Today's 400th Beautiful Thing

Today's Beautiful Thing, my other Blog, is celebrating it's 400th post today! I hope you'll stop by and visit me over there on those days you need a little pick-me-up. :)

Mixer Love!

My fairy godmother gave me a generous gift card for Amazon.com for Christmas. I had no idea what to buy myself, but then I found this:


I've wanted one of these Kitchen Aid mixers for the last 15 or 20 years, but they're so expensive and I could never justify spending the money. But Amazon had it on sale! And I had a gift card! And they had free shipping--a $22 savings! My mixer is 15 years old, so I could justify the part I put in to buy it quite easily. With the free Super Saver Shipping, it was supposed to arrive on the 28th, but surprise! It came yesterday!

Now I'm in mixer love. It's easy to see why, is it not? My husband likes it too. He thinks it looks nice in the kitchen, he says, but he's probably just thinking that now it'll be so much easier for me to make treats. Hee. (Please don't mind my messy kitchen. Red cabinets coming soon.)


And here's Ace with the mixer:


I'm so very pleased tonight.

New Ace Pics

Ace has been a member of our family for nearly a week now and his transformation is incredible! Gone is the hyper little Frenchie who thought everything was his, and in his place, a calmer, loving, more well-mannered boy. We are so happy to have him.

Here he is just hanging out:


Ace and Lulu flashing Bully grins:


And finally, a little photo we like to call "Dogs are not allowed on the furniture in our house":

Ace Pics

I don't know whose cuter, Abner or Ace!


Twenty-six pounds of fun!


Lulu and Ace play all night long!


Lulu is very happy with her new playmate.

He's Staying

He's here! He's ours! He's fantastic!

Lulu is having the time of her life playing with him.

Pics soon!

Eeeeee! 2

She just called. In traffic she's probably an hour and a half away. I can calm down now. Poor thing must be tired. She was at a sick friend's house, helping her clean out her kennels. Her friend must run a rescue too. The sad thing is she lives an hour and a half (without traffic) from me. But this lady lives a good 45 minutes (without traffic) PAST me! A long day for her.

I have a nice loaf of cranberry-orange bread to offer her, but she'll probably be hungrier than that. I like her so much from her e-mails, I want to order her a pizza. Weird, I know, but the way I was raised, I like to feed people I care about and I don't have the ingredients to cook anything right now. She cares about animals. She deserves to be cared for too. Hopefully her friend fed her.

Update tonight. Please cross your fingers that Lulu and Ace like each other.

Eeeeee!

It's 5:28. She said she'd be here at 5! Nervous! Eeee!

Anticipation

Doggie Update:
The owner of the rescue is coming to our house Thursday night for the house check. If she likes our house, yard, and us, and if Lulu and Ace get along, he's ours! All ours. And, unlike all the other rescues we've been dealing with over the last year and three months, we don't have to drive to hell and back to get him. She's bringing him on Thursday! Cross your fingers that everything works out the way it's supposed to. We would love for Lulu to have a cute little friend and, after years of having two huge dogs, a medium dog and a little dog sounds just perfect to us.

Doggie Update

I bet you were all missing my doggie updates, weren't ya? :) We found this little guy at a rescue this weekend. The rescue owner liked our application, so she is going to send someone to check our house next. We've passed house checks before, so I doubt we'll fail this one. After that, we'll have to see if Lulu and Ace (that's his name. Cute huh?) get along. If they do, hopefully they'll choose us. They have many interested families since it is rare to see a Frenchie at a rescue. He's only a year old and he's at the rescue because his owner passed away, not from abuse or anything like that this time.

Wish us luck!

Happy Halloween!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. Lulu waited at the door tonight and helped us pass out candy. The flamingo accessories she wore were gifts from the Crusie Con. SHe was very popular tonight--as she should be!

Lulu, Abner & I hope all of you had a fun and safe Halloween! ^-^

Rutherford

Our beloved cat Rutherford hasn't been home in six nights! He comes home for dinner every night as well as the occasional breakfast if we're up early. It's not like him to stay away for so long. (I think the longest he's ever stayed away was three days.)

I've checked the local animal shelter's "lost and found" and "available pets" sections as well as the dreaded "deceased" section. No sign of our boy. Tomorrow I'll call some local vets. Please send good thoughts our way. We miss our little guy.

Day 21 Check In

Here I am (with Bubba) on day 21 of my diet and I'm doing very well. I'm not having crazy cravings, I don't feel deprived and I've lost 10 pounds. Yeah! When I want something, I have it, I just add the calories and fat grams to my daily count and make my portion smaller if need be. My favorite treat is Dryers Orange Cream Sherbet (orange and vanilla swirl) for only 120 calories and 2 grams of fat. Most nights I have enough calories left over to indulge in a scoop or a scoop and a half on a cone--which helps me to eat it slower than I do with a spoon. Lulu gets excited when she sees the cone because I give her the bottom half of it. :)

All in all, the diet new lifestyle is a smashing success. WIll post my averages for all three weeks tonight after I eat or tomorrow.

PS. We took Bubba back to the rescue today. We were very sad. He was jazzed to see the rescue owner again. That made it easier, especially since she sort of gave us the cold shoulder. Oh well. She'll find him a good home where he can be the only dog, that's all that really matters. We miss him though. *sigh*

Nothing Ventured

We've had a houseguest this week. His name is Bubba and he was supposed to be the newest member of the family but, alas, he and Lulu don't get along. Of course, you certainly can't tell that from the photo below, but it's definitely the case. He wants to be in charge, and she'll have none of it. She wants to just get along, he doesn't. He starts all the fights, but she won't back down when he attacks her. Back to the rescue with him. Not to worry. He has a waiting list of people who want him. The sad thing is, we want him too...but it's just not meant to be. Sigh.

Cherry Dog

Why is this dog smiling?



Because she's wearing a genuine "Nothing but good times ahead" cherry dog T-shirt!


It's quite figure flattering!


It's casual, yet sophisticated. Perfect for Sunday afternooons at the dog park.


It's also comfy to sleep in!

Available for humans as well. Get yours today! :)


~Shop Cherry~

Saturday babbles

It's Saturday and I don't have much to say. It was hot and windy today and it made both me and the hubby really grumpy. The good thing is that we both acknowledged that we were grumpy and that everyone was bugging us so neither of us thought the other was mad at him/her. The other good thing was that we were both annoyed, so we had a gleeful day of pointing out who annoyed us at the store, on the road, at Quizno's, whatever. Oftentimes just giving each other that look and small nod. Being with another person for many years is a funny thing sometimes. They say that you become more and more alike over the years. We've always been very much alike so I can't imagine us in another 20 years. Will we turn into just one person? LOL.

Hopefully the wind will die down so we can take Lulu to the dog park tomorrow. We went a couple of weekends ago on a windy day and the dirt flew everywhere and we both got dust in our eyes. Not fun. Too bad they can't get the grass to grow more evenly at the park, but it's hard with all the dogs running on it every day. The other thing they need is lighting. It closes at dusk and during the autumn and winter, that means we can only go on weekends.

If you've never been to a dog park, it's quite an experience. First you go though a gate into a small pen where you take your dog off her leash. Then you let her out through the gate on the other side and into the dog park. (You are not allowed to go inside with your dog on a leash. All the dogs are off their leash and they would see the leashed dog as weak.) All the dogs run up to greet the newcomer. It's really interesting to watch the way they interact. Some dogs find a friend and play only with that other dog. Some dogs play fetch with their humans. Some dogs like to meet everyone--dogs and humans. Lulu is like this. She usually makes her rounds to all areas of the park and meets everyone. Then she approaches people sitting on benches so she can get petted. She usually gets quite a bit of attention because she's not the typical retriever, plus, she's very friendly and smiles a lot at the dog park. A very happy girl.

Cross your fingers for no wind. Lulu deserves a little fun.

The photo above is Lulu, Atticus and their friend Delphi greeting each other at Delphi's house. Our friends M & K invited all of us over in December for lunch (Delphi's birthday party ) and a good time was had by all. As I think back on it now, I'm grateful that Atticus was happy and healthy that day. He loved it. M even made doggie cakes for them! It was a wonderful day.

Six Months

Today, February 4, 2007, is the 6 month Anniversary of the day we lost our precious Niki, Kiki or Nikita Bonita to us, Lady Kenpo Nikita to the AKC. As I spent this quiet Sunday around the house with Lulu, I thought of Kiki a bit, what she'd be doing while I put away the groceries, folded clothes and balanced the checkbook. She'd have been by my side, of course, as she always was.

I miss her. I can't get around it. I just do. Having Lulu here is a comfort and a blessing, but she'll never replace Niki. Just as Niki could have never replaced Kilroy, Kilroy couldn't have replaced Dotty, and Dotty my childhood dog, Louisa. Just as Atticus will always be in my heart, they all will. I feel very sorry for someone who has never experienced the unconditional love of an animal. I feel truly sorry for him indeed that he'll never know that each animal has his own personality, has feelings and worth (and I'm not talking monetary worth here).

Nikita was feisty--no two ways about it--and she was the alpha dog. Niki liked some people very much and others not at all. Niki loved Kilroy, her puppies, and us. Niki loved pig's ears, blankets, Mexican food, candy, and her fuzzy bed. Niki even came to like Rutherford (our cat) in her old age. Niki destroyed all her toys, while Kilroy's were always pristine. Niki liked nothing more than to be near us all the time and she asked for nothing in return. She gave us more than I could ever measure. I miss her more than I could ever measure as well.

Tonight I look out at the clear star-filled sky and I send out a silent prayer of thanks to my Kiki for gifting us with nearly 12 years of her life. I will always miss her, and I will never forget her.

Lady Kenpo Nikita

September 23, 1994- August 4, 2006

Atticus

I always wondered what I should write for my 100th post. I never imagined the subject would be a tragic one. In Atticus's honor, I'm looking at it as a special tribute to his life, not something to be sad about. I'm trying anyway.

It's been a day since we last saw Atticus, and my heart is heavy with grief. I miss him so much. As I look back over the last two months I have many emotions. I remember the first time I saw him. He was so skinny--every rib and bump of his spine pronounced--and his scars... Oh, the scars! They covered his legs, chest, even his neck and a couple on his face and ears. Who could have done such a thing? I still feel the anger bubbling up inside my chest and nearly choking me. You would think a dog who'd seen that kind of abuse would be timid or aggressive, but Atticus was neither. He came right up to us wagging his stubby little docked tail and leaned his whole body against mine. He had me right there. Lulu'd already decided she liked him before I did--in fact, she picked him out herself. Dogs are much smarter than humans.

Over the last couple of months he'd been in and out of the vet's office and he charmed the staff there too. "Atticus is here!" they'd exclaim when we walked in the door and he'd do his little Boxer dance at the site of the receptionist, vet tech and even the vet herself. The neighbors across the street who don't even like dogs always had to come over and pet him. He took a special liking to my mother--who usually keeps away from animals because of her allergies--and it pleased her very much. It was just impossible to be sad when Atticus was around.

I keep going over and over the last two months in my mind. Why did all of this happen? Why did we adopt him, fall in love with him, and then have to lose him? Did we make a difference to him? It certainly wasn't enough time to erase his awful memories, but was two months enough to matter? I think so. I truly hope so. I'm a firm believer in fate, destiny and karma and I know in my heart that everything happens for a reason.

Last night I was watching the fabulous movie (adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's wonderful novel) Seabiscuit. Red Pollard (Seabiscuit's jockey played by Tobey Maguire) says, "Everybody thinks we found this broken down old horse and we fixed him. But he fixed us." That's exactly how I feel about Atticus. He was old(er) and sick and he gave us more than we could have ever given him. I've always been a cynical, pessimistic sort, but it was impossible to be like that when Atticus was around. His sunny smile and limpid brown eyes made him friends everywhere he went. He was like the poster boy for looking on the bright side. I liked the warm happy feeling I had when he was with us. He gave us that. Oh, yes, he gave us so much more than that.

I always want to remember the gifts he gave us, so I've started a second blog in his honor. (Thank you to Katy for the idea.) I don't have time for a second blog, but that's the whole point. This blog will be one fast post a day, one or two sentences at most. It's called Today's Beautiful Thing and I hope you'll stop by when you're feeling down. I know Atticus would be pleased to know that he continues to make people smile, even though he no longer walks on this earth.

We were blessed to share our lives with Atticus from November 18, 2006- January 20, 2007 and someday we'll all be reunited over the rainbow bridge in heaven.

Rest in peace baby boy.

Today

Here's Atticus with me and the hubby this morning. He was so happy to see us and (though we look a little shell-shocked) the feeling was mutual. I hope God knows how lucky He is to have such a bright and beautiful shining light with him now. We miss him terribly, but we know this was best.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending me hugs and warm wishes on Blogger, e-groups and to my private e-mail address. It means more than you can ever know. My friend Cory said the nicest thing today:

"We, as a society, tend to only value the things that we can put a monetary value on. We even put a value on life, for life insurance purposes. But we also need to recognize what can't be quantified, only felt, and felt deeply, the invaluable things that make life worth it. That's what you gave to Atticus."

I'd spend the money, give the time and endure the heartbreak all over again if we did make his life worth it. Bless you Cory for those kind words.

More White Light

The vet called yesterday. The bottom line is that Atticus needs another surgery. It won't heal him. He'll need another and another. Even if we were millionaires we'd never be able to save him and give him the normal family life we so desperately wanted to give him. He is in constant pain and it's time to end it. We all tried, but sometimes it's not enough. So, in a couple of hours we are going to the vet's to have him put to sleep.

I just can't tell you all how much this hurts. I feel like I failed in what I tried to do for him. Friends are telling me I haven't. That in the end of his life he knew kindness and love. I hope so. We may not have been able to give him the three years I hoped for--we weren't even able to give him three months--but we gave him something better than what he had. We did give him love and toys and a very good friend in Lulu. They jumped, wrestled and played with their toys. They destroyed one of their beds on day! You should have seen it. After that they only had one bed left and they shared it. (I'll post the pictures).

They shared their only bed. They shared toys and food and water bowls. They shared everything. We gave him friendship at the end. I suppose giving him friendship, kindness and love are the best gifts we could have given him. We couldn't control how long we gave him those gifts--that's out of our hands--but we gave him those gifts for as long as he was with us.

Quick update

The prayers, white light and well-wishes worked. We're still in limbo because the tests didn't really say much, but the good news is that the vet told us she would keep Atticus for us for a week or even two so she could observe him--for FREE. Yeah, no typo.

Thank you everyone for your prayers, white light, good thoughts, etc. I'm a believer. Please keep it coming. Will update better tomorrow and post a few photos.