WE GOT A PRESENT

Maggie photobombed me as usual.

ON Saturday Dad brought us a package from the post office.  I love packages and I get all excited as soon as I see a box or envelope brought into our home.  I was really excited when I smelled this package cos I could smell my wonderful friend Sweet William http://sweetwilliamthescot.blogspot.com saying Hi to me.  We won a contest.

HERE IS WHAT THE CONTEST WAS ALL ABOUT:
(this exert is from Sweet Williams page)

Lee belongs to a bookclub that is lead by Queen Janeen Coyle.  Why she is the Morning Radio Queen here in Cincinnati.  Janeen is on 103.5 WGRR every weekday morning.  Why she host Frank's Friends on Wednesday mornings  to introduce an animal that’s available for adoption that day at noon.  The segment also features the latest news from SPCA Cincinnati and helpful tips for pet owners.  Janeen's featured pets have a 100% adoption rate.

Janeen does a lot of good work for our community and beyond.

See even when Flat George was in town she took him to eat at Montgomery Inn.

Well when Janeen started the bookclub she decided she would write a book.

This is her first book A Pug With A Plan.

It is a short story about Frank and how he helped the whole family find Tank.

We have all had beloved pets go to the Rainbow Bridge.

It is a true little story of her familys love and loss of their dear pet. The story of Tank and Frank enables children to learn about the circle of life.  

Well I, Sweet William The Scot, think this is a great story to read to your children, or sit and listen to them read the story.

The book is available on
www.amazon.com/A-Pug-Plan-Janeen-Coyle/ dp/1625100108
or
http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-62510-010-8

 

So Sweet William, Lee and Ms. Janeen decided to have a contest to see who would win her book.  She was giving away a signed book and Sweet William was also giving away his copy.  ALL you had to do was leave a comment on Sweet William's post about why you wanted to win this book.  So we followed the rules and we won a book!!!!  Ms. Janeen said she liked what we had to say, my Mom was happy.

 

Do you think this is a picture of Sweet William that he took just for us??  We are going to put it on our Wall of Fame.  He also wrote us a special note.

This reminded Mom and myself right away of Angel Trudie.  Its a wonderful book and written so well for young children. Ms. Janeen also wrote us some special words on the inside of the book and she even mentioned BABY BEAN!  Wow, I wonder how she even knew about that girl!!??

AND THEN there was one more thing in there:

Big peanut butter frosted bones for us!!!  We all sit right away so we could have a piece of it....they were really good.

Thank you very much Sweet William for your contest and the bones and thank you Ms. Janeen for choosing us as one of your winners.
Stella Rose, Maggie and Baby Gussie

 

 

 

 

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

In the beginning there was just Me

THEN

There was Sammy and Me

THEN

There was Me, Sammy and Trudie

AND

Mean ole cat Dietzman

Seasons come and go and lives change

NOW

There is Me

AnD THEM:

Have a great Friday.
Stella Rose, Margaret Mae and Angus McConnell

REMEMBER ME..THURSDAY

I read Sugar's http://www.sugarthegoldenretriever.com/ post this morning and I asked my Mom if I could write another blog for today.  She said that is was just fine.  It's something Mom and I have been talking about lately and after we read Sugar's post about shelter dogs and all that have lost their lives and all that are still waiting for homes, and leaving a candle lit for them, well this is what I think.....

I think humans have turned their world into a "Disposable World" because it makes their lives easier.  Throwaway dishes, diapers, towels, napkins, plastic bottles, coffee cups and the list goes on and  on.  It does make it easy, but it also has serious consequences like over flowing landfills....clean up is expensive and there isn't any monies.  It also creates a mindset with some people that nothing is much worth keeping.  Like us four leggers.  Thus, the need for shelters and dogs and cats waiting on their forever homes.

That is how we came to live with our momma is we were threw away.  I had a soft spot that wouldn't close and my eyes are weird, Maggie had scratches on her eyes, and well Baby Gussie was a scary fright! WE were headed for the trash can (or life in the basement).  I bet alot of you out there was in the same scary situation and then your Momma or Dad came along, and picked you up, cleaned you off and took you home. FOREVER.

We don't know what to do about this heartbreaking situation. We have shelters that are good, we have people who rescue, we have organizations that help, but it grows and grows everyday.  I think until humans change your definition of disposable it will always be a battle that is barely won.  Everyday there are pictures posted of the cruelty we as animals suffer at the hands of a race that is supposed to care for us, but everyday there are also victories won, and forever homes made.  We have no answers, tonight we are gonna light a candle like Sugar said, for all those still waiting and for all those passed.

We are hoping this post did not offend anyone cos we loves you all.
Stella Rose

GUSSIE AND CLASS...

Well we were headed down the road to college and of course Mom puts me in my car seat for safety reasons,...she says, and Isa just hates it. I rips at it, and pulls at the straps and turns 100 circles, and barks, and cries, and barks some mores.  Now mom has raised three girls and is pretty strict with car rules and she can usually tone out crying and screaming but hers was tired from work and I just wouldn't STOP!

 Hers had to pull of the road because somehow Isa wrapped my leash around the harness and car seat and I looked like a blue mummy and Isa was a SCREAMING.  Hers was a little mad at me and told me to straighten up!  I straightened right up for like one miles and then I started in AGAIN and guess what happened...well you asked me so isa gonna tell you...her's stops the car AGAIN and I thoughts for sures she was gonna spank my butt but hers takes me out of the car seat and throws it in the back seat, and fastens me into the front seat like a big boy!!!  Yes, admirers from afar I won that round, BUT you ask did I behaves myself after that, well NOPE cos I not only wanted OUT of my car seat but ONS my moms lap!!  I tolds my Mom the reason I was acting up is cos my blood sugars was lows cos I can't eat befores i got to college so Isa off my rocker a little....hers didn't believes me, I could tell.

I howled like a hound dog and cried real tears and hers wouldn't let me come over to help her drives.  I could tells she was tired, and Isa was only trying to help hers out.

WELL, we gets to class and Isa goes see's my teacher and Drake. He didn't even growls at me one times and I could tell he had finally fallen in loves with me like the others.  It must have been the powers of persuasion I used with my ninja stare.  I thinks he even wanted to give me a hug but Mom said no I needed to behaves.
I got my heartlivergizzard thingy for sitting pretty for my teacher and then "Beautifuls" walks in the door with her mudder.  Hers is just so lovely, my little heart was all a flutterin.  She runs over to me and tells me how handsome I am, or maybe her said hers wasn't feeling well, Isa not sure, but anyway we gots to sits together again.  Then all the other girls come in and Jackie, that was the barker dog, he is reformed now and we start class.

This time we took turns saying hi to each others but we had to sit in front of them dogs first and then sniff a Hi to them...all but Drake and we said hi from afar to hims.  I tolds my mom we need to bring hims home with us and let him romp around with Maggie and Stella and then hes would be happy.  Mom wasn't paying any attention to me.  I did good sitting and saying hi, cos Mom had good treats in her bag and Isa was a starving.

Then we played musical chairs, I losted but I lasted till the last two, that big dog Macey won, ONLY cos Mom couldn't get the treat out of her pocket fast enuf and Isa was tired of listening to hers and then we played the game of "come here gussie"  Our class is in the gym and isa had to stay clear down at one end with the kidnapper lady, and Mom would call my name and I was supposed to run to hers.  Isa did just great!  Hers was say "come here Gussie" and clap her hands and Isa runs as fast as I can.  We did that four times and never once did I run to "beautifuls" or drake...isa was good.  I asked her to say, "Come here the most handsome boy in the class..but hers refused, isa thinks hers was mad at me for the car ride over..."

 See How Much Isa grown up?!

On the ride back home I settled down a little better, cos it was dark and Mom is half blind driving in the dark, isa was a little scared and I had to help my mom watch for deers.
Baby Gussie

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Hugs from me to you.
Stella Rose

TUESDAY TAILS

I asked my Mom if I could drive to class tonight and hers said no, that the Trooper # 182 was just lookin for a reason to stop my moms car again.  So I guess I will just sits in that baby  seat and continues to rip the lining out of it....isa almost got the job done.  I also barks most of the way over there unless mom has her hand on my back...I tells her if hers doesn't touch me then i mights puke ( i is fakin her out...)and hers doesn't want anymore of that stuff in her car.

I cannot believe Stellie photobombed my picture!

So's my mom and mes been practicin my sits, laydowns, sit/stay and settles and walking on the leash.  The problem with walkin on the leash is that Maggie goes wif us and hers drags me all around the fairgrounds.  Hers drags me into the livestock barns, under the slide and drags me over the dirt track where they hold the races.  I tries to plant my feets but hers still drags me.  Mom see those big ruts Isa leaving?

I finally sits my Mom down and tells her the problem and that Isa never gonna get a gold star in leash walkin if Maggie gets to walk wif me so...... last night we walks alone.  Just. me. and. my. Mom.  Isa was just perfect.  I walks and I walks all by myself.  Poor Maggie when hers saw that Mom wasn't putting her vest on hers she started to do hers hound dog bawl and hers hurt my ears real bad.  Till Stellie figured out hers wasn't going eithers that it was just me and my mom and hers started to do her pugscream, and that hurt my ears also.  Mom told Dad to get off his **# and take Mag's for a walk, and do something special with Stellie.  Dad musta thought special meant fry up a whole package of bacon and share it betweens the three of them while Mom and I was a working out.

Dad didn't evens save me any so I took mom's side right away and started to do my own version of Maggie's and Stellie's howl....Mom ended up a fixin me a heartlivergizzard thingy cos I is so special.

Later Mom took Maggie for a walk around the block and Stellie a walk in the yard.  Stellie was so happy cos the crabapples are all overs the ground and her loves to eat crabapples!

 I can hardly wait to see my little womens tonight!

BUSY WEEKEND

First, Friday night, they (as in Mom and Dad) went to watch two of the grandmonster boys ride bulls at a Mulefest.  Micah won!  It was the biggest rodeo they have ever participated in.

He is twelve.

Marcus came in second.  He hit the dirt the last second.  We are proud of them both.

This is Micah and Marcus before they became famous big bullriders.  We wish they would stay this age.

THEN:
Mom decided it was time to bring down the fall decorations so on Saturday she cleaned the house, and fixed it up for fall.  We tried to help but we were really tired.

 Later on Saturday Mom ran up to see Baby Bean and her brothers.

Then on Sunday Mom went to the boy Grandmonsters football game.  They lost.  And she went and visited another boy grandmonster and bought us new treats and food.

Then her and Dad took us out to the fairgrounds so we could run around and play.

Now she is going to work so she can rest.  Have a great week.
Stella Rose

REVIEW FRIDAY

Good Morning To All My Blogging Friends.  We are doing a review today for  Chewy.com and our product that we picked to review is called Soft and Chewy Bits by Old Mother Hubbard Baking Company. 

Mom thought we would try the liver flavor because she knows we love real chicken liver's as treats for training.  We were so excited when they arrived at our house.  As soon as Mom opened the package I twirled all around in my best ballet move, and Gussie and Maggie practiced their "sit".

This is what Mr. Chewy says about these training treats. 

Old Mother Hubbard Bitz Liver Recipe Soft & Chewy Dog Treats

Old Mother Hubbard's Liver Bitz recipe is small in size and big in flavor! Soft & Chewy Bitz training & reward snacks are a wholesome and delicious way to say “good dog”. Great to keep with you so you’ll always have a naturally perfect reward on hand. Perfect for training or as an everyday snack!
Key Benefits

• Made with wholesome ingredients
• For dogs of all ages & sizes
• Great for training and rewarding

• Available from - Chewy.com
• Cost $5.99 for a 6 oz. bag.
• Company website : www.truechews.com
• We LOVED that the treats have a zip top bag so they stay nice and fresh.

I looked up about the Old Mother Hubbard Company and this is what I found out.

Old Mother Hubbard Baking Company began baking in Gloucester, MA over 80 years ago. Our classic recipe was originally developed as a wholesome snack for fisherman while out at sea. One day, a sailor threw a biscuit to his dog who happily gobbled it up. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, our bakers continue to find new ways to bring wholesome, all-natural pet snacks to the pets we all so dearly love.


Old Mother Hubbard continues to build on this tradition today baking a wide variety of naturally delicious snacks for dogs. We start with, all-natural ingredients including: chicken, cheddar cheese, apples, carrots, sweet potatoes and oatmeal. We then slowly oven-bake every snack to preserve the natural flavors in all the varieties dogs love to catch, chew and eat.
Today, our bakers continue to find new ways to bring wholesome, all-natural pet snacks to the pets we all so dearly love. In doing so, you can enjoy that rewarding snack time with your pet every day.

Positives

• Made in USA
• Small in size and big in flavor
• Easy to carry with you when doing your training exercises
• As soon as we see Mom get them out of the ziplock bag we go into "training mode"
• Chewy.com is an online store that offers quick and speedy delivery right to your door 

Come on Mom we are waiting patiently!

Negatives -

We didn't have anything negative about this product.  We all loved it and Mom loved it!

Rating

•  we give this our 5 paws rating.

Disclaimer : Chewy.com sent us a packet of the True Chews in return for an honest review.  We were not paid or compensated for our review in any other way and our opinion is  purely our own.

 

Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dac74a3/

Faces of Summer Giveaway

If you would like to offer the giveaway to your readers, all you have to do is copy and paste the above link into your blog post. It will display a widget that will detail the options and/or ways to enter. We will have a monthly blogger giveaway with the three prizes(first, second and third place) as well as our Faces Of Summer contest that will conclude at the end of September.

 

Post a photo of your Cat or Dog enjoying their favorite summertime activity for a chance to win!!  In under 50 words, tell us about your favorite summertime activity with your pet to win a special Chewy prize pack. Tag #teamchewy on Instagram and Twitter, or message us on Facebook to enter!

By sending a picture of your furry family enjoying the summer months, accompanied by a brief description, you’ll be entered to be a featured pet as well as entered into the raffle for a special Chewy.com Prize package. The contest will run through the end of September and the winner will be contacted the first week of October.  

Stella Rose

Trudies Legacy

(I let my Mom have the keyboard today)

I wanted to skip over this month because I knew I would want to write a story about our angel Trudie and part of me where my heart lives just didn't want to.  Trudie deserves a story though. I thought alot about what words I would want to write and as one of our friends here once said when she lost her four legged love she wanted only comments about his celebration in life and not sadness.  I liked that alot, and respected her for pointing out his life was about joy.

I am hoping that is what my words touch on today, the celebration of her life. I am worried I will go down a different road.  This is Trudie.  She was five-six years old when Butch brought her home one night.  She came from the same place that Stella, Sammy and Gussie have came from. We don't buy them from this troubled person we are given them because they need a chance at a good life.  In the beginning when we first brought home Stella Rose and Sammy we were under the mistaken belief that once they were out of the bad place they would see all the love we had to give them and magically be okay.  Stella of course had issues but Sammy did very well, Butch brought home Trudie without asking me.

I was very mad at him because I just didn't think I could take on another soul and have the time to give them they would need.  Trudie had lots and lots of issues, most of them typical for a dog who has lived their whole life producing puppies and never been given any love.  Trudie fell in love with me as soon as I wrapped a warm towel around her, and she loved me to last day of her life.

She loved Stella Rose and Sammer and was the old lady of the group.  She liked it when I dressed her up in pretty clothes the same as Stella.  I think Trudie just wanted to be "the same" and didn't ever want the label of a puppy mill dog.  For the first time she was free and free to find out who she was.  She was kind, and loved sitting on my lap and her dad's lap.  Sammer was probably the most jealous of her on my lap and that was because he thought he was the baby of the house.  Pretty soon though they found their places on our laps, and in our bed.

Trudie had some medical issues that wouldn't go away.  UTI's that kept coming back so it was nearly impossible to get her house trained, and living in a cage for 5-6 years didn't help.  She also had a collapsed trachea and each day I could tell her breathing became harder for her.  The vet told us she was not a good candidate for surgery because of how severe it was. We gave her anxiety medication to help her when she would get upset and breathe to hard.  It didn't help.

For all the love given to her, the hardest thing Trudie had to overcome was trusting children.  Our grandchildren love our pugs and have always been loving and kind to them.  They knew the story of Trudie so they were extra cautious when around her but she would often nip and bite at their legs when they visited.  We would put her in the other room so she would relax.

I was very new to the rescue world and didn't have any contacts for training help.  I talked to the vet and apparently he didn't know anyone either.

Rescuing is hard work and I came to understand we skipped a step with all our pugs.  They never came from a rescue organization where BEFORE they could have came to our house they would have received all the medical help they needed to be healthy, they would have lived in a foster home and the foster mom would have known if they could live with other animals, or children. They would have became more socialized.  We didn't know about those organizations when we brought home Stella, Sammy and Trudie.  All we knew is that they needed to leave those pens and be given a life, and that is all we knew.

I don't want to look back on the time we had Trudie and say we did everything wrong for her because we didn't.  She knew love and learned trust for the first time in her life.  That is what I tell myself everyday because those words help me when I think about her.

Trudie's legacy is this:  Remember those two little pug puppies that I took out of the same place that Trudie came from.  Well, they are well now and live in their forever homes.  They received all the medical treatment they needed to be healthy and the little boy had surgery on his eyelids.  They lived in foster homes until they were ready for the next step.  They will be well cared for and loved.  I didn't bring them home and try to save them, I did what was best for them, and not me.  That didn't mean I didn't want to, it meant I loved them enough to do better.

Trudie's legacy is also that now I know people who can help if situations arise that I have no idea how to handle and I also know a trainer who will help.  She is Gussie's teacher and of course has her own sanctuary for dogs who have only one chance left.  Its a wonderful place and I try to bring her items that she needs whenever we go to class, they are gifts from angel Trudie.

Trudies legacy was bringing home Baby Gussie and Maggie as puppies and working with them differently so they would be more socialized for the world.  We are so thankful that they are healthy and love our grandchildren, I tell myself that Trudie has helped them become who they are.

For every dog that leaves my life they always leave a lesson with me, I just have to open my heart enough to understand it.  Sometimes the lesson is absolutely heartbreaking BUT it is the lesson they wanted me to learn so I will do better the next time.

I love you Trudie and I miss you.  I know you are happy now and playing with Sammer.  I am so glad you were waiting for him when he got to the Bridge.

Your Momma
Deb

No comments please.

CLASS NIGHT

Come on Mom lets GO....

I made a check list for you so we don't forget anything important ....purse..check...monies for sonic....check...drivers license....check ...treats....check...autographed pictures of me for my womens...check!  LETS GO  but wait Mom where is my Harley jacket...Isa looked and looked for it and can't find it.  Isa thinks those motorcycle doods stoled my jacket cos it was prettier then theirs...yep they has stolen it for sure...so see Mom what i am holding for ransom until those doods return it....

Yeppers I have Eric's keys and his bike is in old garage!!!  Dad flipped his lid and told me to give him the keys back..I said No, and Dad told me those bikers didn't steal your jacket, he said they are professional peoples and make enuf monies to buy their own jacket, I said, yep Dad... professional thieves!!!!  Bahahahhah....that bike is staying with us until my jacket is returned.  So I had to wear my H. D. hoodie instead but I think the womens will like it just as well.

We got to class with 15 minutes to spare and I ran in so my teacher could see me.  Drake, the corgi was already there so I rans over to say Hi and he growled at me.  I asked me, "don't you member me from last time?" and he growled again, he has a real attitude plus he should be in the "gifted and talented" class and not in hears with me.  Mom told me to leave him alone, and about that time my womens came running in the door, there was beautiful, and the huskey named juno and my cousin named macey.  They were so happy to sees me and we were all jumping around and playing and the next thing I knows my leash and beautifuls leash got tangled up with big womens leashes and I had to do a ninja move and get us out of that mess.

I ask, where was my mom's during that time, and why wasn't she paying attention to me?  Mom, decided since i had my hoodie on, I could wear a collar for the first time in my life, a bright orange one, usually we don't wear collars with leashes cos us pugs have no necks and we wear harnesses but I tolds mom I would be on my bestest behavior.  Do you believes me??

Class started and as soon as I seen my teacher I sit for her.  She didn't even have to say SIT cos I knows there is livers in her pocket so I sits for her fast!  I am already the star five minutes after we gets there.  Then she asked me if I could laydown so I said easy peasy and laid down...another livers came flying out of her pocket for me.....

Then we walked around and said HI to all our pals, Drake growled at me again, I think he needs professional help and then this other little dog barks at me, I don't know his name so I just call him Barky..don't cha think thats original ...... everyone else loved me. 

Then we practice Come and you know who ran over to help my Mom, Yep the kidnapper lady.  Hers ran as fast as she could so she could be mom's partner.  Mom was like all friendly to hers, and I jumped on her and tried to knock her down cos she is olds but her must be sturdy cos it didn't work, and Mom scolded me.  That kidnapper didn't even have any treats in her pockets so I wouldn't come to her, I just RAN as fast as I coulds to my Momma when she said come.  I learned that real fast to, so I could rest again.  Isa was getting tired. 

Beautiful and I played around for a little bit cos we young and have short attention spans, don'tcha think hers is beautiful?!

Isa was sitting and admiring her from afar.  Mom pointed out to me that hers eyes were a glowing and her was a demon dog and not what I thought,but I fink my Mom doesn't like me growing up into a man.  Hers pointed out to me more than one time I is only 8 months old, and still a baby.  I want to thanks you Mom for saying that in such a loud voice.

We had to learn to "settle" on a little mat, and Mom and I both thought it was alot like "down".  So we practiced settle and I got lots of liversheartsgizzard thingys for that...Isa did real good, but my brain was just saying down Gussie not Settles...sometimes this class thing gets to confusing for a little boy and beside Isa have thoughts of those girls running through my brains.

Finally, it was times to go home, Mom was out of treats so I said Lets Go, and Isa was tired. I said goodbyes to my womens, and yelled across the room to Drake and Barker .."Isa leaving now so you can have a turn at being a star"....and those doods didn't even answer me.....

Thats my cousin Macie and her Dad, (my mom's first cuz) hers is a little wild and her is two years old. Can you see that other little dog over in the corner, that is the barker with the teacher holding onto his leash.

Oh yeah one more things I almost forget....... remember that collar Mom put on me instead of the harness, well she didn't want to fasten it to tight cos I chokes easy so it was loose and right before we lefted somehow it came off my neck and I was FREE and guess what I did, yep....I ran zoomies all around the gym.  Have you ever seen pug zoomies, we tuck our little butts real close to the floor and tuck our tails and ran really really really fast in circles!  It was hilarious!!!   I thinks my teacher is gonna make me some kinds of certificate for doing that in fronts of the class, Mom said from now ons I will be wearing my harness.

One last picture of my little girl grandmonster on her birthday yesterday.  Hers is five and beautiful.  I finks she looks like that chipmunk girl in her pretends glasses but I loves her anyway.

Angus McConnell Long