Saturday, April 12, 2008

How soon we forget

It's been thirteen years since we had a puppy. Put another way, it's been two houses, two kids, three cats, and three jobs since we've had a puppy. How soon we forget.

I have felt the same way upon being presented with the new-born babies of dear friends, years after having my own. On the one hand, the memories of their births are so sharp and clear in my mind, but I still hold those babies and think, "They're so SMALL!" And it's easy to forget the little things, like myconium, and that first month, and just how truly helpless they are in that first stage. Once they're about nine months old, the shock is no longer there; I think those stages of early childhood last a bit longer, and are therefore perhaps more strongly remembered (at least for me). But that first couple of months... (That newborn baby cry, though, is something that is instantaneously recognizable.)

It would appear that there are some ways in which getting a puppy is like that. I keep thinking that we've got a problem, because this dog is clearly never going to be able to be as well-behaved as Kia. And then I really look at her and remember what Kia was like when she was a brand-new puppy. For goodness' sake, I remind myself, she chewed the corner off of the lovely Turkish rug Rick's grandmother gave us when we got married. Right. Well-behaved, my left buttock. She was a puppy.

We got Kia's old crate out (yes, we saved it, and yes, I'm now very glad that we've dragged that thing with us through two moves), so the puppy can sleep in it at night and stay in it when we're all out of the house (haven't done that yet, actually). I put her in there the first night and she went absolutely ballistic (this was the first moment when I realized that I may have forgotten a few things in the thirteen years since we adopted Kia). It took about 45 minutes before she calmed down (and lest anyone thing that we stuck her in some room far away from the rest of her pack, I hasten to disabuse you of that notion; the crate was six inches away from my side of the bed, and my fingers were stuck in through the side while I was going to sleep so she could know I was there)(what can I say, I'm a sucker). But then she slept all night, which I appreciated. She settled down much more quickly last night. But I'm dreading the first time we leave her, as I'm thinking her early experiences on the street have left her a bit traumatized.

Ummm, did I mention it looks like we're going to keep her? (As if you all expected anything else.) Her visit with our vet went very well, although the vet said that she has absolutely no idea what she could possibly have been mixed with to get legs like those (maybe Corgie? Dachsund? seriously, can you imagine how a Belgian shepherd/Dachsund mix could possibly happen?). Rick won't let me name her Stumpy. So we've decided that Mathilda fits her personality quite nicely.

Meanwhile, knitting has continued. I'm working away on the baby sweater, and am ready to put the seed stitch border on the body. I'm guessing the sleeves will go fairly quickly, and I have high hopes for some knitting time this afternoon when Rick takes Older Daughter to a slumber party (I am going to request that he take Younger Daughter along for the ride).
I still love the colors. Aren't they just the happiest thing you've ever seen? This, however, isn't.
Do you see those ends?! I have to weave all of those in. And all the ends that will be generated in the sleeves. I honestly think it's going to take me longer to finish this sucker than to knit it. I'm really glad that I chose the 12-18 month size for this baby (who, for the record, is now four weeks old). It takes the pressure off.

I've also been working on something for Anne. I'm actually three more repeats on after last night's knitting session (we watched LadyHawk with the girls; anyone remember that movie?). More details to come. Meanwhile, though, I'm really enjoying working with this yarn. It's Melosa Lanas Puras laceweight, sent to me by the lovely Lis, in the colorway Desert Bloom (thanks, Lis!). I'll try to get you all a better picture so you can see the colors, which are subtle and lovely and cheerful: exactly what I like in my spring knitting. This yarn is a singles, which I'm not sure I've worked with before, and it's handling beautifully, even when I have to purl 2 together through the back loops, and I can't ask more than that. I will definitely be knitting with it again very soon (how do I know this, you ask? why, because there are two more skeins in fern green sitting in my knitting bowl, I answer. Oops).
Think of that picture as an amuse-bouche, meant to leave you wanting more (snort; so much better than thinking of it as bad photography, eh?).

14 comments:

Alwen said...

Oh, dear, looks like you've attracted comment spam!

Anyway.

A while ago I found in one of my dog-training books my list of goals for our rescue dog, Truffles. Boy. How far she has come.

Mathilda looks adorable.

Alwen said...

pffft! Oh, and the jacket! I was going to say I loved the colors on the jacket.

Marianne said...

Although Mathilda is a very lovely name for the lass... I kinda like 'Stumpy'! Keep in mind that dogs live in.the.present.... and are only too happy (as a rule)to follow their leader, it's very reassuring to them :^) (I hope I didn't just sound like a rat's ass because I don't mean to)

Yes, the colours in the Tulip Sweater are Gorgeous! (you could be weaving those ends in as you go...)
As are the colours in that pretty bit of lace, I've been drawn to those colours lately...

Helen said...

That Lanas Puras looks heavenly, but I can't choose between Anne's two new scarves...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for two great bits of words - "Well behaved, my left buttock" made me snort and the nibbing of knitting as amuse-bouche is perfect.

As is Stumpy. Mathilda may be the name, but couldn't Stumpy be the nickname? ;-)

Lynne said...

I love the colours in that baby sweater - you're right, so happy!

Anonymous said...

twinsetellen beat me to suggesting 'Stumpy' as a nickname. Guess we think alike.

Hang in there with the housebreaking. Our auxiliary dog, Ruby, gradually improved in and eventually caught up with Max's good behavior when she was about 12 months old...oh, right...when she was no longer a puppy!

Anonymous said...

I also meant to say those colors in the baby sweater ROCK!

Bea said...

I love the name Mathilda. She's a beautiful dog and I'm so glad she'll stay with you. I'm sort of glad we are leaving the misbehaving puppy stage with Gus and on to the fun loving puppy stage.

THe sweater is so cute. I"m so sorry about all those ends. Too bad there isn't a way to weave them in as you go. The shawl is gorgeous as well. I might need to look up that yarn. I'm in need of some laceweight.

Anonymous said...

What a nice bit of knitting you've done, new puppy and all!

Stell said...

oooo cute, I have to live life as a dog owner thru others, Bear not being keen at all. I came from a family with at least one if not more dogs at any one time. She looks adorable, and will settle down in time, time works wonders on all things. I to forget just how bouncy and needy puppies and small children are.
perhaps the ends could be woven in as you go? then again - a night of weaving can some times be a nice quiet time.

Courtney said...

New puppies never cease to amaze me, no matter how many I encounter. They always seem to be able to find innovative ways to cause trouble, don't they? It sounds like you're doing a great job with socializing Mathilda, though. She's a cutie.

The baby sweater is gorgeous, though those ends make me a little light headed. I detest weaving in ends.

Can't wait to see more of that new little project! The yarn looks lovely!

Anonymous said...

Oh, Mathilda will be a fine dog. You can just tell by looking at her...Do not despair re: the crate. We went through something similar with one of ours (who ended up being a 130 pound baby). When we left him in the crate, he cried. He wailed. My husband was ready to give up and just deal with the consequences (of course, it would have been me dealing with the consequences). But then I put a tape recorder in the room with the puppie's crate and turned it on when we left one day. The crying lasted about 8 minutes and then he quieted down (the dog, not the husband). Be strong.

EGunn said...

Mathilda looks like a very sweet little puppy. I'm sure she'll grow out of her naughtiness (though as someone that fostered 14 kittens last year, sometimes it's good to let go and enjoy the naughtiness just a little bit...they're so funny when they're getting into trouble, if you can just manage not to notice that they've just stolen your yarn ball again). Good luck with the little one!