kuh_F3Z_9Cw4neVIdtW-eRTcJWqtaloS5vglCuNKX71sX-EWAA0Gkl71SBqTArA3KmkYSwluKfqlH8IuVxAnvZJOIu4f7YPy0s/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUttnoYhJ2ggLyW3jmUELDL2f_gthb3-LrBPM3BweJ4Kuh_F3Z_9Cw4neVIdtW-eRTcJWqtaloS5vglCuNKX71sX-EWAA0Gkl71SBqTArA3KmkYSwluKfqlH8IuVxAnvZJOIu4f7YPy0s/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492423348908485762" border="0" /></a>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-52205671559338123892009-02-26T18:22:00.001-06:002009-02-26T18:24:58.255-06:00Chairs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3zv-Miu9wGYvFwPvpmJdVMYmUWH4K-NncCF9Yaxf3iGqh9PUrGJ4qw_JPQHp5Gl8p_OwzYvijgDptgtvdM0Dctp83Xd6vHSAmZLcvtuJaV-x0FycE3VwoxM78aJv_vQcXK8JHNEeGQ8/s1600-h/cheap.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307266218913859730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3zv-Miu9wGYvFwPvpmJdVMYmUWH4K-NncCF9Yaxf3iGqh9PUrGJ4qw_JPQHp5Gl8p_OwzYvijgDptgtvdM0Dctp83Xd6vHSAmZLcvtuJaV-x0FycE3VwoxM78aJv_vQcXK8JHNEeGQ8/s400/cheap.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYpO5XbwhAHXk6X-6uZYuVtt_ZrGJC69Y0cMCsXy5lKppc_r0dt9CwG38QUSj-mVnQuv8qq3F-w6vD9nMCUu2MejusCcT2pbWoAqXtR2DrYirWsNILLX8azwvp_kj8C9-gNauN8KyH3Q/s1600-h/fiberglass.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307266212949560370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYpO5XbwhAHXk6X-6uZYuVtt_ZrGJC69Y0cMCsXy5lKppc_r0dt9CwG38QUSj-mVnQuv8qq3F-w6vD9nMCUu2MejusCcT2pbWoAqXtR2DrYirWsNILLX8azwvp_kj8C9-gNauN8KyH3Q/s400/fiberglass.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEjQT40_zAB8e1VwVJbwEzjoX452Wp0iHrsao9GKgsN899i0z-trGSdNece7iHMtzPRGtFKDqtDhP8Blq8u97F74OtU6IpfBN46S6UsyfLeEf6SrcI3nAIxfH7fsrS-HA1RGTixOzTbw/s1600-h/plastic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307266207359841058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEjQT40_zAB8e1VwVJbwEzjoX452Wp0iHrsao9GKgsN899i0z-trGSdNece7iHMtzPRGtFKDqtDhP8Blq8u97F74OtU6IpfBN46S6UsyfLeEf6SrcI3nAIxfH7fsrS-HA1RGTixOzTbw/s400/plastic.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />These three chairs range in price from $159 to $459. Two are authentic and one is not. Can you tell which is which?<br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-4361204524390165662009-02-22T15:25:00.002-06:002009-02-22T15:32:05.792-06:00A Winner is You!I'm pleased to announce the prize winners of the Zoe Fund. Thank you all so much for donating so generously...if you didn't catch the latest update, not only is Zoe back to her bratty normal self, but we've made our funding goal...Zoe's surgery is 100% paid for!<br /><br />Without further ado, the prize winners:<br /><br />Our out of town winner was Natalia G! A quilt will be coming her way soon.<br /><br />Winner of the popcorn and movie basket is Lauren M!<br /><br />Rick and Karen H won a bath and nail trim for their dachshund!<br /><br />Anne S won a custom-sized dog sweater!<br /><br />And<br /><br />Melinda B won the grand prize...an hour of photography!Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-6638601490554510242009-02-03T21:50:00.016-06:002009-02-21T19:09:42.791-06:00Zoe UpdatesThe <a href="http://captainlauraw.blogspot.com/2009/01/caution-sad-story-about-sick-dog-ahead.html">original thread</a> was getting a little unwieldy, so I broke the updates into their own post.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Guys, we made it! </span> I received the last $20 this afternoon...Zoe's bills are 100% paid! </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Through everyone's generous contributions, we raised $1653.46 to cover Zoe's surgery costs!!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Prize winners will be posted tomorrow morning!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">2/18/09 - I finally got to see Zoe in person over the weekend and she seems totally back to normal. She was chasing the other dogs around, begging for food, and humping, just like always.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I am going to do the drawings on Saturday. </span><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">2/13/2009 - Zoe is doing great! Better than great, if that's possible! She got her stitches out this week. The only lingering effects of her predicament seem to be her shaved belly, and the get-out-of-jail-free pass that she gets on baths until her incision is completely healed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">**2/6/09 - DAY SEVEN!!!***</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Zoe is doing absolutely great. She is back to pooping, throwing tantrums, and stalking Boomer's birdfeeder. We've relaxed a little bit, and are now aiming for a complete recovery. Thanks to everyone who has donated funds, as well as those who have checks on the way. I will probably hold the prize drawings at the end of next week.</span><br /><br /></span>**2/3/09 - Evening**<br />Zoe saw the vet and had an x-ray, and everything is still where it should be. Poop's coming. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0jI0jVeSHGs2QcBeezVhyUVs_uXZzm2rSccb9LqbhrZ0NoDrRH-df6jCI93dImAtegfB8jMQ4LmfMqOUPnBjCz05f23cmmsFgs52Sfe_xts2PWeFTwR4rBoC1YNPF41-g9jV1E5wRCI/s1600-h/DSCF1768.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0jI0jVeSHGs2QcBeezVhyUVs_uXZzm2rSccb9LqbhrZ0NoDrRH-df6jCI93dImAtegfB8jMQ4LmfMqOUPnBjCz05f23cmmsFgs52Sfe_xts2PWeFTwR4rBoC1YNPF41-g9jV1E5wRCI/s400/DSCF1768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298698709206793922" border="0" /></a>**2/3/09 - Afternoon update**<br />Boomer sent me a better chicken photo! Poor Zoe is not used to having a naked belly. She is going into the vet this evening - no pooping since Monday morning and a small mass on her belly. Hope everything is ok!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHWD26ssVX4Jmx1GJB4Yhd2d5AEHVMACBeSC2awA0RCBd9_Y_AqAF_6-GcTNMDZ7IKRngHfrqEOrQi-9ExWyAz4mXEGhTCCclktKfUxl5TFk4Jw_WnR8Fo-xkNc2TFNEEa_XZ1fMwavY/s1600-h/DSCF1765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHWD26ssVX4Jmx1GJB4Yhd2d5AEHVMACBeSC2awA0RCBd9_Y_AqAF_6-GcTNMDZ7IKRngHfrqEOrQi-9ExWyAz4mXEGhTCCclktKfUxl5TFk4Jw_WnR8Fo-xkNc2TFNEEa_XZ1fMwavY/s400/DSCF1765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298607855918815570" border="0" /></a><br />**2/3/2009**<br />Here is a picture of Zoe in her "nest." When I first looked at this photo, I didn't realize that the big white patch on her side is actually her poor naked belly! Zoe has a naked chicken! Boomer stayed home all day Monday taking care of Zoe and keeping her company. She's eating chicken like crazy, brown rice when she has to, and no green beans at all. Bodily functions are operating normally at this point.<br /><br />**2/2/09 - Last night's update**<br />Zoe is at home, and Boomer has set up a nice, soft, fluffy space for her in the living room. She is contained in an ex-pen, to keep her from wandering. When Boomer called last night, she told me that Zoe was laid out on her back, in the dog bed, in front of the space heater. Boom cooked up a nice meal of boiled chicken, brown rice and green beans. Zoe gobbled down the chicken, so Boomer tried her luck with a green bean. Girl looked at the bean, looked at Boomer, and GLARED, as if to say "Mom, I've been through a lot. I <span style="font-weight: bold;">don't</span> have to eat my vegetables!"<br /><br />**2/1/09 - PM Update**<br />Boomer is on her way to the hospital to pick up Zoe!! She will have to lay low, and there's still a great deal of concern for complications. The vet techs told Boomer that Zoe is PISSED, and ready to be back with her family. Other than that, she seems to be in pretty good spirits. Boomer posted a more in-depth overview of the illness over on her <a href="http://rockthedox.blogspot.com/">blog.</a> I have also added a new prize opportunity down below...<br /><br />**2/1/2009 - AM Update**<br />I spoke with Boomer this morning to see how Zoe was feeling. Zoe is still at the animal hospital for care and observation. She has eaten two small meals (meatballs, I hear!) and kept everything down, so far. As the food digests, it will be a test to see how her reconstructed intestines handle things. Dr. Britt indicated that the first 7 days post-surgery are the most critical. Girl is not out of the danger zone yet, but everything that goes according to plan is a step in the right direction.<br /><br />Boomer also wanted me to let everyone know that she (and I!) really appreciate everyone's concern as well as your generous donations.<br /><br />-Laura<br />***********Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-8914944815611958642009-01-31T14:14:00.021-06:002009-02-14T12:48:42.551-06:00**Updated** Caution: Sad story about a sick dog ahead.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XTfe_ZmWm28krQf-qNbSZj3_QvH2H5FM0whyjPZW6y4c-1kusf0_nILD0vl8_3N8TG9jQAGuny4nsTec6GdZTBJXfjpXBKu8-ljIkL20XrjygCKbn5I-Sumj3Ydm62aUiVg_QIqZ4Fg/s1600-h/Copy+of+DSC_0204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XTfe_ZmWm28krQf-qNbSZj3_QvH2H5FM0whyjPZW6y4c-1kusf0_nILD0vl8_3N8TG9jQAGuny4nsTec6GdZTBJXfjpXBKu8-ljIkL20XrjygCKbn5I-Sumj3Ydm62aUiVg_QIqZ4Fg/s400/Copy+of+DSC_0204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298786775938011122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />**If you are looking for updates I have moved everything <a href="http://captainlauraw.blogspot.com/2009/02/zoe-updates.html">here</a>. This post was getting way too long.**<br /><br />Let me tell you an amazing story about a little dog I know named Zoe. She was rescued from a puppy mill situation in 2005 or early '06, and came into my friend Boomer and her husband Brett's home as a foster dog. Poor girl was in bad shape. She is a long-haired dachshund, but you could hardly tell at first glance. Zoe endured several botched c-sections at the mill, a mouthful of rotten teeth, and had clearly been severely neglected and/or abused by the people in charge. Zoe was afraid of everyone.<br /><br />As she began to heal, Zoe was placed with an adoptive family. She came back to Boomer and Brett almost immediately, now labeled as "too mean." Weeks of trial and error, back-and-forth trips, and disappointment later, Zoe still didn't have a home.<br /><br />Not long after the last rejection, Zoe finally found her forever family. Their names were Boomer and Brett.<br /><br />Boomer and Brett worked tirelessly with Zoe, truly believing that there was a sparkling gem of a dog inside this terrified, mean, bedraggled creature. They didn't give up on her, and never stopped believing that Zoe could do anything with enough love, patience and treats. They were right. As Zoe's fur started growing in, we all began to notice how beautiful this dog really was. Her coat was long and shiny, and there was a sparkle in her eyes that hadn't always been there. Once she realized she wasn't going anywhere, her <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">spunky</span> personality started to emerge. Every milestone was celebrated. I remember Boomer calling me one day to report that Zoe played with a toy, for the first time in her life.<br /><br />Almost by fluke, Boomer discovered that Zoe had a powerful prey drive and was quite interested in hunting. They started competing in <a href="http://www.moearthdogs.org/homepgdogs.htm"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Earthdog</span> </a>events. Little Miss Zoe, with her 5 teeth, quickly worked her way up the ladder and earned an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Earthdog</span> Champion title. If you've even been to Boomer and Brett's house, you have seen her strutting around, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth, picking up her sister's toys purely to incite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">playfullness</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_3f6DhyobLt4cfaiwKtJhviiClQfGjNA6BQN2IMb9ph3X0CiSlNqbquCmDkaH2lCtNWqtVDCYJxrXw4oA3HjcTX2NBH816vhGRi9rb8YMgtqf2HIi4_xHenffKJhVpwWjdt3Ktw_U5M/s1600-h/DSC_0007+%28Medium%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_3f6DhyobLt4cfaiwKtJhviiClQfGjNA6BQN2IMb9ph3X0CiSlNqbquCmDkaH2lCtNWqtVDCYJxrXw4oA3HjcTX2NBH816vhGRi9rb8YMgtqf2HIi4_xHenffKJhVpwWjdt3Ktw_U5M/s400/DSC_0007+%28Medium%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297571351106957858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Zoe had emergency bowel surgery last night. She started getting sick on Wednesday night, vomiting and refusing food. There's no blockage, but a sudden and freakish hernia that went very bad. <a href="http://webstervets.com/vet_britt.php">Dr. Britt</a> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">kate's</span> vet) did the surgery after having already worked a full shift at the Animal <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hospital</span>. When she called late Friday night, Dr. Britt shared that she had to remove a large section of Zoe's bowel and things were still very touch-and-go. The recovery is very risky, and we won't really know for sure how she is doing for a while yet. I did hear that Zoe is awake this morning, though I haven't gotten an update since about 8.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >I told you. It's a sad but amazing story. Here's the part where I make my Jerry Lewis-like appeal:</span><br />Boomer unexpectedly lost her job just after Thanksgiving. She and Brett are paying their bills and feeding themselves and the dogs, but don't have a lot left over for extras. Like dachshund surgery. When Boomer and Kate called me yesterday afternoon to tell me about the surgery, my first reaction was to try and make the financial part of this experience cause the least amount of stress possible. We're putting the whole bill on my credit card and Boomer will pay me back when she can. Several people have offered their help, and, so, this is how to help.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Give us your money.</span></span><br /><br />No, seriously. I've decided to set up a mini fund-raiser to help Boomer and her family afford Zoe's medical care. I can accept bank <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">transfers</span> and credit card donations through <a href="http://www.paypal.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">PayPal</span></a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">if you have an account set up there</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> (my address there is laura.c.wolfe at </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">gmail</span> dot com), as well as the traditional methods of cash and check (hit me up in the comments section if you need my address). Any small donation you are able to spare will help Boom and Brett worry less about affording all this, so they can concentrate on Zoe's well-being.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />But wait! There's more!</span><br /><br />Anyone local who donates will be entered in a drawing to win an awesome prize: my mad photography <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">skillz</span>! Yes, I will travel to one lucky winner's house with my camera and stuff, take pictures of you/your dogs/your lint ball collection for an hour, and then send you a photo CD with full reprinting rights for all images. That's like, a $32 value at least, right?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Awesome Prize Opportunity #2:</span><br />Marigrace of Southpaw Dog Grooming has also agreed to donate 1 bath and nail trim (for a dachshund only, no rottweilers or humans allowed!). Anyone with a wiener who sends a donation will also be entered to win this item.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">The Prizes Just Keep Getting Better #3</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">:</span><br />Lo-Downs member Patty Clay has offered up her knitting skills to one lucky dachshund! She will hand-knit a custom-sized dog sweater for the winner of this prize. Anyone with a wiener who sends a donation will also be entered to win this item.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Can It Even Be True? Prize #4:</span></span><br />Lo-Downs Member Melinda has put together a gift basket for the drawing. It has a $15.00 gift card to Blockbuster, popcorn bowl, popcorn, cheese sprinkle for popcorn, m&ms, twizzlers, milk duds, and chocolate covered raisins. Anyone who has sent money is eligible to win this one.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Out-of-Towner Prize Available:</span><br />I did not anticipate getting donations from outside the STL metro area, but, uh, I have. Thanks, Natalia! I know that Boomer has some out-of-town friends inside the computer as well, so I've added a special prize drawing for people who are not local.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-TqKkuuwmd3gCUvEmg8vj-ErFIh7CmJnzmY1U0WGzeStCJPcvO8Sr3SXjSoGna6cLdXl5y0Lq_TwJ33kIOa8e_JtR0GDFU_yRZDfKfjRzbA1OT3HOL6P1l5Liv70evkDtREDrfiec1g/s1600-h/DSC_0002+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-TqKkuuwmd3gCUvEmg8vj-ErFIh7CmJnzmY1U0WGzeStCJPcvO8Sr3SXjSoGna6cLdXl5y0Lq_TwJ33kIOa8e_JtR0GDFU_yRZDfKfjRzbA1OT3HOL6P1l5Liv70evkDtREDrfiec1g/s400/DSC_0002+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297869766250343906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's a quilt! I made it myself!<br />I know, my list of talents just keeps on growing! This quilt is approximately 40" square, and suitable for hanging, a lap quilt, or a baby, if you're into that sort of thing. Machine pieced in a pattern of my own making, and machine quilted. I call it "Summer Windows," because it makes me think of looking out the window on a perfect, sunny, clear summer day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88ZVZzSyTHWk6-7tbSt1d-NZkID8frDLhxTDiCFfHrNH5bGzWgGAs5zHXLStaHH4JKHdwa54X_VdO9oxgfUZ7Q-yqjkH-JuMu7EKsKiE-Hyel3WgwVj5xF0orMywR6pab2qyL2fBBKUI/s1600-h/DSC_0030+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 391px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88ZVZzSyTHWk6-7tbSt1d-NZkID8frDLhxTDiCFfHrNH5bGzWgGAs5zHXLStaHH4JKHdwa54X_VdO9oxgfUZ7Q-yqjkH-JuMu7EKsKiE-Hyel3WgwVj5xF0orMywR6pab2qyL2fBBKUI/s400/DSC_0030+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297869770744910850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Please don't hesitate to email me (laura.c.wolfe at gmail dot com), contact me via <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">facebook</span> or in the comments here. I am doing this as a completely personal venture because Boomer is one of the most amazing, open, and selfless friends of all time and I'd like to support her the best way I know how.<br /><br />-Laura<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqBs6uwNMX15tFja2wdIGrb4vhxL53rutro26Lh-SkFjvxSYQSq__8muLbQPGWfsHRE1B4D5qcMKxWxf258SuOjIG8klVQn-7HsXhUAACapoXiFaGRqUW9DlLdYcy0FuSMi0c5qBNAJw/s1600-h/DSC_0200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqBs6uwNMX15tFja2wdIGrb4vhxL53rutro26Lh-SkFjvxSYQSq__8muLbQPGWfsHRE1B4D5qcMKxWxf258SuOjIG8klVQn-7HsXhUAACapoXiFaGRqUW9DlLdYcy0FuSMi0c5qBNAJw/s400/DSC_0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297571357717978610" border="0" /></a>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-81328200683819946182008-12-22T08:30:00.000-06:002008-12-22T08:31:42.646-06:00Burrrrrs-ville!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqan8S9ilcY1WXC1eqiBv2UWoniY8pFaYCvI7MtjuxSqkfHRLE3HAS6KzVt_BxC8QIKRyJ5ONRKdkVm4W4BHHrX6_OYNDXq-m8wPZDK1zu38KKbYCjdrHI8chpgASDL2qmBFXnvEW0bNA/s1600-h/photo-702648.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqan8S9ilcY1WXC1eqiBv2UWoniY8pFaYCvI7MtjuxSqkfHRLE3HAS6KzVt_BxC8QIKRyJ5ONRKdkVm4W4BHHrX6_OYNDXq-m8wPZDK1zu38KKbYCjdrHI8chpgASDL2qmBFXnvEW0bNA/s320/photo-702648.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282622094740506530" /></a></p>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-50725619238106275252008-11-09T20:18:00.001-06:002008-11-09T20:18:42.643-06:00RoombitisI'm dog sitting for the in-laws this week and with four dogs here, the <br>fur tumbleweeds have started already. I decided to schlep the Roomba <br>over to try and keep up with the cleaning; I hate having to clean up <br>in a hurry right before they get back. Toby is bark bark barking like <br>crazy at the vacuum...and my dogs (for once in their lives) are <br>sitting here calm as anything, like "what? What's the big deal? It's <br>just Roomba."Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-48234263430311207632008-11-06T20:58:00.003-06:002008-11-06T21:07:54.369-06:00Two more down - post-election day edition!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/3008179567_4a2cc94427.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/3008179567_4a2cc94427.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I finally finished up the little bit of hand sewing I had to do for the last of this summer's baby quilts, and made it to the post office during business hours to send a package internationally. Violet and Avi, along with their mom, are some of my imaginary friends inside the computer. I came home this evening to read the best message board post ever:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"Yesterday I woke up to a world with President-elect Obama in it. And then I went to the post office to pick up a mysterious package and there were the two most beautiful quilts in it. Completely unexpected (I didn't even know you guys were over here doing this!) and so wonderful. 2008 was a crazy year, we finally got pregnant, moved to the US (and back) and watched this most incredible election for our friends in the south. I think these things will now always be connected for me in the most wonderful way, completely serendipitous that they arrived the morning after the best election ever.<br /><br />I'm floored by your generosity. literally floored..."<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I think she likes 'em ;)</span><br /></span>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-77058514112009952172008-11-04T13:53:00.001-06:002008-11-04T13:58:04.562-06:00End of the line...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzlPRwC9raKx2IzjYynu5pwRaZgbNwVq1NDADF00TY8cfSs2CAAS0b0xsvQsdfXDIhBrDJJayh4a-FImFdKeGfJKe4yHD1gwNCkLFas4JlfIhxgwMZdt9sh2S7RXIKMNyta7XFPqG4Qk/s1600-h/photo-759991.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzlPRwC9raKx2IzjYynu5pwRaZgbNwVq1NDADF00TY8cfSs2CAAS0b0xsvQsdfXDIhBrDJJayh4a-FImFdKeGfJKe4yHD1gwNCkLFas4JlfIhxgwMZdt9sh2S7RXIKMNyta7XFPqG4Qk/s320/photo-759991.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264893147901689042" /></a></p>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-22898918985622159432008-11-04T09:07:00.003-06:002008-11-04T13:40:22.991-06:00Civic DutyI'm waiting in line to vote. It's a long, long line...<br /><br />Update: Two hours and 15 minutes after I started, I got my lil' sticker and headed off to work.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-73012335013939586252008-10-30T16:02:00.001-05:002008-10-30T16:02:32.264-05:00<a href="http://www.lookydaddy.com/weblog/2008/10/because-everyone-should-have-the-right-to-be-awesome.html"><img src="http://www.lookydaddy.com/.a/6a00d83451901369e2010535b29240970b-pi" border=0></a><br /><a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/lesbiandad/">Now is the time to donate. Let your support be known.</a>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-24484635336409521802008-10-20T21:21:00.004-05:002008-10-20T21:30:06.427-05:00Pumpkin'd<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLlpriMjU5jz4Ux1M0w6dQteY4FVMFan1YIOD8LfSYV2vwC7ySucz1ETKzjdHPFJYH_9M7q88w0pI6jKy_Tcp7I11unRHF70pe2z50cS6U8N9HIHEabvg6y6iC2Eo_EzbiNN8ournE2I/s1600-h/Jeremy+Pumpkin.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLlpriMjU5jz4Ux1M0w6dQteY4FVMFan1YIOD8LfSYV2vwC7ySucz1ETKzjdHPFJYH_9M7q88w0pI6jKy_Tcp7I11unRHF70pe2z50cS6U8N9HIHEabvg6y6iC2Eo_EzbiNN8ournE2I/s400/Jeremy+Pumpkin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259427375353669266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0WDYGuqp26N_bss4Yf-1Fnk6RpeN0gsLKqZ4nv3jws1FeKligB_uC0HS_IC_MCmLHqNZ7vkJezRK4yyOO1H-krmuA5UIGBfqVpKgQ2eeRgG8F_KnqFMwT7ytirncjT1y1iLy5psGRtw/s1600-h/Pumpkin+Patch.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0WDYGuqp26N_bss4Yf-1Fnk6RpeN0gsLKqZ4nv3jws1FeKligB_uC0HS_IC_MCmLHqNZ7vkJezRK4yyOO1H-krmuA5UIGBfqVpKgQ2eeRgG8F_KnqFMwT7ytirncjT1y1iLy5psGRtw/s400/Pumpkin+Patch.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259427163477448370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIlGdCA7K6wYTQzorFQbEn4vO9SIhGsx_AQcBsygihkKyttOdHeIrMTJiXOE4PGppOo8CEtSyWg3J1tNgsd4x0qD17L8Ddv0u7ngBQyZCIbrJAuobEx_bPSTzjef7ie19DUyca6RWj4A/s1600-h/DSC_0007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIlGdCA7K6wYTQzorFQbEn4vO9SIhGsx_AQcBsygihkKyttOdHeIrMTJiXOE4PGppOo8CEtSyWg3J1tNgsd4x0qD17L8Ddv0u7ngBQyZCIbrJAuobEx_bPSTzjef7ie19DUyca6RWj4A/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259427173933492306" border="0" /></a><br />Spent some time this weekend feeling under the weather and decorating pumpkins. I stuck these on the outside of our patio fence and I've gotten a ton of complements on 'em from people walking past. Here's hoping no one gets a wild hair and goes on a pumpkin-smashing spree.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLubgxfNqenxSNF7aUIMkaRv1B9QZtA1vg5wtPJNH29-xXKhqHkgKIIfNjevJoC11lSzE9alWEDtH4jQBw4CFbqDEBBxriPmbyWf-K4JxsaDoqUT93AeTFPoN1Y6FEVGtsmCh15WnPIA/s1600-h/Frank+Sweater.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLubgxfNqenxSNF7aUIMkaRv1B9QZtA1vg5wtPJNH29-xXKhqHkgKIIfNjevJoC11lSzE9alWEDtH4jQBw4CFbqDEBBxriPmbyWf-K4JxsaDoqUT93AeTFPoN1Y6FEVGtsmCh15WnPIA/s400/Frank+Sweater.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259427172280349154" border="0" /></a>Aunt Bobbi crafted Frank and Rita some adorable sweaters which make them look like candy corns. I can't say that either of them are thrilled to have to wear clothes, but the sweaters are awfully cute.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-36750354864410929352008-10-20T21:04:00.005-05:002008-10-20T21:16:53.559-05:00Well *I* think *you're* a giant baboon's hiney, how d'ya like that?!Scene: A semi-deserted call center-cum-campaign phone bank. All around me are these sort of brazen, elderly Democrats laboring over every digit they dial.<br /><br />Me: <span style="font-style: italic;">::dials number. Phone rings. Much to my surprise, someone answers::</span><br /><br />Woman's voice: Hello?<br /><br />Me: Hi, is [woman's name] there please?<br /><br />Woman: This is she.<br /><br />Me: Hi, I'm CaptainLaura calling on behalf of Senator Barack Obama. I was just calli-<br /><br />Woman: We think he's a stinking pile of crap!<br /><br />Me: Well, heh, I'll just put you down as a 'no' then!<br /><br />Phone: Click.<br /><br />Yeah. It's like that. Huh.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-23618194000518960242008-10-12T13:26:00.004-05:002008-10-12T13:37:56.307-05:00Dogged<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUydq5LM15OEYYVIX8EbStezDpEhEeyn4BcH9gNqnHePLCPbna15DCbjPNAsaQVu5zwF-7grWxVM-eQgk26q2cmdl47m-AUnUi7rqeyQz0s1k0Ug-a1jC_QbOCc64xU0YVKw281vSwfOE/s1600-h/DSC_0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUydq5LM15OEYYVIX8EbStezDpEhEeyn4BcH9gNqnHePLCPbna15DCbjPNAsaQVu5zwF-7grWxVM-eQgk26q2cmdl47m-AUnUi7rqeyQz0s1k0Ug-a1jC_QbOCc64xU0YVKw281vSwfOE/s400/DSC_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256335870058457554" border="0" /></a>Franklin is quite meddlesome most of the time. That's pretty much a dachshund hallmark, but dam it can get annoying. I've been working diligently to wash, iron and fold a boatload of fabric that I recently procured (for a good value!) and Frank insists on being in the middle of everything. Generally I don't mind, in fact, I think his tenacity is kind of cute.<br /><br />This weekend, however, he's been acting especially bad. I don't know if it's because he's bored, or what, but in the past 24 hours he's:<br /><ul><li>Chewed 3/4 the buttons off my favorite green sweater, leaving big holes behind</li><li>Mounched the strap off of one brown T-strap shoe. My only brown dressy shoes, of course.</li><li>Terrified the neighbor's cocker spaniel</li><li>Gotten into my craft supplies and helped himself. See below:<br /></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrY2d2UUXkP-0kG3rPGMQYN8SBj-yFKJuxwc9naswzIpwa7Xuj5Z65u5D4h7GSzxgDN5whFWorB5dKiaUO7PTFVsX1v5W02pWL9EdiM6NCiw8Zqc6tEdi0a7kQ0krQ-sUXtUR-scYdz4/s1600-h/DSC_0008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrY2d2UUXkP-0kG3rPGMQYN8SBj-yFKJuxwc9naswzIpwa7Xuj5Z65u5D4h7GSzxgDN5whFWorB5dKiaUO7PTFVsX1v5W02pWL9EdiM6NCiw8Zqc6tEdi0a7kQ0krQ-sUXtUR-scYdz4/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256335871846394834" border="0" /></a>Even Rita has been badder than usual this weekend. She was definitely an accomplice in the craft supply heist; when I walked in she was chewing on a pinecone (no idea where that came from?). Last night I dropped her leash and she took off towards the rabbit patch and hid in the bushes for 10 minutes , while I wandered around looking for her.<br /><br />One of Jeremy's big things as we look for a house is having a space to himself where the dogs can't go. Now I can understand why.<br /><br />Assholes.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-38470870233606325462008-10-07T21:59:00.003-05:002008-10-07T23:02:14.248-05:00Shmear CampaignSince the VP debate last week, I've been thinking very critically about the role of government in domestic issues. <br />My liberal side tends toward the side of socialism - we've got to take care of everyone in a benevolent fashion. It's the government's duty to see to it that everyone gets a fair chance. There are plenty of people who are brilliant and hardworking, but for one reason or another, real life got in the way of great potential.<br />My conservative side feels like if everyone just took on the personal responsibility that's expected of them, we wouldn't have the kinds of issues we're facing today. I work hard in order to take care of myself and my family; why should anybody be allowed a free ride just because they can't hack it? Why should my tax dollars be used to bail out corporations and consumers who made risky decisions that I wouldn't abide by in a million years?<br /><br />No where is this issue clearer to me than in the arena of health care. Having navigated the health care system both as a consumer and as an administrator, I feel like I have a good enough grasp on the health care situation to understand McCain and Obama's proposals. This is a good jumping off point for me to understand the candidates' platforms on other issues as well. I heard something during the debate this evening that scared the daylights out of me: something that completely cleared my indecision regarding the role that government should play in domestic policy issues.<br /><br />In response to the absolutely great question "Do you believe health care should be treated as a commodity?" I didn't hear a straight answer out of either candidate. But at one point, while explaining his health care proposal, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/presidential.debate.transcript/index.html?iref=mpstoryview">John McCain said</a>:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />"But the point is that we have got to give people choice in America and not mandate things on them and give them the ability. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Every parent I know would acquire health insurance for their children if they could</span>."<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">That's simply not true.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Someone very dear to me was strongly affected by a parent actively choosing not to insure his child. The fallout from that decision, made over 5 years ago, is still creating challenges: financial, emotional and physical.<br /><br />The fact of the matter, from where I stand, is that there are plenty of people who still don't prioritize insurance. Whether it be a parent or a single individual, young or old, low or middle income, working or not, there are always better things to spend money on than insurance. While I agree that some people simply can't afford to pay, there are legions of others who spend that money on other things. Things that sometimes I feel should be lower on the priority list. There are others that I know who have worked very hard for not a lot of money, just to make sure they had reliable, reasonable health insurance for their families<br />Some of these first kinds of people carry on as usual, trusting that if they fall, someone will be there to catch them. And there always has been someone there to pick up the pieces and pay the bills after a medical catastrophe, be it a benevolent parent or relative, or Uncle Sam himself.<br /><br />I think we can all agree that it's the administration's responsibility to help people who can't make it on their own. The question, in my mind, which has suddenly become clear to me, is this?<br /><br />Is it better business to provide reasonably-priced (but federally mandated) health coverage and preventative care to every citizen, or is it more beneficial to let individuals deal with the free market of health care and coverage unhindered, then bail them out when they've gotten themselves into a hot mess over assuming too much risk?</span></span><br /></span>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-36021661228370207692008-09-13T09:26:00.003-05:002008-09-13T09:55:36.576-05:00Useless mounds of paper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Illuminated.bible.closeup.arp.jpg/180px-Illuminated.bible.closeup.arp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 138px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Illuminated.bible.closeup.arp.jpg/180px-Illuminated.bible.closeup.arp.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Last week or so, Jeremy and I were talking about illuminated manuscripts, for whatever reason. He asked me what the term was that means "fancy illustrated capital letters" in a manuscript. Seeing as I don't deal with medieval art history on a daily basis, I went to look it up in the first half of Marilyn Stokstad's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-History-Vol-1-3rd/dp/0131743201/ref=sr_1_1/104-1560700-3751152?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221316628&sr=1-1">Art History</a>, a book I've kept around since my freshman year of college for reference. <br /><br />Seriously, I've dragged this two-volume set around with me since 2001, moving every year. Jeremy always bugs me to get rid of it, but it's sort of nostalgic, y'know. These textbooks feel like one of the last vestiges of my college education, a souvenir from that part of my life, which, intellectually I've more or less left behind.*<br /><br />At any rate, I first used the book's index to find the section on illuminated manuscripts. I flipped to the correct page, and read the 5-6 paragraphs. No mention of decorated initials. I had noticed there were a few other places the index listed, so I went through every mention of "manuscripts" in the whole book. Nothing.<br /><br />Where did I end up finding the information I was looking for? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historiated_initial">Wikipedia.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*Believe it or not, there's not a pressing need to know about, say, Abstract Impressionism from a Marxist perspective in corporate America.** I *do* get complements on my ability to draw straight lines on chart paper, though.<br /><br />**Don't worry, I still fiercely believe in the value of a Liberal Arts education. That's another post, however.</span>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-90486546965997973312008-08-20T22:20:00.003-05:002008-08-20T22:37:49.807-05:00I TOLD you...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFwqL7h-d-yVzk0Y6V8f0uA-Df3JCMGSnfWjt3_C75TDXdEzlVu_G3iqrBJyFR_l1mmeAjtX5hQAvxzjEUECqwryH5f2YjegDhprw62oYD5UYdgavhR2qauskPMHL6ATEC0nCTFkwTwM/s1600-h/DSC_0034+%28Medium%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFwqL7h-d-yVzk0Y6V8f0uA-Df3JCMGSnfWjt3_C75TDXdEzlVu_G3iqrBJyFR_l1mmeAjtX5hQAvxzjEUECqwryH5f2YjegDhprw62oYD5UYdgavhR2qauskPMHL6ATEC0nCTFkwTwM/s400/DSC_0034+%28Medium%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236806189400703602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7_11NfK9NLX5V0cW1zaERDB6cTDhC03OQAGS6Cxjk-cs29YLAnIcx2D9sgNp4CArMBTPxx-vahRQ8Nh1wJJ3xbQ4ow48jJyx11hc2UltzcjfSz0BhFY1yz_JesAkLHDjgE_vE1OKqOk/s1600-h/DSC_0035+%28Medium%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7_11NfK9NLX5V0cW1zaERDB6cTDhC03OQAGS6Cxjk-cs29YLAnIcx2D9sgNp4CArMBTPxx-vahRQ8Nh1wJJ3xbQ4ow48jJyx11hc2UltzcjfSz0BhFY1yz_JesAkLHDjgE_vE1OKqOk/s400/DSC_0035+%28Medium%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236806190433311106" border="0" /></a><br />Work on Bobbi's quilt keeps getting pre-empted by people having babies. Clearly there is an easy way for her to jump to the front of the line... ;)<br /><br />This quilt is for one of my imaginary friends inside of the computer. Her son was born at the beginning of July. About 30 participants sent in 5" fabric squares or pieced blocks. I ended up sorting them into light, mid- and deep tones, and arranging them in three sections. I added borders, plus a fair amount of my own 5" squares, to even things out a bit.<br /><br />I quilted this one on the machine...yay for more practice! Auntie and I decided gray thread would work best for this one and it was a perfect choice. I'm really catching on to the fill patterns and I believe I'm almost ready to start doing more complex designs.<br /><br />I really like the way this quilt turned out. I think if I had to do it over again, I might move the light squares away from the center and make the value arrangement a little less symmetrical.<br /><br />I am starting to feel the pull to move away from quilting as a craft and focus more on the art side of things. Now that we have the longarm quilting machine, I can power through the quilting in a couple of days. The process is a lot less labor-intensive and much quicker, and I feel like I can re-do things more easily if I'm not satisfied with something. With the old way of quilting, by the time I finished one project (a year later, most of the time), I was so sick of looking at it and so ready to move on to something else I didn't spend too long evaluating or critiquing my work.<br /><br />I'm also finding that I'm becoming either more of a perfectionist or more mature with my techniques. I really spent a lot of time on this project making sure blocks/seams/rows were all the right sizes and everything lined up perfectly. I anticipated a situation and made a decision to deal with it one way, then midway through the piecing decided I didn't like it. Instead of just living with my bad decision, I took the time to remove some seams and re-work the blocks that were off.<br /><br />I suppose I'm more willing to go back and correct my mistakes with my sewing now because there are far fewer opportunities to do that in real life than there used to be. Here, I have a medium that is highly flexible and forgiving, and doesn't appear worse for the wear if you have to rip something out and try again...Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-78977084099614150682008-08-19T10:37:00.001-05:002008-08-19T10:37:39.622-05:00An Exercise in FrustrationHousehunting is pissing me the hell off. It's a major issue in my life right now and is causing a lot of negative and hurt feelings all around. Not fun.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-41879780133403767412008-08-19T10:11:00.003-05:002008-08-19T10:29:18.468-05:00QuiltyThis is a project that was finished at the end of June, but I've just now gotten the pictures. I realized lately that a lot of my crafty endeavors of late have involved these nephews of mine. I don't know what to say - people having babies brings out my crafty side, I guess. Anyways, Auntie and I planned these quilts for Robbie and Charlie months before they were born as a way to get more practice on the long arm quilting machine. We were sailing right along, planning to get the quilts finished long before the twins' due date. Obviously they had other plans. We *did* finish and present the quilts per the original target, however. I believe we made it out to see the kids within a few days of the original due date.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_55oCLnqkUnJCL-c6KOI5IjxYNVc-80vV1re-1ziH27cN7fWnFbUQiEM_6IXgAlffylecNmfFcaL9egcShBArVnISXjWXd4OV0azk3UPqamry7kOLyosXruiWrNHDv5QwVWpUXFS4wU/s1600-h/DSC_3826.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_55oCLnqkUnJCL-c6KOI5IjxYNVc-80vV1re-1ziH27cN7fWnFbUQiEM_6IXgAlffylecNmfFcaL9egcShBArVnISXjWXd4OV0azk3UPqamry7kOLyosXruiWrNHDv5QwVWpUXFS4wU/s400/DSC_3826.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236248522276855138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyMdVc_sSA9oHryeVqsxDwhQe7uAshAgIWfmfJdCV2EHdt0YvMnJeA7Wj1bI6J2QII6tTzub0OZBM1WNqEuqHFwSaOgJgrp5NT9qFMLO-_EIvGQQU87IKDhpKfSEZn3HI5NZpoxzk24E/s1600-h/DSC_3839.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyMdVc_sSA9oHryeVqsxDwhQe7uAshAgIWfmfJdCV2EHdt0YvMnJeA7Wj1bI6J2QII6tTzub0OZBM1WNqEuqHFwSaOgJgrp5NT9qFMLO-_EIvGQQU87IKDhpKfSEZn3HI5NZpoxzk24E/s400/DSC_3839.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236248514035964866" border="0" /></a>Auntie made Charlie's quilt. Her reasoning behind that was because Charlie is named after her father. And my father. But who's counting?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVG5-hrsGrCOvxmoSRuVmZxO1Nh1Jdasv2vBvf51xgr6i3LlxGblsH3K3xCZRznjR3GIEgrXto5o0xsKrIun7zw6VbCcT1NhOrw9W7A0X7UdKrE986-9gS4JwG2zx5VGnV5AEonk47Pw/s1600-h/DSC_3835.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVG5-hrsGrCOvxmoSRuVmZxO1Nh1Jdasv2vBvf51xgr6i3LlxGblsH3K3xCZRznjR3GIEgrXto5o0xsKrIun7zw6VbCcT1NhOrw9W7A0X7UdKrE986-9gS4JwG2zx5VGnV5AEonk47Pw/s400/DSC_3835.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236248527157994434" border="0" /></a>I made Robbie's quilt because he's named after, uh, my brother. We devised the pattern first, then found the turquoise fabric in Auntie's stash. It's a batik with little baby footprints all over it, and we figured it was pretty perfect for this. We kind of realized halfway through the planning that it would be neat to reverse the colors of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sashing</span> and borders to make the quilts alike-but-different. We were going to keep the turquoise and yellow squares in the same pattern but we couldn't quite squeeze another block out of the turquoise fabric, so necessity made us change up the colors there, too.<br /><br />The babies seem to like their quilts...I was over there the other weekend and one was laid out and both kids were laying on it, gurgling away.<br /><br />That's my Auntie's beautiful yard and garden in the background, BTW. She works really hard on it and it really is as lush as it looks.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-5851018933420767192008-07-11T16:00:00.001-05:002008-07-11T16:00:32.287-05:00Bugs of SummerJust this past weekend I was lamenting the fact that I hadn't seen any junebugs yet this season. Last year the dogs had so much fun chasing and catching those lazy buggers. Bobbi once said that junebugs are "the drunk drivers of the insect world" and she's totally, completely right.<br /><br />Well, just in the past few days I've started seeing junebugs all over the place. We also encountered some pretty serious mosquitoes at the Muny last night. But the best part?<br /><br />Franklin ate his first cicada of the summer this morning. Yum.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-24783317855219103242008-06-18T22:14:00.004-05:002008-12-09T03:09:33.314-06:00PhotoshopperyI'll be the first to admit that my photoshop skills are still in the development stage. For some reason I felt the need to spend my college years writing papers and studying for freaking slide ID exams instead of learning how to manipulate images. Whatever. I can always teach, right?! Heh.<br /><br />The University called me last week asking for money. Since they only bother me once a year, and because I actually didn't owe any money upon graduating, I sent them $50, which my employer matched. So, $100. Hear that? I'm paying for some kid to fall asleep in class <span style="font-style: italic;">right now</span>.<br /><br />Oh. Back to my original point. I'm not great at photoshop, and it drives me crazy to polish something that's just for illustration purposes, anyway. I bring you...<br /><br />Captain Laura's newest Fantasy Realty masturbation technique...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidq8_f0j7ozDZGeeKrBemWCZNyn2wP7cSnDMX_vOMiGNmT5-zPL4S2upnQVW2HTOOoE_VBvVTHdvmyqxPIiY6HUpGAK6W-_9eO12ohL8oUAUviGlENOIoL-DYtpO6KUK4n3GcuK0Quw8/s1600-h/80032582_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidq8_f0j7ozDZGeeKrBemWCZNyn2wP7cSnDMX_vOMiGNmT5-zPL4S2upnQVW2HTOOoE_VBvVTHdvmyqxPIiY6HUpGAK6W-_9eO12ohL8oUAUviGlENOIoL-DYtpO6KUK4n3GcuK0Quw8/s400/80032582_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213428156006202066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4AfujAdEi4l5YbYWk5y5s053eDCfJPja6S6e832N9Y8Ss6ARNPit2F-3z81iSNpayYSy_SDMqZ9wKZxRD9-Gh5Le1qSP9x3JQPfuwxLfgpvcJUa1xGtpo7_Xs90JANm6RUNfIb5uBLM/s1600-h/80032582_3-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4AfujAdEi4l5YbYWk5y5s053eDCfJPja6S6e832N9Y8Ss6ARNPit2F-3z81iSNpayYSy_SDMqZ9wKZxRD9-Gh5Le1qSP9x3JQPfuwxLfgpvcJUa1xGtpo7_Xs90JANm6RUNfIb5uBLM/s400/80032582_3-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213428157055378386" border="0" /></a><span class="smallheadline"><a href="http://www.cbgundaker.com/search/advanced/detail.jsp?mls_num=80032582&type=res"> 10243 Julius Northway</a>, Sunset Hills. Priced right, huuge fireplace, hellishly dated. What I could do if I got my hands on this place, though!</span>Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-89752805468313658552008-06-15T16:57:00.004-05:002008-12-09T03:09:33.440-06:00Typography!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbkb5J_oKVMkg5JpFH45Kl0zGS-XR49x_NPbkPAMKpHEn2XxrbGPw55GRhoAExNnIIHZ0S2oWVyBVEZGP_9_w49z2jPukjOVw8IYQoJeqnG9g4yZQMAI5PJDS5CdKMjOG9cm7cI70zx8/s1600-h/announcementblog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbkb5J_oKVMkg5JpFH45Kl0zGS-XR49x_NPbkPAMKpHEn2XxrbGPw55GRhoAExNnIIHZ0S2oWVyBVEZGP_9_w49z2jPukjOVw8IYQoJeqnG9g4yZQMAI5PJDS5CdKMjOG9cm7cI70zx8/s400/announcementblog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212235087350915906" border="0" /></a><br />Design kind of drives me crazy, but I do it when I have to. Last names have been blurred to protect the innocent.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-29429411917307512862008-06-15T16:33:00.003-05:002008-12-09T03:09:33.463-06:00Procrastinatrix<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08sct2mhBeiu0yERXu4AXaBZ0PDdJr4-uw8z8P9fQyx1qbI0f6auDThEG01t_nfc3HwGbdnMeZ1DCPxxjVNI5hKgDAdb-oDgMXI7ds1rkwng4Sj5OV9zhsAEnAVoh8KTD7GiZMnseKhM/s1600-h/DSC_0002+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08sct2mhBeiu0yERXu4AXaBZ0PDdJr4-uw8z8P9fQyx1qbI0f6auDThEG01t_nfc3HwGbdnMeZ1DCPxxjVNI5hKgDAdb-oDgMXI7ds1rkwng4Sj5OV9zhsAEnAVoh8KTD7GiZMnseKhM/s400/DSC_0002+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212228569823889138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As evidenced by my last post, I'm procrastinating on my projects by starting new ones. To be fair, my container garden was looking rather wimpy and the porch needed to be cleared anyway. I started a whole gang of seeds in April; sadly, none of them lived long enough to be planted outside. I did some cleaning and organizing outside yesterday, including getting rid of some stuff and consolidating what I had. I'm trying to cut down on my non-consumable purchases, so I planned to buy plants only for the containers I had.<br /><br />This is the first time I've gone plant shopping with a map. In the past, I've just kind of wandered around and picked up things that I liked, or bought based on what kind of bargain I could get. That method generally ended in disappointment, badly composed container plantings, and an excess of marigolds.<br /><br />It was actually kind of awesome to choose plants with intent. I don't spend a lot of time pre-planning my purchases for any kind of shopping, and I'm getting totally sick of coming home with a whole pile of stuff that doesn't go together in the least.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbCBXsK1FJ0uN0qTb-5jMBHqkYgqmPJAYrPX5Nq80MUgVOo54LvRNKpSo1CUsHCjuAnefgA8phEE_HdlNl2H_pVYcUvpZuwzNq_Ja_jh6gfH6e5IQoXpm6LHn2-Zd7gsFH8cVABZOWKs/s1600-h/DSC_0003+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbCBXsK1FJ0uN0qTb-5jMBHqkYgqmPJAYrPX5Nq80MUgVOo54LvRNKpSo1CUsHCjuAnefgA8phEE_HdlNl2H_pVYcUvpZuwzNq_Ja_jh6gfH6e5IQoXpm6LHn2-Zd7gsFH8cVABZOWKs/s400/DSC_0003+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212228567395137138" border="0" /></a><br />I wasn't really planning on buying any perennials, but when I stopped to get a closer look at this one, I couldn't resist:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrlATq-wCh3QkgUANo_s8qktAOVGH5Q-DpDbOi-5x4vE6IPSrXRZ6Fxc7ExkKNt-A_X03v4zfOS3sBH4l7k8YCVp5iXw_AQTl9KFH4tHR-WYxNkgdtu-TH5T8GcU0WPfBRlpi7jCR1Xk/s1600-h/DSC_0001+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrlATq-wCh3QkgUANo_s8qktAOVGH5Q-DpDbOi-5x4vE6IPSrXRZ6Fxc7ExkKNt-A_X03v4zfOS3sBH4l7k8YCVp5iXw_AQTl9KFH4tHR-WYxNkgdtu-TH5T8GcU0WPfBRlpi7jCR1Xk/s400/DSC_0001+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212228578734921282" border="0" /></a><br />I also picked up this one, which seems to be called "Tickseed." I'm mostly posting here in hopes of remembering the name next year, if this happens to come back.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCKSCAzMfpzxoRHTnqMfKX2T7Me3RVkEY1L_GS1qrcj4B4LLoYvdmzg30d6P0CSIMWqDLkuyGjkg6tQ5kbkjlj2CRIjnIFsxhwVWJzNdHl4H018yDLXE63-50qzBkyGU3iDCjtfqwQi8/s1600-h/DSC_0004+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCKSCAzMfpzxoRHTnqMfKX2T7Me3RVkEY1L_GS1qrcj4B4LLoYvdmzg30d6P0CSIMWqDLkuyGjkg6tQ5kbkjlj2CRIjnIFsxhwVWJzNdHl4H018yDLXE63-50qzBkyGU3iDCjtfqwQi8/s400/DSC_0004+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212228577468578610" border="0" /></a><br />I also spent some time washing the sliding door yesterday. This isn't the best picture, but I'm really happy to have wiped off all the dachshund nose art. Frank and Rita are working on a new masterpiece, though, so don't worry.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mYhHjCsgndnn36qT2A2Md3PygLWPkyjIaLyqNPImYUaUusagc065MQ8CclDYFk8DULk_qT59FsDPdxwcUPnRptrjrV_yIe0wPEo-85o2k0Vwg2nYJi3bSr9Ww9xbEmS5eo4uGqmcWrI/s1600-h/DSC_0011+%28Large%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mYhHjCsgndnn36qT2A2Md3PygLWPkyjIaLyqNPImYUaUusagc065MQ8CclDYFk8DULk_qT59FsDPdxwcUPnRptrjrV_yIe0wPEo-85o2k0Vwg2nYJi3bSr9Ww9xbEmS5eo4uGqmcWrI/s400/DSC_0011+%28Large%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212228583036517570" border="0" /></a><br />The dogs have been really groan-y today. I'm not sure if it's the heat, or what, but all Rita wants to do is make frog legs and lay around. Franklin harassed a toad yesterday and got a foamy mouth for it. Poor guy...it kind of serves him right.Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-750783852379295881.post-52321857158481564762008-06-12T12:17:00.001-05:002008-06-12T12:18:54.315-05:00ScavengerModernica <a href="http://stlouis.craigslist.org/fur/716290775.html">Noguchi replica dining table </a>in Dogtown for $100. I'd buy it myself but no where to put it...Captain.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07327170773271783896noreply@blogger.com1