This, That and More SNOW!

Mom made 16 loaves of English Muffin Bread today, 10 for the teachers at karate (the top three, one birthday woman and the dynamo) 1 for the neighbor who helped with the snow blower and two for co-workers. One loaf is already almost all gone, (the boy and dad). That leaves 2 left. Sheesh, the day isn't even over yet.

Karen Jo wrote a beautiful story and limerick about Lucky. I don't know who was more excited, mom or Lucky. Mom was calling everyone she could think of and Lucky was running around in circles, happy as all get out. After that, she collapsed in the boy's arms. Karen Jo is wonderfully talented and she brings so many kitties and woofies to life in such a beautiful way. I am sure she will do as good a job on my limerick as she did on Lucky's. (HINT HINT!)

And yes, since it is New Hampshire and it is winter, we are having MORE snow. I know, can you believe it? Mom is like so psyched she doesn't have to go anywhere tomorrow. Check out the forecast.

Another storm is bearing down on New Hampshire, and it could bring several inches of snow.
Some light snow will begin falling Sunday evening before picking up later and into early Monday. The heavier snow should start falling after 9 or 10 p.m.

Southern New Hampshire will get 4 to 8 inches, central New Hampshire will get 3 to 6 inches, and north of the Notches will get 2 to 4 inches of snowfall.

Another system will quickly follow on New Year's Day. It's an upper-level disturbance, but it will trigger a secondary system to develop just off the coast, which will deliver another burst of heavy snow for many. Southeastern New Hampshire may get a mix, but everywhere else should stay all snow. Central and northern areas will likely be heaviest hit.

Can you believe it? I think we are going for a snow record this year. Mom is not sure if we will ever see spring at this rate. We might have snow in May! Oh well, it could be worse. I'm not sure how, but it could definitely be worse.

Working For Auntie

Mom went over to Auntie's to do some work for her. Mom carted a bunch of power tools with her; a cordless drill, (and charge) a cordless skill saw, (and charger) an orbital sander, "L" brackets, tons of screws of different sizes and a tape measure. The last time mom did work for Auntie, this is what she made.

It is an organizer for Auntie's drawings and paper, and paintings. It was made this size so Auntie could put it in her closet, and make it more organized.

Usually after mom does something like this for Auntie, Auntie owes her BIG! This time Auntie made mom lunch (a really great pizza with tomatoes and sauteed onions, mmmm). Mom told Auntie that mom was taking the leftovers. Auntie decided to make mom 2 EXTRA loaves of bread. Mom got a promissory note for 2 loaves of Anadama bread, but Auntie is going to make her 2 extra loaves of CHEESE bread. Double yum. Mom says it pays to be handy with tools. Especially when Auntie is such a good chef.

If you want to see what mom made for Auntie, you have to go to Darling Millie and see for yourself. Auntie has promised mom that mom will get BIG smoochies for this and that Auntie is going to suck up to mom big time. She better. Or I will have to consider an appropriate punishment.

Thank You Gift

One of mom's co-workers is brandy new. So mom has helped her with things. That is part of what mom does. (Only part.) (She is also the one mom made the lap robe for.) So she decided to give mom a thank you gift, for "all you do." Mom got the gift today and opened it up. It was in a box from Fuzzy Nation.

You can imagine mom's surprise, and excitement when she saw this inside.


Is it cute or what! (I mean, not as cute as me, or Lucky.) But as far as inanimate objects go. You gotta admit, it's cute.

It has a small pocket in the back and the boy said the legs are moveable. Mom told him to "leave it ALONE!" She can't wait to see the co-worker and tell her how much she likes it.

Secret Paws

We got mail on Christmas Eve. Here I am checking it out.



Lucky doesn't seem too interested in it. But I know better. It is our Secret Paws Gift.

It came from Max, on Dogster! It had our favorite treats in it. Beggin' Strips. Lucky practically snaps your fingers off if you hold it out for her, so mom puts it on the floor. Then Lucky runs off to eat it.

For some odd reason, Lucky particularly loves hedgehog stuffies. Here you can see us fighting over it. I am only grabbing it because Lucky wants it.



See the mouse stuffie. When mom gave that to Lucky I tried to take it away from her as well.

I let Lucky have the hedgehog for a moment. It was either that or I wouldn't get any of those fabulous treats!

Here is Lucky settling down with the hedgehog.



Because mom is having the boy hold me back. Otherwise I would be putting up quite a fight. But I let her have it. After all, it was Christmas Eve. And I was feeling generous.

Thanks Max! From both of us.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Fun things we have done the past few days.

1) Snuggled with dad in the recliner (and his new red Sox Champions Shirt in Gaelic)

2) Spent quality time with my sister.

3) Ate some broccoli!

4) Watched the beans open presents. (That is a show in itself)

5) Had fun with Auntie & Mr. Karate.

6) Got fed prime rib by memere. And lots of it, too!

7) Enjoyed our Secret Paws gift (or at least Lucky did, because whenever I took it away from her mom gave it back.)


8) Watched the boy and Mr. Karate warm themselves by the fire.

9) Chewed a little leather. (pepere's shoe)

10) Spent serious snuggle time with dad (and Lucky). She made a good pillow.

11) Ate some nice carrots.

12) Enjoyed the great Beggin' Strips treats our Secret Paws sent us. Notice how I am trying to take the hedgehog away from Lucky.

13) Enjoyed serious time in mom's lap. And I mean serious time. She's on vacation. So she's mine!

Wordless Wednesday

Merry Christmas

Lucky and I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. May you all be as loved and as well taken care of as Lucky and I are.

Miracle Dog Update

I am a MIRACLE dog. While mom was lying in bed trying to remember the phone number to the vet, the vet called us. I am FINE! My liver enzyme levels are NORMAL. Try 109! Down from 3529.

Everything across the board is in the middle of normal. So I am A-OK! I am mom's Christmas present. That and getting most of her stuff back. The vet figures I had Acute Active Hepatitus, which is a fancy way of saying I had a bad virus. My liver fought it off and I am fine now. Hurray!

Don't forget to read about mom's bread making day, yesterday. All that hard work should get noted. And if you want the recipe for the English Muffin Bread, it is on Auntie's Cooking With Love Blog. Just click on Cooking For Love and it will take you right to it. It's easy. If mom can make it anyone can make it.

Bread, Bread, and More Bread

Mom made bread. English Muffin Bread.


Mom made twenty loaves of English Muffin Bread. One loaf and a dozen cookies went to the neighbors who saw the thieves and called the police. As way of thank you. One loaf is going to the other neighbor who helped mom install a shear pin on the snow blower so she could do the driveways for dad Thursday. Two loaves went to Auntie J., mom's best friend of 27 years who came to visit today. One quarter went into the boy's stomach. He couldn't help himself, he said it smelled so good.



Two loaves each are going to dad's two brothers and two sisters. Dad's dad gets three loaves. Two loaves are going to memere and pepere and one loaf is going to Mr. Karate. That leaves one other loaf for mom and dad. Sheesh. It goes fast! Good thing mom bought a 25 pound bag of flour to make the other 12 or so loaves for her karate instructors, her two co-workers that she really likes and or the boy. Who will eat this up faster than you can say boo.

Vet Visit and A Grumpy Boy

I went to the vet today. I was very good on the ride over. But when we went in, I started to shake and shake and mom had to hold me to calm down. After five to ten minutes I was better. I walked around and sniffed things, but I did not go far from mom. Of course I couldn't eat anything and I was supposed to pee so mom could bring it in to the doctor, but I refused. He said I had a full bladder when he checked me out.

The nurse grabbed my leash and tried to weigh me. I didn't move from mom's side. She was going to have to drag me, so mom stepped in and came to the scale with me. I lost almost half a pound in the last two weeks. Who can blame me, after all the stress of this week. Mom gave me big treats when I got home, but I am getting ahead of myself. The vet checked me out and took me away from mom to take my blood. I wasn't happy about that, but they brought me back to her. Thank goodness. I was afraid she was gonna karate chop people if they didn't.

Mom has to call Monday morning to get the results. The vet said that I really sort of should been d-e-a-d with enzyme levels that high, but I am not. Too stubborn, mom says.

Now, to lighten things up. These are from a pug meet-up a couple of years ago. Notice how happy the boy looks.

Notice how unhappy I look. I mean really, would you be happy in this position?

Come on, tell the truth. How many of you want antlers on your head?

And of course little Miss Perfect looks adorable. As always. What do those valley girls say, "Gag me with a spoon?" No, I am NOT jealous.

So anyway, the boy has been grumpy because of this Santa thing. Memere talked to him and told him Santa was love but he's not buying it. He was grumpy at his cello lesson and mom was worried. Then they came home and ate dinner and he started watching Iron Chef America. Mom was watching it with him. She was lying flat on her back on the couch and Lucky and I jumped up on her.



The black under my belly is mom's sweatshirt. My butt was up against the right side of her head, and on her right shoulder. I was on her right arm.

I know this is a little fuzzy, but this is how Lucky sleeps on mom. Not that mom minded, because she fell sound asleep and started snoring! LOUDLY! Even dad said it was loud. She woke up after it was over, asked who won, and figured she better post the blog, then hit the hay. Tomorrow her best friend of 27 years is supposed to come over and make bread with her and hang out. Yup, like they're gonna get a lot done. NOT! See you then.

Cookies, Prison Time, and Santa

Mom came home from work today and baked cookies for over two hours. Then she took almost all the cookies and went to the Karate Holiday Party. It was a pot luck and mom brought cookies. Everyone loved them and she came home with none.

While at the party, mom talked to one of the instructors. He is a third degree black belt. He is also a police officer. He may very well meet the men who broke into mom's house. He said that breaking into a house, occupied or not, is a felony, punishable by three and a half to seven years in prison. WOO HOOOOOO! They gonna be in the big house a looooong time!

The boy asked point blank if Santa was real today. Mom tried to dodge the issue, but he is 10-1/2 and he was beginning to have serious doubts. So mom did a dumb thing. She told him the truth.

Of course, being the smart boy that he is, he figured out that mom is also the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. It is 11:30 pm and he just went to bed after considering how his life was terrible now that he knew the truth about Santa. He told mom that he "forced" her to tell him, but mom says she should have known better. Sigh. Here is last year's picture with Santa.

Ah well. Off to the vet tomorrow. Hope all is well. I don't think mom needs any more stress.

VACATION!!!

As of tomorrow at 4:30 pm, mom is on VACATION! She has no karate next week. The boy has no karate next week. After Saturday, the boy has no cello. Mom has no work and the boy has no school. Of course, mom is going for a physical on Wednesday and a dental appointment on Thursday, but that is it. For her. I have that pesky re-check on my bladder/urinary infection and my liver enzyme levels. Let's all hope they've gone down, A LOT! But after that, this is what I plan on doing.

And of course some of this.

And Lucky will do some of this.

And I will do more of this.

And hopefully mom will do some of this, or something like it.

That's after she makes 22 loaves of bread, give or take. But that is easy, she only needs eleven for Monday night. The rest can be done over the rest of the week. So, bring that vacation on!

Thankful Thursday Thirteen

Here are thirteen Christmas Ornaments mom likes.

1 & 2) The quilt ball AND the crescent moon santa.

3) Pear shaped green ornament

4 & 5) The snowflake ball and the red wire "ball"

6) Santa

7) The boy

8) Reindeer

9) The blue ornament (which is actually a name tag holder for the table)

10) Ornament within ornament

11) This reminds mom of the Russian rooftops.



12) Star

13) Pretty colors and shape

And, in case you think mom forgot, Thirteen reasons mom is thankful

1) Roxy & Lucky were not HURT Monday!

2) Roxy and Lucky were not STOLEN!

3) Watchful neighbors who called the police and shook the screen doors, scaring the thieves!

4) Sharp eyed people who called in to the police a suspicious car!

5) The cat and dog bloggers with their generous hearts and spirits and prayers!

6) That mom is going to get her engagement ring back (and the other stuff too)!

7) All the prayers mom received over this and Roxy being sick.

8) The number of biteys put on the thieves, the number of poops going on their pillows, and the amount of coal they will get for Christmas!

9) Monty's backside to the twerps/perps!

10) Goodboy Norman who's woman was going to start an internet campaign if the boy didn't get his cello back.

11) The detectives who let the boy take his cello, even though it is evidence.

12) The Cat Blogosphere who was ready to pitch in if mom needed anything

13) The men in blue who caught the bad boys! (And I mean boys, one of them is only 20 years old. He was out on bail for drug possession and slashing his girlfriend's tires and threatening her with more if she didn't give him back his stuff. Nice!)

Happy Holidays!