Memoir Monday and a Spoonful of What?

Hi Everyone.  Thanks for stopping by.  I thought I'd play Memoir Monday with Travis at I Like to Fish  again this week.  Check him out, he has a hilarious easter egg story to tell this week!

As for me, I'll tell you a story about the time my husband and I were living in Spain.  We went to the Basque region of Spain for 6 months with a program with the University of Reno, NV.  We were given the choice to either stay in a dorm or rent a room from a local family.  We love to immerse ourselves in other cultures, so we chose to stay at someone's home.  Our hostess was named Milagros, which in Spanish means "miracles".  Milagros was an older adult, probably in her 60's (at 23 everyone older than 40 seems really old.  But she did have grown children).  She had an older home that did have a few bugs in it.  But Milagros wasn't going to have any part of insects invading her home.  So she would spray bug spray constantly in the house.  It's a miracle she didn't poison herself.  She kept saying how she loved the way the bug spray smelled so she'd spray more and breathe it in deeply (while we were holding our breath and heading for the door).  She also had lace doilies on almost every flat surface.  And Hubby and I had to bite our lips to keep from laughing when she asked a friend how she liked her decorating style and the other woman told her it looked gaudy.  Good times.

A Spoonful of What?
Ya know that Mary Poppins Song "Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down?"  Well, this week I've been experimenting with this concept.
First, the easy one, the puppy.  He needs an antibiotic.  The capsules are huge and the dose is twice what he should get at one time.  So I'm opening them up and mixing them with a spoon full of canned dog food, dividing it in two and giving it to him.  Despite the fact that it smells gross to me, he loves it.  Easy.

Then there's my kid.  He is supposed to chew two amoxicillin tablets three times a day.  He hates them!  So I'm grinding them up with mortar and pestle and mixing them in something yummy to try to get him to take them.
I've tried vanilla ice cream.  I've tried cookie dough ice cream.  I've tried yogurt.  I've tried butterscotch pudding (the best according to the pharmacist at masking bad flavors).  I've tried applesauce.  I've tried threatening him with loss of TV and video games.  I guess I'll need to try the dog food next!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Happy Monday!

Follow Me Fridays

Hey Everyone. Thanks for stopping by. I just found "Follow Me Fridays" at Trendy Treehouse. It's easy. Just link up and find new blogs to follow. Then some of those people will follow you. Great! Thanks to Eileen at Giving her All She's Got for commenting here today. Otherwise I'd wouldn't have found it! So go check her out too. She's got a cute dog!

Homeless

Hi.  My name is Freeway.  I was born last December.  That makes me about 3 months old.  My mom was rescued while she was still pregnant with me and my siblings.  We were born at Hope Rescues.  Mom now has a new forever home.  But I'm still looking for mine.  I was officially ready for adoption last month.  But no one has stopped by to see me yet.
But I'm lucky.  I'm going to hang out with Ginger, Sassy, Chili, and Spooky until someone who wants to adopt me comes along.
I'm not sure how big I'll get.  My mom is a beagle.  I don't know about my dad.  I never met him.  But when we were really young, we looked like we may have boxer in us.  My feet aren't too big, though.  They say that's an indication of how big I'll be.  So I'm guessing medium to large but not too large.
Thanks for stopping by to see me.  If you know of anyone looking for a puppy, let them know about me.  I'd be glad to meet them!
Freeway.

Random Thoughts Tuesday

Hello Everyone!  Time for Random Thoughts with the Un-Mom.  

Go check her out, link up, and play along!

What did I do to deserve two sick kids home today?  Usually, if I'm going to have two sick kids home during the week, I rather have them on different days.  At the moment they are playing well together.  But I'm sure it's only a matter of time until the whining, crying, screaming, hitting, etc., begin.

I'm without a foster dog for the moment.  I guess that means Miley's new family will be keeping her.

I laughed my butt off at Mean Owen's nun jokes this weekend.  If you're not easily offended by religious jokes, you should check him out!

Puppies are just like kids.  Buy them lots of toys.  What do they play with?  boxes, the mop, the cabinet doors, wrappers the kids thoughtfully left on the floor for them, etc.  I don't even want to think about the amount of money I've spent on dog toys that don't get played with.  Some of them do, of course.  But not all.

I miss hanging with Bams.  She's off somewhere sailing the high seas, drinking wine, and hanging out with her lucky husband.  I think we need to do a girls' cruise.  When my kids get a little older, I guess.

I'm having trouble concentrating on my random thoughts as two boys are playing with star wars vehicles and making all the accompanying noises.  "I can fly!!!  No I can't"  as the star fighter is launched out of his hands. "AHHHHHH!"
So I'm going to go link up at Un-Mom and go get dressed.  (yup.  It's almost 11:30 and I'm still in my jammies.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Memoir Monday

Hi Everyone.  I thought I'd try playing along with Travis, at I like to Fish, and do a Memoir Monday post. I stumbled across Travis' blog while visiting Erin at The Mother Load.

So, the idea is to tell a story about you.  And it has to be true.  Otherwise, there are no rules.
I have been thinking about the time I was in Chile lately.  The reason, I'm sure, is obvious.  Anyway, it was around 1990.  My husband was down there for a 6 week course and I flew down for the last week of it.  He was staying with a lovely Chilean family.  There was a mom, a teenage boy, and a dog.  They wanted us to do some cooking.  I wasn't the best cook back then, being in my early 20s and not having a lot of experience.  I did, however, manage to make a meatloaf.  Then we decided to make some chocolate chip cookies.  I had brought a dry mix with me.  I was in the kitchen stirring the dough with a wooden spoon I'd borrowed from the kitchen drawer.  The dough was really stiff, and I broke the spoon.  I was freaked.  I didn't know if I should tell the lady of the house or not.  I wasn't sure if things like that were expensive or not.  So, in my panicked state, I decided to hide the broken spoon in the trash and pretend like it never happened.  I finished the cookies, which got kind of burnt since I had no idea how to use a gas oven, and never spoke of the broken spoon again.  I don't even think I told my husband.

Later the lady of the house gave me the sweater she'd been knitting while we were there.  It's a beautiful gold sweater with the puffy sleeves that were all the rage back then.  Whenever I see the sweater, I think of the spoon.  I wonder how long it took her to notice it was gone.  I wonder if she ever suspected that the young American woman had something to do with its disappearance.  I wonder if my Catholic upbringing will ever let me let go of the guilt I still have over that stupid spoon.  I mean, it's only been 20 years.

Anyway, my heart goes out to the people of Chile during this difficult time.  We didn't keep in touch with the family we stayed with.  I don't even remember their last name.  I hope they are ok.
Thanks for stopping by today!

Sassy Sunday

Hi Everyone.  Sassy here.  Sorry I missed last week.  Barb wrote a post about motivation.  And I was busy with all my napping, watching for squirrels, and sitting pretty for treats.  Anyway, I'm back this week for another addition of "Sassy Sunday".

So.  We've had 2 (that's right, TWO) foster dogs since the last time I did a Sassy Sunday post.  The first was Raggs.  I didn't like him.  He is a 6 year old cocker spaniel.  I guess he was kind of cute.  Barb thought so anyway.  But he was deaf as a doorknob.  Couldn't hear a thing.  And because of that, he accidentally snapped at one of my human kids.  The kid touched him unexpectedly and he was startled.  But Barb thought it might be better if he went to a home with older kids who wouldn't get in his space and startle him.  That was fine with me. But I didn't like hearing his story.  The poor thing was rescued from animal control with chicken wire embedded into his coat.  It was just a mess of mats and chicken wire.  Jackie and Kim had to shave him completely down to get the chicken wire out.  I wonder how that happened.    Maybe his former owners had him in a pen made of chicken wire.  I don't know.  What I do know is that he'll find a good home now.  Just not at my home.

So I was just getting used to the idea that our foster dog was gone when Barb came home with Miley.  I didn't like her.  She is a one year old fluffy dog mix of some kind.  Barb says she's super sweet and super friendly.  I didn't like her.  Did I say that already?  Anyway, Miley was at our house for only 2 days.  Someone saw her on the Hope Rescues website and wanted to meet her.  So she went home with them yesterday for a "trial run".  I hope they keep her.  Otherwise, she'll be back here.  I don't like her.  I hope they keep her.  Her story is less sad than Raggs'.  She was picked up as a stray by animal control.  No one claimed her so Jackie rescued her and put her up for adoption.  Barb says she's smart.  She knows sit and shake.  Anyway, hopefully, she's got a home now.

I just noticed that this could be an addition of the black dog club.  For some reason, black dogs seem to have a harder time finding a home.  So if you're looking for a dog, why not consider a black beauty like us?

Anyway, thanks for stopping by Sassy Sunday.  I'll be back next week (Barb willing), same bat-time, same bat-channel.

Bye for now,

Sassy

Happy Hour Friday

Hello, Friday Fans!  It's another Happy Hour with Bambi.  Except that Bambi has decided to leave us all behind for a cruise to the Mexican Riviera with her hubby.  Oh, well.  We can't all have such a life of adventure. (yet)(when my kids are as old as hers, I'll be making my hubby take me all over too!)

So.  I'm happy that I took Miley to meet a prospective adoptive family.  They decided to sleep on it tonight and see her tomorrow at PetCo.  That's a good thing.  It's a big commitment and we want the family to think it through.  But Sassy hopes she goes home sooner rather than later.

I'm happy that it is warming up.  I'm soooo ready for spring.

I'm happy with how many of my pics have been coming out.  The picture-a-day thing can get a little tedious, but it's also a lot of fun.  If you are interested, my photostream is on my blog here.

What's everyone else happy about?