Happy New Year 2006!

I would like to wish everyone a VERY Happy, Healthy, and Wealthy New Year 2006! I have a few spare minutes online tonight, so I thought I'd post an update. After my last post on Christmas Eve, I completely lost my voice. I walked around for 3 more days just thinking I had a case of laryngitis. Last Monday, I finally gave up and went to the walk-in clinic. As it turned out, I had a major case of strep throat. That was the reason that I drug around for the last 2 weeks. After most of a prescription of antibiotics, I'm finally feeling like myself again. Just in time to go back to work, huh? Casey is feeling better too. He finally started feeling human again last Wednesday. That respirtory bug he had was so bad, that 2 of our dogs actually caught it!! I had Bear into the vet early yesterday morning. He kept us both awake all night on Thursday night coughing. Slate has it too. I didn't think that was possible, but the vet confirmed as much. So now, Slate, Bear, Nick, and I are all on antibiotics. Nick is the good news case to report. We still don't have a new home for him yet, but he's recovering from all of infections. He's gained a little over 10 pounds in the past week. He's in really good spirits and wants to play all of the time.

I'm over at my Mom's right now. Me, Casey, Mom and my brother are all getting ready to ring in the new year. We are waiting for Dick Clark's return. We've got a bottle of champagne ready. So here's a toast to all of my friends (furry and otherwise) and family this New Year!! I'll be back online with regular updates on Tuesday!!

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to take a quick minute to pop in and tell everyone Merry Christmas. I hope that you all get exactly what you want, and that you all have a very Happy New Year. Casey and I have both been off from work this week, but it has been totally wasted. We've both been sick as dogs this week. We did finally manage to get Nick picked up from the vet on Thursday. He's putting on weight really fast and is a world better in just a week. I have him a nice, big Jumbone for a Christmas treat. I'll have new pictures for everyone soon.

Today is the first day that we've felt like doing anything. I drug all around town yesterday, trying to get the last of what little shopping I needed done. It was an absolute mad house. Casey went out today on his own, and I tell you, I didn't envy him at all! We have managed to get all of our gift wrapping done. I've even gotten the dog and cat presents all wrapped and their stockings stuffed as well. They'll be a lot of new woobie love in the house tomorrow.

Again, I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

Animal Christmas Carols

Well, my time of work for the year is nearly over. After today, I'll be off celebrating and making merry until the New Year. So, I guess this will be my last official big post for the year. I'll be in and out from now on, but I'll try to get by and blog some. I'm sure there'll be lots of AudioBlogger posts too!

Casey and I are going to stop by the vet's this afternoon to check on Nick. We've got lots of feelers out for rescues, and lots of folks are helping us. Today he's having a full physical to give us a better idea of his age and his health condition. The next thing on the agenda is a full round of shots and a neutering. I'm sure poor Nick had something else in mind for Christmas than that! Anyway after all that, he'll be coming to Shelbyville to live with Casey and me for a while. He'll stay with us, until a spot comes open in one of the rescues. I really have a good feeling, it won't take us long to find him a good home. Everyone send good Christmas pixie dust our way!!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Like I said, I'll be dropping by every once in a while to keep you all updated. I'm going to leave you all today with a cute little doggie Christmas parody. I first saw this song's lyrics posted over on Casper D. Dog's blog. I did a little research and found that you can actually hear it over at Twisted Tunes. Here's the lyrics first:

Yellow Snow! Yellow Snow! Yellow Snow!

(Parody of Let it Snow)

Oh, the weather outside was whitening

‘Til the dog did something frightening

He’s got no other place to go

Yellow snow, yellow snow, yellow snow

And he doesn’t show signs of stopping

As he sniffs around his dropping

You see him everywhere you go

In the snow, yellow snow, yellow snow

When he finally goes outside

He’ll be frolicking ‘round in the storm

He’ll be marking our yard with pride

You can tell by the steam that it’s warm

When the snow begins it’s thawing

It reveals those puppy drawings

He’s a frisky little pooch van Gogh

Yellow snow, yellow snow, yellow snow

Come here, Yeller. Come on boy. Good doggie.

Oh, not on Frosty.

He’ll be marking our yard with pride

You can tell by the steam that it’s warm

Well, he’s happy and his tail starts waggin’

But the snowman’s left side is saggin’

There’s a little puddle right below

Yellow snow, yellow snow, yellow snow

Yellow snow, yellow snow

Yellow snow

Little patches of yellow snow

Yellow snow

Little patches of where Fido goes

To hear the Mp3 click HERE

It's the first song on the list! Enjoy!

Little Dog Lost

Casey and I are still boarding the Sharpei at the vet's office. They have been wonderful to us!! They are checking him over today to give us an idea of his overall health. We should know something by Monday at the very latest. I've contacted a lot of rescue groups, and this rescue has become a joint effort. In just the past day, I've met some wonderful people through this little dog. Everyone keep their fingers crossed that we find him a good home. Casey and I named him Nicholas, since we've found him so close to Christmas. We're calling him Nick for short. Isn't he cute? He'll look so much better once we get him fed and healthy.

The Animals Talk

I just think this is a wonderful legend, and I just wanted to share it with you all. I'll certainly be watching this Christmas Eve. To view the story source click HERE.

The Night The Animals Talked

In the frosty mountains and on the snowy fields of Norway, there is a legend that draws children to all kinds to stables and stalls throughout the country on each Christmas Eve night. They are hoping to hear a miracle. They are waiting to hear the animals talk.

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This was no abandoned place, but was a working stable, filled with animals of all kinds. Into these humble surroundings, encircled by the innocent creatures of God, the Savior of man came into the world.

Now according to legend, at least, Christ's birth occurred at exactly midnight. Inside the stable, the animals watched in wonder as the new-born babe was lovingly wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. Suddenly, God gave voice to the animals and immediately they began to praise God for the miracle they had just seen. This went on for several minutes and, just before the entrance of the shepherds -- who had hurried to the stable because angels had told them the Christ had been born there -- the animals again fell silent. The only humans who had heard them were Mary, Joseph and, of course, the Christ child.

The legend of the talking animals persists to this day in Scandinavia. And every Christmas Eve, wide-eyed children creep into stables just before midnight to hear the animals praise God for the wondrous birth of His Son. Of course, adults scoff at this. "Old wives tales," they grump. "Those children should be home in bed, not out in the cold waiting for the family cow to preach a sermon."

But the children know -- or at least believe -- that animals really do praise God at midnight every Christmas Eve. And who of us -- those who believe in an all-powerful God -- can say that it really doesn't happen?

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

In The Bleak Midwinter.....

I've had the most interesting start to my day today. Just as I was about to turn into the lot at work, Casey calls. He tells me that there is a dog at the back door of his building that is starving to death. Now, you all know how we are. We couldn't just sit back and do nothing. It's winter time, and it's cold out, and it's bleak and dreary today especially. We called around to the local rescues, but it was so early that none were open. We took the dog to a local vet to have him boarded for the day, while we come up with more ideas. Turns out, he's a full bred Sharpei. The vet is going to clean him up and look him over. Hopefully, he'll check out fine. The vet's office is going to try and contact the Nashville Sharpei rescue. Hopefully, we'll have some luck there. Anyway, looks like we have another dog to foster for a while. AND I MEAN IT!!! Only for A WHILE this time!! We have a full house, and it just wouldn't be fair to bring another one in, but hopefully I can find a good home for it. It's time for me to go and chant my mantra.....

I WILL NOT GET ATTACHED! I WILL NOT GET ATTACHED! I WILL NOT GET ATTACHED!! Do ya'll think it'll work??

Cool Dog Site!

Yesterday, I received an e-mail informing me of a really cool dog site. Michael, from A Big Dog Blog contacted me to let me know about his site. I checked it out, and it's fabulous!! So, I've added it to the blogroll. It'll keep you up to date on doggie news, fashion, gadgets, and treats. There are a lot of great links there too!! Here's the tagline: A Big Dog Blog-a-Zine on News, Fashion, Entertainment and More So go pay Michael a visit, and tell him Cheryl sent ya!

Fun With the 501st In Gallatin

Well, Saturday's parade went off without a hitch. Casey and I found our way there, met up with everyone, and got THE plan. We first went to this park parking lot, where everyone could suit up. It was here that we started to organize the lineup, and were assigned our tasks. The actual filmer was running late, so at first, it looked like Casey would be the actual photographer. Luckily, our guy made it in the nick of time. After everyone was ready, it was time to head to the actual parade line up. They had a truck with a big trailer to ferry everyone over. The day was so brisk, that a group of us decided we would just walk there. We didn't realize that the walk would take us about 30 minutes!! We were well warmed up, by the time we got to the parade lineup. The guy that was dressed in the true to scale Chewbacca costume walked all that way in stilts!! As we were approaching the lineup, all of the people on floats started to cheer us. Talk about stopping traffic. Our group of 73 had no problem getting traffic to stop to cross the street!! Everyone was quite taken with Chewbacca and our remote control replica of R2D2.

The parade lineup was so long, that it took our part of the line a while to start moving. Oh man, but once we did, it was SO MUCH FUN!! The kids and adults went absolutely crazy, when they saw us coming. Chewbacca and R2 were definitely the stars!! We had a decorated pickup truck following us that played Star Wars music. Every so often, the soundtrack would play: Emperor to Anakin: "Every Jedi is now an enemy of the Republic. Do what must be done, spare no one, show no mercy." At that time, the Clone Troopers would surround the Jedi, and a lightsaber battle between Anakin and the Jedi would begin. We had people stopping us for pictures and to record us. Casey and I were really busy handing out candy to all of the kids and keeping everybody's costume on. It took A LOT more energy than I had imagined.

After the parade, and once we had recovered, it was time for the Christmas dinner. Our dinner was at Shady Cove Marina. It was a wonderful buffet of primer rib, pork, baked chicken, steak tips, ribeye, catfish, green beans, roasted potatoes, macoroni and cheese, and other great stuff. Needless to say, we ate our fill. We all had a great time visiting and watching the award presentations. After the dinner, we were all going bowling, but Casey and I were beat. Since we weren't staying overnight we decided to head back home, while we were still awake. We got in just before midnight. We had a GREAT time! I've got some pictures posted below. To see my whole album click HERE. Thanks to the 501st for inviting us!

Getting ready.....

In the lineup.

501st Group Photo

Faces revealed.

Marching Orders

Hello everyone! I hope that everyone has had a good week. In just a few hours, I'll be marching alongside the 501st Legion in the Gallatin, TN Christmas parade. Looks like we have much better weather this week. I'll be a handler at this one. This is a really big parade group this week. There are about 70 of us marching. All but about 5 will be in costume. I've got the camera battery charging right now!! The parade is a 2 p.m. so anyone close enough, feel free to come out and watch. I've come prepared with my elf hat, and 5lbs. of candy! Afterwards, we'll be going to the Christmas party and the bowling party. It will just be too much fun! I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Pooch Helps With Rehabilitation

Photo from the Today Show Hans, the dacshund, helps stroke victims with their rehabilitation. He does this through his own disability. This piece on the Today Show was absolutely wonderful!! It's such a heartwarming story, and it just made me gush. If you want to smile, then watch THIS. You'll see the video box of Hans as the front page comes up. What a wonderful story to share!

Christmas Recipe for Baking Kitties!

Baking Cookies With Your Cat !

1. Look in cookbook for cookie recipe.

2. Get cup of coffee.

3. Get cat off of cookbook.

4. Find that special recipe.

5. Get cat's nose out of coffee mug.

6. Go to fridge and get eggs.

7. Get dry ingredients from cupboard.

8. Break eggs in small bowl.

9. Sift dry ingredients in large bowl.

10. Answer the phone.

11. Cat ate eggs; get more from fridge.

12. Get cat out of flour bowl and dust cat off.

13. Get Band-Aids for scratches on hands.

14. Throw flour out and get more.

15. Preheat oven for cookies.

16. Looking at cat &wanting to bake cat now. Cat runs for cover into bathroom.

17. Flour the counter to roll out cookie dough.

18. Big crash in bathroom; run to see what happened.

19. Cat has TP all over floor; stuff spilled and knocked over on top of bathroom counter.

20. Yell at cat. Cat falls in toilet bowl.

21. Can sense cat is angry.

22. Take cat out of toilet to dry cat off.

23. Get bandages to cover more scratches on arms and legs.

24. Cleanup bathroom.

25. Hear a thump in kitchen ... Oh Golly ... now what?

26. Get cat off floured counter in kitchen.

27. Try to pick out cat hairs from flour.

28. Step on cat's tail and get bitten.

29. Get coat, car keys, and go to store to buy cookies!!!

Holiday Light Spectacular!!

If you want to see a spectacular holiday light display of grand porportions click HERE. Too cool!! Thanks to Nashville Is Talking and NashvilleFiles.com for the heads up!!

Holiday Scenes

Ah, holiday scenes from my life. Here are some of the pictures that I've been promising for the past week....

Decorating the Animal Angel Tree for the humane association.

These next pictures are kind of blurry. I was having trouble getting the light setting right. It also could have been that my battery was dying. I think that we are going to have to get a new one. This battery doesn't want to hold a charge.

My Christmas tree at home.

Fergie acting as the Richardson Christmas Ambassador!

That Dog's Laughing At You!!!

Researchers have determined that dogs laugh. They say that it very much sounds like a loud hassling sound. Tape recordings of barking and "laughing" dogs have been used in SPCA shelters. The results? All of the kenneled dogs went wild barking, while the sound of barking was played. While the sound of dog laughter was played, the shelter went absolutely quiet. I have to say that I agree with the findings. Fergie often makes that special sound, especially when she's playing ball. That's how I KNOW she's happy. I just wish that we could get a recording of that dog laughter to use at the kennel, when it's full of barkers. What about you all? Do you have any laughing dogs? For more information or a full article, click HERE

Holiday Pet Tips

This is a cute little piece that I received on one of my dog lists. It is a great reminder for pet owners to be wary of the various Christmas decorations in reach of pets. For a full list of dangerous Christmas plants and items, visit ASPCA's Poision Control Center or click HERE

A Puppy Christmas

On the first day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

The Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the second day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the third day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Six yards of soggy ribbon

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Seven scraps of wrapping paper

Six yards of soggy ribbon

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Eight tiny reindeer fragments

Seven scraps of wrapping paper

Six yards of soggy ribbon

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

My wreath in nine pieces

Eight tiny reindeer fragments

Seven scraps of wrapping paper

Six yards of soggy ribbon

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Ten Christmas cards I shoulda mailed

My wreath in nine pieces

Eight tiny reindeer fragments

Seven scraps of wrapping paper

Six yards of soggy ribbon

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

Eleven unwrapped presents

Ten Christmas cards I shoulda mailed

My wreath in nine pieces

Eight tiny reindeer fragments

Seven scraps of wrapping paper

Six yards of soggy ribbon

Five chewed-up stockings

Four broken window candles

Three punctured ornaments

Two leaking bubble lights

And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me

A dozen puppy kisses

and I forgot all about the other eleven days.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

DRAT, DRAT, DRAT and DRAT again!!! The powers that be have decided to postpone the Shelbyville Christmas parade until tomorrow (Sunday) at 4 p.m. Since so many of the group are from out of town, we won't be making an appearance in Shelbyville this year. I have to admit, I'm extremely disappointed. I thought this would be a great addition to the Shelbyville parade and was looking forward to being there for my hometown. Anyway, I guess that I'll have to settle for next week's parades in Gallatin and Hendersonville. You all have a great weekend, while I go and quietly curse the weather and pout!

Don't Rain On My Parade

Ruldoph's ready, but apparently the weather is NOT! We're supposed to march in the Shelbyville Christmas parade tonight. Casey and I are marching with the 501st Legion Southern Oupost that's leading Santa Claus' float. Our group has a most coveted spot. We have about 25 participants, and the costumes include the likes of Darth Vader, a life size (7'2" tall) Chewbacca, Stormtroopers, Clone Troopers, Royal Guards, Anakin Skywalker, a pod racing Anakin, Jawas, Boba and Jango Fett, and many others.

Some of the 501st members we'll be marching with tonight.

I've been so excited about it all week. Casey and I are walking along as spotters. The costumes don't always have a good line of vision, so it's our job to make sure they don't run into kids, holes, poles, etc. We are also handing out candy to the kids. We have some of the Darth Vader head candy buckets and extra stormtrooper helmets to do this. This parade is what motivated me to get to the doctor to get myself well. Anyway, of course, the weather forcast is horrible for today and tonight. We are supposed to step off for a 2 mile parade at 6 p.m. We have to meet our group at 4:30, and be in line up by 5:00 p.m. Our local radio station is broadcasting the final decision whether to cancel and schedule a rain date, or to go on with the show at noon today. I admit that I'm trying to hold the weather off by sheer force of will. We've had pouring rain this morning, but looking at the radar that first bit is clearing now. There's nothing on radar behind it, but I suspect it will stream up from the south.

I wouldn't mind marching on the makeup date, but next weekend we are supposed to go up north of Nashville for the Gallatin parade and Christmas party. I will just cross my fingers. This is going to be something really new and unique for the Shelbyville parade. I just hope that we can pull it off. I'll just wait for the announcement. Everyone cross their fingers and think good thoughts for us.

Kindness of Strangers

After my last post on Wednesday, I took to fits of sneezing. CONTINUALLY...ALL..THE..REST...OF...THE..DAY!! So I was feeling pretty crappy, when I set off Wednesday night for the humane tree decoration. Bi-Lo gave us a great spot for the tree set up. Six of us were there for the decorating festivities. The tree ended up being really cute. We had the dog biscuit ornaments, the round ornaments with SBCHA,pawprints,cat faces, etc., pictures of all the humane animals, envelopes and instructions on the tree. It came together pretty quickly, and we were all proud of our work. I made several pictures, while we were decorating. My camera battery was running really low, so I only made a few. While we were finishing up, we were approached by a man. None of us knew or recognized him. He was very polite and asked us what our tree represented. We happily explained our cause and how our organization is run entirely by volunteers. He complimented our efforts and took a few more minutes to look at the tree. Suddenly to our surprise, he asked for one of our envelopes. We gave it to him, expecting a mail in donation. Instead, he pulled out his wallet and handed us a fresh, crisp $100 dollar bill!! We were completely taken aback. We asked for his name and contact information, so we could send him a thankyou, but he wished to remain anonymous. Talk about a complete suprise. It's the little acts of strangers sometimes, that can restore your faith in humanity. (Thank you so much, whoever you are!!) We all left with a very good feeling that night.

Unfortunately, my sneezing continued all the way through this event, and it made my ears feel like they were going to blow out. I've been battling with a slight earache for about 2 weeks now. I woke up yesterday feeling horrid. I finally went to see the doctor yesterday afternoon. Just a simple ear infection. Now I have meds and am feeling somewhat better today. Nothing big to accomplish today. Everyone's just getting ready for all of the holiday festivites. Hopefully, I'll have the humane tree pictures posted by tomorrow. Everyone have a great day!

Animal Angel Trees

This year, my humane association opted to have their wine tasting in the spring. So, that left us scrambling to come up with a fall fundraiser. After mulling over several different ideas and running short on time, we finally decided on animal angel trees. Several businesses around town agreed to sponsor us. We have a tree at the city's festival of trees, a tree at Lowe's, one at the local vocational school, and one at Bi-Lo. Actually, I'm in charge of setting up and decorating the tree at Bi-Lo. We have made it easy for people to donate to us. They may donate any items they want, but we also have tags that say things like: $10 for flea treatment, $5.00 for treats, $20.00 for spay/neuter, and things of that nature. For my tree, I've made a lot of the ornaments. I really wanted it to have an animal/pet theme. I made ornaments out of colored dog biscuits, and I painted regular round ornaments with pawprints, cat faces, our humane association name, and meows and woofs! Another lady is bringing little balls of yarn to hang as well. I've also made a tree topper out of a big rawhide bone. I just hope it's as cute, as I've imagined. We are only putting up a little 5 ft. tree, because of the limited space we have. I'll be sure to get lots of pictures to post tomorrow. So, I'm off to be the decorating elf! Everyone wish me luck.....

No McCartney In China??

This morning, as I was getting ready for work, I partially heard a little blurb about Paul McCartney NEVER playing a show in China again. Then I also heard tacked on...."because of cat and dog fur". Anyway, I just HAD to investigate. It seems that Sir Paul did indeed say that he would never play a show in China again. Apparently he'd seen secret video footage of dogs and cats being killed for their fur. For the whole story click HERE.

I have to admire Mr. McCartney for his willingness to stand up on the animal's behalf, and I do not question his intentions in the least. BUT, I am also a little leary of the ethics of this "secret" video tape. Now, you all know that I'll do anything for an animal, but sometimes PETA's radical tatics really concern me. I'm not afraid to say that I'm a bit a fence rider, when it comes to PETA. I'm so glad that Mr. McCartney is using his influence for a good cause, but I'm not sure that boycotting the entire country is the right way to go about it. I don't know what might work better, but I feel that he may be alienating good, concerned animals lovers in China. I mean, look at how the boycott of Cuba has worked out. Seems to be nothing but a stalemate huh? Anyway, I don't want to get into politics at all. That's not what this blog is about. BUT, I do want to think carefully about this and get all the facts, BEFORE I jump to a conclusion. I'm just as concerned at how our livestock is slaughtered in this country as well. Again, I'm so glad that he's that interested, concerned, and not disconnected (as he very well could be in his position). The whole thing just troubles me. What do you guys think?

Holiday Weekend Recap

I had a FABULOUS Thanksgiving, and I hope that everyone else did too! Casey and I had a bigger Thanksgiving than ever. Even though we ate at Pope's Cafe for lunch on Thanksgiving, nobody would let me out of my traditional Thanksgiving breakfast: Sausage, Egg, and Cheese casserole, and Cheese Grit Casserole. Since we were eating lunch rather early, we decided to wait and have the breakfast on Friday morning. The sausage casserole require refridgeration overnight so I was up early on Thursday whipping everything together, before we left for lunch. I knew that I would be a lump that afternoon, so it was best to get it over with. We met my mom and brother at Pope's. Lunch was fantastic! I had turkey and dressing, ham, fried corn, green beans, macoroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, and deviled eggs. And that was just the vegetables off of the menu I picked! They had several more that you could choose from. The best part was you could have all the veggies you wanted. Dinner was finished off by fresh peach cobbler and ice cream straight from the oven. We all had a great lunch and headed home none too comfortable. Afterwards, Casey and I headed straight for the couch!

We napped a little while, before going to Thanksgiving dinner with Casey's family. Casey's Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Billy were there, along with his cousin Allision (who was hosting), and 2 other cousins and their families were there. It had been too long, since we visited with them, and we had a great time. We ate dinner around 4:30 p.m., and Casey and I didn't get home until nearly 10:00 p.m. We've decided to get together with them more often, especially since all of us live less than a mile from one another. Oh, and did I mention MORE food!! By the end of the evening, all of us had decided that we'd never eat again.

The rest of the vacation went so well. Casey and I decided to do absolutely nothing!! And let me tell you, it felt really good. We just lounged and watched movies. I didn't leave the house again, until Saturday afternoon. I managed to drag myself up and out to get the Christmas tree. My brother and I went and got both of our trees. It's been a tradition of ours for years. Casey stayed home and made the traditional tree decorating dinner of spaghetti for us. By around 11:30 Saturday night, everything was finished. I'm fully prepared for the holidays now.

Yesterday was just more lounging. (I think the dogs were secretly drugging us, so we'd stay home and lounge with them.) We watched a couple more movies. Yesterday afternoon, I went over to help my brother decorate the outside of my mom's house. She now has icicle lights across the eaves, wreaths on each window, bannisters and shrubs with colored lights, and a big light up wreath in the middle. She and her neighbors (she lives in a duplex)went in together this year to decorate. I'll hopefully have all the decoration pictures made by this weekend. It's supposed to rain today, so it's a no go.

I've gotta get moving. I've got lots to catch up on. I hope everyone has a fantastic day! Also, let me know what you guys think about the new holiday blog look!

New Cool Blog Site

I've added a new UBER COOL blog to my blog roll. It's called Melanie Phillips: Portrait Artist. Melanie is a professional pet portrait artist and is from West Wales. In her blog, she discusses her works in progress, her business, and her furry friends. She even posts photos of paintings in progress! Her portraits are absolutely beautiful. She's new to blogging, so hop on over, give her a visit, and tell her Cheryl sent ya!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, it's that time folks! It's time for us to start the holiday season! I'll be wrapping up work today, and I'll be off to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We are having lunch with my mom and my brother. We are going to this little local cafe called Pope's Cafe. It's on our square, and it opened in 1945. It's recently been taken over by new owners, and let me tell you, the food is FANTASTIC!! It's the closest thing to my mama's own home cooking, that I've ever had out. They are serving ham, turkey, 8-10 different vegetables, breads, desserts, and drinks! We are all going to just kick back and enjoy. In the afternoon, we are going over to visit Casey's family and eat dinner. So, it's the biggest Thanksgiving celebration that we've had in several years. I'm sure that someone will have to roll us home, after all of that eating. Because of Casey's past job, he never had holidays off. So this is the first year, since we've been married, that we will get to spend the holidays together. And let me tell you, I'm excited!

And now for my list:

Things I'm Thankful For

1. My family.

2. My friends.

3. My pets.

4. My home.

5. Enough money to pay the bills.

6. My job.

7. My health.

8. My happiness.

9. My hobbies that make me happy.

10. All of the small blessings that God sends to me every day!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

More Good News for Tennessee Animal Friendly Tags

For anyone that has the Tennessee Animal Friendly License plates, this comes as exceptionally good news. From a news release from the ASPCA today:

GOT YOUR ANIMAL-FRIENDLY LICENSE PLATE YET, TENNESSEE RESIDENTS?

Tennessee’s animal-friendly license plate program just got a little friendlier, now that PetSmart Charities has partnered with the state’s Department of Agriculture and the Companion Animal Initiative in Tennessee to expand low-cost spay/neuter services. PetSmart will match up to $100,000 of funds generated above total plate sales for the prior fiscal year.

“The grant from PetSmart Charities is an opportunity to better serve more communities throughout the state,” says Dr. Ron Wilson, Tennessee State Veterinarian. “I encourage people who are interested in responsible pet ownership to buy the animal-friendly license plates. This grant will essentially double the money that goes into the spay/neuter program for each plate sold.”

The specialty plate costs $35 in addition to county fees. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, Big Bend State animal lovers, please visit Tennessee.gov for more information or contact your local county clerk’s office to purchase a plate. ...

Click the link above or the picture to find out how to purchase yours! Makes me proud to drive around with one on my car. A couple years ago, my humane association was awarded a special spay/neuter grant with the proceeds from these tags. So, I can assure you that they money goes into a very good cause. With this grant, our humane association was able to spay/neuter dogs and cats for many that had no funds to do so. We helped these families and over 200 animals. I can't help but think of all the future unwanted pets that we prevented as well.

A Moment for Sam

Sam, one of the ugliest dogs around, crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Friday. He had been suffering from heart failure. It just goes to prove that love knows no stereotype. Let's take a minute to remember Sam and his family.

A DOG'S PRAYER

By Beth Norman Harris

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps falls upon my waiting ear.

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper.

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger.

And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health, do not turn me away from you. Rather hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest--and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

Lots Accomplished

I feel really good about this past weekend. I felt much better than I did last weekend too. On Saturday after work and a great dinner, Casey and I went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I really did enjoy it. I could definitely tell that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were growing up as well as the plot line. It was darker and definitely more adult. I could almost feel Hermione's first bouts with PMS! Even though the movie left so much out, it was still an entertaining night out at the movies. Afterwards, we just came on home, and I did a little reading.

Sunday was the most productive day. Casey and I both got up really early for some reason. So, we spent the early morning watching DVDs. Casey whipped up some great teriyaki chicken for lunch. Afterwards, I began the Christmas wrath on the house. I like to decorate in small bouts. That way, I don't feel so overwhelmed. I always start just a few days before Thanksgiving. For the past several years, I've been off my schedule and very stressed. This year, I was determined to, "stay on target!". I'm happy to report that I'm not only on schedule, but ahead a little bit. I want the house to look especially beautiful this year, because Melissa is coming to spend a few days with us before Christmas. Casey and I have a secret plot to make her miss home so much, that she'll move back to Tennessee (yes, I know it sounds selfish, but it's only because we miss and love her so much!). Anyway, I got the outside decorations all finished. I just can't believe it. It was a nice day and not too cold. I usually wait until an artic front comes through, and the temp drops a good 40 degrees to do this. I also got the inside garlands rewrapped with new, colored lights and hung. The mantel is done as well. I changed it again this year. Last year, I had garland and the white poinsettias.

Last year.

This year, I've decided to enjoy my snowmen in December and January. I still have the green garland (now with colored lights) and the stockings. Across the top, I have part of my snowman collection. Some are antique, some aren't. Some light up, and some don't. Some are wood, and some are stuffed. I have white lights underneath the snow, and little evergreen trees scattered around them. I'll get a picture and post it soon. Anyway I don't lack much, except placing little knick knacks around the kitchen and putting the tree up. I'm thinking the tree will be in a different spot this year, because of the 2 new sofas. I want to keep the room as open as possible, so I may move the tree....we'll see. Hopefully, I'll get to enjoy Christmas this year, instead of just feeling the stress.

This week is a short week. When I drove onto campus this morning, I noticed that a lot of students have already left for the holiday. Their numbers will dwindle after today. So, it should be pretty smooth sailing. I hope everyone has a great day!

Countdown to the Holidays

I guess that, as of this weekend, the official countdown to the holidays have begun. It's usually this time of year that stress hits me upside the head. This year is a little different though. Casey and I have decided to really enjoy the season for what it is this year, instead of mostly just commercialism. Instead of exchanging gifts with his family this year (his side of the family is quite large), we've all decided to just enjoy being together. His family also thought that was a great idea too! See, half the stress gone...just like that...POOF! We are still exchanging with my mom and brother, but that will basically be it. So I guess that I can say, I will not dread Thanskgiving and the Friday after sales this year. I just won't have to do it. This year, I'll get to actually kick back and enjoy my family, instead of hyperventilating that I haven't gotten everything done. This Thanksgiving, I'll really have a lot to be thankful for.

Today has been typical. I'm just trying to get a few extra things done, since next week is a short week. I think that Casey and I are planning on going to the movies tonight. We want to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, of course. It's playing both at our local theatre and the drive-in. It's been really cold at night, so I'm not sure which place we'll end up. We also want to see Walk the Line, which is also at the drive-in. I guess that we'll suprise ourselves. Sunday, I'm going to try and get the outside Christmas lights up and working. I'd rather do it in the mild weather, rather than freeze to death. My brother and Casey said that they both would help me. With that much help, it should only take and hour or so. I also want to give all the dogs a bath this weekend, before Thanksgiving. Time to get squeaky clean for the holidays. It's a major task with 4 of them. I certainly have grand plans for this short weekend, don't I? I'll be able to take Bear and Fergie to the kennel with me on Monday, so that will ease the job a bit. We'll see who gets wetter, me or the dogs.... I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Preparation

Nothing monumental to report, I'm afraid. I am finally feeling better. I just still get tired at night. I've spent the better part of today making a blog template for the holiday season. It's totally different from anything that I've ever done. I'm just now able to read and understand enough html to make these kinds of changes. So, I hope that you guys like it. I'll be unveiling it the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Casey and I are going to have a really greasy, calorie infested, yummy supper tonight. We are going to a little local place called Pawbowski's Dog House. I'd give a link, but I've either misspelled the name OR they don't have a website yet. They pride themselves on serving the best chilli dogs, corn dogs, and Chicago dogs in the area. Since I've been really good with my eating this week, I feel that I'm entitled. We may or may not do a little shopping. We at least have to go back and swap Casey's cell phone out. We both got new phones a couple of weeks ago. Casey's model is so new, that it keeps having problems. We've gone through 2 in 2 weeks, so far. Gotta run.

Fruit of the Vine

It's the beginning of the holiday season. Are you looking for a special gift for family and friends? The ASPCA and Windsor Vineyards have teamed up with an extra special holiday gift idea. You can feature your pet, right on the label!

Such cute labels!! LOOK! They even used a schipperke!!!

With your purchase, Windsor Vineyards will donate 5% of the sale to the ASPCA. A perfect gift for wine lovers. Here's what they are offering:

Only $199/case

Private Reserve Assortment includes two bottles of each:

· 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

· 2002 Merlot, North Coast

· 2003 Petite Sirah, North Coast

· 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey County

· 2002 Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, Murphy Ranch

· 2004 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

So, hop on over and start your holiday gift buying. For more information, click the picture above or click HERE

Oh, Yuck!!

I woke up Sunday morning with a really nasty stomach bug!! So, I've been out of commission for the last 3 days!! I'm finally starting to feel better, but I'm still not quite feeling myself. I don't feel creative in the least today, so I'll just leave you all with a post of a few of my favorite pictures from the past 2 years of the Richardson critters....

Fergie

Shiloh and Bear

Tangie Jean (tangerine leopard gecko)

Rose(Bearded Dragon)

Nala

Family nap: Shiloh, Mr. Perkins, and Fergie.

Looking Back

It's been a fairly relaxed day today. Not much going on. I've been working on a few projects, and trying to make progress to finish big ones before the holidays. For some reason, I've been thinking a lot about Christmas today. So much so, that I actually listened to a couple of Christmas tunes. I was also fondly remembering my family gathering from last year. Many of you know, that I received one of my best presents EVER last year (flashback from HERE):

I got, what I consider, the best gift this Christmas. My cousin, Ruth, gave me a picture of my grandmother, when she was a young girl. I'm the product of older parents, so I'd NEVER seen a picture of my grandmother at such a young age. Not many of my family had either. So, imagine my suprise when she brought that wonderful, antique picture in and then bequeathed it to me!! The picture was taken around 1910 or so, and it is absolutely lovely! I just cried when I finally figured out that she'd given it to me!! It's one of the best presents that I've ever received.

It has taken me quite a while, but I've finally managed to get that picture in digital format to share with you all. Here it is:

My mother's mother, Allie Elsie Nichols Baucom

After looking at it for the past year, I'm awfully proud to say that I actually DO see some resemblance. My mother is nearly a perfect carbon copy of my grandmother. I especially resemble them both through my nose and mouth. It still just amazes me that I am a direct decendant of such a past. As I said earlier my parents were older, when I came along. So, my grandmother was old enough to be my great grandmother. It still boggles my mind that she was born in 1894. She is around 16 years of age in that picture. It was probably made shortly before, or just shortly after she married my grandfather. It really is one of my most cherished heirlooms. This morning, I ordered copies of the photo to give back to my cousin Ruth, who gave the picture to me. I had enough made for all of the cousins in the family too. I just hope that they like it as much as I do.

Everyone have a great weekend!

On The Radio

I had read about this over on the Doggy Woggy Photoblog last week. I finally got the chance to check it out this morning. Dogcatradio.com is a station that broadcasts especially for pets and their people. It's a pretty cool little site. It's apparently getting A LOT of national attention. It has news updates, links to cool dog/cat items, pictures, Petfinder.com links, and most of all music! There's also a link where you can buy pet cds. Pretty neat little site, overall, for pet lovers. Now, go...sit...listen!!

Another Busy Day

It seems that my posts are happening later these days. Casey and I had a wonderful dinner with our friend last night. The parade details are coming together nicely. Seems we will probably have a group of 15 or more to march. Our friend is planning on riding his horse in full stormtrooper armor. Now, if only the horse will be tolerant of the costume and not spook. He's going out to the barn this weekend, to give the costume/horse thing a trial in a controlled environment. They're thinking of putting me in a Princess Leia Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope outfit. It'll be complete with the cinnamon bun hairdo and everything! It seems that Casey and I will be the only 2 spotters there. So if we wear costumes, we need our faces free to see the kids for them. I don't know...we may opt for just our jeans and sweatshirts, depending on the weather. After a rather lengthy dinner, we made our way back to the house. A good thing too. We had a really nasty storm blow up about then. I got a couple loads of laundry done and called it a night.

We have nothing big planned for tonight. I think Casey is feeling well enough, that he wants to cook dinner. I'll admit, I'm ready for some of his home cooking. I count myself a very lucky girl. I hate to cook, except during the holidays. Casey loves it, so it works out. Other than that, I think we are just going to kick back and watch a movie or something. Oh well, I guess a little boredom is good to rest the weary bones.

Dashing Out the Door

I can't believe that I nearly forgot to blog today. This past week has been a bit busy. Casey is feeling better today. He's still not feeling quite himself but he is feeling much better. I think that I've been experiencing a bit of let down this week. I'm at the end of all of my fall happenings. It has been an incredible past 2 months!! I should feel better by tonight, though. We are meeting one of our friends, who is a member of the 501st Legion to make plans for our local Christmas parade. A group of us are marching to collect donations for the Toys for Tots campaign. Originally, Casey and I were just going to walk along as "spotters". It's really hard for the guys in costume to see below eye level, so "spotters" go along to help them spot the little kids. That way, everyone gets candy. Now, our friend wants to put us both in costume as well. I guess we'll see. Maybe I'll be an X-Wing pilot or something. I'll have more details tomorrow. Stay tuned.

A Quick Check In

This past weekend kind of pales in comparison to last week's. Casey and I managed to keep the excitement down to a dull roar. We really needed to rest after last week's events. I spent most of the weekend really doing the pre-holiday deep clean. The rest was spent nursing Casey. He started feeling yucky on Saturday, and it's only gone from bad to worse. He felt so bad by yesterday, that he rode along to the doctor's with me and Mom. Yesterday was Mom's 3 month checkup and my yearly physical. They did manage to work him in. He was diagnosed with a sinus and ear infection. They gave him some meds, so hopefully, he'll be on the mend soon. He had a really horrible night last night, with very little sleep. He's been coughing every breath as well. I hope that he feels a little better tonight. So, I guess you could say, that we are the Borey McBorington's this week. Hopefully, I'll have good health and something more exciting to up date you all on tomorrow.

Doris Day Lends A Hand

I've spent all day trying to get this blasted Blogger to work. Before I head out for my weekend, I just wanted to share this interesting story that I was e-mailed. I get e-mail from the Doris Day Animal League. This organization was founded by movie and song star, Doris Day. They specialize in spay/neuter education. It seems that Ms. Day was so moved by the plight of the animal victims of Katrina, that she stepped up to help. Her action has been dubbed Operation Just Paws. She and the agency footed the bill to have 130 dogs airlifted from Louisiana to California, when she heard they were in danger of being put to sleep. The dogs were in overcrowded shelters with no one to claim them. That's when she was moved to take action. This amounts to her agency donating approximately $20,000. What a wonderful thing to do! A big KUDOS to Doris. To read all about the transport and the Doris Day Animal League click the links.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Hitting the Wall

Boy, I'm really feeling it today. The exhaustion is finally catching up with me. I don't know why I thought that I could keep that many late nights and get away with it. I guess it comes with getting older. It's the little things that you start to notice. It's like, "hey, I can't stay up until 3:30 a.m. and still go to work!" My mother warned me that days like this were coming. But at the time, all I thought was, "that's SO many years down the road." Apparently, I'm starting to hit the intersection of life. I've noticed that I do get tired now. At the end of an exciting day, I look forward to my pajamas, a good book, and bed. I have more nostalgic moments now. Don't get me wrong. I've had them for a long time, but now those moments are coming closer and closer together. When I turned 30, I realized that my life was nothing like I'd pictured it would be when I was younger. I spent way too much time worrying about what hadn't been, instead of making the time I have now count. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed my 30's at all. I'm a lot more comfortable in my own skin now, than I ever have been. I know what I want, and I'm not afraid to make it happen. Most of the crippling fears of early adulthood have vanished, leaving me at my most confident. Earlier this year, I promised myself that I was going to do my best to make the most of everything I did and the best of every situation. Because of this promise, the past 6-8 months have been some of the most fulfilling of my life. I've been able to reconnect with old friends, make a lot of new friends, and fill my life with wonderful opportunities. In a couple of months, I will officially hit my mid 30's. This coming birthday will not devastate me as 30 did. I'm ready to welcome my late 30's and early 40's. I'm looking forward to all of the opportunities that life has to offer. Casey and I were had a conversation with his aunt, Louanne, once. We were telling her how much we enjoyed the freedoms that our 30's had brought us. That's when she really let us in on much better news. She said, "if you think you're enjoying your 30's, just wait until you get into your 40's." I'll have to say, I'm looking a might forward to it. Hey, it certainly beats the alternative! Now, I'll just have to remember that tonight, when I'm trying to deny wearing my pj's at 7:30!!

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

I have had more than several of those this past week! Everyone have a great evening!

Star Wars Magic

So much happened during my time off, that I'm reporting in 2 different posts. After we got home from Cincinnati, Star Wars mania took hold of me. Tuesday was the official release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on DVD. And being the Star Wars nerd that I am, I enjoyed every minute of it. Casey and I had gone to the Montana Drive-In on Halloween night to see a double feature. After the movies, we drove on to several Wal-Marts looking for special figures that we knew were being released with the DVD. It just so happened that we were at one of these Wal-Marts at 12:01 a.m. to claim our DVD. There was a small group eagerly waiting with us. With the DVD in one hand and one of the special DVD action figure packs in the other, we made our way back toward home. I think that I actually got to bed around 3 a.m. that morning. When we got up later in the morning, Casey made one of his fabulous breakfasts. So while we munched on toast, homemade preserves, pepper bacon, and eggs, we watched our brand new purchase. I needed to get revved up for that night's DVD release party at the Cool Springs Toys R Us. One of the 501st Legion members had arranged for the release party to kick off the Toys For Tots drive. For a donation, kids (or big kids like me) could have their pictures made with the characters of Star Wars. It was a grand success, and they had a huge turnout. Casey and I were able to meet many people that we had only corresponded with previously and visit with friends. The kids there were all so excited. One costumer drove in from Clarksville, I believe, with a fantastic Chewbacca costume. He completely stole the show. He even had the Chewie growl down perfectly. It was such fun to be in the middle of so much excitement. Casey and I also scored a much sought after piece of memorabilia, while we were there. An excellent night of fun! We finally dragged into the house around 10:30. We were so bone tired yesterday. Maybe by the weekend, we'll get caught up on our sleep. I've posted some of the pictures from the event below. To see the whole album, click HERE. Everyone have a great day!

501st Member vehicle.

What a crowd!

With the kids.

Wandering Stormtrooper.

Group photo of the participants.

Goofing off with the participants.

This photo puts into perspective how good the costume of Chewbacca really was.

Weekend In Cincy

What an incredible weekend and extended break I've had. I just had too much fun for one individual! It was so good to see Melissa. We enjoy each other's company so much. It's a shame that we don't live closer to one another. After a rather late start on Friday, (I forgot the Moodies tickets and had to travel 30 miles back home to get them!! AAAAACK!!)we had a fairly uneventful drive up. We went out to a fabulous italian dinner at a restaurant named Bravo's (or I think that's the name of it). We were all so stuffed afterwards. Then we went to this little German pub. I'd tell you all the name of it, if I could spell or remember how to say it. Since Casey and I were tired from the drive, we headed back to Melissa's place.

On Saturday, we went to Findlay Market. Casey just loved it. We brought some scrumptious treats back with us. For lunch we had Cincinnati's famous Skyline Chilli. In the afternoon we headed over to Mt. Adams and went to the Krohn Conservatory. It was such a beautiful place with lovely flowers and gardens. Here's some pictures of Mt. Adams and Krohn's Conservatory we made.

Me and Melissa.

Me and Casey

KROHN CONSERVATORY

After we finished at the Conservatory, we headed back toward town and stopped at Graeter's Ice Cream. Talk about some good stuff!! Sure wish I'd brought some of that back with me. Then, it was back to Melissa's to get ready for the Moody Blues concert.

The Moodies show was excellent, as usual. They sounded really good and also had added a really neat video show as a backdrop. The video show was of performance pictures and graphics through all the years. After the show, Melissa, Casey, and I met up with Andrea and her sister. We were lucky enough to meet the Moodie's drummer, Graeme Edge, and their backup singers and musicians at the hotel lounge afterwards. What a night!

Debby, Graeme Edge, Bernie Barlow, Andrea, Norda Mullen, and Me.

On Sunday, we sadly headed back home. It was a TERRIFIC weekend. Tomorrow, I'll tell you all what fun I've had, since I've gotten back home! Have a great evening!