It was a dream day here yesterday. I didn't have much work to do so I took some time on the computer to research various things and I caught up with my friend Morag on Skype. Lunch was leftovers, so no cooking, in the afternoon I made a batch of yoghurt.
Yes, that is mud on her nose.
She's watching Hanno here. He was digging in the garden. As soon as he left, she dug there too. ;- )
Inspecting the Italian thyme.
She could hear the kids playing next door so she sat and listened to them for a while.
Gracie and I spent time in the garden so she can become accustomed to the sights and smells there. She such a scallywag! She started digging in the garden bed Hanno weeded and prepared for planting today. She sat at the chicken run gate and watched the chooks. She was scared by cockatoos screeching in the trees overhead and when the kids next door came home from school, she sat and listened intently to them play. She was born into a family with six children so I'm guessing she's missing them.
Inside she runs off with our shoes and shakes the living daylights out of her pink and while sponge ball. She's constantly with us. She loves sitting next to either of us with her body touching our feet. I'm pleased to tell you she's been an absolute delight and hasn't cried at night at all. Toilet training is going slowly but she's only two months old so I'm not worried about it. Overall she continues to be a dream puppy.
Today will be busier because I'll cook lunch and I have plans to make lemon cordial and a batch of calendula soap. Two litres of lemon juice is defrosting on the sink and soon I'll strain calendula-infused olive oil for the soap. I haven't made soap for a while and I'm looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it turns out. Life is slowly returning to how it was before I started writing books. There is time for friends, reading, research, crafts and wandering around the garden with nothing much to do. There is a lot to be said for dawdling. It might not look like much is going on but often it's exactly what's need to keep going.
She has stolen my heart already! What fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda, Gracie is just beautiful, she has fitted well, into your lives. Have a great day of cooking and soap making. Fi
ReplyDeleteDawdling....now THAT could heal a bit of my head-space I am pretty sure. I am going to plan to dawdle at some point today. Gracie seems to be fitting in real quick - what a cutie.
ReplyDeleteShe sure is a little cutie
ReplyDeleteI don't think Gracie could be any cuter.
ReplyDeleteHello Rhonda, 'our Gracie' is so beautiful, it makes me happy to read you had such a lovely simple day yesterday. I made soap from your recipe on the weekend and it's hardening off of the laundry bench, it's a very good soap with just the right lather and very moisturising. My husband used to get excema until I started making your soap recipe and the laundry liquid recipe. Also I have a basket of lemons waiting to be made in to your cordial recipe too. We make quite a few things around here courtesy of your shared information. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to your books and blog my family have benefitted tremendously.
ReplyDeleteOh what a cutie!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a lovely day yesterday. Gracie is just gorgeous. I am still missing our kelpie cross, Chloe, who passed away earlier this year. She used to love hanging out by the fence to watch the neighbours chooks.
ReplyDeleteDawdle away!
ReplyDeleteWhen I dawdle there are always little waiting patiently for action chores ready.... A paper to fill out, husbands tie to repair, weeding in certain garden areas. But it is all so very good as I feel recharged and happy that a chore is finally out of the way- for now :)
ReplyDeleteLove your cute dog. Gracie at this size reminds me of a little Scottie dog.
Alexa-asimplelife visiting from Sydney
Sounds like a perfectly wonderful day. Its funny how wonderful being at home seems after a busy period isn't it? Just that time to be and fill our souls again. Even if the busy season is wonderful and full of its own blessings, the quieter times are all the sweeter. I have about 2.5 weeks of uni left this semester and I am so looking forward to the spare time that occurs, and the spare headspace.
ReplyDeletexx
Those bright little eyes would enchant me until I couldn't be more productive than playing with her... which is just enough... What a doll baby!
ReplyDeleteClever Gracie. You see, if Hanno thought it was a good place to dig, he might have buried his bone there....
ReplyDeleteThat face of Gracie's is just the medicine needed to cheer a person up! She is absolutely adorable! How do you get anything done with that new puppy around??? I really need to get in gear and teach myself how to make soap. I have a book I won from a blogger here in the states on making soap. Of course, I have to locate it! We are getting into our winter weather here and things have slowed down. I expect that will be even slower in the next few days as we have a big storm moving in. When it gets cold like it is now, I think about making bread. It will warm up the house and give us something to savor while the wind blows...comfort food for me!
ReplyDeleteMiss Gracie is a honey! I hope to have dawdle time this coming weekend, dawdle down to the veggie patch and plant out the tomato seedlings.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a dog person but I think I could have a Gracie! She is adorable!
ReplyDeleteDawdling is exactly what I'm trying to do lately Rhonda, doing things at a slower pace & amazingly still getting the chores done. Starting to feel more relaxed at last. So happy for you that beautiful little Gracie is settling in so well.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds ideal to me, when you are in the crazy busy stage of life that I am in right now, days like that are rare and cherished.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a perfect day, Gracie just makes it all the better. Woo xx
ReplyDeletewhat a clever puppy! isn't she just gorgeous?! mmm, she probably is missing the kids, somewhat, coming from quite a crowd down to two must take a bit of getting used to!
ReplyDeleteenjoying these posts very much, thank you Rhonda & Hanno
i also still miss my B.B. dog
selina from kilkivan qld
Oh. My. Goodness. Look at that little face! ;)
ReplyDeleteGracie is having fun and learning along too.
ReplyDeleteSo cute!
Gracie is beautiful. I'm so glad that you have her. She will bring so much joy to your lives. Thank you for your blog, it reminds me of my mother before she retreated into herself and stopped doing much beyond existing.
ReplyDelete--Ave
I love the sweet face on your puppy. I am sure she does miss her first family. We had puppies 1 time. After that I swore not to do it again. We let our female dachshund breed with a good friend's male. First it was difficult going. She would not let him near her. Then, when he finally caught her it was never 'enough' already. Finally we sent him home and just waited. Took our girl to the vet and yes, she was pregnant. Doctor swore to us that 3 to 4 puppies would be max on a first and only litter. (He did not tell Trixie that) On July 4th, 2000, she was crying and acting crazy. She would not lay down, her daddy (she was my husband's girl) could not comfort her. We did not dream she was in labor as it was too early. The doctor told us 66 days and it was only day 59. There were lots of fire works going on, we figured she was just scared of that. Finally after hours of putting up with her my husband picked her up and put her into our bed. She settled down and went to sleep. A few hours later my husband turned on the light and told me "I am wet" and then we heard it. Peggy Sue (the only girl) was born, and the first boy was delivered into my hands as my husband put Trixie into the bed we had made for her. We were up the rest of the night and she went on to deliver 4 more boys. A total of 6 puppies. We did not sell any of them. We gave them away to people we knew so we could keep up with them. To this day I know where all but 1 of her babies is. (One was stolen from the back yard of some dear friends, so we do not know where Rocket is) Trixie grieved and grieved so much for those babies after we gave them away. She looked all over the house for them for weeks. Finally she did settle down and Peggy Sue was her best friend as long as she lived. Peggy Sue is 16 now. She is an old girl, but she is so loved. She is still a daddy's girl. She even sleeps with him.
ReplyDeleteFor you who are wondering, yes, we did get a new mattress after the birth of those babies in our bed.
Hi Roxie700
DeleteGracie's breeder here. I can so relate to what you're saying! This is our first litter of puppies and it's really hard. Today we have to say goodbye to the second last puppy and we have only got grace's brother Fergus for one more week and then they will all be gone. It's tough I'm fighting back the tears today as it sinks in that all our beautiful Scotty babies will be gone. That's why it's so comforting to my family and I that we can see little grace on this blog and watch her grow up. Thanks so much Rhonda it means the world to us. Why it is hard for us we take happiness from the fact that so many other families are now able to experience scotties love. Because there's nothing quite like it. I look forward to the next instalment of a day in the life of Gracie.
Alannah
Yes, keeping up with the baby will be a joy. I am sure she has a wonderful new home with humans who will take good care of her. I know it is silly to cast 'human' feelings on a dog, but I swear to you our Trixie did grieve so hard for her babies I swore never again. We had Peggy Sue spade when she was 3 months old. To my knowledge all of the babies are alive at age 16. That is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI love dogs so much. We have 3 rescue dogs. I even risked my life to save a dog. Some would call me dumb, but to me a life is a life. Even an animal life.
Gracie is a beauty!
ReplyDeleteGracie is so adorable!
ReplyDeleteRhonda, she is just so sweet! We are mourning the loss of our Cody this week. We adopted him in 2006, not long after J and I started dating, so he's been with us for the entire haul. I'm feeling a little bit lost, even with two littles and another dog to keep me busy. Snuggle your little furball tight! I look forward to reading about her adventures.
ReplyDeleteAwwww, I'm so sorry to read about Cody. I'm sure you and J have many fond memories. It does take a while to accept the death of a pet. It took me five years to even start to think about another dog. Be kind to yourself, love.
DeleteHi! I'm new here but so happy to find this blog. :)
ReplyDeleteFor several years we've been trying to live a bit slower life than usual in our family. (It all started from the Simple Things Magazine but then just grew and grew). Making your food, clothes and things, giving a new life to old forgotten staff, using car less and biking more. What a difference it makes!
Thank you for your posts here. I stay to be with you :)
Greetings from a small (only 700 people in total) Hungarian village in the middle of the hills, Szvetlana