What's Going Down In Poodletown

Hi friends! Snowy weather here. Hope you have warmer weather by you?

I am stitching on Pumpkin Farm for Jacob presently. I got all the DMC conversions figured out and am making good progress.

I received a sweet Valentine surprise from our friend Angela.

Isn't this fabric just perfect for me?!?🐩

I wanted to share with you my friends a sweet freebie that has just become available from Cathy at Hands On Design. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREEBIE

I recently read A Rare Breed of Love by Jana Kohl.  I will admit what drew me to this book. The cover. Let me show you.

Um, yes! A poodle!
Did you notice however the poor thing has only three legs!! Yes. This is a book about a miniature poodle that was rescued from a puppy mill. This book is all about the horrors of puppy mills. If you do not read this book, then I just want you to know one thing. Just one thing. Do not ever buy a pet from a pet store. Not just a dog! No pet. Not ever.
I am in the process of contacting my elected officials about Wisconsin puppy mills.
When you meet Baby, the first thing you notice is her limp. She only has three legs, you see -- she lost one following years of mistreatment at a puppy mill. But spend a little more time with Baby and her irrepressible "Ma," Jana Kohl, and you'll hear the story of how this gentle creature has gone from puppy-mill victim to celebrity "spokesdog" -- hobnobbing with celebrities, lobbying politicians, and inspiring an entire movement to end the kind of animal abuse she suffered for so many years. Several years ago, Jana decided she wanted to buy a toy poodle. But the nightmarish conditions she was confronted with at a breeder's farm -- hundreds of dogs confined to small, dirty cages for their entire lives until they were killed for the crime of being too old to produce puppies -- opened her eyes to abuses in the world of commercial breeding. There are thousands of puppy mills all across the United States, and most of those cute little puppies in pet store windows are products of such nightmarish places. Jana knew this was a wrong she couldn't ignore. Her first step was to adopt a rescued adult dog instead of buying a puppy from a commercial breeder.And that's how she found Baby, a roughly nine-year-old poodle who had been locked in a cage. But Jana's mission didn't stop there. Soon, Jana and Baby (whose sweet face and three-legged hobble attract attention wherever she goes) found themselves speaking to groups about the terrible conditions at many breeders' farms and urging politicians to change the lax laws that regulate this industry. Today, Baby is the unofficial spokesdog for the Humane Society of the United States on the topic of puppy mills, and she and Jana travel around the country lobbying for reform on this important issue. A Rare Breed of Love contains more than sixty photographs of Baby with many of her high-profile fans, from Barack Obama to Judge Judy to Patti LaBelle, as well as original essays from luminaries such as Alice Walker and Gloria Steinem about the special love we all have for the pets in our lives. In this heartbreaking, compelling, and ultimately heart-warming book, Jana Kohl and Baby offer practical advice on what each of us can do to raise awareness, make a difference, and stop animal suffering everywhere.

I saw the neurosurgeon on Wednesday my friends. He reviewed my MRI with Brian and I. I have a very large disk bulge at C5-C6 and bone spurs there also. The nerve is very pinched. I am going to proceed and have disk replacement surgery. I am still a bit anxious about it. I have exhausted all other options and treatments over the last few years. He told me this will give me back my mobility. I cannot turn and hold my neck to my right for longer than ten seconds. Even then I suffer pain for it. The hope is the pain will be gone. Even the pain that is in my shoulder and arm. Gone. Oh Lord please let it be so. 

I have a physical exam scheduled with my physician in a few weeks. I need one before the surgery. Then the actual "Anterior Cervical Disk Surgery" is scheduled for March 15th.  I am not thinking about it. It is hard to think of him slicing my neck, taking out my disk and putting in titanium, you know?

Okay friends, that's enough for me now. I think I am off to pet a poodle.🐩 Thank you for stopping by. I can use a virtual hug or two. 🤗 I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie