Christmas Comes

But Once A Year...

 I'm going to put off Mod Mix Monday till next week.

Because...Christmas comes but once a year.

And I can't do it all. I can't even do a small part of it.

I didn't post Sunday morning because I thought my internet was down.

We had a giant ice storm and yesterday afternoon I realized I had no internet.

But I still had cable...which was odd.

So I thought I'd just wait awhile and surely it would be back up.

Sunday morning I went to church services at my Mom's church.

She sings in the choir and was very very happy that I came.

After church Mom and I went out to dinner and then I went to visit my sister, 

my brother in law and all their dogs.

When I got home...I still didn't have internet.

Time to call my cable provider and ask if it was out in my area.

So I call technical support and they tell me to look at the back of my modem

"Look for a gray wire," he says.

I find the gray wire and realize it's been chewed in two!

I was like...

"is it the skinny one?"

And he said, "No", that would be your phone.

Me: "that would be why my house phone has not worked in 6 months"

Yes, I've been paying for a phone that does not work for at least 6 months...hey, maybe a year.

Not smart.

So he tells me to check the other wire or cable and it is loose on the back of my computer....

problem solved. 

So actually, my internet was never out.

Things are always going wrong with all these dogs around.

Anyway...after that....

I was just about to lose light for taking more photos of my Christmas.

Yesterday's photos were not the best because I was losing light then too...but I snapped a few to share anyway.

I'll try again tomorrow.

One of my newer putz houses. A friend gave me this one a few years ago.

Some of you noticed the new wall color in the living room.

I am totally loving it! It's just the perfect color.

Windows are still not painted and neither is the dining room.

Here is another reason why I didn't get many photos done...Franklin.

He was running loose in the room. He and Harvey are insisting upon helping me decorate.

Light quality is not great...but I snapped this good pose of him in front of Xmas pillows.

He seems thrilled with all the Christmas going on in the room.

 There's Franklin's tail as he explores.

 Another putz house...yes this one is the same as the other.

Shannon doesn't know she gave me two alike but that's ok.

They don't sit next to each other and I love them lots.

I keep thinking I'll change one of them up but I haven't done it so far.

So hopefully, I'll get more photos shot tomorrow...and I can show you the rest...

but you never know how things are going to go...do you?....

because this is how things go here.....

Got a love him anyway.

He doesn't like pooping on icy grass.

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Harvey Bing a Ling a Ding Dong Dog

Yes, Harvey Bing!

Love, love, love this pudgy little dog.

He's actually lost quite a bit of weight.

I know he still looks plump...but he's way smaller than he was and getting smaller.

I love him from the tip of his pink spotted nose to the white tip of his tail and all the good parts in between.

Toenails got trimmed right after this photo shoot.

He HATES for his toenails to be cut!

All my dogs do.

It's so bad that when I pull out the human clippers to cut my own toenails...they all immediately

run away.

They are afraid they are next!

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It's Weenie Time!

After work...most days...I spend a little time on the deck with the weenies.

Here is Franklin...he's panting because it was so hot out...like mid 90's.

He's a full grown lovely boy now! He's over two years old.

He is very very sweet and gentle. He's very attached to me. Likes to be near me at all times.

He's an easy dog. He comes in when I call now and the only thing he is crazy about is squirrels 

but I never have to worry about him trying to get out. He seems perfectly content in my backyard.

When I had Newman I was constantly scared that he was going to find a way out or hurt himself doing

some daredevil thing. Franklin is full of fun...but he's not hell bent on destruction. 

He's a happy little guy.

I tried to get a photo of his full body, so you could all see how handsome he has become.

He has a very nice tail but his ears are a little funny. 

The hair stays short on the tips and is long on the tops.

Many of the photos turned out like this because he kept trying to come up and kiss me while I was shooting.

I haven't shown Harvey in awhile. He is much thinner than he used to be.

Here's a photo of how he used to look....

Very adorable but very fat.

He's is still chunky...but he has lots more energy now and can run and jump a little.

He's lost weight since I started spoon feeding them.

I don't leave food out for him to eat when he wants any more.

Still adorable.

I began this diet after discovering Violet is allergic to grain and chicken.

She had a terrible sinus infection and cough last year that just would not go away.

Many trips to the vet did not solve the problem.

The vet said it was just chronic and nothing to be done about it.

Well, I switched to canned food just because I'd run out of their normal dry.

That canned food was beef only. 

Mom had brought it when she came to stay with me.

After a few days on that food...Violet was so much better!

The coughing stopped and way less snotty nose.

Recently, I went grain free too and she's 100% again.

She has always sneezed a lot in the spring and summer but last year after she caught kennel cough 

from Franklin...she was sick most of last year.

I wonder why my vet didn't think to suggest it could be a food related allergy.

Her skin was itchy and broken out too.

Now it seems obvious.

Anyway, I wanted to tell about it here in hopes of helping anyone else that has a dog 

with a constant cough, runny nose and itchy skin.

Try taking chicken and grain out of their diet.

Poor Violet, she is not very photogenic. She is much more beautiful than this photo shows.

She is very hard to photograph too...she doesn't care about having her picture taken at all.

Newman used to stare right at the camera and I'd get lots of good shots of him.

Funny how some dogs like their picture taken and some don't.

Sally doesn't mind although she wiggles too much when close up. 

She is probably thinking about rolling in something in that top pic.

She likes to do that a lot.

Here she is being good. Such a silly girl with a silly smile.

Sally's lost weight too....Franklin has gained a little which is fine but poor Violet has 

gained several pounds. She used to pick at her food but since I changed it

she wants to eat lots of it. I think she knew it made her sick and ate as little as possible. 

That's what's up with the dogs.

Nothing much up with me.

Which is good....it's good when things are dull...don't you think?

Nothing bad happening...and that is good. 

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Recovery

Mom swears the dogs are aiding in her recovery from heart surgery.

She's got a bed full of them most of the time.

These are her two, Daisy and Rosie....they are Violet's full sisters.

When I took these photos the other day, Franklin was outside chasing squirrels.

Harvey was at the end of the bed trying to take a nap.

Sally has been sequestered in my bedroom.

Her and Marcus have issues.

That's Marcus, Harvey's brother.

Those two are the gruesome twosome together.

I call Marcus, Moose. He is a big old Moose.

Rosie is a prima donna. I tell Mom she's not a dachshund, she's a poodle.

You can't help but smile at the lot of these.

See Mom's scar? That was several days ago.

It is so much better now. 

She'd kill me if she knew I'd put this out there for the world to see.

Oh...maybe not...she's at the point...where she really doesn't care.

A pretty shot of Violet and Marcus.

Yes, a bed full of them. Marcus doesn't like Franklin very much.

He barks at him constantly. Franklin ignores him.

Franklin pounces on Harvey a lot and that makes Marcus mad.

He loves his little brother Harvey and never ever gets mad or barks at him.

He is his great protector.

That's good. With Marcus around Harvey can rest easy knowing his big brother is 

on the job of HIS homeland security.

So, new plumbing is being put in on Wednesday.

Fences will be torn down.

That means I will be walking dogs one at a time on a leash out the front door.

With seven dogs, this should pretty much take up my whole day.

Thank goodness I'm off work that day.

Life is never easy, is it?

I thought...if I could just get through Mom's surgery....everything would settle down.

But then...here we go with more craziness.

Mom and I are talking about hitting the movie theaters soon, though...and seeing all the movies 

we've missed. 

I have not gotten to see American Horror Story in weeks.

I think I've missed three episodes.

I keep thinking I'll watch On Demand and catch up one night after work but I keep falling asleep

when I sit down to do it.

Maybe tonight...maybe tonight. 

Pier 1 is still having it's store wide clearance sale.

I got some good things for next year's Thanksgiving table at a fraction of what they cost originally.

Mom and I are itching to get out and go shopping together.

One day...soon...

We can't wait.

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My Thanksgiving Decor 2012

Here's what I did on my fireplace mantel this year for Thanksgiving.

I knew I wanted to do something with a silver tray, ribbon, florals, glitter leaves
and my mercury glass acorn ornaments.

But a couple of weeks ago when I went to put this together I was stalled by how to hang it

over the mirror.

Then last week, I was in Michael's and I saw a box of frames with a sign that read - 

$2 Grab Bag!

I asked to clarify if this was true....were the frames indeed $2?

Yes, they were and I snapped up this gold frame that I knew would be perfect to 

attach my Thanksgiving wreath to.
Those mercury glass acorns I bought on sale a couple of years ago at Walmart.
They are real glass. Walmart had pretty things that year.
My Mom and sister hit their Walmarts too and bought me as many silver ones as they could find.
Glitter leaves came from Target several Xmas's ago.

Center of the display is my turkey platter bought last February at Target for $7.

Oh...yes I love a bargain.

I bought this kubu wicker basket at Hobby Lobby end of summer and it's just the perfect thing to group items together on the table.

Snapped up the white dinner platter this week at Pier 1 on sale. We have matching dishes and everything to this...but they aren't on sale yet...just the platter. 

I don't need dishes...but a person can always use another platter.

More of the mercury glass acorns scattered about.

People have been coming in to Pier 1 the last few days frantic for last minute
Thanksgiving stuff...like placemats, chargers and napkin rings...not to mention dining tables and chairs.
I've sold a bunch of dining chairs.
I guess everyone decides to get their act together only when they know lots of people are showing up at their house.

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I had some excitement here at the house last night.
I was on the phone with a friend when the dogs started barking in a weird way back in the kitchen
and breakfast nook.
I realized it was strange immediately for them to be barking like that in the house.
So I go back to check and Violet, Franklin and Harvey have a opossum surrounded in the corner
under a table in the breakfast nook.
He was hissing like crazy.

This is what he looked like!

Since I'd already been through one encounter with one of my dogs and a opossum...
I stayed relatively calm.
All three dogs were surrounding him and were barking and had their noses right where he
could have easily bit them.
They were not backing down and neither was he.
I had to pick each one up and carry them into another room so I could get at him.
Didn't have to pick up Sally...she was hid under the bed which is what she does whenever there is a
big commotion.
I took each dog into the hall and shut the door....Franklin was the last
and he managed to open a door and jump a baby gate and was right back in the middle of it in two seconds.
I put him back over the gate then shoo'd the opossum out using a broom handle.
He actually went pretty easily. I didn't want to traumatize him any more than he was...so I was just
nudging him and he went right back out the door.

A reminder of what I was dealing with.
Yikes! Those teeth...thank goodness he was too scared to bite.

My friend who was still on the phone...I'd thrown it aside...said...
"It's like you live in the country over there."

I am very thankful it was a opossum and not a raccoon.
I think that would have been much harder to deal with, don't you?

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