Checking In

[Helen]

Hi guys!

I haven't been around so much lately.  Even my family is sending me "Are you okay?" emails.  I'm fine, just insanely busy!  I've been painting like a maniac.  I have been doing really well with selling my art on ebay.  And then I decided to start paying more attention to my art blog (http://helenzapata.blogspot.com), even though I'm still not THAT good about keeping it up.  Seems to have paid off though, cuz a really nice gallery in Austin, Texas found me and asked to represent me.  They seem to be a terrific place and the owners are very nice.  They want my palm tree paintings and we settled on an initial offering of several very large palm trees.  Of course, that means that now I'm trying to get back into "huge mode" and I'm a bit out of practice after selling so many small, easily shippable pieces on ebay.  I must be getting old, because painting large isn't coming as easily to me as it used to.

The pups are good.  Chula seems to be feeling better lately.  She's been trying to play with the puppies.  She goes after them, nipping at their heels, and then turns around to me with the biggest grin on her face!  "Did you see what I did?"  hahaha.. she's so happy about it that I just have to laugh.

Archie and Poco are growing like weeds.  Archie is so tall!  He's taller than Chula now and has the loveliest long legs.  He's a gorgeous boy.  He has a NEVER ending supply of energy.  I mean.. he NEVER EVER gets tired of playing!  All he wants to do is zoom around and wrestle with Poco.

Poco is growing fast too, although he's still the little guy.  He just turned 5 months old and it's time to start thinking about getting him neutered.  Probably next month.  Seems like we have so many big expenses this month.  Poco seems to have a nice sensibility about him.  He reminds me in many ways of Chula. He loves to play, but he'll also just come and lay by me.  He's also very affectionate.  I've never had such a huggy dog and always wanted one!  Chula is utterly devoted to me, but she's not real affectionate.  Poco will come and lay across my lap and kiss my face all over.  He loves to be cuddled.  I love it.

So we are good. 

[zefi]

Helen I'm glad things are going well and congratulations on the gallery!!!! Way to go girl!!!!

Nice to hear Chula is feeling better and that they are all well and happy. I love huggy dogs too... the boys tend to be so much huggier than the girls. If I didnt have Billy I'd be desperate for a male sp!

[Helen]

All my life, it never occurred to me that there would be a different between the males and females (except for the obvious ones, lol).  I would always just pick out whatever puppy was the cutest.  So when we decided to get Poco, I still didn't care.  But then I was talking to Archie's breeder and telling her what I wanted in a puppy.  One of the main things was that I wanted a "lovey" dog.  She told me that I wanted to get a male then.  I was so surprised!  It never occurred to me!  She told me that she just LOVES the boys!  So then I was reading about it, and sure enough.. the descriptions of the females really matched Chula.  Loyal, slightly aloof, and tending more to bond to one special person.  The males being more affectionate and loving everybody. 

Poco is such a cuddle bug!  He's showing signs of being "my" dog now.   He'll come and lay by my feet, etc.  But he loves Richard too which is nice.  And then the cuddles... Poco will come and want to get up on my lap.  I haul him up (this isn't going to work much longer!) and he'll just lay in my arms and kiss me and cuddle.  I LOVE THIS!  I'm convinced.... the boys are so much more affectionate!  Too bad it took me all these years to find out! 

[zefi]

Helen, I had only had boys before. Scooter and Billy and before that Timmy. Billy is MY dog in every sense of the word, so was Timmy. On my lap and with me all the time. Scooter was a bit more independent but always on or near me too. The girls are different. They both love me but they dont want cuddles all the time. And I love cuddling them so its not as nice when they dont want to. I love it when Pagan is pregnant as she becomes the sookiest dog in the world! Always wants to hug mommy! She will cuddle up to Greg all the time though. She is much more a man's dog than a woman's dog.

[auntie c]

here is a news flash for you helen. it doesnt come to an end. my beautiful maxwell would come for his nightly curl up on my lap, right up until the night before he went to the bridge...

i am so lucky that my lap isnt left lonely, i have harry now and he is just the same.

who was it that said standard poodles arent lap dogs....

carlene, harry who and pearl the girl
australia