Happy weekend everyone – hoping it’s blue skies and fluffy clouds wherever you are. It’s been warm around here…finally! We hit the jackpot with 80’s midweek and haven’t looked back.
Look what popped in my front yard this week! Made me so happy.
Baked this cheerful pound cake on Tuesday that pops with lemon flavor and fresh blueberries! Yay spring.
Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs
I received several beautiful imprinted silver spoons as gifts from a sweet friend over the past year, made by For Such a Time Designs. I love them. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. I use them often, smile, and think of her.
Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs
It’s also wedding/bridal shower season. Finding the perfect gift for the lucky couple can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Gifting a fork set imprinted with their wedding date is a meaningful, whimsical gift. Not to mention super affordable. Perfect for that first bite of wedding cake and celebrating anniversaries every year after.
Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs
Shop unique silver spoon designs for many different occasions (or just for fun!) here.
When bad things happen to (very) good dogs
I’ve not yet shared here about what happened to our very sweet dog Chloe two weeks ago. We got her from a rescue as a therapy dog for Hudson last fall after combing the inventory of every rescue in the state for weeks. (Hudson has Down syndrome, autism and a great fear of dogs. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.)
So we were needing a very loving, patient, calm dog. The kind that’s nearly half dead, if you know what I mean. LOL. Chloe fit the bill! She’s far more interested in loving pats than table food, though a crunchy pig’s ear brings endless tail thumps. (That and a good bum scratch.) If you scratch behind her ears juuust right, she purrs like a kitten…
Anyway, Jon was taking her out for a quick jaunt before dinner a few weeks ago. They were practically in front of our house when he stopped to chat with some neighbors who were also walking their dog. Just a friendly hello, how are you doing kind of thing. Without warning or provocation, their dog, who is significantly larger than Chloe (also leashed) lunged and clamped onto her head and ear.
The dog wouldn’t unclamp and paid no attention to its owner. Jon managed to pry its jaws open. Of course poor Chloe is crying and screaming meanwhile as the teeth are sinking in. Jon finally gets the jaws pried open, then the dog clamps down AGAIN. On her throat and neck this time, and shakes her.
Chloe on her first visit to the beach last fall
All I can say is I am SO THANKFUL I wasn’t there and so grateful none of my kids were there to see this either. In the process of prying the dog off the second time, Jon got bitten and bruised. The other dog owner was also bitten. Jon’s injuries weren’t terrible, but Chloe’s were. We rushed her to the vet ER for staples, stitches and glue. The inside of her right ear was bitten badly and there were deep puncture wounds in her neck, throat and head. I’m not posting pictures of her injuries here because they were pretty gruesome – blood and gore.
To the other dog owners’ credit, they did pay for Chloe’s pricey vet bill and dropped in to check on her the next day. They felt terribly about what had happened and are taking their dog to a dog behavior specialist. Scary stuff. It all happened in a split second and Jon says it was as if time stood still when it all happened. So unexpected.
The excellent news is that Chloe is healing up well. Her wounds have scabbed over and the hair on her head, ear and neck is just starting to grow back in. And the staples behind her ear were removed yesterday. She should be good as new in not too long. Exhale.
Thought: “It’s extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is.” – George Will
Reflective beach read I loved here!
Wishing you a beautiful, restful weekend!
Barb Ruka says
Oh mg gosh, my heart is in my throat! I’d be sick if that happened to our Rocky! Personally, I think that dog should be put down. So sorry Allie!
Allie says
Thanks so much Barb, it was pretty upsetting. We’ve never had a dog before until last fall, so it never even occurred to us that something like this could ever happen. We were trying to figure out how to handle the whole situation, and finally a week after the fact Jon called the dog owners and let them know he felt responsible to call our local animal control over what happened. It would be a terrible thing to have to live with if something else happened. The owners were gracious and said they understood, etc. But when Jon called animal control they said there was nothing they could do, unless it was a human being the dog attacked. The dog didn’t exactly attack a person, it was def. another dog, even though a few gotten bitten in the process of getting him off. We are definitely steering clear of that house and dog, thankfully they live way across the subdivision about a mile or so… it’s just other dogs/people I worry about, that don’t know what happened.
Rosemary Houston says
So scary a thing when our pets act spontaneously in a way we aren’t prepared for! So glad Chloe is recovering and the neighbor is being proactive with their dog and the cost of the pain for yours. Thankful that God cares about these things! And Jon, I trust, is healing also😊❤️
Allie says
Thanks, it was scary Rosemary, and I think about God’s providence in that Jon didn’t get bitten worse. It could have been a very different outcome. Thankfully he had a fairly thick coat on at the time, it was his forearm that was bitten. He had some broken skin but it was the bruising that was pretty bad. Anyway, thankful…. and as a good presbyterian would say, so grateful that piece of God’s providence is now behind us…. <3
Allison Foster says
Glad Chloe is going to be ok. What a scary thing to happen.
Allie says
Thanks Allison, me too. Glad that nightmare is behind us now. xo
Ellen says
Chloe is such a sweet and gentle dog. I’m so glad I got to meet her. Hope her healing is quick! Give her
A rub from me!!
Allie says
Awww…thanks Elle. She loved finally meeting you too. She’s asleep in the living room now, snoring away. You know I’ll give her that extra rub, she soaks it in like a sponge. 🙂
Nancy mcmahan says
Oh dear. So sorry about Chloe and Jon. Be so careful of that dog..once they bite like that you never know when it will happen again.
The silverware is a cool idea. Thanks for sharing.
Allie says
Thank you so much Nan and yes yes yes. We will be very careful of that dog, thankfully it lives way across the subdivision and we haven’t seen it since. Jon did end up calling animal control about a week later – he just felt that if something else happened to a dog or child, we would carry that responsibility. Animal control says they can’t do anything unless the dog attacks a human being, and yes, Jon did get bitten, but that was more a by product of the situation…. Just grateful it wasn’t worse. Thanks for dropping by my friend.
Maggie says
I’m so glad sweet Chloe is mending. Pets are such special members of the family.
Allie says
Thank you Maggie, they are indeed. XO
Susie Mandel says
Oh, Allie, I was gasping and holding my breath while reading this and Julia kept asking me, “What? What?!!” I can’t tell you how relieved we were to read that Chloe and Jon (and the other dog owner) are okay!! That is absolutely scary!! I also love your imprinted spoons–what a great gift indeed!
Allie says
Hi Susie – Glad you didn’t have a heart attack on my account. I should have probably started out by saying, “Chloe and Jon are ok, but…..here’s what happened”. Thanks so much. I’m so relieved too. It was kind of a nightmare situation, thank you Susie. xo
Carolyn Voegtlin says
That was SO scary! Glad it’s heading in the right direction.
Take care.
Love you guys,
Carolyn
Allie says
Thank you so much Carolyn, we love you too. I saw some great pics of Pastor Don’t birthday celebration on Facebook. So many cards and letters. He really looked good, obviously having a great time!
Allie says
P.S. Tell him I said Happy Birthday!
Carolyn Voegtlin says
Thanks, Allie – it was a complete surprise for both of us. They were great secret keepers 🙂
Love your blog
Martha says
I witness the killing of a sweet little poodle by an inleashed Akita shepherd mix on the bike path last summer. It was horrific.
That dog was put down and rightly so.
What if that poodle has been a Toddler.
Dogs that are bred to attack should not be allowed in residential,or any neighborhood for that matter.
Allie says
Hi Martha – that’s so terrible. It’s a horrible sound to hear, I can only imagine that poor poodle. One of my good friends was telling me about a similar situation that happened at her grandmother’s house. A toy poodle was attacked by a pit bull. What nightmares are made of. We were trying to figure out how to handle the whole situation with Chloe, and finally a week after the fact Jon called the dog owners and let them know he felt responsible to call our local animal control over what happened. It would be a terrible thing to have to live with if something else happened. The owners were gracious and said they understood, etc. But when Jon called animal control they said there was nothing they could do, unless it was a human being the dog attacked. The dog didn’t exactly attack a person, it was def. another dog, even though a few gotten bitten in the process of getting him off. We are definitely steering clear of that house and dog, thankfully they live way across the subdivision about a mile or so… it’s just other dogs/people I worry about, that don’t know what happened.
Julie Hipke says
Oh my!! SO grateful Miss Chloe is going to be okay!
Never a dull moment… xo J
Allie says
Oh thanks J. Nope, never a dull moment. Not here or at your house either. 🙂
Adina says
So terrible, poor Chloe. I am glad she’s fine. I witnessed a large dog killing the neighbor’s kitten a few years ago and had to save two of our cats from the same dog. I was always so annoyed that the dog was allowed to run around free after attacking so many smaller animals and killing some of them as well. I was just glad that the dog was too old to move around much when our children were small, you never know what might happen with such animals.
Allie says
That’s terrible Adina. I don’t understand what makes some dogs act this way. It’s just scary is what it is. You never know what they might do next, if it will be a child. I’m so glad you were able to save your cats my friend.
Shashi at SavorySpin says
Oh my goodness – I am so glad to hear that Chloe is healing up well. And, I am so glad you and the kids weren’t there to see this. I hope Jon is doing ok too. My ex-sister in law had 4 dogs and 2 of them were ruffians and my ex husband would be over there just about every other week taking one or 2 dogs to the vet as they had decided to go postal on each other. From what he used to say, the scene was pretty darn gruesome. What an unfortunate event a sweet dog like Chloe was involved in this. Ahh… I Hope you and everyone else are doing ok, Allie. XOXO