Happy Birthday Simba!

It is hard to believe we rescued our little king Simba ten (yes, I said TEN) years ago...and to think I was furious when my husband called and told me he adopted a dog...now I can't live without him...

We adopted Simba from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, here in Des Moines. To be honest, at the time, I really didn't want a dog - I just felt they were a lot of work and responsibility and my plate is usually quite full...but my husband was very adamant about bringing a dog into our household. He actually wanted a larger hunting dog and had been (unsuccessfully) trying to talk me into one for several years. I'll never forget the phone call I received from him the day after Thanksgiving telling me he just rescued a dog - of course I was at work (typical "do it now, ask for forgiveness later"). He told me he was picking me up from work and he would have our new dog with him....and to my surprise it was a Shih Tzu - a much smaller dog than I expected. At that time, Simba wasn't in the best of shape - you could tell he had not been well cared for - but as soon as I sat down in the vehicle, he curled up in a little ball on my lap and just looked up at me with the most amazing eyes - I was done for! Poor baby was completely shaved, micro-chipped, fixed, and got an array of tests and shots within about 24 hours - plus a brand new home...but he never lost his sweet, calm, and loving demeanor. When we adopted him, the ARL thought he was about a year old, so we celebrate his birthday every (day after) Thanksgiving...so today (Friday) he turned 11 (wow, how time flies!)...and although he came to us in pretty bad shape, he now lives like a KING (yes, my friends and family will tell you how much I spoil him)...just look at that happy face in the photo above!

Simba is definitely a lap dog and is his happiest when he can be on mine...in fact, he gets quite frustrated when I am working or in my studio. He has two beds that he will sleep in when a lap is unavailable...and one is right at my feet at my work desk...he is always by my side. Here he is perturbed that I am working...I just love that face...

....and in other dog news...we pick up Schatzi (our German Shepherd puppy) in Minnesota next weekend...yep, her two months of formal obedience training are almost complete and we are picking her up on December 7th. She is now nine months old (can you believe it?)...we can't wait to see her and see how much she has learned! We worked with her extensively before she left for boot camp, so we hope she had a great foundation for the last two months of training (which included: confidence building, obedience training, proper etiquette, field trips, running on a treadmill, and socialization with other dogs). I'm sure I'll have a very good update for you when she is home. Here is a photo we received this week (she is with Josiah, one of the trainers at  Neuman K-9 Academy) - she went on a field trip to the local strip mall in White Bear Lake, MN, where she practiced obedience in the presence of distractions like people going in or out of stores, dogs walking with owners, traffic, delivery trucks, and overall obedience in a new place...she also practiced holding a down stay on the sidewalk next to traffic, auto sitting and focusing before the crosswalk, waiting to get out of a vehicle, and impulse control....she also worked on good etiquette when meeting and greeting people...

On the creative front, I have been focused on the two new winter designs I will be shipping in a few days..."Woodland Tree Farm" and "Quilt Block Christmas"...both are in the final stages of printing production and I am hoping to start shipping them to shops by mid-week - I will do a blog post that focuses on each design in the next day or two, so you will have all the juicy details. I have also been working on a pair of designs for The World of Cross Stitching magazine...and a special video project for Annie's Publishing...plus a pile of other Blue Ribbon Designs deadlines and ideas. Busy is a blessing and I am finally getting back in the swing of things after my trip to California and the Komen 3-Day walk. I'll be back soon to tell you all about "Woodland Tree Farm"....