Feelin’ Irish with Ludwig
I’ve been so worried about Ludwig! Every time I hear someone outside I run and look to see if he has come home. Turns out there is no Missing Ludwig Po Po, so we were on our own looking for him. Last night I heard someone on the front porch, and guess who it was! 
Xena: Ludwig! Is it really you? Where have you been?
Ludwig: Yes, lovely one, it is I. Let me in and I will tell you about my adventures.
Ludwig had a big bag on the porch, and he asked me to help him bring it in the house.
Ludwig: First, let me tell you that I felt assured that no harm would come to our hibernating bears. Are they still sleeping?
Xena: Yes, yes, they are, but the weather is warming up and they should be coming out of the closet, er their cave soon. We heard someone rumbling around in the kitchen the other night after we had gone to bed and we think it was them.
Ludwig: Very good, then all is well. I brought special libations for us to enjoy. After all, this is the eve of the day of the great Saint Patrick. He is fabled to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland, and there are none there to this day. 
So, beautiful Xena, come imbibe a bit o’ Irish luck with me.
Xena: Ludwig, I don’t know if I should do this…
A short while later… 
Xena: Everything is kinda’ tilting and I may be turning green.
Ludwig: There is only one cure for that!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from *hic* Xena and Ludwig (and Lucy, too).
Wordless Wednesday in the Light
Freestyle Lesson #4 with Critique
I sure do go through a lot of different emotions when it’s time for Freestyle. Here they are in the order I experienced them yesterday.
-
- Anticipation: We’re going to Freestyle! Yay!
- Fear: I’m riding in the truck *shudder, pant, pant*, I’m riding in the truck *shudder, pant, pant* the whole 40 minute drive there.
- Dominance: We pulled into the parking lot and I immediately forgot to be afraid. Instead, I saw the other dogs outside getting ready to go in (code for pottying) and I grrr-ed and postured.
- Fear of Humiliation: We got inside and I had just gotten on Mommy’s lap when I realized I forgot to “get ready to go in.” I didn’t want to poop in front of all those other dogs and have them laugh at me or see me as less dominant. I started shaking again.
- Excitement: It was suddenly our turn to show everyone our homework and I just knew we were going to ace it.
- Exhaustion: I slept most of the way home.
I threw in an extra turn and, after hesitating for only a split second, Mommy made it work with our short little routine. I think I did everything right. Of course, the first comment was, “She’s just so doggone adorable!”
Someone took a video. She didn’t do as good a job at videoing as I did at dancing, but here it is anyway.
That’s me getting my treat at the end. I thought you might be interested in reading the commentary afterward. It was all about things Mommy could do better.
- The opening shape: Stand up straight, Keep front leg closer and use her toe to make a better line.
- Praise on that yahtzee turn. That’s the one on the left side of your screen where we both turn outwards at the same time.
- Although Mommy wore all beige clothing to try to diminish her and highlight me, it didn’t work. They suggested she try all black.
- Use smaller hand motions.
- At the very end, finish getting her long legs down on the floor before I am completely in my down, he, he.
It seems that Mommy has a lot to work on, so we better go get busy.
I am Xena the Freestyle Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Sometimes: The Red Chair and the Shrine
Since The Tree is finally gone and The Red Chair has been strategically positioned in front of the window, I have a new favorite spot.
It’s best when the sun is shining. I get to keep an eye on what is going on in the neighborhood, watch for Mommy to come home from work, and sun bathe – all at the same time. I think that’s called multi-tasking. I like it so much that sometimes I keep my vigil on The Red Chair even when it is raining, which is most of the time lately. 
My sister Lucy likes that chair also, and, strangely, her hair doesn’t stick all over it like it does on the other furniture. 
Sometimes we bark at squirrels and neighbors and delivery people; sometimes we bark and howl with the neighborhood dogs; and sometimes we just nap.
And sometimes, I – being a good sister – let Lucy have the chair all to herself!
Not always, but sometimes, we leave an offering to The Windowsill Shrine.* It’s the only picture of my Guardian Angel Lexi that I can reach. Sometimes she helps me with things, like not being afraid, so it seems like the thing to do. 
She doesn’t always want the offerings, so I take them back and offer them again another day.
I am Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
- The Mom’s Note: This picture was from the first date Lexi had with Noodle on Valentine’s Day 2015. Here they are dancing at a disco after having a romantic picnic in Central Park. Dancing was one of Lexi’s favorite hobbies, right after acting and eating.
Grooming with Mom: Lucy and Aoife
Lucy here, Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat. Today I am going to feature two new dogs that came to Mom for grooms. The first one has the same name as me…can you imagine?
A neighbor called and asked about grooming her Maltese/Bishon mix. She said she had been widowed six weeks ago and the dog was a mess. Mom quickly put it together that this lady was the wife of the man whose twin engine plane went down in the Tennessee River and both he and his passenger were killed. Mom knew Frank ’cause he was outside a lot when we went for walks. On Halloween he would dress up scary and jump out from behind a tree to scare the kids. Mom nicknamed him Frank-enstein! Anyhoo, we weren’t busy right then, so Miss Janet brought Lucy on over. Lucy is a very sweet 8-year-old who acts like a pro on the groom table. Here is her “after” picture – Mom forgot to get a “before” picture. 
She kissed Mom and sang about how good it felt to be groomed. Can you see her tail wagging?
Xena might have already told you that Mom is working part-time as Office Manager at a Jewish Synagogue. She has gotten to know some of the people, and one of the congregants and volunteers asked Mom to groom her Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Mom spent a long time watching videos to get ready since she had never groomed that breed. Wheatens hail from Ireland, so her Irish name is Aoife, pronounced Eefa. She isn’t quite a year old. This is what Aoife looked like when she got here at 11:30 last Monday morning. 
Her mom, Laurie, warned Mom that Aoife had some mats, and it turned out that her mom had no idea just how matted she was. Mom was determined to save Aoife’s coat, and spent hours de-matting her while she and Laurie gabbed about anything and everything. They even came upstairs and had cups of tea while Aoife was under the dryer. Laurie is a good petter, by the way, and said I am beautiful and sweet. 🙂 After drying Aoife, Mom found a bunch more mats and got back to work. The long blade on the clippers wouldn’t go through her hair, so Aoife got a scissor cut and gave Mom lots and lots of sloppy kisses. Miss Laurie sent us this picture from her house. We have no idea how Aoife’s hair got standing up on her head, ’cause it wasn’t like that when, at 5:30 pm – six hours after she had arrived – Mom declared her finished.
Mom said this one set a record for the longest groom in Mom’s grooming history which she started in 1991. Miss Laurie gave her lots of money, though, and promised to comb her out really good every single day. She already made an appointment to come back in six weeks.
That’s all until next time, folks. Wiggles and waggles from Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off for now.
Lucy’s Dr. Seuss Day
This says, “Today you are you that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you. ~Dr Seuss” Sometimes it seems like everyone wants me to be someone else. Or at least it feels that way, and I end up trying to please everyone. That usually doesn’t make everyone happy, especially not me. I think I will just be me, and love everybody for who they really are, too. Will you be my friend today?
Happy Dr. Seuss Day, my friends.
Wags and wiggles,
Lucy
Pee S. Please go to Jakey’s blog to join in the blog hop. Bad Mr. WordPress won’t let us link everything from here.
Xena’s Dr. Seuss Day
I found out that this saying by Dr. Seuss is so true! Mommy likes to throw some of the food that she cuts up in the kitchen to me and Lucy. Sometimes it is veggies, sometimes fruit, sometimes meat *drool*. Anyhoo, I used to throw my head up to catch mine, but I would flinch and close my eyes. I always missed it when I did that. I learned that I have a much better chance of catching my food if I can just keep my eyes open. I think that has come with getting braver. 
But sometimes you just have to shut your eyes and hope you don’t miss any food.
Happy Dr. Seuss Day, everyone!
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
You can visit Mr. Jakey’s website to join the blog hop or just to visit others who are also blogging about Dr. Seuss Day. Mean old Mr. WordPress won’t let us linky up. *grr*
From Agility to Freestyle with Xena
Hey friends! I graduated from my Agility too class and I can prove it. I got another piece of paper saying so.
Strangely enough, it has Daddy’s name on it too. He has never, ever gone with us. I don’t think he even knows what Agility too is. Mommy says I should give him a break ’cause he’s my Daddy and he loves me. I love you too, Daddy. ❤ 
Now we are going to focus on Freestyle for a while, and will probably go back to Agility again after we perform in Freestyle in April at the Chattanooga Obedience Club meeting. We’ve started working on our performance a tiny little bit. Last Sunday we worked on opening shapes. But I don’t think Mommy’s knees are up to what the teacher asked us to do. You can watch it here if you want. You can hear the teacher, Miss Julia’s voice asking us to try it different ways.
Our homework is to use an opening shape (we hope one that Mommy can get up from a little more gracefully) and turn it into a movement, then into a closing shape. We have two weeks before our next class, so we should be OK. At least if Mommy stays off her knees. *sigh* We worked on all kinds of turns, too. Miss Julia asked me and Mommy to demonstrate the yahtzee turn, and we did it perfectly! (Mommy’s been working ahead with me at home ’cause she already knows all this stuff.)
Did you see me scratching at the end of the video? Allergy season has started to hit, and I have only been getting my sea rum for 2 months, not quite long enough for it to work good yet. Mommy had an email conversation with my allergy dogtor and now I have to get more baths (drat) and almond butter covered Xertec (yum). He’s trying to take my beef-chicken-egg diet away from me, too, but Mommy thinks if it was the food that I would have itched all winter, and I didn’t. So phthh! to the allergy dogtor on that one.
Gotta go practice my Freestyle now.
I am Xena the Dancing Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Riley Visited Us
Lucy here. Riley was my first boyfriend. We had some really good times together. Then, about a year ago (which, as you know, is something like seven years to us dogs), he and Andrew went away and the next time I saw him he wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Never any explanation. I’d just been dumped. Mom said it was because Riley knew he wasn’t going to see me and was protecting his heart. But what about my heart?
Then, out of the blue (or gray, really, since it was raining), Riley came back. 
He gave me the ugly face at first, but I think it is because his folks were eating and he didn’t want me to get his portion. A little later he wagged his tail at me and said we could be friends again. That made me feel good. He has put back on all the weight that he didn’t need to lose and his furs are shiny and healthy-looking again. Even though his muzzle has gotten a bit gray, he looks so handsome, just like he used to.
Brother Andrew and our Jentry came and visited too. It has been way too long. 
I sat near them all evening until they had to leave. Riley promised to come back to visit again soon. Maybe next time we can run and play outside, just like old times. That sure would be fun.
Love and waggy tails, Lucy
Grooming with Mom – Landry, Dallas and Bonnie Blue
Hi folks! This is Lucy Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat. Today I am here to tell you about three of the worst messes my Mom has groomed, all from the same owner.
This is the “before” picture of Landry, an 8-year-old shih tzu.
Landry was at the vet in October, and you can see on his back where the techs there tried to shave him down. They said they couldn’t do any more and stopped. From October to now, that hair has never grown. When he came to Mom, his legs, tail, ears and face were completely matted, some clear down to the skin. Urine and feces were in his back leg hair. Landry didn’t want groomed, and he kept trying to bite Mom. Even a muzzle wasn’t enough – he was going crazy. Super Hero Dad to the rescue! Dad held Landry while Mom shaved him all over, even his face. He got a good bath and ended up looking like this. 
Landry seemed much happier by this point. You can sorta see how overweight Landry is. He can hardly stand up. Mom thinks it’s his thyroid, especially with the hair not growing on his back, and asked his Mom to get him checked.
Mom’s next challenge was Dallas, a 12-year-old Yorkie, who is diabetic. She forgot to get a before pic, but he looked something like this. Most of Dallas’ hair wasn’t as matted as Landry’s except for his legs. 
Mom had to muzzle him to shave his legs and feet, but Super Hero Dad did not have to be called. You can’t really tell from his “after” picture, but Dallas is also very overweight.
The final dog of the trio is a 10-year-old Pomeranian, Bonnie Blue. Let’s just get right to her “before” picture.
Mom brushed Bonnie for a whole hour, using a dematter, a horse curry comb, and a slicker brush. She thinks she brushed enough hair off to make another dog. Bonnie also had to be muzzled for her feet with Super Hero Dad holding her, too.
I don’t know if I am supposed to say when Mom has favorites, but I am going to tell this time. Bonnie Blue stole Mom’s heart. Doesn’t she look happy after her groom? She even gave Mom a thank you kiss on the nose. Unfortunately, under all that clean fur is another fat, er, overweight dog.
Mom – and especially Dad – hope the lady brings Landry, Dallas and Bonnie Blue back before they get in such bad condition again.
This is Lucy, Ace Reporter on the Groom Beat, signing off
From Pupdates to Ludwig Missing
WHERE WERE MOM AND DAD
Xena: Hi Everyone! As we mentioned not long ago, Miss Christy came and stayed with us while Mom and Dad took off without us for two whole nights. I showed her my favorite spot. 
Then I showed her how fearless I am when I play-attack Lucy. 
Miss Christy said I am as spunky as ever! Oh yeah, we found out that Mommy and Daddy went to a church convention. Here they are with a flat dude. 
The flat dude’s name is the Most Reverend Michael Curry. Some of you may might have heard of him. Mommy said she missed us me us very much and the first thing she did when she got home was take us for a nice walk.
FREESTYLE
Xena: I know you have been waiting to see another video of me dancing Freestyle. This one is from my second lesson. Since this lesson, I have gotten much better at walking close to Mommy’s legs. She shows me what she wants by holding a wooden spoon with almond butter on it down next to her leg when she walks. Tricky Mommy, but I don’t care. It tastes great and wait ’til you see my next video!
Lucy: Can I go next, Xena?
Xena: No, it’s still my turn.
XENA STANDS UP FOR HERSELF
I mentioned a little while back that I stood up to 2 dogs and They. Backed. Down. I know y’all have been waiting to hear that story. The first “incident” was when Peyton and Slider’s folks came to pick them up after being groomed. Mommy let me go outside with everybody and while I was trying to make friends Peyton growled and lunged at me. You can see in this picture that Mommy has used her as a guard dog, so I should have been more cautious.
Anyhoo, I lunged right back at her. We never actually touched, but I was ready. Her Mom said no one has ever stood up to her before, so Peyton didn’t know what to do and just quit. The second time was with the dog sitting next to me and Mommy at Freestyle class. We don’t have a picture of this dog, but he is the typical, crazed Border Collie. He was already worked up because he wanted to do Agility instead of Freestyle, then he kept starring at a little girl there, and finally he snarled at me. I stood up and lunged and he pulled away. *wipes paws* That took care of that!
CHRISTMAS TREE
Xena: Maybe you remember that our tree was still up the beginning of January. I started placing bets on if it would come down before Valentine’s Day, and if so, by how many days.
Lucy: Who were you betting with, Xena?
Xena: Myself. That way I was sure to win. Anyhoo, it’s gone. It disappeared the first week of February. I looked out the window to see if it was in the front yard, but I couldn’t spot it. I also ran through the side woods to try to find it, but I couldn’t smell it anywhere. And I got in trouble for running out of the yard.
This red leather chair took over the space. No matter. I won the bet.
I won the bet, Mommy. Give me a treat.
LUCY AND THE KENNEL
Lucy: Everyone was very kind to me when I let y’all know what I got for my birthday – a jail cell. I am very happy to report that I was so good after I saw it that Mommy never had the heart to make me stay in it, not even when both she and Dad left the house. She kept the door open so I could go in and explore, but why would I want to do that?
It is now folded up and leaning against the wall. That was a better present!
MISSING FRIENDS
Xena: That reminds me, I haven’t seen my friends, Brownie Bear or Ludwig or Rainbow Bear or even little Sweetheart Bear for 87 weeks.
Lucy: How on earth did my prison remind you of them?
Xena: They spent a lot of time hanging out in my kennel. Anyhoo, do you know where they are, Lucy?
Lucy: I heard they are hibernating in the guest closet for the winter. Bears do that you know. Of course, Winter Bear is still awake and playing in your kennel ’cause he’s a winter bear.
Xena: But Ludwig’s not a bear…where is he?
Lucy: He’s supposed to be guarding the bears while they sleep all winter. Let’s go take a peek. 
Xena: HEY YOU BEARS, WHY ARE Y’ALL SLEEPING AND WHERE’S LUDWIG?
Lucy: Shhhhhh Xena, don’t wake them up or they’ll be grumpy. But where is Ludwig?
Xena: *whispering* Maybe he got hungry and went out for a burger and fries.
2 days later
Xena: Hey Lucy, I just checked and Ludwig is still gone. I hope he didn’t get lost. Or eaten by a coyote. Or squished on the road. Or, or… Mommy! Call the Missing Ludwig Po-Po’s and give them Ludwig’s picture. We can post it on all the trees and telephone poles, too.
To be continued…
I am Xena the BRAVE Schnauzer Warrior Princess
and I am Lucy the umm, well, the Lovable
My First Valentine
I got so excited about Valentine’s Day this year that I made my honey a pretty card with my picture on it and sent it to him early. Here it is. Do you see my best happy face? I hope my pose isn’t too provocative. I sure do hope BB likes my card. I made it with love.
Look what Big Boy sent me! He even put me in a heart. ❤ Don’t we look like we belong together?Yes, Big Boy! I will be your Valentine!!
Lots of love, Lucy
Stuck
As Mommy was leaving for work today she gave me my new treat puzzle that I love to play with. It didn’t take me even 87 milliseconds to solve that puzzle and gobble up all the treats. That’s when I noticed that Rudy and Jen-Jen Bear didn’t make it into my kennel before Mommy closed and locked the door. 
I really tried to help them. I was able to get one of Jen-Jen’s legs in, but she yelled that it hurt, so I had to stop. 
Rudy, do you want me to try to help you get in the crate with me?
Rudy: Uh, no thanks. I’ll just wait here until your Mom gets back.
Jen-Jen Bear: I’m stuck. You’re not going to just leave me stuck like this, are you, Xexe? All the blood is rushing to my head and my leg’s starting to go numb.
Uh, yep. Don’t worry, I’ll carry you around with me the rest of the evening after Mommy gets home. Monkey and Winter Bear are in here with me, so I’m just going to play with them for a while. Then we’ll all take a nap. You know I would come out there and help you but…
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Friday Food for Thought
Hi everyone, Lucy here, Ace Reporter on the Food for Thought beat. Today we’ll talk about Dangerous Oils! I understand that cars run on motor oils and machine parts use lubricating oils. Now here’s what’s going to blow your mind. Normally, we would think about replacing dangerous fats with healthy oils, right? Well, Mom and I just found out that’s backwards. Instead, we learned how to Replace Dangerous Oils with Healthy Fats! I don’t think Xena knows how, though, ’cause she was too b
usy stealing my bully horn when we were learning about this.
Did you know that the balance between Omega 6 and Omega 3 oils is super-important for both peeps and us 4-leggers? Yep, it’s true. I just learned how to used bullet points, so I am going to use bullets. Please don’t be alarmed; they aren’t real bullets and won’t hurt you (like some oils will). Here’s my bulleted list of some problems that can be caused or helped, depending on the oils or fats you eat.
- diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- rheumatoid arthritis
- cancer
- depression
- Alzheimer’s
- and more (don’t you just love the “and more”? It leaves this wide open!)
Anyhoo, being the helpful ace reporter that I am, I’ve got you a list of good fats:
•Grass fed butter — Raw, organic butter made from healthy grass fed cows’ milk contains many valuable nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E and K2. Furthermore, it contains various minerals and antioxidants that support good health.
•Coconut oil — This is supposed to be the best cooking oil. It has a number of valuable health benefits, including a positive effect on your heart and antimicrobial properties. It’s also a great source of energy, thanks to its medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). When consumed, the MCFAs are digested and converted by your liver into energy that you can immediately use. Coconut oil also helps stimulate your metabolism to encourage a healthy weight profile.
•Organic ghee, which has been used for cooking for thousands of years, is another good choice.
•Olive oil — This oil contains healthy fatty acids that can help lower your risk of heart disease. While the standard recommendation has been to avoid using olive oil for cooking and to only use it cold, recent research in which 10 popular cooking oils were compared, contradicts this advice, showing extra-virgin olive oil actually scored best for both oxidative stability and lack of harmful compounds produced when heated.
Now, you’re not going to believe this! Watch out for fake olive oils!!!!!
Peanut oil and sesame oil are are also yummy, er, healthy options to use raw. While both are high in omega-6, peanut oil is high in antioxidants, and sesame oil has been shown to benefit diabetics. The caveat with these two oils is that you need to consume them unheated and in moderation, so as not to throw off your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
I’m not real sure what all this means, only that Mom gives us coconut oil every night with our supper, and it tastes really good. If you liked my article you can 1. Pet me and tell me how good I am; or 2. Follow this link for a complete article with more details. or 3. Both
That’s all for today’s edition of Friday Food for Thought.
Love and wiggles, Lucy Ace Reporter
Visiting Our Aunt and Uncle
Xena: Auntie Jen must have heard me say I missed her, ’cause she invited us to come to her house near Nashville. I get a bit nervous on car rides, and I panted for the whole three hour trip even though Daddy held me and pet me the whole way there while Mommy drove. At least this time I didn’t puke in the car.
Lucy: That’s only because Mom didn’t feed us before we left home.
Xena: I had a much better trip home. Auntie Jen put lavender oil on my ears, then Mommy put some on my paw pads after we got in the car. I only panted a tiny little bit once or twice. I hope we have lots of that oil around.
We returned the Santa toy that Achilles forgot at our house a couple of weeks ago. 
He was so over-the-moon happy that he played with it all weekend.
Lucy: He ignored me all weekend, too. 
Xena: That’s ’cause he remembered the talk I had with him when he was at our house! And he let me ride the horsie he got for Christmas. 
At first it was a little scary. I mean, I had never ridden a horsie before. 
I thought maybe I should watch for traffic behind us like Mommy does when she is driving.
Then I said, “giddy up,” and urged horsie to go faster while I hung on tight. I rode bareback my first time out!
OK, Mommy, horsie said he’s done. You can help me off now.
We all played outside, too. 
Here we were playing follow the leader. That’s cousin Ella in the lead.
As the day got later, something strange happened. 
We think that aliens were coming down and making shadow monsters out of Lucy and Ella. The girls ran into the house with me and the monsters disappeared.
That Saturday night the peeps put Achilles in his kennel and left. The rest of us got free run of the house and we were all Very. Good. My folks brought home pictures of what they did while they were gone. 
They went ballroom dancing to celebrate Daddy’s birthday and Auntie Jen’s birthday. In that picture they were doing something called a foxtrot, he, he.
That wraps up our big out-of-town weekend. I heard that this coming weekend, Mommy and Daddy are going to something called a Convention in Knoxville. That means that our most favorite doggie sitter – other than our Auntie Jen and Uncle Bill – is coming to stay with us. We lo-o-o-ve Miss Christy!
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Pee S: I can’t wait to tell you the stories about how I stood up to two dogs who got nasty with me and They. Backed. Down! I am getting very, very brave.
Pee Pee S: I don’t never start the trouble, neither!
Freestyle–Woohoo!
I went to my very first ever Freestyle Dance class and I am so psyched! Hey Lucy, come look at the videos of me dancing with Mommy!
That’s my very first time around the floor. Can you tell how excited I was? I wanted to be sure everyone knows that I am really into this.
Lucy: But you…
Xena: I did so good that I got to do a special move called a Serpentine. I don’t think Mommy followed me very well; I had to keep coming back to get her.
Did you hear the teacher talk about the special move that Mommy did to help me switch sides, and hoped she could remember it? No? The recorder must have gone off before that. Well, I’ll ask Mommy to keep watching the recording so that she does it again. The teacher said the move would catch on and even get named after me!
Lucy: But you….
Xena: So now I go to Agility every Monday and to Freestyle every Sunday. Woohoo! Woof! Woof!
Lucy: *sigh* Good job, Xena.
I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess and almost Freestyle Champion (woohoo!)
A Belated Birthday Story
Hi, this is Lucy, My 3rd birthday and 2nd gotcha day was January 14, the day before Dad’s birthday. I was excited, thinking maybe I would get a great big cake and maybe ice cream and lots and lots of treats. I saw a big, heavy package delivered a few days before, and just knew it had to be something for me. I was right! You are never going to believe what I got…
The meanies folks said this was a present to help me learn how to behave, to not chew up anything, and that would be a gift to everyone. Do I look happy with my present?
It is really big, and I can even walk around in it. Here is a picture of me and Ella in it together, to give you a sense of just how big it is. 
We could have even fit one more of us in there. This is the one that Achilles-dini escaped from when he and Ella were here for a few days. I wish he would show me how he did it, he, he.
Oh well, maybe my 4th birthday will be better.
Wags and kisses, Lucy
The Good Child
Late last summer Mommy got me a super duper seven month flea collar. She had tried very, very hard to repel those nasty fleas using different natural ways, like using blends of essential oils on us and diotomaceous earth on the yard, but we just kept on getting bit, and I kept reacting strongly to the flea bites. That’s when she gave up and got this flea collar from our vet, Dr. Karen. I think Mom spent all her money on it ’cause she said she has never paid so much for a flea and tick collar in her entire life. 
When the weather turned cold, Mommy took the collar off of me and sealed it in a plastic baggie for when the evil fleas return in the spring. Well, we got springy weather AND my allergy test showed I have a flea allergy, so back on went the collar. That is, until Lucy chewed it off my neck.
Mommy was not amused. She stood perfectly still, looking at it like she had never before seen anything that a dog had destroyed. #poormommy. We found a few small pieces on the stairs. Other than that, we think Lucy might be protected from fleas until after her next good poop.
Lucy: I’m not going to get any fleas now for seven months. The collar box said the collar’s good for that long.
Mommy could not bring herself to throw away the collar. Or to tell Lucy that she was wrong.
Now I have a duck-taped seven month flea collar. I wonder how many more months I have to go with it like this. Probably just until Lucy chews it off my neck again, he, he.
I am Xena , the Good Child.
Pupdate on Collar: Looks like Lucy continues to be protected from fleas. She chewed the collar off my neck again. My neck is 10 inches around. The collar is now 9 inches long. Mommy said you can do the math, whatever that means. I just saw it dropped in the trash. #poorermommy.
It’s real cold again, so I hope those evil fleas are gone for a while, or at least until Mommy can get me a new collar. Phhhthhh on Lucy the flealess!
Thursday Three Day Throwback
Mom: I guess it’s time to take down the tree. I’ve enjoyed it so much this year, I’m going to miss it.
Dad: Look at the bright side; only ten more months and we get to do it all over again.
Achilles: Can I help, huh, please. I’m really good at taking off the bulbs. 
Mom: Uh, why don’t you just watch and make sure I’m doing it right?
Two minutes later…
Achilles: You missed one, Aunt Amy. There’s another one you missed.
Mom: Move please, Achilles.
Achilles: I could get under the tree and get that one you dropped.
Mom: Move out of my way, Achilles.
Achilles: Oops, didn’t mean to step on your foot. Look, I can even fit back behind the tree. 
Is that my Mom driving by the house? Isn’t she coming to get me today?
Mom: That’s not her, and she will be here later. Now, will you please get out of my way?
Ella: I think you missed one, way up at the top. 
Mom: Thank you Ella. Now I think we are done, except for Uncle Jeff putting away the tree.
That was hard work.
Yep, I’m exhausted.
Wake us when our Mom comes.
Achilles and Ella, the helper pups waiting on our Mom.
