Thankful/grateful

Every year Charles and I have to spend Thanksgiving with our families in different houses.  It's not a bad thing but certainly isn't your own home with nowhere to go and a nap is the nearest bedroom or place on the couch.  So we have begun our own small tradition of having "early" Thanksgiving at our house the weekend prior.  It's nothing fancy. This year we made a turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and a cranberry cornmeal cake.  The leftovers are phenomenal (mostly because I have not had to cook at all this week).  It's unusual for me not to cook, but the office has been busy this week and I mostly come home to find the perfect place on the couch, turn on our small heater, and curl up in our blanket to watch Harry Potter movies.  A little lame, but during the holidays it's important to do nothing sometimes when it seems like the entire world around you is swarming to iron table cloths, hit the early-bird sales, and overall seems like they could use a good dose of Lexapro.

Let me say proudly that I cooked the entire 20 lb turkey without any melt downs.  Last year I was in tears on the floor because my 5 lb breast had barley reached 140 degrees after 3 hours in the oven.  I was like a small child, angry that the bird would not cook, sitting pitiful on the floor with Charles trying to console me.   We autopsied the bird and found my lack of defrosting to be the cause of death. I don't handle cooking mishaps well.  Mostly the knife gets faster and I want no one in the kitchen.

This year the bird was browned, buttered, and beautiful.  Even though I am not a vegetarian, the act of preparing the bird seems somewhat barbaric to me.  I loathe reaching into the dark cavity to pull out such slithery things named giblet.  They never make it to my gravy and I don't think they ever will.  Charles casually mentioned that his mother is the best gravy maker in the family and I will not fight for that title.  My gravy was in fact lumpy and odd looking as I don't think I whisked enough or had the fervor in my wrist.   Next year I must remember to buy the packet gravy!  

After we tore the skin to reach the dark meat (my favorite) the juices flowed like a river onto the floor and our kitchen helpers proudly came to the clean-up.  Not the greatest moment in our kitchen, but without dogs, I would be responsible to clean-up.

This is Odie watching Charles carve - how curious he looks and hoping it will all fall off the counter.

After juices ran over, we sat to a small table and literally were surrounded by a circle of canine.

Each dog was presented with their own bowl of Thanksgiving.

This season, we hope each dog/cat can have their own Thanksgiving whether that is a warm place to sleep for the night, a meal, or a place next to their human on the couch.  We are grateful/thankful we can buy dog food for our pack, the money we have to replace eaten trouser socks, a warm canine to snuggle with when we are overwhelmed by day-to-day stress, and of course each other.  Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

Odus Immortalized

Need I say any more?

For five years now I have been trying to find a way to put Odie on canvass.  I've made artwork for most of our dog family ever since I was in high school.  Some of the dogs have taken me longer than others.  I don't know if most people can really understand how hard it is to draw dog.  The shape of their face is usually an off shape and forget their nose, especially if most of the muzzle is already black. 

The hardest part of Odie were his wrinkles.  They are so much a part of who he is that that trying to incorporate them without having them look as just lines on his face was pure torture.  For now, this is the best I can do for him.  I may consider trying to get the others on the wall but for now, the most handsome Shar-pei will have to do.

Night of 200 hot dogs

I am serving on the committee of Doggie Dash and Dawdle this year and part of my job was to buy the 200 hot dogs that are needed at the Dash Bash Carnival.  Every year, Animal Humane hosts a 5K human, 5K dog and human, and 2-mile dawdle to benefit the homeless pets of Albuquerque.  After the runners, dashers, and strollers are done with the event, we celebrate with a carnival for pets and people.  We have paw print painting, build-a-biscuit, pet photography, and bobbing for hot dogs.  The event is always a lot of fun and a great way to see so many people who love their pets almost as obsessively as I do.

I went to Costco this afternoon and purchased 200 hot dogs.  The people in the check-out line certainly looked through my basket and gave me a quizzical look.  I did not elaborate on why I only had hot dogs in my basket nor why I needed to have a mass quantity.  I felt no need to explain myself after tagging alongside people who buy anchovies in large glass jars and containers of peanuts that could keep them alive for almost a week if they ate nothing else.

The reception at home was of utter joy.  Odie danced around the kitchen as if he had surely won the lottery or had somehow died and had gone to heaven.  He cried and whined through the whole process of cutting them into smaller pieces.  Of course the other dogs were watching, but only from a distance.  When Odie is manager, the rest know not to get in his way. 

The only time he left his post was when he heard a noise in the backyard and he raced to confront whatever was outside.  Luna on the other hand would race to the counter as soon as he would disappear and proceed to lick the juice that was running off the counter.  As soon as Odie returned to post, Luna would slip back into the foreground. We continued this dance for 45 minutes.

Don't worry - they each received the equivalent of an entire hot dog.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween came kind of early to our house.  I wasn't much in the mood to decorate this year.  I just put out a few fake pumpkins that have been with us for three years and usually stay up until the culmination of Thanksgiving.  We only put one welcome sign out in the front yard and a light up ghost and jack-o-lantern.

I did stray this year when it comes the animals. I usually never buy Halloween costumes for the kids (and by kids I mean four-legged).  Case in point #1:  please see below....

This was Odie's Yoda costume back in 2007.  It was harder to get him dressed and posed for one second than it is to get a rock to talk back to you.  He does make a darn fine Yoda with just the ears on though.

So this year I was taking a look at the Halloween gear at Target.  It was already 15% off and there were a ton of costumes for XL dogs.  Instead of going completely crazy I just bought two.  Please take a look.

He is supposed to be a moose rack.  He was not thrilled with it to say the least.  I am trying to tempt him with a biscuit in order for him to stand still. 

Hello Bullwinkle!!  Don't worry - he will have a Rocky.

And then I bought a squirrel costume.  Both Ecco and Luna were test subjects.  IO was nowhere to be found...(smart girl).

Happy Howl-O-Ween!!!

Our new executive

Wanted to show everyone who is now the executive of the household.  As if I did not already have an unhealthy obsession with my dog, Odie had to become even more adorable! Thanks to my aunt who made this stunning tie, Odie has been proclaimed the director of Halloween!

This is his serious face

Just had to show everyone how hilarious he is when there is a flash.  Kind of resembles a zombie  - perfect for this time of year.

And to toot my own horn and with nothing dog related, I spent the weekend making these delectable treats.  Bet it makes you miss your mummy!

If only I could have made a video showing Odie and his progressive screams as I tried to apply the frosting. He was a bit put out with me and the fact that I did not share, and yes he does know how to hold his mouth open while I squirt frosting.  He is truly gifted. 

Elephant Memory

Why is that whenever I walk my dogs, they can remember every dog on the block no matter how long it has been since we last visited?  Forget new smells or sounds, they are always looking for what they believe to be a dog.  Sometimes convincing them there is not a dog is more trouble then just letting them parade around as if possessed.  

In our neighborhood, we have two Pugs that roam our immediate street.  We vary our walking pattern when they are out and on patrol.  They are never on a leash and sometimes will follow me.  The spectacle I must be with my four rounds of walk, each with a different dog.  I know I must confound the neighbors.  Some have had to stop me mid walk and ask if they truly did see me earlier with another pack?  Yes, I always answer and then proceed to tell them that I have four dogs, each that must have a separate walk due to sheer strength and the four combined out weigh me considerably.  People are either astonished or amused when I tell them how many dogs I have.  At this point, my dogs are either sniffing and stimulating their own senses, unaware of their surroundings or barking at the person who is speaking.  I can't tell if it is a friendly bark or a bark stating their frustration with the standing-still situation.  Either way, we do end up leaving abruptly and with me apologizing that my dog really is sweet and they have no ill-will unless they are a cat. 

Then there is the threesome that includes a Dachshund that will not tire up the street on the next block and the black Chow-Chow cross who is walked by a sweet woman who always waves to me even though she must know I live in the house with the dogs who nearly kill themselves on the window when they see her walking.

I don't know if dogs truly have an elephant memory or if it is just the smell that leads them to believe there is a dog nearby.  I don't really think Odus nearly resembles an elephant, more like a hippopotamus to me.

On a side note, this is the picture I submitted to the Bark Magazine for the smiling dogs section.  Keep your fingers crossed that Odus makes it.

This smile was produced when I was making macaroni and cheese, Odus' favorite meal second to french fries. 

New Friend?

We found this little guy on our front porch this afternoon.

This is not the first time we have had a box turtle come to our casa seeking shelter.  Last summer we had one too!  I think this guy might be the same one who we originally named Noah.  It was an odd day last summer where I must have come home with at least three animals.  Charles was fed up with the "ark" we were creating and named the turtle.  Turned out Noah lived down the street and had gone missing two days prior.  How he crossed the street without becoming turtle soup I will never know.  I don't know why they even care for our porch - they kind of have a long climb before they reach sanctuary.  Our neighbors to the west are closer.  Maybe they all know this is animal safe haven and truly appreciate my decorating sense.  I guess we will never know.

Thank goodness we always have green vegetables in the crisper.  We even have a spare cuttle bone thanks to the birds.  I tried introducing him to the dogs this evening.  Take a look:

I am truthfully surprised Odie did not eat him or snatch him quickly and take him to some corner where I could not save him. I read on the Rio Grande Tortoise Club's website that a dog can break their shell and then it is a visit by the Grim Reaper after. All the dogs were quite intrigued with him, Io especially.  She was so gentle and I was not worried about her manners.  Odie was very pushy and I have to push him out of the way when it looked like he was trying to open his mouth!!  Love him but I am the boss.  

Don't know if we will keep the turtle.  We'll see how the weekend progresses.  If anyone has a good name for him, I am open to suggestions!  

Speaking of friends, these two are the best of.  If they could talk they would never admit it to anyone in public.  They are secret friends.  Even though they fight for window space, the best spot on the bed, and who gets what stuffed animal, they are truly besties.  I caught this precious moment when they weren't looking.  When the camera flashed, they promptly dashed.