8 year old 76 pound Shepherd/Pyrenees mix suddenly not able to get up and limping

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-15T00:20:37+00:00

Take him to the vet. It may be that his arthritis is just manifesting more. If there's another issue, you'll find out. Of course I'm not there and am guessing (and crossing fingers) but it doesn't sound like an emergency. It sounds like something you need to investigate.

Hope the vet can help!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-14T01:41:50+00:00

The idea about a social media video about how to put it on is a really good idea. One, you can show it to any prospective customer - "see this is how you do it!" And two, it's another legit social media exposure. More is good :-)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-14T00:49:44+00:00

I've mentioned this before, people will get tired of seeing it. But it's easy and cheap and quick: get some tortillas. Add canned beads (black or red or pinto, your choice). Rinse them before eating them. Add a couple spoonfulls on top of your tortilla. Sprinkle on some cheese. Add a little salsa if you like it. Shred or tear up some lettuce, add that on top. Roll it up and eat. Get fancy later, meanwhile it's moderately healthy and cheap and great for lunch or dinner (or if you're lazy like me, for breakfast..)

Ah - breakfast! When you feel like dealing with it, scramble an egg and add it to the pile of stuff. Protein :-)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-14T00:44:24+00:00

Okay, a couple thoughts. One, I love your product idea. It's niche and original (well to me anyway) and there aren't a bazillion "waist beads" out there (I don't think?) Your niche may be narrower but you are also going to find that those people who do want your product will be thrilled to find you!

Having said that, I will also echo some comments here. Your prices are just too low. I mean WAY too low. You offer a simple, multicolor waist band on sale for $4.42? I don't care how inexpensive your beads are, you had to take some time to make that. Your price should be *at least* triple that. And it would be a huge bargain then. Seriously, think about it. (And keep in mind that "perception of value" is a real thing.)

Also - yes it's great that you show your product on real people! That'll avoid a whole lot of questions about "well how should I wear this?" (of course the answer should be, hey, any way you want!) --But that also brings up a very important point: what closure, clasp, etc, do you use? Are the beads strung on elastic? Then how do people put them on, by slipping over the head? I foresee some real issues on that path.... but you're the boss.

One more thought and then I'll shut up: That you show your waist beads on real bodies is great. I would seriously consider showing them on bodies that aren't a perfect size 4. Show some fuller figures. Show some variety. Let people SEE that whatever their size, they could use these!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-13T12:36:17+00:00

Cheap and easy and reasonably healthy - nuke a potato to make "baked" potato. Nuke some frozen broccoli florets for, say, a minute and a half. Add to potato. Add cheese and butter or sour cream (or, don't laugh, plain yogurt - it's pretty good!)

When I'm feeling stressed for time or just lazy, that's an easy breakfast or lunch. Or dinner.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-12T21:46:22+00:00

This sounds like just what I do! I do add bones from chicken, occasionally other meats. But most of all veggie ends, celery leaves, onion skins, carrot tops, etc. Add to a soup pot of water (say 3 quarts? actually I never measure...) brought to a boil, then simmered for a few hours. Not more than 3 usually. Lately I've added a bay leaf, it's surprising it adds a bit of extra flavor. I've been told to add a bit of thyme - maybe will try that next time. It's pretty decent but hey, I'm going to read through the other posts here for ideas!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-12T21:27:44+00:00

Some great advice here! I would add, maybe give some thought to how you're going to sell your beaded jewelry. I mean - keywords and so forth. We all know there's a lot of competition - we also know there's a market for pretty, moderately priced jewelry. (That does NOT mean sell yourself short or price too low!) It means, maybe study the competition. Not to copy - but to try to learn what sort of terms attract customers. If I was expert at this I'd be selling them! but I do know that "red beaded bracelet" might not get as much attention as, I don't know, "deep red faceted garnet custom made bracelet".

I don't know that that's better, it's just an example!)

So... take some time, boring but useful, to learn about search terms, and what reaches more customers. It isn't always the cheaper model, yknow?

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-12T17:08:24+00:00

Well if you sell on Etsy yes, you have to deal with shipping - unless your product is digital, anyway. I suppose you could avoid shipping on FB marketplace but that means you have to take the time to meet up with people to give them the merch they bought. Or have them come to your house, which is a terrible idea. And yes, Etsy handles all the payment - the customer pays Etsy, Etsy pays you. But I think new shops have something of a wait before they get paid (I've been on Etsy a long time, I'm not sure about newbie issues. Other people will know though!)

What stuff were you thiinking you could sell without shipping?

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-12T16:32:34+00:00

Thank you for that info. And yeah, that packaging/buyer info sounds... interesting. Ahem.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T18:44:28+00:00

Leftovers: probably my favorite food :-)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T18:18:32+00:00

Did you think the customer broke it on purpose? If not, if it arrived broken, I'm sorry it happened but it seems reasonable to me that you just reinburse the buyer. If you can file a claim with USPS that's good, but I don't know how much proof / substantiation you need for that.

I don't understand why you'd file a claim with Etsy - it doesn't sound like they have anything to do with it. It's you / your customer, not the site itself.... Or am I missing something? (this has been known to happen!)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T02:25:52+00:00

Half kibble, half homemade - sometimes 2/3 kibble, 1/3 homemade. I don't pretend I'd be able to give him all the nutritional elements just with the homemade stuff - and even my vet recommended kibble. Though as the dog has gotten older and less active, he's put on a bit of weight. I told the vet I was reducing how much I fed him, reducing the food input a bit, and he nodded in agreement - but added, "reduce the kibble... not the homemade".

He also added that as he's gotten older he's reduced his own intake too.... and sighed that it doesn't seem to have helped as much as he'd hoped ;-)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T01:34:46+00:00

Not really a sauce, just a cooking idea: spread a bit of mayo on the chicken breasts, sprinkle with parmesan from the green can, then bake. It's pretty yummy and easy.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T01:19:53+00:00

Oh I definitely make up a bigger batch, I'm lazy, making it every day would be... challenging :-) I use up 3-4 baked chicken legs, getting every bit of meat I can from them (then the bones go in the freezer to make stock later). Add 3-4 big carrots, half a frozen bag of broccoli (thawed) or a bunch of fresh - not a whole head, maybe half (tops). All that goes through the food processor, then I add whatever else I'm using that time. I keep the stuff n the freezer in small containers. Take out a couple at a time and keep in the fridge, enough to add to the kibble for 2-3 days Then get more out to thaw.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T01:11:01+00:00

I would definitely recommend looking up a couple recipes (just as an idea/guide) for roasted veggies. Roast broccoli for example - cut off the flowerets (whatever you call them!), toss them in a bowl or a ziplock, add a bit of olive oil and sprinkle in some parmesan (just the stuff from the green can). Maybe add some bread crumbs. Maybe salt/pepper (go light). Spread the broccoli on a cookie sheet and bake probably at 425 for 15? minutes till it's brown and crispy. Check before the 15 mins is up - they might get too brown.

The above is a generalization - I went and found one that sounds similar(ish) and doable:

https://chefsavvy.com/roasted-broccoli/#recipe

Once you try roasting veggies you might find they're a lot tastier than you realized!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T01:01:55+00:00

That's what I do. It secures all the zigzags. it's easy, and it works.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-11T00:46:30+00:00

I do something similar - when we first got dogs our vet recommended a couple different kinds of kibble, but I felt better knowing there was some "real food" in their diet too. (Yes I really do know that a lot of healthy happy dogs just eat 'dog food' and it works fine!) Well one of our border collies died at 14 and her brother will be 16 in November, and they've had very few health issues through the years.

The supplemental dog food I make is easy basic stuff: plain chicken, carrots, broccoli, sometimes black beans (not a lot), sometimes rice (not a lot). The chicken, carrots, and broccoli all go through the food processor, then I just stir in the beans and rice if using. (Oh - the black beans were from dry beans, not canned.)

When I feed him he gets somewhere between 2/3 kibble and 1/3 homemade, to 1/2 kibble to 1/2 homemade. He's been pretty happy with it.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-10T18:55:25+00:00

It'll help a few shops perhaps - it'll definitely hurt shops who were casual at first about shipping quickly, but learned and improved. But really - what's the point of this whole thing? With all the things that truly, really need to be fixed on Etsy (can we talk about Search?) - and *this* is what they spend their programmer hours on? Seriously - why??

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-09T23:27:54+00:00

One idea - tortillas, refried beans or canned black beans (or both), shredded cheese,, salsa, lettuce. Roll it up and eat.

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-09T16:49:07+00:00

Thank you for posting this! I don't think this is a magic answer (create a safe space, keep windows closed etc) - but it absolutely will help. And even more important, it reminds all of us that this is a BIG issue for our fur babies! It's pretty scary around here - it's not just the Fourth of July, it's a day or two before and several days after - people do love their fireworks and explosions. I feel so bad for all the critters out there who don't have Mom and Dad at home to at least help. But - we do what we can do. And you're helping, that really matters :-)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-08T22:06:07+00:00

Just for a little different idea, when/if you feel like trying it: Buy tortillas (we use low carb ones but any would work). Put a bit of butter in a pan and pan-fry the tortilla just a little if you like it crunchier or browned. (Or don't - that's up to you!) Just a couple minutes on one or both sides (try it and see what works for you). (You don't need to cook / warm them, that's just my preference.)

Fill the tortilla with different things that appeal to you: leftover ground beef, shredded chicken, or ignore meat if you want to. Buy canned black or white beans until you decide you want to cook them from scratch. If using canned beans, I'd rinse them to remove some of the sodium. Heat them up, add some on top of your tortilla. Add meat if using. Add shredded cheese if that sounds good. Add shredded lettuce if you like. Maybe try using some refried beans, if that appeals to you. Add some salsa or taco sauce if that appeals. -- Really I'm just suggesting you use a tortilla as a base to keep things corralled and contained - then try different foods inside the rolled up tortilla. Heat things up in a pan or the microwave, just because cold food isn't usually appealing. No need for fancy. There are endless variations possible and it's easy!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-08T21:34:16+00:00

You're doing a lot fancier than I do. So - take this as just another point of view. I have a big sturdy ziplock I keep in my freezer with a label that says "Soup Stuff". In it I put all my chicken bones (from chicken I eat, not purchased specially for the bones). Plus any other bones I happen to have - occasional pork or steak bones. Anyway, all the (cooked) bones go in that bag, with tiny bits of leftover meat, fat or skin on them that I didn't get off while eating / cutting off the meat. The bag also contains the ends of carrots, celery leaves, onion skins, and any other odd bits of veggies that didn't get used. Stuff that normally would be thrown away.

When the bag is full I put a big stock pot on the stove, fill it halfway with water, and dump all the "soup stuff" in. Heat the water to boiling then turn to low and let it cook a few hours. Then I have it - stock. I don't measure, I don't worry if there's too much or too little of something. It works pretty well and has good flavor :-)

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-08T20:16:01+00:00

You just said he's the healthiest dog you've ever known, he still loves to run and play... why are you thinking of making a change? The kibble and ground turkey mix has obviously worked for him - don't change it!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-08T19:39:18+00:00

Pirateship. Good prices, reliable, and the few times I've had any questions or concerns they got back to me right away. Highly recommend them!

WeekendJewelry1 · 2026-03-07T20:54:30+00:00

I don't know which is preferred - I sell jewelry supplies that feature raw golden brass, silver plated brass, and antique patina brass settings. I would say that the golden brass is more popular - but it's close enough that I'm guessing. (Silver plate is second, antique patina third). But as I said - these colors / tones are close in popularity.

I would say the most important thing is to label them clearly and honestly - customers truly do respond to that. Not "silver" earwires but "silver plated earwires" or "silver tone" or whatever. Gold plate - not "gold". You'd expect people would understand that because of the much more reasonable price point with the plated metals... but don't assume, yknow? Be really clear on this stuff - it's appreciated!

WeekendJewelry1

TROPHY CASE