Yum! The Delicious Smell of Turkey!

As holidays go, Thanksgiving is one of Pink, Gracie and Einstein's favorites. From the time we bring the "fresh (not frozen)" turkey home and a ton of extra groceries, they know we are up to something delicious. They follow us every step we take if it leads to the kitchen. I usually start baking cornbread and desserts a day or two ahead of tim, so we are all (2 humans, 3 dogs) in the kitchen at the same time. Since I am now baking homemade dog treats (our Vet has convinced me that they are much safer and definitely more nutritious) the dogs are absolutely sure that anything on a "Cookie Sheet" has got to be for them. The girls will sit and patiently wait for a treat, but although Einstein is sitting and waiting he is "TALKING" the entire time something is cooking (this is so we won't forget he is in the room....which would be hard to do anyway, due to his large size). Once whatever I am working on is done, it has to cool. before anyone gets a bite....it is absolute chaos, that I dearly love and would not trade for anything in the world.

Then the night before Thanksgiving, I usually put the turkey on to cook around 1 a.m. so that when we get up in the morning it will be done. Around 3 a.m., when it gets to cooking really good and "SMELLING REALLY GOOD", Einstein wakes me to let me know how good it smells and wants to know why I am not up giving him a bite. I manage to get him to go back to sleep only to be waken up every hour on the hour until around 6 a.m. when, by now, he has Pink and Gracie awake too.

One of us will have to guard the turkey once it comes out of the oven....because these three are planning the biggest heist in history. You can look at their cute little faces and see the wheels turning as they sniff the air and glue themselves to me, as I try to finish the rest of the dinner.

When we start setting the dining room table the excitement mounts, because now they know that company is coming and there will be even more humans to con a bite from (especially the grandchildren). At the end of the day, they will indeed get their turkey dinner and be as stuffed as the rest of us and settle down for a nice long nap. The look of utter contentment on their sweet faces is priceless.

So, from our family to yours...WE WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Mom, Dad, Pink, Gracie & Einstein

Happy Halloween from Circuit

This is a picture of two of my grand daughters with Circuit the golden retriever. As you can easily see from the picture... this is one happy dog! They tell me that he wore his "hula costume" the entire time and thoroughly enjoyed "Trick or Treating".

This was his first Halloween with my son and his family...he was a rescue and came to live with them in July. From day one, although somewhat undernourished, he has been a loving, happy dog and a joy to be around.

If you are considering adding to your family, think about rescuing a dog in need. There are many out there who need a home...why don't you put a "SMILE" like this on a dog!

Animals Suffer Financial Difficulties Too!

There is so much concern over the poor economy these days. Many families are finding it hard to makes ends meet, people are losing their jobs, homes, etc. If you find yourself unable to care for your pet(s) here are some suggestions on ways to get help.

If you can't get help any other way, send me an email and I will try to find help for you -------------PINKPENNYANNIE@Yahoo.com.

Officials with animal shelters and rescue groups offer the following advice to pet owners faced with a financial crisis:

Contact your local humane society or animal rescue group.

Never leave your pets in a foreclosed home.

Be proactive about your financial problems.

Try to keep vaccinations and flea treatments current.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Animal lovers can help struggling pets and their owners by:

Providing temporary housing for pets while their owners get settled.

Supporting their local animal shelters by donating food, money or time. Some children across the country have asked their family and friends to make donations to animal organizations instead of giving them presents for birthdays, Christmas or other holidays.

Helping a pet owner in need by paying for pet food or veterinary bills.

Contacting local animal control officers if they know about a pet living in a house that is abandoned.

A Dog's Purpose

A FRIEND SENT THIS TO ME RECENTLY...I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE SHARED WITH ALL OF YOU!


A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old's perspective).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.


I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy-ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Saint Bernard Wants a Timex for Xmas

My daughter, aka the "frog whisperer", has an adorable Saint Bernard named Bernie. She weighs well over 200 lbs. Bernie likes to sleep in the bed with daughter and husband, who for reasons you can well imagine, prefer her that she not. Bernie has gotten very sneaky at ways of getting in bed. Her latest trick is to wake daughter up sometime during the nite (pretending to need to go outside). While daugher gets up and goes to the back door to let her out, Bernie is assuming her place in bed. By the time daughter has determined that she has been tricked again and gets back to the bedroom, Bernie is fast asleep next to my son-in-law. She has tried numerous times to move her (daugter only weighs 120 lbs---dog weighs over 200), to no avail. Forget about waking up husband...he is dead to the world. Daughter will sometimes try to squeeze in next to her and go back to sleep, but usually ends up on the sofa in the den.

Today, Bernie got her up at 4 a.m. and she is requesting that we get Bernie a Timex for Xmas so she can see what time it is for herself and not wake her up. I don't think the Timex is going to help much though. Bernie already knows what time it is...time to get in bed with mom & dad.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

My husband and I went to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua last nite. I have made it a rule in my life not to see Disney Movies because there is ALWAYS a sad part that makes me cry. But from the previews I had seen, I thought this one would be different. I was wrong. There is a sad part in this movie as well...but it provides a good message about dogs and the responsibility of taking care of dogs...so this Disney movie gets a big thumbs up from me.

It has really funny parts and the dogs in the movie are all adorable. I now want to get a little chihuahua to add to our family...perhaps a little white one like the character in the movie or maybe the little brown one. We will see.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the Pit Bull smiles and says his breath is "Minty Fresh".

I think my husband even liked this movie, because I heard him laugh several times and he was smiling through most of the movie.

I may not go see another Disney movie for awhile, but I did like this one. Though it made me cry, it also made me cry because it is such a sweet movie too. Go see for yourself.

Never Underestimate The Power of Love

My dear friends went to see Otis for what they thought would be the last time. He had been in the hospital for a week, and the vet said there was nothing more he could do to save him. But something amazing happened when they held him. They told him how much they needed him and loved him, how much he would be missed if he left them. They talked to him about all the people who love him and recalled funny times and special times they had with him in the past. Otis began to rally a little bit. The vet was shocked by this and very surprised. He asked them to hold off 24 hours before letting Otis go. By the next day, Otis was 100% better than the day before. When they arrived to see him, he was standing up in his kennel barking at them...something he had not done in over a week. Each day since, he has steadily gotten better.

The love of a dog for his owner and the owner for a dog is so special that sometimes love is all that matters. There is no medical explanation for why Otis got better. But I believe in my heart that love is what saved Otis.

I have this kind of love with my own wonderful dogs...if you have it with yours, you are truly blessed.

My Friends & Otis

Otis came into their lives rather unexpectedly. They had never had a dog before...and Otis was just a stray that showed up in their neighborhood, roaming from one house to the next, looking for a handout. He should have been called "ToTo" like the dog in the Wizard of Oz, because he could have been his double. But he kept coming back to the McDonald house and eventually they all fell in love. That was ten years ago. Over the years, I have enjoyed knowing Otis as well. He sat on the table with us as we played cards at their house, moved from lap to lap giving sugars to any and everyone, barked at 10 p.m. to let us know it was time for his nightly scoop of ice cream. Everyone loved Otis, how could you not . And best of all, he gave the McDonald's unconditional love and turned an old man into a 'softie'.

Today is a sad day. About a week ago, Otis got sick. The vet said it was pancreatitis, but treatment has not been able to help Otis and the vet says that he is suffering and it is time to let him go. My heart breaks for them as saying goodbye is such a hard thing to do. Sometime soon I will tell them about the "Rainbow Bridge", but not today. Today, they will do what they were chosen to do when Otis adopted them ten years ago, and it will hurt like hell. It is what they must do for Otis because they love him.

Knowing about the Rainbow Bridge has comforted me when Bubba, Penny & Maggie died. I hope it will be a comfort to my dear friends as well.

Dog Whisperer Wannabe

I want to be a "Dog Whisperer". Do you watch the show? The man is amazing. We watch faithfully and even tape shows so we can watch them again and again. We have accomplished several of his teachings with our dogs. The walking on the leash, waiting to eat after food is presented...we have those down good. But the "Shhhh" continues to elude us. Caesar says you can use any word that works for you...you just have to be consistent. But, so far, no word seems to work with Einstein, Gracie and Pink. So, we will keep trying...and hopefully we will figure out the "Shhhh". If you have Dog Whisperer success stories to share, please write me.

Vacation

We have waited all year for vacation and every year, although I look forward to the trip, I feel guilty for leaving the gang. I know they will be fine as they will be boarding at our vet, whom we have known and lovcd for over 10 years (and who takes excellent care of them), but it still tugs on my heart to leave them. They know well in advance that something is up when we get the suitcases out. I try to soothe their fears by telling them they get to go to "CAMP" and have a great time. Yet, the whole time I am packing they are in the suitcases nosing around or trying to squeeze into a spot hoping I don't see them before I zip it up. I continue with talk of "CAMP" and telling them how much fun they will have. By the time the day rolls around to go to "CAMP" everyone is worked up into a frenzy...I don't know if it is me or them. Anyway, we manage to take them to board and we go on vacation. When we pick them up they can barely bark (too much visiting with friends at CAMP) and sleep for several days (must have stayed up too late at nite watching movies or playing games). Afterall, a sure sign of a good time at "CAMP" or on vacation is when you come home exhausted. Guess we all had a great time. Now I have a whole year to worry about it again.

I Feel Really Stupid

I have read and re-read the instructions for posting adsense ads on this site. I guess what I don't understand is where to paste the html codes. Does anyone else out there have this problem? I surely can't be the only one. I think I need to go spend some time with Einstein, Gracie and Pink. No matter how dumb I am, they think I am the smartest person in the world and right now, my ego needs a boost.

CLEAN SHEETS

One of the things that I really like and appreciate are nice bed sheets. You know, the ones with the high thread count that don't wrinkle and feel so cool and nice next to your skin. I always said if I won the lottery, I would have fresh clean sheets on my bed everyday. Well, I guess Einstein must appreciate nice sheets also. He sleeps with us at night and if I have not already turned the bed back when he is ready to go nite-nite, he will do it himself. I have watched him do it a thousand times and it never ceases to amaze me. Very methodically, he will grab the edge of the bedspread with his teeth and turn it back. Next, he does the same thing with the blanket. Then, the top sheet. Once he gets the top sheet turned back, he does a little spin around and sort of wads it up a bit and then lays down. You can just see the contentment on his face as he snuggles down for the night. Bet he wishes he could win the lottery too!

IN A DOG SUIT

Let me start out by saying that I am in no way, form or fashion, a prejudiced person. That being said, read on.

Gracie is our Schnauzer mix...we know she is part schnauzer, but apparently her dad was a "traveling salesman, or the milkman". Anyway, Gracie has attitude. We have all seen those cute black girls/women who have that attitude...they are bossy, prissy and they sass a lot and they get what they want, whenever they want it. They never hesitate to "tell it like it is" (at least the way they see it). I swear she will put up her paw and tell me to talk to it. I guess you could say we are a multi-racial family, because we have a cute and sassy little black girl living in a gray dog suit.

Umm. Life is certainly never dull around here.

SEVERAL THINGS

Animal Cruelty is rampant in this country. Every story I read about it breaks my heart and I contribute to many causes to help prevent this atrocity. Everyone who reads my blog can help too...keep your eyes open and report such crimes whenever you see them...do your part to save a helpless, innocent animal.

In the beginning, I was not a Rachael Ray fan, but her love of dogs and her rescue work has won me over. Check out her website---there is a link on my home page. There is a story on her site now about a little dog in Mexico named SPIRIT that was horribly abused a few weeks ago. Thanks to many kind people like the Border Crossing Guards who rescued him and people like Rachael, this little dog has a chance at a better life.

There is also a link to HOME AGAIN. If you have not had your dog microchipped...check them out. It is just another way to protect your dogs/cats if they are lost or stolen. I don't know about anyone else, but if one of my gang was lost or missing, I would go to the end of the earth to find them. Hopefully, I will never be in that position, but if I am, microchipping will make finding them a little easier.

PUPPY LOVE

We have all had them---days when you wonder why you even bother to care about anything. I have had several in a row like that recently and no matter how bad a day it has been, I am reminded how much I am loved and needed every time I look at the three little faces staring up me (on 12 assorted sized legs), watch their tail wags (again, in assorted sizes) when I talk to them and hear their barks in response to something I just said to them, and then to be on the receiving end of a thousand doggie kisses. It ends up not being quite as bad a day afterall and as long as I have these little guys around, I am reminded that everything is going to be just fine. Hope anyone who reads my blog has the same kind of puppy love in their life!

Family

One of my greatest joys in life are my children...they have grown up to be amazing adults and they make me very proud. We also share a great love of animals (especially dogs and cats) and as a result I have 5 grand doggies and 1 grand kitty. They frequently call me with funny things that happen with their 4-legged family members at their own homes.

Recently, my daughter, who has 2 dogs and a cat, has a manmade pond in her backyard with quite a family of frogs living in it. Son-in-law was mowing and weedeating the yard and came running into the house yelling "Come quick, I think I killed one of the frogs...can you save it?" Not knowing what he meant, she quickly rushed outside to see what was wrong. About 4 feet from the weedeater lay a very large frog, on its back, spread-eagle, barely breathing, eyes open and glassy. Son-in-law is very distraught...not seeing it in the tall grass he had accidentally hit it with the weedeater and sent it flying about 4 feet. My daughter is checking the frog out...there is no blood, he is not cut anywhere...just apparently stunned by the jolt he just had. She checks out all of its legs to make sure they are not broken...they are not, but the frog continues to lay there, not moving. She wonders to herself how to give mouth to mouth to a frog. She really does not think it will make it, but tells husband she will cover it with a towel and perhaps it will recover in a minute or two on its own and hop away. Sure enough, she goes back outside in about ten minutes to check on the frog and it is gone. Her husband is quite amazed at her frog saving abilities and now refers to her as "THE FROG WHISPERER"! If you need a "Frog Whisperer" just let me know.

America's Greatest Dog

I have been watching the show on t.v.called "America's Greatest Dog". The show is great and I really have enjoyed seeing all the dogs, but it got me to thinking. Sure, it would be great to have a dog that could do incredible tricks on command...mine can do tricks too, but only when they want to. But doing tricks and stunts is not what makes a great dog. A great dog to me is one that loves you unconditionally, makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world and is there for you when you are happy, sad, bored, lonely, mad at the world or sick and gives you incredible joy by being in your life. My dogs may not win a national title on t.v., but to me I have 3 of the Greatest Dogs in the World. It does not matter to me that the rest of the world does not recognize my dogs as being great...the most important thing is that I know it and I try every day to let them know how special they are and how much they are loved.

Einstein goes for a swim

We took Einstein for a swim in the pool at the new house yesterday. Pink has already had her first swim and we had planned to get Gracie in today as well, but she was too fast for us. Einstein was quite reluctant at first (I think there are probably skid marks on the decking where he tried to resist) but with both my husband and I pushing and pulling, we finally got him in. Much to his surprise and once he got over the initial shock, he loved it. Glad we built a fence around the pool when we moved in, otherwise I think he would go for a swim on his own now.
Funny how when you think you will hate something before you do it and then you do it and you love it and wish you had done it sooner. I think it must be that way for dogs too.

IT IS HOT

Mom wants me to go outside this morning...did she not check the weather forecast today? I am already wearing a FUR COAT (that I can't take off) and it is going to be 105 degrees outside today. Maybe if I hide for a few minutes she will forget about making me go out. I have a big bladder, I can hold it. Umm. The ceiling fan in mom's office is on, the lights are off...looks like a good place to stay cool. Sure hope Mom does not check her office, cause the BIG DOG (Einstein) is going to settle in for a nice long, cool nap!

It's 7:00 a.m. somewhere!

Did you know dogs can tell time? Well, at least Einstein can. At 7:00 a.m. in the morning and 6:00 p.m. in the evening (on the dot), he is ready to eat. It does not matter what you are doing, he is going to let you know what time it is. He is rarely off by more than a minute or so.

He has gotten so good, I don't even set my alarm clock in the morning anymore. Today was no exception. I was sleeping sooooo good too. He starts off kind of whining...when that does not work, he begins to get louder and louder, just like an alarm clock. He is so smart. Now he has the girls awake (Gracie and Pink) and they are chiming in also. They are really making music...no more sleeping now.

What a wonderful way to start the new day.....LIFE IS GOOD!

DO NOT DISTURB!

Wish I could take a nap anytime I wanted

to.

Pink at 6 weeks old

This is PINK!

Pink is the newest addition to our family. She is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi...tri-colored. Her registered name is Pink Penny Annie (named after our Penny who passed away last year). She is about 16 months old. She is the smallest of our crew, but she makes up for her size in countless other ways. The only Pink on her is her tummy (which she loves to have rubbed better than anything), so Pink is her name. It suits her. She has a tail, but it is so very short you cannot even see it. Corgi's are herding dogs by nature and she practices on Einstein all the time. Even when we go outside, she will circle about three times, looking all around her, before she will go out. Since we first brought her home at 6 weeks, she has gone to work with us most everyday, so anytime we don't let her go to work, she gets really upset. Whenever she seems me pick up my purse, she thinks it is time to go to work, so sometimes we have to have a discussion about why she can't go. The other thing about Corgi's is that they love to eat...any and everything. I dropped a penny on the floor once and she tried to eat it. You have to be very careful what you drop because she thinks it is hers if it hits the floor.

She and Gracie are best buds and get into so much trouble together. She likes Einstein too, but he is so big he plays a little too rough for her. She mostly admires him from a distance or tries to herd him whenever possible.

She does the cutest thing when she lays in your lap and you scratch her tummy. She will lay on her back and if you put your cheek next to her face she will give you about 10 million puppy kisses while you rub her belly. She uses her teeth, never really biting, just a million little nibbles. It is so sweet! It is almost time for bed and Pink needs her bedtime belly rub. I will try to put a picture of her up soon.

Here's Gracie!

Today we would like for you to meet Gracie Louise. She is 4 years old and a rescue from a local animal shelter. We don't know her exact lineage, but believe she is a Schnauzer mix. We understand that Gracie's mom was a very busy girl with many boyfriends! Gracie has the Schnauzer hair and face, but a long tail. Gracie is a little on the shy side and usually does not bark unless everyone else is barking. She takes a little while to warm up to you and does not like any sudden moves, but once she gets to know you she is your friend forever. Gracie is very smart and we think she has a secret desire to be an Agility Dog Performer. She can run like the wind and jump very high and is super smart. Almost too smart. She can really get into trouble if you aren't looking....she gets into all kinds of trouble and blames it on the other guys who live here. She is a little on the bossy side with our other dogs and tends to prefer women over men. I guess you could say she is a little on the eccentric side and can be quite a smart alec.

Gracie Louise

Einstein at Christmas

Santa better bring me something good for this!

Meet Einstein

I will introduce my dogs one at a time. The "BIG DOG", as he is often called, is actually named Einstein. He came with that name when we rescued him 3 years ago. We had to go almost to Oklahoma from Dallas to get him. We had seen his picture on the internet and we fell in love with him. It must have been love at first sight for him too, because when they brought him out to meet us he came running up and greeted us like he had known us forever. He is a Red Boned Coonhound and weighs about 110 lbs at 3 1/2 years old. When we opened the door for him to get in our car, he jumped right in and never looked back. We tried numerous times to change his name, but he would have none of that. Einstein he will always be, but sometimes when he is feeling especially important, he likes to be called the "the Big Dog". He has the most amazing voice and if you know anything about coonhounds, you know they are VERY VOCAL. He has a lot to say and does not hesitate to say it whenever and whereever he wants. I had never had a really big dog before Einstein, so this has been a learning experience for me. As much as he loves me, he loves my husband more. I think they are practically "joined at the hip"! He just had a bath tonite and is currently sleeping in the middle of our bed. Hopefully, he will scoot over when it is time for me (us) to go to bed. Sweet dreams for now.