Liz News & Ivy’s New Trick
Today I have various bits of news. I got an email from Liz from her new home. And Ivy has learned a new trick which I’ll be getting to soon.
Liz is working at the job in another state and doing well.Â
I think she and her little dog moving to another state did her a world of good. Far from the reaches of the manipulative soon-to-be-ex.
It’s amazing what a change of pace can do for the morale.
I can’t imagine how she’d be faring if she was still living in that house with him. Crying and enduring his psychological boomeranging back and forth probably.
Below, Charlie this morning greeting you with his tongue hanging out as usual.
Now for Ivy’s new trick. I don’t answer the phone unless it’s someone I know. Most of the phone calls I get are businesses I don’t wish to talk to.
Yesterday I got one and after seeing it was another one of those kind of calls, I sat right where I am now and ignored it.
When the lady began to leave a message, Ivy hopped over from her spot on the table and swiped the phone off its base.
I put it back, the lady was still talking, and Ivy swiped it off again. She did this until they hung up.
That’s a good way of dealing with annoying calls, I guess. Just like Ivy takes care of the flying insects, now she can deal with phone calls. She’s a good little assistant when she isn’t getting into things.
I came across pics of Ivy the first month she was here, which was October. She looks much smaller.
Well, she looks small to me anyway. She’s gotten so big, taller than Charlie now.
I was moving some things around over on my green sideboard yesterday. Ivy picked up the lacy glove I’ve shown you and put it in this red basket.
Several of you have mentioned the red geranium painting on this wall. It was painted for me by artist Nancy Medina.
I subscribe to her emails and received one this morning. Then I went to her site to look at her latest paintings.
I thought I would share some of my favorites with you.
Naturally I chose the paintings with red. And this one with the gorgeous male cardinal!
Aren’t they beautiful? She travels a lot and hosts workshops and does all kinds of things. If you want to check her out, here is the link.
Here is a post where I show what she once wrote about me.
Oh, I can’t imagine having the ability to paint flowers as she so skillfully and artistically does! Well, I suppose I paint with words, but it isn’t nearly as pretty. I so admire Nancy and her art.
This isn’t the clearest of photos, but I like how Ivy’s tail hangs over the quilt stack while she sleeps. She has just a brushstroke of white underneath her tail.
I saw a few flurries of snow a bit ago. Gone now. Charlie is on his bed on the couch and Ivy is on the table watching for birds. Her regular daily episodes of bird TV.
Oh, I nearly forgot to mention what we’ll be talking about tomorrow on Frugal Tips Friday. It will be how you give yourself a treat without spending money. For instance, taking a walk in the park.
Love Ivy’s no nonsense telephone answering service. Very funny. Both Charley and Ivy are so adorable.
Beautiful paintings. I love all of them and would have a hard time picking my favorite.
So glad to hear the Liz has a job and is getting settled in her new state. Praying everything works out well for her.
Thank you Brenda for your blog.
Love the paintings! All so pretty! So glad the Liz is settled and on her way to happiness and peace! I say let Ivy answer all of the annoying calls! Love and hugs!
O how I Love those colors!! What a talent.
Ivy is the perfect assistant and knows when to take matters into her own hands (paws). I laughed out loud at the thought of her handling your phone calls.
Really beautiful photos today. ??
Glad to hear Liz is moving on and doing well. Ivy has the right idea on how to handle those unwanted callers.
Have a good Friday and wonderful weekend.
Kris
I’m so happy for Liz. Leaving the area where she could be harassed by her crazy soon-to-be-ex was the best decision she could have made I think. Good for her!
I had to chuckle as you told how Ivy now “answers” the phone! Like the other reader wanted to know: Could she come teach at least one of my cats to do that? Seems like everyone I talk to is getting so many unwanted, solicitation calls these days. Such an invasion of privacy in my opinion. Oh, and I could use Ivy’s assistance with controlling these darn stink bugs that keep invading my house in droves and leaving dirty spots on everything. Yuk! I wish they would all go back to Asia from whence they came.
Nancy Medina’s paintings are so vibrant and beautiful! I love the one with the blue flowers. I am going to check out her website.
Well, it’s bed time again! My day goes so fast. I will be happy when the daylight lasts longer.
Hope you three have a pleasant weekend.
Ivy makes me miss a young kitty but then I think about all that energy and well, Annie and her slow self is just fine. So glad to hear Liz is doing well. You should feel good that you were able to help her. It’s been 80 today but tomorrow the cooler weather heads our way. I’ve enjoyed this tiny peek at Spring.
YAY for you, Liz!!! Stay strong, and you can do ANYTHING!!
Thanks for keeping us posted, Brenda ~
When I first married, 1975,was around the same time N.Y.Telephone came out with the trimline phone…We had 1 on the table in our livingroom and we both worked evenings.
Family and friends would ask us what was wrong with our number,it would be picked up and no one said anything…
We were home one night,phone rings,Whiskers goes over and knocks it off the base…mystery solved,l.o.l
Lovely photos…and paintings!! So glad Liz is doing better…hope the ex will find something else to do now and leave her be, for good. Guess that all depends upon how extreme a narcissist he is however. Too bad there is not an island someplace where we could send all such folks…There is one I would like to see go there too!! (tho’ tis not my husband as you know…) Hope Liz will take all precautions…such as one suggested above here.
What was the result of your conversation today with Social Security regarding benefits following your ex-husband’s death? I hope it was a positive conversation.
They haven’t called yet. Should in about 10 minutes.
Charlie is the cutest guy with his signature tongue hanging out. I miss my Dolly Dog who I lost last August. I have three stray cats. Two were sick freaks I took in and saved via my vet’s great skill. My third was thrown away into a feral colony because he, too, was sick. He is all white with a solid gray tail and is a complete love bunny. The other two have come around but just are not as lovey as my Moose. I love my cats but miss having a dog badly. Dolly and I just communicated so well and she loved to ride shotgun on a ride into the country. I’d often take her up into the NC Mtns for a ride. I’d go into antique shops and buy us takeout lunches in Saluda, NC. So glad to hear Liz is doing well. As women we need to support one another anyway we can. Especially need to support those among us hurt and taken advantage of by men and society at large. We are not fragile but need to band together and show our strength and commitment to one another. Love this artist . I’ll be looking st her site. Now to think about free ways to treat ourselves.
I LOVE the hydrangea in blue vase – stunning! And.. I remember that day well – I had just begun following you and had just started writing my own blog as we were resurrecting This Old House… and I was stunned – and thought how very brave you were to share, how well you kept your pain hidden. I remember the pond and how much delight you got in it, how very beautiful it was. And.. how brave you were to leave it all behind, despite being terrified at the same time. Look.. how far you’ve come. 🙂
That photo of Charlie it appears you captured him unaware as he has sort of a startled look in his eyes; adorable. Ivy has certainly grown and pretty as a peach and I knew she would be stealing that lace glove. I’m glad Liz is settling in and doing well; good riddance to the ex. Wow, those floral paintings are just beautiful. That is the one thing I wish I could do is paint, but I’m a stick figure person all the way; it is such a gift. Enjoy the afternoon.
P.S. My Molly is not a cuddler either and when I pick her up for her nightly hug, she pulls her head away from me like “oh know momma, please put me down.” Rescue dogs are special and mine is definitely that, but I love her to death.
Carol and Molly
xoxoxo
Glad to hear that Liz is doing well. I do hope she has a protective order prohibiting her soon to be ex from finding out her place of employment and current residence address and that he can’t get this information from Court records. I’d be paranoid about that. Unwanted phone calls – I get tons of them. Maybe I always did but when I was working I didn’t know it! Now retired and home a lot, the calls were driving me nuts! I did the star 77 or something similar I remember reading about on the internet on my telephone (land line only, I don’t own a cell phone), and it did cut down on many of the junk calls, but has not eliminated them completely. So, I turned the volume off because I still jump if I hear the phone ring and my first impulse is to answer it. Hard to overcome that childhood training – ANSWER THE PHONE – mom would call out from the kitchen, LOL! I have emailed my friends and relatives that if they want to talk to me on the phone, let me know about when they’re going to call and I’ll turn the volume on. And they must use a code. Ring 2x, hang up, and then call back right away, then I’ll pick up. Everything else goes into voice mail. I return legit calls and delete the rest. Charlie is the cutest! The second photo showing Ivy and her long tail on the quilt stack has Charlie too, with his little face partially tucked under a blanket and you hardly see him. I get wistful when I see him. He reminds me in a way of my own dear doggies, long gone. How much does Ivy weigh? She looks a bit hefty to me for such a youngster, but maybe it’s normal for her breed.
I don’t know how much she weighs. I’ve been wondering about that.
I. CAN’T. WAIT. FOR. TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (also love your pets sooooooo much)
It will come soon enough! Get your ideas ready!
Very happy for Liz and grateful she took your advice! As they say “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” No reason to look back, Liz! You’re a strong woman and the world is at your command now!
I’m so very pleased for her.
I always admired that painting, I’ll have to check out her work.
Ivy is just the cutest, what a funny little furball she is….and Charlie with his tongue out, he’s adorable!!
I love that my painting shows such depth.
Good morning Brenda, Charlie and Ivy!
Sounds like a pretty cool trick that Ivy has taught herself. She is a character and Charlies is so cute! I love this little tongue.
So happy to hear that Liz is doing well. You are right she is better off away from her manipulative ex. I hope she continues to thrive and be happy.
Have a great day!
Ivy and Charlie both are hoots! And I don’t mean owls!
I am glad to hear about Liz, I have been wondering about her. Charlie is so adorable, I just want to cuddle him up. (But if I remember right he does not like to be cuddled?)
Charlie is not a cuddler.
Wow. Those painting are stunning. I just subscribed to her blog.
I love that little Charlie. So, so adorable.
Ivy is making herself quite the assistant, isn’t she? Maybe you should get her a little headset, haha.
Maybe I should get her one. I wonder how long it would take her to tear that up? I got a letter from my accountant the other day and made the mistake of putting it on the table. She ripped it right up. Wasn’t that important and I could still read it.
Can Ivy visit with my cats and teach them the phone trick? Too many junk calls
Love to hire her out! Need flying insect control?