The Professor married my mother!!!!

I wanted to start out this missive with a picture of my beautiful girl April.  She sometimes is overlooked in our Lilac Thicket like she is an ugly stepchild.  Rose is such a beautiful dog and her friendly nature draws the attention of everyone away from April.  April is 7 years old and her mother was an Australian Shepherd and her father the Chow next door.  One night after an evening of howling at the full moon, her Mom felt a little reckless and jumped the fence.  9 weeks later she had a litter of the cutest puppies, but her family couldn't overcome the shame of having mixed breed pups and you know tails, I mean, tongues will wag!

April, who was then known as Cheyenne was the runt of the litter and at 3 months she stubbornly refused to stop nursing.  So the family had her spayed and one day when I was returning dead fish to Petsmart I saw the cutest ever pup chasing balls and butterflies on a little triangle of grass in the parking lot.  I saw a lady sitting in a lawn chair and a sign "Free To Good Home".  I have never understood the logic of a sign like that, I mean would you admit you came from a "bad" home?  Well guess what came home with me?  A scared bundle of fur with the cutest pink foot pads and a tongue that refused to stay in the mouth for very long.

Ape, Missy K-Boo, Poohberry, April Mae June, Hoggie Doggie, Mutton Head, Damn Dog and many other cute little nicknames hang around her furry neck.  Her tongue still doesn't stay in her mouth very long, she is perpetually hot because she has a lot of fur and she is a one person dog.  She would protect me to her death and her world stops when I walk out the door.  When I do leave her outside, she is at the fence and hours later when I come home she is still at the fence...waiting for me.

April adores her surrogate Mom, Rose.  Rose has taught April how to be a dog.  Rose has taught her to bury everything, howl at the sirens and train whistles, fence perimeter patrol and carry around dead animals in her mouth.  Most often April will NOT go out by herself, she waits for Rose or I to go out and then she happily follows us.  

April's favorite food is anything I am eating.  She likes to herd me by nudging her nose in my rear end which is always shocking when I am getting dressed and I bend over to slip into my snickers and a cold nose is thrust into my backside.  Her favorite toy is my fuzzy slipper which when missing has to be retrieved from the back yard. 

April is very sketchy around the Professor, even though he declares he doesn't "dislike" her, his behavior around her is definitely different.  She will growl around him and try to get out of his way when he walks into a room.  This behavior may stem from the fact that he tries to be affectionate by banging her on the head with whatever is in his hand.  I am still working on his behavior.  Life in the Thicket is challenging these days for April and for me because of the wary truce the two of them have.  I don't intend on getting rid of either so they will both have to learn to get along.  If one day you see some fat woman with cute hair go screaming down your street, that would be me!  Just call the men with the little white coats and the happy pills.

I hear you say "dandelions"!  What do dandelions have to do with our Lilac Thicket?  Well besides having a lawn full of them, I have heard that dandelion roots are a mild diuretic!  My ankles swell to discomfort in the hot weather.  I want to try them and see if they work.  I will keep you informed. 

Sharon Crescent now has hand dyed rick rack, I love it and may have to purchase some...yes one more thing on my wish list, is anyone counting?  How many things are on that perpetual list? 

 http://stumblesandstitches.blogspot.com/ Aren't these darling ornaments and I am going to have to place her blog in my blog list because she does cute things with felt!

http://www.purlbee.com/felt-flower-winter-wreath/ I really thought this was pretty and again, this gal's blog is going on my blog list too!

http://sewmuch2luv.blogspot.com/  This lady is making flannel baby wipes and selling them in her Etsy shop.  I thought it was a cool idea and with all the babies that are coming in my world they might be a great gift.

Fly Me to the Moon by Heaven and Earth Designs.  I saw this design and I fell in love with it.  It's huge and I doubt I will buy it but if anyone wants to stitch it for me and send it to me I have a lovely spot to hang it. 

Midnight Ride from Blackberry Lane Designs.  I love their Christmas designs and have a couple in my stash.  Do I need this one?  No!  Do I want this one?  YES!!!!!

http://hensteethart.blogspot.com/2011/07/sparkle-in-your-eyes-keeps-me-alive.html I think these little bags are so romantic and they suit my girlish nature.  I would be the envy of every woman in the place!

I snapped this picture of the spouse squirrel that I mentioned in my last entry!  He is all suited up to do battle and dig up the Professor's coleus!  I think he has seen the Prof bang April on the head and so he wants to protect himself just in case he is caught in the act.  Just this morning the Professor got mad because April AND his beloved Rose barked at him as he came into the kitchen.  Of course he blamed April and shooed them out the back door.  I looked at him and told him she would come right back in because he hadn't shut the door.  He looked at me and said I sounded just like my mother.  I told him my handwriting is like hers, my gestures are like hers, I laugh like her, I look like her and my gosh I think HE married my mother.  He laughed and said "but your mother doesn't swear".  I said well she isn't perfect then!  

Gentle Kindred Spirits, keep cool in the heat and keep looking up and forward!  God Bless Us Everyone!