Wednesday, September 29, 2010

We need more Jackalopes!

I am a firm believer that we need more Jackalopes in our lives!
My brother (the same one who sat me down when I was twelve and said "It is time that you learn to appreciate Arnold" and popped in the Running Man video rented from the local shop in town...and I have been a Schwarzenegger film junky ever since) introduced me to this video several years ago while I was visiting home during the holidays.  It is still my favorite pick me up video and definitely one of my all time favorites.  If you have 4 minutes and 42 seconds to spare today, it is worth it.  It is worth the smile.
(Yes I know I am cheating today...but a good story is still a good story!) Boundin' by Pixar

Monday, September 27, 2010

Don't hate me....

DON'T HATE ME BECAUSE I AM BEAUTIFUL.  
You Too Can Have a 
Big Bad Collar!

I instantly thought of that old Pantene Commercial:  she gives a coy look over her shoulder as she utters the now immortal words


Miss Sierra was kind enough to model her lovely collar, designed just for her.  Couture Canine at her best.
Have you ever seen a more sincere face than that?  "No mom, I have no clue where your yogurt cup went.   How could this tragedy have happened to you?"  I picture her the sweet heroine in distress...on a soap opera.  Speaking of dating myself,  remember the Luke and Laura days on General Hospital...Is it even possible for a single TV event to impact the same way in this day of cable, satellite etc...



And speaking of Iconic Images of Yesteryear...
Wikpedia "Luke and Laura" (yes I am so ashamed...I had to read to it, I couldn't resist the lure...soap operas are so evil that way...) claims the ultimate Icon herself, Princess Diana, sent champagne to celebrate the second most famous televised wedding!

(Thanks Robert for sending the iconic images of the adorable Miss Sierra!)

Friday, September 24, 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

First Introductions. Big Bad Collars.

I will admit it can be nerve wracking introducing a new dog to kids or a new baby to current canine residents.

I know I joke a lot about my untrained dogs...but there is one thing I am very strict on and that is dominance training.  It doesn't matter the size of the dog...I have seen nasty damage done by dachshunds onto adults.  I just heard about a crippling owner attack...and the dog was only 25 lbs!

Our dogs know very well that their food comes from us.  I remind jealous dogs that Mama can take away the bone anytime she wants (they even know that I am headed right to the top of the fridge with it) and the dogs are never allowed to even play bite meThey must use a toy.  I am even stricter with the kids.  The dogs are NEVER allowed to stand over or sit on the kids.  They are NEVER allowed to come between me and the children, even when we are standing (note:  lap cuddles are very different, make certain you watch that lines aren't crossed).   (I once had a huge fight with my mother-in-law over this...you can tell we don't talk anymore, too long of a story, maybe someday but that is an epic unto itself...just imagine 15 years of this kind of treatment...and she started it!  Yes, even in my own mind the bickering was real mature:  She claimed it was "cuddling" when her Great Dane mix would squeeze between my 18 month old and me, knocking over the baby, and she allowed the same dog to stand over the baby!!!...grrr...makes me feel like Mama Wolf to this day...grrrr.  My kids, who love dogs, were always afraid of those things...they often came home scraped up and bloody from being knocked around.)

To reinforce dominance, and like many parents out there we want the kids to start chores, the kids often feed the dogs and give them their treats.  The kids stand over, walk across, flop on top of...and fall asleep on the dogs.  (Again, always keep an eye that no one gets hurt...dogs too!)

A dog's temperament will affect the latitude of the relationship.  I know we have been very lucky, even had great rescues that accepted the entry of children into the family well. (We once had a Chow-mix, talking serious luck there if you aren't familiar with chows!  She was so wonderful:  She was full of arthritis and asleep and there was a full blown toddler wipe out on top of her.  She only got up and walked away.  But I admit, that was only good fortune...we had them many years before the kids and we worked on and worried over the merger a great deal.)  But the fact is I am a firm believer in temperament testing.  I have seen wonderful family pairings result.

Until both are well merged, and large enough to take of themselves, I do recommend using a play pen to keep babies safe from excited dogs.  Follow the rule of keeping the baby higher than the dog, using car seats, swings, bouncy chairs etc. Be careful assuming couches or arm chairs are adequate protection...even from dogs trained not to jump up...they have brain lapses too.  I hate to admit it, lots of this I have learned by experience, trial and too many errors.

Lastly, never assume.  No matter how great the dog, no matter how great the kid.  Dogs are animals.  And children...are children. :-)

Some great resources:

If you are in the Phoenix Area:  Kim Kowalski did a wonderful job helping us with our 75lb Chihuahua.  She is a mother too and has great understanding of just wanting a dog with just plain old good manners.  She can be reached through:  http://www.animalwelfareaz.org/meet-trainer

If you are in the Tucson Area:  Nicole Kelly.  I have seen what her dogs can do.  It is fantastic to watch!  She is a wonderful person...and intense when it comes to the dogs.  What more could you ask for in a trainer?!  She has the character and the substance.  She can be reached through:  http://www.sublimek9.com/contact.html
 WHAT NOT TO DO.  MY HUSBAND IS GREAT FOR THOSE EXAMPLES.  THE LITERAL "DOG PILE".
Utah and online:  You have heard me mention Steve Parsons and http://familydobes.com/ many times now.  I have met his dogs and they are superbly tempered.  Enough said.  He is a parent as well and has much to say on the subject and some great you-tube videos.

THIS GUY IS AMAZING.  HE COMES WITHIN INCHES BUT NEVER TOUCHES THEM.
If in the Seattle / Tacoma area:  Kathy Sdao.  I don't know if enough can be said of Kathy.  She and my sister have known each other, worked with each other for years now.  It has been so long the story is foggy.  I believe they met both doing pro-bono work for a shelter long ago.  Later my sister had a rescue with aggression issues that Kathy helped her work with...and was there for her when he passed this year.  I had the honor of meeting her personally this spring.  She is simply wonderful on all levels.  Her professional bio:  http://www.kathysdao.com/kathy-bio.html
 GUARDIAN.  HE IS ALWAYS WITH THEM.

What to Expect when You're Expecting has a great chapter at the end about merging pets and babies.

SERIOUSLY?  TAKING THIS "DRIVER'S SEAT" THING TOO FAR.

CAN YOU FIND THE REAL DOG AND CHILD?
Family Dog.  Some criticize this book for being antiquated, but I find it adaptable to many circumstances.  It is naive to assume all children and all dogs should be treated in the exact same manner, regardless of temperament or behavior.  It is like anything else, make certain the tips followed are appropriate for your situation.  He constantly reiterates to not reprimand unnecessarily...and that for parenting too.  No matter your opinion of  the author, Richard Wolters, I have met many in service dog training who still hold him in reverence for his contributions to that field.
 NOW THAT'S A GOOD DOG!
WE'RE DONE WITH PICTURES MOM

Monday, September 20, 2010

Sunday, Sunday...

The face that greeted me this morning...
And the one that put me to bed...AHHhhh.... have I mentioned what an ....experience... living in the desert is...

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Worth waiting for ...Big Bad Collars.

I know, I know:  I am a blog slacker this week!  (I wonder what word I can make up for that?  Bloggacker? Bloser= blog + loser?  Hmmm this one will take effort...any ideas out there?)

Anyway...I had big aspirations...and little time...this week.  (Working ferociously to come up with new designs...)  But whatever high-falutin' ideas I had, got blown out of the water yesterday by an email I received:

This was so worth the wait!

I don't know whether to be more jealous of the dogs or the trees!
These beautiful (on ALL levels!) pictures came from Steve Parsons at Family Dobes

I have had an obsession with Utah this past year.  I have never been there...but I am determined to move there!  (Yah...not in this century will I get this house full of desert rats to unearth...grumble...grumble)  My husband finally asked where this obsession was coming from.  I answered because they have these green growing things there...and they have things called leaves on them!

THIS IS WHAT TRYING TO GARDEN IN ARIZONA LOOKS LIKE:
(yes I am shouting, I admit it...)
I am determined to have pumpkins this year...even if it means you find my dehydrated corpse out front clinging to the hose being consumed by white flies!  I am known as the crazy umbrella lady on the street...thank God for no HOA!  But my seedlings will live *******it!  I say LIVE!  

You see, I have basically given up hope of making it all the way back up to the Northwest.  If it were just me, I would say "54'40 or fight".  (Those of us from the Northwest will get the reference).  But I swear to God, my husband had heart palpitations when we crossed the 45th parallel!  So Utah seemed a nice compromise...


But I digress.

So just to prove my point, Family Dobes sends down these gorgeous photos to prove the largess of Utah bounty and beauty.  On top of it, they have to put the most beautiful animals in the foreground (although I must say that they are attired nicely...)  Unfortunately, the above mentioned husband also demands that I must train the first two hundred pounds of dog that live in this house before I am allowed to have any more...sigh...

Doesn't she look like she should be in a Throne Room?!  What a beautiful Princess! (what a love! i am in love!)


So for now I must wait...

(Yep.  My sentiments exactly.)

Monday, September 13, 2010

All things. Big Bad Collars.

All things bright and beautiful, 

All creatures great and small, 

All things wise and wonderful, 

The Lord God made them all.
 
(I just love that poem,
no other reason.)
---by Cecil F Alexander, 1848

Friday, September 10, 2010

What I know about MS.

The fact is I know very little about MS.  I have only experienced it through others.  This is what I have learned:

Multiple Sclerosis means multiple "scars".  It is an auto-immune disease, which means at some point, for some reason, the immune system was turned on...but it failed to turn off.  In simple terms, this means the body begins to attack itself.  In the case of MS, it is the brain that is under attack.  MS attacks the nervous system and all it connects into:  brain and spinal cord included. Scars form on the nerves, effectively destroying the area of the brain that the body attacked.  If you are lucky,  it will hit lesser areas that the brain can effectively repair or send those functions to different locations in the brain to compensate for the loss.

If you are unlucky, memory centers are hit, spatial and equilibrium nodes or nerve centers that communicate organ functions.

The fact is you can live a long life with MS, the question lies in what kind of life.

As a friend put it, "MS is all in your head".

MS research correlates with Aging, Parkinson's, Cerebral Palsy, Alzheimer's.  It is all about keeping us sane.  Keeping us from losing our minds.

This is what I know about MS:
MS causes a young mother to cry in anger and frustration that she cannot do everything for her baby.  It makes a young husband strain under the weight of a burden he can't lift from his wife. 

It is a middle aged father who sits in his home office, depressed, escaping into his computer, while his sons play football in the front yard.  The summer before, he was the family quarterback.

It is one of the most talented people I have ever met in my life, doubting herself.  Doubting what she can have in life, doubting what she is allowed in life.  20 years ago, I would have never thought doubt was in her essence...but MS has forced itself into her core.

It is an athlete coaching from a wheelchair.


It is a young woman forced to contact a father that abandoned her, spoke to her only once at age 16, because doctors desperately need her medical history to slow the assault.

MS is fixable, it is curable.  We just have to find the way.

Multiple Sclerosis Society  
Please spread the word, please help the work.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I didn't want to have to do this...

Alright people...Eve begged me not to do it....but I am a desperate woman...I didn't want to have to do this!

It is time to bring in The Heavy.  
The Hired Muscle.  
The Help.

Unfortunately, when you play the wild card...you don't always know what you get.
He is unleashed!

So here it is: 
Segan says go donate now! 
OR 
THE LITTLE BROWN FUZZBALL 
GETS IT!

Come on people.  Don't make a grown dog writhe in shame for you!
(Just $5 is all the poor guy is asking...)



(Repeated  but just in case:  So here's the backstory:  A friend back home is fundraising for the MS Society.  She is participating in a bike-a-thon.  Help my friend Shelly help our friends.  I have neighbor, old high school friend, a former co-worker and very close girlfriend who all have MS.  It is not an esoteric disease.  And every little bit counts.  It doesn't take much to add up to a lot.  My coin jar has bought groceries on dark days.  $5 can help cure a disease.  If you are like me and you don't have much cash to give...then at least give your voice:  please pass the link on.  It is direct to the MS Society fundraising page.  Thanks.  Suzanne)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Human Training Tips, Second Edition, from our M S Spokesdog.

Miss Eve reminds us that regular exercise is integral to your human's health.
Consistency is key, for their training and for their health.  It is never too early to start!

1.  Begin Leash Training at a Young Age.
2.  Always repeat and review old and familiar commands:
a.  Sit
b.  Wait
c.  Open wallet
d.  Donate $5
e.   Walk

And NEVER FORGET to be an appreciative owner:

Good human.  Helpy Human.  
Human want an ice cream?

(Repeated  but just in case:  So here's the backstory:  A friend back home is fundraising for the MS Society.  She is participating in a bike-a-thon.  Help my friend Shelly help our friends.  I have neighbor, old high school friend, a former co-worker and very close girlfriend who all have MS.  It is not an esoteric disease.  And every little bit counts.  It doesn't take much to add up to a lot.  My coin jar has bought groceries on dark days.  $5 can help cure a disease.  If you are like me and you don't have much cash to give...then at least give your voice:  please pass the link on.  It is direct to the MS Society fundraising page.  Thanks.  Suzanne)

Monday, September 6, 2010

Human Training Tips from our M S Spokesdog.


 HUMAN TRAINING TIPS:  

Miss Eve, the Big Bad Collars Multiple Sclerosis Spokesdog says "Yes, with proper care and feeding, humans are trainable!"

Keep lessons short and simple, the elegant and always poised Mastiff mix says.  Start with the basic:

1.  SIT
2.  STAY
3. OPEN WALLET
4.  CLICK HERE: 
5.  DONATE $5 
And always use positive affirmations and reinforcement:
"GOOD HUMAN.  
WANT A DONUT?"

(So here's the backstory:  A friend back home is fundraising for the MS Society.  She is participating in a bike-a-thon.  Help my friend Shelly help our friends.  I have neighbor, old high school friend, a former co-worker and very close girlfriend who all have MS.  It is not an esoteric disease.  And every little bit counts.  It doesn't take much to add up to a lot.  My coin jar has bought groceries on dark days.  $5 can help cure a disease.  If you are like me and you don't have much cash to give...then at least give your voice:  please pass the link on.  It is direct to the MS Society fundraising page.  Thanks.  Suzanne)

ps check out the ETSY.COM wedding showcase today (9/7)  Etsy Fall Weddings

Friday, September 3, 2010

Cow Skulls. Big Bad Collars.


 IN ITS GLORY:  It is on Esty now!  Check out the Showcase Today (9/3) too!
I have kept these guys close to my heart...but it is time to let go...sniff...


For the back story on these pieces:

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Out of Commission. Literally.

Looking like a cartoon character...
(compression bandage while waiting for treatment...sigh)

Well Gwyneth is well on her way to breaking any and all records held by Uncle Tim for emergency room visits!

If you have been wondering where we've been, well...

Last Sunday the girls were at a sleep over.  Of course in sleep over tradition, they were bouncing on the bed.  Gwyneth...my adrenaline junky...of course had to up the stakes to "flopping" on the bed (jumping up and flopping to land on their shoulders and feel the breath pushed out).  Needless to say...one jump too big and WHAM! (and that's not the '80's pop duo...)  Her head broke our friend's hardwood headboard!  (SORRY GAIL...)  Luckily we were just pulling in to pick the girls up as this happened.  I am so grateful that it did happen in such a controlled situation!  With TWO sets of adults!  Luckily we could dump the remainder of children with our friends and whisk Gwyneth off to the Urgent Care  (I just imagine being home alone or if Gail was alone babysitting all 5 of our kids and trying to load everyone and get to an ER...)

The end result was 11 staples and a
5 centimeter gash to the back of the head!  
Everyone at the Urgent Care was great and tried to hussle her in, not wanting a child to wait.  The doctor even gave Gwyneth the empty stapler to take to school and show her class!  Then Tuesday morning, Ellette wakes up with a 102.4 fever!  (I am still waiting for the Lorelei shoe to drop...)  We have been laying low the last couple days.  

It has been wonderful for the digestion though!  Friends delivered cupcakes for the girls! (THANKS MAX AND BECKETT!)  And Gail brought Italian Meatball Soup  (I will have to post that recipe!).  Sadly I forgot to take pictures of everything...we were too busy eating.

BUT...I did remember to take pictures to document Gwyneth's climb to setting new family records!  (She has already had two sets of stitches!)  Just a warning if you don't want to scroll...I got the least gruesome pictures.  The first is mostly the doctor's hands, showing the staples going in.  The second is her finished, stapled, cleaned wound.



(On a political tirade note:  As I have mentioned before...money has been scarce around here.  One of the problems of having had your own business is not only affording health insurance...but actually getting it as well when you have "pre-existing conditions" (that is a whole other can of worms...if you asked me to describe myself it would be "plumpety, but completely healthy" but the insurance companies have a different opinion).  Anyway, needless to say that we are "self-pay"  all the way.  And not by choosing.  So the bill was a concern as we were checking out:  $250 if we paid right then and the bill would be settled...and include the visit to have the staples removed.  If not:  over $1100 !!!  Well you can guess that we chose door number 1!  But all you small business owners out there (or big business owners :-), what does that tell you?  One number is the real cost and the other is the inflated water balloon that gets thrown at insurance companies.  You guess which is which!)