Lyric's pregnancy--two weeks to go!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Wow--where did the time go? I realized today that the reason I have been a bit "ho-hum" about Christmas is that I am way more excited about the puppies! I have all my decorations up and I am ready for the adult kids to descend, but right after they leave, I am getting the house back in order before I am too busy to clean it all up! So, I believe the word is "Anticipation"--just like the old Carly Simon song. (Who is old enough to remember it?)

Lyric, on the other hand, is all mellowed out-- she has gotten more and more round each day and, instead of running around and playing with toys 24/7, she has gotten to be a really good napper. She loves the coldest corners of the house and will seek them out to sleep in. (Our house was built in 1790 and has no insulation, so there are some really cold corners!) I also notice that she wants to grab up any stuffed animal with a face and hoard it--nesting behavior I am sure. In this house, that is a bit of a problem. I collect and make teddy bears and they are everywhere--I have also put out a lot of Christmas decorations that have attracted her. Normally, she pays no attention to them and just plays with her own toys. But now, she will stand and look at them longingly, then look over at me and woof softly to let me know that she wants them. Luckily, she has been really good at the "leave it" command and has not taken anything...yet.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

You are a very talented animal creator in the stuffed and soon to be real realm. We need you in the DIY group and the soon, I hope, to be created buy, sell trade group whatever it may be called. That way you could help those who want to make their own and those would just would like to own or gift a similar cutie.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/diydoityourself

[Ginny Nightingale]

It's almost Christmas which means we have less than ten  days to go to puppies--Lyric is doing well, sleeping alot, eating well and even running around now and then! She loves to roll in the snow and get totally cooled off. Her tummy has really filled out. 

The kids are starting to arrive for the holiday and she is much more mellow around them--hope it lasts!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Wow! There are a lot of ideas there! The new owners name them, though! I am not keeping them all! My breeder gives them their official names which are all musical names because her business is near Tanglewood, the famous summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. My dog that I call Mattie has the official name "Aida Verdi" and Lyric's full name is Lyric Contata!! Her hubby is "Do-re-mi"! So some possible names are things like Sonatina, Arpeggio, etc. We'll see!

[Laney Owen]

What are you going to name the pups? I like the names Mocha, Dunkin, Tinkerbell, Sadie, Donut, Deisel, Rummy, Tucker, Pooh, Bear, Socket, Ralph, Chocolate, Haley, Doofus, Roofus, Slippers, Skittles, Mia, Jerry, Tom, Toothless, Frisky, Peanut Butter, Salt, and pepper. If you have any others. let me know! LOL!

 

[Ginny Nightingale]

OK--now remember you asked to see the collection Lucy and Sophie's mom--this isn't the whole thing, but I went around the house and took some pictures and also had some on file. Some of these I made--I will try to point those out. They are made of mohair (from a goat, woven onto cloth) and are jointed and stuffed with polyfill. The eyes are glass and the nose/ mouth is embroidered. I have made dogs too as you shall see. Here is Molly--I made her.

 

Next is Pete--a terrier puppy. I made him too (these two are available for purchase, by the way!)

Sorry--can't seem to insert the one that isn't sideways...Here he is again:

Here are some bears that I have made...this is Moon

And here are Ling Ling, Sweetie and Daisy--all from the same pattern!

Had enough? Just one more for now and then more later...

This is a Pekingnese puppy I made for a customer. Her dog had died and she gave me a picture of her as a puppy and I had to recreate it--oy, nerve-wracking work! But, thankfully, the woman loved the final product.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I will see what I can find--I can't possibly send pictures of ALL of them! There are too many! But I will put a few pictures together for you.

Lyric just got her "mommy cut"--I trimmed her down to 3/4 of an inch and shaved her big belly and unmentionables--getting ready for the big day! Maybe she won't be feeling so warm either!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

i wanna see pics of your teddy bears (both the collectiion and the ones you make) please!

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Wonderful picture of your house.  I am sure it has been a labor of love restoring it over the years.  We are all anticipating Lyric's upcoming whelping.

[Ginny Nightingale]

PS--the orange gutter over the front door is a new copper gutter which will age and turn brown over the years. The whole wing off to the back was added in 1989 (we bought the house as newlyweds in 1978) and we tried to match the profile of the front of the house.

I am president of our local Historical Society! But all the old records of Columbia County houses burned in a fire in the early 1900's, so we just have guesses about the age of the houses. There must be some records of moving the state lines, though. I will have to look into that.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Nope--not solar panels--the edge of the roof has special aluminum roofing (called "standing seam" panels) that allow the snow to slide off so you get less snow/ice at the front edge of the roof. It's COLD here!