Head Exploding

This crap drives my inner grammar geek NUTS! Good Morning America, you should be ashamed! (And your chyron operator should be shot!)

Bass Ackwards

Velvet's post about wearing her pants backwards across three states had me rolling in laughter! I'm rather well known for putting my clothes on inside out. Hey, my bedroom is really dark and the light is on a remote and it's not that bright when it's on. Whatever... but I did wear a dress backwards one night ...and was mortified.

It was a chilly fall night when a good friend phoned. She was upset. She needed to see me right away. In spite of the distance between our houses, she made record time. She had caught her husband of a decade cheating and was very distraught. She asked for a cocktail. I'm not a heavy drinker but being a good Southerner, I always have some good bourbon in the house.

She sat on my patio, drinking smooth bourbon, chain smoking, petting my dog, hashing and rehashing all the signs she coulda woulda seen.  Suddenly the alcohol was going to her head. She needed food. I offered to whip something up. No... she wanted to be around people.

I needed to change out of my dog walking sweats. Sensing a long evening ahead, I chose something fashionably comfortable. I tossed on a black slip and, over that, I added a sheer purple floral dress I had bought at a studio sale. We were off to the closest restaurant - California Pizza Kitchen.

The place was packed. I got up to get some more sweetener for my tea and went to put the packets in my pocket... I could've sworn that dress had pockets. (It's always the pockets, eh Velvet??)

We ate. My friend drank and continued the hashing and rehashing as I comforted her as best I could. It was late and time to go.... back to my porch.

My patio chair seemed uncomfortable. What WAS that digging into my butt?? A button? This dress only has buttons on...the...pockets. OMG! 

The countless trips I made parading around that crowded restaurant flashed through my mind: three to the bathroom, twice to the bar, sweetener for the tea, to say hello to a neighbor. Were people staring??? It sure felt like it. At the time, I chalked it up to the fact that I was one of the few people who didn't have on a costume.In retrospect, I'm so relieved it happened on Halloween.

Here They Come

Mabel, Queen Bitch of Everything and her Court Jester Barticus survey all that is theirs:

And then they are off:

Chloe's Pawty - pt 6

I couldn't wrap up Chloe's pawty post without a few pics of the heroine herself. She was pretty low key during the whole event. Thank goodness she doesn't take her cues from the "bad elements" in our pack...like MY dogs!

She posed for pics with both her mom

and then her pop

After all the pups had eaten most of the mega pack of hot dog weenies provided by Chloe and family, the rottrover handed out MEGA HUGE cookies for all the pups to take home! Pawty favors! And while the Barticus enjoyed his after dinner when his mom gave it to him, what do you think the bratty Mabel Lou did with hers???

Yep! She buried it in our yard!

It was one of the finest parties I've ever attended (and I've attended some "Hollywood parties!")! Good fun, good friends and good (mostly) dogs! The most fun site of the event came as the rottrover left the pawty. We all realized as as she walked away in the distance that Bart and Ruby still had those pawty hats on! I didn't get a great photo but the image will forever be a cherished memory!

Happy Trails!!!

Chloe's Pawty - Pt. 5

We left the story as Bart was organizing a walkabout.

Someone suggest pawty games - pin the tail on the rottweiler was the first that came to mind. Naturally, the Queen Bitch of Everything poo pooed that idea!

"Why all fashionable rottweilers come WITH a tail! Everyone knows that!"

Miss Mabel decided that steal the hat from the rottweiler would be a much more fun game! She went right up to Bart and took his pawty hat right off him! The brat!

"Com'on! No dignified rotten looks right in a pointy hat!"

Mabel tromped about with most of the humans following her, certain she was going to bury the hat.

She climbed up a pile of rocks with her court jester, Barticus on her heels:

She knew all the humans were unhappy with her and in the end, she simply spit the hat out - very unceremoniously.

"Hats - PUH!"

 It was immediately returned to its very happy owner:

Tomorrow... the pawty ends with memories for all!

Chloe's Pawty - 4

So we left off with Hank in a pawty hat... would you believe that brat Mabel declared it uber uncool and knocked Hank's hat akimbo with her tail???  What a brat!

Hank warned his sister Sue to keep away from Mabel - the  - pawty - pooper:

Sue heeded of Hank's warning and decided to demonstrate just how cool it was to swim in  a pawty hat!

Meanwhile, Bart and Ruby took care of Hank, returning his pawty hat to a perfect point.

And Hank was happy indeed!

Then Bart decided to organize the pawty goers and take the group on a hike... a moving pawty!

And then... the trouble really started....

Chloe's Pawty Pt.3

There was much excitements as the crowd continued to gather and adorn themselves for Chloe's pawty. Bart maintained his self appointed meet and greet duties.

And our heroine managed to steal away for a quiet moment of kisses and cuddles with her mom.

Meanwhile, the humans in the pack started teasing Chloe's dad about insisting that the dogs wear hats when he himself had none. When he finally put one on, Rottrover rewarded him with his very own cookie (dog treat!) since that's how he was bribing the dogs!

Bart kept a careful watch out (complete with drool ) for crumbs!

Finally! The last of the pawty goers arrived! Look how excited Hank and Sue are:

Check out how handsome Hank was in his pawty hat:

Still lots more to come....

Chloe's Pawty Pt Deux!

Mabel may have acted all cooler than cool, making fun of Bart and Ruby in their pawty hats, I have actual photographic proof that she put one on herself. Of course, Chloe's dad provided a little "encouragement" in the form of a hot dog weenie:

This is not the only photo of Mabel with a hat...but it is the only one of her wearing the hat!

Barticus Farticus was not immune from hat festivities... and, no surprise, was totally bribe-able too. Yes, my dogs will wear anything for a hot dog!

As you can see, Attila a/k/a 'tila boy had arrived and was ready to be hatted.

He was a much better sport that my crew! This is Barticus after a few minutes:

"Duh... is there a weenie in there????"

All in all it was the rottens that were the most fun pawty goers so far... 

They did their best to ignore the Queen Bitch of Everything and her court jester, Barticus.

COMING SOON - PART THREE AND BEYOND: More guests arrive and are properly hatted. Chloe's dad demands his own treats for wearing a hat. Tender stolen moments between the birthday girl and her mom. Sue does tricks in her hat. Party games and MORE... It was quite an event!!!

Chloe's Birthday Pawty! Pt. 1

This is likely to be a multi-part post... I took over 140 pics!!!

Sunday was our Dobie furiend's second birthday and Chloe's pawrents had told all the regulars at the creek to be there well before sunset. I was running a bit late and arrived to find that The Most Interesting Dog in the World a/k/a the Rottrover's Bart was there and ready to get the pawty started!

Note that his sister Miss Ruby is in the back wearing her pawty hat too!  What a greeting committee!

But you know, my little pack is nothing but troublemakers! One quick sniff from Mabel (whose new nickname at the creek is Queen Bitch of Everything) and Bart started doubting his costume choice!

But Miss Ruby did not let Mabel Lou's antics phase her one bit... She's the assistant hostess with the mostest for sures!!!

We went on down by the water... Mabel and Bart have to swim "first thing"... and we found Ms. Chloe sitting there kinda pouting. Her pawrents thought she didn't really like her pawty hat, but I think it was that her hat was different.  You know how those girls hate being different than their friends.

Bruised ego in check and pawty hat returned to proper loft, Bart started rallying the gang for a song for Chloe.

 

Tune in later for Part 2....

There Must Be a Heaven

I'm always surprised just how heavy paw prints are, especially when I find the deep crevasse left in my heart when a furry friend passes away.

Rottrover's Gizmo crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday and my heart is aching and my face hurts from the tearful bouts I've had thinking of him and his family today. How brave he was...how his wagger was wagging until the very end. And even though he was in pain, he had a ready smile and lots of joyful kisses for this friend. He was such a special boy. He is missed sorely.

Our sweet friend Gizmo had the most handsome smile ever!!!

I know that many people have specific ideas of Heaven and what it must be like there. I've had evangelical types tell me that there are no dogs in Heaven.

Mabel and Gizmo

I don't know...no one does; but this much I do know. There must be a mighty special place for the loyalest of friends. Only the rarest of friends in this life have made me feel O.K. about being me... and most of them were dogs. I know that all the truly fine things in this life are things my dogs have taught me to love: a beautiful vista, a cool stream, a walkabout with good friends, a simple meal and a safe place to sleep. These are things I enjoy deeply every day but without my dog, they would seem common or uneventful.

 

Mabel and Gizmo on a rainy hike

My dogs have taught me more about kindness, patience, love, acceptance, forgiveness, joy and parenting than anyone else. They've taught me to laugh, to run with glee and to read minds. Loving a canine has made me a better human.


When I left Gizmo yesterday, I reminded him to tell his big sis Allie hello from me and to please look for my Maggie May and give her one of his special kisses. And last night, I dreamed of those rotten kids playing under a rainbow!

When my time comes, and I find that dogs are not welcome behind Pearly Gates, just be so kind as to give me a map to that Rainbow Bridge.  That's the only Heaven I want to go to. That's where all my friends are.

Gizmo leading the pack on a hike (w/ Ruby, Barticus and Mabel)

Got Toys?

Mabel Lou can always find something to play with:

World Smile Day

Sorry for the double post today but we forgot... it's WORLD SMILE DAY! Who can resist the opportunity to make someone smile???

Here are some of the things that make me smile:

Sunsets in our creek (9-29-11)

Bart always smiles... but he's hard to catch on camera...so those shots are always worth smiling over!

Mabel always smiles in the car... even if we are only running errands. She loves to GO!

Good friends always bring us joy. We "think" this is Ruby. Our second guess is Gizmo! Rottrover???  Either way, our hiking buddies bring us so much joy!!!
{Edited 10/8} Harumph! Well that goes to show you what a good guesser I'm NOT... this is BART!!! 

And finally, our blog buddies bring us lots of smiles all the time! Check out Sugar, Maggie Mae or Dory's Blogs to read along on the World Smile Day blog hop!