Beautiful, fun, full of personality and a little bit crazy. Those are some of the ways I describe Siberian Huskies. They are beautiful dogs and that is what people notice first but if you are around them for very long you will discover their true personality. All pets have their own quirks and preferences but husky lovers know that they are a breed apart, unlike any other dog you have ever owned.

This is Bear, he was our first husky. As a general rule they are very friendly dogs and not particularly possessive or aggressive. Bear was an exception to this rule; he was very territorial over his yard and us with everyone except one of my cousins and her kids. He loved Kristina and we never had to worry about them together.

The next husky we got was Bandit. Unfortunately, he had an issue come up when he was only 8 months old where he became unable to control the lower half of his body. In two weeks time, he went from playful puppy to not being able to walk or control his bladder function. We had to put him to sleep and it was definitely the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life. He was an exceptionally good dog.

Currently we have two, Maverick & Haley. This is the first time we have had two huskies at the same time and it is not for the faint of heart. We are in the middle of a snowstorm in Texas with all the shedding happening at our house here at the beginning of April! But I will also tell you it is worth it. Even when they are being the most crazy, they will make you smile. They are extremely loving and loyal and if you’re lucky they will “talk” to you, too!

Please come back later for “the rest of the story” when I will share a little more about Haley and a group of special people who #SaveMoreHuskies.

Machelle

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Huskies

April 1, 2019

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Rethinking Scrapbook Sizes

by Machelle Willing

Showing different options for scrapbook sizes; scrapbook layout; red scrapbook cover; title page & green Christmas scrapbook album with silver stars — 12×12 vs. 8×8

Currently my scrapbooks are in a state of confusion. Why, you ask? Well, mainly because I have recently moved. If you have ever moved you know the tedious task of packing box after box after box of all your possessions. For me, this meant several boxes of very heavy 12 x 12 albums that were transported in my vehicle because I did not want them on the moving van.

My husband and I do not have children, so my books are just for me or any extended family that might want them eventually. Since moving, I have concluded that I do not like the 12 x 12 format because they are so big & bulky we do not look at them very often and I definitely do not want to move them again. This has led me to look at other options for scrapbook sizes and what I want my scrapbooks to look like for me. They need to be smaller and possibly just less of them.

I have also decided that I like “projects”. Books that have a specific beginning and end; therefore smaller format and faster to complete. I have previously made graduation albums and wedding albums for family members and I really enjoy these types of books.

Over the years, I have scrapbooked many pages of extended family events; school activities, sports and birthdays. All of this has made me realize that I need to “let go” of some pages of other family members and events specific to them, so I will divide those pages into new albums to give as gifts.

I have already started redoing some of the older 12 x 12 albums into theme specific 8 x 8’s that will be more story focused. I also like the 6 x 8 size and I am thinking of transferring some of the 12 x 12 pages into a digital format and either print them at 8 x 8 or make a softcover digital book out of the ones I do not wish to redo. Of course this will be a time consuming process since I have over 15 years worth of scrapbooks!

I will definitely be sharing some of these processes with you in case any of those options sounds like something you would like to do yourself.

Until next time,

Machelle

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March 18, 2019

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Small Town Strangers

by Machelle Willing

Growing up in a small town, my cousin, Connie, and I would often walk from my house to the stores downtown on the square. This was about 6 or 7 blocks on one of the main roads through town. The only stern warning we ever got was to NEVER get in the car with a stranger. We would always start at the Hallmark store, looking at all the figurines and reading some of the cards then it was on to Hall’s Department store where they had a heat press and custom-made shirts, shorts and jackets with the school logo. Next door was the Hardware store, but they also had a whole section of household goods like dishes, towels and home décor. There was a fabric store and a variety store with basic supplies like pencils, notebooks, and makeup as well as knick-knacks and toys. The last stop was always Mary’s Drive In for a Dr. Pepper and sitting for a few minutes before starting back home.

One particular day, we were on our way back to the house and my cousin Gale (Connie’s sister) drove by and saw us. She stopped in front of the Hallmark store and asked if we would like a ride back to the house instead of walking. We said yes and got in.

Ya’ll – by the time we got home, my grandmother was standing in the driveway. In the short time it took to drive 6 blocks, someone had called to tell her we got in the car with a stranger! All was okay when she found out who that “stranger” was, but it definitely taught us Rule #1 of small towns – never do anything you don’t want your parents to find out about.