Monday, December 03, 2007

Pay It Forward and Puppy Kisses

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~ Ben Williams

In this post of Groovy's, I was insane enough to sign up for a Pay It Forward gift!

It's a really neat and simple concept:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 2 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. The only thing you have to do in return is Pay it Forward by making the same promise on your blog. I have absolutely NO IDEA what the craft I send will be, but I can be pretty crafty when I set my mind to it. So, if it sounds like as neat an idea to you as it did to me, get busy - comment and then PAY IT FORWARD!

Kay?

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DH and I decided the house was too empty without our darling Bailey. So, look what we found:



You see, I was sitting around, bored, nothing to do... and I thought: I know! I can fill all this spare time making crafts for a Pay It Forward giveaway and potty training a new puppy!

I all seriousness, I have to say: Finding the pup (whose name is Dakota), was a blessing. We decided we really wanted a dog similar to Bailey, because she was such a stellar critter in temperament and brains. She was a Golden Retriever/Gordon Setter mix. We didn't want something that looked like her, though. Too painful, as we still burst into tears at the drop of a hat.

I looked online for Golden/Setter and found a lady about 50 miles from here who had a litter of Golden Retriever/Irish Setter puppies that were just ready to find their forever homes.

Incidentally, I've always been a proponent of Pound Puppies. Bailey was a pound pup. BUT, apparently the northeast is right on top of the whole spay/neuter thing, because there were no puppies in any shelter locally. I looked in NH, Northern MA, VT and ME. Additionally, most shelters won't adopt a puppy out to you if you don't have a fenced in yard (we don't) or an invisible fence (we don't). We would have failed the application process in more ways than one. And, yet, we manage to raise happy, healthy, spoiled dogs... go figure.

In any case, Darling Dakota has filled a bit of a void. She's a LOT of work, but very smart. She's catching on to potty training like a champ. She and the cat are slowly working things out. She's learning to let go of her fixation on my slippers. And, best of all, the DH and DD have a critter to play with and cuddle with again.

I still miss Bailey, though. God messed up: Dogs should have a longer life span.

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It's snowing here, and we have about 4 inches on the ground thus far. The worst, tho, is still to come: Wind. That's what will knock out our power if it's going to happen (fingers crossed it won't). Still, thus far, it hasn't been as bad as they thought. I hope that keeps up!

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Your Expression Number is 7

Very intelligent, you are usually thinking, introspecting, or analyzing.
You have a good mind, and you are especially good at finding out the truth.
Very little ever escapes your observation and deep understanding.

You tend to obsess over wisdom and hidden truths.
You are likely to become a authority on any subject you undertake.
Operating on a different wavelength, most people don't know you that well.

Very logical and rational, at times you tend to lack emotion.
So much so, that you often have times coping with emotional situations.
You are not very adaptable - you may tend to be overly critical at times.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Dakota is gorgeous. I hope she fills the space left by Bailey a little (because she can't replace it completely), good luck with the puppy training!

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry you lost your dog, Bailey. I haven't been able to get a dog for over five years since I lost my beloved Lab, PJ. Your new dog is a real cutie. I was visiting from Cre8buzz and then I realised you know Groovy Old Lady. It is a small world, indeed!

Judy said...

bother.. I'm number three.. does that mean I can't play? Of course not.... off I got to play even if I'm not a "winner" here ;-).... WAIT, WAIT... nobody else requested, right??? Does that mean it's me????

Sarita Leone said...

So happy to hear you have a new member in your household! YAY!! And that is one little sweetie, too. Feeling very warm over your news, thanks for sharing it with us. :)

Charity Tahmaseb said...

Very cute pup! Uh, no craft request from me. Me + crafts does NOT = pay it forward. It's pretty much the opposite of paying it forward. There's a complicated equation that backs this up, but I'm too tired to type it out.

Melissa McClone said...

Dakota is beautiful. Congrats on the new addition to your family.

Have fun in the snow!

Tori Lennox said...

Dakota is darling!!! I love that face!!!

I hope your power doesn't go out. *hugs*

My Expression Number is 1
You have the skills to be a top executive or businessperson. But first you must develop your natural capacity to be a good leader. You are truly original - with a creative approach to life and a very sharp mind.

You reach for the sky, and you have the potential to reach it. Assertive and straight forward, you have little need for supervision. You are self-confident, self-reliant, and courageous in your convictions.

While you sometimes fear loneliness, you prefer to be left alone. A bit self centered, you may be hard to life with at times. You also have a strong dominant streak - which can push others away at times.


Well, I know I probably AM hard to live with. *g* Not at all sure about that dominant thing, though. LOL!

Dru said...

Dakota is so adorable. I just want to hug him.

My Expression Number is 7.

Dru said...

I'm going to do the Pay it forward.

groovyoldlady said...

I WUV DAKOTA!!!!!!!

:-D

I'm a "2": A mediator and peacemaker, you get along well with others.
You light up in group situations, but struggle when you're alone.
Modest and understated, you accomplish more than you give yourself credit for.

Cooperative, courteous, and considerate are words people use to describe you.
You know how to handle anyone, no matter how much of a pain they might be.
Tactful and friendly, nearly everyone who knows you admires you.

Sometimes you are overly sensitive and easily hurt.
When you get too sensitive, you can become shy and uncertain.
At your worst, you can be apathetic and withdrawn.


Hmm, well I am a peacemanker. But the rest is WAY off the mark. Way WAY off the mark!

Bailey Stewart said...

***Your Expression Number is 9***


An idealist and humanitarian, you strive to make the world a better place.
You do your best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion.
Deep down, you dream of being loved by many.

You are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others.
While you are very ambitious, you never lose site of perspective.
You have an abundance of creative talents... you just need to tap into them.

Although you are a giving person, you can become selfish if you are ignored.
If you are not able to help people, you tend to shelf your talents.
Without others, you become aloof and start to lack sensitivity.


Creative talent? Hopefully writing, but not crafting, so I'm not doing the pay it forward thing.

Dakota is beautiful!

Brandy said...

Awww, Dakota is gorgeous! And very lucky to have such a loving new home.
My Life # was 4. "Practical and down to earth - everything in your life is organized.
You are a great writer and teacher. You never forget a detail.
Very patient, you have the ability to cultivate talents in difficult fields.

You also tend to have an artistic side. You'd make a great architect or classical musician.
You face your responsibilities with a positive attitude - and you always get things done.
You are serious, sincere, honest, and faithful.

Sometimes your strong sense of responsibility leads to frustration.
You also tend to develop strong likes and dislikes, which border on dogmatism.
At you're worst, you can be a dominant disciplinarian."
Okay, me-a writer? Ha! No. And Dominant disciplinarian? HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Have a wonderful tuesday.

Alice said...

Dakota looks like a darling! Very pretty girl. :D

Allie Boniface said...

So happy that you have a new addition to the family :)

Jen said...

Oh!!! SO cute!!! I love goldens - they are just the sweetest ever!