Dogs as Helpers; Animals in Heaven

On Monday, therapy dog Libby Sweetpea, Cathy, her two therapy dogs and I visited the Grand Junction Regional Center operated by Colorado's Dept. of Human Services.

We two adults and our three pets visited the 32 people receiving highly specialized care in one section at the Center. Most of the people receiving care, although non-verbal, seemed to be highly receptive to the animals, and a few petted the dogs with enthusiasm and gentleness. I was very much impressed with the excellent care provided by the direct patient providers.

Previously, I have written about Therapy Dogs International here in an earlier post and here after Libby received her official Therapy Dog certification.

While on a visit last week to St. Mary's Hospital, Libby and I visited with a woman whose dog had died several years ago.

That conversation brought up the subject of "animals in heaven."

Wanting to check out this line of thinking, here are a few sites I visited:

(photo courtesy of saintfrancisfoundation)

Do Animals Go to Heaven? and reassurances can be found here.

Both sites give assurances that life with beloved pets are valuable in many ways. This was certainly validated yesterday when I saw the positive interaction our dogs provided those with many special physical needs.

Here is a sweet poem given us upon the death of our older pet several years ago. The office staff of the veterinarian all signed the card that said:

Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them; who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together......."
Anonymous

Disastrous Experience with Faceted Rib Knit Technique

It is all better now. After close to three weeks of sporadically knitting a pair of socks from an easy pattern found in The Little Box of Socks, I finally understand the pattern directions{ (love this box of patterns)... available at Amazon through the sidebar}

The directions were easy enough, if you know how to just hold the darn yarn. I had to go to my Knitting for Dummies (KFD) book to see why I kept repeating my knitting mistake. I remembered the Weight Watchers' slogan: "If you keep on doing the same thing, you will keep on getting the same results." Often, I need to be hit on the head to keep that truth in mind.

The KFD book helped me to literally "see" my mistake. Once I looked at the reference book, and saw how the diagram pictured holding the yarn, the written directions became clear.

I also incorporated some beads into the cuff of the sock, using another reference book which is an excellent guide. That book is Easy Beaded Knits by Jeanette Trotman. This book is not only a handy reference for beading, but also has lovely patterns.

While ripping out many inches of incorrect stitches on the beginning of this sock, I reflected on Chaucer's quote:

The lyf so shorte, the crafte so long to lerne...

Susan Lyden, in her book The Knitting Sutra-Craft as Spiritual Practice, says it well:

I thought ... that the aim of craft was to become proficient and to spend a lifetime creating beautiful things. It seemed like something was wrong with a plan whereby you took a lifetime to achieve mastery over difficult techniques then died just when you had become really good. I learned ... that the purpose of the craft is not so much to make beautiful things as it is to become beautiful inside while you are making those things.

Isn't that true? Just the act of knitting is a Zen experience for me. I have just lately found that it really does not matter so much when I have to rip out stitches for correction: the act of knitting in itself is the process of acquiring stillness in one's heart and mind.

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Knitting Notes: 100% Superwashed merino ShiBuiknits from Webs online store ($9.30/skein; 2 skeins) 191 yd/ball; machine wash on gentle cycle; dry flat; hand dyed; made in Peru; item #4103 Sock Shibui (Roggongi); size 1 needles (5 double point)

How to Make Altered Beaded Broach Jewelry

In Friday's blog post, Carol's Pin Swap was mentioned. Over the weekend, I made two altered art broaches for this exchange. One piece was made from a silver heart broach, and one from a polymer based "sun face" pin.

The two broaches are altered art projects. Heavy cardboard was cut from scrap material to make the backing, and also for stability of the pin. On the back of each broach, coordinating fabric was cut in the shape of the back base, glued to the cardboard and trimmed when dry.

Black, white, blue and green were the predominant colors in the sun faced broach, surrounded by coordinating colored glass and polymer beads threaded onto head pins; those threaded beads and more tiny green seed glass beads were glued to the plastic backing around the sun face.

The silver pin was a heart shaped broach which I altered by using a photograph of my mom, then embellishing it with gold leaf and the burnished photo cut to fit the inside of the heart. Beads were threaded onto headpins, turned for closing with needle nosed pliers, and then attached to the silver base heart with jump rings. Further embellishment with gold colored glass beads were then glued onto the photo face.

Again, the The Sassy Art Goddess' rules for this swap are:

Create a brooch/pin no larger that 2 ½ x 2 ½ inches. Anything goes for the faceas long as it implies a human face and has some beads. Polymer clay, buttons, paper, clay, felting, image transfer, bead or regular embroidery, what ever strikes your fancy. This is a 1 -1 swap. Due to me by September 26th. You must include return postage of $5.00 or a Priority Stamp and return mailing label. If you do not send return postage, your pin is mine. International swappers welcome and encouraged. Please include a note with your real name and screen name, mailing address, title of your piece and any other info you think might be nice to know about your piece. All pins/broaches will be swapped and mailed the first 2 weeks of October. This is a fun, fast swap and great opportunity for all you newbies to try your hand at creating something.

Can't wait to see what comes back to me in the mail in October!