Happy first Monday of December! We hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday and managed to survive the storms moving across the country this past week. Surprisingly, our local football bums team managed to serve up a last minute turkey for their opponents though I expect the Chargers found it a tough meal to swallow.
So let’s start with a smile. When I saw this meme last week, I couldn’t help but chuckle. And if you still stuck at an airport waiting for your flight to {finally} get you home, we hope it might give you a smile.
Last week’s snow dump postponed our hospital visits which have now been rescheduled for this week. I think I can finally get the car out of the garage and not get high centered in the alley so we’re looking forward to no longer be held snow hostage. It’ll be “Helter Skelter “if we can’t tend to the many things to get ready for the big day when “Santa Paws” arrives. “Love Is All We Need ” this Cyber Monday, with a big credit card to get us started. Make it a great week.
Yesterday began a 5-day public celebration of the life of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who passed away August 16th. Lining the street to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History where her body lies in repose for public viewing will be over 100 pink Cadillacs. This photo taken on a 2002 trip to the Caribbean seemed appropriate, especially since I don’t have a full length mink coat, one of the stylin’ trademark pieces of clothing she wore when performing. Her body has been laid out in a solid bronze, gold-plated casket much like the ones used for James Brown and Michael Jackson. Embroidered in gold thread in the lining of the casket are the words âAretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul.â According to the funeral home handling the services, Miss Franklin is wearing 5-inch Christian Louboutin patent leather pumps that match a tea-length ruby-red dress made of lace â with a full tulle skirt and chiffon overlay with her ankles crossed. The bright red ensemble reflected her status as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Clearly the Queen of Soul is going out in style…much like she lived her life. Rest in peace, sister.
Mom woke us up at oh-dark-thirty today and said we had to prepare today’s blog hop entry hosted by Rosy. Gulp…we’re dogs, ma…not botanists. Sam’s only claim to ‘gardening’ is watering plants and I know that isn’t quite what they need so it looks like I’m in charge. Elsa here. While I know how to snoopervise, I know essentially nothing about flowers. Mom seems to be in the midst of one of her fitful sleep periods and is feeling more than slightly overwhelmed and over-stimulated with stuff. She can’t seem to find the necessary focus to do background work on posts and spends hours writing only to shriek “It’s all rubbish!” and tosses ideas in the trash bin. Apparently retirement is hard work that she hasn’t quite managed to successfully master. Â Mom’s…whaddu do with them?
What I found about “Solidago,” otherwise knowns as Goldenrod, was fascinating (no wonder mom likes to garden). Contrary to popular belief, Goldenrod does not cause allergies, it’s pollen is sticky, not windblown, and is moved from plant to plant by bees. Apparently wasps seem to enjoy drinking from it too because there was one noshing away when this image was taken a couple days ago. A late summer bloomer, Goldenrod is deer resistant, attracts butterflies and is bee friendly while being rabbit resistant. It’s easy to grow, makes a nice addition in bouquets and is low maintenance. It grows in all types of soil and naturalizes easily. Mom told me she didn’t plant this flower and thought it probably came from the neighbor’s garden, via a squirrel. Dang, I’m pretty bummed I missed seeing that gardening squirrel.
On a totally different note, uprights all over the world are mourning the loss of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. If this remarkable iconic artist and first woman inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame touched you as much as she did everyone who heard her, please enjoy this video from Stephen Colbert’s tribute to her last night. This performance was taken from her 2015 Kennedy Center performance honoring Carole King and hosted by  President and Mrs. Obama. When mom saw it, she got goose bumps and tears, and not just because Mr. Obama isn’t the president these days.
Boy, that woman had a set of pipes on her and a style not to be denied. Mom wonders if we ‘respected’ her enough during her amazing 76 year long life. Rest in Peace, dear Queen.
If only I could talk to the animals Ă la Doctor Dolittle style like Rex Harrison. Oh, what a neat achievement that would be.
Elsa ‘found’ her voice a number of months ago and then kind of let it go dormant for a while but lately she’s back in the groove coming to me every morning barking her fool head off. She’s had breakfast, had her AM walk and taken care of business so I have no idea what these musical notes mean.
Do your pups ‘talk or sing’ to you? What do they say? Have a ‘wagnificent’ Monday.
Oh May…you’re turning out to be a real stinker. What started out with loads of promise has turned into a real cluster. With migraines, seizures, and hail storms this week (my garden and I say thank you very little Mother Nature), I had to wonder out loud when I recently heard the classic Marvin Gaye song from the 1970’s. Little things have started to add up to give current times a flavor much like what was going on back when Marvin was ‘sultrifying’ the airwaves. Though different issues, there still is this pervasive question at the back of my mind:Â What’s Going On here?Â
This little guy seems to be asking the same question as I have this week…what is going on? Elsa and I are on the mend (with special thanks all for the kind well wishes and POTP). With temperatures rising into the 90’s for the next few days, we plant to hunker down and ride the waves through life’s up’s and down’s. It’s all a person or pup can do, right? How are things on your end?
Elsa here. Had an amazing Gotcha Day weekend filled with ear scratches, treats and some interesting walk abouts but man, am I stuffed and worn out. Sam keeps saying I’m hungover (whatever dude) but with all the attention my peeps gave me, I think I’m a bit more than just a little tuckered out. Mom has been playing this song over and over and then giggles like crazy, so I’m beginning to think that maybe she agrees with him. What’s up with THAT?! Just wait, guys…when you least expect it….hi-yah!  xoxo, your favorite Ninja.
Hope you all had a pawsome weekend like we did. Happy Moanday.
The Happiness Tag has been making the rounds around Blogville and I was fortunate enough to be tagged by our fur-iend Skyler Braveheart yesterday (many thanks, dude!). Sam here. So I sat my mom down and we had an editor’s meeting about it. I told her she needed to help me answer the question ‘what five things make us happy?’
She said, “oh Sam, there’s so much that makes me happy, and certainly a whole lot more than just 5 things.” But I was firm (us editors are brutal like that) and said she had to pare down her 87+ happy things to just 5. Here’s what we came up with after much discussion.
Five things that make us happy (ok, we admit that we kind of stretched the numbers because we listed things that made both of us happy)
Iâm happiest when Iâm around peeps, but especially my mom. Sheâs like cheese to an omelet (i.e. necessary!) and mom’s happiest when she’s around her upright family, especially her mom. Seeing my grandma smile after last year’s health scare makes us all happy. For the record, I absolutely LOVE my grandma.
We are both happy when to get to go to the hospital and visit with patients, nurses and visitors. Please note, we dogs can never have too many ear scratches. Or treats. And mom loves seeing the happy looks on those peep’s faces when I make ’em smile.
 We love hearing stories where pups whoâve had a tough life manage to find a happy-ending despite a rough start. My mom would rescue every single Standard Poodle she could get her paws on if she could (and probably half of ALL pups needing a fur-ever home).
Little kids make me happy. I LOVE those little guys. Whenever I see a stroller, I have to say hi. Oh who am I kidding, I have to say hi to everyone but my tails goes into hyper-wag when there are miniature peeps around. Iâm patient with them so they can learn the proper way to interact with us 4-legged pals which makes my mom happy. They need us smart dudes showing them how to grow up to be loving and caring pawrents for kids of all stripes.
Cheese!! I can hear my mom open any cheese wrapper from a mile away. Mom gets very happy with a quality piece of chocolate and a great cup of coffee.
5 Songs That Make Us Happy
Only 5? Bummer, that just doesnât seem fair! Harrumph! We love music!
We are big fans of Dan Fogelberg. Any of his songs make my mom smile but we especially love âSince You Askedâ
âSend My Love (To Your New Lover)â by Adele
âCounting Starsâ by New Republic
âCanât Stop the Feelingâ & âMirrorsâ by Justin Timberlake
â100 Yearsâ as well as âChancesâ by Five for Fighting
Honorable Mentions from our playlists include:
I Will Always Love You by the fabulous Whitney Houston. Oh girlâŠwe do miss your luscious voice.
Blow Me (One Last Kiss) by P!nk We love the very talented Alecia Beth Moore and not just because her birthday is near my momâs. We đ Virgos.
And pretty much anything by Cosby Stills & Nash and Dean Martin.
So…as you may recall, I went to Pittsburgh these past few days to attend the wedding of my sister’s oldest son. It was a great opportunity to visit with family members I normally don’t get to see near enough since we’re kind of spread across the US from hither to yon. Fun weddings are a tradition in our family. We’ve shared many laughs at them over the years though it’s probably a good thing us siblings can no longer easily flop down and ‘Tuna’ at these kinds of events…we probably couldn’t get back up again! If you don’t know what that is, search for the Otis Day version of the song Shout from the Toga Party scene in Animal House [with apologies to anyone who saw an inappropriate ad on the YouTube link-it worked fine initially].
The “concept” of family is an extremely significant to all of us and we learned from the best, our parents who taught us the importance being true and loving to each other. It has made all the difference in the world and while we may live thousands of miles away from one another, we are close and try to come together for events like this to support one another. Â Although a few were unable to make the journey, we had a large contingent in attendance and seeing everyone who was there reminded me that our family is lot like a pool with concentric circles when pebbles are dropped in it. With each new baby or spouse our circles grow outward and we are ever so much richer for those ripples.Â
From the beautiful new grand-niece I just got to meet to the niece and her family from Texas I haven’t seen in over 6 years, we are a lot like the Sister Sledge song, “We Are Family.” Â
 Those adorably precious, polite and charming kids from Texas added so much texture and depth to our circles and kept us all entertained at the wedding. Who couldn’t love these munchkins?!
And while my mom was unable to partake at the actual wedding ceremony, she was at the rehearsal dinner and at the send-off breakfast the next morning for which we are ever so grateful. Her grace, style, courage and dignity has made all of us better humans throughout our lives and we cherish every. single. minute. that she continues to guide and be an amazing example for us. We snuggled with the newest member who has the classic family personality that reinforces our life circles. Miss Avery, I know you got tired of being passed around amongst all the aunties, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents, nieces and nephews, but we just can’t help ourselves. We adore you so and just want to leave lipstick marks on your sweet precious head now and forever. Know each mark and hug is given with love and hope that your life is a continuation of our family’s legacy.
To the beautiful bride, Julia and her hubby, we wish you a lifetime of love and laughter. Kudos to you for bringing joy to your grandmother’s heart at finally tying the knot, Kyle. You made her and the rest of our motley crew happy for you both and we were thrilled and grateful to share in your joy. May you always be as in love and happy as you were on this occasion. And to my dad and siblings, whether through blood or marriage, thank you all for being you and for being part of my circles in life. You make my heart smile and I’m ever so proud to call you family.
And finally there’s that fur-kid who happily welcomed me home and has barely left my side. Your Velcro-ness following any absence makes me sing and revel in gratitude.
Love you all, every single one of you nut-cases! đ
Looks like Spring has (finally) sprung in our neck of the woods. While out on recent morning and evening walks, it’s as if Mother Nature is saying “Lets Go Crazy” with visual tributes to the recent passing of Prince. While he wasn’t my favorite artist, I did enjoy a fair number of his songs. The past few days of world-wide adulation however has shed new light on this gifted artist and his life. His capacity to nurture aspiring new talent is unparalleled, his passion for so many causes and people and of course, those legendary guitar skills that were just wicked (remember the Super Bowl XLI performance of Purple Rain in an actual downpour?).
A Virginia Redbud tree blooming near our house showering the local street scene with “Purple Rain.”
Although I haven’t seen any “Little Red Corvettes” driving around or heard “When Doves Cry” from newly leafing out trees, all you have to do is “Stand Back” and see  there is a lot of purple being showcased. I’d like to think of it as beauty in the midst of sadness at the loss of a multi-talented artist and truly passionate human who was first and foremost, all about the music.
Where you were a fan? What’s your favorite Prince song or was it one of the many he wrote for others (i.e.  âHow Come You Donât Call Me Anymoreâ by Alicia Keys, or “Manic Monday” by the Bangles, âNothing Compares 2 Uâ by Sinead OâConnor or âI Feel For Youâ by Chaka Khan)?
Mom woke us up at oh-dark-thirty today and said we had to prepare today’s blog hop entry hosted by 
This little guy seems to be asking the same question as I have this week…what 
Love you all, every single one of you nut-cases! đ
