A Heartbreaking Sadness That Persists

My family and I recently lost one of our beloved corgis. Jasper was only four years old, and he died very suddenly of an illness that escalated so quickly there was nothing we could do. We had to let him go.

Himself and I were with him at the emergency vet when he died. It was late on a rainy Sunday night (isn't that always when emergencies occur?) The day before, he'd played with Georgette in the yard and now he was gone. We were shocked and heartbroken. We expected to have him for at least 10 more years.

He was my shadow. I was his beloved. He followed me everywhere and nestled beside me when I read in the evenings. He lay beside me when I worked on the computer. His favorite place was my lap. I adored him.

It's been a bit over three weeks and only now can I even type this. We are still missing him, but we are slowly getting used to a new normal. Georgette no longer runs to the door when she hears it open, thinking he will be there. She always gnawed on his head when he tried to come inside.

Tiny Girl made this collage of photos a few days after he died.

He was handsome, he was kind, he was obedient, he was loyal, he was loved.

Weekly Happenings: First Week in Maine!

We've been at the cabin for one week, and I'm feeling weird. I haven't yet completely relaxed. I'm also having trouble staying connected to the online world. I have to go to the library to use my laptop as there's no internet at the cabin. I can read some emails, get Facebook and Twitter, and access the web on my smartphone, but that really only works for basic communication. I know it's better than nothing, but when one is used to a certain level of interaction. . . . Well, it takes some getting used to.

On the other hand, I'm also feeling good. (Himself always points out that "well" is the word I should use, but to me that sounds more like the opposite of "ill." So I use "good.") I'm back at the helm of our boat. Tiny Girl has had a big time kneeboarding and wakeboarding. (Miss Priss demurrs.) Both girls and our neighbors have had a blast tubing. We've eaten lobster and seen lots of friends.

Here are a few photos of some adventures, in no particular order:

Georgette's first trip on the boat. 

Waiting for AAA at Gettysburg National Military Park. The van overheated and needed a new battery. We only visited three stops on the audio auto tour.

Jasper likes to swim in the lake to cool off. So far, Georgette is not tempted. 

A quick break at a rest stop to stretch our legs.

A homemade lobster roll, chips, and coleslaw (also homemade by me).

We're reading a lot. I'm still at work on Elizabeth and Mary; the girls are re-reading the Sisters Grimm series. I also read Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly, whose A Northern Light I really enjoyed. Her latest is interesting, but I didn't like it nearly as well as her first. I found the circumstances and characters so dark as to be dispiriting. And I don't mind dark. But the teenage characters, rich Brooklynites all, are irritatingly noir. I know there are better literary and philosophical terms for it, but such terms escape my feeble brain at the present time. Dissolute comes to mind. So does libertine. You get the idea.

I suppose as a homeschooling parent I should be feverishly planning our next year, but I'm not. I'm taking a break. And I'm not ashamed to proclaim it!

Happy summer!

Suburban Nature Encounters: Birds and Rabbits

We've had some fun nature moments in the last couple of weeks. It's spring, after all, and every creature's thoughts turn to. . . the usual: survival.

Since I'm a mediocre photographer at best, please bear with me. You may need to use your imagination a bit to really appreciate the scenes. :-)

At the equestrian park last week, we were delighted to discover this Carolina wren's nest in the rafters of the barn, right above our heads. I was unable to get a photo of Mama Wren, since she was extremely busy searching out food for her young ones. We could hear their demanding little peeps. Miss Priss and I were intrigued by the nest design: she'd built it "up," with the opening at the bottom left. You may be able to detect the front door:

Our neighborhood rabbits have been active. Perhaps spring has gone to their heads; we see them all hours of the day, even in the bright afternoon. I hope they're on the lookout for hawks and cats! I took this (admittedly poor) shot from our breakfast room window. Before I could take any more, the little guy bounded off.

I saved the best for last. In my most recent  Weekly Happenings post, I wrote about watching a titmouse make off with a large tuft of dog hair to line its nest. Corgi undercoat must be a much sought-after building material. In these photos (the best of many I shot), a Carolina chickadee collects dog hair from a rug we'd tossed on the deck.

She made several trips to gather the hair.

See the tuft in her beak?

Right after I snapped the above photo, she lit off.

In case you're wondering why the rug is on the deck rail, I'll tell you. The dogs had been having a field day ripping off the non-skid backing, and, in their exultation, ruined the rug. Ah, well. It had already given the best of its life to us.

Our feeders have been busy. The mealworms, so mocked by Himself ("What's going to eat those?"), vanished. We've sighted our regular patrons: titmice, Carolina chickadees, Carolina wrens, and Northern cardinals. Other visitors include: mourning doves, a yellow-rumped warbler, nuthatches, and house finches. I was late setting out my niger-seed finch feeder, however, and we missed the flocks of migrating goldfinches we usually serve in the spring.

Any interesting nature activity in your backyard or environs? Tell me about it!

Weekly Happenings: When Things Go Wrong

Another busy week. This one included a few planned and a few un-looked-for events that intervened into our already packed schedule.

In my life this week:

• On Monday, we were back at the orthodontist's to make new molds for Tiny Girl's replacement retainer. Did I tell you last week that the dogs managed to get the case off the kitchen table, open it, and then chew it up? Well, they did.
• On Tuesday, Georgette was spayed and has thus been sporting the so-called Cone of Shame (from the movie Up) all week. Today we noticed her incision was seeping and reddish, so off to the vet we went. The verdict: a bit of infection and some pulling. We need to do a better job keeping her still and quiet. A five-and-a-half-month-old puppy.
• Also on Tuesday, I had to put my van in the shop for leaking oil and I attended the women's Thank Offering service at my church. Thankfully, my dear friend, Carol, was able to taxi me around.
• Last night I hosted book club. It was lovely and fun, as usual. It also took some shopping, preparation, and cleaning time, which I enjoyed (okay, maybe not the cleaning, but I enjoyed the result).
• Also last night, about an hour before the book club ladies were due to appear, Miss Priss came home from a friend's house with a hurt forearm and wrist. She was in a lot of pain, but Himself (who was out to dinner with friends) and I decided to wait and see what the morning held. The verdict: this afternoon's x-ray revealed a broken wrist. Now she's sporting a purple cast.
• Tonight we are going out to dinner with two fraternity brothers of Himself, one of whom lives here and is bringing his family, and the other who is in town from New England.
• Tomorrow is Miss Priss's twelfth birthday party, which my parents are hosting at their home in the country. This afternoon, I made her cake (cookies and cream cake) while she was at the doctor's. Now some alterations to our plans are necessary to account for the broken wrist.

In our home school this week:
Of course, not everything was harriedly atypical. We still managed to pull off a decent week of educational pursuits. The girls are really enjoying several of our readings, i.e., King Arthur, Gods and Heroes, Abigail Adams: Wintess to a Revolution, and "Poplicola," from Plutarch's Lives. In our biography of Isaac Newton, which the girls find interesting, we began reading about his gravitational studies. Just for fun, we also watched the Schoolhouse Rock episode, "Victim of Gravity."

In this week's chapter of This Country of Ours, we read about the United States under its first president and new constitution. We've already read about these topics in George Washington's World and Abigail Adams. However, the girls noted that each author presents information a bit differently and adds or omits details. They decided they like reading different authors' takes on the same topics as it gives them a broader and deeper understanding.

I saw this in action when we watched another episode of the PBS production, Liberty! AS I've mentioned before, this is an excellent series, but, due to its nature, some information is omitted. While we watch, the girls ask us to pause the DVD so we can talk about things. Or one or the other will simply say aloud, "They left out part of that." I'm realizing how little I learned of my own country's history when I was in school.

In math, Tiny Girl worked on multi-digit multiplication as a review. Miss Priss continued with her Math Mammoth lessons. I am still pleased with this curriculum for her. She's gaining some new math confidence that was lacking before, and it makes this mama's heart happy to see it.

I'm cooking...
For supper one night this week, I made some fabulous broccoli-cheese soup, which I served in homemade bread bowls. I whipped up a fake cassoulet for book club, which everyone seemed to enjoy. I'll post recipes this weekend.

Here's a quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder, which I read in a British home decor magazine, of all things:

The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.

Sometimes things just go wrong, and we do our best to roll with it. That's what we did this week and what we're still trying to do.

I'm linking up with:

Weekly Happenings: Finally, A Field Trip!

 The idea of field trips appeal to me, but I have a hard time finding time in our schedule to accommodate any. So it's nice when a homeschooling friend calls and invites us to one. It's especially nice when that field trip educates us on our own town.

Isn't it funny how you often know more about other places than your own?

The girls and I learned a lot about the history of our town by watching a video and listening to a speaker at the visitors center. After a picnic lunch, we hiked through an old part of town, where we saw "the Bricks," apartments built for millworkers prior to the Civil War and some of the oldest apartments in the United States. They are now lovely townhomes. Meandering past the historic sites of the old mills, which were burned during the Civil War, we hiked through woods to the antebellum-era dam and waterfall, which powered the mills.

Along the way, I snapped some photos of wildflowers we saw. The only ones I can identify are the purple morning glories, which are annuals and have to be planted each year. I wonder how these came to be alongside the trail. Birds, perhaps? Or maybe there are actually folks who plant them each spring.

The dam and waterfall, which powered the mills more than 150 years ago 

Besides our field trip, we've enjoyed other activities, too. Last weekend, we attended a UKC dog show in another state. In the photo below, breeder extraordinaire, Leslie Reed, and the girls are showing the three amigos (and siblings) in the puppy match. Charity, the pup on the far right, won! That's our precious Georgette in the middle, and Tony's on the left.

This weekend, Tiny Girl competed in horse shows both Saturday and Sunday. Himself was Super Special Show Dad on Saturday, as I was attended Girl Scout training all day at a facility about 1 1/2 hours away from home. On Sunday, I took over equestrian pursuits, while Himself and Miss Priss attended both church services for Music Dedication Sunday. Miss Priss's middle school choir sang.

Tiny Girl and Tappy

Educational highlights:

Inspired by the name cards exchange in Little Town on the Prairie, the girls made their own out of colored cardstock.

Miss Priss is making great strides with the Math Mammoth curriculum, new for us this year. It's really boosted her math confidence, which had been lacking.

"Poplicola" from Plutarch's Lives and Gods and Heroes continue to be favorite readings. Miss Priss also cheers when it's time for Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution. Tiny Girl's response is a tad less enthusiastic, but at least she doesn't gag. Right?

Here's a quote that caught my eye in the book Im reading, A Little House Sampler, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane. The quote comes from one of Laura's Missouri Ruralist columns, from 1919:

"Why should we need extra time to in which to enjoy ourselves? If we expect to enjoy our life we will have to learn to be joyful in all of it, not just at slated intervals, when we can get tijme, or when we have nothing else to do."

I need to remember this every day. Now here are two who enjoy life every day!

Jasper and Georgette, taking a break from rough-housing at the dog show.

I'm linking up with The Homeschool Mother's Journal. Pop over and read some blogs! And have a fabulous week!

Our First Dog Show!

Last weekend, we traveled to our first UKC dog show. Our primary reason for going was to pick up our newest family member, puppy Georgette. Breeder Leslie Gene Reed, from KeelMtn Kennels, and husband extraordinaire, Bob, were going to be showing their corgis, so we opted to meet them at the show. Secondly, the UKC offers classes for altered dogs (spayed or neutered) in conformation, and Leslie suggested that one of my girls might want to show Jasper. Tiny Girl jumped at the chance. Here they are!

Jasper won Best of Breed in his class and later competed for Best in Show - Altered. Exciting! (They were in the last show of the day, so there weren't many spectators left. But they still got a rousing round of applause from those who remained.)

Adding to the experience, Tiny Girl, Miss Priss, and Himself (along with another young girl) showed Leslie's four puppies -- Georgette and three of her littermates, whom Leslie is keeping as show prospects -- in the puppy match. Miss Priss was nervous; we had to cajole her into giving it a try. But it was so cute and fun that she loved it.

Keeping the corgis in line was quite a challenge. Himself and the girls had their hands full! "Chaotic cuteness" is the best way to describe the puppy match.

We had a fabulous time, and now Tiny Girl has the dog show bug. Now that Jasper has one win under his belt, he has only to win three more times to earn his UKC championship. There's another UKC show in October that's about three hours away from home, and I have a feeling we'll be there. And Miss Priss says she may show Georgette in the puppy match.

Introducing Georgette!

Last Saturday, we traveled to a UKC dog show in the central part of our state to collect our new puppy, Georgette (KeelMtn My Fair Lady) from breeder Leslie Gene Reed. (Tiny Girl also showed Jasper [KeelMtn I Do Declare] in conformation at the show, but that report is in another post.) Georgette had been hanging out at Leslie's with three of her littermates -- whom Leslie is keeping as show prospects -- and the rest of Leslie's gang, patiently awaiting us to return home from Maine.

She is a darling!

Jasper and Georgette have the same dam, Cheery-O, but different sires. Whereas Jasper is a red-headed tri-color, Georgette is a sable, like our Lily was.

They have really hit it off! The play together, often drink out of the same water bowl at the same time, and have even been caught chewing their bones next to one another on the same bed. However, Jasper is not averse to putting Georgette in her place if she needs it, though he often capitulates. He has such a sweet temperament.

It's been hilarious watching the dogs interact. They chase each other around the coffee table and then into the kitchen, often colliding with the water bowls and splashing water everywhere. They roughhouse for quite a while and then collapse for naps near one another. If Jasper has something Georgette wants -- which happens a LOT -- she sidles up near him and watches him closely. As soon as something else catches his attention, she nabs the desired item and prances away triumphantly.

She is perky and confident and loving. And we are in love with her.

Westminster!

We are dog people around here, and we like to watch dog shows on TV. It's time for Westminster! Since corgis are are favorite, we loved watching this brief video of the Pems from this year's show. I'm partial to the red-headed tris, and there are two cuties in this bunch. Enjoy!