The Way To My Heart...

it doesn't get any better than this....

the peanut butter jackpot...

it's like a mountain of heaven!

sorry... I don't share.

The Squirrels Need You!

Yep, I'm being sorta silly this morning. But hey... anything for Earth Day, right?

Gobble Gobble

The SMW Blog Assignment for yesterday... yep, I'm late... is to talk about what you are thankful for. I'm thankful for the obvious - health, happiness, my kids, all that jazz... although the health part could be left out. This family is not 100% healthy, that's for sure.

But I'm not going to talk about that.

So instead I'm going to say what I'm really thankful for... right this minute.

The bowl of jelly beans on my desk that lets me have them at 7:00 in the morning.
Saki hasn't been wanting to go outside in the middle of the night.
The snow is almost all melted off the ground.
I haven't had to go into a sanitarium... yet.
Warm wool socks on my feet.
It's Saturday.
Kitty snores.
Quiet mom time. Nobody else in this house wants to be awake at 7am.. and that's why I am.
Bear snores.
The faint sound of birds chirping. (hey... the window is closed! It's only 29 degrees outside!)

I could, at any time, change those thankful things without any warning... or I could add some. You never know.

Being thankful is so much more than health, happiness and all that. Seriously. Look around at the little things - that's what really matters in life. Sure, you might not remember the jelly beans or wool socks 50 years down the road, but you remember it today and the big stuff? It will be there in your memories... that's why it's big stuff. It's the little stuff you have to enjoy - and be thankful for - when it's right there in front of you.

Psst... Demon #2's nickname is Bear

The Tide is High...

Ok it's not really high. Well, maybe it is, who knows, I don't live near the ocean so I have no idea if it is or not.

It's just a tree in our front yard that I hate. I want to cut it down. Damn birch tree. In a few weeks I'll get the joy of having to walk around and pick up sticks. Happy happy joy joy.

Oliver, high up on the kitty tree. Ignore the unfinished ceiling.

Metal dog tag

Saki on Thursday

I can't help it... Golden Retrievers are photogenic! And Saki is one of the easiest dogs to photograph.

This is a pic I've wanted to get for awhile... everyday at 3:00 she knows the girls are about to come home, so she wants to look out the window. About a week or so ago she figured out how to get up onto the cat tree and balance herself, so now... well, you can see for yourself;

Typing away at nothing.

Did you ever sit in front of your computer screen, with your fingers on the keyboard and not have anything to say or do?

It's one of those days.

I think I'm going to grab my camera, grab the dogs and go for a walk.

A new BSL T-shirt and a Find a Pit Bull test

I'm sure you know that one thing I am very passionate about is breed bans. I don't understand them, I don't think they make any sense and I just flat out hate them. The main reason that I am against them is because it just isn't logical... how can you ban a whole breed for the actions of a few dogs?

Plus, people don't know Pit Bulls other than what they show on the news.

Pit Bulls are not bred to be aggressive towards humans... they are bred to be dog aggressive. There is a huge difference there. Plus, many many people have bred that OUT of Pit Bulls. It's the underground breeders that are still breeding the aggression.

And I fully believe that you cannot be born bad. It's the owners, not the breed.

And, finally, do YOU know what a Pit Bull looks like? Do you really? Take this test and then tell me what you scored. I didn't do well at it at all... 9 or 10 I think I got?

The big question is... how can ban them if you don't know which one to ban?

Most of you have seen (at least I hope you have!) the pet section of my store. I have quite a few BSL/Breed Specific Legislation t-shirt designs listed.

Funny thing is... I don't even like any of the Pit Bull breeds (yes, did you know that? Pit Bulls are not a breed of their own? There are different types?). It's not because of the news or anything... its' just a breed I don't care for. I don't like poodles, either. I guess it's not that I don't like them, it's just breeds I don't care to own. Does that make sense?

Anyway... had to throw my shamless plugs in there and remind people how stupid BSL really is.

Bell Training

If you remember, we taught Saki to ring a bell when she needs to go outside. This is a great thing to train your dog to do... no questioning what she wants to do when you hear the bell ring....

that is; if you don't have a smart dog.

If you have a minimal intelligent dog, go ahead... teach away. If you can get your stupid dog to do it, more power to you! DO NOT teach a smart dog to do this.

A smart dog will use this training against you... to train you.

Bell rings... what does Saki want? You would assume she wants to go outside, right? Not all the time... see Saki learned, real quick, that when she rings the bell - humans come running! So the ringing of the bell could mean a number of things:

1. Saki wants outside to go potty
2. Saki wants to outside and play
3. Saki wants to go for a walk
4. Saki wants attention
5. Saki is bored
6. Saki likes the sound of the bell
7. Saki gets a kick out of watching humans jump to her every command

Now, #2 you can usually tell because she'll look back to see if Chico, the resident Pomeranian, is coming (Chico has no interest in the bell - but he's sort of stupid). #3 you can tell because on her way through the entry way she will reach up and grab her leash in her mouth. The rest of it is pure guessing on the human part.

Sometimes you hear the bell... go to the door and Saki is nowhere to be found. She went off to lay down somewhere to take a nap. I suppose she just wants us to know where she is at all times.

So if you are thinking of bell training your dog... don't. Unless your dog isn't very smart.

Yap yap yap yap

Someone brought it to my attention that I talked to much the past couple days... it was hard to catch up on my blog.

Sorry.

Next time I'll post twice as much! LOL

Marine reunited with his war dog

SignOnSanDiego.com > In Iraq -- Marine reunited with his war dog: "They spent months in an Iraqi war zone cementing a special bond.

But after more than a month apart, Marine Maj. Brian Dennis began to worry if Nubs the dog would still remember him, especially in a new place like San Diego.

Their reunion before dawn yesterday at Camp Pendleton clearly showed otherwise.

The 2-year-old dog, named for his two nubby ears, drenched Dennis' face with doggie kisses and said hello with excited whimpers.

“You remember that, huh?” Dennis said as he rubbed the dog's haunches."

I remember hearing about this story a month ago - it brought tears to my eyes. I'm so happy that they were reunited! Read the story... it's so sad. The dog was stabbed with a screwdriver and Maj. Dennis brought him back to health.... among other injuries and such. Great story!

Easter egg coloring

Sisterly love?

Demon #1, being a camera ham as usual

Demon #2 waiting for her egg to change color. We have NEVER been able to get a yellow easter egg.

a row of colors.. the green dye is in the blue cup, the blue dye is in the green cup. Really messed us up.

Demon #2 painting glitter on an egg... no matter how hard you try, you can't make it look like the package! I finally went and grabbed some glitter nail polish.

the end result...