December 2013 Blog Posts (48)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2104

2013 has been as busy going out as it was coming in. And in our house with just a few hours left – it still is!

Three decades ago, I was pouting and sulking on New Years Eve because I wanted to go out, butDH said “NO.”

Why you ask? Because New Years Day was my due date for our first born.

I wasn’t crazy, I didn’t want to hit the club, and do the hustle all night long (line dancing wasn’t out then), I just…

If I agree to do something, you can “bet your doodle” –  I really try to do it! Unfortunately with two doodles, family, blogging, and all those other things that get in between, I sometimes can be a little “tardy for the party.”

Because I try to juggle many things in the air, I seem to be the poster child for “better late than never.” I could tell you correcting or adjusting this behavior is on my New Years Resolution “to-do”list, but it isn’t. I’ve…

THAT’S US!

We’re the Christmas Doodle Bandits.

I’m Havoc…

This is the face that gets them every time!

And I’m Mayhem……

THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE A DOODLE THAT HAS HEALTH PROBLEMS,  and this may help you save money and many heartaches, constant conflict, and sleepless nights, such as we have experienced.  We have experienced overwhelming anxieties concerning our sweet Molly.   Doodles are not super hybrids resilient to disease, but unfortunately, as I have learned dogs that can carry the genetic disorders of every co-mingled pedigree in their line. So, know the positive and negative traits inherent in…

I am full of love these days.  Pure unadulterated love.  Love for my new toys, received on that crazy holiday that is really not environmentally friendly with all the wrapping paper it produces.  Love for my new bones, which are so meaty and delicious that I continue to act a little like a hound of the Baskervilles when anyone approaches me while I'm chewing on them (I have improved, however - just ask my human mom).  Love for my…

On the 23rd Max was crying to go outside at about 3 in the morning. Now usually he doesn't do that so late, but we figured he had to go. We have a very large backyard and it's pretty dark out there at night.  My husband had thought he heard a dog bark just before he let him out but  didn't think too much about it.

My husband let him out, and he ran half way down the yard, and suddenly all this yipping started, and Max had run to the back fence. Now I consider myself very lucky because…

I can’t believe my Fudge is five.  It seems like just yesterday I picked up a little, brown hairball from a breeder in Indiana.  Hayley was with me and we drove 600 miles to bring her home and she was an angel in the car.  We stopped at a Meijer’s on the way home and got a small dog bed and wedged…

Last year, I stopped having my Cookie party and started a new tradition with my great niece and great nephews.  They loved coming to the Cookie party, but I promised them I would come to their house, stay the night, and bake Christmas cookies with them.  They wanted me to bring Fudge and Vern, but these particular children are hard on…

Historically I am not a last minute Christmas shopper, but this year I am the gold medal winner here in Doodleville!

Saturday the weather was unusually mild, so I convinced DH to take The Boys and I to our favorite “galleria” with the cutest boutiques and speciality stores.

Who knew so many people would be there “working” my same plan?

In the center of all this shopping madness they set up this ginormous Christmas tree. I thought it…

This has to be the most tempestuous season of the year. At least for me it is. I believe there’s a conspiracy theory between the Lifetime Channel and all retailers because I sob like a child who can’t find her favorite toy, as I watch all these holiday movies.

I hear myself telling people I love them at the end of a phone call, and truth be told half of the time I really don’t!!!

And why am I always picking up last minute items for other people that I barely know. Help me…

I am simply FASCINATED by crafty people. Why? Because I am NOT! When I read the instructions on “how to make your own DIY dog ornament”, I thought “I can do that.”

Again, I’m not very crafty – but I wanted to at least try.

Here’s what they said I’d need:

• Chenille bump stems (They’re fancy pipe cleaners)
•  Scissors
• Tape runner or glue stick
• Glue gun
• Mini dollhouse…

Saturday started out like every other Saturday for us.  We always walk the dogs together up at our local park.  We usually discuss this and that on the way up and this Saturday, I got to telling John that I had taken a  “Mental Age Test,” and wanted him to guess the results.…

My "big guy" turned four yesterday.  I kept thinking all day about the amazing journey he has taken us on....yes, quite a "ride".  I remember getting the "DRC call" telling us that he had been surrendered by his owners at 11 weeks. Karen and Jacquie knew that I had tried to adopt another "poodle mix" puppy from our local rescue but the dog was placed with a different family.  I was heartbroken...I had even bought a little pink puppy sweater.  It was a Friday night that the call came.  It was…

This will put you in the holiday mood! we had a warm day here and the pups finally got the chance to go outside in the new puppy pen I put in this fall--there is an indoor room for them too! I wanted them to experience the snow before the rain that was forecast for today and tomorrow washed it all away. They had a blast! The smallest one got colder faster so he was tucked inside my jacket while I was filming--hence the shaky camera--had to hold him with one hand and film with the…

Yesterday, I woke up to the news that Rudy had died.  Rudy was a dog I wrote a blog about and he touched many of our hearts. 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/rudy

His owners decided they wanted to travel after their kids had moved out…

We had this huge summit in November to discuss about suburban poverty and homelessness here in Pittsburgh. Local major news paper wrote the article, and NPR had segment in regard to this summit.

A group of local YMCA staff read this article and listen to the NPR, and was absolutely shocked to know the numbers of homeless families we have in our school district.…