Camera-Critters

It's time again for Camera-Critters! I nearly forgot about it since I have been so busy here this week! Glad I didn't. If you want to join in or want to see other folk's adorable photos, please head over to the Camera-Critters blog and check them out! You can also click on that cute badge at the top of the post to get there.

My post today is of our 24 year old Blue Front Amazon, Chico eating a Ritz cracker. :) He loves them, he also has an addiction to Bojangles' Botato Rounds, Scrambled Eggs, Spaghetti, leftover chicken leg bones and Pancakes. Birds can eat anything we eat (except chocolate, avocado and onions, those are deadly to them) and in fact, feeding them good foods makes them healthier. All of our birds share our meals. As long as you don't use alot of salt whatever you eat, they can eat. Chico, like most of the other animals in our house, is a rescue.

Now, jump on over to Misty's place and check out the other Camera-Critters this week.

Tag! I'm it!!

I wondered how long it would be before this tag reached me, well it has. I was tagged by Lisa. Check her blog out, really, what a neat lady! :)

So here are the rules:

1) Go to the 4th folder in your Picture folder on the computer.

2) Go to the 4th picture in that folder.

3) Post that picture and explain it.

That is (l-r) Pooch (the white Toy Poodle you can barely see), Cissy (the black Chihuahua) & Rascal (the Cockapoo) in the RV window. We are heading out to The National Donor Recognition Ceremony in Washington DC. July '07.

My mother passed away suddenly in Aug. '04 of a ruptured brain aneurysm. Mom was an Organ Donor and the Mountain Region Donor Services, here in NE TN handled everything needed for our family. Every other year, the Federal Government honors donors and their families with a ceremony in DC. Nationwide, each center can choose one donor or donor's family to sponsor for the trip and that year, they chose my mother! I got to go to the most wonderful ceremony. It was very emotional for me, but I feel blessed to have been able to attend and meet so many other donor families from all over the country.

I have to end this by telling you, if you have not already made the decision to donate your organs, please consider doing so. One person can save 7 lives and enrich the lives of so many others through organ and tissue donation. If you want to know any more about donations, please email me, I will help you all I can. I am a Champions for Life volunteer for Mountain Region, so I can help you with any question you may have.

Now I have to tag 4 people for this "Tag Your It" fun:

1) Erin at Two Dachshunds and a Puppy

2) Mo & the Hounds at Two Hounds and a Manx

3) Nigel at Nigel, Sola & Co.

4) The Gang at Hey, Mama Where's My...

So guys, TAG! Yer it!!

The Bullies are blogging!

Alright already!!

The Bullies finally have their own blog!

I have had numerous people ask me to let them have the keyboard once in a while and let's hear it from their point of view, so today, I let them do just that! If you are interested, you can go to

Kids in Dog Suits and see just what they have to say.

I WILL let everyone know up front, I am not responsible for how they think, they are Terriers after all, and anyone who has lived with a terrier for any length of time knows, they have minds of their own. Don't be fooled by the fact that they don't have beards, they are true terriers, through and through!

I hope you will visit their site and give them some encouragement. And I sincerely hope I haven't just enabled 3 monsters!

Lazy Lizard ain't the only Lazy here

Ok, so I've been lazy the last few days and haven't posted anything. It's been raining the last couple of days and all I want to do is be lazy. So, just so I'm not labeled as totally lazy, here's a couple of shots of the Bearded Dragon. He actually belongs to my son, but since he moved and it's been rather cold, we don't want to chance moving him in this weather and him maybe getting sick, so he is living with us until Spring. As you can see, I'm not the only lazy creature in this house! ;)

Enjoy.

Camera-Critters

I have found the perfect Meme for me, Camera-Critters! Considering Hubs and I have 15 dogs, 6 birds and a Bearded Dragon, along with a foster dog for the moment AND I'm a dog groomer, I could play this game a LONG time without running out of photos!
So, I'm excited to publish my first post, if you'd like to join in, click on that adorable badge of the puppy with the camera and GO!

(My favorite picture of her, she's begging for my ice cream & yes, it worked)

(recuperating from her spay)

My first installment is Miss Feather Louise, my 4 year old Bull Terrier. I love all my dogs, but Feather holds a special place for me. I honestly feel, if it weren't for her, I would never have made it through the grief and the total feeling of being blind-sided by my mother's passing so suddenly in 2004. She kept me grounded, she made me laugh when I thought I would never laugh again, she made me get up everyday and keep going, she is a joy to have around and I swear she can talk.

(riding shotgun in the RV)

(her favorite way to sit)

I'm soooo ready......

(the driveway coming into our new house)

To be OUT of this neighborhood and into my new house! I don't know how much longer I can put up with the people that live around me before I start picking them off one by one!! I mean really, doesn't anyone know the meaning of respect, common courtesy or thinking of others anymore? I know one thing, in this neighborhood they sure don't.

We have had problems with the kids that live around here and while I know it's not the kids' fault, it's the parents' fault for not teaching them any better, that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. I think the parents just shove them out the door when they get home from school and don't even bother with checking on them or knowing what they are doing for the rest of the day. I have seen them out in the street, skateboarding at 1 am! I'm talking elementary school aged kids! Calling the Police does no good, they don't bother to answer the call until a few hours later anyway, so by then, the little hellions are somewhere else wreaking havoc.

This cold weather has been rough on our dogs since they can't go out and play for long periods, but it sure has been nice for my nerves, it also keeps the neighborhood inside their homes. The last 2 days though, it has warmed up a bit and they are all creeping back outside. In 2 days time I have........

~~Listened to a car that needs a muffler and who knows what else doing at least 50 mph up and down our street. The driver is a boy that looks to be maybe 10 years old! Where is his mother??? Well, I'll tell you, she showed up yesterday afternoon when the police called her because the boy ended up running the car off the side of the road in the ditch just next to our house! She got out of her vehicle screaming at the top of her lungs at the boys and at the police. I know they gave her a ticket, but I'm not sure for what, but within an hour, that same boy was in that same car screaming up and down the street again! Cops showed up once more and I'm not sure what happened this time, but I haven't seen or heard that car today.

~~Watched 4 boys skateboarding up and down the street doing "tricks" off the neighbor's car that is parked out on the street. Before I realized they were in the church parking lot, I let the dogs out to play a while since it had warmed up. Same 4 boys started bouncing off the fence screaming at my dogs for barking at them and teasing them through the fence! Needless to say, I stormed out there and gave orders for them to go home or I was calling the police. They told me to "Go ahead f*%&#ing cops don't come anyway!!" THAT out of the mouth of an 8 y/o! So I told them "Fine, I'll just go get my gun and shoot you in the foot" Oh yes, I did, I most certainly did say that to them. (I am not proud of it, just coming clean with what I said and what it took to get them to listen to me)

~~Heard the neighbors arguing so loud I'm sure the whole neighborhood could hear them. Apparently he's cheating on her because she cheated on him first. Lots of screaming and door slamming and finally a "peel out" up the street.

~~Watched the neighbor behind me stand on her stoop and scream at her kids at the top of her lungs to "come home now" they scream back "NO" and she threatens to "whip them" they say "so what" she goes back inside and slams the trailer door, the kids proceed to the other neighbor's house to chase the chickens pulling tail feathers out of the roosters.

~~Watched 2 boys, (same 2 of the 4 that were cussing me in the church parking lot) throwing rotten apples at our motorhome. Apparently that was pay back for me threatening to shoot them in the foot. Just dialing the phone and acting like I was talking to my husband was enough to make them stop that (for the moment anyway)

~~I've also listened to someone playing the car stereo bass so loud the windows were rattling in the house and the dogs were going off about it. Someone working on a car revving the engine up at 2 am last night, another argument on the other side of the street and car doors slamming all night long!

~~Watched a guy walk up the street carrying what looked like 2 black garbage bags and put them in his car parked in the church parking lot and leave. Found out later, he was at the house on the other side of us stealing and XboX and all the games that go with it, he put them in the black pillowcases from off the bed and carried them out the door! The police were called about the theft and didn't bother until the house owner found out I saw the guy walking up the street at the same time the theft happened and called them again, so they (police) decided they would come on out and take a report! Nice, huh? Guess he had to finish his doughnuts first.

(What I see out my back door, lovely, huh?)

This has just been the last 2 days! I can't go through another summer of this and if we don't soon get into our new house, I'm just going to go over there anyway and sleep on the floor using the back deck as a fridge for keeping my Mountain Dew cold! Look at the different views, THAT alone is worth sleeping on the floor!

(What I see out the doors of the new house, PEACE and QUIET!)

And how was YOUR week?

IHeartFaces

I found the neatest little contest that I just had to get in on over at I Heart Faces. I have looked at a few of the entries and just love them. I wanted to add mine before I go back and look at the rest of them.

Now, since my "kid" is almost 21 and lives out on his own now, I don't have many recent pictures of him, so I wanted to add one of my 4-legged "kids" to the contest. :)

Meet Darla Jean, a brindle Bull Terrier. I took this photo in a hotel room after a long day of showing at the Bull Terrier Nationals, she was one tired puppy.

"Not Me!" Monday

I have been reading and enjoying on several blogs the "Not Me!" Monday posts hosted by MckMama and I just had to get in on it. Check out her blog and go to the blogs listed, I promise you will love it!

I did not wake up wanting the throw the alarm clock this morning!

I was not secretly happy that my first customer cancelled thier appointment because of snow this morning. Really, I wasn't!

I did not decide to not drag the trash can to the street because it was too cold and snowy to bother.

I did not make my bird, JoJo his own scrambled egg this morning because he was being a demanding spoiled brat!

I did not make him a demanding spoiled brat! Nosirreebob, not me!

I did not let my phone go to voicemail when I saw who was calling because I didn't want to talk to them.

I did not waste my morning in front of the t.v. and computer instead of grooming my Cockapoo who needs it desperately.

What have you NOT done lately? Anything interesting?

BSL? Really? Well, what about this??

(Search and Rescue Team, Christina Ridge and Doc)

BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) is trying to take over this country like a virus, a deadly virus for those of us that love dogs. Owning Bull Terriers, it's a personal concern for me, but it should be a concern to everyone who owns and loves dogs. Just because your breed isn't on the list now don't think you're safe, rest assured, it will be, give it time. If we, as dog lovers, don't get busy and do something about it, we will all lose our right to have dogs.

What starts off as a law against "Pit Bulls" will be changed to "Pit Bulls" and American Staffordshire Terriers. Then, not satisfied or just because they can, why not add Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers. Oh and let's not forget the Rottweiler or the Doberman, they're dangerous too, right? But wait, how about we just say any dog over 100 pounds, because lets face it, if it were so inclined to be "dangerous", a dog that size could really do some damage, right? Ok, so let's just do that. Think it won't happen? Think again, it already has. Fairfield, Iowa has a restriction on just that, so if your dog weighs over 100 pounds, best go around Fairfield if you are traveling and want to keep your dog safe!

I have a magnet on my vehicle that says "Punish the Deed, Not the Breed" that is exactly what needs to be done, don't blame an entire breed because of what a few do. Suppose you were raped or robbed by a dark haired, blue eyed man, does that mean every dark haired blue eyed man should be considered a robber or rapist? Of course not! How stupid would that be?? Well then, why are the idiots powers that be passing laws to ban every "Pit Bull" because someone was attacked by one?

Ok, I know some of you are saying, this woman is crazy, does she not know how scary those dogs are? Well, let me ask you this, Why are they scary, because you, yourself have had a personal experience with being attacked by one? Or is it because the news showed a report about an attack and it scared the bejesus out of you? Yes, I know it has happened more than once. Why? Because drug dealers, gang bangers, criminals and any number of other jerks out there see that same on report on the news and they decide they have to get a dog like that so no one will bother them. They get one, they raise it to be a mean, bad dog so they, themselves look badder and what do you have? Dogs that are doing just what they were raised to do, not what they were bred to do. So, the news media is not helping the matter at all.

Now, look at these pictures....

This dog is doing what he was raised and trained to do...Search and Rescue. His name is Doc, and he is an American Pit Bull Terrier, a breed that is at the top of nearly all BSL laws and restrictions. He was injured during the rescue effort following Hurricane Ike. It's a good thing BSL wasn't in effect in Galveston, TX, huh? Think about it, I mean really think about it, banning a "Pit Bull" would mean, banning Doc and many other dogs that are working to help us. In those pictures, the lady carrying him is his owner Christina Ridge, I don't know who the man is that is helping him, but obviously, he is not concerned with someone besides his owner working on him while he is injured. Does that dog deserve to be banned or restricted just because of his breed, or his color, or his 'looks'?

Dogs are what we as owners make them, and they should be treated on an individual basis, punish the owner that is letting that dog run loose and wreak havoc, not the dog that doesn't know better. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners!

To find out more about your area, or your state, check out Rott-N-Chatter here you will find information on laws, what you can do to help, a list of states and Canada that have BSL in effect or are thinking of it.

More information on Search and Rescue dogs and dogs used to help during disasters can be found here Disaster Dog.org they also have a list of breeds that are affected on their site.

And, lastly, just to clarify, there is no such breed as a "Pit Bull" it is an American Pit Bull Terrier, when you say "Pit Bull" it's lumping every dog that looks like an Am Staff, or a Staffie Bull or a Bull Terrier, or any mix of those dogs as one breed. (I for one can't see the resemblance in my Bull Terriers and an American Staffordshire Terrier, but some fools out there do or

they wouldn't be listing them as all the same breed)

I leave you with a link I beg you to try, and come back to tell me how you did, be honest, I myself got it wrong the first time I tried and I've been involved with these Bull Breeds for a long time! Take the test, please. It's not as easy as it looks, so how can animal control anywhere KNOW what they are looking at?? Every dog on that page "fits the description" of what a "Pit Bull" is supposed to look like, so you tell me, what do we do??

We stand up and fight is what we do, we fight for our right to have the breed of our choice, we fight for our rights as pet owners, if we don't do it now, we will be fighting for the right to have a dog, (or cat or horse or bird or whatever) PERIOD! Keep a check on your city and your state, keep an eye on what bill is coming up and stay on top of it, write letters, send emails, attend meetings, speak out, THAT is what we do!!

I'm sliding my soapbox back under my little table for now, but it's still within reach, I can pull it back out anytime. ;)

Blessings to you and yours, be they 2-legged or 4-legged!

Being a groomer, then and now

This spring marks my 28th year as a groomer! (28 years, good grief, am I really getting that old?? No wonder my hands and back hurt!)
Being in the business that long, I have learned quite a bit, not only about dogs, but people as well. Thinking back over nearly 3 decades (Oh Lawd, again with the age thing! Sheesh!) of grooming, I realize that old saying "The more things change, the more they stay the same" is most certainly true. Today, I'm writing about some of those "things".
Overall, the way folks take care of their dogs now has most definitely improved, for the most part, dogs are more like family now, rather than just another possession.

For instance, I remember when 8 out of 10 dogs I groomed would be covered and I do mean covered with fleas! Now, that number is more like 2 out of 10.

I rarely see a dog that is severely matted anymore. Years ago, it seemed like all we did was shave a dog down to the skin to remove what felt like 5 pounds of matted hair, and hope like crazy that we weren't going to find rotting sores or maggots underneath all that mess. (yes, I've actually seen a dog that ended up dying because of maggots, but that's another story) I rarely see those Once a Year dogs either. Most of the dogs I see now are on an every 6 weeks schedule.

Dogs seem to be living longer lives now than they were years ago, as well. Another good thing since I do tend to get attached to my little furry customers.
Those things have certainly changed for the better! :)
Now some things that haven't changed (only the names have been changed to protect the guilty) *wink*

1) People thinking since I groom dogs it's not really work, I'm just having fun playing with puppies all day.
NOT!! Try having a dog pulling on you constantly, or running all around the table, or sitting down and you having to hold them up with one hand and clip with the other. If being pooped on, peed on, puked on, getting bit, having anal glands expressed on you, getting bit, getting scratched, getting bruised to the point you look like a prize fighter, did I say getting bit? If all that means I'm playing with puppies all day, then I must be doing something wrong, cause sometimes it just ain't no fun! It's also not fun to ache the way I do at the end of the day (please do not bring up my age again)
2) People making appointments and then just not showing up or calling to cancel.
I hate that! Throws my whole schedule off for the rest of the day, that sort of thing has been going on for years, and when I call to find out where they are, the answer is still the same today as it was 20 years ago, "Oh I forgot, I didn't know I was supposed to call" Do they do this to their Doctors, or at the Vet's or for their own hair appointment? I doubt it.
3) People wanting to dicker about my price like I'm some sort of flea market or something.
My price is what it is for a reason. No, I don't give discounts because someone has more than one dog, or because they "have been coming to me for years" or because they knew my mother, or because they know my husband, or because so and so only charges $XX can't you match that? (Hello, do I look like Wal-Mart?) The list goes on and on and on. Each year, folks seem to come up with yet another reason why they should get a discount. Hey, I do the same amount of work on each dog whether you have 2 or 10, it takes the same amount of time per dog to make them look nice. I also don't take payments, I am not a bank.
4) People telling me how to groom.
I don't mean how they want the dog groomed, I mean telling me how to go about grooming. Well, if you already know more than I do about grooming, why are you bringing it to me in the first place?
5) People blaming me for the health or condition of their dog.
Dogs come in here with ear infections, ear mites, bad skin, broken toenails, moles etc. And I usually will tell the owner if I find something like that, give them a "Vet Ref" card telling them (and the vet) just what I found during the grooming and suggest they take the dog to the vet. Once they do, most people are grateful that I found something they knew nothing about, but others swear to the heavens above that I gave it to their dog! Especially if what I found will cost them money at the vets office.

So there you have it, my Top Five Things That Will Never Change. But before you ask yourself, or me for that matter, why do I still do this for a living, the answer is simple...I love it! I love my little customers, I love being able to make a little dog feel better just by being pampered, I love to watch them prance around showing off when they are done, and I can't see myself ever doing anything else. One of my favorite sayings is "The more I know of people, the more I love my dog" I love being able to take a little dog that looks horrible, and turn it into a thing of beauty, when I can sit back, look at the dog I just groomed and see what I created, it makes all those "things" worth while. (See what I mean?)

Puppy hugs and treats to ya'll,

(Dogs in this post, Bandit, our little Shih Tzu that went to the Rainbow Bridge last year, Bear, the Pomeranian who is really just a little man in a dog suit, Rascal, our Cockapoo, Pooch, our Toy Poodle, and Pongo before and after)

The Invisible Hands

I opened my email this morning to find something that really warmed my heart and thought I would share with you. Thank you Sandi for sharing this with me, I love it!

The Invisible Hands
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask me a question. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, I brought you this. It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:' To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Quotable Sunday~1/11/2009

Are you ready for another Quotable Sunday? Seems I'm always late in the day posting mine, but at least I actually got it posted on SUNDAY this week instead of Monday. ;)
~ Post a new post on your blog with some of your favorite quotes.
~ Go over to "A Daily Dose of Toni" and post your link in the mister linkey.
~ Go check out all the other cool bloggers that are joining in Quotable Sunday, check back all day as people will post throughout the day.

Today my quotes come from the Native Americans~

Thoughts are like arrows: once released, they strike their mark. Guard them well or one day you may be your own victim. -American Indian Proverb, Navajo

Contemplating this one, I am struck by the idea that so many people "release their thoughts" never thinking of how they may affect someone. It tells me to THINK before opening my mouth, which is something I do really have to work on.

There is nothing as eloquent as a rattlesnakes tail. -American Indian Proverb, Navajo

When I read this, I think of the future of our country. How alot of people don't look at the whole picture, they only look at what they WANT to see. A rattlesnake mesmerizes you with his tail, beautiful in both sight and sound, but look further, you could find there might be some venom behind that beauty and that venom could be our demise. It tells me don't be drawn in by the "obvious" just because it sounds good, make sure I look at the whole picture before taking another step.

I leave you with a Cherokee Prayer Blessing:

May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Mocassins
Make happy tracks
in many snows,
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.

A "Fabulous" award to start the day....

(I'm going to try this again, spent over an hour on this & blogger somehow lost half of it! )

What a "fabulous" way to start the day! I found that Dannielle over at "50 fingers & 50 Toes" gave me my very first blog award! How exciting! And a big thank you to Dannielle!

Now apparently there are some rules that go along with this award...
I have to admit to 5 addictions and then pass the award along to 5 blogs I like. So, here goes......

5 things I am addicted to:
1) Coffee.....I can't even begin to start the day without my coffee! I have cut back on it, but I still drink at least 1 pot a day.
2) Cigarettes.....Yes, I am still addicted to these horrible things. I need to quit, have tried to quit, then something happens, my nerves get out of whack and I'm right back smoking again. :(
3) Dog Shows.....Whether I'm entered in one, attending one, or just watching one on T.V. I love, love, love my dog shows!
4) The Andy Griffith Show.....Yes, I've seen every episode and can quote the scenes, but they still never fail to make me laugh! My favorite quote: "Gomer, get down there with them spiders and start workin'!"
5) Bare Escentuals Make-up.....My dear mother gave me some for Christmas a few years back and that was all she wrote. Awesome make-up!

5 blogs I'm passing the award to:
1) Lanni, because her Missions to Mongolia are truly an inspiration to me! I have "known" Lanni through an Andy Griffith site we both frequent for 12 years, can you believe it 12 YEARS! This blog is about her trips to Mongolia spent helping others in need. A must read!
2) Farrah at Old-Fashioned Homekeeper, because she helps me to strive to be the best wife I can be to my wonderful husband. She also "hangs out" at that Andy Griffith site.
3) Susan, because her blog Susan in Stitches shows me I am not the only "crazy animal lady" around. Her writing is wonderful!
4) Mari posts some of the tastiest sounding recipes in Little Corner of the World. Have a couple I am going to try this week. I am all about new recipes!
5) Dede at Legacy and Winsor Bull Terriers because she has some of the most beautiful dogs around! She and her son make all of us Bull Terrier owners proud, they are as beautiful as their dogs and she is a joy to be around.

All of these ladies are an inspiration to me in their own unique way and I think they will be to you as well. Be sure to visit them and see what I am talking about. You won't regret it.

Again, thank you Dannielle for my first blog award!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Presley!

(**before reading this post, please remove any and all bevarages from around your keyboard & swallow what's in your mouth~My apologies to my friend, Susan at Susan in Stitches for any near miss I may have caused between her coffee and her keyboard.) teehee :)

Today Elvis Presley would have been 74 years old!!

I remember the day I heard the news that Elvis had died. I was at my aunt's house visiting when it came across the news. We all stood there with our mouths hanging open, Elvis? Dead? No way! Elvis can't die, he's Elvis for crying out loud! But, indeed he was. I was only 15, but I remember how I was drawn to everything they showed on tv, everything Elvis it seemed went on for days. I saw people on the television screen crying and wailing like they had lost their very best friend, I was amazed. I didn't cry, but I do remember his death making me realize, we all die, one day, we will all have to make that journey. I guess that realization is why I can remember Elvis' birthday and the day he passed away without having to look the dates up. Strange, huh?

I have a niece, who is now 21 years old, but when she was little, 5 or 6 maybe, she was all about getting married, and she didn't care to inform anyone who asked, or didn't ask for that matter, that she was going to marry Elvis. She could sing many of his songs and never miss a word or beat, she insisted that my mother play her "Blue Christmas" record (yes, I said record, as in LP) every time she went to Nanny's house. Not only did Nanny have to play it, my niece had to be able to carry the LP jacket around looking at the picture of Elvis on the front.

She absolutely adored anything and everything Elvis, a 5 year old mind you, born 10 years AFTER the man passed away!

Let me tell you she was one mad little girl when she found out Elvis had passed on! My mother had asked her for the LP jacket back so she could replace the record, my niece threw a fit, told her she needed that picture, she was going to marry him. Mom decided to let her know that Elvis had died and let me tell you the Poo! Hit! The! Fan! Little Miss M. said "Fine then, if he's just gonna go and die before we get married, then that's his problem!" and off she stomped with her hands on her hips, very put out and never said another word about marrying Elvis again. She still loves his music and like any other woman I know, thinks he was a hunk, but in the mind of that little 5 or 6 year old girl, it was his loss if he was just gonna up and die without ever meeting her, much less marry her!

(On a side note that has nothing whatsoever to do with Elvis Presley, I found this site last night to make up a "signature" instead of just typing my name, so here goes, I'm trying it for the first time on this post.)

Fostering Chico, the Bull Terrier

We own and show Bull Terriers, you know, the "Target" dog, or if you are a little older, "Spuds MacKenzie" or perhaps a little older still, the "General Patton" dog. Those are just 3 famous Bullies, there are quite a few more listed here that you may not even know are Bull Terriers! I've posted about their antics a few times, the main one that stands out at this moment, the time they went on "An Adventure" through the neighborhood at the butt crack of dawn! Oh yes, they can be trying, they can be stubborn, they are bossy, they are bratty, they are funny, they are clowns, they are loving and we are absolutely devoted to this breed! I can't imagine my life ever being without one. They bring me laughter and lift my spirits each and every day. (See what I mean?)

My Pappy rolling around in the bed. LOL

That being said, I am a member of the Bull Terrier Club of America and being a part of that club, I feel I should do my part in rescuing Bull Terriers in need. When I can't foster a dog, I try to donate funds to our rescue committee. The BTCA and it's members try their best to help any Bullie that needs rescuing.

Last Friday, I get an email telling me of a Bull Terrier in the Johnson City Animal Shelter and since I am the closest to him and he's slated to be euthanized in 2 days, could I go get him? Of course I can, even in the middle of moving things to the new house, how could I live with myself if I didnt help this poor boy. He was an "owner surrender" a little thin, but not emaciated, scars and scabs all over his face from fighting and all he wants to do is play and be loved on.

"commando crawl" Bullies LOVE to do this

can you see him smiling?

He walks on lead fairly well and will "Sit", we are working on "Down" right now, and "Kennel Up" for when he needs to be crated. He loves his raw food and looks at me like I am Greek Goddess of Food or something. He will make someone an awesome pet and I hope he will find his very own forever home. He hasn't offered to fight with or try to hurt any dogs here, but I haven't had them out together yet. I want to make sure he is not contagious from being in the shelter. He also has ignored the chickens next door, could care less about our birds and seems to like men and women both. He's very playful and his eyes show a typical Bullie glint of mischievousness.

I will keep everyone updated on his progress. Right now, he is at 48 pounds and as soon as I can give him a bath (he has stitches from being neutered) I'll be able to better tell the condition of his skin and coat.

enjoying his first turkey drumstick

So, here we are, 2 people trying to move from one house to another, caring for our own brood of 15 dogs, 6 birds and a Bearded Dragon, both of us running our own businesses and we figure what's one more? Neither of us could bear the thought of a wonderful dog being put down because some jerk of an owner decided either he didn't want it anymore, or just didn't want to deal with the responsibility of taking care of one. At any rate, Chico is here until he can find a forever home.

playing with Hubby

Bullies live for "good times" they relish in life and all it has to offer, getting everything out of it they can, I hope I can take lessons from my Bullies and remember to "Live Life to the Fullest, enjoy every minute of it!"

Bullie hugs and kisses,

Angie (and the Tennessee Tribe + one)