Sunday, December 25, 2011

Peace on Earth...

Merry Merry Christmas to all my Friends and Loved Ones ...
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
May All the Beings in All the Worlds Find Happiness and Peace
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Dear Santa...

Lola's first note to Santa~
"Dear Santa, Please bring toys."
So simple and uncomplicated....

Friday, December 16, 2011

Introducing Lucinda

This house was really missing having good cat energy in it. I had thought i would wait till Spring and take in 2 kittens together, just so that they would have each other and not be overwhelmed by all these dogs.

Last Saturday i went to a pet shop to buy some dog toys for the pack for Christmas and saw my friend Mary there. Mary started an animal rescue called Heaven Sent Animal Rescue, that mainly does rescue and adoption work with small dogs. I told her i was not looking for a dog but wanted to find a special cat- one who would feel comfortable around all my dogs. She got this funny smile on her face, bent down and pulled a little black kitten out of a crate under her table and said "Merry Christmas!" This little kitten had been found with her litter mates and some neglected dogs. Mary said this little female was found nursing on a dog! Her 2 siblings were already adopted and so were so many dogs, but little Lucy was still left. She snuggled up in my arms and purred and tried to nurse on my neck. She was mine. A sweet surprise. Still i wondered how she would like living with so many dogs and a free range parrot....

She came to us late Saturday afternoon. I took these pictures on Monday morning.

The dogs LOVE playing with this little kitten, and she doesn't have a minute to be lonely for her own kind.

So, if we do decide to add another cat to our home, it will be because we want to.

But it seems for now, Lucy is happy with her furry family just as it is.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Nap in the sun

Little Honey, Zinnia, and Pollyanna

Sunday, December 11, 2011

An afternoon at the ballet

For the last 2 years, Bill and i have been taking our Lola to the ballet. She loves music and loves to dance. Last year we went to see The Nutcracker Suite at The Egg in Albany, and today we went to Proctors in Schenectady for the longer version of the ballet.
Here's Lo, resting on the steps going up to the balcony. She wanted her picture taken on the steps decorated with Shrek's face(an upcoming musical) She was a bit annoyed that people were walking in front of Shrek's picture.

And here she is posing in front of a window with old posters from The Wizard of Oz
Once the program begins, photos are prohibited in the theater, but just after the performance Lola took these pictures of me and her Poppy. She even told us how to pose!
Interesting angle!....

And here we are in front of one of the lovely old Christmas trees decorated in the lobby. We had a great time making memories... While i was sitting there listening to the beautiful music from my childhood and watching the ballet, i had Lola sitting on my lap, and i thought of my Grandmother, and how much i wished she could be there with us. She would have loved to be there in the beautiful theater with us watching the performance. And then i realized that just by thinking of her, she was there already...

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Stella's got a booboo...

Right around the time our Bella kitty started to decline in her health, Stella came in from the dog yard on three legs. She seemed to be in no pain, so we waited till our vet's office opened to get her in for a checkup. Imagine how surprised and horrified i was when Doc White found she had broken her tiny ankle! She NEVER once cried or carried on. I can only imagine how i would be with a broken ankle! She is one tough little chihuahua! Because Stella has other health challenges, we decided to forgo surgery and to try to splint and cast her foot. She kept the first cast on for 3 weeks. It was a white cast and it had gotten very....funky. So funky and bothersome that she decided to REMOVE the cast herself! So, back to the Vet's office we went. After staying overnight once more, Stella came out of the back room with a beautiful Christmas red cast, with orders that we are to keep this cast on for at LEAST 2 more weeks, and then we will have another exray done and see where we are with the healing process. As Stell is a very determined little dog, i plan to keep her close by and watch her closely in case she decides she wants to remove the new cast.
So, off we went to our local pet store to get her a nice soft sided carrier. This way i can carry her if need be, and still have 2 hands to get things done! It took Stell is few minutes to approve of the new carrier but she got used to being carried this way soon enough.
And as soon as we came into the house and Stella got out of her carrier, she was greeted by her brothers and sisters with glee!
Little Pollyanna, the Motherer of the group, will take good care of her.
Never a dull moment around here....

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Thistle Bella

You were my beautiful friend for 20 years.

I keep looking for you to come sit with me in the morning after the dogs go out...

i forgot and started to put food in your dish this morning...

It's always hard to say goodbye to a beloved friend...But a friend of 20 years... It will take me a while to adjust to that...