Only Took 6 Months...

So for whatever the reason Emile decided today was the day he was claiming the pillow my sister knitted for the cats for Christmas. For regular readers, you know that only Nim has used the pillow. I have tried placement all over the darn house to get the cats to use it and they just stick their noses up.

With new mouse from Cindy in tow, Emile spent extensive time sniffing and kneading the pillow before settling in. 

He then kept an eye on Nim nearby...who did chase Emile off the pillow shortly after this photo.

But Emile came back.

Today has been a heavy study day for me. I sucked it up and purchased in a CPA Review Course with Gleim. This officially makes my CPA journey real. I am not going to lie, I am nervous.

I have actually already been working towards what is known as the Enrolled Agent (there is actually three separate parts to this taxation exam: regulation, individual, and corporation) and I realized that the REG section from the CPA exam (CPA exam has 4 parts: REG, FAR, AUD, and BEC) is related in tax content to the Enrolled Agent and I should really be trying to work on both at the same time.

I will keep you posted on how that fabulous plan works for me because right now I just feel overwhelmed.

Ahhhhh...to be a cat...on his pillow...with his mouse.

Holly's Last Day of Vacation

Happy Saturday to everyone. This is my current favorite flower basket. It is filling out nicely!

Today is Holly's last day at my house. She will most likely be going home in a couple of hours. I say most likely because her humans are flying International and we all know how that can go.

It has been a disappointing day for her. She has waited and waited, but no sign of Emile.

Emile is resting up under the covers after two fun-filled nights of mice hunting in the house. None of us are sleeping well at night thanks to these hunts, but at least he gets to catch up on the sleep during the day.

In other news my owl is back (because surely it is the same owl I am always seeing). Perhaps there will be fledglings again.

She checked out Holly with general disgust.

Ah Holly. Minus the cat issue she has been a fun dog.

Today she offered either a high five or a shake command. It kind of came out of nowhere, but I think it was her interpretation of my down signal. I got her to repeat it several times so it is clearly something she knew.

Nim and Holly have definitely become little buddies, to the extent their dog brains get that concept. Not easy considering they have both lived as only dogs and Nim's current best friend is a dominant cat. :)

But they have been an easy mix and in my tiny house that is always a good thing.

How to Dremel an Old Dog

When Holly got dropped off, I forgot to ask about her nails, but I knew that 25 days on a senior dog was too long to go without clipping the nails. The first week I tried my clippers which seemed to go fine, but when I watched her not run off at the sound of the Dremel when I did Nim's nails I decided to try that instead.

I am pleased to say that I have been dremeling her nails ever since.

So how do you dremel an older dog like Holly?

Step One: Procure glaring cat.

Step Two: Station dog so she can watch glaring cat while the nails are being done.

Step Three: Do not disrupt line of sight.

Result: Dog that tolerates Dremel because she can't resist watching the cat. (Incidentally she only hid the first time I vacuumed because of the cats. She doesn't like noises, but she doesn't like missing out on any chance the cats might jump down even more.)

Nim is in the box so much now that Holly sometimes has to go stare at him to try and kick him out of it.

Weekend Happenings

So Friday I came home to a package! Bless the delivery people, it is so hard for them to figure out where I actually live (there are several outbuildings) and I think none of them want to go near the barking one, so I didn't see the package until a couple of hours after I got home.

Cindy sent us gifts! Nim got a new fluffy for his birthday.

Once I was done annoying him with photo taking he got right down to squeaking.

The kitties got little party favors too! Photos coming after Holly goes home on Sunday. I know they play with them at night when it is too dark for a photo and Holly is in her kennel.

What I am really excited about was this feeder she sent my way.

Complete with meal worms.

So far no one is coming out to eat them! I need to investigate this. My current theory is that they are too close to the hummingbird feeders and well those guys are scrappers.

It was definitely a box that made my weekend!

In other weekend happenings, we all knew this was coming:

I am suspecting he might be getting in there while I go to work.

Nim and Holly have started to lay in "close" proximity which is super cute. First they would only do it in the yard, but now I catch them in the house. Nim is totally happy with her except when she goes crazy and charges him.

Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival Submission

What perfect timing that the Blogger's Quilt Festival starts today and I just recently finished a new quilt! In fact, this quilt went to its new home on Wednesday.

And look at that! Holly, gets immortalized in a festival entry. :)

For my new visitors, welcome too my blog! Holly pictured above is actually a dog just visiting for the month of May.

Right now I live with a Doberman Nim, an orange tabby Emile, and another tabby Leela. And my chinchilla Pascal. I live in the Snoqualmie valley area of WA state (20 - 30 minutes east of Seattle, but not quite over Snoqualmie Pass) and in addition to my quilting and knitting I am an avid hiker and a terrible but inspired gardener.

And now for the story of my submission to the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

This quilt is the result of my 3rd year participating in the Annual New Year's Day Mystery Quilt event designed by Janet Wickell. This pattern is the 2014 New Year's Day Mystery Quilt.

I am surprised how much I enjoy the mystery quilts. I think mostly I am surprised that the color generally works out in the end. I make it a policy to always work with my scrap stash for my Mystery Quilts. I really lucked out this year in that I got a bunch of new fat quarters for Christmas so I had more variety to play with.

This quilt is the biggest quilt I have done on my roughly year old sewing machine, the Baby Lock Crescendo. And the experience was not without problems. I accidentally quilted a knitting project in the back.

And later I would end up quilting another part of the actually backing to itself (no photo - I was too frustrated at that point). I don't blame the machine for this problems however. I blame lack of space and cats that rearrange that space to their liking.

This quilt was only about 4 months late to my first who turned 50 in January. I can tell it has found a good home and she will cherish it.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog (current readers and new). Last time I participated in this festival I made some blogger friends and found some really inspiring sites to follow. - Sam

Stress Shopping

Yesterday on the way home from work I decided that I needed some flowers to plant. Badly.

Normally when I get all my flowers I take my time. I go slow. I consider the baskets and pots I have and mentally arrange in the store.

Not this time. This time I spent more money in one shop than I ever have on plants. I was just grabbing. I even had duplicates I wasn't planning. It was hot out and I was tired and I just needed to get home to the dogs.

Holly likes to entertain herself by flopping on her back. You know how senior dogs can't quite get into position easily so they just throw themselves? This is why all the fleas in the yard are on her.

So Holly did her thing and Nim "helped" me. This plant actually had a lot more blossoms on it.

Except someone took them all off.

Nim has been waiting weeks for me to start gardening.

I got baskets going and made the best of a very unplanned situation.

One of my hardest decisions was the pot below. Basically the question was, which flowers would I be the least annoyed when the deer and elk either throw them or eat them? There is something about this pot in particular that they just go to town. It was a good pot for my duplicates or less expensive options.

I brought out my Devil's Tongue to get some sun and attempt to repair itself. I have had this plant over 15 years, and who is going to be the one to kill it? Emile. Yes, that would be chew marks.

Holly still rolling and kicking.

Rolling and kicking.

This is a pot on the corner of the house.

Even moving this garden box Nim STILL thinks it is his. This could be a long summer. Those are pea starts that I want to climb the fencing. But someone has to leave them in the ground long enough to establish.

The sun is shining and it is going to be another warm day!

Happy REAL 4th Birthday Nim!

Yup. I messed up his birth date. He was brought home on the 10th of July (which is also my youngest sister's birthday) but he was born on the 12th of May.

At least I never forget to feed you Nim...you are stuck with me.

Perhaps fries are in order tonight...

Happy 4th Birthday Nim! (Oops, wrong day)

I completely forgot about Nim's birthday! Thankfully his GSD friend Jack's birthday is on Thursday and it was in talking about Jack coming up on age 2, that I realized today was Nim's day!

Nim, without you my life would be ridiculously less complete.

Courtney (Jack's human) and I rushed out and got to celebrating. Nim got his first whipped cream. He was tentative at first...

That was short lived.

More mess.

Contemplative licking.

These are some great photos my friend Courtney got. I love them.

Nim wants his cup back. I actually have frozen what was left for him for later.

Courtney got him 5lbs of dog treats. They will be gone in no time.

On the way home he ALSO got his birthday burger. Since I forgot his birthday and already ate there were no fries for me.

4 years old Nim! You are a good dog.