Today is one of my most favorite days of the year. That’s right, baby: January 2nd. Sure, I love the holidays. Who doesn’t? But like with anything sweet, you can have too much of a good thing. You know it. I know it. And my fat jeans know it. Who am I kidding? Right about now my fat jeans are dangerously close to becoming my skinny jeans. Yowzah! It’s time to put on our leggings and settle in for a long winter’s nap. After all the food, fun and festivities, it’s nice to get back to a routine. I love a routine! Some might call it a rut, sure, but not me. A routine is …

It’s been five months since Cora came into our lives, and boy, has she blossomed! She’s such a sweet, smart girl! Cora had a fenced in yard where she lived before, and so with us she had to get used to doing her business on a leash, with Charlie or me watching. That was an adjustment. Because she was a Grand Champion, she’d only been on a leash when she was shown. So when we took her out for a walk, she did a great job of not pulling. But, she didn’t stop and sniff things, you know, like a dog. Instead, she was always looking up at us for direction, just wanting to please. …

This poem was supposed to be part of last week’s blog post, but I was having a hard time to get through it without crying. Still missing the little guy like crazy, but I did better this week. So, here’s a little good-bye ditty Charlie wrote for Scamp. Bark Park in the Sky Scamp has gone, our little guy, To that great bark park in the sky Where walking’s not the daily slog And dogs can finally be a dog A park where you have just been sent To bark until your heart’s content Where every dog is runnin’ proud The place is yours, no cats allowed! At last, a land where you can be …

I’ve been putting off writing this blog post. It’s been almost two weeks now since we had to say good-bye to our little buddy. Scamp didn’t seem to be in any pain, but he was just a shadow of his former self. The spunk was gone, the spark, too. No more long walks, no jumping up on the Barcalounger love seat, that little tail of his no longer stood at attention. Why, even his bark had changed. He didn’t eat much, except for treats. I swear, the only thing keeping him going was love. I woke in the middle of the night hearing Scamp try to get comfortable, going from his bed to the floor …

On February 28,  Scamp turned fourteen! Honestly, last November, when our vet told us he had a tumor on his spleen, I wondered if he’d make it past Christmas. But, darn, if he’s still hanging in there! I give him a half a pill a day. It’s an appetite stimulant, anti-naussea type thing. Without that, I don’t think he’d be eating much at all. But right now, he’s chowing down pretty good. We blast Scamp with love and give him all the treats he wants, of course. He’s earned it. Most importantly, he doesn’t seem to be in any pain. That would be a deal breaker. Scamp doesn’t run to the door when we come …

I went to see my Dad the other day. Afterwards, my sister Irene texted me. She asked, “How’s the old guy?” I answered, “Do you mean our dad, my husband, or the dog?” I told Charlie what I said, and he didn’t think my snappy remark was as funny as Irene and me did. Actually, Dad is in a little bounce right now. I think they must have gotten his blood sugar more under control. All of a sudden, he’s talking in complete sentences and is a little more with it. He’s even laughing a bit. Sure, Dad still thinks the trellis is a truck, and a typical visit is basically the same conversation three …

Have you ever been driving around, pass a house and think, I wonder if they’re having a yard sale, or if that’s just how they live? Or someone walks by you at the mall and you’re like, Geez, Louise, are they wearing perfume or is that bug dope? There are entire days where I just wondering around in my head. I wonder what I’ll make for supper? I wonder if I have time to clean to bathroom before I leave for work? I look at Scamp, and he’s staring off into space and I wonder what he’s thinking. I wonder if that’s a look of concentration on his furry, little face, or is it just …

Charlie and me were out for a Sunday drive, and happened to pass Agnes Brown’s place out on Duck Pond Road. “Slow down, Charlie. Look, Aggie’s got ladders up!” “Ida, them ladders been up over a year.” “No!” “Seen them there last winter, under a foot of snow.” “There should be a law! You are not allowed begin another home improvement project ‘til you’ve finished the last one.” “Or in Aggie’s case, the last ten or twenty projects.” “Wow! What a way to live!” “One year, Ida, I kid you not, I think she put up one shingle.” “Come on!” “Really. Billy Pritchard told me. He lives in the grey house over there. Keeps an …

Our little bundle of love, Scamp (also known as Boo-boo, Peanut, Pork Chop, the Boss, and Mini the Moucher), turned thirteen yesterday, and he still makes me smile every, single day. One minute, he’s acting like a grumpy old man and the next he’s playing like a puppy. Even though we got him from Poodle Rescue, Scamp’s not pure poodle. He’s a bichon/poodle mix or “bichpoo”, which makes him smart, stubborn and cute as all get out. Sure, he understands what you want him to do. He just doesn’t always want to do it. When he first arrived from Poodle Rescue, Scamp seemed like such a shy, little dog. Charlie and me found it kind …

When your dog gets excited, does he sneeze? I read on the internet, it means that they’re happy. Well then, our dog Scamp must be extra happy because when we’re getting ready to take our morning walk Charlie, Scamp, and me, our little fella turns into a sneezing fool. I mean, one sneeze right after another. It’s kind of funny unless you’re running late, then it’s kind of irritating. That’s because Scamp’s not a multi-tasker. If he’s sneezing, he can’t do anything else. Especially not sit still to don his halter and leash. Charlie was so taken with this trait, he wrote a poem about it. Hot to Trot Imagine you’re so hot to trot …