Hi everyone,
The kids made it here!!!! YAY! Rebecca and Karn got in Sunday and we were SO excited, but no one seemed as happy as Reuben did! He gave Rebecca his best bark… which wasn’t quite back to normal, but sort of! It was good enough for Rebecca. The hugs were wonderful too! We couldn’t remember when they had visited last. I tried to figure out from my blog posts and calendar, but it was taking too much time so we just decided to wait and ask when they got here. Karn said it was November 19th-24th of 2024… Yikes, that’s over a year ago. No wonder we had missed them. I don’t know what we will be doing while they are here visiting, but I do think I saw a bag sitting beside my sewing room that might have alterations in it.
I was working on a sling for Reuben before they got here and am happy to report I got it finished. My hubby wanted something sort of like a tote bag or sling he could hold Reuben in to keep him from collapsing on the ground as it was too hard for my hubby to bend over and hold him under his belly and walk with him. This was my original drawing of what I hoped to make.
This was my first attempt… (My picture shows it going the opposite direction of my drawing…)
I made a few changes and this was my second attempt… (again, the muslin piece is going the opposite way of my drawing…)
So, this is what I ended up with… it’s a gray piece of velour fabric sort of like on a couch… and the red lining is a piece of fleece.
Here is a picture of my hubby and Reuben in their first Physical Therapy session…
Here is a video of Reuben walking with it… (well, sort of walking… he knows to move his feet now, but he can’t stand on his own) I think the PT sessions are going to be NUMEROUS…
Okay, so that was the doggie part…
This is the dolly part…
I read all of your comments about the buttons but when I REALLY looked at it, I think Anne in NZ had the best idea… to move the bottom left button just a bit to the left and in the middle of the scallop. I did that and now it seems okay to me…
You might see the white buttons added to her sleeve cuffs.
I AM going to change her hair bows from the pink ribbon… and might even change her hairstyle.
I managed to get the skirt sewn on Natasha’s dress after the kids went to bed… It’s 2 tiers and looks long in my pictures, but will be about an inch shorter after I hem it.
Here it is pinned up about an inch…
I picked up the purse Cindy found and put it on her shoulder…
She already found the candy treat she wants to go to the winner. My hubby brought home some treats for the kids and when Natasha saw this, she wanted a set for herself too…
Well, that’s all from me, but tomorrow you will see “several” new girls from Joy! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! They are SO cute!
See you then,
Blessings, Jeanne
What an ingenious idea for a sling to help Reuben walk! And lined with velour, to make it nice and cozy and soft for him. I can see from the video that his front legs do seem to want to work pretty well, but he is having trouble with his back legs, still. It could be that eventually, he will need a little set of wheels for his back legs, if his nerves don’t regenerate properly, but in the meantime, this method will at least strengthen his front legs and hopefully “waken” the nerves to his back legs so they will work, too. I’m sure seeing Rebecca really helped perk him up, also.
A whole year, wow! It’s hard to go that long without seeing your kid! Daniel was in Kentucky for I think 2 years before the first time we went to see him and meet Sarah (mom to two of our grands, Isaac and Lily). It’s tough!
Natasha’s dress is coming along nicely and yes, the button placement is much improved. I actually kind of like it the longer length, as it’s more of an old-fashioned look, but I know a lot of people like shorter dresses on their dolls. I am wondering if there will be a petticoat, too? It would seem like a good thing under that nice full skirt!
I approve of Natasha’s choice of treats!!
Jeanne, now you can add to your list of occupations, orthopedic devices for dogs! How wonderful that you could think up that sling and even make one to fit Reuben so perfectly! He is one lucky dog! Yes, I see how his back legs struggle to walk, but the front ones seem chipper as ever, but probably need to be stronger! And having Rebecca and Karn there must be doing wonders! So happy to hear that things are going as well as they are on that front!
Natasha’s dress is darling! Yes, moving that one button makes it look perfect now, and boy, is that dress so pretty and red! the pictures show the colors perfectly now, unlike the first ones you took, which had more pink in them.
Now, I am another one who likes the longer look of the dress. I remember making Christmas dresses for my daughter and I in the mid 70’s and we both had dresses that went down to the floor. That seemed to be the “thing” then, and this dress reminds me of that. We even had matching capes to go with them! And yes, a pretty, frilly petticoat would be just the thing for this dress! And maybe a big green bow for her hair to match up with the little purse?
Did you get any snow Saturday? I don’t see any in your pictures, but we got about 7 or 8 inches, and it was a beautiful sight! We are expecting a couple of inches more today, which will fill in the bare spots that have melted already. It certainly put us in the mood for Christmas! I am the thick of decorating now, and it is so pretty to look out at the snow covered yard. However Christmas shopping isn’t done yet, so I hope we don’t get any more snow!
Enjoy your time with Rebecca and Karn! Having your children visit is wonderful for the soul!
Jeanne, I just happened to think that instead of a solid green bow or headband or whatever you put in her hair, maybe a pretty red and green plaid ribbon would work, that is, if you have one!
Jeanne, any time anyone needs something, you are the girl to ask! Reuben’s sling is just what he and George needed. We will all be looking for it to help him come back to normal.
The dress just keeps coming beautifully. Perfect for Christmas and Valentines.
I hadn’t realized that Rebecca and Karl had been away so long. My sons moved away many years ago. I was not happy about it but what can you do. We used to fly to them (WA and CA) twice a year while the grands were little, but now they just come here a couple of times a year. They do call almost every week, and text. I do hope your guests can visit for awhile!
I am really looking forward to Joy’s dolls!
We are off to the Y and will catch up with Y’all later.
Reuben. I am so so happy you invented this sling. It is perfect. Reuben does look like he could use some PT. Jeanne, you did an incredible job making this. I am really speechless is admiration and delight for Reuben. Wow!
I am happy he was able to be outside and do his business.
I am rooting for Reuben! I am sure with Rebecca and Karn in attendance is a big boost for all of you.
This red dress is a cutie. I think when I looked at this last Friday I must have viewed the buttons differently, perhaps they looked wider apart. This is pretty, and I adore the lace facing up at the waist, and the skirt is really pretty. You did a massively perfect job with the sleeves. They look perfect with the teeny tiny lace edge. RED, my favorite color since forever.
I really really need to get started on Christmas. This year flew and perhaps one reason is because I had some idea that every day lasts forever… what’s the rush… but this has been the speediest year and I need to get my “act together”
Should I put aside my sewing projects 😬😐 I do not feel like it. I think I will do all of the cutting for the extension of my under the maple tree quilt and set it aside.
Then I am going to get down to business. I want to make a few dresses and outfits for Sarah and Lauren’s dolls.
I hope everyone has a great Monday!
Dear Jeanne, now you can add doggy transportation items to the list of things that can be made in Jeanne’s Secret Sewing Salon (smile). What a lovely little sling to help Reuben recuperate.
It is nice that your daughter and her husband came for a visit. I know how happy you must have been to see them.
Natasha’s dress looks so sweet. It’s just the outfit to wear to a Christmas gala.
Yeaaa, there are only 121 days until Maypril!
That sling looks great for Reuben!That is great he gets to see the kids, too. It should be encouraging for him.
Natasha’s dress and purse look wonderful. 🙂
We had some snow come the other night, but it didn’t stay. The kids are back at school off of Thanksgiving break. I had them dress in layers, since it’s cold. Tonight Marion is getting new colors on her braces. I think she will pick red and green. J and the girls made an Advent wreath for outside. The candles are made from PVC pipe. They painted them purple and pink and put tinsel on one for the first week of Advent. They also have a solar light for one, but it was too cloudy out yesterday it didn’t seem to soak up much sun.
Dominic is walking pretty well now, but sometimes he lowers himself down/falls. He has 4 teeth on the top and 2 on the bottom.
Hope you all have a lovely day!
What a great idea for an outdoor Advent wreath. We have one for inside and for years the church we went to had a breakfast and making of Advent wreaths each year. It was fun. Marion gets colors on her braces. How cool is that. They didn’t have that when Sean had his braces. Yay for Dominic. Now he can really get into things. At least he hasn’t reached what I call the traumatic threes. That’s when they can not only get into everything and get upset when you tell them they can’t, but they try everything too. Like when my daughter decided standing on the arms of her Jenny Lind rocker, holding the back and rocking it that way was a great idea. I was afraid to approach her for fear she would lose her concentration and fall so I just stood there and prayed for her to get down real soon.
That’s neat you have an Advent wreath! One time at a camp I made an Advent wreath, and that is the one we are using for inside. That’s too bad that Sean didn’t get colors for his braces. I guess I’m younger than him because we got to choose colors when I was a kid, too. That was the fun part. There was also “Lecy Loot” that you could earn and put toward prizes like movie tickets or shirts or other things. This evening Dominic walked over to the compost can and dropped in an orange peel all by himself! I was impressed. 🙂 That sounds scary about your daughter. I think the problems with young kids are is they aren’t afraid of anything. We have a Jenny Lind changing table 🙂 Have a great night!
Your children are growing up, Karen! Hard to believe that Dominic is walking already!
I like the idea for the Advent wreath. We always had one at home when I was growing up, as well as one at church. It kind of helps with the “countdown” as well as a reminder of the Reason we celebrate Christmas!
Natasha’s dress is flying along. I’m of the opinion that her braids are perfect. They would be so cute on her in a photo wearing her Christmas dress. Of course, with some lovely red ribbons in her hair, as Jeanne,mentioned, to finish her look. She is so sweet with the braids. And how about a little bow or two on the purse to tie it into the dress? Might be cute.
Ironically, I was watching a cat video yesterday. They make a very interesting device similar to Reuben’s for walking cats. You just pop them in and zip it up and off you can go to walk your cat. Apparently, they can’t escape from it once on. Maybe it looks easier in the video than it really is to put on. Cats escaping the device might make a great video too. 🙂
So nice that Rebecca and Karn could manage to drive down and make Reuben’s day. Hope that they didn’t run into any bad weather. Guess that Jeanne, will be pulling out her repair kit to fix things for Rebecca, while she is in Carbondale. Will the kids be there long enough to hit up any thrift stores? Maybe they can decorate the tree as well. 🙂
We’ve been having such cold weather. for us. that we actually took several rides in the car with the heater blasting to warm up. Also managed to get the Christmas shopping done for the grands. Online though. They have reached the no more kid toys ages, so it’s starting to get expensive. Oh well, we only have three grands. 🙂
Still no progress on the appliances or flooring. Kind of stuck. Maybe we’ll get back to figuring out if the dishwasher we want will actually fit in the space we have available. It’s going to be a very tight fit, I think. Son in law’s mother told us about her experiences of going from a Bosch dishwasher to a Kitchenaid and then back to a Bosch. I like both for different reasons. And daughter has been trying to talk other person into doing the kitchen, dining, living room, and hall all with new flooring. Now that would be great and expensive. Anyone have good luck with any of the newer appliances?
Me! If two years is what you mean by “newer”, I got my washer and dryer and stove then. LG washer and dryer, and so far working perfectly well, and my GE stove, which I love! The controls are in the front of the range, so much easier to see and work with.
My dishwasher and refrigerator are Kitchen Aid, and are not as new, but no problems with them. My dishwasher is very quiet when working. My refrigerator is a side by side, and I wish we didn’t have the water and ice thingy on the door. We never use that!
Thanks Linda. Good to hear about both LG and GE. Another vote for the quiet of KitchenAid for the dishwasher. I think that is still number one for us except that it is slightly larger than the Bosch. Need to get some very precise measurements of our space. And other person will not have a refrigerator without the water/ice in the door. Since it is filtered, he uses that constantly. 🙂 Me, I grab a glass and turn on the faucet. Go figure. 🙂
All recent appliances here are operating as expected but the longevity is up in the air these days. I love reading the reviews on things I plan to buy. Most are usually 4 or 5 star but the ones that are 1 and 2 star often make me laugh. It’s usually operator error. But I had to laugh at myself last week. I turn on the dishwasher in the evening and David unloads it in the morning when he gets his coffee. He told me that two times the dishes were not dry when he emptied the dishwasher. What?!! We just put a new heating element in it a few months ago. Well I’ve learned to “track down” malfunctions before making a fool of myself and sure enough I accidentally had turned off the drying cycle. That’s what I get for turning on the dishwasher in the dark. I wondered why it wouldn’t start the first time I pushed the button.
I too have been reading a lot of reviews. I leave the dishwasher turn on and unload to other person. Got a laugh about the malfunctions. 🙂 If ours didn’t sound like a freight train running through the house, I wouldn’t be in such a hurry to replace it. Well, it also leaks from the soap dispenser. I think tomorrow, we may put in an order. Still not sure about the refrigerator though. And now, we’re thinking of just leaving the stove for now since it still works. For how long? No one knows. 🙂
Oh Jeanne! The harness you made for Reuben is wonderful!! Maybe harness is too strong a word. I’m so happy for him and I bet his week will be so encouraging for him! Especially with his Rebecca!! I hope this helps him get his legs working even if it might take some time.
Natasha’s dress is really cute and reminds me of the new dresses we could hardly wait to wear at the school’s Christmas program. She looks adorable in it.
Can’t wait to see Joy’s girls tomorrow! What a treat!! Sounds like some flooring plans are in the works for her house on top of the right appliances. Hard decisions.
I’m enjoying the Christmas trees lit ip in the evening/ it’s do peaceful and pretty. They are my “ winter wonderland.” I added another tree on the stair landing that was intended to go up in my She Shed but can’t find the right place for it. So I got a small ceramic Christmas tree to sit on a little book case up there. Happy, happy!!
Jeanne, enjoy your visit with Rebecca and Karn. Hope you get to go to some fun stores!
I’d love to see [ics of your trees and the she shed. 🙂
I’m so glad to see Reuben trying to get up and around. We had a similar sling to help our Collie Mix.
I’m sure you will enjoy your time with Rebecca and Karn. That is a long time to not have visited.
Natasha’s dress is very pretty. The buttons are perfect now.
We had to have a new water line put in from the street. Expensive and now part of the front yard is a muddy mess. It will obviously stay that way until spring when new sod can be laid.
Hopefully some indoor Christmas can begin today. The kitties have their Christmas toys, tent. and pop up cottage, so they are having fun.
So sorry about the water line. Very glad that it is all fixed. Nothing like not having running water. Reminds me of Little House on the Prairie.
Glad to have helped Jeanne the dress is gorgeous. The harness for Reuben is perfect, especially for physio.
Enjoy your time with Rebecca and Karne.
Please don’t rush May, Dorothy. I would like to enjoy summer before we go back to the cold, though I don’t expect any snow since we haven’t had any since about 2013, I think it was. Certainly before Dad died and that was Aug (winter) 2014.
Have a great day everyone
Interesting. My dad died in 2012, at age 94. How old was your dad?
Dear Anne, oh sorry. I am trying to remember my geography in connection to the weather. Is it warm where you are when it is cold here? I may have skipped that lesson in elementary school (laugh).
I won’t rush Maypril (April and May), I will just hold it in my heart. How’s that (smile)?
I don’t want to rush the days, now that I think about it, because that will make me another year older sooner (un-smile).
Enjoy your Summer. Please Jeanne a photo of something “Summery” so we can see it. It’s supposed to be snowy and icy here tomorrow.
I love Reuben’s tote. So perfect and definitely fills the need. Before I forget, I have a friend whose dad was a chiropractor. He used to do adjustments on dogs too. Perhaps a trip to a chiropractor might help Reuben. If he has a pinched nerve it would make him not want to move his hind legs. At this point it seems anything is worth a try.
I have not chimed in for a couple days so I didn’t give an opinion on the buttons. The right side bottom button when facing Natasha did look a bit off but Anne’s idea has worked perfectly so you’re good to go. The dress is lovely. I really like the skirt of the dress and I like it longish. The purse is adorable. And I agree with Joy that the braids are a must-have. She looks absolutely precious in those braids. Such a lovely doll.
Well I got my new bed Sunday and I love it. Last night was my first night to sleep in it (or is that on it) but it seems my body is adjusting to the difference from the Sleep Number bed to the more solid mattress more easily than I expected. I’m going to love my adjustable base. I went all out and got the one I wanted since it was on sale. It even has a massage feature. And an underbed light. Now I won’t have to be in fear of who or what is hiding under the bed any longer when I go to sleep. Sean thinks it’s hilarious that it even has a light. Our bedroom is a good size. We had a king size bed before and this one is queen size since David sleeps in his recliner and this bed is just for me. Now the room looks even bigger than before. I’m looking forward to many nights of good, restful sleep. My energy level is already better than it has been but it will take longer for some of the physical changes I’m hoping to see. But I also think some of that will improve if I keep walking and get stronger. But with my new bed I feel better about making the effort.
Looking forward to seeing Joy’s dolls. I know that will be a lot of fun.
In the 50s here and dismal. Sean and Jason were putting up the outdoor Christmas lights today and they are pretty cold. Our humidity is very low at the moment. No snow in the offing for us just yet LOL.
A light under the bed?? Nobody can get under the bed except dust bunnies, ha, ha!
I love the idea of an under bed light. Then, I could see the tables that I have stored under there. 🙂 So glad that the bed is working for you.
Dear Barbara, your bed sounds very nice. I am glad you are able to get the rest you need and acquire more energy.
Why does the manufacturer say there is a light under your bed? It is to find lost items? Is it for vacuuming purposes? It is to find your way in the dark? I am curious about the light. Hmmm.