Picture Time

It has been a while, since I posted pictures of the "Zoo Crew". The kittens, Isabella, Zoey, and Obi-Wan have all gotten SO big. Casey and I bought them a new play toy, a Kitty Nap and Play. It's like a cat tree, and is five stories high. The nice thing is that it's heavy latex covered netting, and it can be wall mounted or hung on the back of a door. Here it is:

It has toys hanging on most of the levels, and the kittens love it. They play in it non-stop.

Isabella checking out the new digs.

Zoey playing with one of the hanging toys.

This is the new kitty in the house, Pinky Lee, formerly known as Ferbie.

Three of the canine crew. In these pictures, they are all just back from the groomer's and are wearing their Valentine's bandannas.

Bear

Fergie

Trixie, the spare, neighbor dog.

Meeting Timothy Zahn

As promised yesterday. I finally have it. The picture of me and Casey meeting Timothy Zahn. He was doing a book signing for his new Star Wars book, Allegience.

Worn to a Frazzle

The Timothy Zahn signing at Davis-Kidd went super last night. Our time to start changing into our gear was 5 p.m. The program began at 6:00 p.m. We had a great array of characters from Darth Vader and Stormtroopers to Mara Jade and Anakin Skywalker. After all of the attendees got their books signed and left, we got to spend a little time with Mr. Zahn and get our pictures made and autographs as well. He is such a very nice man. He was always willing to answer any questions, and he was happy to engage us in conversations. We forgot our camera, but we have some great pictures coming from friends to share. Hopefully, I'll have our picture with Mr. Zahn to share tomorrow. In the meantime, you can see just a few of the pictures HERE. We wrapped up a little after 9:00 p.m. Afterwards, everyone headed over to the Ruby Tuesday across the parking lot for dinner and visiting. Mr. Zahn went to dinner as well. Casey and I would have loved to stay for dinner, but it was getting late and we had over an hour's drive home. Our little sweet doggies were there patiently waiting to be let out (Mom had let them out earlier for us in the day). Even though we didn't get home too late, I'm dog tired today. I've just really been dragging for some reason. I don't think that I've ever really recovered from Monday.

Weekend In A Blur

This past weekend just flew by. Unfortunately, I didn't get to work on the weekend pitch project AT ALL!! Too much just came up and filled my plate. On Saturday afternoon, Casey and I watched a couple of movies that we needed to get back to the rental place. Later that evening, we went over to a friend's house just to hang out and visit. It was after midnight, when we got home. Casey had shelter duty on Sunday morning. I slept in, unfortunately, and got a late start. A friend of ours came over for a visit on Sunday afternoon. Afterwards, it was time to quickly get ready and head out to a Super Bowl party. Casey and I weren't really THAT into the game, but we did enjoy our visit quite a bit. Yesterday was the NEVERENDING errand day. For some reason, I just ended up with EVERYTHING to do yesterday. Before 9:30 a.m. I had: showered and dressed, cleaned the car out, took 3 of the dogs to the groomer's, renewed Casey's car tags, paid the electric bill (hi! to my new friend, who is a "Zoo" reader, that I met while doing that chore), took a load of trash to the dump, went to Wal-Mart and got my shopping done, and had breakfast. I then went back home and got a couple loads of laundry done. Then I took my Mom out to lunch and dropped off my beautiful pet painting at the framer's. I came home and got my 501st costume starched and ironed and packed up. The afternoon's job was getting the brakes on the car fixed. When that was finished, Casey was home and off we went to pick the dogs up from the groomer's! They all looked so cute with their Valentine's bandanna's. I'm tired just remembering it all. WHEW!! It was SO cold. By last night, I really had chilled to the bone. Luckily, today has been a tad warmer.

Tonight Casey and I are trooping at a Star Wars author book signing at Davis-Kidd Booksellers. The author is Timothy Zahn and his new book is called Allegience. We are there with the Southern Outpost to pose for pictures with the fans and make the atmosphere all Star War-zy. Casey and I are planning to get a book signed for ourselves too! It's going to be a late night tonight. I hope to have some good pictures to share with everyone tomorrow.

A Fond Memory

Did you ever hear a song that just made a memory in your brain pop. From the days when I was a very small child, I have just loved Arlo Guthrie (yeah I know, my tastes are bit ecclectic from Star Wars to Arlo Guthrie). I hold Arlo in almost as high esteem as I do Justin Hayward (lead singer of my favorite, the Moody Blues). For some reason, I never thought to search Arlo on YouTube before today. I was pleasantly suprised to find a performance video of one of my very favorite Arlo songs, City of New Orleans. That song brings back such good memories for me from my childhood. Of course, I love Alice's Restaurant too!! But for now, I'll just enjoy this:

The Weekend, the Big Pitch, and Other Things

We woke up to more ice and snow yesterday. The amounts yesterday were a bit more, so all of the local school kids got another day off. There was a bit more snow on the ground yesterday and it had LOTS more moisture. It made the most beautiful picture. It stuck in the trees and on the bushes. I was irratated that the camera battery was dead. WAAAH!!! No pictures!! I guess the event will just have to live on in my memory.

I can't wait for my days off this week. Casey and I are continuing our "Big Pitch 2007". We bought all new dog beds last night to replace the ones that we've had and worn out. Last week, I culled all of the unused stuff out of the bedroom and reorganized. This week the next room down the hall, the bathroom, is on the list. I get to pitch and reorganize the linen closet. I've decided to take one room or project a week. Hopefully by mid March, I will have simplified every room in the house. Casey's working on the spare room. I can't wait to see the end results. We haven't culled our stuff, since our last move nearly nine years ago. I'd say it's about time. It's amazing the amount of junk that you can collect in that length of time. So off I go.....

A Snow Day Without Any Snow!!!

Well, the cold wintry weather wandered through the area last night. When I got up to roam around the house at 1:30 a.m. this morning, I was rewarded with snow falling silently in the yard. It was my favorite kind of snow too. We had an inch or so on the lawn, but nothing on the road. As a precaution, many of the area school systems shut down for the day. Yes I know that we southerners are wimps about snow, but you have to realize that the south has lots of steep hills. We also DO NOT have the equipment to deal with snow and ice on the roadways, since we so infrequently get winter weather. I can practically count on one hand and NOT use all of my fingers the number of times that we've had snow on the lawn in the past five years. Most of the time, it's just like it was today. I AM very glad that the ice never appeared. Like I said yesterday, ice makes the power go out and people crazy here. We still have a few more snow chances before the weekend. I'm sure that our luck will run out soon, and we'll get hit broadside with God's snowball. But for me, I'm not complaining today. I like to look at it but not drive in it.

The snow took several of the dogs by suprise this morning on the way out the door. Shiloh paid it no mind, as anything that gets in her way is quite literally plowed down. That includes people, other animals, and trash cans. Let's just say that she's usually a little over zealous about getting out do "do her business". Bear loves to play snow plow with his nose! Casey said that he made his usual rounds in the yard and looked up at him with about an inch of snow piled up on his nose. Trixie, the spare dog, absolutely decided that nothing was out of the ordinary. Slate romped around and played. The cold weather always makes him frisky. Fergie was VERY leary of the white stuff that was piled up at the bottom of the back porch. Nosiree, she didn't want ONE thing to do with it. We had to do a heap of convincing to get her to stay out at all. The cats were ALL insulted the snow had barged into their kingdom. I love to watch all the animals' reactions, when something out of the ordinary occurrs. The snow this morning certainly made the start of my day interesting!

Bear in 2004 (our last snow of any measure) playing snow plow with his nose.

Oh So Frigid!!

Sorry for my lack of posts yesterday. I just had a really bad case of the winter blahs. No reason. No worries, just blue. Winter has finally hit us with a fury, and I'm NOT liking it. Usually by this time of year I'm begging for snow, but I'm not in a snow kind of mood this year. I'm ready to get on with spring and the warm, summer weather. I've got too much that I want to do outside. The cold is also really hard on Bear's osteoarthritis. He's doing great with his meds, but he does limp a little when he first gets up. It didn't help that it was 9 degrees with a below zero wind chill this morning, when we got up at 4:30 a.m. SHEESH! That's just TOO COLD!!! The forecast isn't looking good for tonight and tomorrow. Weather Underground says and 80% chance of ICE PELLETS. That's even worse than snow. Ice makes power go out and people stupid. So to cheer myself up, I'm going to post some winter funnies. I've used these before, but I they always make me smile.

And now something to remind me that spring is coming:

Zoey: The Big Eater

One of our sweet little kittens is really packing on the pounds. I noticed this just the other night. All three of them, Isabella, Obi-Wan, and Zoey, were all sitting on the floor side by side (They are all growing like weeds too!). Suddenly I noticed the Zoey is, shall we say, a bit more portly than her siblings. She's to the point where she's developed belly "waggles" underneath. She's not even quite six months old either!! Looks like she's in for a kitty diet. I've never tried to slim down a young kitten. Should I wait until she's older and see if she slims down? Anyone have any advice?

Old Man Winter

Since winter has decided to FINALLY make an appearance (personally, I quite liked the unseasonably warm weather), I thought I would share the Top Ten Cold Weather Tips for Pet Owners from the ASPCA.

Top Ten Cold Weather Tips

Brrrr…it’s cold outside! The following guidelines will help you protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.

1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.

2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.

4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.

6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.

8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.

9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.

10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

Please remember your furry friends, when the mercury drops!

Squee!!

SQUEEE!!!! My birthday present that Casey ordered me arrived yesterday. It was THIS:

Darth Vader: Sith Apprentice

from Sideshow Collectibles. It's a special San Diego Comic-Con edition too! It's an absolutely beautiful piece, and I just love it. I have the regular edition Anakin Skywalker, but this one is so much better! Casey gave me the Bespin Han Solo for Christmas. I already have Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Luke Skywalker. These are some of my favorite Star Wars items to collect, so I was a VERY happy camper!!

A Little of This, A Little of That

I had a really nice weekend, even though the back problem had a flare up. I found with a little stretching, I can mostly get back to normal. Thank goodness!! It was a quiet weekend. Casey and I sat around and watched a LOT of movies, thanks to the rainy weather. Yesterday, I finally managed to do a good deep clean. Next week starts the '07 pitching project. We have a small house with little storage space, so things tend to clutter up. I've officially had enough of the clutter. I told Casey over the weekend to sort out what he wants to keep. Otherwise, it's going in the trash. We are both terrible packrats and sentimental. We end up keeping a lot of stuff that would be better off in the trash. The walls are coming in on me, and it's driving me crazy. It's time to simplify our lives.

I did find out a couple of fun facts. I'm excited to hear that the Indiana Jones IV movie is scheduled to start shooting soon! I'm a HUGE Indiana Jones fan (probably because I love Harrison Ford)! The release date is listed as May '08!!

The second is that Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are doing another epic motocycle ride. In 2004, they filmed the series Long Way Round on their travels. They are doing the same this time. They are riding from Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa. This series is titled Long Way Down. They are scheduled to start in the spring. I can't wait to watch this one. For anyone that loves travel and adventure, Long Way Round is a must see!

Friday Wrap Up

As the week comes to a long fought for end, I have LOTS of things on the brain. Remember earlier in the week, when I posted about the new foster cat? Well, an interesting little detail has come up about her. The former owner, who gave her to my brother, said that she'd been spayed and was up to date with all of her shots. When the cat came next door, she had somehow forgotten her vet papers. I should have figured out the REAL story right then. As it turns out, new foster kitty is now in full blown heat. That's right. Why should I be suprised? Luckily, she has been indoors the whole time, and Obi-Wan, the only male cat that's around and has not been fixed, is too young to care. So, we've dodged a bullet temporarily. The only bad part is the wailing and pacing for now. Let's just say that she REALLY LOVES Bear right now. So, at least I now know the real reason for the former owner getting rid of the cat. It just makes me SO mad, when folks just outright lie about an animal on spay/neuter matters. All those people end up doing is making it a bigger problem. The result is more unwanted pets and heavier burdens on shelters and neighbors!! SHEESH!!

I took a little time yesterday investigating the animal emergency worker courses. I checked out the online links and found out that I can start immediately. I plan to download the course overviews this weekend and start familiarizing myself with the content. Hopefully, it will help things go smoothly. I'm looking forward to doing my part. I'd like to be available and trained, if the need ever arises. I feel like it's the least I can do. That way, I may be able to take some of the burden off of the local rescuers.

Casey and I have no big plans for the weekend. We just have Sunday night reserved to watch the new episode of Battlestar Gallactica. I have to say, when it first started I wasn't interested at all. Casey's been watching from the start, and I somehow have gotten sucked into the fray!! Other than that, I just have boring plans. You know like cleaning out the refridgerator and cleaning house. WHOOPEEE!!! We'll see. Everyone have a great weekend!

A New Project

I read an article in my local newspaper yesterday. It's about animal emergency workers. Tennessee is working on getting volunteers to go out and rescue animals, when a disaster strikes. I believe that Tennessee has certified 1000 workers, so far. The article indicated that no one, as of yet, has certified for my home county. I've been thinking about this, A LOT, since yesterday. I would certainly like to answer the challenge. I remember when Katrina hit, and I wanted to do more. Well, this is my chance. The more I think about it, the more I WANT to do it. There's several courses that are required before certification. Luckily, these courses are offered for free online. So, there's really nothing to stop me from getting started! To view the article and all of the course details, click HERE.

If anyone in the middle Tennessee area would like to join me, leave a comment or drop an e-mail and let me know.

Back to Normal

I'm happy to say that I'm finally a LOT better. I'm back at work, and things are getting back to normal. I left the house on Saturday for the first time. It was SO wonderful to get out and see people. I felt like I'd been in a hole for a week. That must be what the groundhog feels like on Groundhog Day! Anyway, Casey and I went to visit some very good friends on Saturday. It was really good to see everyone. On Sunday, we had lunch with some friends and did some visiting.

I have a new cat story to tell you guys. All of this occurred last week, but I didn't have the back strength to tell the story. Casey and I are fostering a new cat. Yes, I really did say it this time. We are FOSTERING ONLY!! We are doing this as a favor to my brother. His last cat, his beloved Miss Kitty, was stolen. We searched and searched never to find her. Some of the neighborhood kids said that they had seen someone pick her up. He heard about this little kitty in need of a new home and offered to take her. Her name is Ferbie, and she is a beautiful white and tortoise shell. She is four years old. Her previous owners had to find her a new home, because their newborn was extremely allergic to her. Ferbie is used to being and indoor/outdoor kitty. A lot of you that have cats know that cats, especially cats with a little age, do not move well generally. It's always better to keep them in the new place for a couple of weeks, until they acclimate. My mother, because of her COPD is not allowed to have cats inside her house. Casey and I are acclimating her for my brother, since we all live next door to each other. The problem has been that she is one of the most timid cats I've ever seen (and people, that's A LOT of cats). She's been in the house an entire week, and we're just now starting to see her. She's finally letting us pet her and starting to wander around. She finally started talking to us, just last night. When I left for work this morning, she was perched right in the middle of Casey's pillow talking to me hehehe!. The other animals have been really very accepting of her, right down to the onery kittens. The veteran pets just look at us like, "well, what have we got this time..." It's really good that she's finally getting comfortable. I think that it may take a little longer for her to be comfortable outside. We'll see.

On the Mend, FINALLY!!

I had a better day yesterday. I went to bed last night, hoping that today I would at least feel the same or better. For the past two weeks, I have a good day, and the next day has been just horrible. Well today, I've had a GREAT day. I've been able to sit up and also putter about the house. I'm trying to be good and not do to much to start and set myself back. I have managed to run a couple of loads of much needed laundry. So, my attitude is MUCH better today. I really do think that I turned a corner yesterday. I'm happy to say that I was able to sleep in bed last night. I rested better last night than any night the past two weeks. I'm glad that I decided to take today off work as well. It gives me the opportunity to take my good day and do just a few things with it and see what happens.

I haven't been in the car in a week. I haven't left the house for a week. Today is really the first day that I've felt well enough to want to get out for a few minutes. I think Casey said that we would go out together and rent a couple of movies tonight. I might even get to go to Wal-Mart YAY!! (I never thought that a trip to Wal-Mart would excite me this much!) It will be so nice to get back into circulation next week. It will be nice to get to see people. I'm a very social creature, and I really miss seeing my friends and co-workers. Today is the first day that I've really cared about what's going on in the outside world. So, here's a virtual toast to the upcoming weekend. Here's to being back to normal!! Everyone have a great weekend!

Killer Sneakers

After my short post yesterday, I REALLY went downhill. It's really starting to depress me. How LONG is this supposed to take anyway? Late last night, I finally figured out one of the problems. After wearing my Crocs or Birkenstocks for this entire back episode, I wore my sneakers yesterday. I had put them on, because my feet had gotten cold. They are some of the regular Sketchers sneaks, with the really high heels. By about 3:30 yesterday, I was ready to be shot. The higher heels made me feel like my legs had been shoved into my back. I changed back to my crocs and instantly got some relief. I ended up going to bed really early though. I do feel much better today. I'm hoping that I turned the corner. I guess that I'll just go ahead and take tomorrow off from work too, just to make sure that I really am better. Since I'm still taking muscle relaxers and cortisone, it's hard for me to tell if I'm better or if it's the meds. Today's list of tasks: muscle relaxers, shower, cortisone pills, Crocs shoes, and rest. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that I've FINALLY turned the corner.

Award Time

A bright spot to the day. I just found out that I won a

for the "Zoo" here. Totally cool!!

Homebound: Day 2

I think that I may have celebrated my birthday by sitting up too much yesterday. I don't feel as bad as I did over the weekend, but I don't feel as good as yesterday either. I was able for the first time in 5 days to sleep in the bed last night. Casey suprised me with some gifts and a cool card last night. A wonderful co-worker sent some super good chocolate lava cupcakes and a sweet card, and I got so many good wishes and calls sent yesterday. It really did make for a GREAT birthday otherwise. I have 2 more days to be off from work and recover. I'm half way through with my cortisone pack. I'm getting better, but not fast enough for my taste. I guess I just have to grin and bear it. I've got to go for now. The chair is painful today. I just took one of my muscle relaxers and the nap will creep up on me soon. Everyone have a great evening.

The Diagnosis Is In

After a really crappy week with my back last week, I thought I had the problem whipped by Saturday. I felt SO much better. I puttered around the house and actually got a few things done. When I woke up on Sunday, it was AWFUL!! I was in worse shape than I was at the start. I couldn't even stand. Needless to say, Sunday was just an awful day. Luckily, the doctor had given me a new prescription for muscle relaxers on Friday, so I took them every eight hours. I did get lots of napping done. Yesterday, I felt some better but not much. I finally gave up and went in to the see the doctor. I have a pinched nerve and a badly pulled muscle. I was given cortisone, told to stay on the muscle relaxers, and told to stay home and do NOTHING for the rest of the week!! I've followed the directions so far. I will admit to feeling better today. I've taken this opportunity of wakefulness to check my e-mail and make a few posts. I can tell that I won't be able to sit here very long. What a crappy way to spend my birthday today!! WAHHHH!! Oh well, I'll live. I just hope I can find a good book to read, while I'm just lounging around. Anybody got any good suggestions?

Comedy of Errors

Today has shaped up to just be "one of those days". After feeling so much better yesterday, I overdid it. I don't feel terrible, but I've had better days. When I got to work this morning, I found out that the campus cooling system was messed up. At 7:00 a.m. this morning the temp read at 86 degrees in my office!! There was no cool spot at work today. The heat finished me up. I already felt crummy, because of my back. The heat made me nervous, irritable, and grumpy. I just tried to sit very still to stay as cool as possible. Then, all of the servers went down at work. I assume that they got overheated. We were left with nothing to do. By lunchtime, I called it quits for the weekend. I locked up my office and informed everyone that I was headed for home.

I'm feeling better now. The doctor gave me some new medicine for my back today. He said that I shouldn't be running around doing things I can't remember with this one. I sure hope he's right. I'm off now to prop my feet up, lean back on pillow, and relax in a comfortably cooled room. Hope you guys have a good weekend!

OUCH!!

After promising on Tuesday that my blogging would be back to normal, I missed Wednesday. Why? My back decided to pull a dirty, rotten, nasty trick on me! Specifically my lower back just decided not to hang around anymore, and POOF it went out! Apparently, this sort of condition runs in my family. Tuesday was excrutiating at work. By the afternoon I felt like crying. I literally fell into bed as soon as I got home. I also discovered another neat trick that my back could do. If I was laying on my back, my hands went completely numb. THAT was fun! After dinner, I took some neat pills that my doctor had prescribed for me. For some reason, these pills made me do some really CRAZY things. First off, I continually begged Casey to stop me from shaking. He says that I asked repeatedly, but I only remember(vaguely) asking once. I made some off color remarks about his video game. After that, he says that I demanded that he make me a peach cobbler. I have no recollection of any of this. I bet I was a ton of fun though! Due to my mental state, Casey decided to forbid me to go to work yesterday. I spent the day sleeping and reclining.

Today I do feel a whole lot better. I'm not completely myself yet. The twinges come and go. I'm trying to be careful and take it easy. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be my old self. I was looking forward to some raquetball this week!!! I hope my back just decides to stick around for a good long while!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone!! I'm back and fully recovered from Christmas. We had a quiet but lovely Christmas and New Year's holiday. I ended up with some really cool Christmas swag. I got my Bespin Han Solo Sideshow figure that I REALLY wanted from Casey, along with lots of other cool Star Wars stuff. My Mom gave me a beautiful necklace and pair of earrings, and my brother did swell with a gift card from Old Navy. We just all sat back and enjoyed each other's company for the better part of last week. We ate at my Mom's for several nights, and then switched to my house. I also got to spend time with some of my very best friends in the whole world! I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY enjoyed Christmas this year, and I really hope that you all did too.

I just can't believe that it's 2007 already!! Where did 2006 go? It will be Christmas again, before we know it. I've spent some time today getting a winter template done for the 'ol blog here. My pictures on the banner still need tweaking a little bit, but I'm rolling out the "beta" version for now. I'll be making some updates in the next few days. Consider it a work in progress. Leave a comment and let me know what you guys think. I used a snow theme, even though we have had a really WARM winter here in the south. By warm, I mean that we had 75 degree temps in December!! I can wish for just one snow anyway. Now that I'm back, the blog posts will resume as normal. Happy 2007 everyone!

Merry Christmas!!!

Bear says Merry Christmas everyone!

Well folks, it's that time of year. The clock is winding down on Christmas 2006. The time has gone so fast this year. Casey and I are planning a quiet Christmas at home with our family (human and furred alike). I've been asked, as in previous years, to cook the annual Christmas breakfast of Sausage, Egg,and Cheese Casserole and my famous southern Cheese Grit Casserole. Christmas is the one time of year that you'll actually find ME in the kitchen!

SAUSAGE, EGG, AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS 1 pound bulk pork sausage 6 eggs 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground mustard 6 slices white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS In a skillet, brown and crumble sausage; drain and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, salt and mustard. Stir in bread cubes, cheese and sausage. Pour into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

SOUTHERN CHEESE GRIT CASSEROLE

1 C of quick grits uncooked 1 stick butter or margarine 1 tube Kraft garlic cheese 1 C milk 2 eggs 1/2 C grated parmasean cheese

Cook the grits according to package. When they're finished stir in butter and tube of garlic cheese until blended well. In a separate dish beat eggs and milk together. Stir into grit mixture. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle parmesean cheese over top. Bake in a 350 degree oven from 50 mins. - 1 hour or until firm and cheese is brown on top. Serve and enjoy!!

We've have 10 days off from work to rest and get things done around the house. We've got an eye on a new bookcase to organize the many, many books that we have. We both still have a little shopping to do. We're in pretty good shape though, even though I still have EVERYTHING to wrap. Let the holiday fun begin!!

After today, I won't be around for a few days. I'm going to give the ol' blog a holiday too! I want to take the time to enjoy this time with family and friends. I'll check in later next week. So to everyone, a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and your families from my house to yours.

I've Been Christmas Tagged!

Dog's Eye View Christmas tagged the Zoo. Here's the details:

*Players start by listing "3 things he/she would love to get for Christmas"

*Then they also have to list "3 things he/ she definitely does not want to get for Christmas"

*Then he/she tags 5 friends and list their names

*The ones who get tagged need to write on their blogs about their Christmas wishes, as well as state these rules clearly

*Then tag 5 more victims.

And the one who tags need to leave a comment that says "you've been Christmas tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Here we go:

3 Things That I WANT/LOVE TO GET for Christmas:

1. Bespin Han Solo 12" figure by Sideshow Collectibles (yes, I LOVE my Star Wars collectibles).

2. Long Way Round DVD-3 Disc set (Documentary of Ewan McGregor's motorcycle ride around the world.)

3. A new Speedo swim bag.

3 Things I DO NOT WANT to get for Christmas

1. Any kind of kitchenware. (Casey's the cook at our house).

2. Anything that I really "NEED" or that's practical. I consider Christmas the time for frivilous things. I don't get that chance the rest of the year.

3. Any kind of candy. I want a gift that I can keep. Plus, candy makes you gain weight. I CERTAINLY don't want that.

I'm not going to tag anyone specific, since it's so close to Christmas. Feel free to participate. If you do, let me know!!

Help Find Sweetie

I got an e-mail from the Moore Family in my Humane Association inbox today. Sweetie is missing! Here's the information. Help us find Sweetie. If you have any information, please contact the Moore Family. Let's find Sweetie and help them have a Merry Christmas! Please visit findsweetie.com

Here's the information:

Our West Highland White Terrier (Westie) is still missing. We know she was picked up in an automobile on Waxwood Drive in Brentwood, TN. She could be anywhere by now. She was not spayed. This concerns us greatly because she could have been stolen and then bought by an unscrupulous puppy breeder. Hopefully, an unsuspecting family has her. We need your help. Please click on the link below to watch Sweetie's video. Please forward this link to everyone you think appropriate. The web site, www.findsweetie.com will be up in a few days. Thank you so much!

The Moore Family

Christmas Wish

My friend, Pennie, sent this lovely piece to me. It sums up one of my greatest Christmas wishes. I hope that someday it will be true. I want to share it with you all.

I wish,

For every dog

searching trash cans for breakfast,

a filled bowl with his name printed in bright letters.

For every dog

who slept fitfully last night, chained in a frozen yard,

a soft, warm bed

with a person snoring gently nearby.

For every shelter dog,

spending Christmas morning in a soiled run,

a forever home,

filled with sounds and smells of family.

For every "Christmas" puppy

given today,

a tolerant, caring owner

who won't abandon you

as you grow into a real dog.

For every ailing pet,

enough money for your owner

to pay the bills to make you well.

For every lost dog,

a clear, safe road, and well marked path,

to lead you home.

For every old and tired friend,

a warm fire, and a soft bed,

to ease your aches and pains.

and

For every Heart Dog at the Bridge,

a moment when you know that you

are remembered today,

missed again,

and loved forever.

Author unknown

Weekend of Wildness

Sorry for being MIA for the past several days. When Casey and I got home on Thursday, I noticed that Bear had some swelling around his rear end. The past couple of weeks have been somewhat nervewracking, where Bear is considered. He'd been chewing holes in his back leg for a while, which we were trying to heal. Also, we've been trying to get his arthritis meds adjusted. Anyway, he was not feeling well at all. So we decided that a vet visit first thing Friday morning that we'd take him to the vet. By 11:00 p.m. on Thursday night, his condition had gone from bad to worse. With all the problems he'd been having from the past several weeks, we were unsure what was wrong. The swelling was twice the size it was when I had first looked at it. Bear was whining and running up beside the furniture and the walls. It was also VERY angry looking. He'd also torn his back foot open again. We called our vet, who was out of town and suggested we take him to the emergency clinic. Long story short, he had an abscessed anal gland. Not life threatening but very uncomfortable for Bear. They fixed him up with a lancing and antibiotics. Tunrs out that's why he was chewing on his leg. He had a very rough weekend, but finally started to feel much better yesterday.

When they ran my debit card at the vet clinic, it ran through twice at the bank. Since this was a $200 bill, it was quite an ordeal to get fixed. Not only that, but it had all of my Christmas shopping money tied up!! The vet clinic's tape showed that it only went through once on their end, and it was a bank error. Well, you know banks. THEY are NEVER wrong. Of course, it was the vet clinic's fault. Anyway, I had to go back to the clinic. Their accountant had to call my bank. Then, she had to send a fax stating they would only be taking the money once. After all this was done, I called the bank back a couple hours later to see if everything was fixed. They said the fax was never sent (I know that it was, because I watched her send it). Anyway, we had to re-fax everything AGAIN!! Finally by last night, everything was fixed. I was exhausted. By far, NOT my best weekend ever.

I Love Christmas Lights!

I just LOVE Christmas lights!! Every year, I look forward to driving through the neighborhoods to see the Christmas Light displays. So I was just tickled last year, when this video hit the internet and t.v. stations.

This year, I've discovered an even better little video to share. The first was awesome, but this one ROCKS THE HOUSE!!!

I just wish I could see this one in person! I, however, would probably have a stroke if I saw their electic bill.

Very Tired

I'm finally back from all of the parade hoopla this weekend. I had meant to post an update yesterday, but it was a CRAZY day. Casey and I had an absolute blast this past weekend. The 501st Southern Outpost represents four different states: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. It was so nice to get to see all of our friends from the surrounding areas. Our Christmas party on Saturday night was so much fun!! Casey and I made off with a bunch of swag and enjoyed visiting with everyone. We marched Saturday in Gallatin and Sunday in Hendersonville. Both parades were great! The crowds were so much fun, and the kids were wonderful. Here's some shots that a couple of my friends took over the weekend.

Leading the troops Saturday in Gallatin.

Another shot from the Gallatin parade.

Group shot of participants in Gallatin.

Lining up to march in Hendersonville.

Group shot in Hendersonville.

Busy Weekend!

This weekend is the annual 501st Southern Outpost Tennessee parades weekend. Outpost members from four states all meet up at a central location to march in local Christmas parades and attend our annual Christmas party. This year, we are marching in the Gallatin, TN on Saturday and Hendersonville, TN parade on Sunday. So far, we have a group of around 80 costumers that will march together. Last year, this event was one of the first that Casey and I participated in, and it was an absolute blast. We are marching with a float and a couple of vehicles. It should be quite a spectacle. So if you are in the area and want to see a platoon of Imperial costumers, come on out. I'll have LOTS of pictures to share on Tuesday. Everyone have a great weekend!

Parade Weekend, 2005

First Snowfall

It's always so exciting, that very first snowfall of the season. I looked out my window about an hour ago to be very suprised to see a pretty steady fall of snow. I knew that flurries had been predicted, but I didn't expect to see this much falling. It's not sticking of course, but this will do nicely. It bolsters the Christmas spirit. I made some pictures with my cell phone, and I'm just waiting for them to transfer. If they turn out, I'll post them soon. There's a tune going through my head....."it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

Owner or the Dog?

The Shelbyville City Council is toying with the idea of breed legislation. The question is whether or not to ban Pit Bulls within the Shelbyville, TN city limits. This legislation was discussed briefly a while back but tabled. It was brought back up after 2 recent dog attacks in the city (click HERE and HERE). The City Council meeting was packed last night with concerned citizens who suggested that the owners of vicious/dangerous dogs be the target and not breeds themselves. I feel that the citizens made valuable suggestions last night that should be considered. I personally believe that the idea of breed legislation is ridiculous until the basic animal welfare laws are addressed. If the ban on Pit Bulls in Shelbyville is a go, I just wonder who they will appoint to enforce this ban. I know that owners that breed these dogs to fight should be held accountable (which is just one concern). Fighting dogs is illegal in the first place. If they are already ignoring that basic law, then another on the books isn't going to make a difference. What do you all think?

So Cool!!!

I am so excited. Remember when I wrote about meeting Stephenie Meyer last week and her asking to have her picture made with me and Kim? Well I just visited her website for new updates today, and there in the latest update staring back at me was myself and Kim!! We made Stephenie Meyer's webpage!! Uber cool!! Click HERE and read under the Nashville update.

Changing Directions

All this past week, Casey has been sickety, sick, sick. When it first started out, we just thought it was a nasty sinus infection. Then the coughing started. The nasty repiratory infection has hit my household. I'm o.k., so far. I figure that he'll get all better, and I'll get sick just in time for Christmas! Anyway, the cough-snot bomb has prompted a change of plans for the weekend. Originally, we were supposed to head up to Clarksville to do a Toys For Tots event at the Toys R'Us. The Southern Outpost is there to help collect toys. Casey is feeling some better, but we figured it would be best if he wasn't out in the cold all day long. We certainly didn't want him coming down with pneumonia. So, we are just hangin out and taking it easy.

Since I'm close to home, I'm going to head out to the middle of town to see the local Christmas parade tonight. There's been very few years of my life that I've missed this parade. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure that I'll be hanging out at Pope's Cafe before the parade having some yummy homemade hot chocolate. The parade always gets my Christmas spirit going. It just such a Christmas-y thing to do. I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Getting Spiffy for Christmas!

I thought it was time to get in the Christmas spirit. So, I've done what I can to give the Zoo a Christmas look. Hopefully Lindsey, who designed the Zoo for me, will make me even spiffier soon. I discovered a few days ago that my computer has the Paint program, so I've spent the last couple of days trying to figure it out and design a blog banner. I was finally successful. So here it is. The holiday version of Richardson Zoo. I hope that you all find it festive and like it.

Time Keeps on Slippin'

The calendar reminds me of that Steve Miller song. This year is winding down. Tomorrow is the first day of December, and the weather is the first to remind me. Right now, it's 73 degrees. It's been warm and balmy the past week. Tonight, a cold front is supposed to come through the area, and by morning it's supposed to be in the low 30's with snow flurries. From shorts to sweats in a day folks. There's an old saying here in Tennessee, "if you don't like the weather here just wait 5 minutes, and it will change". SO TRUE. Here you are never really able to put away the short sleeves and shorts. Enough about the weather.

The Christmas season is approaching, and I'm not ready. I already feel so behind, and it makes me a little depressed. Hopefully I'll get my Christmas cards addressed this weekend. If anyone would like to do a Christmas card swap just drop me an e-mail, so we can exchange addresses. I'm not even excited about decorating this year. I DO have the outside lights up, but I'm usually finished by now. I haven't even started to shop. I guess I'd better hop to it soon. I'm just not sure where all my UMPH went. If anyone sees it, send it my way. Maybe I'll feel different tomorrow.

Such A Shame

I recently heard what a hard time the Smithville, Tennessee Animal Shelter is having. They are overcrowded and could probably use more staff. The mayor of Smithville even paid them a visit in the last few days. Unfortunately, the instructions were given to euthanize unclaimed animals after a 10 day stay there. All of the animals currently at the shelter have until December 14th, before they are euthanized. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you are in the area and have considered adopting a pet, take some time to visit this shelter. Their number is 615-597-1363 and the shelter is open 7:30 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. Monday-Saturday. Their address is: 535 Shaw St. You may very well find your best friend there! For more information on the shelter and their situation click HERE and HERE. I know this sermon is old folks, but we must educate everyone on spaying and neutering pets! So many shelter animals are a result of unwanted litters. It just isn't fair to these animals to be brought into the world just to be euthanized!

Happy Thanksgiving

I can't believe it's that time of year already. I'm going to be busy this Thanksgiving. Casey's cousin Andrew is coming from Ft. Campbell to spend Thanksgiving with us. He'll be with us all weekend. On Friday night, the Celebration Pet Day Committee is having a Committee/Volunteer appreciation get together. On Saturday, all the local members of the 501st Southern Outpost are getting together for another Thanksgiving feast. I'm planning to collapse in a heap on Sunday after church. Monday will be clean it all up day! I hope that everyone has a fantastic and safe Thanksgiving. I'm posting a slideshow below of all the things that I'm TRULY thankful for this year: my health, home, husband, family, pets, friends, and many other blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!!

| View Show | Create Your Own

Meeting Stephenie Meyer

Our night meeting Stephenie Meyer was fantatastic! Casey,Kim, and I got to Nashville early. It was nice to beat the rush hour traffic. We managed to relax have a cup of Starbucks and a little dinner before heading over to the "I Love Edward Cullen" party at Davis Kidd. They had a really nice, private room just off the cafe' for us to use. They had munchies, drinks, and sweets for us. The pre-party and snacks began at 5:30 p.m. After we'd all gone in and mingled for a few minutes, they brought Stephenie in to meet us. She was one of the nicest people that I've ever met. She took her time and made it around the entire room to personally speak with everyone and pose for pictures. Everyone had absolute FITS over the sweatshirts that Kim and I had made for the event. So much so, that we had one of the discussion boards take our picture, and Stephenie herself requested to have her picture made with us. Who knows were all our pictures will end up. After we had posed with Stephenie for our picture, she autographed both of our shirts. Kim and I continued to mingle with the other party goers. We met some really nice folks.

Because we were in the group for the pre-party, we were granted the opportunity to be the first group in line for the book signing. After about an hour and a half, Kim and I made our way out to the main floor for the book signing. After about thirty to forty minutes of questions and answers about her books, Stephenie started signing. Stephenie had liked our shirts so much that Kim and I offered to send her one, when our turn came up. She got so excited and said that she'd LOVE one. She also mentioned that she just loved it, when her fans got creative and came up with their own t-shirts and other things. Her PR rep loved them too and gave us her card with an address to mail them to her. By the end of the night, everyone was referring to us as the "sweatshirt girls". That was kind of neat. After the signing was over, we headed back home. I'm just a little tired this morning. Not too bad considering. It was quite a lovely night. I'm just so glad that Kim strong armed me into going.

Stephenie Meyer at the "I Love Edward Cullen" party.

Mingling at the party.

Me, Stephenie Meyer, and Kim at the "I Love Edward Cullen" party.

Stephenie answering questions at the book signing.

More questions and answers.

My sweatshirt that Stephenie autographed.

| View Show | Create Your Own

Twilight Tonight

I just love it, when my favorite authors come to town. Tonight Kim and I are headed into Nashville to meet Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight and New Moon.

.

You can read about how Kim convinced me to read this series HERE. We are all signed up for the "I Love Edward Cullen" party, and we are going to the actual signing as well. We are such fan girls. We have our lovely homemade fan sweatshirts all ready! We're hoping to get those autographed as well. I have the camera battery charging now, so I'm sure that I'll have lots of pictures for sharing tomorrow. Kim and I have been looking forward to this for about three months now. I can't believe how the time has flown!

Dough A No No

Well folks, it's getting close to Turkey Day!! While we pause this time of year and give thanks and stuff ourselves. We need to be very careful what we stuff our pets with. I'm familiar with a lot of pet food no no's. This year, I got an e-mail from the ASPCA warning me of another. Raw bread dough. It makes perfect sense once you think about it, but I never even realized. I'm glad to know this. Read below for more information on the deadliness of raw bread dough:

THANKSGIVING SAFETY TIP: BREAD DOUGH'S A NO-NO FOR DOGS AND CATS

There'll be many cooks in the kitchen next Thursday—but don't spoil your pet by giving him bread dough. According to veterinarians at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), when bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in the stomach. As alcohol is produced during the rising process, the dough expands. Pets who've eaten bread dough may experience abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting, disorientation and depression.

Take the case of the Labrador retriever who ingested several rolls that his pet parent had placed on the oven to rise. The owner didn't think much of this, and was more upset that the dog ate part of the holiday feast. But a few hours later, the owner noticed that the dog looked very lethargic. It wasn't long before the canine was reluctant to move and was retching.

As the symptoms intensified, the owner brought him to an emergency clinic, which contacted the APCC. Unfortunately, the dog's stomach was so severely distended that the only option at the time was to surgically remove the dough; he was also treated for alcohol toxicosis, caused by fermentation of the dough. The Labrador was kept at the clinic for the weekend and recovered completely.

Although this dog had ingested quite a bit of dough, an animal needs to eat only a small amount to cause a problem, because bread dough can rise to many times its size. Take care not to let Fluffy or Fido in the kitchen unsupervised when you're baking this holiday season—especially if you've got a professional chowhound who's always on the lookout for food.

In addition to offering poison prevention tips online, the APCC also runs an emergency hotline—(888) 426-4435—that provides round-the-clock telephone assistance.

Lack Luster

I really just hate it when I don't really have anything new to report. Life is just going as normal. Don't get me wrong normal is very good, just uninteresting for blog readers.

Casey and I are keeping up our routine of raquetball every week. We played a good game yesterday, even though I'm sure it wasn't meant to be. We were late getting over to the court. I'd forgotten my ID to get in. Since I'm there nearly everyday swimming, the girl at the desk let me go through the gate. When Casey went to get his ID, he realized that he'd forgotten his too. We borrow our raquets at the center, so without IDs were were sunk. On the way back out to the car, Casey remembered he had it in a pair of shorts in the back seat. We went back in, got through the gates, and finally got changed. When we got to our reserved court, the court lights were out. We went to the front desk to let them know. They said they'd turn them on. We played in the semi-dark for about 20 minutes. Casey finally went back up and let them know our lights still weren't on. Finally, the lights came up. Once we had lights, equipment, and other required elements, we finally got our game going. We didn't do too bad. We played for about an hour.

It's gotten really cold and dreary here. Usually I depise this kind of weather, but this time of year, it puts me in the mood for the holidays. I just can't believe Thanksgiving is a week from today. This year has just flown.

The weather has done a number on Bear. Just like a person, his arthritis flares up in cold, damp weather. He's been kind of droopy for the last couple of days. I sure hope he feels better soon. I really worry about him.

Casey and I have had a change in weekend plans. As much as I would like to go to the Star Wars symphony concert, I'm just really not in the mood to drive the six hours to stay only one night. So, we're just going to hang out at the house. Who knows what we'll get into.

So Normal

I guess that it's good news that I don't really have anything out of the ordinary to report. This week will be like the calm before the storm. Starting next week, I'll be trooping with the Southern Outpost for Christmas charities nearly every weekend.

The plumber came yesterday to fix our "little" problem. I was very happy that I'd really over saved for the bill. Because of this, Casey and I'll be headed off to Jackson, MS this weekend to troop the Star Wars symphony concert. Supposedly, this is supposed to be very well put together. The symphony supposedly has release from Lucasfilm to use some movie clips. Now, if I can just get all of the laundry done and all my ducks in a row.

I'm also trying to get everything lined up to have an appreciation dinner for my Celebration Pet Day Committee and volunteers. I'm just waiting to hear back from everyone on a good date.

That's pretty much life for me today...stay tuned.

Veterans Day

I just want to thank all of the men an women in the United States armed forces for protecting my freedom. Also, a special thank you to their families for your sacrifices.

Dogs have served in the U.S. military during every modern war—World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, in Bosnia, and in Afghanistan—as trackers, scouts, sentries, and messengers; as attack dogs, mine detection dogs, and rescue dogs. The dogs are credited with saving thousands of American lives and great acts of heroism.

Please don't forget to remember all of the 4 legged veterans of war. To read more about these very special veterans click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

No Injuries

I've decided to tweak my workout routine. I usually try to swim between 3 and 5 miles a week. I'm not tired of it, and I love doing it. But lately, I feel that I need a little cross training. So, Casey and I have decided to play raquetball once a week. Casey loves raquetball and is very good at it. I love it, but I'm sometimes rather uncoordinated. So after work yesterday, we went to the courts. The last couple of times we've played in the past, I always left with injuries. One time it was a locked knee. The next time is was a busted/bloody nose. They just come naturally to me for some reason. My Mama didn't name me Grace for a reason! This has always made Casey a little apprehensive about allowing me to accompany him. He always complains that he has to remain healthy to take me to the ER. We started just hitting it back and forth to practice and then sped it up a little. I actually did pretty well. We played for nearly an hour, and I'm happy to report that I left with NO injuries!! It was such fun that I can't wait until our next game. I think I may have found just the thing to add to my weekly swimming routine!

An Apple A Day

Supposedly keeps the doctor away. That is apparently not true for vets. Since our youngest pet is now 6 years old (the oldest will be 15 in February), I guess I should just prepare myself for more yearly vet visits. When Casey and I got home last Friday night, our cat, Biscuit's, jaw was nearly twice its normal size. We've had this kind of thing happen before, so luckily we didn't freak out. It usually happens when the cats scratch each other. Anyway, Casey called the vet on Saturday. He said it was o.k. to wait until Monday to bring her in, although I picked up some antibiotics for her on the way home from work. On Saturday night, the lump ruptured. No big deal. Just some draining and all of the swelling went down. She obviously felt much better afterwards. We took her in on Monday. After attempting to shave the fur away from the area and debride the spot, the vet decided he would have to mildly sedate her. I could have told him that. Biscuit is a quite hateful cat about being touched, even when she's feeling good. Anyway we picked her up and brought her home, along with a tube of topical antibiotics. By yesterday, she was feeling and acting much better. It was amazing to see how much the spot had healed overnight. Even though it was just a mild incidence, the bill was still uncomfortable. Eeeeek!! I think it's time all of my brood find jobs. I still refer to Slate as the $2000 dog. If anyone's hiring.....let me know!

National Shelter Appreciation Week

This week is National Shelter Appreciation Week. Take the time this week to let your local animal shelter and its workers know that you appreciate the job they do. Want some ideas? The Humane Society of the United States has some great ideas for you:

10 Ways to Support Your Local Shelter

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week begins Nov. 5. Here are 10 ways to show your local shelter some love:

1. Donate a Subscription to Animal Sheltering Magazine

Shelter workers just can't get enough of Animal Sheltering—an award-winning bi-monthly magazine chock full of articles to educate, inform and inspire anyone who works or volunteers with homeless pets. Donate a year's subscription to your local shelter for just $15.

2. Learn How to Help Injured or Abandoned Animals

Your local shelter and animal control officers depend on the community's help to reach animals in need. Learn everything you need to know to take action, from how to put together a first aid kit to which community phone numbers you need to know.

3. Be an Email Ambassador

Spread a shelter-friendly message every time you hit send—attach a tagline like the one below to your signature for all outgoing email messages: Love animals? Support your local shelter!

4. Adopt or Foster an Animal

Consider adopting or fostering a homeless animal. Whether you decide to bring home a new pet or foster an animal until she finds a forever family, you'll be giving a critter a safe and caring home while making room for another homeless pet in your community's animal shelter, where space is limited.

5. Say Thank You

Drop a note in the mail or shoot an email to your local shelter and let them know how much you appreciate all they do for animals. If you can, sweeten your thank you by adding an item from the shelter's wish list, a check or a gift card from a pet supply store.

6. Volunteer Your Time and Skills

Whether you end up walking pooches, helping at special events or lending your expertise as a newsletter editor, your shelter can match your schedule and talents to their needs. Not only will you be helping animals in your community, but you also will be building knowledge and skills. Call your local shelter and find out how to start volunteering.

7. Add a Banner to Your Web Page

Warn visitors to your web page about the dangers of puppy mills and pet stores. Add a "Stop Puppy Mills" or "Puppy Buyers Guide" banner to your MySpace page, blog or website, and encourage people to adopt a dog from an animal shelter instead of purchasing a pooch with a puppy mill past.

8. Support Spay-Neuter

Spaying or neutering your pet or offering to help fund a spay/neuter surgery for a friend, family member or neighbor's pet will save animals' lives by helping to lower the number of unwanted animals in your community and reduce the strain on your local shelter's resources.

9. Donate a Dog Bed

No shelter dog should have to sleep on a cold, concrete floor while waiting for a forever home, but providing bedding for the millions of homeless animals in our nation's animal shelters can add up to thousands of dollars each year—not to mention loads of laundry. Help a dog in need by donating a durable, shelter-tested bed to a shelter of your choice through the Kuranda shelter donation program. The beds can increase the overall physical and mental well-being of a shelter's doggie residents.

10. ID Your Pet

Your pet should never go naked—that is, without a collar and ID tags. It's the number one way that lost pets are returned to their owners. Without it a Good Samaritan or animal shelter will likely have no idea how to contact you. Even if your pet is microchipped or your cat never goes outdoors, always err on the safe side and make a collar and tag permanent—your pet's life could depend on it.

Rebecca Simmons is the outreach communications coordinator for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.

My Kind of Letter

I love this piece!! And yes, it DOES make me cry. Everytime.

All Creatures Great and Small

Letter to a Shelter Dog

August 12, 2006 : 12:00 AM

by Randi Bildner

Dear Shelter-Dog,

I wanted to address this letter to you by name but sadly, you do not have one.

I needed to write this letter for many reasons; I have so many things to say to you, and there is so much that I want you to know.

First and foremost I want you to know that you are loved. You are thought of and prayed for each and every day by many kind people.

I want you to know that you did nothing wrong: you simply couldn't, for wrongdoing is not in your nature.

I don't know what cruel twist of fate brought you to this place, but I do know that you do not deserve to be here.

I don't know it if was decided that you were too large or too small, if you barked too much or too little, if someone became allergic to you or if it was simply decided one day that you were an inconvenience.

I don't know if the children that you were given to lost interest in you when you were not a puppy anymore and no longer considered cute or fun.

I don't know if you became too old or too sick or if your medical problems became too expensive.

I don't know if you simply lost your way one day.

I am not sure if you were thrown from a car or dropped off by the side of a road, left behind you may have waited patiently, bewildered, wondering why those you loved never came back.

I don't know if your family moved away and decided not to take you.

I don't know if you were tortured—taught to fight against your will, and when you loyally obeyed you were punished further by being brought here.

I don't know if your owner died not wanting to leave you behind.

What I do know is this: you are important and you are loved.

I do know that I want to hold you and take away your pain. I want to show you the love and kindness that you deserve.

I want you to know that it breaks my heart when I can't save you.

I want you to know that you are special. Just as special, just as important as any dog living in a home now because any of those dogs could be you.

You come in all sizes shapes and colors. You have unique personalities and behaviors. It saddens me that the beauty of your kind soul will never be known and cannot be shared from your jail cell.

You may not have a name but you do have a soul and I do know that one day there will be peace for you.

God will shower you with the love and warmth you deserve. You will run through the greenest of pastures and feel the warm sun on your face. You will have your very own toys to play with and a comfortable bed to call your own. You will never be sick; feel pain or be lonely again.

Your fur will shine and your tail will wag.

You are loved, and you are wanted. Your pleading eyes have burned holes in the hearts of all of us who love you; this is something that I really want you to know.

I want to end my letter to you with a promise. I promise that I will work towards putting an end to shelter life because this is not a place for a beautiful soul like yours.

I want to look into your loving warm eyes and tell you that there is hope; I want you to know that this fight will continue for as long as it takes, it will continue until you are free.

Happy Halloween!

Go HERE for more great animal Halloween pictures.

We had a FANTASTIC time at the Zoo's Ghouls at Grassmere. We trooped for about 3 hours. I didn't really get all that cold, except for my hands. The Zoo had a really nice hospitality room for us to warm up and have some munchies. They had sandwiches, chips, candy, coffe, soda, and hot chocolate! I didn't really make that many more pictures, but here a couple of Casey and a friend that I did get.

Casey and I are going out to eat tonight. We like to do Halloween for the kids, but with three escaping kittens and kids freaking Fergie out, we're just going out. Hope everyone has a very happy and safe Halloween!

Here are some Halloween safety tips from the ASPCA to make Halloween safe for pets:

NO SCAREDY CATS THIS HALLOWEEN: TOP 10 SAFETY TIPS FOR PET PARENTS

Attention, companion animal caretakers! The ASPCA would like to call your attention to these common-sense cautions that’ll help keep your pets safe and stress-free this time of year.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowlful of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. If you suspect your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are ingested.

3. Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress.

6. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe or bark. Keep a look out for small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.

7. Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not obstruct her vision in any way. Even the sweetest animals can get snappy when they can't see.

8. All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.

9. When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

10. IDs, please! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags and/or a microchip increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

Boo Pt. 2

DON'T FORGET TO FALL BACK TONIGHT! STANDARD TIME!!

It's the weekend before Halloween. I'm sure this will probably be a pretty wild weekend for some. Casey and I are going back to the Nashville Zoo again tonight. The Southern Outpost is trooping the Ghouls at Grassmere again this weekend and on Halloween night. Even though I went last weekend, I was not feeling well at all, so I didn't don the costume. Casey's armor had a malfunction earlier in the day, so we both ended up as handlers and photographers last week. Hopefully, the armor malfunction has been corrected. We should both be in costume tonight. So if you are out and about in the Nashville area and have little ones, come on out for some fun.

I don't think we have much else planned for the weekend. We may clean out the car tomorrow, since the weather is supposed to be nice. We've trooped two weekends in a row and that trashes the car pretty well. Time for a nice clean out. I'd like to catch up my reading and get the house clean as well. Oh well. Everyone have a nice weekend!

Lessons to Live By

I got the following from my good friend, Kim. I think I need to remember this, when I'm having a bad day. It should be my new mantra.

When you feel there's just too much for you to handle in life. When the 24 hours in the day doesn't seem to be enough - remember the jar of mayonnaise and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

Next, the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes!"

The professor then produced two cups of coffees from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions—things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter: your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a coffee with a friend."

Hacked Off!!

Last week, close to home, a woman was arrested for running a puppy mill. Humane workers and law enforcement confiscated over 250 dogs and cats from her home. These people absolutely infuriate me. This is exactly why we need to enact laws for all facilities that board or breed dogs to be inspected. We definitely need harsher animal cruelty laws...but I digress. Anyway, this woman pled guilty to four counts of animal cruelty. She has also been restricted from the number of pets that she can have in the future as well. She will spend no time in jail. The good thing is since the court case has been settled, loving families can begin to adopt the animals. Now here is where my blood starts to boil. According to a local news story -- "Part of the money from the adoption fees will go to Muser's daughter to help provide for Muser. She was using the breeding operation as her main source of income." WHAT!!!! EXCUSE ME!!! Part of the adoption fee that loving pet owners would pay to adopt these animals would be given back to the woman!!!!!!! How in the world is that punishing this person? Isn't this punishing the wrong people? If I was one of these adopters, I would just flat out refuse to pay this extra fee. I wouldn't mind it at all, if I knew it was going for the animal care and medicines. This kind of deal just sends the wrong message. This woman should not profit from her cruelty to animals. It just makes my blood boil. I don't know. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood. Maybe it's just the weather today.

The Do At the Zoo

I've been under the weather for the past several days. I'm finally back. Ghouls at Grassmere at the Nashville Zoo was a lot of fun. The group is planning to be there again this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Here's just a few shots from last Saturday night.

Boo To You

It's that time of year folks! It's the haunting season! Yes, Halloween is nearly here. Time for costume parties, hayrides, trick-or-treating, and haunted houses. This year, Casey and I are contributing to the festivities. The 501st Legion, Southern Outpost is participating at Nashville Zoo's Ghouls at Grassmere. We are all going out to entertain the kids with our costumes. The group has done this several times before, and it's a hit with the kids. I'm just hoping that it will be a little bit warmer tonight. Casey's a bit worried about freezing his cod piece off! So if you're close by and need a way to entertain your little Star Wars fan, come on out and say "hey".

Surreal Dreams

Have you ever had one of those dreams, where you just knew that you were going to have a good day? I had one of those last night. I have ALWAYS been a very vivid dreamer. It's rare that I ever have a night that I don't recall having at least one dream. Here's a little information about my dreaming habits:

1. I DO dream in color.

2. Most of my dreams include at least one person, friend, or family member that has passed away.

3. For some reason, this has NEVER upset me in any way.

4. I consider it like a visit with these people.

5. I dream a lot in a skewed perception. By this I mean I may dream that I'm at a school, but it may look very much like a restaurant or something of that nature.

6. I have an old superstition that says if you tell your dream before breakfast, it will come true. If I tell anyone a dream, depending on the outcome of said dream, I choose very consciously whether to tell it before or after breakfast.

7. Casey and I spend a lot of time on the ride to work discussing our previous night's dreams.

8. I VERY rarely have nightmares.

9. I have often tried to prolong a good dream.

10. There are many, many times that in my sleep that I realize I'm dreaming.

With that said, I will tell you about last night's dream. It was a rare case, where the dream played out logically. I dreamed that I had the rare opportunity to meet the main stars of Star Wars (this probably comes from running around in costume with my friends so much). All of them were there, with the exception of Mark Hamill. I got to meet Carrie Fisher (who was extremely nice) and get her autograph. The big thrill was meeting Harrision Ford! You see Harrision Ford has been a long time hero of mine. During my childhood whether he was playing Han Solo or Indiana Jones, it was all the same to me. He was ten feet tall and could conqour the world! So in this dream, I was quite excited. I don't remember all of the exact details, but he was also extrememly nice and spoke with me for quite a while. He also autographed some of my stuff. The only drawback in the dream? I remember thinking, "I'm meeting Harrison Ford, and no one has a camera!!" I had met both of these stars and didn't even think to bring a camera to get pictures!! It was just one of those warm fuzzy dreams. You know the kind where you just wake up happy. Usually when I have this kind of dream, I have a good day. Today has been pretty normal so far. I'm just waiting to see what will happen.