Lucy: Hi, and Happy New Year, friends! *wiggles* When last we met, Mom was going to take me to the Smart Pet store for a new sweater. That was great! So many people pet me while I was there! I got a really pretty sweater too, and it even fits me like it was made for me (but not made by Mom, BOL!). Then I found out I had to pose for a picture. I really don’t like getting my picture made.
Chia: C’mon Lucy, you can do this! I just got lots of pictures taken and it doesn’t hurt a bit. Give Mom a good picture and it’ll all be over and you can go back to doing nothing.
Lucy: *gulp* OK, I’ll try. But it’s hard to look happy like Xena does in her pictures when I’m doin’ something I don’t wanna do.
Lucy: There. I hope everyone can see my pretty new sweater. I’m done.
Mom: No you’re not, sweet girl. Chia photo bombed you.
Chia: I was just giving moral support.
Lucy: Are we done yet?
Chia: Yep, it’s my turn. First, you probably noticed I’m wearing my big girl panties. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to wear them.
I managed to get them off during the night and now there’s blood on the bedsheets and Dad’s underwear. I was laying up against him. Hmmm. I didn’t know that would happen. Xena! Are you back there photo bombing my picture? So, what I really wanted to tell you is, I got another present, too. Mom decided I needed a new collar after she put my pretty pink collar on me and I made choking sounds, sorta like, “ghagrk.” I’m a big 1 1/2 years old now and I outgrew it. Off we went to the Smart Pet store!
Can you see it? Instead of a bow it has a pretty sunflower on it. And it’s not pink, yay! No, you can’t see it? Well, that’s ok, there’ll be plenty more pictures of me wearing it other days.
Xena: My turn! I got new stairs to be able to get on the bed without hopping up and down asking Mommy to pick me up. Riley’s bed is always on the side where the rug is, and the floor on Mommy’s side is too slippery for me to try to jump up. I wasn’t too sure about these stairs at first. But when treats suddenly appeared on them, I made it the whole way up to the top.
Now the trick is to get back down. Riley’s sleeping on his bed, so I can’t jump down that way. OK, I’m gonna try this…
OK, I think I can do this. One step at a time.
I’m doing it, Mommy!
Chia: Did you see me run up and down and back up the stairs, Mom? I’m so fast, just like the Flash! You probably missed it. That’s OK, I’ll do it again!
Xena: We all agreed that first I’d tell you what Daddy got last Wednesday, early for Christmas. Sick. After two days of laying in bed with a fever, exhaustion and achy legs, a friend brought over a C-19 test. Yep. He’s got it. Each day he’s feeling a little better. He said he is glad he had his vaccines or it would have been way, way worse. Mommy’s OK, which is a good thing, cause who would take care of us if she was sick too!? If you want to pray for him or send healing thoughts his way, we are all sure it would help.
Next, here are our “selfies.” They are all painted on small round discs of wood. That’s Angel Lexi at the top. We don’t understand why my eyes are painted so big. Mommy finally said it’s because of my wide-eyed innocence. Mommy loves her present and is hanging them “up high” so they last many, many years.
Now, for the fun stuff — mostly. I didn’t get any presents to unwrap. Mommy said I have more stuffies than I need and I got the warm jammies she made for Chia – the ones that didn’t fit Chia. So instead, she made me cookies! Woo hoo! They have pumpkin and almond butter and coconut oil in them. Mmmm.
Lucy: I didn’t get anything to unwrap either. I don’t play with toys. I wouldn’t have minded a nice sweater since I gave mine to Riley for Christmas last year. But Mom made me cookies! They have cranberries and applesauce in them and they’re soft and yummy! Mom said she would take me to the Smart Pet Place today to get a new sweater, too!
Chia: Man, I hit the motherload! If Christmases are always like this, I think I’ll stick around! It’s my first Christmas here (I’m just 1 1/2 years old) and I needed everything. I knew right away what to do when I saw those gift bags! Look what I pulled outa the first one:
Isn’t it great!? It’s got a long body, just like me! I walked around showing it to everyone, which ended up being a bit of a mistake. More on that in a bit.
Do you remember me telling you that Mom took me to the Smart Pet place after her epic fail in making me jammies? She made me try on at least 87 different sweaters and hoodies and coats. I thought she got me one of them. Confirmation!
This is the first one she tried on me, and both of our favorites. Don’t I look pretty wearing it?
Riley: I was polite and waited for Mom Amy to offer me one of the gift bags. I stuck my nose in and pulled out a brand new tug toy! Woo hoo!
Then I pulled out the tissue paper — it was in the bag, so that was mine too, right? I love my new tug toy. I offered to share it with Rainy my reindeer, but he said thanks, he would just watch me play.
Then Mom Amy offered me another present, and I pulled out a long red stuffie. It was just like Chia’s but a different color.
In case you’re wondering, those little bottles back by the tree aren’t mine. Dad Jeff gave Mom Amy her two favorite liquors for Christmas. Anyhow, I was about to deadie the red stuffie when it occured to me that I could deadie the green one that is Chia’s and still have mine to keep or to deadie later. Sometimes I’m brilliant!
Chia: I had to go get a drink or bark at something, and when I did, Riley got ahold of Greenie. Before I could stop him, he had chewed off a lot of its head and removed a squeaker.
I ran quick and told Mom. She got it back for me and put Riley’s red one up so he couldn’t deadie it…at least not right away. Me and Riley spent a lot of time Christmas afternoon growling at each other. I growled at him to keep away from Greenie while I hid under a chair with it. He growled back at me saying to stop growling at him and just give it over. Everyone left us alone to growl at each other. Except Lucy. When it sounded like it was gonna come to blows – or bites – Lucy got between us and looked at us both. She has this thing, I don’t know what you’d call it. But when she’d do that, we both would stop growling and ignore each other – for a while, anyhow.
Xena: I thought you were the next one to get deadied, Chia.
Chia: I run fast and can fit under furniture, so I wasn’t too worried. Later that afternoon while Dad was taking a C-19 nap, Riley stopped growling and started barking at me. So I stopped growling and started squeaking at him! That’s right! There was more than one squeaker in Greenie. Anyhoo, it went something like this: Woof! Squeak! Woof! Squeak! Woof! Squeak! and so on. Then Dad got up and we stopped.
Riley: I got my punishment then. Dad Jeff took me downstairs and put “the stinky dog” as he called me, in the tub. Mom Amy appeared with shampoo, conditioner, Neem oil and towels and bathed me and conditioned my hair and moisterized my skin. In the middle of all this, Mom Amy heard the water running upstairs and realized Dad Jeff was getting in the jetted tub to try to feel better.
Next thing we knew, the water in my tub started cooling off. A lot. To warm me up, I got wrapped up in a blanket after getting towel-dried. I don’t want to admit I feel better, not as itchy. But I do. And my furs are really soft and shiny now.
Chia: It’ my turn again! Guess what! That’s not all I got!! Lucy and Xena both have treat puzzles, and now I do too! I caught on right away. Instead of moving the center pieces one by one – the slow way – I put my nose at the beginning and moved them all together, stopping whenever I came to a treat. It was too easy, really, for a smart pup like me! I hope I get a harder one soon, with lots more places for treats, like Xena’s.
Speaking of Xena’s, Mom got it and Lucy’s puzzle out too and filled them with treats. But, when she put them on the floor, Riley ran in and started working Xena’s! He’s never ever shown interest in a treat puzzle before that. Xena’s Mom’s “baby,” (grrr) but she’s definitely not stupid. She didn’t challenge him for her puzzle.
It only took him a moment to figure out to remove the white pieces in the middle of each row and open the red pieces and move them back and forth. Dad said, “He’s a smart boy and has always had a talent for mechanical things.”
Xena: I went over to Lucy and told her to look at what Riley was doing. Lucy’s puzzle is pretty small – it was my first puzzle. She got it when I got my new one that Riley was now using without my permission. But she’s a sweet sister and offered to let me work her (my old) puzzle with her, so we shared.
Bowsers! It’s become a free-for-all around this house!
Lucy: We gotta sign off now. Mom’s getting ready to take me shopping *wags!*.
Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Chia: We’re goin’ up North next month, and Mom wanted me to have something warm to wear, so she lengthened something called a pattern that she used to make Xena’s clothes and tailored it just for me. The first problem occurred cutting the plush fleece material. The cut edges shed like a reindeer in the middle of summer so she did a zig zag stitch along the edges. (Do you wanna see me zig zag? I’m good at it!) Then she discovered the material was too thick and her machine wouldn’t sew it. But Mom loves me sooooo much that she sewed it all by hand. That took about 87 hours (that she should have used playing with me!)
She was finally done and it was time for me to try it on.
Seriously? I look like an armadillo. Is this really next Halloween’s costume?
Mom, did you notice one leg is longer than the other? And my hiney is hanging out.
What did I ever do to deserve this. Wait, don’t answer that.
Mom finally had mercy on me and helped me out of it before I chewed my the pajama leg off. I hope I never see that torture thing again!
A very short while later…
Chia: Hey you! Who said you could wear that?
Xena: Mom said it didn’t fit you and you don’t want it. It’s mine now. It sure is cozy warm.
Chia: No! It’s MINE!
Xena: *yawn* I’m so comfy I think I’ll take a nap.
Do you like my new jammies?
I am Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Warrior Wolves Jammies.
We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays.
This can be a dangerous place to live, sorta like a war zone. There aren’t any bombs or gunfire…just Chia, and sometimes Riley. We – Brownie Bear, Rudy and Dino – just got out of the stuffie hospital after encounters with Chia.
Brownie Bear: My eye will never be the same, but I am glad I escaped with my life. Rudy: Attacking a reindeer this time of year wasn’t too smart. I notified Santa. Dino: Ouch.
Hey there. You may recognize me as Riley’s Reindeer. He adopted me last Christmas, and I’m the first stuffie he has ever loved. (I love him, too.)
Riley plays with me and then forgets to ask Mom Amy to put me somewhere safe. That’s when that long mess called Chia got ahold of me. You can see she ate off half my antler. I just got out of the stuffie hospital too. I guess I got off easy, but I’m staying up here so nothing worse happens.
Hi, I’m Ski Deer. I help deliver toys and treats to good boy and girl dogs and cats in places where the snow is deep.
I’m staying up here where it’s safe until Christmas Eve when I will leave to help Santa.
Hello. I’ve always, in my stuffie heart, been Lexi’s Eleephaunt. Riley has mistreated me, and then Chia. I’m too old for this crap.
I’ve decided that until it’s my time to go, I’ll just stay up here near my best friend, along with the angel who watches over her in heaven.
Meanwhile…
Riley: Chia! What are you chewing on? I know that sound.
Chia: It’s my reindeer toy and I’ll deadie it if I want!
Riley: I don’t think Santa Paws is bringing you anything this year.
Chia: I don’t care. I already saw Mom buying my presents when we went to the store where they sell dog stuff. Phthhh!
This is all the stuffies and Riley — and Chia — wishing you a good Christmas week.
Achilles: Is that a Christmas present for me from Lucy?
Dad: No, Achilles, it’s my birthday present from your Mom. Achilles: Are we going to visit Lucy over Christmas? We missed Thanksgiving, you know. Dad: I’m sorry Achilles. Right now, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to because of your Mom’s work schedule.
Later…
Achilles: I miss my girl so much. It’s seems like 87 months since she was here.
Ella: I miss Lucy too, but I try to not think about it.
Meanwhile…
I sure do miss Achilles. Maybe he can hitch a ride with Santa Paws in his sleigh to come visit me. I think I’ll go to sleep now and dream about my dreamy guy.
Lucy, Ace Reporter here with another episode of Grooming with Mom.
As I stated last Monday, Groomer Mom’s clients are referring their friends, relatives and co-workers so fast that I can barely keep up with the reports. But I am dedicated to furthering my career, so you will get the news as the news happens, or at least not too terribly long afterwards.
Oreo is a 14-year-old shih tzu. He is blind and mostly deaf. He also has bad hips. Even with all that, he was wild on the grooming table, and it took a lot of patience and petting to try to calm him.
His Mom had been referred to us by her sister. She has been here several times before with her other two shih tzus, Maggie and Bentley, as well as their son’s chiweenie, Tyrian.
Groomer Assistant Dad held Oreo while he got the hair pulled out of his ears. It draped out of his ears as long as his face hair. The theory was set forth that no other groomer had been able to remove the hair. Oreo fought his bath like a wild dog. But at least he never tried to bite.
This is the groom Oreo’s mom had asked for. Merry Christmas Oreo, and may Santa Paws bring you a warm sweater.
This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.
We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays.
Lucy, Ace Reporter here with another episode of Grooming with Mom.
We had a touchdown with another new groom. Groomer Mom’s clients are referring their friends, relatives and co-workers so fast that I can barely keep up with the reports. Please expect new groom reporting for the next two or three weeks, as well as reporting on Bear today.
Bear is a schnoodle full of personality. Just look at those crazy ears!
It’s a good thing his Mom said she “hates” the schnauzer cut before Groomer Mom got started. Otherwise, that’s what he would have gone home with. Instead, Groomer Mom gave him a scissor cut and poodle feet – as you can see he had from his last groom elsewhere.
Bear still had the crazy ears post-groom but his body and facial hair were all a bit shorter. He had more of a French cut on his face. Unfortunately, the hair on his head wasn’t curly, so it just didn’t give the poodle effect.
Bear waited by the door for his Mom to come get him.
Bye, Bear, and Merry Christmas! We hope to see you back in six to eight weeks.
This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.
Lucy: We thought a flashback to our Thanksgiving weekend this year would be a good Thankful Thursday story. We told y’all about Arty staying with us Thanksgiving week. His Mom and Dad came to get him that Sunday, and it was chaos. Xena kept barking and I *hangs head* kept asking them to pet me. Riley kept pushing his way in to get pet, and Arty’s Mom looked like she was about to turn around and run back out the door. And Chia, well, was Chia.
Arty: Hi Mom!! Hi Dad!! I’ve had so much fun and am so glad to see you! Chia: Play with me Arty!! Why aren’t you paying any attention to me?! Grrrarrr!!
Lucy: In any case, we’re all thankful for a new friend, and would welcome Arty back to stay and play any time. (If his mom will bring him!)
You may also remember on Halloween our brother Adam had to go to the hospital emergency room. Turns out he had an ulcer that had been bleeding for months and no one knew. It took it bleeding out and almost killing him for him to admit to everything that had been going on and agreeing to get help. He had to have surgery. It was one scary Halloween!
Mom lived at the hospital with him for a while, until she knew he was going to recover.
Fast forward a month to the Friday after Thanksgiving. Dad knows Adam’s favorite foods, so he went out and bought him a pound of steak and also some shrimp. He even cooked it for Adam. Riley kept watching and saying no way could one person eat all that, and he would be getting a lot of good leftovers, but there weren’t any! Brother Adam ate it all! We knew right then that he was better.
Then on Saturday our brothers Adam and Andrew took our peeps out to Red Lobster.
Adam (left) and Andrew (right) The bag with leftovers are Andrew’s.
We heard they had a great time and Adam didn’t bring home any leftovers from that meal, either.
The home where Brother Adam lives has lifted it’s visitation restrictions, so Mom will be going up to visit this weekend and taking him all the stuff they ordered from Amazon while he was here! Then he’ll be back to stay with us for a long weekend on Christmas. We’re all so thankful that our Adam is well again!
I’ll be back soon reporting on new grooms, that we are also thankful for.
Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
I got in trouble.
Prosecution says I “deadied” Mom and Dad’s blanket and was “ugly” to my sister Xena and “attacked” my sister Lucy when I came out of my kennel this morning. The jury of my peers – which also consisted of my victims, umm, I mean accusers – found me guilty of all charges.
Mom said don’t do the crime if you can’t serve the time. I sure hope I get out in time for supper.
Arty: Well, I’m still here, so I’m making the best of it. I’ve got my own pack now. Xena’s already explained that she’s in charge. Riley just laughed when she said that. We all ask to go outside a lot. I figured out the doggie door into the dog lot the first day I was here. We go in and out a lot. We all play together, too.
Hey, who’s gonna play with me this time?
Chia: I will! I will! I will!
Arty: OMD! Chia is The Flash! OMD!
Lucy: She’s more like The Blur. C’mon let’s play.
This is Arty, Lucy, and Chia the Flash wishing you a happy weekend.
Hi, I’m Arty. I live just around the corner and up a few houses. I walk past here every day with my Mom and once in a while stop to get my nails cut. Now I’ve been left here. For a day. For more than a day. For ever. I don’t know. I asked Miss Amy to put my bed in the living room facing the door so I can watch for my Mom to come get me. Even when I’m not in my bed I try to keep an eye on that door.
Well, except for when it’s supper time. At least that hasn’t changed. Everyone’s run to the kitchen and I hear bowls banging around and the sound of kibble hitting the bowl. Lucy’s even sliding down off her Dad’s lap to go eat. Well, guess what. I really liked my kibble with yummy soft food mixed in with it. Then I smelled and saw what the dogs who live here eat. Not fair! I tried to eat it too, but they all said NO! That little schnauzer even tensed for battle. So I only ate half of my food last night – I went on a hunger strike. But this morning my tummy was growling so loud it scared me and I gave in and ate my whole breakfast.
Miss Amy said I can have more ‘puter time tomorrow. For now we all want to wish you a Happy Turkey Day. Uh, Miss Amy, where’s the turkey? Shouldn’t I be smelling it by now?
Amy: Don’t worry, Arty. We aren’t having roast turkey today, but I’ve got some ground turkey I’ll cook to put on your kibble tonight. The “boys” are coming over and we’re having eggplant lasagne, homemade cranberry sauce, Tuscan apple cake, challah, and sweet potato pie.
That’s one thankful turkey! Happy Thanksgiving from Riley, Lucy, Xena, Chia and Arty.
I’ll be back soon. I sorta like this blogging thing. *wags* Arty
We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays. Lucy, Ace Reporter her with another episode of Grooming with Mom.
Today you will meet Marley, a multipoo who recently turned one year old. First, Groomer Mom wants to thank both of her clients who referred Marley to us. All three ladies work together at a local elementary school. These are their pups.
Sandy
Izzie
Two months ago puppy Marley went to live with his auntie on her farm. During that time he never got brushed or taken to a groomer. We don’t think he even got a bath. He came to us looking like this.
Now that his folks have their new house, he has gone home to be with them again. When his Mom brought him to be groomed she knew that he had lots and lots of large mats and that he would have to be shaved-down (that’s a technical grooming term). He’s a sweet pup and didn’t even object to getting his long nails cut. He stunk of barn and cigarettes, so, after the shave, Groomer Mom lathered him up twice to be sure he was clean and smelled good.
Post-groom, don’t you just love that puppy face with the little beard? Groomer Mom was able to save his beard and a tuft of hair above those big brown eyes. His Mom understands that this is the jumping off point for a pretty groom, and promised to keep bringing him regularly.
Marley commented, “Thank you Miss Amy. I like my new turkeys-playing-football scarf.”
Thank you Marley for your comment. Moving on. Today I also wanted to share something of concern. Please be sure to check the ingredients in your dog’s (and cat’s) food. You can click the link to read why.
BHA — Does Your Dog’s Food Contain This Cancer-Causing Ingredient? You can find out more here.
This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.
We are joining Angel Arty, Jakey, Rosy and Sunny of the LLB Gang with much thanks for hosting Nature Friday.
Xena: We finally got a sunny day when Mommy had time to go out front with me and bring her phone camera. When brother Andrew gave these tomato plants to Mommy, they were barely as tall as my knee. Now they’ve taken over the sidealk and killed the hosta that was growing behind them. I think the hosta will have it’s revenge when it comes back next year and the tomato plants don’t!
I found out that this is where Mommy’s been getting the yummy little red tomatoes that she tosses to us like edible balls. Mmmm. So whenever I get a chance, I hunt them.
Here, mater, mater! Where, oh where are you? Hmm, gotta go deeper.
Wait! Is that one? Nope, just the edge of the pot that one is in. Can you believe these are all growing in pots? Seems Mommy isn’t much of a planter. When they first started to grow, she went to the hardware store to buy something for them to climb up. She saw these big things for plants to climb on, and thought they were way too big. Now she knows better, BOL! No one can even travel down our front walk without going around them into the yard.
What’s that?
Agh! Something’s in there! It almost got my nose! What, Mommy? It’s time to go back in and work? OK, I’m right behind you!
Happy Nature Friday and Weekend, friends, with a reminder to keep your nose outa trouble. XOX Xena
Lucy, Ace Reporter, on the Groom Beat on Awww Monday. This one is sure to have all you schnauzer lovers saying “Awwwwwww.”
Our neighborhood and all the surrounding neighborhoods have an app called “Next Door.” Groomer Mom has had some very good reviews there, and has started getting business through this social media. That’s how her newest client with two schnauzers found her. Groomer Mom had to cancel their first appointment because that’s when my brother Adam was having emergency surgery. At that point, the new client told Groomer Mom that she would only be bringing Fargo when she rescheduled, because she thought she would have to have 10-year-old Zoe “put down.” Less than a week later when Groomer Mom called to reschedule, Fargo’s mom said the vet wanted to try something else he thought would help her, and she already seemed to be doing better, so Zoe would be coming, too.
Today we will focus on Zoe, with hopes she will be coming to get groomed many, many more times. Here is her “before” picture:
Zoe was a very good girl, and got lots of love while she was here.
This is what she looked like just before she went home.
We are joining Comedy Plus with much thanks for hosting Awww Mondays.
This is Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with another successful groom.
We are joining Arty, Jakey, Rosy and Sunny of the LLB Gang with much thanks for hosting Nature Friday.
Xena: Mommy promised to take pictures of me checking out the huge tomato plants when she got home from work today. I like to stick half my body into the tomato forest and hunt for little red tomatoes. Yummy! It’s only got green ones now, but I’ve heard those are delish sliced and fried in cornmeal. Mmmm. Mommy said she’s not going to try to slice and dip and fry little maters that aren’t much bigger than my nose, BOL! Anyhow, it was starting to rain hard when Mommy got home, and it hasn’t stopped all evening. So. No. Pictures. That’s why we’re having a Natureless Friday.
Chia: Xena! Hey Xena! Look what I found in the recycle bin on the kitchen counter!
Xena: So what? Oooo, you opened someone else’s mail. You could go to jail.
Chia: No, numbnut, come look closer. Just whose mail is this!? Do you see the name right there under $0
Xena: DON’T CALL ME NUM…it’s…it’s got my name on it! It’s my mail! Wowzers! First I make a new texting friend, and now I’m getting my own mail! I need to call them. Has anyone seen where Mommy left her phone?
Chia: I want mail! I want mail! I want mail!
Xena: Look at this! This mail’s for me, too! I can’t believe it!
I’m going to be busy for a while, Chia. I need to answer my mail. Maybe I’ll have even more friends…and maybe they’ll all have treats…
I'm Dalton, a Rat terrier mix and I came here in Sept, 2017, I was rescued from Hurricane Harvey. My birthday is 8-20-2016. My Gotcha Day is 8-27-2017. And I am Benji, a terrier mix of unknown origin. MY Birthday is June 6, 2018, and my Gotcha Day is Dec 28, 2018. I also was a rescue from a different part of Texas. We also have Angel MrJackFreckles, (2-5-2018); and also we have Angel Minko, (6-18-2017); and Angel Pipo, (11-3-2020);There are also Angels Groucho, Simba, Suki, & Toki. We meezers used to be known as WeBeesSiameezers. We'e all from Michigan, Dalton and Benji both came here from Texas, as rescues..
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia 