Monday Mischief: Rita's Top Ten of 2012

The mischief today is that I, Rita, am taking over the blog so I can list my Top Ten for 2012. (This recapping the year seems to be a big thing with you humans, so I wanted to get in on the fun.)

10. I made a best friend! (Dakota was my sister Angel Abby's best friend too. Momma is so glad that we are friends!)

Dakota has taught me how to be an excellent boxer! I punch Momma all the time!

I Dreamed A (Stupid) Dream

I had the stupidest dream last night.

I dreamt that I had this brilliant idea for today's Mirth Watch Thursday post. It was going to be all about these semaphore-like poses that Rita sleeps in that signal different messages - like laying (lying?) a certain way meant "send treats," and how I was going to do drawings to represent each one. (Actually, almost all of them ended up meaning some variation of "send treats." Although one was the symbol for pi: π - just to show that she's smart.)

In my dream, it was all hysterically funny to me. I woke up thinking, "Awesome. I've got today's post all written! All I have to do is whip up some drawings." Then I thought it through and realized it was absurd. (Who would even see these signals, I ask??) Sigh. Had to come up with something else to post.

So, I thought I'd roll out one of me and the hub's favorite commericials from a few years back. We still quote the final line sometimes after a walk. It's got a cute dog, outrageous Scottish accents and it's about cheese. What more could you want? Here it is:

Wordless Wednesday: Rita's Christmas Recap

Rita here with a photo-journalist style review of my holiday.

It started out not too good. There was a lot of this.

Seriously?

Why You'll Love PupLove

Pamela over at Something Wagging This Way Comes (great blog title, no?) came up with the great idea of a "Pet blogger gift exchange" - only the gifts we're exchanging aren't wrapped in shiny paper and pretty bows. Instead, the gifts are the kind that money can't buy and that can't be stuffed under the tree: encouragement, compliments, and appreciation! Who doesn't want to get some encouragement? Better than a funky Christmas sweater any day, right?

Pamela matched everyone up who wanted to participate with a partner, and I was matched with the uber talented AJ of PupLove.

Have You Seen This Man?

I've decided to start a new thing that I'm going to call Mirth Watch Thursday. It'll be a little silliness from me or from somewhere else on the web to (hopefully) make you smile and/or laugh each Thursday as we round the bend toward the weekend.

So, to kick off Mirth Watch Thursdays, I give you: A composite sketch of Rita's fears:

Have you seen this man? He may be armed and is considered dangerous. (At least, by my dog.)

Wordless Wednesday: Presents!

This is our first Christmas with Rita so it will be fun to see how she reacts to everything. We've been spoiling her and letting her open any presents she gets early. She seems to love the gift idea, and tears right in to the paper. (I've never had a dog that didn't instinctively know how to open a wrapped gift. I swear, dog toys must have a specific odor.)

"Let me in there!"

A Pause . . .

I normally try to take part in the Monday Mischief blog hop. Today, I just couldn't. I was too sad about the tragic news out of Newton, CT on Friday to just go on with a normal silly post. Yes, we do try to keep things light around here, even when our pup had bone cancer and even when the country seems to be going crazy. But today was not a day for "lightness."

My purpose with my writing and my blog is to spread smiles. I'm not eloquent enough to even try to wrap my words or my head around what happened on Friday, so I won't even try, but I didn't want to just plow happily ahead without pausing to express my condolences publicly to the entire community of Newton. For so many in that community, their worlds are forever changed.

For those of us lucky enough to be celebrating the holidays with our loved ones, let's all just try to remember to be a little nicer, be a little more patient, and try to understand where the other guy (even if he/she is pissing you off) is coming from.

Peace. Let's be reasonable out there.

[P.S. I signed an online condolence card for the Newton community today at We Are Better Than This. You can too.]

Ringing in the Holiday... with the Hounds

Today, we have a guest post from my friend Peggy, of Peggy’s Pet Place. Peggy and I decided it would be fun to exchange posts about holiday traditions involving the dogs. Below, Peggy shares her adorable family Christmas cards and tips on how to take great Christmas card photos with your dog. Then pop over to her blog, to check out my post on painting dog-themed Christmas windows! 

Take it away, Peggy!

Baby Kate, with Schuyler

Our daughter Kate, 3, with Schuyler

 

Wordless Wednesday: Scenes from a Walk

Okay, this won't be wordless, but it will be less-wordy and more-picture-y...

I got the idea for this post because I love this Abominable Snowman & Rudolph display in a neighbor's window:

Sorry about the not-great shot, but it's in a 2nd story window

Monday Mischief: The Ghost of Christmas Past

We really miss our beautiful Abby, but I miss her in a special way on Mondays because she was one heck of a mischief-maker. You could always count on her for counter-surfing, underwear-thieving, and sock-sucking. (The sock-sucking was kinda sweet... every time we'd come home we'd find her with one of our socks next to her. She liked to carry them around when we were gone. Luckily she never ate one, but she did enjoy nibbling them a bit.)

Thankfully, I don't have photos of her chewing our underwear, but here's an example of her mischief, as she cruises through the living room, flaunting her disregard for the "No Sticks in the House" Rule.

"It's not a stick. It's a big cigar."

8 Holiday Questions for 8 Authors

As promised last week, as part of our Season's Readings promo, it's time for 8 Holiday Questions for 8 Authors.

In order to keep to my usual doggified blogging, I've asked Kona (the chocolate Lab from my novel, What the Dog Ate) and my own pup, Rita, to help answer some of the questions. Here goes. 

Me: You guys ready?

Kona: Yep. We're getting treats for helping right?

Rita: Yeah; we demand treats! We should get them before we start though. Momma, they're all right here in the pantry... *saunters toward the pantry*

Me: Yes, Rita. I know where the treats are. You show me every time we walk down the hall. We'll get them after.

R: Awww, Mom. *hangs head and saunters back*

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Angel

I believe I have mentioned before that my sis does great sketches on her iPad (or even her iPhone). (Check her out at GerardArt.)

Well, the other day, she whipped up this adorable drawing of our beautiful Christmas angel, Abby.

Monday Mischief: Slobber-fest

Today, for Monday Mischief, I wanted to do a belated shout-out and offer some camaraderie to Jen at My Brown Newfies, who recently did a hysterical post on National Slobber Appreciation Day. As you probably guessed from her blog name, she has two Newfies who are master craftsmen in drool production.

Of course, I immediately thought of my "nephew", Leo the mastiff and shared the link with my sister-in-law. (She was very happy to learn the tip that Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are great for cleaning dried drool off walls.)

I don't actually have a picture of Leo drooling (sorry, I know you'd love to see that) but I do have one of him sleeping.

I think he's dreaming that he's a Lipizzaner Stallion.

Season's Readings!

Today I'm doing something a little different. If you've never noticed before, above in my tagline for the blog it says Pooch Smooches is: "Stuff 'bout me & my pups. But mostly my pups." Well, today there's no pup stuff! Not even a cute dog pic. (Okay, well maybe just one if you hang in until the end...) Shocking, right?  

Today is all about another of my big life loves: books!

In the spirit of coming together for the holidays, eight popular Chick Lit authors (okay, 7 popular authors and then me...) are "partying it up" with a shared promotion for book lovers! That means eight fun e-books, each priced at $3.99 or less, that are packed with plenty of laughs and romance to keep you entertained on those long winter nights! And if you'd like to gift one of these books to a Chick Lit fan, we've got you covered with your choice of paperbacks!

Which books are featured in this festive promo? I'm glad you asked that question!

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey - Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the "one who got away." But are some loves best left behind? E-book and paperback available on Amazon. 

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister - Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day's work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? E-book available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon. 

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard - Discovering what her dog ate turns Maggie Baxter’s world upside down. With her chocolate Lab, Kona, as her guide, can Maggie forego her overly analytical ways to find a new life filled with tail-wagging joy? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

The Girl, the Gold Tooth, & Everything by Francine LaSala - Suburban housewife Mina, beaten-down and struggling with amnesia, starts getting her memory and her mojo back. But she soon learns everything has a price in this fast-paced, richly layered, and darkly humorous satire! E-book and paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie - When Roxy Rule shares a passionate kiss with her lifelong best friend, she must come to terms with her feelings for him while dealing with two sisters in full crisis mode, a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener and a fiancé who can't wait to walk down the aisle. Can she keep it together--or will she break under the pressure? E-book available on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon. 

Fashioning a Romance by Libby Mercer - Devastatingly handsome and deliciously weird, John Harrington is the man of Caitlyn Taylor's dreams… and her nightmares. She has no use for a womanizer like him, and dodges his advances like a pro. But when they end up in Paris together, Caitlyn feels her resolve begin to slip. How will she ever be able to resist the irresistible in the most romantic city in the world? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. 

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr - Jane Frank is newly single after nine years and looking for a second chance at love. But when she dives head first into the NYC dating scene and finds it infested with flakes who are interested today and gone tomorrow, it may be time for Jane to turn the tables! E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone - Lauren Tate's perfectly planned life quickly unravels at the seams when a smear campaign threatens her career as a top TV executive, but she learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who's stolen her heart goes missing. E-book available on Amazon; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Book Bloggers Joining in the Fun

Throughout the month of December, the wonderful book bloggers listed below will be posting about our Holiday Treats for Chick Lit Lovers. They are graciously supporting us so please stop by their blogs. 

December 3 
Girl Who Reads

Lost in Literature

The Book Fetish

December 4

Chick Lit Goddess

Julie’s Chick Lit

The East Village

December 5

Ebook Addict

I Read Indie

December 6

Chick Lit Plus

December 7

Books Etc

Chick Lit is Not Dead

December 8

Change the Word
Every Free Chance Book Reviews 

December 10

Reading Renee

December 11

Just Jump

Michelle’s Book Nook

December 12

Chick Lit Central

December 13

Mrs. Mommy Booknerd

December 14

A Novel Review

Forget the Housework, I’m Reading

My Book and My Coffee

December 17

The Phantom Paragrapher

December 18

Crib Notes

The Book Bag

December 19
The Romance Bookie

December 20

Autumn Review

December 27

The Book Chick

TBA

Chick Lit Bee

Upcoming Holiday Posts
Finally, we hope you'll "tune in" for our upcoming series "8 Holiday Questions for 8 Chick Lit Authors." Each of us will take a turn at answering a set of holiday-related questions. (To bring this back around to the pups, I might have Kona and Rita help me answer some of them...). I'll post a reminder about that when we start on December 3. 

Thanks for your support. Remember that books make great gifts - treat your friends and treat yourself! If you're going away for the holidays, now's a good time to fill up that e-reader for the long flight. (Or for hiding in the bedroom with at your in-law's house!)

And... because I can't get through a blog post without a cute dog pic: I saw Rita kissing Santa Claus.

Right on the mouth! (He looks a bit shocked by her forwardness...)

I haven't really felt into the holidays yet, but I must say this post is making feel like I'm ready for the holiday madness to begin!  

Wordless Wednesday: Slut Puppy

I can't wait to see what sort of Google searches will bring folks to my page with that title...

Anyway, remember my earlier post where I said that Rita loves Lucy? Well, it's not nearly as much as Lucy loves the hubs. I think it's because he's the only one who will let her kiss and kiss and kiss him.

"I'm all yours, Mikey!"

A Tribute Post - Goodbye Sweet Lou

I just found out that my sister and her husband had to help their sweet corgi, Lou, be fitted for his wings today. This is such sad news.

He had a little health scare earlier, but I thought he was doing better so this comes as quite a shock.

As a tribute to Lou, I thought I'd re-run a post I did about him when he stayed with us in May of 2011. We have been trading dog-sitting duties with my sister for a long time now, and we always enjoyed having Lou come to stay at "The Spa." 

Our Visitor

May 27, 2011
 
We have a small visitor for the long weekend: Abby's cousin, Lou the corgi. He looks something like this:

Sleeping Lou

Although he actually looks a lot more like this: 

Because he is older and so handsome, Abby LOVES him. He . . .  tolerates her. Here she is lying across his path, trying to tempt him with her cuteness. He was not buying what she was selling.

He is very short. He fits under things...

...like our bathroom sink/cupboard

Last night, we put his bed in our room and closed the doors so he'd be in with us and we'd know where he was all night. In the night, Mike heard him get in the shower. (Not like actually turning on the water and taking a shower, but just walking in there. Our shower is attached to our bedroom, you just kinda walk right into it, go down two steps and turn a little corner and you're in the shower; no door, no curtain, nuthin'.) I guess it was cool in there; not sure. Anyway, later in the night, Mike hears him trying to get back out of the shower--which involves nothing more than walking up two steps. Guess there was not enough room in there to get any momentum going, so eventually Mike had to get up and go boost him up unto the steps and outta there. (These are not deep steps; in fact they're pretty shallow. I didn't even have to boost my 85-year-old mother with her bad knee outta there!) Maybe tonight we'll leave the bedroom door open and let him sleep wherever he wants. Wonder if he'll choose the shower again...

Here are a few more pics, since he (and Abby) are so cute:

He is good motivation for her to eat!

Abby -- sad because Lou doesn't love her

Lou figures out where Ab's treats are stashed

Ab figures out where Lou's treats are stashed

Ready for his close up!

I had forgotten about him sleeping in the shower. He was a funny, sweet, handsome boy. 

Goodbye, sweet Lou. You were a good boy. A very good boy. We will miss you so much. Our hearts go out to your mom and dad. Please send them a little sign and let them know that you are okay. 

Monday Mischief: Rita Loves Lucy

Or does she?

We went away this past weekend with Rita to visit my mom. My brother and his family were there as well, with my brother's mastiff, Leo, and my nephew's Lab-mix, Lucy.

Big boy, Leo, licking the ice-ring that formed in the birdbath

Lucy enjoying (?) a bit of ice from the birdbath

Sandy Dogs

No, I'm not writing about Rita after she comes home from the beach (although I could probably enter a sand castle competition with the amount of sand she brings home from Fiesta Island). Instead, I'm talking about Hurricane Sandy. Helen Woodward Animal Center (where I volunteer) got 45 cats and dogs this past weekend from shelters affected by Hurricane Sandy. Forty-five!

You can read more about it here, but basically each of the pets that arrived was already up for adoption before the storm hit. However, there were so many displaced pets after the storm, that the shelters didn't have room for the adoptable dogs/cats anymore and needed help.

HWAC, Southwest Airlines, SeaWorld, Delaware County SPCA and Save-a-Pet all worked together to fly the dogs and cats out to San Diego. Here's a super-sweet little video:

If this video doesn't warm the cockles of your heart, then your cockles need some serious thawing. I'd suggest putting them in the microwave on auto-defrost and just leave them in there for as long as it takes.

A lot of the pups weren't ready to be adopted yet when I was there on Monday for my usual shift, so I didn't meet any of the dogs in the video but I did meet some other real sweethearts!

In other Helen Woodward-related news, remember the other day when I posted this picture of the gorgeous but somewhat, um, crazed looking pup that I was in love with...

...well, when I went up on Monday, he was already gone! Hopefully he's being spoiled rotten in his new furever home even as you read this. Hopefully all the "Sandy" dogs and cats will soon find their furever homes as well.

A Special Shout-out for Tripawd Warrior Princesses
The day after Thanksgiving will probably always make me think of our beautiful Abby. We brought her home from HWAC on 11/27/09, the day after Thanksgiving. We are very thankful that we got to have that special girl in our lives, even if for way too short of a time.

Sadly, this week, the last of the original Tripawd Warrior Princesses that I dedicated the drawing below to earned her wings.

Tripawd Warrior Princesses: Rio, Isabelle and Abby

I like to think our special girls are all together now, with their capes and their wings. Goodbye sweet Isabelle. You were truly an inspiration, surviving Hurricane Katrina and two kinds of cancer. Run pain free and say hi to my Abby!

I hope everyone here in the States had a lovely Thanksgiving!

Wordless Wednesday: The Poor-dog's Frosty Paw

The hub's physiotherapist suggested freezing cups of ice and using them to ice-massage some of the continuing trouble spots on his knees post-surgery. Well, Rita (who is completely uninterested whenever I try to give her an ice cube) has decided that these are super tasty.

"Oh man. I can't enough of this!"

Monday Mischief: Pixie Sticks Her Nose Where She Shouldn't

Today, we have a guest mischief-maker that we're featuring - the delightful Pixie. (Rita's just been such an angel, we had to go hunting for mischief.) Doesn't she look sweet?

Pixie at the beach

Maybe She Needs a Sibling

I was actually going to write this post with just a quick update on our yard work, but then I looked at his picture again:

"Why won't you play with me??"

Be the Change - Shelter Drive By!

Today I've got a very Hellen-Woodward-centric post.

Dr V. (not our Dr. V, whom you might remember from Abby's oncology visits, but a different Dr. V.) of www.pawcurious.com has teamed up with BlogPaws and the folks at Iams (with their annual "Home 4 the Holidays" campaign) to highlight National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.

Dr. V. asked that bloggers do a "drive-by" of a local Home 4 The Holidays shelter or rescue and drop off a donation. She said it could be something "as simple as bringing them an old towel from your closet or as complicated as you wish. I like simple. Simple is good and repeatable and easy and is what I will be doing."

So, I did something simple. I gathered up a small bag of some sheets and towels we no longer needed. I also checked Helen Woodward Animal Center's "wish list" page. If you've been reading the blog for a while, you know I volunteer at HWAC. They actually started the Home 4 the Holidays campaign. In fact, a certain little girl we know and love was adopted during that campaign:

How could we resist bringing this face home with us?? (Miss that girl...)

Monday Mischief: Underwear Everywhere

Around here, we can't resist an underwear snatching pooch. (If you don't already know what the dog ate, well, he ate some panties that didn't belong to his momma. This is no spoiler, since it's revealed in the opening line of the book: The vet handed Maggie Baxter a plastic specimen bag containing a pair of size-tiny lavender thong panties extracted from her dog; but they were not hers.)

So, of course we fell in love with Ecco, the underwear thief, when we first met him a few months ago. Ecco is the "nawty dawg" with a big heart. His mom contacted me about spreading the word for Ecco's 2012 "Underwear Everywhere" Drive.

The flyer is a bit hard to read on my blog (I couldn't post it full size or it wouldn't fit), but below the image I've typed up the text.

"Please help Ecco, the naughty dog with a big heart, collect NEW socks, hats, gloves and underwear for the 300 plus homeless served by the Union Mission Ministries. Every year, Ecco tries to redeem himself by donating more underwear than he has destroyed over the past year. It's never too late to turn your negatives into positives! Thank you for helping Ecco with his goal of collecting over 1000 pairs of socks and undies! Please send all items to p.o. box below. If you are local (Hampton Roads), we will be happy to provide pick up! Donations can also be made via our web site, www.nawtydawgbigheart.com under the "BIG HEART" tab. Please write "Mission" in the comments to ensure the proper allocation of your gift."

P.O. Box 1007, Smithfield, VA 23430-1007

Rita is, amazingly, the first dog we've had that doesn't steal our undies. It never occurred to me to take a photo of Bailey or Abby scampering around with our undies (probably a good thing), but luckily we have the adorable photo of undie-thief Ecco to enjoy for Monday Mischief.

Is your dog an undie thief?

Happy Monday Mischief!

Just Chew It

The other day on CometDog.com, a site my friend started for "sharing, support & shenanigans" with other dog lovers (and also cat and lizard and any-ol'-pet lovers!), she posted a link to this very informative article from Whole Dog Journal on The Best Rawhide Chews for Your Dog.

Rita is not a destructo-chewer (thank heaven!), but I love to give her something to munch on in the afternoons when she's bored and wants me to stop staring at the box on my desk. Since I normally write in the afternoons, I need to keep her entertained. But I've never been really sure about what's best to give her.

We've tried a few things, starting with bully sticks. You might remember I posted these pics of her enjoying her bully sticks before.

"Give it to me!"

Wordless Wednesday: The Power of Jerky

As you know, we've been in the midst of a backyard renovation project. It had hit a snag (caused by the city, which tried to give me a heart attack from the stress of dealing with them to get our permit, a process that only took about 10 days longer than it should have...), but we are back on track now. This is good news for me and the hubs, but terrible news for Rita, since she HATES the strange men in the yard.

Here she is in typical Cujo-mode when she sees the men out there working (been keeping the blinds down, but as you can see that doesn't really help...):

Yes, her feet are fully off the floor.

Monday Mischief: Playing Dentist

Usually on the weekends, we like to take Rita to Fiesta Island and we go for a long walk with her while she plays with the other dogs and romps in and out of the bay. But, since Mike's double knee surgery, it's too crazy down there for him. (I've seen lots of people - and I've been one of the people - bowled over by charging dogs not watching where they're running.) So, to protect his knees, we've been going to the much calmer Kate Sessions Park, which has a lovely view of the bay.

Technically it's not an off-leash park, but it's got a huge lawn, so there are usually some dogs playing off leash in one corner. Every time we've been there, Rita has found a buddy to play with, like this cute Golden mix pup. She invited him to play "dentist":

"I'm opening as wide as I can. How do they look?"

Frosty Paw Winners!

Just a quick post to announce the winners of the Frosty Paws giveaway!

The lucky folks/pups who have Frosty Paw coupons and the stuffed Frosty dog coming there way are:

"Hello, winners! We're headed your way! Please don't eat us."

1. cstironkat
2. Roxy the traveling dog
3. Danielle M.
4. JO
5. Britt T.
6. Sara M.
7. Micki
8. Peggy F.
9. Kathleen N.
10. Ashley T.

I'll send emails out to get your mailing addresses.

Congrats!

"It tastes like heaven in a cup!"

Rita says it's never too cold to eat a Frosty Paw... but, then, Rita lives in Southern California. No worries if you happen to live somewhere that does get too cold - the coupons are good until the end of next year, Dec. 2013! Thanks again to the folks at Frosty Paws!

A Special Beach Day

Last Wednesday a handful of current/former Tripawd owners met up at Fiesta Island. In attendance, we had Linda & Bernie Bin Laden (siblings to Angel Max), Queen Nova's mom was there (unfortunately, being a Great Dane and all, it was not possible for Nova herself to fit in a carry-on and come along with Mom on her trip out from Michigan), Wookie (the lone Tripawd in attendance), and of course Rita (sister to Angel Abby).

It was a beautiful day - sunny and hot and the water was about as calm as I've ever seen it in the bay.

Linda, Rita & Bernie immediately head for the water.

Rita & Big Bear

Wordless Wednesday: Agility & Jerky

Last Wednesday, when I posted the "in the trenches" shot of Rita in our torn up backyard, commenter Pamela (check out her Something Wagging This Way Comes blog for great info and insights on life with pups) suggested we should think of it as our own agility course. Well, this week we decided to turn it into an even more challenging agility course:

Rita in action on the course!

Monday Mischief: Frosty Mayhem

If you saw my post on Friday, you know we are having a Frosty Paws giveaway (enter and win some Frosty Paws for your pup!). You also remember I put all the stuffed Frosty dogs in the guest bedroom for their safety and comfort. I shut the door behind me, and figured they'd be in there resting and getting ready for their voyages to their new homes.

Well, later that night I was soaking in the tub with a book, and the hubs hears Rita in the back of the house romping around a little too happily. He goes to investigate and finds this:

Look how they're all trying to shield their eyes. Oh, the humanity!

Frosty Paws Giveaway!

October (which is quickly getting away from us) is Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month. In order to help celebrate this very special month, the folks at Frosty Paws sent me TEN prize packs to give away! The prize packs include a Frosty plush toy (for humans, not for dogs) and two coupons for free boxes of Frosty Paws (for dogs, not humans - although they do look pretty tasty). They come 4 to a box, so that's 8 Frosty Paws for your pup to enjoy! (But not all in one sitting.) Or, if you have a sharing kind of pup, he or she could have an ice cream Frosty Paw social and invite all his/her pals over!

See all the giveaway details below.

"This box is practically as big as me!"

Wordless Wednesday: In The Trenches

...or, in this case, hopefully not in the trenches. The yard project continues and things are at the point where they continue to look worse each day.

Rita wondering where her yard went. (Nice clouds reflected in the window.)

We are hoping we'll soon be at a point where things will start looking better - but that might still be weeks away!

In Other News

1. As I'm writing this, Rita and I just got back from a fun outing with some other current/former Tripawd owners. We had a lovely time at Fiesta Island. I'll do a full on post with pics soon. 
2. I've been waiting to receive a fun package in the mail, which should also be fun for some of the blog readers. Someone is sending me something to share with y'all, so stay tuned for that. 
3. I got another really great review for What the Dog Ate the other day that you can check out here, on a super fun & funny blog called Chronicles of Cardigan. Check out some of her other fun posts while you are there and the pics of her gorgeous Corgis and cats. 

Sometimes I Wish Rita Spoke English!

At least once a week, Rita takes part in this scenario at the beach: A big dog runs up to play, but maybe is a bit too dominant or rough, so Rita gets scared and squeals like the drama queen that she is, when all the big dog wanted to do was play. Invariably, she will later run up and do the exact same thing to a smaller dog. She just wants to play, but she gets so excited that she bops the little dog or chases it too fast, and the next thing you know, she's scared the life out of it and it's telling her off.

Rita flees the big dogs. "Hey! Come back! You said you'd skinny-dip with us!"

Somewhat Wordy Wednesday: Rubble

Today's word on Somewhat Wordless Wednesday is: rubble. Remember those (ugly) stone steps I just photographed Rita on the other day? Well, now they look like this:

Monday Mischief: No Ordinary Rabbit

We are getting ready to have some work done in our backyard, so the other day I was gathering up all the small little animal sculptures that inhabit our yard that I wanted to keep out of harm's way.

Well, moving them all into a pile brought a certain one of them to Rita's attention: the evil bunny.

"What is this thing??"

This little stone bunny has been in our yard the entire time she has lived with us. In fact, she walks past it on her way out the back door several times a day. But she only noticed it once I moved it.

Authors Playing Tag: The Next Big Thing

Last week, Peggy Frezon of Peggy's Pet Place (you remember, Peggy, right - from the Dieting With My Dog book giveaway?) tagged me for a blog feature entitled "The Next Big Thing." This weekly feature, where each author passes the torch on to five others for the following week, is about "The Next Big Thing" that writers are working on, with each author answering the same set of questions. As Peggy said, "What a great way to learn more about an author and discover some new reads." So at the end of my post, I'll tag five writers, so be sure to check them out next week. Thanks again to Peggy for tagging me! 

My next book is definitely a "big thing," to me, because it's been with me, "hounding" me as it were (yes, it's another doggy-related book), for so long now. So, here goes:

Wordless Wednesday: Fall!

I love the fall - this is one time of year that I miss our east coast days. The fall was so great there! But, we really do have fall in San Diego. It's just that we have it in very small amounts. Sometimes you have to look pretty hard for it, but we have a nice little bit of it here on our street:

The neighbor's liquid amber trees. So pretty!