Meet Me On Monday 10/4/10

Hi Everyone.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm doing a really quick Meet Me on Monday post since I'm supposed to be prepping for my class this afternoon. :)

If you want to play along, click the button at the top, go see Java, and link up!  We just answer a few questions about ourselves and we're done.  Sounds easy, huh?

1. What is the best dish you can make?  

I'd say I make Vance's Famous Old Settler's Beans the best.  Everyone always says it's great.

2. How often do you change your sheets? 

I'm not too good about changing them on a regular schedule, but they get changed relatively often since Ginger likes to get up there when hubby gets out of bed.  She leaves a lot of hair and hubby is actually allergic.  The other dogs and the cat do it too.

3. What is the longest car trip you have ever taken?

Hubby and I drove from western Tennessee all the way to Reno, NV the summer after we were married.  It was a great trip.  We stopped at lots of cool places and camped.  Oh, to be young again.  That was 21 years ago.

4. What is your favorite fruit?

Peaches

5. Would you rather have breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?

Definitely breakfast for dinner!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sassy Sunday 10/3/10

Well, we got an email from Jackie.  The people who took Flopsy love him and have officially adopted him.  Hopefully, they've changed his name.  Flopsy is fine for a cute little puppy.  But it's not too masculine for a bigger boy. :)

Anyway, Jackie told Barb to let her know when we were ready for another foster.  Hmm.  I'd say never!  But I'm sure it won't be long.  We'll probably have one this week.

Barb has promised us a trip to the dog park today.  It's a nice fall day so it should be great.  We've already been on a walk today.  The reason for all this activity?  Well, apparently I'm not the only fat-assy in the house.  Ginger weighed 73 pounds the other day at the vet.  A wee bit too much, says the vet.  She called her "a hefty girl".  So, as I mentioned last week, we are eating diet food.  Not a good thing.  But getting more walks and trips to the dog park.  That is a good thing!

Here are a couple of pics from the last time we went to the dog park.

So there is a new law people are gonna be voting about in Missouri, the next state over.  It's called Prop B and it would set some standards for "dog breeding operations" (aka puppy mills) in the state.  Some opponents say the conditions are too tough on the breeders.  Like "provide the dogs with access to food at least once a day and potable water continuously", "house dogs in pens large enough to stretch out fully", "prohibit stacked cages and wire flooring", "bar breeders from having more than 50 breeding dogs and breed dogs to produce no more than 2 litters in an 18-month period".   Hmmm.  Do these seem over the top to you?  They sure don't to me.  I get fed twice a day (even if it is diet food).  I always have access to water and I'm never kept in a cage.  (Chili has to spend some time in her kennel each day.  But that's because she refuses to be house-broken.  But her kennel is the biggest one on the market, has a pillow in the back for her to sleep on, a blanket in the front for her to lay on while she plays with toys, and room for a water bowl.)  

The poor dogs who are living their lives in puppy mills are often standing on wire that hurts their feet, in stacked cages that let the urine and feces drop through the floor onto the dogs below, never get groomed so that in one case the matted hair cut the circulation off to some of the dogs limbs which subsequently died off.  The Humane Society of Missouri is constantly doing stories about the dogs and puppies they've rescued from puppy mills.  Last month they rescued 116 dogs from 2 puppy mills.

Let me just say that if you buy a dog from the internet and the "breeder" won't let you come to their facility but wants to meet you somewhere along the interstate, that should be a red flag.  If you get a puppy from a pet store, it most likely came from one of these commercial breeders.  

K.  We are off to the dog park so I'll get off my soapbox.  Thanks for stopping by.

Sassy

Sassy Sunday 9/26/10 Flopsy Squeakerton

Why in the world, you may wonder, would a dog name her sometime weekly blog post "Flopsy Squeakerton"?  My question to you would be "Why do I have to put up with a puppy named "Flopsy Squeakerton?"  Damn!  Another puppy.

I was just minding my own business yesterday when Dad (that traitor!) came home with this fluffy, rambunctious, 8-month-old, flopsy puppy.  He's a lab-shepherd mix.  He was either born right before or right after his mom was rescued from animal control (we've got to check on that).  He was adopted from Hope Rescues once, but came back after only a month.  This wasn't his fault.  The family that adopted him went through a divorce and decided a puppy was too much to add to the stress of their changing situations.  Poor dog.  Anyway, I hope he won't be here to long!

One thing Barb says is that he is super soft.  He feels like a rabbit or something.  I guess it must feel nice 'cause the people in the house keep petting him and carrying on about how soft he is.  And, luckily, he seems to be housebroken.  That's good since Chili can't seem to get the hang of pooping outside!

There is a good possibility that Flopsy will be gone soon.  A man who met him yesterday wants to introduce him to his wife.  They may be stopping by later today.  Jackie said he can't go home with them until they fill out the application for him.  So I'm hoping they do that before they come by.  But Barb says to stop complaining.  He's been a good houseguest.  He was quiet all night even though his kennel is downstairs in the hearth room and we all slept upstairs in our rooms.

I'll let you know how it goes when I post next week.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Wish me luck.

Oh, by the way, I may be wasting away to nothing by the time you see me next.  Ginger and I have been put on a diet and Barb is giving us "diet" dog food.  Ugh.  But maybe Dad will stop calling me Sassy Fat-Assy once I've gotten my girlish figure back.

Have a great Sunday!

Sassy

The Battle

Down in the plains of the bar counter in the basement, a fierce battle was taking place.  The "good guy" army had volunteer soldiers from many walks of life.  Fighting along side the seasoned career soldiers were ninjas (the ones in the purple, blue, and green uniforms) and star-fighter pilots recently back from a battle on Tatooine.  Harry Potter came by to offer air support and magical assistance.  And a group of cavemen brought their biggest and strongest dinosaurs to help in any way they could.

Random Tuesday Thoughts 9/21/10

Hey All, Happy Tuesday.  I'm joining the UnMom today and doing an RTT.  Head on over, link up and play along.

So.  WTF is with things that expire right after the warranty runs out?  Like my HARD DRIVE!!!  Yup.  Had to get a new one.  My Apple Care ran out in July.  But thanks to those wonderful computer guys, all my files got transferred to the new one.

I'm ready for fall weather.  It was 90 today.

Sassy has a fan of her Sassy Sunday posts.  And, apparently, she's been slacking off too much and her devoted fan is unhappy.  So she needs to get her butt in gear and do another post.  Maybe about the really cool Cooper's hawk that was on our deck.

He (or she) was watching the bird feeder just off to the left.  Not interested in the birdseed, of course, but the little birds eating the birdseed.  I didn't see him catch anything.  He flew off shortly after letting me take his picture.

What are teenagers good for?  I'm sure many-a-parent has wondered this.  Well, I have an answer.  Power-washing out the gutters.

My neighbor across the street and I were lamenting the fact that her husband wasn't at home while the kid was doing this.  He's the head of emergency medicine at a near-by hospital and would have been useful to have around if said teenager had fallen off the roof.  Luckily, all was well.  Except that hubby wasn't too happy about the fact I let him do it in the first place.  Oh well.  Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

My baby turned 8 this past week.  What better place to have a party for a handful of 7 and 8 year olds than the local video game rental place and store.  It was actually pretty sweet.  The kids (there were 8 of them) could play any game in the store that was used or offered for rent.  There were 2 wii's set up, an x-box, and they could use handhelds as well.  The poor girl who was helping us with the party was running the whole time changing out games.  To top it all off: a Dippin' Dots cake.

Here's a dog picture.  Thrown in just for the benefit of the extremely funny Ed, from Ed's Funny Pages.

That's it for Tuesday.  Have a great one!

This Girl

Inspired by Bambi, who in turn was inspired by Julochka, (you really must go see her if you've never been.  her blog, and Bambi's too, is amazing) I've decided to do a little "This Girl" post.

* I don't really like pictures of myself.  But I think this one is pretty funny.  We were on a whale watching trip in Quebec. I'm not sure what was happening at that moment, but hubby got a pretty good capture.

* I don't wear make-up.  On a super-rare occasion I might.  But, for the most part, you get to see me how God made me. (Ok, Coffeypot, I mean with my clothes on. Only my face is naked.)

* I think I'm starting to look old.  Maybe I should start wearing make-up.

* I love dogs.  Just about all dogs.  We have 3 of them in our house.  And over the past year or so we've had several doggy guests.  They were all foster dogs needing some transitional housing.  It's great to foster dogs.  Of course it's hard to give some of them up.  But it's great knowing that we were able to do a small thing for them while they were here.  Our last one, see Sassy's post below, just went to his forever home yesterday.

* I have to fight depression pretty hard.  Sometimes it gets the better of me.

* My calves are killing me!  We skipped our regular workout Friday and went to Cahokia Mounds instead.  It's the country's oldest site of human-made land forms.  These are mounds made by native peoples a long time ago.  The largest, Monk's Mound, has 156 steps to climb to get to the top.  We climbed them multiple times.

* I'd totally skip my workouts all the time if I didn't pay for them.  Maybe I could stop paying and spend the money on cupcakes.  See.  That's why I pay for my workouts.

* I teach.  It's probably good to look old when you teach.  Gives you more credibility.  I think.

* I have great kids.

* If I had all the time in the world, I'd do art projects.  I'd take some art classes.  I'd go to Paris and try to sell my art by the Seine.  I'd learn how to take great photos.  And I'd sell them too.  Maybe in Spain.

* I've met some bloggers.  It was a lot of fun.

* I hate that I have diabetes.  And sometimes I choose to simply ignore it.  That's bad.

* I don't have many friends, but I have some really good ones.  I just wish they lived closer.  Cell phones and email are great but sometimes I'd just like to be able to go hang out with them.

* I sleep with a male that is not my husband.  (really, that's in addition to my husband) His name is Spooky and he demands my love and attention at night.

* I like to read.  Fiction mostly.

* I have a great idea for a book.  If I had all the time in the world, I'd write a book.  After taking some writing classes.

* I used to write to a guy in prison.  I knew him before he went.  He was a mentor and a good friend when I knew him.  When I heard he'd gone to jail I couldn't abandon him, even though just about everyone else had.  So I wrote.  When he got out he quit writing.  So did I.  I wonder where he is now.  It's been 2 years or so.

* I guess that's about all for now.  WAKE UP!  You made it to the end. :)

Thanks for stopping by.  Stop by and say hey to Bambi.  She's my sista and I love her.

Sassy Sunday (on a Monday) 9/6/10

Hi Everyone.  Sassy here.  Today on Sassy Sunday I'll be introducing our new foster brother, Brewster.

Brewster is a bagel (half beagle and half basset hound) (should that be spelled bagle?).  He is 3 years old and was rescued from an animal control facility in Missouri.  Apparently, he was picked up as a stray and no one claimed him.  He was on the schedule to be euthanized when Hope Rescues swooped in and saved his life.  Jackie said she couldn't believe none of the other rescues had tagged him.  He's cute as he can be, with the body of a basset hound but the size of a beagle.  He only weighs about 18 lbs.  And he's super friendly.  When he wags his tail it goes around in a circle.  It's pretty funny.

What do I like about Brewster?  He's not a puppy!  Although he's friendly, he's pretty laid back and does not bother the crap out of me like most puppies do.  He's pretty much left me alone since he got here on Saturday, so I've had no reason to growl at him.  That makes me happy.  Here he is looking for help while Chili annoys him!

I didn't get a chance to do my Sassy Sunday yesterday because my family went out on a family outing (without the dogs.  what kind of family outing is that?)
They went to a place called the World Bird Sanctuary.  Apparently, it's a pretty cool place.  They've got all kinds of birds of prey there as well as a hospital to take care of sick or injured birds.  Barb took some pictures.

A hooded vulture - isn't he cool?

Hubby and son said he looks like he's wearing a "wife-beater" shirt

A bald eagle

The "not-rare-enough" Dodo birds

Looks like a place I'd have liked to visit.  But apparently dogs aren't allowed.  What a stupid rule.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today.  Happy Labor Day.

Love,

Sassy