Upcoming Events in the DC Area

Cady and Paddington aren't able to attend these events themselves, but their artwork will be there!

October 3-4
Potomac Country House Tour & Crafts Festival
St. Francis Episcopal Church, Potomac, Maryland
http://www.potomaccountryhousetour.org

October 6
NIST, Gaithersburg, MD
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/maps/nistmaps.html

October 10
Women’s Club of Bethesda Craft Fair
Bethesda, Maryland
http://www.bethesdawomansclubmd.com/

October 11
World of Montgomery Festival
Wheaton, MD
http://www.worldofmontgomery.com/

October 16-18
Craftsman Classic Arts & Crafts Festival
Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Virginiahttp://www.gilmoreshows.com/craftsmens_classics_chantilly_fall.shtml

October 24
Barktoberfest, a benefit for Friends of Homeless Animals
Melodee Music, Sterling, Virginia
http://www.foha.org/

November 4
NIST, Gaithersburg, MD
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/maps/nistmaps.html

November 13-15
Northern Virginia Christmas Market
Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Virginia
http://www.emgshows.com/a_nvcm.htm

November 21-22
Mayfield Market
Connelly School of the Holy Child, Potomac, MD
http://www.holychild.org/

November 22
Temple Sinai Chanukah Mart
Temple Sinai, Washington, DC
http://templesinaidc.org

December 5-6
Town of Leesburg Holiday Fine Arts & Crafts Show
Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, Leesburg, VA
http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=574

Water Aerobics

Paddington's recovery from surgery continues on track with the newest adventure: water aerobics! The four of us packed up for the ride to Annapolis Junction and VOSM. Paddington's first session on the water treadmill was short and sweet, which he appreciated. He did 3 minutes, took a break, then did another 3 minutes.

It took him some time to get used to the water climbing up his legs. Some corgis love water; he proved that he doesn't. Here he's begging that the vet help him escape:

Once the tank was filled to the proper height, he got his sea legs:

The big pink floatie keeps him from stepping too far forward and off the treadmill set into the center of the floor of the tank (which he managed to do a couple of times, the little cheater).

Usually he's such a happy boy, but today he was begging for help:

Don't the eyes say it all?

Of course his sister showed no mercy. All she cared about were the treats I was using to bribe our reluctant fish-dog:

Before long he was done and the vet drained the water from the tank:

I thought the session passed quickly, but he didn't agree. Here he seems quite traumatized: "Mommy, please promise it's over!!"

Ahhhh.... He was so relieved to be dry. He loves getting toweled down (and he made sure to shower us with watery love as he shook himself).

All in all, it was a good session, and he's spent most of the day sleeping since we got home. Next week hopefully he'll get to go more time and build up more muscle. The more he builds, the sooner he can leave his leashly shackles behind. Freedom!

And throughout it all, Cady just laughed an evil laugh:

She's such a loving, caring sister.

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Best and Worst

One of the best things about working from home is being with the dogs all day. One of the worst things about working from home is being with the dogs all day. Sigh.

Don't get me wrong, I adore these furry little critters. They make the sun shine. But it's no fun to be barked at (with an ear-splittingly piercing bark) whenever We don't get what We want. And We seem to think that I'm here solely for Our amusement.

It has gotten easier since Paddington has been given clearance to have more, and longer, walks. He can now do 2-3 a day for at least 20 minutes, working up to 30+, with some trotting. Don't tell him he wasn't supposed to be trotting before; he doesn't care about silly things like rules.

Cady is happier with all the walks, too. She loves to nap, but exploring the neighborhood's scents is a close second. What can be better than a good, deep nap fueled by dreams of the latest sidewalk stinks? And she does seem to be dreaming more now that she's walking more again. Last evening her dream was so enthusiastic that she yipped loudly enough to wake Paddington, who started at her groggily for a moment before dropping back to sleep himself.

One day in the not-t00-distant-future, Paddington will again be able to be a normal dog. He'll be able to walk, trot, and run around the house with abandon. We won't have to keep him calm and walking to and fro. He'll be able to launch himself past the final steps down the staircase without fear of tearing his newly healed shoulders. Well, not really -- we'll probably always be terrified when he abuses his body. But at least he'll be happy.

Celebrate Gaithersburg

This coming Sunday I'll be at the Celebrate Gaithersburg Festival:
http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/celebrate/09/home.html

Starting Wednesday they're forecasting days of rain -- except for Sunday! I hope it remains true. The weather is such an important variable for outside events. Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've felt the terror of spending two days in a wind-whipped tent, praying that the glass you've spent hours laboring over won't be knocked over and shattered. Sure, when you're outside, the advantage is that you can drive right up to your space -- it's a decadence to pull a table out of the car and set it up just a few feet away. But when you're inside, the weather doesn't matter as much (your worries become people who don't recognize that their backpack, the purse they've shoved behind their elbow, or their bulky coat is swinging into everything behind them). Soon the lovely weather of fall will bring community centers and expo halls.

I'm also working to find office buildings that bring in outside vendors for shopping days in the Washington, DC area. If you know of any, please pass that info along!

The Road to Recovery

Paddington is doing well! His hobbles, the braces that hold his shoulders in place, are scheduled to come off on Wednesday. Hurray! After the hobbles come off, we step back a bit to build up his muscles without the braces. Eventually he'll be back to normal. We just have to be careful not to injure him again while building his muscles back up.

Sadly, I do expect him to hurt himself sometime soon -- he's so goofy and plays like a crazy man. Wish us luck!