More Book Reviews

Today is already half over but Connie and I filled the orders, I’ve taken care of all the chicks, and as soon as I finish this post, I’m going after groceries, kitty litter and potting soil- does that give you a hint of what work is ahead of me?  Haha!

And now for the next two books we’re giving away.

https://www.country-threads-chicken-scratch.com

The first book is a journal by Sue Spargo, whose work I admire and wish I could attempt but I know how my hands would hurt.  The wool appliqué and embroidery are beyond beautiful.

Heres a couple pages that I love – a goat and a whole bunch of birds with two dogs.

And a bonus – graph paper pages as well as lined pages!  Love it!

Next is one of our favorite designers/authors and a blog reader as well – Susan Ache.  Quilt  By Color is a book I would absolutely use and here are a couple of my favorites.

When I look at her color palettes, I realize I could use a trip to a quilt shop – such a chore, right?  But I have a friend wanting to make a quilt for a Christmas gift and we’ll need more yardage than I have on hand so off we’ll go!

And now for some more 5’s.

Do you think we’ve still got lots of tomatoes?  I sure do!

One reader asked about the gosling – here “it” is -almost as big as the adults.

And here’s the HERD of chicks this morning – I think they might even be 15 of them!  I always strive to keep only hens but a few years ago when I ordered chicks from MurrayMcMurray Hatchery, they always throw in a FREE chick.  I have since learned to say “DO NOT INCLUDE A FREE CHICK!” Because that free chick was a rooster.  Fred is beautiful but consequently I’ve had chicks hatch and more roosters appeared.  I can’t tell if they’re hens or roosters until they’re grown up enough to start crowing.  At that point I’ve taken care of them for months and I just cannot kill them!  So what should I do?  The roosters are gorgeous but nobody wants them – got any ideas for me?

 We picked two more winners and all names will be announced on Sunday.  Each winner will also get an email from me requesting a mailing address.  Today when you register your entry by clicking 2 or more ads, tell me about your pets!  Dogs, cats, birds, fish, iguanas, ferrets, farm animals – whatever you take care of as a pet!

Thanks, Everybody!  Even though reading all the comments is time consuming, I love getting better acquainted with you!  And YOU might win a book, compliments of Martingale and Country Threads!

260 thoughts on “More Book Reviews

  1. Rita in Iowa

    We have a stray black cat, which I named Barack, he takes care of the outside critters and leaves it on the sidewalk with pride. We took him to the Vet and got his shots and other items taken care of so he is pretty laid back. Was also litter trained if we have to leave him in the house.
    Almost have a Frank done. Will send a picture tomorrow.
    Love the book Color by Number.
    No ads to close

    1. Cathy McCool

      Lots of ads closed by me just now!

      Currently we have no pets as our cat Beezey passed last Thanksgiving. . However If you count our hummingbirds, song birds,quail,deer, wild turkeys, squirrels and occasional skunk roaming our property we are surrounded with nature’s pets.
      Thanks for keeping up the blog. It helps me recall the years we visited my aunt and uncle who lived in Garner next door to Laura B. I was able to visit your quilt shop a few times and loved its ” vibe.”

  2. Jean

    All my animals are rescue animals. Mostly cats. I have 6 of them. 3 dogs and a cow. All happy as can be… and loved. Again there are no ads for me to click but sometimes after I post a comment ads will appear. I’ll let you know. The book that I prefer is the color book. My crippled hands cannot do the beautiful work that sue requires.

  3. Beth T.

    So many of the quilters I admire sing Susan Ache’s praises–I would love to win her book!
    Here in Oregon, we are kept busy with 5 dogs, 5 cats, 2 miniature horses, 2 goats, and 1 chicken. Only the chicken was “shopped for”, the rest were rescued, came from a shelter, or were adopted from friends. We love our patchwork family more than words can say.
    I had no ads to close on today’s page, so I flipped back to yesterday’s page and there were five ads I was able to close. (Today’s post had several ads but no little “x” on them–go figure.)

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Just curious as to why you would shop for only one chicken – isn’t it lonely?

      1. Beth T.

        We brought home four from the feed store in Portland when they were about 12 weeks old, but three have died over the years, leaving only bossy old Alma. She seems content on her own; we were worried, but she has a happy routine and interacts with us a lot during the day. We would bring home more chickens to be companions but she was pretty mean to her sisters when they were young–and the same size–so I’d be worried that she would become aggressive again with any newcomers, who would be at too much of a disadvantage (being so much smaller) while the pecking order was being established. I just don’t have the heart to see that–I don’t want the animals we care for to be miserable, and living with Alma was miserable for the others for awhile, although she got better and they ended up being good friends.

  4. Barbara Peterson

    I didn’t get ads to click today! I hate to admit this but I currently have no pets of my own, but I have four grand-cats….does that count??

  5. MartyCae

    Love the baby chicks! And all the number fives.

    I have a big kitty. His name is Harry S Truman. He weighs 24 pounds. He loves to be brushed and is full of cuddles. We love him! He was dumped out at our place and we kept him. We get so many animals dumped at our place – it makes me very sad. I am a huge cat lover and I like chickens too. If left to my own devices I would have a llama, a horse and many, many cats and dogs but alas – my husband keeps me under control!

    Thanks for all your pictures – I live through you! Ha!

  6. Jean

    FINALLY! 2 ads to close. So strange that sometimes there are many ads to close and at other times none. Uff.

  7. Dee Winter

    Hi, I had to back to the last post to close ads, the Missouri Star ones on this one didn’t have an X though I did look anyway. And I’m Back didn’t include any pictures for me. How odd. I tried opening it different ways, but still no pics. And I have Calypso, a white lab, and a herd of barn kitties. Also one old horse, Comet was a baby born in 88 after I started coming here, so she’s been here 31 years.

  8. Robin Malloy

    I have 6 cats, 4 dogs, 16 chickens, 2 runner ducks, 2 cockatiels, 2 parakeets, a bunny, and a 28 year old box turtle named Fudge. Besides these we also keep 5 bee hives. Many of the cats have been dumped, and two of the dogs are rescues; one is a greyhound. Our pets are our kids. I love when my husband calls the chickens and they come running down to the garage for his special treat. I would not have my life any other way then filled with these lovely creatures.

    1. Jane

      Our dairy farm has many Holsteins with our grandkids 4H projects included.. If the cow has a name it’s a 4H animal, a favorite animal or a bad name like Leaping Lena! Belle ia an Austrailian Shepard- she hasn’t been successful herding our many cats!

  9. Paula Ziegler

    I closed about 7 ads! These books you review are amazing! So much creativity and talent! WOW!!

    I can’t have any pets with fur or feathers, doctor’s orders!! 😭. We do live on a lake so I am happy to watch/feed all the hummingbirds, cardinals, Canadian geese, white pelicans, ducks, sparrows, chipmunks (they are so cute) and squirrels! I let them be my pets!

    Thanks for having this giveaway! 😊

  10. Linda L

    I have two dogs. Vinny is a terrier mix and reminds me of your Hazel. Willa is a border collie.aussie mix who sometimes despises her brother, so she hides. They are both rescues and go everywhere with me, especially when we RV.

  11. Caryn Goulden

    I have a 15 year old long-haired dachshund whose name is Chopper, but we’ve been calling him Bubby for so long he answers to both. I rescued him when he was four from a man who was not nice to him. Bubby is the sweetest, most loving, loyal dog I’ve ever had-despite the mistreatment in his early years. The resilience of animals always amazes me!

  12. Suzanne Beech

    I have 2 dogs. One is a rescue and the vet thinks he is part Australian Dingo, and he is 9 years old. We got him when he was 9 months old and had been in 4 other homes.
    The other dog is a Basenji- African barkless dog. She will be one on Saturday.
    Thanks for all the great posts!!

  13. Debra Miller

    Only able to close 3 ads. I take care of 2 senior citizen miniature dachshunds , 12 hens, 4 goats, and a steer named George that belongs to my granddaughter. He was given to her to raise for beef, but has become a pet and he may well live out his years in my pasture! He will eat anything that the goats do and comes when called. Only bad habit-he bumps you when he wants feed and he is a lot stronger than the goats.

  14. Kathy Warren

    No pets currently, but we do have many many grand-tortoises and an amazing grand-cat named Gabi. The tortoises mostly have names all beginning with the letter B. The eggs just keep hatching!

  15. Peggy

    Our new dog is a rescue and we got her after our former dog of 18 1/2 years went to doggie heaven. China was a runner but is improving all the time. She has been a very good addition to our home. She is Shih Tzu cross. The books look very interesting.

  16. Robin Malloy

    Mary, I clicked ads, but still am getting the message, Secure Connection Failed. I have 6 cats, 4 dogs ( just got a little black lab puppy) 16 chickens, 2 runner ducks (I love baking with duck eggs), 2 cockatiels, 2 parakeets, one bunny (he lives with the chickens) and a 28 year old box turtle named Fudge. Half of the cats were strays, (why do people do that- our black cat was a house cat and was even neutered) when he found us. Two of the dogs are rescues. We also keep 5 bee hives. Our extended family is very important to us- guess that is the reason we didn’t take a vacation for 12 years.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      We don’t take vacations either but our animals, like yours, make up for it and I don’t want to leave them!

    2. CountryThreads Post author

      I do not understand that message – maybe you should try unsubscribing and then sign up again. Worth a try?

  17. Karen Martin

    I have a rescue terrier mix named Willow. She looks a lot like Hazel except for a big brown spot above her tail. We adopted her when she was five months old and teething—she was an absolute terror! I can’t believe how many quilts she chewed through. A friend recommended patching them with dated heart shapes—we have a lot of little memories on our quilts now—lol! She will be two next month and we can’t imagine being without her!

  18. Diana S

    I have two cats who are very spoiled. Oliver and Rupert – they are brothers but from different litters about a year apart. I don’t have any dogs but we buy dog treats because we also spoil the neighbor dogs. Whenever we are outside they sit very patiently by the fence and wait until we get them a treat.

  19. Donna O ...St paul

    I have a tabby (Big) named Henry, I call him Henners. Along with Henry I have a black cat who is so soft & sweet. Both came to me via my son who doesn’t have the funds to care for them do “they’ve been My Boys” for over ten years. I’m live em to pieces. Mary you’ve seen pics of Henry for sure but not sure I sent you a pic of Gremlin or Gremmers.
    If I don’t win this go around…maybe next time 🤞
    Closed 5 ads & if I hit “refresh” often more come up so I hope all our clicking helps your many efforts. Love your blog. I hit my sister & niece hooked on your blog. Both were/are farm gals.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      I know Henners but not Gremmers! You’re a sweet mom to help your son with his pets.

  20. mary jane

    I took care of my son’s black lab and then he would get weekend visits as he has been a truck driver and now has bought a log cabin home and shares with his girlfriend – who now watches over Bella and so now if I want to see her – I have to travel

    No ads to close!!

  21. Launa

    Mary, Closed 3 ads and you know my Border Collie and the kids’ little Yorkie, but we have numerous Elk, Deer…two species and an occasional female Moose come thru. We have mineral and salt blocks out. No Hunting here….private property!
    A quilting friend sewed thin scrap red strips to phone book paper, cut each into same size circles, removed the paper and appliqued to light background squares…looks similar to the quilt idea pictured in one of the pages. It was for her guild challenge. Just another great idea! Now she is cutting 1” strips for string blocks.

  22. Gloria from CC

    I was able to close 7 ads. Yeah! We have two dogs – a 5 lb Toy Poodle named Pooh Bear (he’s 17) and a 65 lb Norwegian Elkhound named Emmett who is 8 years old. We rescued Emmett from a Keeshun rescue in Chicago when he was 3 years old. His “parents” got a divorce and neither one was able to take him. Love all the number 5 completed projects. Lots of talent out there.

  23. Arliene Zeigler

    Love Sue Spargos work! We have two feral cats which we have been feeding for months. We feed them on our front porch. We use our wildlife camera every night to see who visits and what times they visit. They usually come many times a njght. We watch the pictures every morning to see who visited. Some times we have other visitors also. The last few nights we have had a pretty Siamese cat also visit. We think they are all feral because they come during the night. People with domestic cats around here keep their cats inside at night because of the cayotes and raccoons in the woods.

  24. Ellie

    I have just one dog at the moment but he is a beautiful rescued white German Shepherd. We had two others before Brody but they have crossed the Rainbow Bridge now. We were without a dog for a year but we missed being greeted when we arrived home! Both books look lovely and I’m sure either would be enjoyable.

    By the way for the ladies who haven’t had ads when they read the blog, if you reload the page it usually comes back with some. I didn’t have any at first but when I clicked the arrow at the top it came back with five to close.

  25. Gayle Troccoli

    I have six cats, all rescues. Four are feral cats I adopted and I am slowly domesticating them. Some are easier than others. They are all sweet with each having their own personalities. They keep us entertained and we love them.
    Have a great day!
    Gayle

  26. Darby in WI

    On this farm live 2 dogs, 30 hens, with kittens probably 25 cats (don’t tell my husband as he never sees them all in one place & cannot tell some apart) and about 200 beef cows. We are farmers so not all our animals are pets like some of you have but we still know them all. Some are especially tame as the kids have shown them at the fair. The cats are quite spoiled & get calf milk replacer twice per day. As seen above my husband is not a cat person & isn’t fond of me buying $70/bag milk replacer. I tell him I don’t spend money on lotto, booze, drugs or fake fingernails so if my worst spending habit is cat milk he’s got a damn good woman!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Yes! I tell Rick just about the same thing – I am low maintenance except for my pets and I never buy clothes, jewelry, or go on vacation – he should consider himself danged lucky!

  27. Marie Fibelstad

    Would love to have a black chicken in back yard, but think the neighbors would turn me in since I live in town.
    Keep showing how they grow.
    I do keep busy with a English White lab, KC that we adopted 13 yrs ago and 2 house cats that adopted us 3 years ago, and all their cat hair. But love them anyway. Marie

  28. Penny C Maryland

    Love both the books. Sue Spargo is one of my favorites! Both my cat and dog are rescues. My dog we rescued as a 12 week old puppy. It took us a year to want another dog after our dear 15 year old Chihuahua ZsaZsa passed. Jolee was supposed to be a Chihuahua minion mix. Well she weighs 23 lbs! She is Pomeranian and sheltie. She is beautiful and loving.

    Our Katy Kitty was left in our yard over 8 years ago with her three small kittens. Long story short, after 7 weeks out local shelter still could not take the kittens in. I found a shelter 2 hours away that I could pay to take the kittens. They were a no kill and said I had taken such good care of them they would get them all their shots and sell them at PEtsmart. No one would take the Momma Kitty because they considered her ferrel. She is a beautiful loving cat who lives in our garage. She won’t come in the house. But is very loving and very spoiled. Her garage is heated and air condittioned, Lol She shows herself to no one but me and my husband!

  29. Rita AM in CT

    Ads clicked Our pets are 4 dogs, 3 Italian greyhounds & 1 toy poodle. 9 chickens.
    Not technically pets but regulars A flock of wild turkeys 12 to 15 they come by twice a day looking for handouts 4 crows they call me at 6:30 am wanting peanuts about a dozen grey squirrels one of them knocks on the door, a black snake that lives under our front stoop and suns on the stone or in a bush when it’s warm out. The other wildlife aren’t as human tolerant.

  30. Sue in Oregon

    I would say, Neuter the Roosters, but I bet that can’t be done. I bought some chicks at a local seed and feed store a few years back. One was for sure a roo. I could tell even before the crowing began. He was extremely aggressive even as a chick and picked on the other two (hens babies) something awful. So, back he went to the store. Later, one of the employees told me I was right. He was a Roo. It must be very hard to sex them when they are tiny.
    My hens are my pets now. They have forever homes here and they are sweet as apple pie. I love seeing them running around in the yard.
    I will be taking on 4 new Leghorn pullets very soon from a friend who has too many chickens. He says they are not white?? I thought they are always white. Oh, well.
    We have had many dogs and cats over the years, but now we feel a pet will outlive us and I don’t think that is fair to the pet. We recently gave up raising beef cows too, but we rent the pastures now and still get to watch the herd in the pastures below our house. Love seeing the calves growing up.
    I love living on our small farm and I know you do to. We decided to stay here and not to sell as we once considered. We made the choice to simplify as much as we could and that is working pretty well so far.

  31. Robin Boggan

    We don’t have any animals but we do feed the birds and I just love watching them! The deer do wander thur once in a while. So nice that you are sharing the books with all of us. 😊

    1. Cathy McCool

      Lots of ads closed by me just now!

      Currently we have no pets as our cat Beezey passed last Thanksgiving. . However If you count our hummingbirds, song birds,quail,deer, wild turkeys, squirrels and occasional skunk roaming our property we are surrounded with nature’s pets.
      Thanks for keeping up the blog. It helps me recall the years we visited my aunt and uncle who lived in Garner next door to Laura B. I was able to visit your quilt shop a few times and loved its ” vibe.”

  32. Anonymous

    I closed four ads. I enjoy doing that now that I know it keeps this blog going. I really like the grey and red quilt called Paprika. We are parents of Cooper, a mixture of chocolate lab and Australian Shepherd. He is 9 years old and the smartest dog we have ever owned. We are devoted to him and he is devoted to us. Family tells us that we will have a funeral for him when he passes. I dread the day.

  33. Vickie S

    Love all those chicks. So cute. When I was young we got Easter chicks one year. Both turned out to be roosters. My sister’s killed mine. He was so mean we had to carry a broom to shoo him away because he loved to pick bare feet. Eventually he was given to a man that raised chickens. We were all glad to see him go.

    I have cats for pets now. Skeeter, Dottie and Miss Piggy. They all came from the same mother a litter apart. She was a stray that died before I could have her spayed.

  34. Connie R. in Wis.

    We have a dog named Buck who is a Shiba Inu. He looks like a fox with a curled up tail. Just as fun loving at 7 years old as he was as a puppy.
    Thanks for the opportunity to win a book but I am happy to click on the ads just to help keep the blog going. I find that if I do some online window shopping, even if I don’t purchase anything, I get all kinds of ads to click on your blog. Don’t know what the connection is but, it works for me. I always have several ads to click on. It might work for others.

  35. Diane Bauer

    I have two lovely Goldens whom I adore–Akira is 9 and Skyler is 4. They are from the same breeder here in my hometown and they share a grandmother, so I guess that makes them cousins?? We also have a tuxedo kitty that we rescued, Gizmo, who lives with me on my daughter’s college breaks, and our Palomino Paint, Dr. Patch. I also have two grandpups–both Goldens–named Riley and Ruby. They were with me in April while my son and daughter-in-law were on an extended trip to Thailand. Since they will soon be living in Colorado Springs, I am hoping I will get to have them here more regularly! We have often joked that we have quite a brood of blondies with our Goldens and Palominos. Pete was a Foundation Palomino so also a blondie!

  36. Nancy TD

    Closed ads. We had a cocker spaniel for 16 years. Now just visit our Grand daughters dogs. Finished #5 and need to take a picture. Books sound interesting.

  37. Carol F.

    I have had dogs, cats, and fish as pets in the past but now I do not have any pets. I am at the age that they will out live me so I am not going to have any more pets cause it wouldn’t be fair to them.

  38. Mrs. Goodneedle

    I love both of the books and your brood of newly-hatched babies! We are owned by a precious fifteen year old long-haired dachshund. His name is Johannes, but we’ve called him Hannes ever since he was a puppy. He is gentle and has such a sweet spirit, our four grandchildren adore him as much as he does them. We have always referred to his as our German “guard dog”; when he was young and super-energetic he would “guard” us from anything that went by our house– a car, bicycle, person, bird, squirrel or even a leaf that blew across the driveway. Ever vigilant. He’s slowed down now, but so have we. I cannot imagine a home without a pet.

  39. Joyce from NY

    I don’t have any animals, but I have 4 grand dogs whom I see quite often & able to treat them often. I closed 2 ads. I like the Sue Spargo book, love her work. All the #5’s are so beautiful, thank you.

  40. Virlinda Day

    I’m down to one seven year old tabby cat named Chester that I rescued as a small kitten. Chester has asthma and uses an inhaler twice a day. He’s so good about about his meds and sits so still when he takes his inhaler. He’s one special kitty. My fifteen year old cat Jasper died this summer and I’m now beginning to think about getting Chester a companion.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      A cat uses an inhaler? I’ve never heard of this – how in the world do you accomplish it?

    2. Beth T.

      Virlinda, your cat uses an inhaler? Our cats do, too! We have a mom cat with asthma, and two of her sons have asthma also. Her other two children don’t have asthma (yet–they are seven years old, so we’re hoping they won’t develop it.) You’re the only other person I’ve ever “met” whose cat uses an inhaler. We have so much experience, giving the inhaler treatment to three cats once or twice every day, that our vets ask us for advice about it if they have to use it at the clinic. 🙂 Do you think Chester knows the inhaler helps him feel better? I’m pretty sure our mom cat does; she makes a show of complaining about it every night, then settles right down for her treatment. She’s a feisty girl, so if she really didn’t want me to give her the meds, I’d be chasing her all over the house every night. What I find funny is that each of our cats likes to sit in a different position when they get their treatment: the mom sits like a hen, one of her sons sits up tall, and the other one sits on my lap like a little boy, with his legs out in front of him as I rub his tummy.
      Do you know what was interesting? When one of our young vets pulled out her textbook and showed me what they’re teaching about the causes of asthma, they talk about the environment, about possible dietary causes, but there was no mention of genetics–and yet here I am with three cats in the same family with the same condition. Pretty clear there is a link. But the people doing the studies aren’t raising families of cats to study, so they didn’t take that into account. I could hardly believe it.
      Well, I guess I got a little excited about finding someone else treating their cat the way we are. Tell Chester hello from Sylvie, Auggie, and Edmund!

  41. Bobbie

    Morning Mary,
    I have 3 dogs a 10 yr old that is layed back and a great little dog. Then I have a Hazel, named Ginger, she is 1 haha !
    She is like the wind runs in big circles around the yard or field. She tears up every thing. Shoes, toys, blankets. She is so lovable but such a rascal. She eats anything, even moles she seems to be able to capture. I take all the ukkie stuff from her but it’s a daily job. She is trying to dig to china so I’m forever filling holes. Then we have a Amerian Eskimo that is 14 now and deaf. She doesn’t like to come in her hair is like down underneath. She gets to hot. Her bed is inside out garage she comes and goes as she likes. She come every morning for her treat. And when we go anywhere we always bring her a tidbit back so she meets us at the car. She loves pets so we go out and give her pets every day. She is real good to lay and let you brush her.
    When I get a animal they are mine forever. I just can’t throw them away because they are going thru a growing spurt. Or they get old.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Amen to keeping them forever – I can’t stand when people surrender their dog because they got a puppy, for example. I could kill them!

  42. Rikki

    Don’t have any pets to take care of but do have squirrels. I planted sunflowers for them and they climb up them knock them over and eat the seeds. They are cute to watch and listen to.

  43. Linda Thompson

    We don’t have a pet…used to, but not anymore. We do have a raccoon and a squirrel that has adopted us. We don’t feed either one. The squirrel cleans up under the bird feeders, and perhaps the raccoon does too. The squirrel brings us acorns. The raccoon loves to play in my house and patio plants that are all on the deck. He wakes us in the early morning, we get exercise by chasing thru the house to yell at him to go away. I think I closed several ads. I am not at all I have the hang of that little task.

  44. debby

    Lots of ads to close today. We have 2 mini dachshunds, Katie is black and tan which has turned to black and grey, she will be 14 years old the first week of October and still running and playing. The other is a Silver Dapple named Patches and she’s 5 years old and thinks she’s king of everything. We have a 3rd dog, a Toy Fox Terrier that is 4 years old and named Maggie. She’s too smart for her own good and sometimes gets in trouble for meddling.
    I love Susan Ache’s books and everything she does. I cannot due embroidery due to RA but I still admire lovely things.

  45. Judy A

    No ads again 🙁 And I have no pets. Well, actually my pets are the flocks of birds and squirrels at my feeders, an occasional groundhog, fox, coyote… and an array of neighbor escapees – guinea fowl, turkeys and roosters that run the neighborhood. I can understand why one doesn’t want a whole lotta roosters!

  46. Jane Eilderts

    I have no pets myself but I have a grand-dog Scout that a dearly love!! And she lives close by so I get to see her daily. When my daughter talks about “Gma” she tilts her head. That makes me sooo happy!

  47. Danna Saeugling

    I have a yellow lab named Ranger. We also have a small cow/calf operation. Some of my favorite cows are Lucy, Audrey, Ruby and tag #123 (Ruby’s daughter). I also enjoy feeding corn as a treat to our home raised angus bull named Cupid. He was born on Valentine’s Day.

  48. Barb K

    Was able to close four ads. We have two inside kitties (a solid black one–12 years old, named Cinderella and a 6 month old Siamese named Katie). Our outside dog is black and gold (supposed to be Lab and shepherd mix but she looks like a Rottweiler and is very protective). Her name is Daisy and she knows and loves all our kids and Grandkids but barks loudly at anyone she doesn’t know).

  49. Susie Lenz

    We have always had cats( all rescues) at present we have four. 2 seniors and Two Middle Aged. All with different personalities and food likes and dislikes👀 I would love to win a book- especially sue spargos journal for a quilting friend of mine! Enjoy fall!

  50. Brenda C

    I’ve always had two dogs, but we are in flux right now, so no new puppies for me. I make do with the neighbors chocolate lab and two little boys.

  51. Joyce C

    I have 2 pets… an almost 11 year old black golden doodle named Mr Wilson.. an a yr old rescue kitten we got for Mr Wilson’s Christmas last year. She is a calico name Miss Gretchen. A funny incident happened while we were at our lake cabin for the weekend. Both pets came along and on Saturday night we went out to eat. Upon returning we found an interesting scenario in our bathroom. We put the kitty litter in a large round planter base and place it in the bath tub while at the lake. The litter pan was sitting in the middle of the bathroom floor with a large amount of urine in it. Apparently Mr Wilson needed to use the facilities and had lifted the pan out of the tub with his mouth and used it to relieve himself.! Pretty clever…!!! These two keep us laughing!!

  52. Susan B.

    We have 3 dogs, 1 cat and 5 chickens. One dog is a 10-year old beagle mix. She was found in a ditch when she was about 6 weeks old. She’s 10 now. The other 2 dogs are pure bred labs – one silver and one chocolate. The chickens are old hens! They don’t lay eggs any more and I don’t know what to do with them! They are too old to eat (I wouldn’t be able to do that anyway). Apparently, all the predators know that, too. Nothing comes in after them. When they were laying and I wanted them there we had issues with raccoons, foxes, possums and owls. Not now!!! I would love to win a book!

  53. Karen Gaither

    I have two new Rescue Dachshunds, Maddie is 6 year old black short hair and the sweetest pup ever! Scarlet is estimated to be 1 year old red short hair and acts like a puppy! I think she might have some Jack Russell in her because she jump like a Jack Russell and not a Dachshund. She has a lot of Jack Russell typical personality traits.
    These two loves have filled the void of losing two pups this year within 5 months.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      And I am so happy that you have your girls to be your family – you had a rough year!

  54. Lisa in eastern Washington state

    We have 3 barn cats, all were either strays or rescued. 2 female calicos and one male tiger striped. It took a long time to be able to pet them and pick them up as the strays were very wary of people and the rescue had been severely mistreated by her previous owner. Nasty man. They’ve had all their shots and were spayed/neutered. They are wonderful cats, keeping our place free of mice. They get lots of love, lots of food and heated cat beds when it gets cold!
    I love the Color by Number book, not a fan of Sue Spargo’s work.

  55. Rebecca from WA

    Hi Mary.
    Gladly closing ads for you. I have 5 hens that are getting older so an egg now and then from them. I love fluffy small dogs and have two yorkies.
    Thanks for the chance at winning two fun books.
    I’m babying along my garden but snow predicted tomorrow night in the pacific NW.

  56. Rosie Westerhold

    I have 3 fur kids. All rescues. We have a10 year old red Pomeranian who was liberated from a puppy mill and then went to a no-kill shelter. We’ve had her for 5+ years. We nearly lost her about a year ago. Our vet referred us to a Vet Hospital in Omaha, NE. She was in intensive care for about 4 days, and then I became her private nurse for the next 8 weeks, giving about 10 different meds 8-10 times/day. While she was in the hospital she had round the clock nurses plus an internist, a surgeon consulting and a whole TEAM of other specialists taking care of her. You don’t even want to know how much that cost!!! They THINK she had/has irritable bowel disease. But she’s been just fine since January👍👍.

    My other 2 babies are Chow Chows. One is black and is about 11-12 years old. She is a smooth-coated Chow. So, not as fluffy as Chows you may have seen. She was rescued from a no-kill shelter where she was abandoned when she was left for boarding😡😡. She was in the shelter for over a year. She is one of the best dogs we ever had. Can’t understand why no one wanted her. Guess she was meant for us so she had to stay there until we found her🥰🥰.

    Our third dog is the baby of the family as she is only 7. She is a cream-colored rough Chow who is VERY fluffy. She sheds year round. Ugh. We got her when she was about 8 months old. Have no idea how she was raised before then, but we couldn’t even pet her for more than 2 years. She and her sister were rescued from somewhere “horrible” by the mother of a vet. The mom couldn’t handle 2 Chows so the daughter took her and tried to place her. She is the sweetest, most gorgeous Chow we’ve ever had. But my husband and I are the only ones who can touch her unless she is on a leash. Then, EVERYONE can pet her! Really fun taking her to the vet. NOT!!! She has to be muzzled, we have to go outside for the vet to examine her, and they feed her PEANUT BUTTER if they need to draw blood. One time she ate almost half a jar of peanut butter. She was a VERY happy camper that day🤗🤗🤗. I expected some consequences after all that peanut butter, but she was just fine with no intestinal issues.

    So, that’s my fur kids. And guess who rules the roost? The 15-pound Pomeranian!!

    Love reading the blog, Mary. S glad you have persevered so I can hear all about your animals and family and farm and QUILTING!

  57. Sheila Snyder

    Hubby and I have a black cat named Mansfield. I love this cat almost as much as I love my husband (and sometimes more :-)). I know you are thinking “What an odd name for a cat.” But Mansfield is special. You see, when I was born, my mom & dad didn’t have any money for a hospital and so they drove me North to my grandparents-Fern & Verne Mansfield where I was born in the small bedroom on the ground floor facing the r.r. tracks. MANY years later after Gpa & Gma had passed away and sold the farm, hubby & I drove past the farm house on the way to our vacation place. Suddenly I felt the need to talk to the present owners & tell them the history of the house & so hubby turned around and drove in the driveway. Suddenly he spotted a tiny black cat on their porch & he mentioned how much he liked it. The owners said “Do you want him?” We said yes, but we can’t take him as we are going to be away for 5 weeks. They agreed to keep him on the porch and feed him and if he was still there we could take him. Five weeks to the day, we pulled up. He was still on the porch but a little bit bigger. We put him in the car, drove the 200 miles home and he has been our heart and soul for the last 14 years. Mansfield & I were both born in the same house and I have always felt that he was a gift from God and my gma.

  58. Suzanne Golden

    Currently I have a lynx point Siamese name Toulousse. He just turned 5. Before at different times I had 4 other cats at different times that lived between 18-20 years. When growing up we always had dogs and cats.

  59. Charlotte S.

    Love the books and the #5s. Hopefully I can finish mine today or tomorrow and get a picture to you. I have to go grocery shopping now.
    We don’t have any pets now. After putting down our last dog, I said I can’t do this anymore. We have 2 “grand cats” and several squirrels, opossums, racoons and skunks roaming our yard. And we live in the city.

  60. Chris H. in Washington

    We have two Border Terriers. The oldest will be 13 in October and her name is Kat. We also have her grandson, Snoop who is almost 7. We are fostering a baby Border Terrier who is 14 weeks old. She is Bee and will be going to Hawaii when she has all of her shots and passes tests to allow her into Hawaii. We already love her so it will be difficult to give her up.

    Closed 3 ads. Love the books~

  61. Rosalie

    We have 2 dogs (down from 7!) and 8 housecats and about 40 fetal cats. We also have 28 full size donkeys and 50 goats – nannies and one “it” who was s bottle baby. Currently it is birthing season and we have 7 kids so far. Oh and 6 hens and 8 guineas.
    Needless to say we stay busy!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Rosalie – you might be my soulmate! I would love to have baby goats again but now they would outlive me so no more babies. I love guineas but they’re hard to corral into the barn when winter gets here! Do you raise donkeys for breeding stock? Pets? Where do you live? Close enough for me to visit? I doubt it.

    2. Rosie Westerhold

      Wow. My given name is Rosalie, but I’ve gone by Rosie since I was 18. I’ve only known one other person with that name. Where do you live? Would love to meet another Rosalie.

  62. Cheryl

    We have Cosette, a smoky siamese found on the side of the interstate highway with a kitten. And we have a small black and white sheltie named Spark. Both rescues from the pound. Spark is deaf and 10 years old. Cosette is 7. The pets who have our hearts still are my husbands dog Duke, half sheltie, half beagle who lived to be 16. And my Lucy, a gray tabby who was my nurse kitty when I was ill for most of 2007. She was 12.

  63. Deb Renken - SW Minnesota

    We no longer have any animals. After we had to put Sam the cat down, my husband said that he couldn’t go through that again – we so loved Sam and couldn’t imagine replacing her. Also, our boys were all raised and moved away and we didn’t want to worry about any animals when we decided to go see them. Love both books. As always, closed all the ads.

  64. Judy1522

    Sadly I have no pets as my husband is allergic to cats and dogs. I grew up on a farm and love animals so it is hard for me as I had pets growing up. We did have a parakeet for several years and that was ok but after it was gone we were getting ready to retire and travel so I figured it was best not to have another one right now. Both of my kids have pets so I can get my animal fix when I go to their homes.

  65. Susan K

    I have two solid black kitties – Magnus and Klaus. I rescued them two years ago. They love each other and are as different as night and day. Magnus is more timid and shy. He loves to be petted but not picked up. He can get out of a collar in less than 5 minutes so doesn’t wear one. He’s about 16-17 pounds. His brother Klaus is a 10 pound hyper kitty. He’s the one who climbs trees, jumps our 6’ privacy fence, and hogs the food. Klaus will wear a collar with a tag which is good since he gets out of the yard. Magnus tells me when Klaus jumps the fence. They only go out when supervised as there are coyotes and bobcats roaming our town. Their enemy is THE SQUIRREL! The Squirrel throws acorns at them and yells at them. He also taunts them from the trees. We also have lizards in the yard which are kind of pets. We have Texas spiny lizard, green anoles, and geckos. Magnus and Klaus catch the lizards to play with. I rescue the lizards. No lizards are hurt in the exchange. I’ve taught the kitties to come to my whistle with kitty treats as their reward. Being cats they don’t always come but they do more often than not.
    I love your posts on your animals. I know you love them as much as I love mine. Quilts, animals, and plants. So much to love!

  66. Barbara Forde

    I’m currently pet-less. When my last old cat died I didn’t replace her. All my boys live far from where I live and so I do head out of town for visits fairly often. Getting someone to care for them just became too difficult and I didn’t like to board them as it’s pretty stressful for them….not to mention expensive. So I’ll stay pet-less for now. Do miss having a cat on my lap though!

  67. Mary Hehlke

    I have no pets,but do take care of our daughters black lab when needed. She is a big dog, but so gentle and loving.

  68. Sharon Lowy

    Mr. Peach is a beautiful cat I found abandoned in a park near our home when we lived in NJ. He was only about 5 weeks old and only weighed a few ounces but he was healthy according to our vet. I took him home to our 2 rescued Silkie Terriers both of which decided he was their child mothered him to pieces. Results are now 12 years later, the 2 Silkies have long since crossed the bridge (at 16 + years old) and he is convinced he is a dog. Those precious little silkies were about 8 pounds soaking wet and Mr. Peach is about 17 pounds. He hates cats but loves all dogs. He and I live happily in Illinois now since my husband died. I would love to rescue another dog but my sweet daughter-in-law is allergic to dogs but not cats.

  69. Mary

    No pets. I live in an apt. and right nowI don’t have room for a pet. Someday I’d like a dog and a cat. Closed a few ads. Some are stubborn and don’t close easily. Is there a way you can neuter a rooster? (I’m not a farm girl so …). I enjoy your posts.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      I tried to neuter a rooster many years ago – the vet gave them shots but I don’t think it worked. I’m going to look into that again – thanks for that suggestion!

      1. Pat Mosley

        Let me tell you about our chubby Chiweenie (Chilidog) Daisy. We are so blessed that she joined our family. Well that is what our grown daughters would say. She is well behaved, except we haven’t found the volume button when a stranger, or friend or cat or dog or UPS or….is outside. She is the best companion. Loves anything I cook..lol. Got to have a bite.

  70. Sharon Ray

    We always had cats growing up but now I am animal-less (is that a word?) I get to enjoy my mom’s big orange cat when I visit her. He rules that house spoiled rotten but earn his keep by getting rid of mice in the garage. Love your critters.

  71. Kay Crandall

    Closed five ads today. No pets right now – my precious mama cat who was my shadow for 14 years died three years ago and I miss her something fierce! We winter in Arizona and live in Illinois in the summer and it was getting difficult to travel with her and her son (who wouldn’t let my husband out of his sight). He crossed the rainbow bridge seven months after his mama.

  72. Cathy W.

    I grew up around farm animals because my grandparents had cows, pigs and chickens. We live in a subdivision so our only animal is an inside cat. We got her from the pound and she is a sweet thing.

  73. Carla J

    At the moment there are the dogs that make this home. Our oldest is a long haired Black and Tan miniature dachshund. Maximus Low flying Jet, called Max for short. He has been my shadow the days my husband has been gone hunting with the younger ones. Jet is an almost 9 yr old Gordon Setter who is quite the birder. Our youngest is a two yr old Golden Retriever, Blue. Blue is a mellow guy, who loves attention. Over the 43 years we have been married we’ve had 6 dogs, numerous hamsters, a garter snake and a couple of turtles.
    Closed my ads, the books look fabulous.

  74. Lyn

    I had been missing my maine coon who passed away last November so in January we found a very scared stray mostly-Siamese about a year old who had just been brought to the shelter adoption area. I don’t know how long Mocha was on the streets but she had to learn about treats, snuggles, brushing, and toys. And being an indoor only cat—there are coyotes, etc that would find her delicious if she wandered off. Such a different cat today from the skinny waif we brought home; well fed, purrs if you talk to her or pet her or pick her up…such a happy little gal!

  75. Carol at Pin Oak Quilting

    I have one kitty, named Kitty, she is the kitty who got out of the house one night while we were out of town, and my mother didn’t notice until the morning. She was hysterical, I cried the whole way home from our shortened trip to visit our son.
    As soon as we got home we started the search, which lasted a week. We walked over 40 miles checking yards and woods and the local green space.
    She came home on Mother’s Day at 3:30 in the morning. I had slept the whole week (May, Western New York… very chilly nights!) on the family room floor with the French door open so I might hear her cry. She had been seen every day in the neighborhood by different neighbors but wouldn’t approach anyone.
    The night before Mother’s Day, I put her litter box on the step outside the French doors, had her brush and her treats handy. I had to put a golf umbrella over the litter box as it was raining, and you know how that stuff clumps.
    At around 3:30 am I heard scritch-scratching in the box, and I sat up, softly called to her and showed her her brush… quite a lot of gentle coaxing and treat sharing before she put two feet in the doorway…. I can tell you, I was grateful for years of yoga practice as I was able, from a sitting position, lean forward and grab her with two hands while I pushed the door shut with my left leg.
    And that is the only exciting kitty story I have. Most of her day is soent sleeping in all the places she calls her own… in my bed, in front of the fireplace, on the summer porch, on the rooster chair, and on the two cushions that belong to outdoor chairs but never made it outside. It is her tuffet! The rest of her busy day is spent eating and drinking and pooping. What a life!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      I am so tickled she came back! I am missing Darla still but no one has seen her – I keep my eyes peeled every time I go to the barn to no avail. Very sad.

  76. Rose Jeter

    I feel like my animal life is boring compared to yours…..I do love reading about your adventures with all of them though. I have 4 rescue dogs and 3 rescue cats.

  77. Donna Sproston

    We are now petless due to my allergies. My allergist and opthamo!ogist told my husband he had to choose between me and the cats. I miss having them around. Perhaps that is why I love to read about the animal. Life on your fatm.

  78. Darlene in Texas

    I closed 6 ads today. Currently we have one black female named Henrietta who was dumped at our front gate about 3 months ago. She took up residence in the hay in the barn. Two weeks after arriving she delivered 5 kittens, all boys – Tom, Jake, Mo, Slick, and Brownie. Two of the kittens have other homes to do to in a couple of weeks. My husband wouldn’t want me to call his cows “pets” but they are. We have 3 cows, 2 calves, and 1 bull. They follow him as he works around the barn and pasture.

  79. Eleanor from RI

    Our Golden Retriever passed away at 15 1/2 years 14 years ago. I still miss him. He was the best. But our grandson just got a Golden Retriever puppy a month ago which we are enjoying. What a beautiful dog, named Belle.

    I no longer have a dog or cat but the hummingbirds keep me busy making a quart and a half of sugar water every day. The last bird left 2 days ago. But now the many other birds will keep me busy filling the bird feeders.

  80. Martha Engstler Gettysburg

    In the past I’ve had Maine Coon cats which were dear then someone dropped Lucy, a long haired black kitty who turned out to be the most special cat ever. What a heartbreak when we had to put her down. My husband said no more cats, guess what, we now have two cats that are now two and a half years old. They are rescue cats. Max is part Siamese and his brother, Freddy, is solid black. We’ve only had Freddy a couple months since someone else took him then decided for whatever reason they couldn’t keep him. They get along so well and Freddy is the sweeter of the two. He’s a real delight. So much fun reading about other peoples pets.

  81. Sandy Allen

    No pets in my household any longer. The last one we had was a Scottish Terrier named Mitzi. Best dog I ever had. 😀

  82. Maureen Fry

    I don’t currently have any pets. I have had dogs and cats, my favorite a German shepherd named Sheba!

  83. Brenda in Iowa

    I have 5 cats – Baxter is all black & weighes 21.5 lbs! Two tuxedoes – brother & sister – Barney & Bella. Barney is my boy. I’m caring for my mom’s cat -Ellie, after my mom’s death last year. Ellie couldn’t be integrated into our home because Barney would bully her. So, I got a 4-week old kitten, Cinder. Ellie is slowly accepting her. Then, there are the goats – No Ears, 9-dollars, Jack, and 5 others.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Don’t you just hate that pecking order thing? It happens with the cats, goats and chickens! Why can’t they all just get along!!!

  84. Judy

    No pets here, but we feed the birds, water the plants, and pet the fabric. We do have to ask the neighbors to harvest the garden when we are on vacation, but no pets that need to be fed.

  85. Janice Hebert

    So much fun reading about everyone’s pets or past pets or reasons for being pet-less. All good stories. I closed 6 ads today and just about every day. Now, let me see, at the moment we have one dog, Louie. He’s a Coton de Tulear, he’s about 11 pounds of white fluffy fur. So much personality. He was my daughter’s dog but we ended up with him and we can’t imagine being without him. We also have three parakeets. We often recommend these little birds to people, they are so easy to care for and are so fun to watch and listen to. We’ve had donkeys, goats, and chickens in the past and I hope to have chickens soon. I just love your hen Mary! She’s beautiful – I so wish I could take some of those chicks. Either book looks interesting, I especially love Sue Spargo’s work. Jan in MA

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      And get this! There are 15 chicks! I’ve lived here for 40 years and I’ve never had that many chicks in one hatch! Oh, I wish you could give some of them a good home!

  86. Judy

    Sending again. I forgot my email last posting.
    No pets here, but we feed the birds, water the plants, and pet the fabric. We do have to ask the neighbors to harvest the garden when we are on vacation, but no pets that need to be fed.

  87. Mary

    I closed 4 ads today. So far.
    My pet is a 3 yr. old chocolate Siamese named Charlie. He is super smart and I teach him tricks, hoping that keeps him out of trouble. He is totally an indoor cat, since I live in Assisted Living. He will probably outlive me, so I will share with you what my plan is. One of our cooks here loves cats, especially Siamese, and the plan is if I go before he does, he will belong to that cook.

    I have another idea for all you Golden owners out there. If you have not seen it, this is on Facebook. It is called Charlie the Golden. In which he has an inner dialogue his mom attributes to him when he ‘talks’ to hi s brother, the cat, etc. It will have you rolling ion the floor. Check it out!

  88. Montana Kathy

    We currently have only 2 dogs and 2 cats. Zeke, our last remaining black lab, (the other 3 labs having died from old age and subsequent health issues all within the last couple years) is now 8 and the sweetest boy you’ll ever meet. Our other dog, StellaBlue, a papillon/terrier mix, was rescued as a puppy along with 75 other puppies as they were being led to euthanization at a shelter in California . The group, Wings of Rescue (who include pilots who fly the dogs to no kill shelters around the country) called around until they connected with the no kill shelter here in Montana who could take in all 76 dogs. We were looking for a friend for poor Zeke, and I happened to see the story and video of them flying in, and all these dog crates lined up on the airport tarmac. Needless to say, we went down the next day and despite wanting to take them all home with us, we just got 1 (the 3 lb terror, barking the loudest and bossing all the other dogs around- but the cutest thing you ever saw!). We knew we couldn’t cope with more as we are ageing too. So now, 3 years later, our 2 cats (Cleo, a tortie, who is now 8 and Charlie, my 5 year old, BIG orange guy – both rescues) have a 13 lb. dog their size (who is confused as to whether she’s a cat or a dog) sleeping on them, chasing them and being their most devoted friend. Life is good.
    (Mary, love the photos you posted. All the quilts are so pretty, and the chickens are charming! Thanks for sharing)

  89. Kathy T

    We’ve had cats for years. Currently we have Jack, a 14 year old gray/brown tabby. He’s getting older now but he used to bring us mice, chipmunks, and squirrels on a daily basis. Jack has never had an accident in the house, but will only use the litter box under duress. He’ll come get us to let him outside. I think he thinks he’s a dog. A real snuggler too.

    Tori is the long haired tortoise shell diva. We love her, but two weeks after naming her Tori, we realized that Blondie would have been more appropriate! (I’m blonde, so I can say that!). Took her a year to figure out how to go out the cat door and another year to realize she could also come in through the cat door!

  90. Cindy Karas

    Hi Mary, I have two little white dogs-the 1st. is a rescue, a white Papillion with caramel ears and ring around her neck, she is 13 going on 5 When I first received her 6 yrs. ago she was not fixed had very little hair on her paws and was sort of housebroken. Her name is Daisy. The other dog I have is LuLu, she is all white, and a maltipom. I got her when my husband was still alive. She was the cutest puppy and is one of the cutest dogs I have ever had. She will be 11 yrs. old in Oct. She is sweet and loving, with a backbone of steel! Things must never change-ever. They keep me on my toes-but I love them to death. I could tell you more but it’s too much typing for me. Cin

  91. karen m m

    Sad to say our beloved dog passed some time ago. However, we do have a “pet” squirrel who entertains us daily. Years ago another squirrel would take apples from the tree and toss them at our dog. Years before that another squirrel would run back and forth across the fence top to aggravate our dog and the dog in the yard behind ours.

  92. Debbie G

    I love seeing the pics of your chickens! I have one dog. Bella is a Yorkie Maltese mix and is 6 1/2 pounds. There is a lot of dog in that little body. She is a great companion and someone to come home to since I lost my husband 2 years ago. She’s 10, but still acts like a puppy. She loves when I play hide and seek with her.

  93. Janet M.

    When we lived on the farm we had two St. Bernard dogs but after they passed we decided another pet didn’t fit our retirement plans as we were moving to a new home. However, we have a neighbor dog and neighbor chickens who love to come over and eat under our bird feeders.

  94. Margie

    Hi, we are legless now. Have 2 grand cats and 1 grand dog. I love seeing the reviews a,d closed ads to help, nut please don’t enter me in today’s books, give them to someone who has time.

  95. Candy

    Our Hannah, a little black & white Havanese, is the one who recently had “Beaver Fever”. She seems to be recovering well, thankfully, because we’ll soon be leaving her with friends for 2 weeks while we go on vacation. It’s such a worry to leave her. Fourteen isn’t extraordinarily old for a small dog, but she has had some worrisome issues this year. I don’t imagine we’ll leave her again, but we’ve had this trip booked since last year. I admire the looks of Sue Spargo’s work, but I can’t see myself doing anything so ‘fussy’, nor learning the fancy stitches she uses. Fun to see though … thanks!

  96. Candy

    Oh, and I closed 10 ads today. I don’t understand why some of us get so many, and others get none … then tomorrow it could be the reverse! Technology!*#*!

  97. Vickie from Davidson, NC

    We have three dogs. Sweet Amy Bella, (she’s a Southern girl and must have two names). She is about 15 and was found on the Blue Ridge Pkwy while we were hiking. She was either dumped, strayed from a campsite or a hiker. She’s my PD-perfect dog. She is a Shih Tzu mix, gray & white. Max is a purebred Shih Tzu, gold & white, 10 years old and brother, Rusty, is a brindle, who is nine. I love all animals and will always have a dog, I hope.

  98. Susan the Farm Quilter

    I have thee pets. A rescue Chihuahua who has been my traveling buddy for 8 years now. We have a barn cat named Tom who was abandoned, along with his sister, about 5 years ago near our farm. Unfortunately his sister disappeared. I also have my horse whom I love dearly. He is now 24 years old and I’ve owned him half his life. He is bomb-proof for me and I trust his judgment when he refuses to go the way I want…he is smarter than I am when it comes to knowing what is around him!!

  99. Beryl BC

    Two ads and the pictures are back today!
    We have 2 cats, one is a 16 year old female that walked in the back door with her mother and her eyes still closed. The mother has since died. The male is 5 years old; he showed up at the front door. My husband always feeds them so it’s no wonder they stayed. Three cats is the most we’ve ever had at one time.

  100. Carolyn Glover

    4 Ads closed.

    We have a rescue 8 year old husky, german Shepherd and brindle boxer mix. We got him at 3 weeks and he weighed 4 lbs and 4 oz on his trip to the vet the following week. The vet didn’t think he would make it since he was so small. He is between 75-80 lbs now. He loves to lay on quilts and the one quilt I finally gave him after he ripped a couple of holes in it.

  101. Paula

    Best pet story. Many, many years ago I had a dog who was starting to nip. People say”put him down”. I would never do that. I contacted you, as another pet lover. You said you would drive to Davenport IA and get him if I needed that, just to save him. Of course you didn’t as we know we could work it out. And we did, and he lived a great life until he was 15. Your compassion was never forgotten.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Oh, Paula, I remember this story now! I am so glad it all worked out for you AND the dog. Are you aware of all the puppy mills in Iowa? We are second in the nation in the number of cruel puppy mills. There is an organization called the Iowa Pet Alliance headed by Haley Anderson who lobbies at the State House for stricter laws regarding the care of the poor suffering dogs who reside in Iowa puppy mills. Maybe you’d be interested in supporting this cause? Tell your legislators that you want them to vote in favor of stricter laws where animal cruelty is concerned.

  102. Louise K.

    Lovely books! We have one cat, and two dogs. The youngest dog (now 2 years old) was living under a vacant building when I met her. I offered to be her friend and she finally decided to trust me enough to come home with me. She’s a sweetie!

  103. Kris in Naperville

    Hi Mary — all my ads did not have X’s … will try again on another computer… We have Bruce, the coonhound, Max, the tan tabby cat and Emily the calico cat. They are a hoot. Bruce is the goofiest dog I have ever known. We always joke about how “that dog just don’t hunt” and it couldn’t be more accurate.
    He will see a squirrel in his yard and when I let him out the door, he runs right to where it was and often times even in the wrong direction… I guess that’s why he ended up at Rover Rescue. So happy he came to live with us. The cats are a hoot, but I’ll save there idiosyncrasies for another post.

    The completed #5’s are fabulous! I hope to complete my Playhouse Pumpkin by the weekend….

  104. Judy J

    We lost our cat and dog, a Pom who lived almost 19 years, a few years ago due to old age and never got more pets. I have a grand dog, Sam, who is very cute, a black and white cocker spaniel. Thank you for the chance to win a book.

  105. Nancy J.

    I have a rescued Shih Tzu, 11 years old and a 9 year old English Setter. We also puppy sit for a 3 month old Cocker Spaniel.

    Closed lots of ads, would love another Janome!

  106. Susan from Rockwell

    Very pretty projects to look at in all of the new books. Thank you for sharing!
    I have a cat named Tigger who is 13, a naughty shih tzu named Grace who is 12 and would run if we didn’t have a fence, she thinks everyone wants to be her friend and an 8 year old terrier mix named Henry who is an all around good dog. Oh yes and 8 laying hens…no roosters!
    I closed 5 ads so far today.

  107. Lisa Boles

    I don’t have any pets at this time. My mom is in assisted living in another state and I fly to visit her every other month (give my brother a break). If I had a pet it would spend a lot of time alone or bond with my son and his dog (my granddog) who would pet sit for me.

  108. Linda West

    We do not have a pet at this time. Our last dog was a black lab mix named Keesha. She was a sweetheart. We love labs. Our daughter had a black lab named Bananas who was so loving too.

  109. Kathleen Grom

    I live on a creek so there are always 50 or so ducks in my yard. We buy whole corn from the feed yard in 50 pound bags to feed them all year round. We’ve had them living and raising their ducklings here for over 30 years. It’s so fun to watch the little ones come in spring.

    We also have a rescue kitty named Ruxin. We used to have a wonderful German Shorthair Point named Gretchen. She lived an amazing 16 and a half years.

  110. Sharon

    I have three cats,but also feed a stray cat ,that eats but won’t come near us! We have ten wild bird feeders,five hummingbird feeders and feed a lot of California quail! My son also feeds the skunks,so they come here every night!

  111. Julie B from Cedar Falls

    So sad that we no longer have a dog..but Sadie was our baby for 16 wonderful years. She was a chow/Saint Bernard mix…looked like a chow and had the Bernard personality…always smiling. Both of our daughters have dogs..sarah is mom to Kirby, a 1 yr old Munsterlander..he is beautiful and loves to come to visit. Holle has 2 dogs..Olive is a basset/pit mix…such a do/de/do dog. A real sweetheart. And then there is Hazel..jack Russell/beagle mix..I swear she walks on a trampoline. She loves her grandma though. Very smart, but oh so stubborn.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Your daughter also has a Hazel – part Jack Russell? Could you send me a picture to my email of Hazel?

  112. Ida Tendam

    Love your farm and all the critters and those home grown tomatoes are amazing
    I have one little dog named Lucy. Got her at the humane society here in New Braunfels, Texas. You wanted a bigger dog but made the mistake of picking her up out of her cage. She buried her face in my neck and clung to me with her tiny paws. I was hooked.
    I have a couple questions. What is a five quilt and how do I close an ad?

    1. Ruth

      A “5” quilt is the UFO/WIP that you labeled #5 when you chose out 12 of your “works in progress” to work on the month that Mary chooses that number. Ummm, is that clear?
      (So when Mary chooses a new number in October, announces it on her blog, then everyone takes their identically numbered project out and works on it and tries to finish it in October. It can be any type of project, or projects. You choose.)
      When an ad shows up here on this blog, you can close it so you don’t have to look at it anymore, by clicking on the X usually in the upper right hand corner. Sometimes there is no x, so you know it won’t close. If you click on the red triangle, you get more information about that ad! Mary gets a teeny amount of money if people close the ads on her blog.

    2. CountryThreads Post author

      #5 quilts are the September UFO to finish. Last July we all dug up 12 UFO’s and numbered them 1-12. Each month I pull a number and announce it – that is the project you need to finish before the end of the month. Putting your cursor over the X in the corner of the ad closes it and Google pays us a small amount of money which counts up when many close the ads and we thank you!

  113. Alvera Dothage

    No ads today to click. I no longer have any pets. I feed a couple stray cats. Also have grand cats, chickens and cows

  114. Linda H in SE MN

    Sadly, no pets in my condo association…so I have to cuddle and pet my fabric stash periodically…

  115. Becky

    We rescued our marmalade cat 14 years ago next month. He still thinks he’s a kitten! Since learning from you about the ads, I close all I see.

  116. Suzanne Hillestad

    Does it count if you close the same add multiple times? I have a calico cat who is a real stinker, (said very lovingly).

  117. Sharon in Ohio

    I have a Golden Retriever. She always makes me laugh. She won’t come in my sewing room, but will wait in the doorway for me.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Really? Is she afraid of the machine? I might get more done if my dogs and cats were afraid to enter my sewing room – ha!

  118. Annette F.

    We have a black cat named Ripley that we acquired almost 13 years ago when my oldest son’s former girlfriend found her as a kitten abandoned in a paper bag on the side of the road. That cat has my husband wrapped around her little paw. The most loveable cat we have ever had.
    Only had 2 ads to close???

  119. Nancy T

    Was able to close two ads. I don’t have any pets living in town. But before that we lived n a farm where we had dogs and cats. After we moved to town we babysat the grand dogs when their parents would go on a trip.

  120. Judith Ann Jaques

    I closed 4 adds. No need to put me in the book giving. Not that I ever win anything but I do not need any more quilt books. I do keep coming to read about your days. Thanks for sharing. I am a sheltie dog lover. I have a sheltie ,almost year old puppy. She is a joy— as is my rescue Abby. When my husband died in 2016, my sheltie, Ziva, I had then, was so lost without him I went looking for a sheltie rescue for her. None to be had in Iowa. I did see a picture of a black dog with big brown eyes. I called about her, long story short, I got a 40 # rescue that had been left tied in a yard when the people moved leaving her there. I was told she had had puppies and was a lab mix but needed to gain some weight. I now have the sweetest 72# loveable dog ever.I believe her to be a newfoundland /golden mix. the reason I think that is a friend’s son bred one of her newfoundlands with a golden. When she saw Abby she thought it was one of those puppies.
    My Ziva died from pancreatitis, after getting a rabies shot. She went to be with my husband in Oct. 2018. My girls are my reason to get up each day. I am blessed. Probably more than you ever wanted to know. It is healing for me to talk about my Ziva. Not sure you even see my posts as I post later in the evening and you do have a lot of posts. Take good care Judy

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Judy – I read every single post and today’s replies have been my very favorite! I would not have had any idea that a rabies shot could cause pancreatitis- how terribly sad! I have a couple stories about dogs I just can’t get over, too, and no, your comment was not too much for me to be interested in. Do you have just the larger dog now?

  121. Karen H

    I have a great dog named Lily that is my best friend. I also have 3 horses – my mare Penny and her baby (now 13) that we rescued from Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria hit there and my third horse is Freddie- and he thinks he is a big dog!! Love all my animals and won’t want to be without them in my life-

  122. Janet Orr

    Had to go back to older posts to close ads. And I clicked on a few of today’s. Hope that helps.

    Pets right now are 2 German shorthair pointers – Gus and Sadie. Two horses – Babe and Major Bo. And that is the least amount of pets we’ve had here in 41 years!

  123. Nancy

    We do not. Urgently have any pets. I do love dogs and will probably have one in a few years. We are retired and travel a lot so just not a good time to have a dog.

  124. Sue Hoover

    We have a cat (Polly) and a rescue dog (Gracie). Polly weighs in at 8 pounds and rules the house. Gracie is 70 pounds and is scared of the rain gutters in the streets and the stairs that go down to the basement! Haha!

  125. Mary Neitzel

    We have one dog, Abbey. Abbey is a rescue and we’ve had her for 12 years, so we think she is around 13 years old. She is a be able mix and always makes us laugh, she is very entertaining. I closed 2 ads for you today!

  126. Jan from TN

    There were only 3 ads to close so I closed all 3 of them. YAY!

    My only pet right now is our first rescue dog. They say he’s part Schnauzer & part Shi-Tzu but I wonder if there’s some Yorkie in there too. His name is Brody & he only weighs 12 pounds. We were told he’s about 3 years old but we wonder if he’s younger because he is certainly an active little dog & smart as a whip! We rescued him, not thru our local shelter since they usually only have BIG dogs, but thru an local independent rescue group right here in our County in TN. They are great. Every single dog is completely vetted, fixed, dewormed, given their first rabies shot, first anit-flea treatment& microchipped! Of course, this is all included in their adoption fees but well worth it. Brody seems very happy to live with us & we already 💖 him. His official “gotcha” date is 8/31/19 so that’s the day we’ll celebrate his birthday each year! 😍 Mary, I’ll email you a picture of him this evening!

  127. Vindy from Montana

    We inherited Dusty , a black and white cat, when our daughter went off to college. We started traveling in an rv, and Dusty did to for 8 years til he passed away. Loved my kitty. He had great life, 14 years, and probably visited more states than most people. Also I love wool work and Sue Spargo’ s work.

  128. Marian Stever

    I have a delightful 7-year-old cat named Phoebe. She has the coloring of a calico and a tortoise shell! The Paws and Claws Humane Society called her a tortical. Great company. When I sew she is right nearby. I love the books and hope I am lucky. The little chicks are adorable. Closed a few ads.

  129. Ginny

    Artlo aka Tank was Hazel’s first puppy love. They looked so cute together, she was so nimble and quick and he just ambled along. They found something fascinating at the base of one of Mary’s big trees and it is one of my favorite pictures. Arlo as you know has 3 brothers, Ranger, Blue and little Milo. They are all black and like to sing every morning. They have 3 kitty companions, Mousy the only girl besides me in the household, Wiz my sweet orange tabby and Mikey a black and white love bug. They get along, they curl up to sleep together, Wiz plays in the yard with the dogs. He really thinks he is a dog!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Love hearing about your pets, Ginny! I will answer your email ASAP – hundreds of comments to read every day this week but I’ve enjoyed it so much! Talk soon…..

  130. Charlotte Buchanan

    My sweet pets are 2 little dogs Sadie a pug , 8and Ponette a Maltese 14! Poor Ponette is blind due to diabetes! I have To give her 2 insulin shots everyday! I wouldn’t Have believed I could Ever do that but we do what we have to!! My Sadie girl helps her find the yard so she doesn’t fall into the pool!
    The books are all awesome!! ♥️

  131. Gloria B.

    No pets at this time. Loved loved loved my labs, but broken heart when they crossed the bridge stops me from considering another. Get my dog fix from neighbors and friends.

  132. Sherry Whalen

    Hi Mary, closed the ads that showed up…I will refresh and find a few more I am sure. We don’t currently have any pets – in the past we had a dog when we lived in Cresco. A few years after we moved to Kasson we adopted a ‘mature’ cat named Emma, she too has passed on. We have a grand dog named Penny, a golden doodle. And again – they look like great books!!

  133. lisa Gebel

    Love all you do. You two girls are wonderful. I love the goat to!!
    Still trying to get a goat or two here on my farm ☺️

  134. Sandi

    I have 4 doxies that I love to death. My oldest was given to me by my son and she is 14, the others are rescues and give me so much love. I love all the pictures you posted today. The geese are beautiful. I closed 6 ads.

  135. Joanne Eggleston

    We have a Shitzu named Sophie who is 13 years old and a year old grand-dog named Leo who is a beautiful mini golden doodle. He comes over and stays with us when our granddaughters have dance and cheer competitions out of town. Love reading your blog and Jo Kramer’s blog. I live in Iowa also. I closed 6 ads today.

  136. Anonymous

    Ally the cat. She had three kittens. People took the kittens but no one wanted the mother. Was by herself for awhile. From Janesville Mn. We fell in love with her. She is a sweetheart. 💕

  137. Vicki from West Des Moines

    Both books look wonderful. I started doing wool appliqué about a year ago and would love to win a Sue Spargo book. Only had three ads to click. Unfortunately we have no pets – just the deer, squirrels and birds that wander through the yard and trees.

  138. Carmen

    I lost my beloved 20 yr old kitty, Emma Sue in March, the last of 4 siblings that i bottle fed and of course kept them all even though i already had 2 at the time, and somehow ended up with 2 more after that?? Yes i was the crazy cat lady! In May i adopted 2 sister kitties from the rescue in town which were feral. Sybil has become just the sweetest thing, but sister Sadie remains at a distance. So sad, i am hoping in time she will come around! We also have an eleven year old Brittany named Shylo. They met only once and it was not pleasant. Hopefully when i reintroduce them, it will work out better. I also have 4 grand dogs that were from another rescue and they are the most loving dogs!!
    I always enjoy reading about your daily escapades with all your fur and feather babies, and all your thrift shop finds! I love to thrift shop too!!
    Carmen

  139. JudyE. Rochester, MN

    I love cocker spaniels and have had three of them over the years. Before I retired I decided to find a female cocker that needed a home and that I can train to be a therapy dog. I would like a female, about 2-3 years old, not timid, as a therapy dog needs to adjust to various situations. So far, no luck, most of what I locate are in rescue places out east or west of Minnesota. Does anyone know of any dogs? I have my name etc. in several dog rescue organizations and I keep checking them.

  140. Jo from Michigan

    I grew up with all kinds of pets. Dogs, cats, rabbits, horse, chickens, parakeets, white mice, hamsters my dad even had a pet raccoon 😊 So I’m not a stranger to pets but I currently do not have one. We have had 3 golden retrievers at different times. My last Golden past away 5 years ago 😔 I miss her terribly. She was one of the best. I took care of her to the very end. Not sure if I was doing right or wrong by her. I did my best. It was a heartache I don’t want to go through again so that is why I’m dogless right now. I will have another golden some day but for now I will feed the hummingbirds and birds. Their a lot of fun to watch and monitor their comings and going 😊
    Love your blog and I closed all the ads that show up. 🍁

  141. Paula In Texas

    Baby chicks are just precious! I hope Winter stays away long enough for them to grow larger.
    My husband and I have a miniature poodle. We travel several months of the year in our fifth wheel, the poodle is a great travel companion.
    We are completing a summer volunteering at Grand Portage National Monument in Minnesota on Lake Superior. We will be heading to Texas before the snow flies!!

  142. Kate

    Whoa! I had to scroll a long way to get to the comment area. We have two dogs, one a purebred chocolate lab and one a boxer-lab mix, called a boxador that has truly tried our patience. When Molly Marshmallow was a pup she chewed EVERYTHING to include a hole in the side of our house and my husband’s homemade pool heater where she even had started to pull up the pool plumbing. Thankfully, she is mostly over all that and as I say about every dog we have brought home, she is the best dog we’ve ever had. We also have eight hens. No roosters.

  143. Nikki M in Tx

    6 gender neutral ( spayed/neutered) barn cats
    Mama Grey, Mama Tiger, Lover Boy, Two Toes, Bruce & Bob; a llama named Bongo & Ms Maci ( she is of the K9 persuasions but doesn’t know it ). Also at present have 40 female cows with calves & 20 heifer cows. Next week at least 10 calves will go to auction along with 2 of the older cows. My cows are black angus. Recently acquired ( he ?) just showed up & no one has responded to news paper ad & sheriff in 3 surrounding counties have no notification of missing emu….I call him Edgar..just looks like an Edgar.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      I didn’t understand what Edgar is – a cat? Does it bother you to send your cows to auction or do you have enough of them that you don’t know them personally? And of course Ms. Maci doesn’t know she’s a dog – ha! Would love to meet Bongo!

  144. Donna W.

    No animals currently but have had two dogs and a cat on our small acreage. Am always able to close five or more ads.

  145. Linda Taylor

    We don’t have any pets at this time. Our last dog died about 11 years ago. In the past we had several dogs. Most were mixed breeds. At one point we had three at one time. A terrier mix, a beagle and a border collie mix. We are retired and do some traveling so we enjoy our granddogs. Our daughter’s family has a yorkie/Brussels griffin named Gus. Our son’s family has a chihuahua named Libby who we get to dog sit frequently.

  146. Sunflower from Michigan

    Wow! 2 more great books today. I have 3 rescue grand dogs and a rescued grand cat. They live 5 hours from us but I’ve watched them plenty of times and love it. I grew up on a large dairy farm and had chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs, many calves and cows, show cattle and even a horse at one time or another growing up. We had a cat for 18 years when our kids were growing up. We never had goats and that’s why I love seeing and reading about yours. Have a great weekend. Just 4 days to finish the current ufo!

  147. Jessica in Florida

    I have 4 cats, 2 male and 2 female. Salem (all black) is now 15 years old. I’ve had him since he was 10 weeks and I have a feeling he will be crossing the Rainbow Bridge sooner rather than later. He is in the last stage of kidney failure and currently weighs 6 pounds. He’s nothing but skin and bone. He’s still loves to play and run laps around the house and snuggle with me but his weight loss is really disturbing. Noah is a 6 year old tabby and he’s my shadow, I cannot go ANYWHERE without him right next to me or chirping at me to open a door so he can see what I’m doing. He sleeps across my body for hours every day. Misty and Angel are calico sisters from the same litter, rescued from a drug house. We got them when they were approximately 6 months old. They aren’t the most affectionate cats, but they definitely have their moments of needing some cuddles. They were both super sleek until we got them spayed. Angel is now a whopping 24 pounds and Misty is 18 pounds. All 4 kitties eat the same amount of food and rarely get treats so I think the drop in estrogen made them expand! And there you have it…my 4 furbabies. ❤️

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      I am sorry you’re going through kidney failure in a pet. We lost our dog, Faye, at the age of 4-1/2 to kidney failure. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever watched – she couldn’t eat and she got so skinny that I felt nothing but sorrow for her so I had her euthanized in her favorite chair and probably not soon enough. I always thought she might eat the next day or the next meal. Her death haunts me.

  148. Sharon Cervenka

    Wow! Love your tomatoes…wish I had plants like those! Anyway, my only pet is our Aussie, named Hobo (Hobie). He is a grey merle and keeps me company while my husband works late hours. He adores my two college sons, and mopes when they are gone. He is quite smart and protective, but a great buddy when I am on my own. Enjoy your book reviews; helps me in my purchases. Love the journal idea! Thanks for offering the “freebie”!

  149. Kathy Hanson

    The books all look very interesting, I would love to win one. Love seeing more of the #5’s, almost done with my #3…good thing as the month is almost done. Loved the “herd” of Chicks – wow! The gosling is so darling, what fun you have at your farm. I, of course, have pet llamas as everyone knows. I call them our “kids”. I also have a BIG black granddog that we spent a week house and dog sitting with about a month ago. Part Newfoundland and the other part Golden Retriever. We enjoy Oliver and he gets all excited when “grandma and grandpa” come!

  150. Patty Turner

    Hi! Closed 6 ads today! I have had many pets that have crossed the rainbow bridge- 4 cats, a Yorker and a Golden. Currently have 2 year old cats, a brother and sister named Myles and Millie. It’s like having twins!

  151. Karen Miller

    We have a 9 year old Lhasa Apso named Lucy. No other pets at this time. She got groomed today so she is nice and fresh. She loves nothing better than to chase lizards in the garden or on our walks with her. Lot of fun to watch her pounce on the bushes after them.

  152. MaryLou

    More wonderful books – enjoy the previews & seeing what’s new . Glad closing the ads help you all your so generous with everyone so we should all return the favor.
    Now onto pets – my personal dog Bingo is going on 11 yrs & is a wonderful best friend – still full of mischief & fun but oh so smart has sure taught me things. Then we have Ms Cat – she is pitch black with green yellow eyes – was left by some one from the area about 18 yrs ago so she is like family – she eats on stable on the patio & in the summer sleeps there in a chair when we get winter which isn’t like your winter but cold to us we make her a bed on the porch so she is warm .. Bingo gets along good with her but once in awhile he will twitch his fluffy Pom Pom tail & have to tell him no mess with Ms Cat though know she wouldn’t hurt him. So there you go with more than you wanted to know. Also we feed about 5 stray cats each morning n evening. – could not let them be hungry. They are feral but the get hungry too
    MaryLou

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Thank you for taking pity on those feral cats, yes, even wild cats get hungry!

  153. Pat Smith

    193 comments? How do you read them all? I’m finding lots of adds to close every day now. And, if I leave the site, when I come back I have more to close. Your server must think you’re running a racket. Our only dog now is Sonny who you know about because of our tragedy last year. Our daughter also lives in our house in Vermont with 2 rescue cats who are convinced it’s their house and Sonny is an intruder. The two gangster cats have cowed poor Sonny into submission. We will go to FL mid Oct. and Sonny will have a few months of peace in an only pet household until we come back for Christmas, and it starts over!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Aww, poor Sonny! Those cats can be bullies sometimes. Are you anxious to return to Florida?

  154. Bonnie Glidden

    We have a dog Sadie. She tends to be a little shy. A calico cat Scarlet. They bring us a lot of joy.
    Always enjoy your posts. Thanks for all you do. Looking forward to the new book.

  155. Jennie

    wow never seen so many comments before. Loved reading about all the pets. I have closed 6 adds tonight. We have 2 very smart dogs, very spoiled lol. Ruby, a Chichuahua, who is 2 years old and Jackers, a Lhasa Apso, who is 15 years old. We lost his sister last year. Still missing her. Would love to win either book. Blessing Jennie

  156. Becki Pender

    We have a chocolate lab named Goose. Our oldest son passed away and liked Top Gun. So when our second son wanted a dog we got brothers. Our son knew he was naming his dog Maverick so of course he had to name our dog Goose. When we got their registration papers the papa was named ICE. These dogs were suppose to be in our family. We totally ❤️ these dogs

  157. Carrolyn V

    Sue Spargo , like you, is such an inspiration to me! I actually got to take a class from her two years ago in Sisters. Her designs are amazing! But you are right about aching hands! And those chicks are a joy!

  158. MJ

    Hello – I’ve never had pet. I’m not home enough. Growing up my neighbor had a basenji that was so cute. If I ever get a dog it will be a basenji.

  159. Mary M Rhodes

    I clicked around 5 ads. I have 3 cats . 2 tuxedo and redhead. I adopted main coon n tuxedo unfortunately the maincoon went next hunt mice didnt return home. 2nd tuxedo got from cousin. Both are girls! The redhead adopted me! He, Ivan ca.e to after bad fight. He ended up with broken leg n HIV. He is good kitty loves being loved on! Meeting someone new reminds me grumpy old man! I had quit feeding birds due to the furs kids ambush them. Not allow to keep any kind of animals hubby had it written up in deed to the place! Love seeing your animals along with everything else. My girls are 8 n 4 years old.

  160. Carol Collier

    We have been without a pet for several years — since we had to put our beloved 15yo dog to sleep. However, we are starting to look for a puppy — we are finally ready. I love your animals; I grew up on a farm. I remember one early spring when we had 7 bum lambs and 2 puppies in the living room, as it was so cold outside!!

  161. Carol San Diego

    We have 2 “pound puppies” and love them to pieces! Over the years we have had cats, dogs, doves, finches, Senegal parrots, cockatiels and a bunny! I’d love to have chickens but aren’t able to here.

  162. Heather K

    Today I have 4 dogs and one cat. Loki, Pixie, and Bacchus are all German Shepherds and Buddy is a britney spaniel. Buddy is 11 and the newest member of the family. Penelope is a Himalayan powderpuff who has a death wish. Everyone is a rescue with a terrible story except Bacchus…who is just a story.

  163. LaNan

    Our wheaten terrier passed away three years ago. She was almost fifteen years old. It’s been a hard decision but we finally decided on a mini bernadoodle…Stanley! He is black but may lose some of that coloring as he grows older. He’s been a delight! We’ve had him for a month and of course he’s a typical puppy but is very keen to please and he’ll do anything for a treat! He’s learned right away that nap time is with me in my sewing room. Of course his coat is like a little mop so we are look a likes when we leave…we each have threads on us!!!! Thanks for the opportunity for a book! And I had only one ad to close!!

  164. Christi

    I only have 2 dogs even though I live in the country. It’s enough for me to take care of. I love Susan’s book. Sue Spargo’s Embroidery is amazing but I know I would never do any of it.

  165. Beverly Lockmiller

    Boy do you ever get lots of replies when giving away books. Closed 6 ads easy. I have 2 cats one 17 and one 11. I have 3 dogs a 12 year old shealtie a Poodle Mix and a Great Dane Great Peirsene only 14 months old and a pound dog. All my pets are girls. Love my ladies. we r v a lot and they all go but the old cat who is outside most of the time.. Love the books

  166. Jane in Alabama

    Both of these books look great. I love keeping a quilt journal and am currently working on a wool black of the week embellished with embroidery stitches. I closed several adds. When I pull up the blog I only have a few lines but several adds which I close then, when I go to the next page to continue reading the entry, there are several more, which I close. We have two very spoiled Malte-Zhus, Bear and Lily. They are brother and sister. Bear weighs 15 pounds and looks like a Shih Zhu, and Lily weighs 7pounds and. Looks very Maltese. Recently a litter of kittens were born under our house ( the mama doesn’t belong to us ) , and we added a kitten to our menagerie. During the cooler months our dogs go with us everywhere. We couldn’t stand to be without a pet.

  167. Sandy

    Our Bella is 6 ,a bishon wire haired terroir mix who keeps the neighbourhood safe ,she loves my husband even though I do all the dog care!

  168. Deb N

    Yay! Beautiful pics today! Our rescue, Yukon, a Rottweiler-Shepherd mix…had him 6 years…he passed on August 13 at 12 yo. He was a love and our hearts were broken. We still have a barn cat, Smokey…who is a beautiful grey cat who is such a dog! He follows my hubby and I around the property and comes when called! We put him in the barn at supper time and lock him in…no coyotes! We’ve lost a few others who weren’t as pliable as Smokey. Also currently feeding 9-11 ducks on our pond before they head south (or wherever they go)!

  169. Sandra Fraenkel

    We have one dog, Lucy. She is a a sweet spoiled black lab mix. From our local rescue.
    My daughter has 3 gerbils, 3 sugar gliders and a Clydesdale!
    Love to hear all the farm stories.
    Sandra in Virginia

  170. Diane from TN

    We have two English springer spaniels that are biological brother and sister. We started off with Paris, and our daughter had Hudson. Little did we know that her big lab, Hank, had an issue with Hudson. So Hudson joined Paris on a trial basis which has now become permanent. They will be two in January. They keep us busy.

  171. Sally J.

    Closed 7 ads today. We lost our furbaby 2 years ago, an adorable white toy poodle named Teddy. No pets now just grand furbabies: 2 dogs Marley and Stella and 3 cats. We do enjoy watching the birds at our feeder!! Wonderful book selection.

  172. Maria L Zook

    Until recently, we had two rescued Himalayan cats. Our old guy reached the age of 16 before his kidney failure claimed him, so now we have just one. I have always had at least one cat. Found out that these kitties require a lot of brushing.

  173. Alice

    We have Bentley, a 9 yr old Maltipoo who was a rescue we adopted a year ago from a no kill shelter. Poor little guy had a very rough life before we got him. We fostered him for a month before we adopted him. It’s been amazing to see him transform from a scared quick to bite you into a sweet lovable puppy! I might add we were the 4th home he had been placed in in 12 mo. I was determined to give this sweet boy a home! Lots of love, walks & treats has made him the best pet ever! I don’t think he had ever been picked up & loved on, or petted! Closed several ads. Thanks for the chance to win a book! Sue’s book looks very interesting, love wool work!

  174. Janet

    My only & favorite pet is my husband. He’s as cute as a 77 year old man can be & he’s housebroken so I’m keeping him. I could only find two ads to close but that’s good.

  175. Linda from MN

    We’ve had a few cats over the years, but no pets currently. We now just enjoy the animals we see pass by in our yard, birds at our feeder, deer, foxes, mink, turkeys, and a coyote now and then.

  176. Beth

    Good MORNING! At home, we care for three dogs – two Great Danes and an English Coonhound. I am also a dog walker at the Humane Society. I especially like working with special needs dogs – heart worm positive, mamas with puppies, etc.

  177. Michelle L King

    Closed all the adds. I take care of a very old hen. I have a 14 year old daschund as well. I would love to be the winner!!

  178. Debbie Rosenbrook

    Got a couple ads! We have a wonderful Cairn Terrier, I also take care of our Son’s Husky, Cairn Terrier and Golden Retriever, not to mention grand kids too. I am one tired Tutu (grandma) sometimes!

  179. J. Perl

    Our pets were all dogs, because I’m allergic to cats. However, we have had some wonderful dogs that were treated like family. Our last pet was Kelly and she was exceptional, loving, friendly and always ready to comfort you. Miss her deeply.

  180. Dianne in Ohio

    We have three pets. Missy is our 20 year old cockatiel. She is the best bird ever and my sewing buddy. Her companionship has gotten me through very difficult times. She talks and says quite a few words and partial sentences, too. Next, we have a 12 year old Golden Retriever named Murphy. He loves being outdoors even in the really cold weather. We live on 40 acres of mostly wooded land so he goes pretty much where ever he wants to go. After deer hunting season is over, he finds parts of deer in the woods and brings them home. Yuck!!! Last, but by no means least, is our cat named Kit. We have had her for a little over two years. She is my sometimes sewing buddy, that is when she wants to be. She loves to be right in the middle of things when I’m cutting out my fabric for a quilt. That is my least favorite part of the quilting process and she makes it last twice as long, because I have to keep moving her off the table. All three of our pets are rescures and we love them so much.

  181. Karla T.

    Hi Mary– Love both the books. No pets at present, but waiting for the perfect kitty to come along to adopt.
    Love the kitty and pumpkin quilt by Gloria! also loved the geese and chicken photos. What kind of chicken is Fred? he is gorgeous!

  182. Karla T.

    Hi Mary– I love the kitty and pumpkin quilt by Gloria, enjoyed seeing the chicken and geese photos– do you know what kind of chicken Fred is? he is so beautiful! I have no pet right now, waiting for the perfect (tuxedo) kitty to come along. Both books are wonderful, I’d be tickled to win either one— closed 4 ads— Thanks for your blog

  183. Janelle L Bucher

    I currently have a wonderful morkiepoo. She is 10 years old. We had her brother also, but unfortunately 2 years ago he got very sick and we had to euthanize him. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. Never expected to care for dogs this much. Also have one cat, a persian. He is 14 years old, which our vet says is old for persians. We had 3, but have lost 2 of them over the years. I have always had at least a cat since I was a little girl.

  184. Wendy

    We adopted two kittens together (different litters born one day apart) from the Animal Rescue League around 9 years ago. Hendrix is a beautiful gray/brown tabby. Simone is a part Siamese tuxedo cat. We love them both so much but they do give us a run for our money as they are indoor cats (due to cayotes!!) . Just a drop in the bucket to the caring for animals you do everyday though.

  185. Debbie B

    Both of these books look very inviting. I’ve always admired Sue Spargo and her stitching. It’s magical. The quilt book looks delightful. Lots to drool over. Thanks so much.

  186. Debbie B

    Love the look of those two books. I’ve always admired Sue Spargo and how she creates with her stitching. The quilt book looks very inviting. Thanks so much.

  187. Dori J.

    We have two spoiled pets (aren’t they all) a 14 year old cat and 7 year old Japanese chin. We used to have four or 5 cats at a time. Thanks for the book giveaway!

  188. Virginia

    Woohoo! Was able to closed two ads. I have one rescue Shih Tzu named Gizmo. He showed up in front of my house..7 lbs..skinny…ticks on him. I bundled him up and took him to my vet. Vet said he wouldn’t have lasted much longer…fortunately no heartworms/disease..just malnourished, dehydrated, low body temp, long matted hair. Said he must have been on his own for a long time. Six months prior I had to say goodbye to my precious Chloe. I truly believe Chloe led Gizmo to my house. Hubby said he knew it was a matter of time before I got another dog. Gizmo is now a healthy 14 lb and loves the girls at the vet office. Since they spoiled him during his initial stay 2 years ago. Ok..now I am rattling on! So love reading about your daily life In the country.

  189. mj of Hudson WI

    only 3 ads tonite……

    no pets now. I grew up with a dog, she was ours for 16 yrs. After i was married and had started a family and had a home where we could have a pet, we got our first kitty, a sweet little black kitty. Later after she left us we had other kitties too…one was 18 yrs old when he died, his name was Fritz..was a gem of a cat, also black..I lived in the country for 17 yrs and we had 2 brothers, one was Orange and the other, yes, another black one…they now live with the new owner of the land and home, as i could not bring them with. They are treated wonderful. The Orange one is now inflicted with Cancer so we are preparing for his next adventure, his last one. I look back and have enjoyed all those wonderful “purrers” that have been there for me when needed too..

  190. Doris G

    I have 2 rescued inside cats and 5 outside cats. The insiders are George and Patch. They are brother and sister and they have been here about 4 years. I closed 6 ads and I love your blog and your books!

  191. Carol Garner

    Presently our only pet is a goose, which we’ve had for many, many years, he still is going strong and acts like a guard dog when someone strange drives in the driveway. We call him Honk Honk. In the past we’ve had every animal one could have on a small farm, but once the children grew up, we’ve decided we don’t need anymore. It is so hard when you loose one, as you well know. Love reading about your pets and your chickens are beautiful. We’ve had chickens too in the past, and the wild critters took care of them, tunneled under their enclosed pen and it was a sickening site, so that ended that adventure with them. Selves going to county fairs and looking at all the pretty breeds of chickens.

  192. Pam from Waterloo

    I adopted a rescue cat 4 years ago. She had been dumped by the side of the road and left for dead. The people who found her just happen to be related to a vet, my former vet as a matter of fact. They doctored her up as best as they could and took her to the Humane Society in Waterloo. Poor thing, even the Humane Society wouldn’t take her. That’s where I come in. This veterinarian remembered the many years I took my own animals to him and I got a phone call.
    Elsa has healed well from all the scabs and stitches and even one eye that had been blinded. She never leaves my side. Of course she sleeps with me–we are side by side, she sleeps on her pillow the same way I sleep on mine. She is my “true love” cat, always loyal, always affectionate. Where I go, she goes.

  193. Pam from Waterloo

    I adopted a rescue cat–no name, found by the side of a country road, pretty beat up, and obviously left for dead. My retired veterinarian fixed her up as best as he could, not having his old clinic to work in. I fell in love with her, in spite of all her scabs, scars, stitches, spots of missing fur, and one blind eye.
    I’ve now had Elsa living with me for 4 years. She follows me around the house like a puppy, never leaving my side. Of course she sleeps with me, I on my pillow, she on hers, both of us side by side like best friends. No matter what I’m doing she stays with me. She’ll never know all the joy she’s brought to me. And, as the saying goes—“Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.”

  194. Paula Philpot

    We have a new German Shepherd 5 mo. old and his name is Happy. He is very loving and the best part he is very protective of our daughter, Julie who has a disability. He’s still in the puppy stage though. He loves shoes we give him to chew on and empty water bottles. Paula in KY 5 ads closed

  195. Polly Perkins

    I currently have 13 cats I take care of. Many were given to me by a feral mama cat that I could not trap to fix. She has passed away now but a stray cat showed up this summer and brought me 3 kittens. The local PAWS humane society trapped and took the mama and one kitten. I have been fostering the other 2 kittens which were feral and now are tamed. Waiting space for them to take and now getting very attached – both ways … as they are now attached to me. I have one cat who has her own room because she hates all other cats but loves people. There are 5 outside that were feral but now tame but do not like to be in with the others. The rest are inside. They keep me very busy!

  196. Deborah May

    I closed 2 ads ,we have 2 black kitties ,Big Bud & Little Bud,they are such characters,we really enjoy them,love all the qUILTING BOOKS

  197. Janet R

    I’ve seen many comments talking about closing ads. My understanding is that we need to click on the ad in order to benefit you. Is that correct or is closing them sufficient?

    We have two tiger striped kitties, although one has escaped the house and hasn’t come back yet. She doesn’t meow much so we don’t know when to let her in. I like to cuddle with them.

Comments are closed.