I'VE GOT SOME NEWS TO SHARE!

First and foremost, I want to tell you all about my very special friend, Gloria, at Hooked on Yarn One Stitch at a Time. Not too long ago, Gloria had a little contest on her blog. I somehow ended up winning the contest, and my reward was a surprise package from Gloria. Well, I drove up in my driveway the other day, and to my utter delight, saw a HUGE box on the front porch. I brought it in and couldn't wait to open it. When I pulled back the lid, I was literally in shock as I peered at the contents. I have taken pictures to share with you, but I will list the unbelievable goodies that waited within:

1.   Four crochet pattern books - "Dog Sweaters to Knit and Crochet", "More Crochet Stitches", "Plus-Size Sweaters to Crochet", and "Crochet Made Easy"

2.   Susan Bates bamboo hook

3.   Decorative tin that included a scented candle and a package of big-eye needles

4.   Metal wall bucket decoration

5.   JoAnn Fabrics tote bag

6.   "Doggie" scrapbooking sheet

7.   Artwork matting frame

8.   Three colorful fabric swatches called "Quick Cuts"

9.   Umbrella party straws (Hunter has already gotten into those!)

10. Three skeins of metallic crochet thread

11.  Ten skeins of beautiful yarn, one of which I have already sampled by making a beanie :) 

Oh my gosh!!! I am overjoyed and so very grateful for the wonderful surprise box of goodies. I apologize that I did not get this posted sooner. I had left my camera at my Ryanne's house in order to get puppy pictures, and just got it back on Monday. So, Gloria, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You are a sweetheart. I know you are in the process of moving and may not get this message for a few days, but just know how much I love the very thoughtful surprises!

The other news I have to share is a bit sad. We lost one of the male Corgi puppies the other night. They had been to the vet on Monday to have their tails and dewclaws docked. The vet gave all nine of them a huge "thumbs up" and said they all seemed to be very healthy. He also said Mama Disney was in extremely good shape for having just delivered such a large litter. He said she was producing much more milk than he would have anticipated. Ryanne brought the puppies home at noon and went on to work. She came home at 5:00 to check on them, and they all seemed fine. She got home again at 8:00, and she noticed that one of the little males seemed to be lethargic and was separated from the rest of the litter. She called the vet, and he suggested that she bring him in. For the next 2 1/2 hours, they waited, and the little pup died. The vet, after first seeing the puppy, was not encouraged about its chance for survival, so he didn't want to put Ryanne or the puppy through extensive labwork and xrays. He did check its urine and stool and both showed blood. He said it was very possible that Disney stepped or laid on the puppy, causing internal bleeding. He said it was really not that uncommon.  Ryanne, understandably, had a really rough day yesterday. She is such an animal lover, and it broke her heart to have this happen. But, there are still 8 more hungry little mouths to feed and lots of puppy excitement in the days to come. :)

Oh, I almost forgot . . . and since this is actually a crochet blog, I guess I should mention that I got a little project finished this weekend. Hunter wanted a little crocheted "box" to keep her supplies organized at school. So, I went back to a tried-and-true, tissue box pattern I had used before and created this little box. It was easy and quick to make, which is a good thing because she already has requests from kids at school for boxes of their own. :)