A Quickie Random Thoughts Tuesday 1-4-11

Hey Everyone!  (all 2 of you!).  Thanks for stopping by.  I've got to do a quickie RTT today as I'm crazy busy all of a sudden.  If you want to see other RTT, you've got to go to the awesome Keely at the UnMom!

We had our black eyed peas and cornbread for good luck in the new year.  Kids weren't happy, but they got to eat some too.

Then we gave the middle kid (9) a kumquat.  If you haven't had one, they are really sour but sweet too as long as you keep chewing.  Anyway, we all laughed as he gagged, gagged, then finally spit it out.

Anyone looking for a new best friend for the new year?  We've got a great new foster dog.  I can't believe he hasn't been adopted yet.  Poor thing has been at the shelter for almost a year.  Look at this face.

Astro, our new foster dog (with Ginger and Chili)

How could this sweet, loving, friendly, obedient, wonderful dog spend a year in the slammer?  Well, he only had 7 days in the slammer.  He was rescued by Hope Rescues and has been with them ever since.  But I know why he hasn't been adopted.  He's black and he has pit bull mixed in there.  Black dogs (for whatever strange reason) and pit bulls spend more time in shelters and are more likely to be put down.  But he's gonna hang with us for a while.  Not that our house is any quieter than a shelter!

I guess I should show you this picture of me with my best buddy (although he has no idea who I am).

Yes, that is Mark Beurhle.  Don't know who he is?  Well, neither did I, but I'm not really a baseball fan.  He's the pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.

K.  The reason I'm in such a hurry today is that I found out (yesterday!) what two classes I'm teaching this semester.  I haven't taught either of them before and classes start next week!!!!!!!  So I'm leaving you now to put together my syllabi and visit my best friend, Mr. Power Point.

Have a great Tuesday!

Sassy Sunday (1-2-2011)

Happy New Year!
At least that's what all the humans around here keep saying.  Anyway, I'm glad you stopped by.
For New Year's Day the fam took a great walk out at the Watershed Nature Center here in town.  It's a great place to go for both humans and dogs.  This beautiful park actually used to be the sewer lagoon for the city.  After it was abandoned, some citizens proposed it be turned into a nature preserve.

Here are some pics of us out there.

A couple of "my" kids

Mom with Ginger and Chili

One can often see different types of water fowl and other animals.  Sometimes we see blue herons out there.  Today we saw tons of deer tracks.  And we saw some swimming squirrels!  Check them out.  They were great big squirrels and they were swimming and diving and splashing in the water.

Have you ever seen such cool squirrels?  I am a good swimmer.  Usually when I chase squirrels in the yard they get out before I can catch them.  But I bet I could've gotten one of these.  But Barb held on to my leash and wouldn't let me jump in.  Oh, well.  It was freezing outside.  I heard one of the boys tell the grown-ups, "It's so cold outside I bet I got about 5 frost bites!"  So it's probably a good idea I didn't get in the water.
We saw a few other people and dogs out there, but not too many.
Then we came home and the humans ate black eyed peas and cornbread.  They didn't give me any of that, but I got a little taste of the pork roast. :)

Well, thanks again for stopping by.  I love it when you do!  And leave me a comment.  Barb will read it to me. :)
Love,
Sassy

Random Thoughts Tuesday 12-28-10

Hey All.  I'm playing random along with Keely today.  Link up and play along!

Why is it that every year I say I'm not going to make any resolutions, yet in my own head I've made at least 10 of them?  I'm just lying to myself (and everyone else) out loud and only telling the truth inside.  I think it may be because I don't want anyone to see my total failure. :)

How to I let the kids talk me into buying them more stuff right after Christmas?  I mean, they did spend their own money, mostly, but still.  Do they really need one more $70 lego set?  G-ma only gave them $50 to spend (well, she really gave them $100, but I'm putting the other $50 in their savings accts), so they had to dig into their allowance.

I went across the street today to talk to a neighbor.  She invited me in.  She is so sweet and I like her a lot.  I just wouldn't want her to come to my house and hope to be invited in.  It's always a disaster while hers is always immaculate.  True her kids are grown mostly and mine are little (yells to kids "get those legos picked up in the living room!  and don't leave all those plastic bags on the floor!").  But I'm sure it's mostly because she is a good housekeeper and I am not.

We'll be trying the whole foods thing again this January (see last year's post about it here).  The kids are really excited about it. NOT!  We have got to get these kids eating real food once in a while.  I'm ashamed at the number of chemicals I feed those kids every day.  And these last two weeks it has been even worse.

Well, go see Keely and visit some of the other randomness available.  Thanks for stopping by!
Barb

Sassy Sunday on a Monday and Macro Monday 12-27-10

Hi Everyone, Sassy here.  I'm a day late on my post and Barb is sneaking in here with a Macro Monday photo too.
Here's Barb's photo.  Something called a Gingerbread House that the youngest human worked on very hard the other day.  You can find other Macro Monday shots here!

We had snow for Christmas!

Doesn't my black coat look lovely in the white snow?  That's what Barb says, anyway.  Ginger and Chili enjoyed the snow as well.

We've been spending a lot of time in the house by the fire.  I like the snow for a few minutes, but then it gets cold and wet on my feet and I'm ready to come in.

Chili found the warmest spot next to the fire the other day.  Right in Daddy's lap.  Don't they look cute?

We had Aunt Bambi and her brood here for Christmas dinner.  It was apparently really good, although all I got was a tiny taste of the ham.  That's ok.  I'm trying to keep my girlish figure, so I happily ate my diet dog food.  Santa left us new toys and chew bones in our stocking.  That was great!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today.  Best wishes for the new year!
Sassy

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a home.  Thank you.

Bonsai

Navy

Scruffy Girl

Soldier

Minnie

Mrs. Roper (Janet's mom)

Janet

These and other homeless pets can be seen at www.hoperescues.com or on petfinder.com

Random Thoughts Tuesday 12-21-10

Hey all!  I'm playing along with Keely over at the UnMom today.  Link up and play along, if you dare!

What has your child learned at school today?  Well, I'm so proud of my ninth-grader!  He's learned that if you get a pack of smarties and smash them up into powder, you can suck the power in through the end of the wrapper and blow it out like smoke.

Had a kid home sick for several days.  He ran a fever 5 days in a row.  Doc said it was just a virus and we'd have to wait it out.  If I get it, and if I run a fever for 5 days, I want to be waited on hand-and-foot and be allowed to lay around and whine the whole time.  Not that any of MY kids would do that.

The doc lives just down the street from us.  I try not to ever bother him at home.  But I was ready to let him have my feverish kid for a day or two over the weekend!

We also have an emergency room doc and an OBGYN in our neighborhood.  And a dentist.  No vet, though.  Hmmm.

I have got to get my Christmas shopping and wrapping done!  I'm not even sure what I have anymore.  That's one thing about having kids at Christmas.  They count presents.  And it doesn't matter if one kid gets a present worth more than a Rolex, while another one gets the Blue Light Special.  It's all about the numbers.  But I know how to get around that.  Just wrap two things together if you need to reduce the pile of one kid to match the piles of the others.  Or divide.  Wrap each sock separately.  :)

Speaking of socks, my oldest said, in his most disgusted tone, "Mom, don't be a geek and give us socks and underwear for Christmas again."  So guess what I got at Old Navy yesterday.  Yup.  You're so smart!

Are you a "theme" tree decorator?  My sister has a lovely tree at her house.  Huge, but lovely.  It has a theme of sorts.  Our tree, though very festive, has no theme.  It's mostly covered with ornaments the kids have made over the last few years, with a few from our childhood thrown in.  Maybe when the kids are grown I'll do a theme tree.  But for now the kids' ornaments are just fine.  And they are proud of them.

K.  That's enough random.  And I've got to get those boxers out of the car and get them wrapped up before any of the boys get home!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sassy Sunday - (12-19-10)

Chili and me with Santa

"Oh, the weather outside if frightful".  It's cold.  And there's new snow today on top of what's left of the ice from last week.  Just a dusting, but enough to hide the ice so I slip and slide out there.  But that's ok.  I'm an inside dog.  I'd rather be on the couch snoozin' anyway.  Unless there's a squirrel in the bird feeder.

The three of us, Ginger, Chili, and I, went to see Santa.  See someone missing in the pic?  Yup.  Ginger.  She would have nothing to do with getting her picture taken with Santa.  You see, Santa has a Y chromosome.  That makes him a man.  And Ginger doesn't like those Y-chromosome people until she's had a chance to warm up to them and make sure they are ok.  She's always been that way.  Even though she's been in this pack since she was 7 weeks old.  She did come with a wound on her leg that is now a scar.  So maybe a man was mean to her way back then.  Who knows.

We've got the house back to ourselves at the moment.  We had a bunch of company last week.  I couldn't tell you about it before because it was a surprise.  You see, my Aunt Bambi is about to turn 40.  (I won't make it that long)  So the family planned her a surprise party.  People that are kin to our pack came from all over!  One came from Ohio, two from Chicago, two from Michigan, and three from Nevada!  It was great fun to have all these people in the house to love on.  

Here I am listening to Uncle Joe tell me how wonderful I am.

And here's Aunt Bambi.  She was soooo surprised!

Well, the kids are all excited about Christmas coming this week.  And I have to say I've enjoyed all the hustle and bustle.  But now it's time for a nap.  Thanks for stopping by!
Sassy