Monday, May 24, 2010

Surprise in the Mail...and a Tag Story!

So.
You all know how I love getting packages in the mail!
You must...cuz you keep sending them!  {grin} 

I'm not sure if you remember Erin of 'why not sew?' fame...
from the 'We Double Rock Swap' last year.
Just the two of us.
Swapping doll-sized quilts.
I blogged about it here and here
Yup, she's one of my blogger BFF's.
For sure!

Anyway.  I received a small package from Erin in today's mail.
No clue what it was.

ohmygosh...


She sent me a needle case that she made and blogged about here!!!
(I really hope you all are checking these links out!)
 

...it's now MINE, ALL MINE!
ohman, I love it and I needed it soooo badly!!!

BUT, wait!  That's not all she sent!
She also made this little half-square triangle
(hereafter referred to as hst)
mini quilt for me!
I love it!!
Look at all those bitty hst's!
Finished size of each hst is 1 1/4".
The mini quilt measures roughly 9 x 10 inches.
It is A. Dor. Able!
Don't you think?

Thank you so very much, Erin!
I love, love, LOVE them!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And, now...the Tag story!
As most of you regular readers know, Tag E Butt is one smart boy.  He is my service dog.  Not officially, but in reality...yes, he is.  He picks up whatever I ask him to.  Paper, phone, remote, fabric, shoe, sock, pen...the list goes on and on.  Being a retriever, this all comes naturally to him.  He has such a soft mouth, too.  When he picks up paper for me, there is not a tooth mark on it.  Not all wet and sloppy, either.

In addition to being the quintessential brown dog, he also has a huge vocabulary!  I have always talked (LOTS) to my dogs, and I think that they develop a better vocabulary from that.  And, the word recognition game is an ongoing process.  He has recently learned 'food bowl'.  So, now, it's up to him to bring his food bowl to the kitchen when it's time to eat.  As I walk to the kitchen, I say, 'get your food bowl'...he grabs it and brings it to me in the kitchen.  


Course, he thinks it's great fun to bring it to me at other times to see if I'll fill it up.  I don't...unless it's actually mealtime.  Which, sometimes, it is!  His inner clock and all that.  




Okay.  Here's the story.  It was suppertime for Tag.  I didn't say a word to him...just walked to the kitchen...didn't ask him if he was 'hungry', if it was 'time to eat', I didn't say 'get your food bowl'...nothing.  He followed me out to the kitchen, being the ever hopeful food-driven boy that he is...he knows what time it is.  (really)  I opened the cupboard door, got a pill (phenobarbital) from the bottle, and stood there looking at him.  Put my hands out, as if to say, "well?"  but I didn't say a word.  He looked at me for a moment, sat (a very nice sit on the slippery floor, too) and then you could see it...the 'aha' moment!  He ran out to where his crate is (his food bowl sits on top of his crate between feedings), grabbed the bowl and brought it to me.  

5/25 edited to add:  Apparently, I should have given a more detailed explanation of the 'feeding Tag' routine so that you would better understand the 'aha' moment.  Tag gets a pill (anticonvulsant because he has idiopathic epilepsy) with each meal, so opening the cupboard door to get one is the first thing I do once he brings his bowl.  So, to just stand there...I didn't have his bowl to put the pill in...that was the 'aha'!  Tag connected those dots and got his food bowl.


I praised him BIG time and we were both happy that he had figured out what I was doing.  What a good boy!  It is always so exciting to see it happen...when he figures out what the missing piece of the puzzle is.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DWTS is tonight!  Two dances...one a freestyle!  Cannot wait!


9 comments:

moosecraft said...

An "A-ha" moment on a slippery floor? Ooh man.. I'm smiling! I can see all the tail waggin' and petting going on! Good boy Tag! Dogs rule! Love the gifts from Erin too! That doll quilt is soooo pretty!

kks said...

Tag is one smart boy! That is amazing!
Love your gifts!

Kim said...

Tag is a smart one! Cute story. I'm so sad this is the last week of DWTS. I love that show too.

Cathy G. said...

That is a great story! Who said dogs don't think.....my gosh they have to be able to figure out something like that! Their word recognition abilities are amazing. We talk to our dogs constantly and it really is fun seeing how they pick up on it! Love your little gifts! Cathy G

WoolenSails said...

What wonderful gifts she sent you and that triangle quilt looks a lot nicer than mine, lol.

My guy is very patient, it was almost 8 and he gave me that look when I went into the kitchen. Poor guy, mom forgot to feed him and he never said a think;) Casey does talk though, he lets me know everytime I go out and come back, how much he misses me, haha. His three favorite words are out, walk and ball.

Debbie

dexmangoldens said...

Oh Tag E Butt, old dogs can learn new tricks!!
Now there's room to run in the new apartment, so Manley says you have an open invitation to come and visit!!!!
Cute needle holder.

Anonymous said...

I love the needle holder.
I think I lost something in the translation. Who was the pill for and what does that have to do with eating his dinner???? You lost me there!! LOL
Joyce

Anonymous said...

I watched "DWTS" tonight and will also watch the finale tomorrow.
Who do you want to win? Joyce

Farm Girl said...

I will just leave it here, kimh1@sbcglobal.net I loved your lovely note by the way. Thanks for being so kind and such a good quilter. You inspire me. :) Oh and I wish I could say I made my quilts in my picture, but they are from my great Aunt and my grandmother, Mine never look the good. I can't get points. :) I keep trying though. :)