Finding Molly

Molly is our third dog. We tend to have difficulty getting a new dog when a beloved one dies - it took me three years after we lost our English Springer, Duffy, to consider Zeus (a retired Lab who had been a narcotics dog), and then seven years after Zeus' passing to get Molly.  It just hurts too much to lose a dog, and I still cry for both Duffy and Zeus.

But, Craig and I started feeling ready to have a dog in the family a year or so ago and had been casually looking for a while. We were interested in another Lab who had been a service dog.

Zeus and my mother at Thanksgiving, 2010.

What better resource for a service dog that needs a home than my friend, Kathy Nimmer?

Kathy, her dog, Nacho, and me being interviewed by Korean radio station eBUSAN-FM in October.

Sunday, I said something to Craig about sending her an email asking her if she knew of any available dogs, and he had no objections. Neither one of us realized just how fast things were going to go as soon as I sent that email Monday morning.

Hi, Kathy,

Craig and I are looking for a dog to adopt. We are interested in finding one that is several years old (or older)  that needs rehoming, whether it is a service dog that can no longer serve for some reason, or one that is retiring and needs a good home. Craig suggested that I email you and let you know of our interest and ask you that, if you hear of someone needing to rehome a dog, please keep us in mind. Or, if you know of any places that have service animals for adoption, could you please share those with us?

Our beloved Zeus has been gone seven years and so obviously we are in no hurry and can be patient. We also can provide references from our vet and others who know how we care for our animals.

So, if you hear anything, we would appreciate you thinking of us!

Thanks!

I heard back from her that same morning. A Lab had come into a vet's office up in LaGrange, Indiana and might be a good prospect. She put me in touch with Sue Keenan, a woman there who works with rescue animals and had let her know about this dog, and Sue and I exchanged a flurry of emails all day Monday. The vet agreed to hold the dog until Friday when we could come up (and when she would be healed enough from having been spayed in order to travel home with us should we adopt her.)

We headed up to northern Indiana's Amish country Friday morning. (I got a sub for my class.)

We did not have a whole lot of information on the dog - we knew that Molly was from an Amish farm, and that it was not a puppy mill situation. She had just had a litter of eight puppies in September and, for whatever reason, the farmer was giving her away. The rescue person assured us that the vet clinic that had the dog was very picky about the animals they rehomed, and that if Molly were there, she had passed some tests.

 Our first meeting.

We were told that she was timid, and that was true. She did not seem to like to have adults loom over her and was more comfortable if we sat down.

Her tail was tucked the entire time, but her health was good, she was just about to turn four years old, and, despite the timidity, she was not reacting out of fear to anything. She was quiet, and although she shook and shivered at times, she would interact with us.

 Home she came with us!

It was a three hour drive, but she did well - no panting or pacing in the back seat. She curled up and slept quite a bit.

 Checking out her new digs with Craig.

I often wonder what runs through their minds at times like this. I know she had to be unsure of herself, but she was also pretty stoic.

We had two absolute "musts" about Molly's adoption - she had to be good with children (we have fourteen grandchildren) and she had to get along with our daughter, Lisa's, dog, Millie, who visits us several times weekly.

Lisa dropped by after school (she's a teacher like me) to meet our new family member. They got along just fine.

Checking out rooms in the house - nothing like starting where the Christmas gift wrapping chaos is happening!

We did have one demonstration of Molly's Amish background that surprised us (but in retrospect, really should not have.)

Molly had never seen a TV before, and when we switched it on to watch the news, she did not know what to make of it! She would pace around the couch, sit down and watch, go around the couch again...

Finally, she just sat down and watched with us!

She watched TV for nearly half an hour before finally losing interest (or just getting tired - it had been a long day, after all!)

 Craig had bought her a big cushion to sleep on, and so he brought it out for her and they stretched out together for a while as we wound down the day.

Poor girl had to be tired! So many changes so quickly. But I think we are off to a good start and am excited to begin our life together with Molly.

Meet Molly!

Meet Molly, our new Labrador Retriever!

 I will share more about her and how she came to be ours tomorrow.

It is quite a tale and things happened very fast, but I am glad to have her in our home.

Small Decorations in the Horse Room

I love it when hobbyists create ordinary barn and home scenes - they capture the ordinariness of our days in miniature, but in a way that is not ordinary. They make me smile and connect my hobby horses to my real life ones in an almost cozy manner. I've tried to create scenes in the past, but really, I think my talents simply are in collecting, not creating.

Nonetheless, I had fun last year finally setting up a small living room scene on the shelf by my desk in the horse room. I made a little Christmas scene with a doll sitting on the couch who represented me. The set up needed a lot of work, but I had fun doing it and it added a dash of holiday spirit to my office.

Last weekend I set it up again.

Missing is the mini-me doll. I went to make her some clothes this past summer but discovered that she was deteriorating - she's an old Brenda Breyer doll and her face is faded out and does not match her skin. As I examined her, I decided to see if I could buy another doll to replace her. That hasn't happened yet, so my scene sits without its human, but I still like its festive touch anyway.

I also added tiny wreaths (old earrings; we teachers wear the oddest jewelry sometimes!!) on the cabinets of some of my Hagen Renakers.

I have a lot of the beautiful Breyer porcelain ornaments to put around the room, and then I will call it good, at least when it comes to decorating that room for Christmas!

Sunday Evening at the Barn

Sunday night I headed out to the barn just before it turned dark. I love that time of day as things wind down for the evening, the sky turns beautiful shades of color, and the horses are relaxed and happy to hang out with you.

Diablo, Abby, Sultanna, and Hokey. (Abby is licking the bars of the gate because she drooled some candy cane juice on them when I gave her her treats.)

 Hokey is my favorite of Tim's horses. He's intelligent and gentle, and he loves a good neck rub!

Tim and his son-in-law, Brandon, were in the indoor arena of the new barn working with Snickerdoodle.

A plastic shopping bag attached to an old golf club makes a great tool for sacking out a young horse.

I was impressed at how unperturbed Snickerdoodle was - Tim also threw a big rubber ball at him, under his legs, etc. and Snickerdoodle didn't spook or protest. 

Not bad for a two year old!

Tim is also working on bitting up. This is only the second time Snickerdoodle has had a bit in his mouth.

Tim had long reins on him and drove him a bit, and then longed him. Again, no protests from Snickers.

Brandon was going to step on a stool and put some weight on his back, but I had to leave before that happened as I had company coming for dinner.

Long range plans, according to Tim, are to train Sultanna and Snickerdoodle to drive and then use them in events, pulling his collection of antique vehicles. I think a matched pair of palominos pulling those will look really neat!

Some of My Winnings and Show Pictures

I arrived about twenty minutes early on Saturday at the show hall, but was still allowed to come in and get set up. Since I was mainly showing chinas, I had two fewer tubs than usual and got things out quickly. But, I also had ten or so models I had never brought to a show before and I had to give them names and make their tags, so I used my extra time doing that (and greeting old friends who were there, too!)

My show string really isn't smaller in number, but it sure is small in size!

Liz Isham Cory went around the show hall asking people to hold one of their favorite models for a photo. I chose my Freeman-Leidy Circus Horse. (Photo by Liz.)

I showed my new Kristina Lucas Francis Sleeping Fjord for the first time. He took a third in breed and third in collectibility in his class.

Harry Potter, my Monrovia HR Harry foal won his class in breed and took second in collectibility.

 His mama, Adelaide, took second in collectibility in her class.

 Gregorian Chant, my Loza Hanoverian, placed second in collectibility and fifth in halter.

Shelbina took second in breed halter and third in collectibility. Pavarotti, the Beswick Appaloosa, won second in collectibility and fourth in halter.

Like usual, as the show progressed and things got hectic, I missed taking photographs of some of my pieces, but I did well and most of all, I had fun.

GLC - the People

Note: many of these photos were taken by the people running the GLC show and are used with permission.

Great Lakes Congress deserves its reputation for being a fun show, and a lot of it is due to these two ladies:

Liz Isham Cory and Jamie Rott (with a photobomb by Steff Bodamer.) They work hard at every single show making sure things run smoothly.

Saturday's December show featured a potluck lunch and an ugly Christmas sweater contest along with the usual raffle and other show activities.

Brenda Metcalf, Nancy Falzone, and Yvonne Rott were in attendance. (I loved Brenda's mini Santa hat - it was on a headband. Clever!)

There were vendors there selling model horses and other horse-related items.

Nancy Falzone sold me (on the right) four Masterson mini horses, a Hagen Renaker Circus Pony, and a circus pedestal.

Throughout the show people socialized and caught up with each other. Sande Schneider told me that that was one of the best things about showing for her, and I agree!

Sande Schneider and Marilou Mol chat.

The raffle is always quite extensive with lots of really good items up for grabs.

Brenda Metcalf looks at the raffle offerings.

Vendors in the background against the wall; someone's show table in the foreground.

Lunch was a potluck with several crockpots of chili and then lots of sides and desserts.

Half of us were asked to bring sides, the other half to bring desserts.

There was an abundance of food, and it was delicious.

Notice that Liz and Jamie even put out red and green tableclothes!

I love sugar cookies - horse-shaped ones are even better!

After lunch and before the show resumed, the ugly sweater contest was held.

I wore a sweater (as did many of us), but did not compete.

Steff Bodamer used a Kylo Ren bobblehead for good luck in the contest.

Yvonne Rott got my vote.

I had never been to GLC's December show, and the only drawback, and one I did not consider beforehand, was how early it would get dark. I left school at 3:30 Friday afternoon and by 5:30 it was completely dark while I still had two hours to go, much of which was through some very remote areas. I was concerned about my safety should I have car trouble - help would not be available.

So, I left the show at 2:00 in order to get home before dark. My classes were over (I had shown in china collectibility which was done before lunch) and so I said my goodbyes and headed out. A good thing I did, too, as I made a wrong turn and drove along roads I had never traveled! As it was, that was scary; had it been dark, I think I would have been in tears!

As I pulled out of the show's parking lot, I saw this license plate and just had to smile.

That describes all of those in attendance, including me!

Next up? Some photos of the horses in the show.

New Ponies from Nancy Falzone

It's always meaningful to acquire a piece for my collection from Nancy Falzone. She's been a dear friend for a long time, and the pieces I buy from her are "black hole" pieces - they are staying with me and most definitely not for sale!

Yesterday I went to Great Lakes Congress' December show. Nancy was in attendance and had brought two things I'd purchased before the show day plus some other things, too.

This bay set of Masterson horses in mint condition came home with me. (Nancy has teeny tiny documentation stickers on their bellies that I intend to keep there as part of their history.)

And so did this Circus Pony with a broken leg and lovely shading. (The leg is an easy fix.)

Finally, an oddity, at least for me, but bought because it adds to my collection of Hagen Renaker circus items - a pedestal in yellow with gold trim. (Sorry for the poor quality picture.)

Photos and a write up from the show are coming soon!