As soon as the dogs went out for their morning business, Spooky came down to watch for them out the window.  He's been coming down to the main floor of the house a lot more lately.  I really think he is beginning to feel a part of the family.  He spent the whole first year here in the basement.  Most of that was behind the couch.  Then he discovered the bedroom upstairs and claimed the space under my bed.  Now he pretty much roams the house.  The dogs still chase him, so he has to sneak around.  But if they come near him when he's in the bedroom, he'll come flying out from under the bed and attack.

I guess he's better off now than when he was living in the storm drains in Alabama.  I'd like to let him outside, but he's such a fraidy-cat that I'm afraid if he ran away no one would be able to catch him.  Then if animal control got a hold of him they'd assume he was feral since he'd be freaking out.

Anyway, he's a beautiful boy and I'm glad he's a part of our family.  I just wish I could get him to stop digging his claws into my back or head when I'm asleep so I'll wake up and give him some love and attention.

New ATC

I've added a new ATC to my "Sheepdogs" series.  It's the second one.  The first one was made several months ago (see my first post).  I like doing ATC's.  They are quick (usually) and give me a much needed creative outlet without a big time investment.  And they are not all about the dogs. 

I've been making the dog ones into greeting cards lately.  I'm trying to get a bunch done for the up-coming charity event for Hope Rescues.  We are participating in the annual neighborhood yard sale next weekend with all proceeds going to Hope.   (Check them out at hoperescues.com)  If you are near Glen Carbon, come check us out!  There will be lots of clothes - teen girls Abercrombie, American Eagle, etc., and little boys stuff especially.  We'll have 2 motorcycles, kids play structures, high chair, car booster seats, household stuff, etc, etc, etc.  Hopefully we'll make a lot of money for the homeless dogs and cats!

Check out my sister's blog at rxbambi.blogspot.com.  She's funny.

Thanks for reading!

Ginger and Sassy saw Santa today

19 Puppies!!!

My sister, Sue, and I went to volunteer at Hope Rescues in Alton, IL this morning.  We had it pretty easy today - just helping Kim with the food and water while she mucked out the kennels.  Hers is a hard job.  The dogs get walked (in a great fenced yard with lots of room to run and play) 3 times each day.  Some of the dogs go out together, but some have to be let out by themselves.  Someone has to be outside with the dogs at all times, so if Kim is by herself it takes her twice as long.  She has to go out with the dogs, play with them, love on them, etc.  Then she puts them in a spare kennel to mop out their kennels, get fresh water and food for them.  Once they go back into their kennel, she cleans the spare and starts all over again.  So if someone can be outside with the dogs, she can get the kennels cleaned much faster.  Today she had a young volunteer out with the dogs, so Sue and I helped Kim inside.  We got it done really fast!

Well, yesterday, one of the recently rescued dogs gave birth to 13 puppies.  4 of them didn't make it, but there are 9 left.  A couple of days ago, animal control brought them a momma dog with 10 of her own puppies.  That's 19 new puppies!  And they have to stay at Hope until they are 12 weeks old and have had all their puppy shots.  It's easy to see that Hope will have their hands full.  If anyone reading this lives in the area and is looking for a dog, please consider Hope Rescues.  (cats too)  If you are not in the area but have a group that needs a service project (girl scouts or something) consider collecting money or supplies for Hope.  They can use all the help they can get.

Check out the website at www.hoperescues.com

We also played with a great little man named Tumbleweed.  Check out his picture on the website.  He's a 9 year old pom.  He's got his hair cut in a way that makes him look like a little lion.  I wish I could've brought him home.  He's scared and only wanted to be held and played with.  Despite his age he'll make someone a great lap dog.

I love going over to Hope Rescues.  The owners have a dedication that is inspiring and I love it when I get there and one of the dogs I played with before is gone to a new home.  

Thanksgiving 2008

A twenty pound turkey

all the other required fixin's

17 friends and family

wine and sparkling cider

Thanksgiving 2008 was quite a wonderful celebration at our house.  Grandpa was here from Tennessee.  Uncle Sky, Aunt Liz and Sarah were here from Kentucky.  Sue and Bob came with Ashley, Kaity, Kelsey and Kirstin.  And two of our international students from India, Sunil and Vikram, joined us as well.  With the 5 of us, that made 17 in all.

Sassy, of course, loved it.  She was sure that everyone here was only here to see and love on her.  It's so affirming to have Sassy around.  She will sit next to you and look into your eyes with such adoration.  

Ginger, on the other hand, did not have such a good time.  She spent most of her time shivering with fear and hiding from Grandpa.  Why she is so afraid of Grandpa is a mystery.  She has always mistrusted men she didn't know.  But she usually warms up to anyone that we treat as a friend.  With Grandpa, though, it's different.  She won't come near him.  She barks every time he moves a muscle.  And she hides upstairs most of the day.

I even had to carry her (remember, she is like 65 pounds) into the house one morning.  Of course I was in my red pajamas with the big white snowflakes.  And yes, people did drive by.  I just hope they got a laugh out of it.  Because it was really irritating at the time.  (My neighbor Cheryl saw me carry Ginger into the house the last time Grandpa was here.  She got a kick out of it).

All the guests are gone now and we have started to get set up for Christmas.  The tree is up and most of the other decorations are up as well.  We've got a few Thanksgiving things to put away still.  But it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here.  We even had a dusting of snow on the ground this morning. 

We are hoping the KY and TN folks will be coming back for Christmas.  I guess I should look into getting some valium for Ginger.

Sassy

Sassy wasn't at all a "throw-away" dog, but we were her 4th family in her first 9 months of life.  And that is not counting her birth home.  See, Sassy was first adopted by my husband's boss.  The family loved her and would have kept her, but the dad was allergic to her.  She is supposed to be a chihuahua mix and the dad was not allergic to their other chihuahua mix.  So they hoped he wouldn't be allergic to her.  But look at her picture.  My husband noted that if she had any chihuahua in her, she must have eaten one.

Anyway, since he was allergic, he gave Sassy to his secretary.  She would have kept her but her Jack Russell Terrier had other ideas.  So they gave Sassy to their neighbors.

The neighbors were an older couple who were looking for a small, calm lap dog.  Sassy was a puppy and it was obvious she was not going to be a small dog.  She weighs about 30 lbs now.  I guess that makes her officially a medium sized dog.  And she had all the energy of a puppy.  She was just too much for them.

So about a month before we were scheduled to move from Alabama to Illinois, my husband's boss asked him if we could take Sassy.  Her daughter was particularly worried that Sassy was having trouble finding a good home.  So we agreed to meet the older lady at a grocery store parking lot to see if Sassy might fit into our lives.

She jumped right in the car and pretty much acted like she'd been a part of our family all along.  Ginger accepted her pretty easily.  And the cat, who had just been captured and brought inside, really had no choice.

Now Sassy is the ultimate lover-dog.  Her favorite thing to do is sit next to someone on the couch, her head on that person's chest.  She'll look up into that person's eyes with adoration and sigh with contentment.  My friend Carole found that out when she came over one evening in October.  Sassy attached herself to Carole and adored her the whole time she was here.

This is Sassy.  She loves to sit like this on the couch or recliner.   Isn't she cute?