Wordless Wednesday: Rita's New Leash & Avoiding a Tired Pun

Rita got a new leash... (not on life. Man, while I was trying to write a title for this post "a new leash on life" is ALL my feeble brain could come up with). She just got a new leash. Period. 

It's a little bit girly, and a little bit bad-ass (cuz it has pink skull & crossbones on it), just like our girl. Here she is sporting it, nice and pooped after a walk.

Wordy Wednesday: How We All Ended Up Exhausted

Just looked back and in almost a month I've only posted 3 times. I mentioned the blog would be quiet for a bit, and originally that was for a good reason. I was feverishly editing my new book! (More book news below.) But then the good reason for the blogging break turned into a sad reason.

A begonia on the hospital room windowsill

A Quiet Blog for a Bit

I've missed you guys! Hope you've missed us, too. Know I haven't blogged much recently, and other than this post I probably won't have a chance to blog again until our May 6 Give Cancer the Paw hop. 

BTW, hope you'll join that! 

Wordless Wednesday: Garage-Sale Dogs

Okay, no this isn't a post about dogs for sale at garage sales. (That would probably be a subject for a Blog the Change for Animals post...) This is about all the dogs my sisters and I met when we went to the annual garage sale event in my sister's 'hood this weekend. So many sweeties! 

Our first stop was to say hi to Marley. Isn't he a cutie? (I was there the day his momma found him - he was a stray. Hooray for Marley hitting the Doggy Lotto!)

Monday Mischief: Rita Says #BooMonday!

Rita is not a fan of Mondays. She likes the lazy, sleep-in, late-morning-long-walk weekends!

Rita, Queen of All the Duvet

Less-Wordy Wed.: Note to Self(ie), Games of Bitey-Face + Selfies Don't Mix

The other day during a Reg & Rita play date, the dogs were resting next to me on the porch, so I thought I'd try to get some selfies of the 3 of us. 

The break in the action was too brief though, and I ended up with this

Yikes!

And this:

Monday Mischief: Found and Lost and Found

Found
Back in late 2012, I found this perfect tag for Rita, which I posted a pic of on the blog.

As you can see, it says "Insert Treat" with an arrow pointing at her mouth - very appropriate for her!

Lost
Well, this week, I noticed it was missing. I was bummed, but figured it broke and fell off on one of our walks, and I mentally added it to the always-growing To-Do list.

Wordless Wednesday: Tongues and Teeth

It's almost the end of February and National Pet Dental Health Month, so Rita and Reggie will now flash their healthy mouths as a reminder that even though February's almost over, it's never too late to start paying attention to your pet's dental health! Check those pearly whites, and check your pet's mouth and tongue for lumps and bumps.

These shots are from a recent play date at our house. It was their first time attempting play here, since we don't have a great yard for playing - mostly hardscape. Hardscape or no, it was a successful play session! And it was pretty much all tongues and teeth. 

Tongues:

Wordless Wednesday: Addicted

They say if the first thing you reach for each morning is your phone, you're addicted.

I must be addicted to my dog.

Monday Mischief: Little Dickens or Mother's Angel?

Rita and her cousin, Reggie, had another play date recently, and it was as wild as the last time.

Here they are playing sort of a backwards game of peekaboo:

Wordless Wednesday: Boys, Boys, Boys

Rita here. I'm taking over cuz Momma's always too wordy. I'll tell you what's been going on with pictures. My post is kinda all about boys. And at the end, you get to see me naked on a faux sheep-skin rug.

First, of all... Remember this little guy? My cousin, Reggie?

Well, he's not so little anymore. He turned 1 recently and we had a FUN playdate!

Monday Mischief: Picking Granite to Match Your Dog

Remember a while back when I mentioned my bro and sis-in-law were re-doing their master bath, and my bro selected the granite because it matched his brindle mastiff's coat?

Well, it's all installed now, so here's the final product next to the inspiration:

Leo next to the new shower bench

Less-Wordy Wednesday: Rita's Super Bowl Sunday

Did y'all watch the Super Bowl? Or just the commercials? We watched, and since the Broncos are a sworn enemy of the Chargers, we were quite happy with how the game went down. In fact, I may have yelled a time or two: It just keeps getting better! (Sorry, Denver fans...)

As for the commercials, on the whole, I found them disappointing (and some were downright annoying). We agreed with Rita, that the Budweiser commercial was the best one. 

Rita rooting for the horse & puppy to get together

Monday Mischief: It Is Evil and Must Be Destroyed

Last week we brought something new into the house. A harmless BOSU ball (which the hubs wanted to help build strength and balance). 

However, the bosu ball was accompanied by a force for evil that we, obviously, did not recognize as such when it came into our midst. 

Luckily, Rita - Defender of the Realm - was at the ready and alerted us to the intruder.

Monday Mischief: When Bed Dogs Equal Bed Hogs

I totally jinxed myself.

A few months ago, Mrs. Taleteller over at Tales & Tails posted about her bed hogs (if you don't regularly read this blog, you should since it's always got amazing pics and great writing). She mentioned the battle for real estate in their bed. I commented that Rita "mostly sleeps curled up in one spot all night - next to the hubby." 

I should have known better.

Follow Up Friday: Beggars Still Choosing, No 1, and Not My News But...

I had this post almost completely done. And then I hit some strange key combination on accident and lost the whole thing. Even though I'd already saved it several times. ARRRRRGGGGHHHH.

Anyway....... It's Follow Up Friday... the blog that lets you wrap up your week.

Beggars Are Still Choosers
I posted about Rita turning down an offering of some lobster. She continues her choosy ways in this video:

{Please ignore the dog hair on the floor. I bet you have no experience with that sort of thing...}

Wordless Wednesday: An Angel's Twin?

I told y'all about my new car. Well, since it's also Rita's ride, I decided this time I'm (hopefully) going to keep the car a little less dog-ified. (Seriously, no human rode in the back of my last car for years! It was dog hair central back there! Even with the seat cover that I washed... oh... infrequently.) 

So, I ordered a new seat cover and also this time thought I'd try door protectors. I ordered a set from Kurgo.** Here's the cover of the box:

Christmas Greetings from Pooch Smooches!

I was going to save this for (mostly) Wordless Wednesday, but I figured many of you (including me!) won't be online (much) tomorrow, so here's our early Wordless Wed. Christmas greeting! 

Have yourselfie a merry little Christmas!

From our familial unit to yours...

Monday Mischief: Something's a Little Fishy Around Our Christmas Tree

Last week, I decorated our tree. Usually it's just a hodgepodge of ornaments collected over the years, but this year I decided I wanted to have a "dogs at the beach" themed tree, so I ordered some sand dollar ornaments and starfish, and I made some ornaments using shells. Then I decorated the tree with blue/turquoise ornaments, dog ornaments and all the shells. 

I thought it came out very cute and couldn't stop looking at it. Rita, on the other paw, was interested in it for other reasons... cuz it smelled like the beach.

Mirth Watch Thursday: Pet Blogger Gift Exchange Edition - Wag N Woof!

It's that most wonderful time of the year! Time for stressing out about gift-buying and menu-planning and trying to scratch things off your mile long to-do list!

But it's also time for the annual Pet Blogger's Gift Exchange - offering a lovely respite from all that stress. Why, you ask? Isn't a gift exchange just another thing to stress out about? No! Not when you do it like Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes and AJ from I Still Want More Puppies, the co-hosts for this year's event. These very wise ladies have come up with a "gift" exchange idea that doesn't involve buying anything! It's all about sharing the gift of "encouragement and blog love."

I was very excited when I was paired with Janet from Wag 'N Woof Pets! If you've never visited their blog, you should go there. Now. (I'll wait.)

Are you back? I mean, how freaking cute is their blog header??