It started with an All Blacks game…

It started with an All Blacks game, and ended with a kelpie.

The Bridge Cafe, a restored church and school combined into a cool cafe in the Manawatu Gorge.

It had been a wonderful weekend up until this point, having spent Saturday drinking coffee at the Bridge Cafe, visiting a school gala, and picking up a little cupboard to contain my hand sewing supplies from an antique shop in Woodville.

On Sunday morning, we were seated in front of the tv watching the All Blacks demolish France quite satisfactorily, when the phone rang.

Now, we are not a rugby-mad household, but there is sort of an unwritten rule that nobody rings when a game is on, especially when we are winning so magnificently. My church even cancelled the early Sunday service, after only three people indicated they would attend at 8:15am, the rest watching the rugby. Our Pastor was quite relieved, being the biggest fan of all.

Sure enough, the phone call involved the words “Mother, Hospital and Stroke”, and so a very busy week started. It turned out to be another TIA, so there was no permanent damage, but I still stayed a week to keep an eye on her.

I took some handwork with me, since I initially thought I would be dog-watching while they kept her in for a few days. Instead, three hours after leaving home, we arrived just as they discharged her from hospital.

Stella’s cushion, another re-purposed Art Recycling block.

I took with me a couple of little projects, the first of which was a little cushion for a niece, whose name I stitched on the border (Stella).

One thing I don’t mind about visiting Mum is the opportunity to pop into her LQS, In Stitches. They have shifted premises since I was last there, and have more room for fabric! The staff are very friendly, and they try to keep prices down, since many of the local quilters are apparently retired, and so, on limited incomes.

Since Stella is only two, bunnies seemed a good idea for the cushion back.

I bought some bunny fabric for the cushion back, and some samples they had acquired from their local fabric rep, who had left the business. I now have some Alison Glass Handcrafted and Downton Abbey Egyptian samples, just big enough for some lap quilts, or something scrappy.

Alison Glass fabrics. I have been waiting for these to reach NZ!

So, where does the kelpie come in?

We walked my sisters dogs while she was out of town, a lovely huntaway/collie cross, and a newly acquired kelpie. My sister was in a bit of a flap over the kelpie. Having only arrived the preceding weekend (from my Father’s farm), the kelpie had staked a claim to the house, the people and the food supply.

Given that the other dog had been a dearly loved fur-baby for 9 years, this meant the kelpie needed to be re-homed. The Hubbie quite liked her, but I was reluctant and sort of concentrating on nursing the Mother back to health. Our last dog (an Alsatian) had a few issues, due to being a breeding animal for a puppy farm. As a result, I am a bit reluctant to take on other people’s problem animals now. Luckily for me, the kelpie found a home with an agility expert, and all was well for two or three days. But she staked a claim as boss of that household too, and was shipped back to my sister…..who panicked and rang us, pleading….

After much discussion, we decided to put it to a family vote. In her favour are our rapidly expanding waistlines. Some people don’t mind coasting into middle-age carrying a little extra baggage around the middle, simply buying a bigger belt occasionally. This is the approach we have taken till now. Denial is a powerful weapon in the war on obesity. With a family history of diabetes and stroke, this is not a good long-term option, and we have reasoned that owning an active dog will force us into the activity we are currently avoiding.

On the downside, kelpies are active animals, escape artists, and get bored easily, in which case they can cause trouble!

After much discussion, we decided to adopt the dog. So, this weekend will consist of a drive back to Taranaki, a brief trip around a few gardens in the Taranaki Rhododendron Fringe Festival, and then a long trip home. We have made up a kennel, bought a doggie seat belt, and argued over a name (Miko).

Of course this means we will be away from home during the Rugby World Cup Final (NZ vs Australia), but I suspect it is being played on free-to-air tv, so if we decide to test our nerves, we can still watch it live. The last final four years ago almost ended in heart attacks, so this one might just be listened to on the radio instead.

Meanwhile, I am now a week behind in the 1930’s Farmers Wife QAL, and have three blocks to catch up on.

I am also planning to finish quilting my Mothers Christmas quilt, and bind another small quilt I finished quilting while looking after Mum. While trying not to fret over the dog’s arrival.

linking up to WIP Wednesdays.

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