New Class: Mini Books #2

Mini Books #3 ($18) – “Sticks & Stitching”. In Part 3 of this series, we’re ramping up the size a bit to create two journal-styled books using conventional (stitching) and non-conventional (sticks) binding techniques. You\’ll love these versatile mini books! Class Limit: 6.

Classes are scheduled for mid-August and early September. Watch this site or your newsletter from The Scrapbook Shop for more information! Samples will be in The Shop by June 10th.

Did You Know…

Here’s an interesting tidbit I learned from one of my scrapping list: one inch of pattern paper represents somewhere between 75 and 100 scrapbook pages. That’s a lot of pages!

I can verify that number is true (or close to being true!), because I’m staring at a 100+ page manual on my desk. And it’s about an inch thick.

Gives you a whole ‘nuther perspective on that paper stash, doesn’t it? Guess it’s time to get scrapping and use up some of that paper.

Macalester’s Last Hurrah

We had Macalester’s burial Sunday afternoon, 5 weeks after her death.
Her ashes were spread between her two favorite rosebushes in our
backyard. I read “Supplication of the Aberdeen” by Kipling and the
story of how Macalester came to our family. Sarah, my 6 year old,
lead the group in singing “A – You’re Adorable”. We shared memories
of Macalester.

Several friends and neighbors attended, young and old. Those who
couldn’t make the “service”, came later for Scottie cookies and to
give their condolenses to Sydney.

I cried a bucket of tears after everyone left. There is nothing more
I can do for Macalester. Nothing. It feels so empty, and the wound
is open and bleeding again. And, of course, Sydney is noticing I’m
not quite right and is acting off herself. I guess we’ll just both be
in the pits of sorrow again for a bit, and then climb back out again.

But, I gave Macalester a good send-off. She probably was arroo-ing in
approval from The Bridge.

Ode to Macalester

Late Friday afternoon, Macalester was helped to cross the Rainbow Bridge to a land free of pain and suffering. Macalester had just celebrated her 12th birthday on April 2nd — which was her last extended recovery period from pancreatitis. We found out Thursday that the pancreatitis was secondary to the real problem — liver cancer. The cancer was too far gone to treat without making her suffer more than she was.

One of the hardest things about this is that we were fighting the wrong enemy. Based on all the research the vets and I did, we never thought of liver cancer as a possible cause for the pancreatitis. We worked so hard to get Macalester’s pancreas settled — which it almost did twice. We thought about IBD, IBD, Cushings. But unknown to us, the cancer was sending out cells that were causing the pancreatitis. As I told my husband last night, it was like the Vikings doing all the game prep and research to play the Chicago Bears. But when they go to the stadium, the Green Bay Packers showed up instead. We were all blind-sided.

John and I first met Macalester when she was less than two weeks old. She came to our house when she was 6 weeks old. She rapidly became my next in command, and totally wrapped John around her paw. She helped me through the deaths of four close friends, infertility, and one adoption agency telling us we weren’t fit to be parents. When I was home alone, she let me know what was going on in the neighborhood.

It was clear that she loved John the best, but she respected me and tolerated me. She did love me, but not with overboard devotion she gave John. She would wait at a window on our second floor, watching for him to come home. And sometimes he’d run and hide, trying to make her bark and get all wound up.

Scotties are notoriously bad with kids. But not Macalester. From early on, she had much interaction with neighborhood kids and with the kids in my Sunday School classes. She was well known in the neighborhood, and sometimes kids would stop by, asking to play with her.

When we adopted Sarah, Macalester knew what to do — clean-up the food dropped on the floor. She was very tolerant of “Mama’s Puppies” and grew to have a deep affection for both Sarah and Rachel. And Sarah and Rachel returned that love, and delighted in scratching her, feeding her, and taking her outside to “do business”. She helped lay the groundwork that will make Sarah and Rachel future responsible pet owners.

Scotties do not cuddle. But the times when I really needed a cuddle, she was there. I loved petting her soft coat and rubbing her ears. As with most dogs, we had our share of household accidents and destruction of personal property at her paws. But all in all, she truly was “the best girl in the whole wide world”.

We all miss her and hope she is running happily in Heaven now. My life is emptier without her. I miss her so very much.

Carol Anne