Mommy – Page 12 – Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia

Super Dog Revealed

Published on November 29, 2015December 2, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia19 Comments

We headed home on Wednesday morning and drove about nine hours before stopping at our new friend, Baymont Hotel in Metropolis, IL. While Dad was checking out of Baymont on Thanksgiving morning, I decided I would drive for a while. Dad came back and said, “No.”

Can someone work the pedals for me? — **Can someone please work the pedals for me?**

It seemed that we had already escaped the cold of NW Indiana as it was already 60 degrees at 8:00 in the morning.

So, instead of getting right on the Interstate, we decided to look around. Everyone seemed to still be asleep as we cruised by old, but well-kept homes, to the city’s small downtown. We saw a giant statue of Superman and lots of gift shops. If the name Metropolis sounds familiar, it is because it is the home of Superman, as well as…

Since we work at a Methodist Church, and since Mom and Dad didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get home, Dad took a shot of us in front of the Methodist Church across from the city’s newspaper, the Planet. The church was founded in 1853! We sent the picture of us as well as one of the plaque with the information about the church to our friend, Pastor Evelyn, to say Happy Thanksgiving.

We finally got back on the road. My food dish was in the back seat, and it contained only dry kibble. In protest, I used my nose to try turning over the bowl. Mom told me to stop, so I tried harder. More loudly, she again told me to stop, so I tried even harder. She kept getting louder and so did my efforts until Dad broke out laughing at us both. At that, Mom reached back and removed my bowl of ~~crap~~ food from the back seat.
We finally made it back home in time to cook steak and squash for Thanksgiving supper. I sat at the table with my peeps and had a bit for myself. I can hardly wait for Christmas…Riley and my peep brother Andrew are coming home and I bet there will be lots of good food!

Road Trip

Published on November 21, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia17 Comments

Dad picked us up at the church and we left for the North right after work on Thursday. We drove a few hours before stopping at a different hotel than we usually use. Mom said it was a lot less expensive and it wouldn’t hurt to try it. It’s name was Baymont. We used to stay at the one called Holiday Inn Express. Our Baymont room had one of those beds as big as Kansas. It was so big I could sleep in it all night without even touching anyone. So I took advantage of that and curled up in the bend of my Dad’s legs.

In the morning I waited in the room while Mom went out to hunt a chicken so I could have my usual on-a-trip scrambled eggs. Apparently Metropolis, Illinois doesn’t have chickens because she came back empty-handed. We all piled back in the car and a couple of hours down the road stopped at one of my favorite places. You guessed it – Mickey D’s! Mommy got out a bowl and poured some kibble, and green peas in it, then topped it with lots of scrambled eggs. Hallelujah, someone must have found a chicken.

For lunch, Mommy and I had hot dogs.

Tripsss...gooood. — **Tripsss…mmmm…..gooood.**

After my hot dog, I got really thirsty.

It started snowing about 30 minute before we got to Grandma Jean’s house. Thankfully, it hadn’t started sticking on the road yet and we pulled safely into her garage before the blizzard hit. More on that and my visit later.

I am Lexi: have hot dog, will travel.

A Happy Riddle

Published on November 16, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia19 Comments

Riddle: What does a rag + a gauze pad + duck tape + a baby sock + safety pins=?

Dad took me for my wonderful acupuncture treatment today. Dr Karen, who is my favorite vet in the whole world, said the wound where my nail was removed was slightly infected. She put me on antibiotics which also doubled as the second round of antibiotics for the bacteria giving me bad breath. Dad said we couldn’t drive all the way to Illinois with my breath like that. My BFF Dr. Karen also said I could lick my wound a little and it would be ok, but not a lot. I am like a sugar addict with a bowl of frosting when I start licking. A little is never enough.

Mom knows how much I hate the lampshade thingie, so she thought up this scheme to make it easy to change out the dressing without me losing all the hair on my right lower leg. Yes, she has had to cut the hair from the duck tape every time she changed the dressing, which she claims is why she started making me wear the dreaded e-collar. Mom permanently (well, it sure does seem permanent) attached a soft rag around my leg just above the knee with white duck tape. Then she pulled a pink striped baby sock that she found at the Dollar Tree (2 sets of 2 sock for $1 – go wild Mom!) over the gauze square that she had placed around the toe end of my foot. Then she pulled the baby sock up to the rag and safety pinned it in place. Now all she has to do is unpin the sock to change the gauze. I got it off in the first hour when Mom used regular paper tape to attach the rag to my hair. So we are back to white duck tape. Or is it duct tape? Franklin, will you weigh in on this? Franklin?

So, a trip to Illinois. Dad’s rude comment was the first and last I have heard about a trip. I love trips. My Grandma Sandy lives in Illinois. I will let you know more when I get the low-down.

I licked it

Published on November 15, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia25 Comments

There is a wound where I lost my toenail. There is a red hole where my toenail should be.

I licked it. Mom bandaged it. I was patient for two days. This morning I tried to chew off the bandage. Mom cut off the dressing.

I licked it. Mom put the collar of shame around my neck and a bandaid on my toe. Mom left.

Mom returned and I guilted her into removing the collar of shame.

I licked it. Guess what happened next.

Toenail Troubles: Blood everywhere

Published on November 10, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia27 Comments

If you are squeamish about b-l-o-o-d, then skip the parts I tell you to skip. Remember, I warned you.

I have been getting treated for my left hip having dysplasia. B12 shots, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, all good. I was starting to feel much better and not even limping, then I started limping on my right foot and licking it incessantly. Mom couldn’t see anything wrong with it, but we both knew it hurt or I wouldn’t be licking it. Finally, she saw that my middle toenail was jutting out at an odd angle. She trimmed it back a little so it wasn’t hitting the floor when I walked and that helped, but not enough. Alert, skip the next paragraph if you are faint of heart (FoH).

This morning started out with me tracking blood all over the kitchen floor. Other places too, but no one noticed until I hit the white tile floor.

You FoH people can start reading again.

Mom put a cheap, disposable plastic glove over my foot, then tied a cheap green bandana – that I refused to wear around my neck – around the glove. She called the new vet and we got the first appointment of the day. I was in the car about 3 seconds before I had that horrible glove-bandana contraption off and was back to licking it. Pretty soon not only my breath but the whole car smelled like blood. Oops, sorry, forgot to give the warning.

We got the the vet’s office and a different doctor, Dr. Smith, saw me. Let me add here that when Mom saw the vet tech walk in the room with the glass stick, Mom said, “No, I don’t think Lexi will need her temperature taken today. Let’s try to keep this a good place for her to come.” Yay, Mommy! While we waited for the vet to come in, Mom explained to me that he might have to do something that would hurt a lot, but it would be quick and my foot wouldn’t hurt any more after that.

This next part might be a bit much for you FoH folks. Just sayin’, proceed at your own risk. Hey, there’s a nice picture at the bottom!

The doc examined my nail and told Mom it was only hanging on by a thread, or the quick, or something like that, and he would have to pull it off. Mom said he could get her from the waiting room when he was done and she deserted me. I knew she was waiting to hear my scream, so I just gritted my teeth and didn’t make a sound. I waited for my revenge, which came as soon as the vet let go of my foot. I shook it as hard as I could and blood sprayed all over the entire room. Ha, ha, ha. That’ll teach them. They had to clean everything before they could go get Mom and tell her I was ready to go.

OK, you FoH folks. You can finish reading now.

I went to work with my foot all bandaged up. They even put a little no-slip pad on the bottom to keep me from, well, from slipping. Tonight Mom had to take it off to check it and re-wrap it. She didn’t do as good of a job, but I guess that’s cause they are professionals. She even lost the tape sometime between removing the old wrap, spraying cold water on my poor foot to remove the dried b-l-o-o-d, towel drying it, and wrapping it again. Now I have a layer of gauze, a layer of vet wrap, and a layer of white duck tape. Sheesh.

1110152100-1 — **Does this look like a happy schnauzer to you?**

Sleepy Sunday (and Monday)

Published on November 9, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia12 Comments

I was elected to stay home with Mom on Sunday and with Dad on Monday (today). *yawn*

1108151214 — **It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it.**

Memory Monday: Lexi-Toto

Published on November 2, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia22 Comments

I have had three sessions of acupuncture and B12 shots for my hip. Since my last visit, I have been running around like a puppy, up and down stairs and all over the place. Until today. I woke up hurting. Mom called the vet and Dad is taking me Wednesday morning for another treatment. I don’t mind going to this vet. They are super nice to me and feed me so many treats I don’t even notice what they are doing. In the meantime, I got another hydrotherapy (bath in the jetted tub) and a buffered aspirin. Mom sat in the tub with me and said she was very proud because I didn’t even shake this time. I just have tomorrow to get through until I get some more relief with the acupuncture.

Now, about Memory Monday. Since several of you expressed your delight in reading about my times as Lexi-Toto, and since I never tire of thinking about it, I have decided to share more stories of those years. My career spanned three productions over the period of eight years.

As I’ve mention, the first production – the one in Chattanooga at the Theatre Centre – was my favorite. Here are some of my first thoughts about the experience, posted during that time.

A local bakery donated biscuits in the shape of hot dogs with a hole in the center so that a stick could be put through them. You know, so it would look like a hot dog being roasted over a campfire. Mr. Marvel would lower the stick while he was talking with My Dorothy and I would run and pull the hot dog biscuit off the stick. The audience loved it. Then Mr. Marvel always chuckled and said, “What’s a sausage between two friends?” Or something like that. One time I was still chewing when My Dorothy grabbed me up into her arms and swung sharply around to try to head back home before the tornado. That was right when I was opening my mouth to chew, and pieces sprayed all over stage. In a subsequent scene I made sure to clean the stage!

It wasn’t all fun and games and treats. There were those dreaded flying monkeys. When they started screeching and flying – yes flying – at me I would run as fast as I could across the stage, heading for my ~~kennel~~ dressing room. Most of the time Mom would catch me and hand me over. Traitor! Didn’t she know those monkeys were terrifying? At least I was compensated each time with an extra treat from the head monkey, who had to run back out on the stage with me when the scene changed. That’s when everyone found out I wasn’t a water breed. When the wicked witch told him to take me and throw me in the river, he would always fumble and I would leap from his arms and, this time, make it straight into my ~~kennel~~ dressing room.

Sunday afternoons were fun shows. There were always lots of little people and they adored me. After the show, folks were allowed to come up and have their picture taken with some of the cast. They could ask for who they wanted in the picture with them, such as Toto, or Dorothy and Toto, or the Lion and Toto or the Tin Man and Toto or the Scarecrow and Toto or Glenda and Toto. They usually asked for My Dorothy and Toto. Even then I loved having my picture taken! That’s how we met my Auntie Jen. The story goes something like this: Jen saw my picture in the newspaper and said, “How did Piper’s picture get in the paper?” When she read the article she found out that my cousin Piper and I came from the same breeder. She e-mailed the breeder and got my Mom’s e-mail address. They started corresponding like that until my almost Auntie Jen came to see me perform. It was an instant friendship between us all, and we are now all family. Isn’t that super neat? I don’t know why people think you have to be born into a family to BE family. After all, both my Mom and I were adopted and we couldn’t be more family! Same with my Auntie Jen…I love my Auntie Jen.

I think that’s all I can tell you for now. My hip is starting to hurt again and I need to rest. Next time I will tell you about receiving the Annie Award, about attending other plays at the theater, and maybe even about my second time playing Toto, two years later. I’ll have some pictures to show you, too. In the meantime, if you get lost, just remember to follow the yellow brick road.

Love,

Lexi, the Toto

The Amazing Spider Dog?

Published on October 25, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia17 Comments

Mom made me a new costume.

**Spider Dog? More like attacked by a spider!**

Mom ordered the spider on Amazon.com. She thought it would be bigger. Great, a bigger spider. (Yes, I understand sarcasm.)
We picked up The Boy and went to the church where we work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There was a Festival in the parking lot. The Boy had a lot of fun.

I was scheduled to be the prop in the truck bed at the Trunk or Treat. Mom was going to drape a big spider web and put me under it. Thankfully, she couldn’t find the web she wanted. Plus, she saw how much fun I was having at the Festival. So she had pitty on me and didn’t make me wear this dreadful thing. Instead, I got to lay in the truck with the spider and the candy. Everyone came by and said how pretty I was while they took away my candy, piece by piece.

At first I wasn't too sure about this spider next to me. Hoping I wouldn't end up wearing it. — **At first I wasn’t too sure about this spider next to me. Hoping I wouldn’t end up wearing it.**

**We made peace. It stays there and I stay here.**

Who let THIS ONE in?

Published on October 23, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia14 Comments

Apparently Mom forgets to lock the house door. We came home from work Wednesday and this was what was waiting for us:

She is still here two days later. She was afraid of me even though I have been very nice. I even wagged my tail at her. She has slept in my our bed the last two nights. She drinks my special water. It is hard, but I am still being nice. She is starting to warm up to me, even to the point of invading my personal space…as in her nose in my face. I hope she leaves soon. I just get rid of one, and another appears. *sigh*

Do They Drown Old Dogs?

Published on October 14, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia22 Comments

Tonight after work Mom groomed me and bathed me. Then she took me up to the big, heart-shaped tub in her bathroom and stood me in it. Then she plugged up the drain and turned on the water. It kept getting deeper and deeper. Finally, my feet floated off the bottom and I panicked. I tried to claw my way out – you should see Mom’s foot – while my heart was beating double-time.

“They drown old dogs!” I kept thinking as I kept trying to live. “Why didn’t anyone tell me that they drown old dogs?”

Finally, through the panic, I heard Mom using her soothing voice encouraging me to be calm and felt her hands holding me up. My heart rate started slowing back to normal and I found I could just barely touch the bottom. After I had settled down, Mom pushed a button that made the water swirl around me. “Hmmm,” I thought, “This feels pretty good with the water just warm enough that I can barely feel it except for it swirling around my body.”

**We are hoping this will help my hip.**

She told Dad she plans to do this again tomorrow. I hope I remember how good it felt and don’t get afraid again, especially now that I know that nobody is trying to drown me.

Snitch at work and the pin cushion schnauzer

Published on October 12, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia15 Comments

At St. Timothy’s where Mom and I work three days a week there are a man, Joe, and his wonderful wife, Anne. Anne loves me and fusses over me every Wednesday when I see her after her yoga class. Joe used to be my friend. Then today happened. It started out innocent enough with him popping his head in my our office and saying, “Hey Amy – that’s my Mom’s other name – there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I had to coax Lexi to follow me back to the church the other day.” Now imagine Mom furrowing her brow and looking very puzzled. Joe continues, “I was working across the street and saw her hoofing down the sidewalk toward the rental house. She was even on the road for a bit. So I came over and got her to follow me back.” At this point imagine Mom aka Amy throwing her hand across her heart and gaping like a fish out of water. I have always had the run of the church so I can go visit whomever I want. Mom has only caught me outside once when the kitchen door got left open and I was sunning myself in the grass. Caught me is the operative phrase here. I think I am now on restriction, whatever that is. Who would have thought my ex-friend Joe was such a big snitch!

We left work early to go to my appointment at a new vet. Everyone was very nice to me there, and no one stuck a glass stick up my patootie. I’ve even lost a few more ounces. The vet’s name is Karen, which I found out when she came in the room and she and Mom started talking like old friends. I guess that is because they worked together long before I was born and were very glad to see each other again. The vet tech is Angela. I especially like Angela: she fed me tiny pieces of treats while I stood on the table. It was so great that I didn’t even notice what was happening to me.

Lexi the Pin Cuhion — **Lexi the Pin Cushion**

1012151659b — **I’m in a sticky situation here.**

Busy weekend, fun weekend

Published on October 11, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia10 Comments

I know everyone has been waiting to find out how my weekend went after all the build-up. On Friday I discovered that the air vent under my kitchen chair tastes really good.

Yummy! I hope my tongue doesn't get stuck. — **Yummy! I hope my tongue doesn’t get stuck.**

It did rain on Saturday, so we slept in before going to my Auntie Jen’s to visit and help with the yard sale which was now a garage sale. Mom sold enough to cover the gas there and home, but that was all. The day was more about visiting with good friends. I was happy to see my schnauzer cousin Piper, my enthusiasm only dampened when we all got left while Mom and Auntie Jen went wedding dress shopping. Piper is going to have a new Daddy. I tried to tell him how great that is, but he insisted he already loved his Daddy-to-be and didn’t need to be told. I hate it when Piper acts like he knows as much as me.

Mommy couldn’t talk Dad out of helping with the preparations at church on Sunday, but they compromised. The Boy stayed overnight with us, and me and him and Mom met Dad down at the church so we could all go to Rocktoberfest together.

See Dad holding me? He used me for a prop during his first announcements. I get no respect. Hey, maybe this will be the picture for the billboards next year! The weather was perfect – no rain and temperatures in the high sixties and low seventies. I walked the trails and read everybody’s stories. We went really slow so that I didn’t have to miss much. Back at the pavilion I barked at Mom until she picked me up and danced with me. I love to dance, even if it is with Mom holding me in her arms. Lots of people spoke to me and pet me. I was very popular. I decided I didn’t want any beer today, but cleaned up all the food that got dropped on the floor and in the grass and bushes. I got a bit bored toward the end of the day so I decided to sing from the sidelines with the band. I would have joined them up front, except Mom had a good hold on my leash. When the song was done the band members tipped their hats and thanked me for the solo.

Because I had done such a good job singing, several children came over to pet me. One boy who was maybe seven or eight years old seemed hesitant to touch me. So what did I do? I climbed in his lap, pushed him over onto his back and stood on him. When he rolled to the side I climbed back on him. Then he rolled to the other side and I did the same thing. He was smiling and started laughing because he figured out I was playing a game with him. He was no longer afraid. Mission accomplished.

Yep it was a great end to a good day and a fun weekend. Tomorrow I am going to work with Mommy to the church on the hill. After that we are going to a different vet for a consultation. This vet practice does something called holistic medicine, stuff like cold laser therapy and acupuncture. I would be up for a nice massage…

It’s been a busy weekend and I am ready for my night-night treat and bed. Sweet dreams to all.

Big Band, Yard Sale and Polka

Published on October 9, 2015October 9, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

Me and Mom are home by ourselves, and not much is happening. My Dad plays in a big band called Sweet Georgia Sound. They are playing at Covenant College on Lookout Mountain tonight. It is Daddy’s favorite “gig.” He plays his sax, which Mom says is worth more than our car, but I’m not sure that is saying much. Sometimes he will know one of the ladies in the audience, and she will ask him to dance with her. That’s because he teaches ballroom dance and is a good dancer. I used to help teach too, but no one ever asks me to dance! I really need to get out more. It is all home or work for me.

Dad is in the front next to my friend Cathy (who has moved up North). He is the only one still wearing his tux coat.

Tomorrow Mommy is taking me to my bestest friend Jen’s house to see my schnauzer cousin Piper (and his adopted sister Ella) while she and Auntie Jen have a yard sale. It’s going to be a fun day. Then, if Mom can talk Dad into not going to his church to help the A/V team before he goes to Rock City on Sunday, we are going with him to Rocktober Fest. I love to go to Rocktober Fest. There is music and dancing and my favorite beer. Most of all there are lots of people who drop pieces of bratwurst and potatoes. There are trails to explore and so many smells to smell. Sometimes Mom picks me up and twirls me around the floor. Sometimes people come up and ask to pet me and I pretend that I like it so Mom and Dad will bring me back.

Daddy teaching polka. That's my bestest friend Jen in the foreground holding some unknown child. — *Daddy teaching polka. That’s my bestest friend Jen in the foreground holding some unknown child who is way too young to learn to dance. Jen is in costume, too.*

Daddy’s picture was in the promotional material this year. I am going to ask Mommy to take lots of pictures of me at Rocktoberfest and maybe they will use my picture on the billboard next year.

Three years ago ~~my-ex-brother who moved away and deserted us~~ Riley usurped my place at Rocktoberfest. He met a girl whose name was – you guessed it – Riley. Her shirt says Smile and it looks like that’s what they are both doing.

Uh, oh, it just stared storming, so the yard sale may be off (again). They – and my bestest friend Jentry – have been trying to do this for three weeks. I might get to sleep in after all…

I am Lexi, the yard sale, polka dancing schnauzer.

Blogger Recognition Award

Published on October 8, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia8 Comments

My most wonderful boyfriend, Noodle, who is the handsomest Schnoodle in the world, nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award. I love awards! Thank you, Noodle!
Now, according to the rules, I must explain how my blog started. Mom used to post stories of my life from time-to-time on the website Dogster. Dogster was then bought out by another company, who wanted to do away with all the blogs and just run articles and stuff like that. There was a huge uprising from both the Dogster and Catster communities and they eventually decided that was a very bad idea. In the meantime, Mom was afraid she would lose everything she had written, so she decided to download it all and turn it into a book, now available on Amazon. Then she thought, “Well, there’s still a lot going on, so I need to start a new blog just for Lexi.” That is when, with the help of my Dad, she created this blog.

I have made so many friends with my blog, I am very happy Mommy helps me with it. She went back and loaded all of my blogs from Dogster in chronological order and then started new entries. Noodle was my first new friend. He commented on my December 2014 blog. In February he asked me to be his Valentine and we have been a couple ever since. I so love to hear from all my other new friends too.

Now I need to nominate 15 other bloggers. Because so many of my friends were Noodle’s friends first, he has already nominated many who I would have chosen. So here goes:

That’s all the blogs I can think of that Mom and I read or follow, other than the ones Noodle already listed. Listing any more would be dishonest, so we are going with honest over following the rules. *sigh*

The rules also say I have to give advise to new bloggers. Pictures. Everyone loves pictures. What’s the saying? Oh yeah, a picture is worth a thousand words, that’s it, isn’t it? Pictures, yes.

Now for The Rules:

Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to. Do some digging if you must! Find those blogs. You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.

Write a post to show off your award! Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two of advice to new bloggers. Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog. List who you’ve nominated in the post.

Make sure to also attach the award itself! (You can do this by right-clicking, saving, and uploading the image above).

Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them. Provide a link to the award post you created.

Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night. That way, anyone can find the original guidelines and post if needed, and we can keep it from mutating and becoming confusing! (It happens LOL).

Note: You can decline the award if you don’t feel up to doing the above, but remember—you have to earn it by doing the work! 🙂

Memory Monday

Published on October 5, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia7 Comments

I was laying around the house thinking about all the fun I had as Lexi-Toto in the local productions of the Wizard of Oz. To kick things off, we all attended the Annie Awards (like the Oscars, only at our local theater) in 2006. This is where I first met lots of the people I would be working with. A couple of people asked why I (a dog) was there, but as soon as they heard I was going to play Toto, they welcomed me to their ranks. It was a formal affair, so Dad made me wear a tux collar and bow tie. It matched Mom’s red dress! Don’t they look like proud parents? I still had a few months before the play opened to grow out my hair for the Toto look.

Here are pictures of me with my Dorothy from the first production in 2006 and the third one in 2014. You can probably see where I put on a pound or two in those eight years. Dorothy #3 used to grunt every time she picked me up. Mom said she was sorry about the extra weight, but that she wouldn’t be able to grunt like that during the live play. BOL

I must admit, I do look and feel better since I recently lost some weight on my green bean and carrot diet.

There was a lot of publicity surrounding the production at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. Sometimes during our six weeks of rehearsals my Dorothy and I had to stop to have our pictures made for the newspaper and playbills.

For this picture, Mommy hid a piece of cake under my Dorothy’s right shoe. When she realized how focused I am when there is food involved, my Dorothy started rubbing hot dogs on her skin and hiding treats in her socks. See why I loved her so much? It certainly kept me with her – at least most of the time, as you will soon see.

The play ran for six weeks and I reported for duty every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon. I would arrive in time for warm ups. I would run to the room where I could hear everyone singing, “Doe, ray, me, fah, sew, lah, me, doe,” and scratch at the door until someone opened it and let me in. I would run to the front row and do warm ups with the cast. “Aroooo, arrrr, woof, woof!” I was so good that everyone would laugh with joy. Then we would all sing warm ups together again and everyone would laugh again. It was so much fun!

There were two distinct episodes when hot dogs in the socks did not keep me with my Dorothy. The first week on stage, I realized I could run down the stairs behind the good witch, Glenda, and visit with the audience. I had a limited amount of time so I visited quickly with just the first row, letting them know I was glad they had come. Then I tore up the opposite set of stairs and across the stage to stand next to my Dorothy in time for Glenda to point at me and ask, “Is this the witch?” Even though I never, ever missed my cue, this whole thing made Mom and my Dorothy a bit nervous, so Glenda started blocking my exit stairs with her big skirt. Drat.

A little further along into the production I realized the Wicked Witch of the West was sneaking across the back part of the stage while Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Lion were near the front of the stage, discussing which way to go. Since not much else was happening, I thought it would be great fun to chase and bark at the Wicked Witch. She kept waving her hand and stage-whispering, “Shoo, shoo” at me. Later I found out that my Dorothy and her friends weren’t supposed to know the Wicked Witch was there, which explained why they only looked from side to side while saying things like, “Is that Toto barking?” and “Where is Toto? Do you hear him?” The audience laughed so hard that I kept doing it every night.

I have lots more stories, but my brain is a bit tired from all this remembering, so I will share more next time. Is it supper time yet?

Never a Dull Moment

Published on September 17, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia20 Comments

My days are rarely dull. Sometimes it is hard work to keep them interesting, but I give it my best shot. Historically, I stay home with Dad on Mondays, and I feel like he needs to use that time to interact with me. You know, leave his office and give me treats, let me out, let me in, feed me, give me treats, etcetera. (I just learned that word, etcetera, and think it is pretty nifty.) Unfortunately, Dad disagrees, and so has been ~~begging~~ politely asking Mom to take me with her on Mondays as well. This Monday I thought he was going to fall on his knees and actually beg. “Please, please take her,” he said. Etcetera. So she did. Staff lunch and meeting are on Mondays. Nobody saved me a chair. So I had to sit on the floor and complain. Arrrrr. Arrrr. Arurrr. Etcetera. Each time a little louder. Finally, Mom asked Philip if he was done with his salad. “That dog’s not going to eat salad,” he said with a bit of incredulity in his voice. “Watch,” said Mom. I ate most of it and licked the rest of the lettuce clean and left it on the floor. I guess Mom felt it fit within the limits of my diet. Speaking of diet, I have lost 1.5 pounds. I can’t feel proud of that, since it was through forced starvation. Etcetera.

That was Monday. Tuesday my peeps brother Andrew and Jentry and the boy and also Riley came over and ate pizza with us. Did I mention Jentry and the boy bought a house and moved out, mostly. Well, mostly because I still see them a lot and some of their stuff is still here. Riley came in and gave me a polite nose to nose touch. I didn’t realize at the time it was his way of saying goodbye. He and Andrew are moving to another state called North Carolina.

Wednesday held even more surprises. Mom helped me into the car to go to work – my hip is worse – and I found myself on a fancy-looking new seat cover. Mom said it is to help me not slide around like I do on the leather. The colors are so bright that they reflect on my hair. It was at this point that she also noticed that I needed a bath. Grrrr. Dad commented that he felt like we now owned a Gremlin. Huh?

So off we go to work – or so I thought. Instead, we pulled into the drive through at the drug store where Mom got medicine and I got a milk bone treat. Mom must have forgotten about my diet since she let me have it. Then it was off to work for real. As soon as we got there, Mom opened the pills she had just bought and gave me one tucked into my wet food that she had so thoughtfully brought along. The adequin shots haven’t helped yet and I can barely put any weight on my back left leg. She explained that the pill was to help with the pain in my hip. Mom texted Dad to inform him that I wouldn’t be driving today since the instructions on the medicine bottle said it could cause drowsiness and to refrain from driving. Dad answered that I shouldn’t be allowed to operate heavy equipment, either. “No problem,” Mom wrote back. “She never does.” Like she ever lets me drive, BOL! Drowsiness…

When I wasn’t engaging in power naps, I felt much more like my old self and ran around with that joie de vivre that marks my life in general. Zzzzzzz. Etcetera.

Two more surprises awaited me when we got home. Dad bought canned green beans just for me. Some of them along with their juice went on my kibble at dinner tonight. Now that’s a diet! Yum! Then I found out that Riley had been here while Andrew packed all his stuff into a big U-Haul truck. My dear little brother left me a goodbye present.

Can you see it, right there in the ray of sunshine on the carpet in the front room? He knows I used to steal them from him, and this time he gave it to me. Maybe he is a good dog after all. *wipes tear*

OH NO, Mom’s got the comb and I just heard the word bath. Gotta’ go!

An Extra Memory Monday for September

Published on September 14, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia11 Comments

Mommy loves September – it is her favorite month. She asked me to share some of the fun things that have happened in Septembers past. In pictures, here we go!

Mommy made a new outfit for Rocktober Fest and wanted a German dog in the picture to make it authentic. I don't like being held. — **Mommy made a new outfit for Rocktober Fest and wanted a German dog in the picture to make it authentic. I don’t like being held, and I especially don’t like being hugged.**

Not to be outdone, Dad donned his authentic lederhosen AND held a schnauzer. — **Not to be outdone, Dad donned his authentic lederhosen AND held a schnauzer (me again).**

**I love staying at hotels. This one was on the way to Wisconsin. Dad was busy on the phone and not paying any attention to me.**

**Once again I get picked up for a picture. We stayed at a B&B in Appleton, WI. Daddy used to own this house.**

I enjoyed walking down to the river at the B&B. I love all the new smells. — **I liked walking down to the river at the B&B. I love all the new smells.**

I hope you enjoyed my little trip down a September memory lane. What’s your favorite month?

A Visit to the Vet

Published on September 5, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia19 Comments

Mom gave me a bath early this morning, then she took me to the doctor. Don’t they do enough nasty things to you without having to get a bath first? Yes, the requisite glass stick was stuck up the you-know-what. Then the nice lady doctor checked my back leg, driver’s side, that has been bothering me for a long time. It goes out from under me sometimes, and I have trouble jumping up on the furniture and, worst of all, my kitchen table chair. Mom has been cleaning yellow discharge from right eye, so she checked that too and said the retina thing looked very good. She listened to my heart and said it sounded strong. I have started shaking my head and scratching at my left ear, so she looked in it, too. The lady doc said she wanted to take an expensive x-ray of my leg, and the extra benefit of it was that she could see all my internal organs, too. Eewww. That just sounds gross, and I have no idea why Mom was so enthusiastic about it.

Results: I have one luxated patella. Dr. Sally said it was not genetic or they would both be like that. More likely, I injured it at some point in the past, and neither Mom nor I even knew about it at the time. It was probably when I jumped off the kitchen counter onto the hard tile floor. Don’t ask. Or it could have been when I jumped off the dining room table. Don’t ask. Or when Mom dropped me on my head in a store onto the hard concrete floor when I was eight weeks old. Oh wait, I jumped out of the buggy and landed on my head. Nope, that didn’t hurt my leg. Whatever caused it, it’s there and not going away.

In the xray she also saw a stone in my bladder. I did not eat any stones, I promise. My heart and my liver are slightly enlarged. So now what?

Dr. Sally said the number one thing that would help everything is for me to….are you ready for this….lose weight. Four or five pounds.

This can't be right! — **This can’t be right!**

Mom has a lot to do to take care of me now:
1. Eyes and ears are probably allergies, so she got a medicine like Claritin that I have to take every day. That means more treats, like coconut oil! I can see I am getting around this diet already. She also has to put special drops in my ears every day.
2. Because of the stone in my bladder I can now only drink distilled water. I wonder if that is like moonshine. Mom bought a gallon jug of it, then went back and got two more gallons to take to each of our work places. I have my very own water!

Mom has to start giving me a shot of adequin in my back leg twice a week. She said it cost more than the x-rays, but I am worth it. 🙂 After a month I get it in one month, then every three months. I hope Mom can remember all this. I am to keep taking my fish oil pill and my dasuquin, which are both good for my internal organs as well as my joints. And they taste good, so I still have those treats, too. I am supposed to go on walks or swim a lot to keep building up the muscles in that leg. Not to procrastinate, we left the vet and went on two short walks on the way home. The temperature was in the 80’s with high humidity so we couldn’t walk for too long. Pooh, who needs to exercise when I can have fun walking? I must have read a dozen different stories along the way.

To help my heart and liver, I am not allowed to drink alcohol – that’s ok, I have my very own non-alcoholic Kahlua. But because I have to lose weight I am not allowed to have that sugary goodness. Again, with the weight loss thing. Daddy said the vet has a stamp for my chart that says, “lose five pounds” that she uses every time I go to see her. That is so not funny, Dad.

Oh, and I have plaque on my teeth. Dr. Sally: “Didn’t I give you a tool to remove the plaque from Lexi’s teeth.” Mom, looking sheepish: “Yes, but I’m not good at it. I will try again.” Dr. Sally: “If I have to do a dental, I will remove the big fatty tumor on her chest at the same time.” So now they are planning a chest reduction. OMD, what is next?

Updates and Mowing and Camouflage

Published on August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia8 Comments

Mommy was pulling weeds in my dog lot alongside the house this morning when she about “jumped out of her skin,” as she put it. Right over her head was a writing spider. Her first thought was to “whack” it, then she remembered Charlotte. It looked a lot like Charlotte, but too small.

So she left mini-Charlotte alone and got out the mower. Have I mentioned that it has both rained and sunned a lot here lately? The grass was so deep and thick that the mower barely got through it. Mom decided to call a neighbor who cuts grass to do the rest of the steeply-sloped yard. She took a picture partway through mowing in case anyone would like to see how tall the dog lot grass was.

Grass. You know, Mom, this is so boring.

We walked around the back of the house and lo and behold, there was Charlotte way down by Dad’s office window. She had built a big, new web and was patiently waiting for her next victim. Update #1, Charlotte is alive and well, and has apparently expanded her territory. Her old web is intact, too. Perhaps she is building a franchise.

This is Charlotte's underside. I think she was busy sucking the juice out of something. — **This is Charlotte’s underside. I think she was busy sucking the juice out of something.**

Update #2: Our BFF in PA is doing much better. Some of you may remember when we went up there earlier in the summer. The hospital bed is gone from the living room and she can walk with crutches now. Her leg is healing real good and she can even go up the stairs to her bedroom and bathroom. Next will be the repair on her hip, and I hope that means another trip for me and Mom. My away-from-home- dad, Buddy, misses me and I miss him too.

Now for the camouflage.

**Can you find us? Hint: red dog on red sheets; black and gray dog on black and gray bed.**

You may notice I was careful to only put my silver-colored paw on the gray part of the bed. Mom found us anyhow. I think the bow gave me away.

I am Lexi, the camouflage, spider-watching schnauzer.

Memory Monday: Nursing Home Therapy

Published on August 24, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

I don’t get to go to nursing homes anymore, not since my Grandma died. Sometimes I still think about it, though, because I still like older people. And sometimes when we go to the children’s hospital, we sneak into the section where there are sick big people – mostly older – and I feel their need. I give them the very best therapy possible. Hmmm. I think I will ask Mom to start taking me to nursing homes again. They need me. I have asked Mommy to type my memory Monday part in blue so you will know when it ends and we are back to now.

Memory Monday: My first trip to a nursing home.

March 20, 2007: Mom came home from work early on Friday and took me to a nursing home. At first I thought I was going to see my Grandma who lives near there, but I got to see lots and lots of other people who are old like my Grandma. Their rooms all open out to hallways, too, so they wouldn’t be able to let me stay all day either. They all talked to me nice and petted me. Mom told everyone about me being Toto in the Wizard of Oz. The bling on my collar was the picture button with me and Dorothy on it. No one had met a real, live star before, and I think they liked that. I felt very proud. There were a lot of cookie crumbs and I cleaned them up for everyone. I am a good helper. It was hot and stuffy in there and my throat got parched. It smelled funny too, like stuff I am not allowed to do in the house. I started whining and Mommy looked like she was going to be sick, so we left. She said we might go to a different nursing home next time.

I am a therapy dog now. I hope I don’t have to learn a new name again, like I did for the play.

Saturday I get to see my good schnauzer friends, Piper and Marley.

Lexi_Piper_Marley on patio 07 — The Three Amigos: (L-R) Piper, Marley and Me

We are all going to get tested to be therapy dogs for hospitals that take care of children. I like all the children petting me. I am so sure I will pass whatever the test is. I hear that Marley is a little worried about this because she never liked kids. I think I will talk to her about it. After all, I never liked kids either until the Wizard of Oz. I will let her know they are really OK. Sometimes they are yummy sticky and they usually drop food, so it’s good to hang around them. I am Lexi, the new nursing home dog.

See, I even said way back when I was only 4 years old that I am a nursing home dog. Yep, gotta’ get that going again.

Now for a Memory Memory post from my bestest guy, Noodle.