MISSY

1994-2008

It's OK Missy.

Annie was waiting for you and she's been calling to you for a little while now.

We'll take good care of Grandma for you.

Please check on Skippy for us. You remember her, don't you? She used to come in and steal that expensive dog food that Grandma always bought for you.

See that pretty dog with the golden feathers? That's Candy. She belonged to your mommy years ago. She was a good dog too. And that Schnauzer that keeps nuzzling you? That's Mitzi. And the collie that's bounding over to say "hi"...that's Tippy. She was first. You probably don't remember Prissy, Konga, or Checkhov.....they lived here for a summer once upon a time. I'm sure they came to greet you today. Once upon a time, they were all part of our family here. Now you are part of their family there.

We'll miss you.

Summer

Where did summer go? With the temperature in the 70's and 80's and practically no humidity, it feels more like fall than summer. The public school kids start back up this coming week. Seems like just yesterday was the 4th of July, and the day before that it was May with all the hopes and dreams of the summer to come.

It's been a buggy summer.

(I found these pictures in my camera...Hmmm...wonder who took them?)

The Cicadas are in their full glory singing their summer good-bye songs.

I don't even want to know how this beetle found it's way to my kitchen table...

I love Praying Mantis. They look like little kittens when they wash their little faces.

It's been a good summer. A summer filled with friends.

A summer spent watching Victoria grow, and grow, and grow....along with the weeds....



A summer without too much television (yes, we really threw these away). One tv for watching, one for video games. Our new limit. That's all we need. (Maybe?)


Of course there are always computer games....

A summer of Webkinz discovery, and a summer spent with big brothers....

The last summer for our Linden tree we think. It looks very sad, don't you think? It was struck by lightening a few years back, and although it's tried really, really, hard, I think it's giving up. The Japanese beetles don't help.

It's really trying....it really is. But, Carol says these are not a good sign.


On a happier subject....Sophie spent a week babysitting the neighbors' dogs. She is in love with Sugar (and you too Sebastian....and Spunky). She spent the week on the neighbor's porch holding Sugar. She took her assignment very, very seriously.....
I think Diamond has had enough of other cats, and especially dogs. We found out she's two-timing us. The neighbors on the other other side of the neighborhood assumed she was a stray because she spent so much time at their house. They named her Lucy. The other neighbors named her Leechy, and their neighbors call her Boots. It's quieter on that side of the neighborhood. No screaming children. No dogs over there. And only one other cat. I think Diamond/Lucy/Leechy/Boots is a loner at heart. She has never quite forgiven us for keeping all of her kittens. She knows where the food is though.


This poor, poor child has no cats and no dogs. The closest she has come lately is when her mother (aka Martha Stewart/aka A2) threw her and her brother a Bow-Wow Ball for their Birthday party this summer.

Since he has no dog to climb on, his cousin will have to do.



The whole theme of the party was Dalmatians.


The girls even made Dalmatian-themed "paws"




There was Pin the Tail on the Puppy

There were cute treat bags, dog-themed of course.


There were even treat bags for the dogs in the family.

The only thing missing from the Bow-Wow Ball was a real puppy! I was SURE A2 would use this birthday party as a setting for bringing a puppy into their family.

BUT NOOO....

I waited and waited and waited, but no puppy appeared. :-(

How could you throw a BOW-WOW birthday party without giving the birthday boy and girl a puppy? I'm just sure that Martha Stewart would NOT approve.

I'm psychologically damaged.

Oh well. I guess I need to move on......

It Was NOT My Fault!

It's NOT my fault! I am NOT responsible!

It's HIS fault!

He even admits it! See what his t-shirt says?

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

We were out for a nice little family trip to run errands. I should have known better. I asked Prince Charming if he would drop me off at the Half Price Bookstore so that I could look for some of the books you all suggested. I wanted 15 minutes of peace and quiet so I could focus and make a quick trip of it.

Their errands were simple: Put gas in the car (they forgot), stop by Game Stop to pre-order a game(they did this), and get crickets for the geckos and meal worms for the turtle. This is where they got side-tracked.

I should have known. I was sending 4 people with mutant animal genes into a pet store, unsupervised.

My 15 minutes of undisturbed peace was interrupted by my children barging into the store, running up and down the aisles making a scene, yelling "MOOOMMMMM?"


I was thinking..."Please, let that be someone else's kids yelling, not mine, please not mine..."

But it was.


"Mom! Mom! Come quick! There are dogs just like Gracie next door!"
(Gracie is Beth's dog at Around the Funny Farm)

"Just like Gracie?"

I'm thinking...if they are truly Toy Australian Shepherds, they would not be in a pet store. I know..I've been calling a lot of breeders lately.

"Welllll.....sorta. They have something else mixed in too, but they're really cute!"

The something else turned out to be Blue Tick Hound.

And they were correct. They were cute. Too cute.

How could we not?

See the heart shape on the top of her little head?

Prince Charming said these decisions have to be made with the heart,

and it was the right thing to do.

But, don't worry Muncie.

We love you too, and you will forever be the Alpha Dog at our Zoo!

What kind of Dog?

But WAIT! Before you take the poll, here me out.....

Every since I was a little girl I have wanted a Newfoundland. I first heard about the breed when I read the book With Love From Karen by Marie Kililea. From then on I have waged a campaign to get one. First when I was in high school (I got a stuffed one for Christmas one year - that was the closest I ever came), then later after marrying Prince Charming. He did come with Konga by the way. Big Beautiful Konga. Half Newf/Half Golden Retriever.

In case you are not familiar with what a Newfoundland looks like, here's a picture off the Internet.



Newfie's are BIG. BIG dogs. Like 150 pounds big.





But then, I found the blog that got me to thinking there might just be another breed out there with appeal. Take a break, go to Around the Funny Farm, and look at Gracie in the header. Isn't she adorable? She's a Toy Australian Shepherd. Beth from Funny Farm says that Gracie's coloring is Blue Merle.... Did you see the one blue eye, one brown eye? Isn't she irresistible?




Here's one off the Internet, not nearly as pretty, but still quite charming.




Muncie really wants a baby sister. See that look on her face?

Dog Show Day

It was a risky thing to do, I admit it. But the oldest wasn't feeling well, so I couldn't go along. I really couldn't. It's not my fault. Blame the oldest. (It was probably a conspiracy, now that I think of it.)

Here they are, ready for action. Those defective animal genes in high gear......



(For those of you unfamiliar with the defective animal gene, it is defined as "the inability to say "no" to any stray that comes within a 5 mile radius, the inability to say "no" to a shivery-scared-poor me look displayed by any animal in a pet store, and the inability to say "no" to anyone who asks you to take in the pet they have grown tired of." The gene also requires you to carry outside, all creatures (spiders, ants, mice, etc) that may inadvertently wander inside, and to cry inconsulably when you accidently step on any living thing).


Their senses queued up, ready to hone in on......



The Dog of our Family Dreams - a Newfoundland




Who is this guy with my prince and princesses? Get away! Don't you know these people have defective animal genes??



That's right. Turn around. Don't make eye contact. They bond easily you know. If they bond, it will be too late. You go dog, go. I'm not quite ready for you yet.....maybe one day.



I'm pretty sure I saw a business card or two in Prince Charming's hand when they came home....

Meet Muncie

Meet Muncie,

The dog...not the destination.

Muncie is the alpha animal in our home. She is my daughter's best friend, Prince Charming's foot warmer, and the family defender - to an annoying degree.

Muncie is a rescued dog sort of (of course, you're not surprised are you?) A pet store reject.

It all started with an innocent drive to the next town. On the way home we stopped at a pet store we had not yet visited (yes, they do exist). I waited in the car with the baby (big mistake).

BIG MISTAKE.

A short time later, Prince Charming comes out with "that look" on his face.

Uh-oh

"There's a baby dachshund half price, just quaking and shivering in there. She's soo scared. Don't you think we should take her home?"


"NO"

Besides. We weren't in the market for a dog.

The forlorn faces pile into the car with the "Mean Mommy." We head toward home.

I'm happily deep in conversation (obviously with myself) when all of a sudden Prince Charming brings the car to a screeching halt in the middle of the highway. What in tarn-hill is the deal???

Prince Charming....."We have to go back."

"WHAT?"

"It's destiny. I've bonded. We have no choice. We have to go back."

Not hearing a word of my protests, "You've got to be crazy."...."No-way"....."This is nuts", Prince Charming does a u-ey in the middle of the highway and heads back to the pet store to rescue the damsel in distress.

Never even asking why she was half-price (I did.....she was returned - "it didn't work out") Prince Charming whips out the credit card, places the puppy into my daughter's arms and before I could comprehend the situation, the dog was home in her new domain....

Where our lives have never been the same since, but we won't go down that road now...we'll let the fairy tale end happily for right now.

Meet the "Old Ladies"

Meet "the old ladies" of our family.

This is Skippy.

Skippy wandered into our lives one day the fall we were married. Came bouncing into our lives is more like it. She was a wild, wild thing. So full of energy and vigor. We could only dream of the day when she would slow down.

She was so sick when she wandered into our yard where step-daughter happened to be lounging.

"OH! Look! She looks so sad....I wonder if she has a home? Maybe we should keep her? "

We'd heard this before.....

The dog hung around a day or two, and being genetically altered as we are, we were compelled to start feeding her, petting her, and eventually, we fell in love.

We took her to the vet. He of course prescribed many expensive medicines to cure her of the worms she brought with her, and we nursed her back to health. She became one of the family.

She is now old, blind (cataracts), and incontinent due to the vast quantity of diuretics she takes for her congestive heart failure. She tries to make it outside, bless her heart, but sometimes she isn't even aware of her "issue".

She now lives in the retirement room in our house. It's a nice edition that Grandma added on when we moved in. She moved in her desk, her computer, her sewing machine and we haven't seen her since...(No, just kidding!)

Grandma didn't want her picture taken. She was a real beauty in her youth.

For those of us who know her and love her, she's still a real beauty.

This is her dog, Missy.

Could you look up Missy?

Sigh.... I guess not.

Missy is very shy except when it comes to Grandma. She loves her mother and rules over her. In her youth, she would play the role of guard dog very well despite her small size. She came into Grandma's life via my sister-in-law. My S.I.L. is very allergic to animals. She fell in love with Missy and wanted her desparately. How could such a little thing possibly have enough fur and dander to affect her allergies?

Easily. S.I.L. called Grandma begging her to please consider taking Missy. She wanted to keep her in the family so she could at least visit. At first sight, Grandma was in love and Missy came home to live with her.

Shortly thereafter, Grandma bought Missy a sister, Annie, may she rest in peace. She went to Doggie Heaven a year or two ago and it was very difficult for Missy and Grandma.

Anyway, Missy also has cataracts, congestive heart failure, and some "issues".

So, the three old ladies, Grandma, Missy, and Skippy while away the days in "Maine Woods", Grandma's retreat. They're very happy in there altogether with their "issues" contained all in one spot.