Road Trip for Gabby

Gabby likes to ride in the back of the pickup. She hangs in a really scary-looking position over the edge of the passenger side back corner (check out the scratches next time you see Vaughn in town). Her jowls flop and fly in the wind. Her tongue dries quickly so she's constantly swallowing and trying to keep spit in there. We have to watch her really close because once she got a little top heavy and went over the side (she was tied in). We had to hurry and get her back in the bed of the truck.

Last night we were heading to the farm to get some corn stalks to decorate the yard. Dad had saved me some from his garden this summer. Yay, Dad! Anyway, we asked Gab to go along. You would have thought we gave her the world. (Apparently she likes to GO.)

And we found out another thing. She really loves Mom and Dad's pond and loves, loves, loves to retrieve. (She is a labrador retriever.) Vaughn kept throwing the toy out farther and farther and she kept swimming harder and harder to get it and bring it back. Just one little problem...once she got to the bank she wanted to sit down and chew it up (can you believe that?).

Good job, Gab!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Day

Time for work. But first, a quick run-through of the house. Shut out lights. Turn a/c up. Pack the yogurt and granola. Gather my things.

Ahhh. Gabby: happy this morning. (Why wouldn't she be? She's eaten every geranium in our flower bed. See it...all empty? She devoured one at a time, all eight of 'em, root and all, like it was her job.) We love her anyway, but...geraniums are my favorite!

Have a good day, Gabster.

The living room quietly begged me to stay. Just to hang around and be together this day.

Another glimpse back. Do I really have to go to school?

Can't I just stay at my house?

But here's another happy place.

Make this day a happy one. Wherever you are. Wherever you go. Let's just make it a happy one.

Brady Bunch Porch Furniture

When I spotted these two chairs in a vendor's booth at Canton, TX a few years ago, I could NOT walk away. Oh, sometimes I don't want to walk away and must, but this time it was impossible. My legs would not go. They just kept on staying. We talked with the vendors and they thought these two beauties had lived a former life in a church basement. There was basically no rust when we got them, so we definitely believe they had been stored inside somewhere, but Vaughn was raised by a beautician mama and he thinks they look a little like something you'd find in a beauty shop.

Whatever the case. They are so funky and Brady Bunch style. 70's all over the place.

You can barely tell, huh? That Gabby, our 7 month old lab, has removed the stuffing and cording and everything cute about them...several times. That the upholstery guy at Vaughn's Cabinets has removed that darling vintage upholstery material from the bottoms to put on the tops and basically worked miracles. (I love Louis.) That Vaughn had to replace chunks of the wooden arms with putty and everything he knows how to patch, rig and repair with. That we just brought them home from the shop after their fancy re-do and sprayed them with something awful tasting to puppies and yet she removed the stuffing and some of that cute vintage upholstery even this very morning?

It just took her a minute. I heard her tags jingling and jangling and out I flew to the back porch. Too late. Imagine stuffing and my favorite floral material all over my porch (and some in her mouth).

(I missed sweeping up a piece of stuffing apparently.)

I hear her yelping. Yes, she's in trouble. In the pen for the day. Time-out for Gabby.

Early Easter Egg Hunt

Cora was here for a visit.

It was lovely.

We put together a little Easter Egg Hunt

 on a plain old Wednesday evening.

Cora's Mammy and Meemaw and Peepaw came.

And of course Gram and Offey.

And Mama and Papa.

And Gabby.

She got some Easter prizes. 

A big hit was a light-up egg necklace that vibrated and spun.

In her mouth.

It was a Easter Egg Hunt for one.

All the eggs were for her.

But she wasn't all that interested in the eggs filled with coins and prizes.

There were rocks and pieces of grass to gather.

And things to investigate in the springtime yard. 

Things she'd only seen from the back door for awhile now.

While she was having fun, we grown ups gathered all her eggs.

No kidding.

Fourteen dollars and some odd change.

Her mama says she might put her Easter money toward some shoes.

Great idea.

It was a perfect evening with some of my most favorite folks.

Happy Easter Everybody!

Gabby Update: 4 Months Old Today

Gabby Johnson is huge. Just sayin'.

"Stuck" at Home

Ice. Now snow. Lots of it.

Ah, shucks. I'm stuck at home.

Surely you sense my sarcasm.

I'm never home enough. Love this being stuck thing.

I love birds. Especially the Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal 

that live nearby.

The high today will be around 30 degrees. That's cold for us.

Gabby has to really think about it before she gets off the porch to...

you know.

 

But eventually she does.

Unless she doesn't, like once yesterday.

She walked to the edge of the porch...

came back toward the door...

and peed right by the doormat.

She and I had a tussle then.

Two gallons of warm sudsy water later, 

we got back on speaking terms.

Well, after I called Vaughn and

tattletaled on her.

Then I felt better.

  

Of course Vaughn took up for her.

"It's not her fault."

That kind of talk.

Judging by the length of Gabby's legs these days,

we figure we might have 6 inches on the ground.

A snow like this pretty much immobilizes this small town.

I like that sometimes.

(Being immobile.)

Gabby's Growing

Gabby is growing like a weed.

This is Gabby saying a high-pitched "ARF".

That's her favorite.

She has gained 6 lbs. in 3 weeks.

She now weighs in at 13 lbs., 3 oz. at 10 weeks old.

Way to GROW, Gab!

Potty training is going pretty well.

Just a couple of accidents while at the shop with Vaughn.

(She gets busy playing and forgets.)

Vaughn is so crazy about her...he always says, "It wasn't her fault."

Problem: biting. Ouch.

Vaughn has lots of bloody scabs on his hands.

And a fresh one on his nose.

Ouchy ouch ouch.

It's a phase.

We're sure of it.

Mop Bucket Joy

Vaughn scrounged up this old, wonderful,
galvanized mop bucket.

Isn't it great?

I can't wait to put a plant in it.

I've been imagining a fern.

And being able to keep a fern alive.

Now that's something to imagine.

For now, until I get to the fern store, the mop bucket sits idle.

Almost...

 

 

We love our Gabby.

On a Day Like This...

School is closed today because of frigid

temperatures in Holdenville, Oklahoma.

So...for today, Gabby and I will enjoy this.

 

Sleep, Gabby, sleep.



And I'll have none of this.

Love,

Tracey