emma doing great.

finished up large "too easily" today and not much more.

Ready for August to be over - I always hate this no man's vacation land at the end of the month / summer.  Seems like everything is stalled, including me!

Pizza with Bill tonight.  Vet tomorrow with Emma.  fingers crossed it's nothing!

Lots of time working with Emma, sometimes working, sometimes not.  Waling better on leash, but the biting is getting so annoying (and harder).

Cutting and priming wood, and planning for more printing.  Such a lull right now, a good time to get ready for FALL.

Rainy day today.  We can't help but be sleepy after all the middle of the night puppy action.  Coffee helps.

MCA meeting tonight.  Hope it goes well and is direct.  So often they go off the rails in 1000 different directions.   

day 13 with Emma! Things going great, with exception of the nighttime crating.  She has us worried she will bark, so after we take her out, we stay up with her while she settles back down (around an hour).  Needless to say it's a little unpleasent.

So interesting to see her changing.  Things she easily did last week 9walk on leash) she is less inclined to do now.  Now she sits and won't move, until time goes by and she gets bored putting up the fight.  But then sometimes she will walk afew steps, and start the whole cycle over again.  Not fun.  And much more distrated by things on the ground.  Plants, trash, tar, stones, whatever.  Form thing to thing.  Ha!

What worked as toys and distractions last work no longer have the smae power.  So we need to go to plan B.

Ha, she is running around studio, ready to go!  More later

Emma doing great!  Normalcy is kinda sorta returning.  Still fussing at night, so we are losing sleep.  but during the day at the studio, she is a dream.  So easy to care for.

Growing and learning fast!

Time going by.  Summer is fading away, which I always hate.  But having Emma makes everything fine.  So exciting to wake up int he morning and see her little fuzzy body.  So happy.

E M M A ! ! ! !

Hit a WALL of sleepy after whirlwind weekend in a string of whirlwind weekends.

This saturday we picked up BELQUEST REMINGTON EMMAPEEL (emma)!!!!!
Super exciting and very overwhelming.  All is going fantastic, just sleep deprived.  Today was her first day at the studio and she did so well. 

Last night (or second) she barked in the cage, which I was so hoping she wouldn't do.  So we got up and spent a lot of time trying to sooth her down.  Think we know the drill now, fingers crossed it works out well tonight.  She is testing us in the car and at night.

But overall, she is doing great!  The future with her is bright.

Tuesday already!  What a crazy few weeks this has been.

Saturday and Sunday DOG DAYS went OK - diminishing returns?  I don't know.
1.  I didn't have enough variety, and didn't have time to prepare
2.  I've had the same designs for way too long
3.  I didn't reduce prices very much
4.  i didn't promote it.

but still, seems like there wasn't the same vibe as years past.  Only a few times did we get into busy mode.  Most the time it was just a steady steam of lookers and shoppers.

Anyway, all this to say I NEED TO DO BETTER ! ! ! ! !  Next big sale is Del Ray, two months away.

- - - - -
monday was a big day, picking out "cooper'  Emotional and draining.  Losing Remi still very hard.  A big giant hole.
 today I was back at the studio, finding my way out of the weekend fog.  A good day to reset, and move ahead.

D
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after a long day with a big gear switch right in the late afternoon.

Finished up my first batch of story district illustrations from past few days, then went to preparing for Dog Days tomorrow.  Shirts ordered Monday didn't show up, so we have to make due with what we have.  Bummer, but really the only option anyway with the time left.

I worked on some shirts and cards, but mostly fizzled.  A little coffee break helped.

Hearing back that Amy loves the illustrations was a big boost.

- - - - -

Hangover of sadness form the past week hits at weird times.  Can't believe only a week ago we were fretting about Remi's condition, and then a the gut wrenching feelings as the weekend progressed.  Only a week ago!  Feeling gradually better about it all -- getting through it, which is good.

Project Echo Lady is an obvious distraction, and something to be really excited about.  More about that later.

Working on Story District drawings and having lots of fun.

Distracted by Belquest!

Thinking about Remi and missing her.  I feel like August is going to go by quickly.

Dog Days this weekend - lots to prepare.

So much to do, sometimes I feel swamped.  Then I tell myself I can do it.

But things are getting missed, and that gets me down.

Each new day is another chance to right my course.

Wow - last time I wrote Remi was doing fine (kind of).  In just a few days we made the decision to put her to sleep, and finally yesterday at 6;30, we did.

What a horrible and sickening few days.  She was weak and couldn't do much, and all we could do was wait, and say a long goodbye.

A huge understatement to say that everything feels so weird now.  She isn't home, or in the car, or at the studio.  We no longer have to feed her, carry her, move her, clean her, get her to drink, take her out.  She is just gone.  there is no schedule anymore.

All of our lives were dedicated to taking care of her, which took more and more time and attention the past few months and weeks and days.

But when I pan back from recent memory and think about all the years and memories and "loves" about her I get overwhelmed.  She was so intertwined in our lives and happiness.  We already miss her terribly.  We will always love you Remi!