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.
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?
She kissed Mom and sang about how good it felt to be groomed. Can you see her tail wagging?
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.
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?
But sometimes you just have to shut your eyes and hope you don’t miss any food.
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.
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. 
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.
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.
This red leather chair took over the space. No matter. I won the bet. 
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?
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…
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 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.
The 
We could have even fit one more of us in there. This is the one that 
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.
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.
Mom: Uh, why don’t you just watch and make sure I’m doing it right?
Mom: Thank you Ella. Now I think we are done, except for Uncle Jeff putting away the tree.
Achilles
After those were gone, I didn’t get any more.
We’ve been practicing our song.
Her Mom (Anne) is an expert organ player and knows my Mom from when Mom worked at St. Luke. Anne usually grooms Maddie, but sometimes she needs an expert groomer’s touch. The holidays were so busy that Maddi got pretty madded, or matted, and Mom’s touch was needed. Xena and I got to come in the groom room and be with them, but Xena couldn’t stop her yapper so I took her upstairs. Before long, Mom was done and Maddie had her bath they all came upstairs too. Xena and I sort of played with Maddie while the peeps visited over lunch. On the way back downstairs, Xena was on one side of me and Maddie on the other when they decided to (almost) get in a fight and barked and lunged at each other right underneath my belly! That sure was a moment I don’t want to repeat. Lucy, signing off from the Groom Beat, with my guts still intact.
XOXOXO Your niece, Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess
Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia 