Repair or Replace

What makes us repair some things and replace others?

Nothing stays the same forever.  With the passage of time, they wear down or wear out.  They break.  They might not make us happy anymore.  They don't fit.  They lack the attraction they once had.  We change.  We just don't have the energy or desire to repair them.  Sometimes they can't be repaired.

For the past 2 days,  I've put a lot of time and effort into repairing this area rug.  It's 5 years old and I really love the colors and pattern.

But with normal wear and tear,  and a few cats sharpening their claws on it,  it doesn't look like new anymore.

I've been restoring it, little by little.

First I vacuumed the pet hair as much as possible.

With the help of a small crochet hook, I pulled to fibers through the backing of the rug.

Pieces that were too small to pull through had to be cut.

The rug still had a fuzziness to it that I didn't like.

I used a cutting tool to zip the fuzz away.

I'm not done yet, but the portions I've worked on look like new!

Repair or replace?

We are faced with this choice constantly throughout our lives.

In this disposable society that we live in,  it's often easier to replace. Most children are not taught how to mend their clothes or toys - replacements come easily. Technology changes so quickly that it doesn't make sense to keep an older model that lacks the newest features. 

So when faced with a relationship, a job, a task, or even a life that's difficult, people aren't practiced in the art of mending.  They often quit instead.

The hardest part is knowing when something is valuable enough to fix and when it doesn't make sense to hold onto it anymore.

"The only way to make a spoilt machine work again is to break it down, work on it's inner system and fix it again.  Screw out the bolts of your life, examine and work on yourself, fix your life again and get going." 
                          ~Israelmore Ayivor 

Happy National Puppy Day!

In honor of National Puppy Day 2015,  I'd like to share with you a puppy product that my dogs LOVE.  It's the Snoop treat dispensing dog toy by Planet Dog.  In 2013, it won the Gold Award for Best New Product Innovation at the Total Pet Expo, and I can understand why.

The Snoop is a flexible, rubbery, bouncy vessel that you put dog treats inside.

You can open up the neck to load it up or wash it out, but I usually just keep it folded down...

The treats stay in the folded section until the dog rolls/bounces it around just the right way so a treat can fall out.  

When I gave it to Sami,  he could see and smell the treats but kept trying to eat them by sticking his tongue inside.  This is almost impossible.

Sami kept looking at me,  pleading with me to just give him the treat!

Then I let Halle try. 

She, too, attempted to lick them out.

Then she tried using her paw.  The Snoop began rolling around the room.

You could tell she was trying to figure this puzzle out.

I think Sami was sticking close in case Halle was successful and he could grab it before she got to it!

She pushed it with her nose to make it roll.

Maddie was watching the action too.

When a treat would come out,  she became even more enthusiastic about this "game".

Four treats kept  her busy for about 15 minutes!

I highly recommend the Snoop by Planet Dog.

I almost didn't buy it because it cost $18.99, 

but I am now very happy with my purchase.

And so are my puppies. 

Happy 87th Birthday!

On this day in 1928,  a great man was born.  My dad.

Dad passed away 6 years ago.

He would have been 87 years old today.

This morning, I watched the slideshow of his life that was played at his funeral.  It felt good to see him in the pictures and devote time to just remembering.

Remembering how kind his eyes were.

Remembering his laugh.

Remembering his voice.

Remembering how he used to hum while he was making a sandwich, or when he was trying to figure something out.

This picture of him and me was taken at his 70th birthday party.  It's hard to believe that was 17 years ago!  It's one of my favorites because I think we look a lot alike.  And I don't have many pictures of just the two of us.

When I went to bed last night,  I was thinking a lot about him.

I was hoping that maybe he could get in touch with me today - somehow.

I asked him to try.

Even if that doesn't happen,  I feel really close to my dad today.

And I shed tears of love for him and all he means to me.

Those things will never die.

Happy 87th birthday, Daddy.

46 Little Things That Bring Me Happiness