Earlier this year, my husband helped me gather some vines in the woods to make a wreath. I’d added a few dried hydrangeas and turkey feathers to it for fall.
When it came time to redo the mantle for Christmas, I was still enjoying the look. So my changes are minimal. The feathers were plucked from the wreath, and more dried blooms were tucked into the branches. Nothing is glued or wired, so redos are as simple as sticking stems into the twisted vines.
The plan was to hang some ornaments on it too, but I decided to keep it simple.
For sparkle, I did add a few ornies to the candle holders next to my Great Aunt Caroline’s clock.
A flocked garland was laid along the oak mantle, and I thought I was done. But then, I had to figure out a safe place to store all of the hydrangeas I’d dried from the garden and displayed around the house. I’d taken them down to make way for Christmas trees and didn’t want them to get smashed.
For the twenty plus years we have lived here, I desperately tried to grow hydrangeas. I have no idea the body count of plants that I killed over the years. I figured I should just be planting twenty dollar bills and save myself some effort.
Then 2020 rolls around. The year that sucks for the entire world. Everyone but the hydrangeas in my garden!
My harvest was gorgeous and plentiful. And I am happy to have the mantle focused on one bright spot of this year.
When we lost Ryan, friends and family were generous in their out pouring of caring. Lots of kind messages and keepsakes came our way.
So much thoughtfulness, that I decided I needed to be a better friend. I saw examples of caring that touched me deeply and taught me how much reaching out to a person in pain helps them. We were also given rose bushes and trees to plant which were meaningful, because Ryan had always been the guy who planted things for me. We have those around the area where we hung the wind chimes that came in his honor too.
Recently, long time friends had a Sunset Maple with a memorial plaque planted for our boy at the Lawrence Arboretum.
(It is the first tree on the left when you enter)
Ryan and I spent hours walking the dogs on trails, but had never been to this park yet. We typically strolled through trails and around ponds in the neighborhoods near us. We had started to explore some other walkways around town and were making a list of places we wanted to drive to. He would’ve liked the arboretum, and now that I’ve been there, it is a favorite of mine.
Was our cross country trip to pass out puppies only four nights? So many miles, so many places, so many happenings, all in just a few days? Days were long in the car, but between audio books, This American Life podcasts, and naps, it wasn’t bad. We stopped every couple of hours for the pups to stretch their legs, and they all travelled well. They peed on command and mostly slept while driving. Each day we tried to get as far as we could towards our next meet up location and the puppy owners were kind enough to be flexible along with us.
Our hotel stops weren’t planned very far in advance, but we got lucky in finding ideal places with ground floor rooms. Although, I am afraid that I didn’t take advantage of that in the middle of the night. Instead, I was so tired that I lazily sat pups on their peepads instead of leashing them for a walk at 3am. This resort in Tarrytown, NY was our favorite stop. Ruby’s family lived in Manhattan, and obliged us by driving a half hour to meet outside of the city to get her. She is a lucky pup who will live on Central Park.
The hotel was an old estate on a hill overlooking the Hudson transformed into a resort. I would’ve loved to stay longer and explore, but we had a mission. I felt a little like Santa, flying across country to bring joy.
We did get in to Tarrytown early enough for a delicious room service, Asian meal. Restaurants were out due to not only Covid, but to having a passel of pups with us.
Ruby’s family brought us fresh, NY bagels! We got up early to let the babies frolic on the expansive lawns and figured we’d eat a granola bar in the car after Ruby left. These were a magnificent surprise!
And the world’s most delicious bagel. So was the cream cheese. It was so Rich, that it was almost an ivory tone. Do they mix it with butter there?
Delicious!
Driving across country during a pandemic can be eerie. We were extra careful, but it was disconcerting to see so many people with no masks (mostly in Missouri and Indiana) unlike the area we live in. I doubled up and wore a face shield too.
We listened to the news reports of the cases soaring, and swore to be even more careful than planned. We couldn’t do typical tourist stuff, or explore much. We wanted to get back home safely and quickly.
Our first stop in Indiana at my sister’s was much too fleeting, and our first night with the pups was stressful at the hotel.
But finding this mansion estate (under $200, including pet fees) turned our trip around.
We decided then, that we were going to try local foods as we drove cross country and upgrade our hotels along the way. We spent more, but it made the trip feel like a get away, not a chore.
We had a car picnic at a really nice seafood restaurant in Mendon, MA after dropping off a Teddy. (In the two litters, we had three Teddies and one Freddy)
That lucky boy lives in a wonderful home by a lake now.
That night, we stayed in Buffalo at a Hyatt Place. Not a mansion, but a perfect hotel for puppies. There wasn’t as much for them to get into there, those rooms are streamlined. Other places had dangling cords or other temptations. I think Hyatt Place is ready for pets nationwide and most other chains just accommodate animals on an individual basis.
We’ve always been fans of this brand anyway, it’s a well run, comfortable place to stay. I wish we had chosen one on our first night on the road, but that was before we decided to not be on a tight budget and to enjoy the trip.
The puppies are supposed to be a business for me, but they are so much more than that. So, why should I try to be frugal and make a profit on the drive to get them to their homes? We figured it was much more pleasant to treat this adventure as a getaway, because there aren’t very many of those in this day and age.
After getting another Teddy (the poor boy whose previous family didn’t want him) to his Wisconsin family who met us in Chicago, we drove around to sight see and stopped at Portillo's, to get a Chicago style dinner to go.
Local foods made our trip so much more interesting than typical drive thrus would have. And the change of attitude did too. But the best part of the trip? We came home with Molasses, “Molly”. I kept thinking we should try to sell her too, and had many offers. She came with us on the drive as kind of an interview process to see if we were keeping her.
While she was a perfect pup, and quite mellow, I was still iffy.
People asked us if we were keeping her, I answered maybe, Rich always answered yes. I was still getting emails from interested buyers and just couldn’t commit.
Finally, he made me see that she was already family. And now that we are home, tearing down the puppy corrals, packing up supplies, I am so glad that she is here. It is the six month anniversary of Ryan’s death, and I don’t think I could handle losing all sixteen puppies on top of that.
This girl has sweet Angel wings on her chest, that make me think she was sent to me from Ryan to give me someone who loves hugs as much as he always did.
You know who else was glad we kept her? These two mamas were overwhelmed with joy when we got back!
Our cross country adventure with four dogs unexpectedly turned into five dogs instead.
This guy needed to be picked up in Nebraska the night before we left for NY. My husband was my hero, Rich sped off to get the Butterball on a moment’s notice after his new owners decided that his puppyness was a bit much for him.
I stayed behind to get this Sugar Baby sent off with his new family.
It looks like he is happy at his home with a forever best friend.
I’d also made an airport drop off for this baby to go to her mom who was arriving from California.
Plus, we were in the midst of a too short visit from Dewdrop and her daddy. A drive to Nebraska wasn’t in our plans the night before we headed out on a cross country jaunt.
But- No Man Left Behind! We were not leaving him where he was not wanted, so he hit the road with us.
Good thing that he came along, or he would have missed the joys of exploring a hotel room. The puppies were completely mesmerized by the toilet.
They were actually pretty good in the rooms for the most part. Their excitement of being out of the car led to some noise control problems, but overall, they were well behaved.
I am soooooooo happy I trained them to use potty pads as well as to go outside. Being mostly housebroken really helped.
Our first stop was Indiana, where the pups could stretch their legs in Sissy’s pretty, custom fence.
We left Ryder there with Jo Jo.
Her name is after my Ryan, who is JoRenda’s cousin. Ryder has already had her first photo shoot, and she is a talented model. That girl loves to show off her sitting up skills.
We missed her, but I have to admit that five dogs on a road trip is a lot.
On our first pit stop, I struggled to attach leashes on the waterfall of puppies pouring out of their crate, and thought I’d walk them all while Rich grabbed coffee.
It didn’t occur to me that five little babies together added up to over 70lbs and i was very quickly overwhelmed. They wove their leashes in and out and around my legs, then drug me down into a ditch that I couldn’t escape from. I had to holler for Rich to unwrap me and pull me up from the pit I’d been tugged into.
Did I mention there was a dead raccoon in the ditch that they desperately wanted to get to and I desperately wanted to keep them away from?
These might not be picture perfect, but they were tasty, and fun to make.
Well, not as much fun as they could have been. With Stupid Covid around, we couldn’t do group treat making.
Originally, I’d planned on making the shells and having trays of goodies for the grand fairies to fill them with. Instead, I made them myself, kept it simple and just filled them with marshmallows.
The first step is melting the chocolate and lining silicone molds with it.
Since the shell is what stirs into the hot milk to make it chocolate, don’t use those paraffin tasting fake chocolate melts. Use something delicious like Ghiradelli chips.
After the chocolate sets up, carefully pop it out of the mold and fill it with whatever you like in your cocoa. I’d like to make them again and add some peppermints or a little instant coffee for a mocha.
Once filled, smear a bit of melted chocolate on the rim of one piece to use as glue, and firmly but gently, push two pieces together.
Then, warm your milk, place a bomb in a mug, and pour the milk over it.
I realized it was called a bomb because the shell melts quickly and the marshmallows pop suddenly to the top. Sorry, no photos of the end product or popping marshmallows. Due to Stupid Covid, we sipped our mugs of deliciousness outside by the fire in the dark.
Which I will not complain about, because we are dang lucky to be able to get together with family and enjoy treats together. And we were blessed with lovely weather to be outside in.
But I think he is building it as a meditation, to help his grieving. Much like me filling my arms with puppies.
Both of us are working nonstop on our projects, he drives the gator through the woods, measuring tree circumferences to find the perfect size to harvest and stack for his walls.
I tend to, clean up after, snuggle and train way too many puppies.
Each of us are fulfilled in our own ways, while exhausted and worn out at the end of the day. Yet with a sense of accomplishment.
Grieving takes many forms, and we were both lucky enough to find something that helps ease the pain that never leaves, but can be soothed.
Although, there are also moments where our busywork backfires. Ryan was always such a huge help with the past litters. I get jabbed by memories of him laughing at silly puppies. Or slammed with overwhelming loneliness when I tuck the babies in at night and he isn’t by my side.
Ryan used to help us with projects outside, but I doubt if he’d have been into the cabin idea. Still, he had a genuine curiosity and appreciation for whatever we were doing and would want to go for a walk around the yard after he got off work to see what we’d done that day.
Plus, that man was STRONG, he worked out daily.
He’d have helped heft some of those larger logs if Rich asked him for help, even if he didn’t particularly want to be a log cabin builder. I don’t know, maybe he would have liked the construction part. He loved watching HGTV building and remodeling shows.
The time with my puppies is ending soon. Four have already left, and over the next two weeks, they will trickle away from me.
To send them off, I’m making up bags of toys, blankets, and useful doggy items.
Honey helped me with the job, she wore all of the baby blankets and played with each toy so her scent would be on them.
The bags I found were a mix of designs, my faves are the “Honey” bee prints.
In each one is a baby book.
They hold weights, Med records, photos and other info.
A lot of pages are left empty so the new owners can add their own mementos.
I hope the families like the books, but I made them mostly for myself. They were invaluable in keeping me organized. Sometimes it was hard to tell those pups apart, and having descriptions and pictures in a book for each really helped.
I haven’t done this with past litters, but I sure will with future ones.
Guncle Randy came to visit last week and we had big plans for crafting every day in the studio while puppies ran around our feet.
Then this happened. Poor, little Freddy got sick. And the weather turned snowy, so the other pups were cooped up indoors. Not only was I up with Freddy throughout the night, holding him, medicating him and getting him to the vet, I had major cleanup to do nonstop with 15 other pups who couldn’t go outside to play. 16 pups are a ton of work on a good day, if you want to do it right. It’s important to keep them and their area clean, if you want to housebreak them. They need to know that pottying just anywhere isn’t allowed, so if they do, it needs mopped up. And the scent needs to be removed so they learn that isn’t the spot to go in.
Oh, they got fleas too. And were too young for chemicals. They had to be bathed and gone over with a flea comb, it was the only treatment I could do. Sixteen little wrigglers who needed to be gone over with a fine tooth comb multiple times isn’t a speedy activity.
And with new families being far away, or not able to visit due to covid, I want lots of photos to send to them. Plus, the dogs need to learn manners, I have to de-worm them, do their shots, make special food, and most of all, snuggle them, of course.
(Videos of the babies can be found on Instagram at Cottage Doodles, and a few are on my FB page)
They also needed their fluffy butts shaved for sanitary reasons. Which reminds me, I think they are due for another shave before they go home next week…
But we did not give up. We might not have done all the fun plans we had (face painting for Halloween, working in the studio, watching horror movies all week) but we did squeeze in an hour of air dry clay crafts in front of The Witches.
I made this doodle out of clay, Guncle Randy whipped up some pumpkins. But I was too tired to stay up for the end of the movie. I knew I’d be up taking care of my little buddy, Fred during the night, and needed at least a bit of sleep.
Since Randy has gone, the weather cleared so the babies are running (and pooping) outdoors, and Freddy Puppy is doing better.
I had time to paint the clay piece to look like a Bernadoodle for a friend (she raises those) and make some doodle face cupcakes for her birthday too.
What a relief to have this sick boy feeling like himself again!
What a darling guy he is. After having him inside with me all week, and watching him struggle to survive, while staying soooooo sweet and loving, it will be hard to say goodbye next week.
Even at his sickest, he tried to drag himself to his pee pads, and now that he is running around, he is extra good at hitting them. What a good boy. He is able to go on walks with the other pups, but mostly lives inside with us. He has this playpen to sleep in, and it is so handy. Huge and ugly, but handy.
We will use it in hotel rooms when we deliver puppies to the east coast, it folds up in seconds.
Thank you for all of your well wishes for this pup.
And thank you, Randy for your support. Sorry it was such a hectic, stressful visit.
Sugar has proven to be an excellent mother. Honey is all business and works hard with them while they are tiny, then helps clean both litters, and as they get bigger, wrestles and plays with them.
Sugar just snuggles and lays with them all and seems very loving with the babies. When they were newborns, she would carefully wrap her body around them, and Honey would plop right down on hers. I lost many nights of sleep from checking on Honey's litter and saving puppies she had laid on.
Sugar has also dug a puppy sized hole for them to curl up in.
But this is a bit much. She carefully carried a vole that she'd dug up back to give to the pups.
With her golden retriever heritage, she was able to carry it gently without hurting it, to give to the pups as a toy to chase.
But we caught her in time, and I have to say that I was not as gentle as she was. I reached in her mouth and pulled the gross little varmit out and flung it over the fence.
It kinda looks happy there, doesn't it? Like it is cozy and enjoys being carried around? I doubt if it found the flight over the fence quite as much fun.
