sick pooch

Our Lulu is still ill. We have been to 2 different vets, had tests and x-rays, and still no diagnosis.
This is really getting frustrating trying to figure out what is wrong with her. She still will not drink from her bowl, or eat her kibble. I have to still give her fluids with a turkey baster but she has started eating wet food, especially Tripe which is good for her tummy, if that is what ails her. She was weighed again this week and has lost a total of 3 lbs in about a week's time.

She is worrying her mama and papa very much! We want our little girl to feel all better again. It just hurts me so much to see her lie on the sofa all day! She gets little spurts of energy maybe once a day for a very short time...then lies down again. She can't even jump up on our bed anymore, we've been carrying her around a lot. I hope she can return to her old self again soon. We may be taking her for more tests soon..very expensive tests....that cost close to $1,000. We've spent about $750.00 already at the vets. I wish Lulu could talk and tell us how she feels, although maybe even she doesn't have a clue! Hope we have good news to tell you real soon. Thanks to those people who are rootin' for Lulu Belle.





( in happier times wearing Steve's underwear)

The Beagle Patient

My Lulu Belle has been feeling under the weather for the past 4 days. We still haven't figured out what is the matter with her, even after two different vet clinics and some tests. Ever since she got sick Sunday evening, I've been a very worried beagle mama!! I think she may have finally started to recover from this mysterious illness, that has prevented her from a normal beagle life. She wouldn't eat or drink on her own, Steve and I have had to spoon feed her yogurt, cottage cheese and tonight I got her to eat some wet dog food. She did drink a little from her water dish tonight so I'm pretty happy about that! I've had so much help, in particular from my friends on ETSY, including the Etsy Beagle Street Team and the two vet clinics who gave her treatment.
I'm so grateful to the following wonderful people:

Tatjana, who has this shop on Etsy
Jess, who also has an Etsy shop
Kim, who has this Etsy shop
Cris Dimitriu, a good friend
and
all of the people on Etsy who posted in this forum and wished Lulu well, they are too many to name!

I hope Lulu is feeling her tail-wagging, howling self again soon so she can do all the things she loves including walksy palksy to the park, going to the off-leash conservation, playing with her toys, chewing her bones, stealing socks and underwear to chew and begging for people food.

HaPpY 2nD aNniVeRsaRy

It's exactly 2 years since I started this blog and I really can't believe it's been that long!
I never fathomed that I would still be at it to this day. Also, this is my 182nd blog post!!

My very first 2 blog posts in July of 2006 were sans photos. I probably hadn't figured out how to add photos at that time!



I'm tickled pink that I am still doing it. This photo of me in my city apartment bedroom was taken 2 years ago when I was about to move to the small town of Whitby to be with my cutie full time.



I bravely took a step toward a new life in a new town, one that I've grown quite fond of.



I feel lucky to have my dream house now, charming and cosy as it is, it suits me and Steven, along with our fur babies Lulu, Edie and Archie. We are very content here in Port Whitby.



Our house has a great yard for gardening which I've also grown fond of.



Here is my very first flower photo!! It was in October of 2006.






These 2 photos of Lulu and Archie are the very first photos of them on my blog!
Since I couldn't locate the photo of grey cat Edie...you'll have to click here if you want to see it. It's a photo of him at my city apt. cuddling with the phone.



One of my main intentions for having the blog was to feature my design work. This detail photo of one of my bags is the first photo I put up on the ol' blog! Actually it's on a bag that I use myself quite often.



You may know how much I love to feature photos of food and baking. This peach galette is my first ever food photo! Well, to be truthful, it's the first photo at the house in Whitby.
(The first photo was of a dinner of Marlin steak and garden peas...but I couldn't locate the photo or link to it.)



Well, I hope you've enjoyed viewing my blog as much as I have enjoyed doing it.

Here's to 2 more years and maybe more of blogging on 'Carried Away'!

new artwork and entertaining

I just recently acquired this piece of art, an original acrylic on canvas board from Etsy shop DogArtStudio. I love the colors and the subject....reminds me of my love for autumn days. I would like to get a beautiful gold frame for it sometime.

Also from Etsy shop DogArtStudio ... this wonderful artist does a lot of dog art. This isn't a portrait of my Lulu, I just happened to see this print in the artists' shop and fell in love with it. It is a very close likeness to Lulu though...in the eyes especially.

Still have to get it framed, so for now I propped it up in the upstairs' hallway.

We have been going to a few bbq's lately. Steve's family came over the other day and we had these yummy desserts. The little cream puffs were to die for...milk, white and dark chocolate with bavarian and hazelnut cream...yummy!

and this wonderfully light strawberry cake!! So perfect for a bbq.

We made herbed chicken with the herbs from our garden..basil, parsley and mint. Also roasted potatoes and peppers with balsamic raspberry vinegar. We started off with a watermelon and basil salad with feta cheese and black pepper...sounds odd but it is a delicious combination, and black olive bread from a local market.

Last Sunday we had a bbq with my dear friend Nathalie and her husband Jean Francois, and her adorable children Alex and Emilie, and new baby Claire. The baby was so pretty and good, and the children are so well-behaved and cute! We had a lovely day and the food was terrific. Nat and JF made chicken, 2 kinds of sausage, lamb and chorizio, and a wonderful basil tomato and fresh mozzerella salad, and a delicous couscous salad. For dessert I had brought this strawberry shortcake with fresh ontario strawberries. We also a cheese course between dinner and dessert, with some great cheeses. It was a fantastic meal!

Summer time and the living is easy and tasty!

A cut above...

My new haircut!!! Voila!

It's fun and sassy. I got about 2 inches cut off! I have a new hair stylist actually..

ME!!!!! Yep! I cut my own hair. I saved myself a chunk of money and it was fun!! I have a really good pair of sewing scissors that are great for cutting hair so that helped mucho. I have always paid close attention to how stylists have cut my hair and so I thought I would have a go at it. I thought, if it turned out badly I could always go to a salon to have it fixed or wear a hat whenever I go out since it's summer. Luckily I didn't have to call a salon OR wear a hat. Yeah!
I may have a new career ahead of me....A HEAD....get it!!!


This is a picture of my arm last week. I am so sick of being bitten by those pesky mosquitoes. As you can see, the lower arm has a bite that is swollen. Yep, I get allergic reactions sometimes. Summer is not very enjoyable when you're constantly scratching yourself. I have been avoiding my yard lately because I am tired of being breakfast, lunch and dinner to a swarm of greedy little vampire bugs. Such a shame, since our yard looks so good now. I have tried bug repellents and wearing long sleeves and pants, socks and they still manage to get at me! Jeesh!

O CANADA!!!

Steve and I spent Canada Day in Coburg, a cute little town, nicknamed 'Ontario's Feel Good Town'. There was a big festival there, with food vendors, rides, art show and market, plus a ton of people picnicing on or near the beach.

This house had the right spirit!

and a lovely shady porch to relax on.



I loved their house and property..

which had lots of various seating around.


This lovely house had a great idea with the flowing curtains on their pretty porch. I think I would do that to ours if it were facing a sunny side but since ours doesn't I don't think it's necessary. Love the look though.

Coburg has a population of only 19,000 and has many beautiful old homes. It's twin city is Coburg, Germany.

This one is just gorgeous...

and had a cute gargoyle guarding the front door.


Unfortunately, the parking nearby the festival was packed and we tried to squeeze into a space. The lady of the vechicle ahead of us was getting out of her car as Steve lightly bumped her fender. I swear I didn't even feel it touch! She screamed loudly and said 'MY CAR! You hit my car!"

We exchanged numbers and Steve got a quote from her today, a day later, that the scratch will cost $460.00 to repaint the whole fender....Oh maaan! This trip cost us a bit more than we thought! Steve is paying out of his pocket since his insurance premiums will go up if they pay. Oh well, things happen, well...in Steve's words it was 'Shite happens'.


On a lighter note, this pooch of ours got two ice cream cones (half eaten) from two nice older ladies sitting next to us on a bench...they were smitten with our Lulu Belle...

and she with them, for this wonderful treat!


There was a booth for wildlife preservation....with this amazing bird!

"Who, Who"...Who are you?"


A lovely day at the beach it was!! We ate chicken fajitas, ice cream, and raspberry slushes, walked on the beach until the lifeguard informed us that dogs were not allowed (boo) and then drove home at sunset. We missed the fireworks but we did have a splendid day!

Here's a short video of the beach for ya's!