Games Dogs Play

Our Malamute is hands down the most intelligent dog my husband and I have ever had.  He is scary smart.  The kind of dog who we can no longer say the word "car" to.  We began to spell it.  Now he's wise to that.  We are going to use "vehicle" in the future.  I'm sure it won't be long before we have to spell that one too.

He enjoys lounging in the front yard during the wee hours of the morning.  We live at the end of a cul-de-sac and the neighbors actually appreciate having him out there, on guard.  This morning, about 1:00 am I heard him get up from the hall and move to the living room.  I walked out to find him lying by the couch, about 10 feet from the door.  I walked to the door and asked if he wanted the front yard.  Blank stare.  Asked him again.  No reaction.  So I walked back to my room and closed my door.

Not 30 seconds later I heard a loud yip.  Went back to the living room and there he was, standing by the front door, tail wagging.  He does this allllll the time!  And I wonder if he laughs to himself and thinks "stupid human."  It's like it has to be his idea or he doesn't want to do it. 

My Dog

Most dogs like to go for car rides.  Juneau is no exception.  Most dogs are alerted to an impending car trip by the sight of their owner putting on their shoes and/or picking up their car keys.  Juneau is alerted by these signs as well.  But, the #1 surefire, 100% guaranteed sign of a car trip?  The one thing that gets him jumping and wooing and barking?  The sound of shipping tape coming off the roll.  Shipping tape equals packaging things and packaging things equals a trip to the post office.  A very intelligent (yet odd) dog.

I Love Dogs

...but I don't love blogging.  There, I said it.  I just don't enjoy it.  Perhaps because it's something I know I should be doing - kinda like sex.  Just kidding dear.  Blogging is good for business though.  It keeps my name out there in cyberspace.

My blog posts tend to be deep, dark and brooding -- at least they begin that way.  Then I try to wind up on the philosophical side of the street.  So.....I am going to make my blog inspirational from now on.  Maybe it will be a photo like you see above, or a pretty piece of art.  Or....happy news from my life.

If you know me at all, you know I love dogs.  Big dogs, or even little dogs if they aren't yappy or hyper.  The love of  good dog is an amazing thing - comforting and calming - a true blessing.

The Dog and the Squirrel

First let me say the squirrel lived to gather nuts another day.

As my son pulled into the driveway, home from his brief trip to the grocery store, he saw Miss Jessie dart across the lawn and into a large bush.  As he was walking to the front door with a gallon of milk in his hand, Jessie was hurrying to join him, squirrel in her mouth.  I was inside sitting at the dining room table working on my latest mini album.  Apparently having the master bedroom and the family room is not sufficient for my creative endeavours.  I need the dining table too.  But I digress.

I heard my son yelling, "Jessie, NO, get back" and I saw him waving the gallon of milk in front of Jessie's face in an attempt to keep her outside.  He succeeded, for which I am eternally grateful.  Having a squirrel loose in the house is one experience I can do without.

Hubby and son then went back outside and relieved Jessie of her treasure.  The squirrel was still alive and placed in a safe area.  After an hour, it got up and scampered away.  Our neighbors had several squirrels as, well, almost as pets.  I developed a fondness for the little buggers watching how they interacted with humans.  Squirrels beware: Miss Jessie was back on the prowl the very next day!

Sleeping with Chocolate

Yep, you read that right. Reese's peanut butter cups to be exact. The miniature ones. I was taking a nap on the living room sofa the other day, with my loyal Snow Dog lying on the floor right next to the couch. I woke up (or so I thought) as my son walked through the room. I asked him to bring me a couple of the peanut butter cups. He obliged, and that's all I remember. Until I woke up again and immediately went into panic mode. My peanut butter cups!! Where are they? I didn't eat them. Please, please, oh please don't let them have melted all over my late mother's ivory colored sofa.

I put my hand on my thigh (I sleep on my side) and found one of the cups balanced there. It was still wrapped and that was a good thing since the chocolate had melted into a squishy blob inside the wrapper. The other peanut butter cup was nowhere to be found. I looked at Juneau, who was waking from his nap. And then it hit me. I just needed to sit quietly and wait. Sure enough, not 15 seconds later his super sensitive nose had located the cup underneath the couch. I retrieved the candy and of course gave it to him as his reward.

Now you must remember, we aren't talking about a piece of raw (or cooked) meat here. We are talking about one small piece of candy, wrapped, hiding under a couch at least two feet away from his line of smell.

Dogs fascinate me, and I make no apologies for that. From Juneau and his super sonic nose, to Jessie putting her paw in her mouth to try to dislodge something from a back tooth. Dogs are a woman's best friend, and then some.

Who Me? A Malamute

Here is Boogie with his "who me, I'm not doing anything wrong" face. The living room couch is off limits but since I had slept on it the night before, I guess he figured it was okay. After he saw that all I was going to do was take his picture, he laid his head back down and went to sleep.

The black thing on his collar is a receiver for one of those fenceless yard things. Cannot remember what it's called, but if Boogie gets too close to the edge of the property he gets a little shock. As heavy as that receiver is, he gets worried if we take his collar off. He is always thrilled to have the collar put back on. I know in his mind the collar means he belongs here. He's an amazing dog, but he's still a Boogie.

I made knobs today. And watched videos on Christmas minis. I also reinforced the spine of Tracy's book, and re-papered the front and back covers. I really want to get that bad boy in the mail...lol.

The Many Naps of Juneau (Boogie) Morris

I actually had another bed-themed post planned for today, but the photo for it is still in the camera. I've spent most of today with muscle issues, which means I haven't been productive.

Here's Boogie chillin' in the king size bed. Thankfully we are at the "tail" end of coat-blowing season. I think. I hope. You can see the tufts of loose hair around his hindquarters. He's worth it though.

Momma Mini or.... I Can't Set Eyelets

The swivel clasp has a crown, a cross and praying hands charms.

Mom (on the left) and her BFF, Betty. They're wearing prayer shawls that a friend made for them. My Mom is 80, and Betty is 85. They both look amazing.

My Mom isn't a scrapbooker, and I didn't see her doing a lot of journaling in her book. The flourish is open on one side though, in case she wants to tuck something underneath.

One small tag topped with pretty fibers.

This page is so much prettier in person. The flowers are glimmer misted. Actually, Lindy's Stamp Gang misted. A great product and so much cheaper than you know who.

This folder and tag tuck into the pocket shown in the photo right above this one.

One of my favorite pages, but the camera was not kind at all. Beautiful blues and greens.

I love this image, and even though it doesn't really fit the overall theme of this mini, I included it anyway.

The envelope closes with velcro. Inside are two little tags with images of vintage birds.

The last page. Once again, mega wash-out of the angel, and the pretty green paper.

And the eyelet thing....well, I can set them fine when I practice on cardboard. But when it comes to the actual page, I guess I clutch up and the dumb thing won't set right. Sharp pieces of prongs stick up, and I have to take a hammer and pound them down. I'm using the Big Bite too.

This album was made from a kit. It included six extra large eyelets in bronze. Only half survived, so I had to use large eyelets, also in bronze. I'm sure Mom won't notice, but it bugs me...lol.

We spent a quiet day at home. I had planned on going to Portland and hitting the Michaels there, but Sunday night Miss Jessie went to the doctor for her cough. Little brother Juneau also came along to get a bordatella vaccine. And....$166.00 later we were on our way home. So I didn't feel like shopping if ya know what I mean.

Jacob is home from his retreat, safe and sound :).

My Day, Yesterday

I am trying to post every day, because I want to be like Tracy. Just a bit late as it's now tomorrow, and I'm talking about yesterday.

I did a fair amount of work, but kept expecting the phone to ring. And if it did, and a certain person called, I would have had to leave my house, and go to their house. You see my former husband's wife is in the hospital. The former husband works on Saturdays and they have three dogs. They were afraid he wouldn't be able to get a lunch break and go home to let the dogs out. He did in fact get a break and I didn't have to go over there. And thankfully she will be released from the hospital later today.

I finished my Mom's mini album, all except for putting some ribbon and fibers on the ring, and adding some charms to the swivel clasp. I usually ask hubby to do that part. I'm just not good with the jump rings.

I thought a fair amount about how spoiled Juneau is. He is seriously spoiled, like spoiled rotten. He has to be right in the middle of things. If he hears Geoff and I talking, he will get up from a nap to come into the same room. If we ignore him, he fusses and whines or he tilts his big head back and "talks" to us. He's such a character. Last night he slept with me, something he rarely does. It's like sleeping with a person, a very warm person.

Okay, this post is boring....but that's okay. I like my boring life :).

Baking Cookies

Okay...so ummm...these dogs aren't too spoiled, are they? I was making M&M party cookies (Cob's fav) and hubby was gracious enough to hold the paddle I think it's called. Clean as a whistle once they were done with it. Didn't even have to wash it....lol.

Paper....and a real Jewel(l)

This photo was taken from the laundry room. I'm more than sick of the color of the walls by the way. They are getting repainted soon (right dear?). Here you see the back of Jewell "the gag" Gaynor, my friend since 1981, and her two guard dogs. I am not posting a photo of Jewell's face, as she's wanted in two states.

I have only now come to realize the depth of my love affair with paper. Any paper. All paper. Paper is such a versatile artistic tool. I have a great deal of paper, in many sizes and many varieties. And images to put on that paper....oh my gosh....LOTS! I'm looking forward to a new adventure with paper.

Canine Chronicles

Miss Jessie is back home, again. I took her back to the Vet on Tuesday afternoon. It's a long and whiny story. Suffice it to say she needed to be there, and not here. Her Daddy picked her up late this afternoon and she's doing much better. No more e-collar. With all the advancements in medical science, you'd think they would have something better to offer than a thin piece of plastic, shaped into a cone.

So....we spent another $93.00 for boarding, sedation, etc. I don't know why I am so shocked at these figures. I think it's most likely due to the fact when I get sick, I go to the doctor and pay my $12.00 for the office visit. If I need medicine, it is $3.00 a pop. Jessie's antibiotics and pain meds cost almost $100.00.

All is back to normal in the Morris household :). Back to making knobs and clipping coupons.

Miss Jessie

She came home about two hours ago. I was hoping to post a picture but she was in no mood. She was actually in an e-collar. I know it's necessary, but geez, she is miserable.

Her cysts were removed and now we wait for pathology. Whatever these growths turn out to be, we got rid of them very early. $730. Yep....$730. They let us pay half today and we will make $50 payments every two weeks till the balance is paid off. To quote Tony Soprano, "what are you gonna do?"

Jessie's "little" brother moped around all day, and didn't touch his dinner. He perked up the minute she and her plastic lamp shade collar came through the door. We were worried he would not leave her alone, but he's actually been very good about giving her plenty of space. We can tell he's concerned though.

Time for her medication.....

Dog and Tiger

First, no more Tiger Woods jokes. It's sad, it really is.

Miss Jessie had her 10th birthday recently. She also sprouted two cysts. One on her lower jaw that we thought was a blood blister. Another one very close to her girl dog parts. Both need to go, and then go again to be biopsied. This will cost about $500.00. We did have insurance for her, up until a year ago, when we cancelled it because our budget no longer allowed for the $40 a month. I tell myself we've saved the cost of the insurance for the past 12 months, and that pays for the surgery. I'm good at rationalizing.

St. Francis 24 Hr Animal Hospital in Vancouver, WA. They rock! More specifically, Dr. Michael Baker rocks. I'm sure the other vets are qualified, but Dr. Baker is the only one I want cutting on my dogs. Hell, I'd even let him cut on me.

The worst thing though, is being told the cysts are "of concern." I didn't ask for clarification, because I already know what "of concern" means. So we will be praying for our sweet dog. She goes in at 9:00 am tomorrow.

A little side note about tithing. Tithing is the only thing the Lord tells us we should test Him in, or at. I am good at tithing. I'm not 100% at tithing. Tithing can be scary. But when I do give the tithe, a sense of instant confidence comes over me. I did my part. God will do His part. An hour ago we got an order from our web site. It was for $85.00. That's a big order for us. And, it's a quarter of Jessie's surgery.

I would like to say a public thank you to the Lord and encourage others to step out in faith, and give God His 10%.

The Look

I hope I don't step on anyone's toes by sharing this photo. These snow dogs can certainly throw down some looks. Our Malamute has his own version of the "stink eye," and it's very effective!

romance has gone to the....DOGS!

I was snoozing on the family room sofa. Hubby was on the love seat. In a very gentle and "oh pookie wookie" tone, he said the following:

"Aww, do you want to go to the bedroom and lie down with me, and cuddle? You look really tired."

I turned and looked at him, wondering if he were speaking to me. That kind of ooey gooey language is almost always reserved for the other woman in his life. I was right! He was talking to Miss Jessie. I made a comment about how I wished he talked to ME that way. He replied, "I suppose you're going to put this on your blog now." Yep.

odd little shopping trip

Made a quick run to the store yesterday. Please excuse the blurry photo. It was dinner time and folks wanted to eat. I purchased:

Little Cesar's dog treats - $1.00
Nestle Oatmeal Raisin cookie dough - FREE
Loaf of French bread - $1.69
Natural Sensations cat treats - FREE
Soft Scrub pads - $.50

These prices are after coupons of course. With tax I spent $3.23.

And here is Juneau just about to enjoy one or two....or six....of these little dog treats.

His head is 13 inches wide. Don't know why, but I find that just amazing.

alternative to pedi paws

I'm a nervous dog mother, I'll admit it. And I was concerned about one particular nail on Juneau's front paw. Last night hubby and I dropped by the vet to have a tech look at the nail. We weighed Juneau and he was 99.6 lbs.

After we had the answer to the nail question, I asked the tech about Pedi-Paws. She told me a Dremel tool works much better. The motor is stronger and doesn't heat up nearly as fast. I don't know how many people own Dremels (we do), but I thought I'd pass along the tip...so to speak.

Boogie says.....

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

A Pretty Girl

This is Miss Jessie. I adopted her from the Humane Society after she was found running the streets and no one came to claim her. She is almost 10 years old and very definitely Daddy's girl. She is an IAMS dog. Miss Jessie loves people and most other dogs. But little dogs scare her to death. Little dogs and fireworks can ruin her day.

She is stubborn, quirky, and quite willing to protect her family if need be. She is everything a good German Shepherd dog should be ~ and she is dearly loved.