Mommy – Page 13 – Xena Schnauzer Warrior Princess with Lucy and Chia

Memory Monday: The Elevator

Published on August 17, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia7 Comments

Today I was thinking about elevators and how they have become a part of life. I ride an elevator at least twice every time I go to therapize the sick kids at the children’s hospital and even understand the etiquette of elevator riding: turn to face the front and be quiet.

Sometimes I rode the elevator when Mommy and I worked at St. Paul’s. One evening we were all there (Mom and Dad and me) teaching a ballroom dance class. There was a good mixture of parishioners and folks from the big band that my Dad plays in. They all know me and know enough about me to realize what a talented genius I am. We taught in a large room upstairs, with the elevator just outside the door. Eventually, I got bored and headed down the stairs, then down the long hallway to the kitchen, which was at the other end of the church. I thought maybe I could get a little snack before going back to help with the class. While I was gone, something made the elevator ding. The class stopped and, suddenly realizing I was gone, everyone looked questioningly out at the elevator. Finally, someone voiced what everyone there was thinking: did Lexi push the button and get on the elevator? BOL! I am not tall enough to push the buttons!

I want to share with you the story of my first elevator ride in today’s Memory Monday.

February 6, 2007
I had my first ride in an elevator. Mom carried me onto it. It started to go up and when she tried to put me down I clung onto her like crazy. No way was I going to stand on this thing that was moving under us. She caught me with her knee as I was sliding off her and she saved me. The doors of this elevator thing slid open and she carried me out into a hallway. Then I got to visit my Grandma in her new apartment. I was so excited to see her and she was excited to see me too. When we were done visiting Mom held me on the elevator ride back down.

A few days later I went back to see Grandma and had to go on this elevator thing again. Mom tricked me – just walked right onto it with me on my leash. I was looking at this person that I thought would pet me and wasn’t paying enough attention to where I was going. I could feel it begin to move, but I kept my eye on that bright metal circle in the middle. I think that was the thing making it all happen. We made it up OK and I was wiggly happy to see my Grandma again. Grandma had a piece of toast all ready just for me. Mom thought she tricked me again when we left, but I knew that as long as I watched that circle thing, it would be OK. I just wanted to share that with all of my friends so you would know to just watch that metal circle and you don’t need to be afraid to go on an elevator. The elevator will take you good places, like to see the people you love. I am Lexi, the brave elevator-riding schnauzer.

By the way, since I posted this eight years ago I have come to realize that not all elevators have metal circles in the middle and that isn’t what makes them work. I am older and wiser now!

My Fish Oil Pill

Published on August 14, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia10 Comments

Every night after we eat supper, Mommy and I take our fish oil pills. When Mom first hands it to me, I refuse it. Then she forgets which one is hers and sticks mine in her mouth. Every single time!!! Then she says, “Uh oh, this one is yours,” and gives it to me. I always take it then because I am afraid she will eat it if I don’t. Silly Mommy!

Memory Monday: Lily and Ivy

Published on August 10, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia8 Comments

It’s Memory Monday time, and I’ve been thinking about my half sisters, Lily and Ivy, who have crossed the rainbow bridge. Ivy was my hero, everything I wanted to be. She taught me how to be a good leader.

They only lived with us every other week, and I was always testing Ivy to see if I could be in charge. I clearly remember the last time that happened. She decided not to put up with my insubordination any longer. Ivy put me on my back and stood over me, moving her open mouth back and forth in front of my face. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut so I couldn’t see myself die and started to scream. It took what seemed like an eternity (at least 2 seconds) for Mom to come running into the kitchen to rescue me. The rest of the account is from Mom, since I had my eyes closed and was making too much screamy noise to hear anything.

Lexi’s Mom here. I politely asked Ivy to move off of Lexi and she did. Lexi, still on her back, just kept on screaming. Ivy and I looked at each other and if a dog could shrug their shoulders, I would swear she did. We both looked at Lexi again and back at each other. I finally said, “Lexi, it’s over. You can stop screaming now.” Lexi peeked through her eyelashes and started the wind down screaming. It kept getting softer and slower until she finally stopped.

It’s me, Lexi, back to pick up the story. I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes. I was only two, so it didn’t take long. After the “incident” I made a wide berth around Ivy for a while, just to be sure. I never challenged her again.

Daddy was just leaving for vacation when a young orange-colored dog showed up at the house where he was living. He told her if she was still there when he got back that she could live with him. She conned different neighbors into feeding her until he got back and lived with him ever since.

Lily was usually everyone’s favorite because she was such a sweet and friendly girl. By “everyone” I mean anyone new who met them. Mommy said that she liked Ivy’s cocky attitude best from the moment she met her. One day Mom was laying on the couch feeling sick. Ivy curled up with her and Mommy almost instantly felt better. Dad said he had never seen Ivy take to someone like she did Mom. After that, he called her Mommy’s black healer.

Once in a while Lily would make a break for it. About a year or so ago, Riley unlatched the fence gate while Lily was out in the yard. When she got out and started running down the street Riley was smart enough to realize he had made a big mistake and took off after her. My BFF Jentry was in charge of the dogs when this happened. She quickly discovered the jailbreak and was about to start through the neighborhood in search of two red dogs when she saw them coming back down the road from the cul de sac. Riley – even though responsible for Lily’s escape – had been a good brother and stayed with her to be sure she was ok. Lily was about 16 years old at the time.

Sometimes Lily was a clown. This is a picture of her when she got a feather stuck on her nose.

Lily was terrified of thunderstorms. She would try to hide in the most ridiculous places, like in the 2 inch crack between the stove and counter. Here she is hiding in my kennel. It is a large kennel, so it was much more comfortable than in a crack. She got pretty deaf in her old age and that actually worked for her, as she couldn’t hear the thunder any more.

In the summer Mommy would shave both Ivy and Lily. They were so much cooler without all that thick hair and undercoat, and it sure did stop the hair balls doing the tumbleweed dance around the house. As Ivy got older, she got to be more reclusive.

Lily was a real party girl and loved celebrating birthdays as much as I do. The difference is she didn’t mind sharing. Lily would be proud of me for sharing these memories with you. Ivy would have just said, “Whatever.”

I don’t want to turn into Spiderdog

Published on August 8, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia13 Comments

Mom hates bugs of any kind. So when she investigated what Riley and I were staring at on the patio floor and found it was a small lizard caught by a spider’s web, she set the little guy free.

She then got her broom and started knocking down the many webs around the patio floor, furniture and ceiling, finally moving outside to get any there. Imagine her wide-eyed, try-to-hold-it-together, freeze-in-place look when she saw this creature under the house eaves just outside the screened patio.

The markings on its back look white in the pic but are yellow. Notice the distinctive web design in the lower left of the bottom pic. It looks like a phone cord.

Can anyone tell us

What kind of spider this is and
If it is dangerous and
If Mom should kill it? (she is leaning toward death to all spiders)

(Notice I got to use my counting skills!)

Oh, and did I mention it is big!

Joy in the Journey

Published on July 29, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia4 Comments

Mommy reads a blog called Morning Story and Dilbert. She asked me to share this short excerpt from it, as it pertains to all of us dogs who want to dig our tunnels to visit each other, whether from Tennessee to Florida or Australia to Canada!

Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.

“What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors.

“We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.

The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and a wide assortment of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the scoffing visitors.

Then he said quietly and confidently, “Even if we don’t dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!”

Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for – to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen; in other words, to set us to digging!

But when we fall short of our aim, perhaps we can say, “Yes, but look at what we found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into our life because we tried to do something!”

It is in the digging that life is lived. It constitutes the joy in the journey.

Dig!

Memory Monday: Riley’s Arrival

Published on July 27, 2015July 30, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia6 Comments

Riley on MY bed. I am praying for deliverance. — **Riley on MY bed. I am busy here praying for deliverance. Where’s my Mother Mary night light?**

Today, Mom left me home with Dad, because he missed me so much while I was on my special trip to PA. She also had to go to the doctor to get another shot for the lingering poison ivy on her way to work this morning. So, I was laying around in MY bed when I discovered Riley was intent on making himself at home there too. You would think he had the run of the house while I was off on my mission of mercy. Hurumph. You can see that I decided to pray for deliverance from ~~the Dufus~~ Riley. Mommy said that was so not nice.

So that got me to thinking about when Riley first arrived, and this is the story of that.

Memory Monday

November, 2010

A dog now named Riley has come to live with us. Riley can’t claim a pedigree like I can. He is a mutt, a mongrel, a totally undignified mix of un-papered dogs who had a quick tryst, if you know what I mean. I shudder to think there are more like him running around out there. I couldn’t believe it when Mom brought him home in the first place. She called him Dufus the first couple of days he was here, and boy, did she have that right. She says she found him side winding like a rattler with legs down the middle of a busy back road and it was a miracle he hadn’t been hit by a car. When she stopped to save his life he splayed all four legs to stop her from putting him in her car. That shows what little intelligence he had even then. Who wouldn’t want to ride in a comfortable Toyota Avalon with heated leather seats? At the time Riley was only six months old and 28 pounds, plenty small enough for her to win that battle. She walked in the house announcing she had found a dog, but don’t worry, she wasn’t keeping him. She would find his owner or put him up for adoption on a website and that would be that. My BFF Auntie Jen and my Dad just looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

After a few days of advertising and no one claiming him, Mom declared he needed a name other than Dufus. “I mean,” she said, “who will take a dog called ‘Dufus’?” So she and Auntie Jen got on the internet to look at dog names. When Mom saw “Riley” she decided that fit him really well. At this point we were all supposed to start calling him “Riley” instead of “Dufus.” *sigh*

The next day Dad took him to the vet who said he had almost every worm known to dog, except, thankfully, heart worms. So he got ~~Dufus~~ Riley de-wormed, vaccinated and on heart worm prevention. Oh, and did I mention he also had ringworm, which is really a contagious fungal infection, not even a worm? Aghh! Mom asked why Dad spent all that money on a dog they weren’t keeping. Dad said, “When you named him I knew we were keeping him.” Mom still denied it.

Then they bought him toys. So he wouldn’t chew anything in the house with his puppy teeth now starting to fall out. How that worked out is another whole story. Suffice it to say that we don’t have a sheet or blanket left in the house without at least one hole in it. *sigh*

**Six month old Riley with his new toys.**

That’s the end of my Memory Monday. Hop on over to my sweet guy Noodle’s blog and check out his newest Memory Monday. Noodle 2

Back home in Tennessee

Published on July 26, 2015July 26, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia6 Comments

We left our BFF’s house early this morning and are back home. I already miss my newly trained Uncle Buddy. He took good care of me once he understood what a good communicator I am. Back home, Riley’s still here. Peeps brother Andrew is away. Haven’t seen the boy. Jentry is here mowing the grass. She needs to stop doing that and come in and cook something.

Whew, it was a hot ride home. Air conditioner all but conked out. I panted most of the way. Mom tried to put an ice pack on me, but I got in the back seat to avoid it.

I'm not sticking my tongue out at you, I'm just hot! — **I’m not sticking my tongue out at you, I’m just hot!**

Just south of Cincinnati we passed an exit for a place called Big Bone Lick State Park. I really, really wanted to go there, but Mom said we had to get on home.

**If anyone goes, please save me some bones to lick.**

Finally we reached Tennessee. I could tell by the mountains and curvy roads. I am back to my roots as a Southern girl.

**Just a couple more hours until we get home.**

So I am back home, and ready to receive company. Y’all come on by and say hi now, ya hear?

Another Groom Victim

Published on July 24, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

For those of you just tuning it, Mom and I are in PA taking care of our BFF who was in a bad car accident. Pai the dog and Claudia the cat live there. Yesterday, Claud got shaved and this is what Pai looked like.

Paiana, pre-groom — **Paisana, earlier this week.**

Mom got up early today. She took me out, fed me, then this happened. I watched. *grin*

Pai does look happier since her groom, doesn’t she? Tomorrow is Saturday and there is no one left to groom, except…. no, no, no.

Religious Dilemma

Published on July 14, 2015July 14, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia10 Comments

I found my Mother Mary nightlight that my Dad gave me before he was my Dad. What happened way back in the fall of 2004 was this: Mommy heard Daddy – who was then my bestest friend Jeff – say something they say in church during Holy Communion as he placed my night-night treat on my tongue. She told him not to do that any more. Since my bestest friend Jeff – now my Dad – is an easy-going sort of guy, he didn’t argue. Instead, he went out and bought me a Mother Mary night light to put next to my kennel. I really liked it when he explained to me what it was. I started sending good thoughts up to the Mother Mary and became a good Catholic dog. Mommy was not happy. I’m not sure why. Maybe she wanted to be my only mother. In any case, she took my night light and hid it. She said that my bestest friend Jeff has a wicked sense of humor, but enough was enough. That was a long time ago – almost 11 years.

As I started to say, today, I found it.

I've got my Mother Mary night light back. *snicker* — I’ve got my Mother Mary night light back. *snicker*

Since that all happened, I have become a good Episcopalian dog. I go to the church on the mountain at least two times every week. But I really like my night light. I am in something called a quandary. In other words, I don’t know what to do. Do I have to give up my night light to keep my new faith? Or do I have to go back to being a good Catholic dog to enjoy my night light? Can someone tell me what I should do (before Mommy unplugs it and takes it away again)?

So peaceful. And now I don't trip going up the stairs to bed during the night. — **So peaceful. And now I don’t trip going up the stairs next to bed during the night.**

Memory Monday – Winning at Freestyle

Published on July 13, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia11 Comments

Hi friends. Today is….Memory Monday! I have been thinking about my first Freestyle Competition. For those of you who don’t already know, Freestyle is coordinated movement between a person and a dog, set to music selected for the dog’s tempo. In other words, it is doggie dancing! Woohoo! Here we go…

May, 2011

I had spent a grueling six or more months preparing for my first competition. My tempo had to be determined (145 bpm), then music picked out. Mom and I tried out lots of different 145 bpm music until we came upon Dan Landrum’s Split Rail Fences. He plays an instrument called the hammered dulcimer, and the beat and sound of the music made me pick up my feet, lift up my head and prance around the floor. Voila, we had our music. I was starting in Level IIa, where there were standard moves we had to include, such as right and left side heels, face work including backing and different crosses. We worked hard on all that, and being a natural, I quickly perfected the moves.

The next step was putting together a routine using all those moves. Mom and I went to the dance studio and worked on the wooden floors where it wasn’t too hard on our joints, and we had plenty of space to m-o-v-e. After about 40 minutes I would get tired and lose interest, so we kept the workouts down to around a half hour each time. Sometimes we would do what Mommy had sketched out on her writing pad, and sometimes we would do what I thought went best with the music. That’s part of being a team. Combining both our ideas, we finally had a routine. Now to practice, practice, practice that routine until we could both do it without hesitation (and without Mommy looking at her notes).

Finally, the big day arrived. My good friend Pierre is one of the bosses at C.G. Roxanne water bottling company, and he sent over tons of water for the thirsty people. I was the official spokes dog for the company that day.

Mom bought me a new travel kennel so I would have my own private place to rest. It is sort of like a celebrity dressing room. I was very happy and excited and kept popping up to see what was happening next.

I had my music edited to fit our routine and we brought that to be played for ~~My Performance~~ our dance. When I got there I receive my Freestyle medallion. I also got a program with my name and stats in it, along with all the important info about our dance. (I don’t know why they called me a b…ch!) I was number 203, and Mom had to wear a sign rubber banded around her arm so everyone would know it was me.

Mom and I went onto the center of the floor, where we both bowed to the judges (well, at least in my mind I did) and assumed our starting positions. Mom nodded at ~~the minion~~ Jim who was running sound and we started our routine to Split Rail Fences. I was brilliant. I was so brilliant that I got some points deducted. The judges said I wasn’t allowed to do laterals at this level. (Laterals are where Mommy and I both move sideways by facing forward and crossing our legs. I am a natural “leftie” so that’s the direction we moved. It’s lots of fun.) No one had told Mommy that the rules had changed since she ordered the rule book. Even so, the judges wrote that on the bottom of the score sheet. They also wrote,”A delightful and joyful team.” I still won a medal, and we went home tired and happy!

Now, my amazing four year old boyfriend, Noodle, shares a Monday Memory.

(You will see that we are a good couple – both so talented! 🙂 )

Memory Monday: Boating

Published on June 29, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia5 Comments

It’s Memory Monday and, since it is really stinkin’ hot out, I thought it would be a good time to reminisce about being on the lake (especially since Mommy is too ~~lazy~~ ~~stubborn~~ ~~busy~~ something to take me lately.)

Boating time

June 25, 2005

Today I swam eleven laps around my pontoon boat – a personal best (perhaps because no one was watching when I wanted back in after the fourth lap). When we were done at the lake we went to Dairy Queen, a place that has the most wonderful treats. Brrr! The ice cream made me very cold and I started to shake uncontrollably. I knew Mom would take my ice cream away if she saw me shivering so I gobbled my pup cup of vanilla ice cream (my favorite flavor). It was worth it! I’ll make up for it tonight by puking on Mom’s bed. Won’t she be surprised?!

June 2, 2007

My pontoon boat is in the water! I have already had so much fun on it this summer. I mostly lie around and sun my beautiful body. Sometimes I lay in the shade and eat snacks. Sometimes I swim to a nearby island and smell all the luscious smells. Last Sunday I got a bit hot so I went to the edge of my pontoon boat to let Mom know I wanted to cool off in the water. What did she do? She reached for my life jacket. I hate that thing. It ranks right up there with clothes. She could tell I didn’t want to wear it, so she said she would make a deal with me. I wouldn’t have to wear it if I stayed close to the boat. I thought, ok, no problem. Mom lowered me into the water – I still don’t like to jump in – and I swam around the boat twice before asking her to help me back in. Mom says I am the smartest schnauzer girl ever. I have a good life. I am Lexi the boat dog.

Later the same month

I was back in the water, swimming around my boat sans life jacket when Mom reached down and plucked me back into the ~~Lexi B~~ Sammy Joe. She said she saw really big turtles sunning themselves on a rock not too far from where we were ~~parked~~ anchored. She also said she had seen some one-legged ducks. “From now on,” she said, “you have to wear your life jacket, just in case.”

I don’t understand what big turtles and one-legged ducks have to do with anything, but that “just in case” has me scared. I won’t get in the water now. Not until I figure this out. I am Lexi, the four-legged schnauzer, and wantin’ to keep it that way.

Another Memory Monday (click here, folks, pups and kitties) story from my boyfriend, Noodle. Isn’t he the dreamiest!

Memory Monday – When Riley told on himself

Published on June 15, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and ChiaLeave a comment

Hi everyone! It’s Memory Monday again, and I have decided to ask Mom to print a memory about Riley. That should help you understand why I don’t like ~~living with him~~ him living with me. Not only did he stink up the house and mess up the patio, he hijacked my blog to tell everyone about it!

SAMSUNG — Riley borrowed Mom’s laptop to steal my blog.

June 18, 2012
In POOP trouble today

I (Riley) got in so much trouble this morning, and I didn’t see it coming. I was bebopping through the house to wish my Mom a good morning when she walked into the living room and saw my, uh, my mistake. I thought Mom was going to kill me she was so mad, but all she did was lecture me and point her finger at me and at the p-o-o-p, first in my kennel and then all over the patio.

She said I should have gone out last night like she told me to. But I don’t like to go out in the dark. And I don’t like to go out by myself (my sis Lexi wouldn’t go with me last night– she had already done her business the first time Mom asked her to) and I don’t like to go off the patio and into the yard.

The patio: that’s where and when the next trouble came. She caught me pooping on the patio this morning. When she came out to try to stop me she saw all the other poo I had left over the last couple of day. And. Just. Lost. It. She made me go into that dirty old yard where my feet get wet and messy. I know I am a big boy, but I have such pretty, dainty feet. I just hate getting them messy. She talked and talked and pointed and pointed and kept telling me what a bad dog I am. I tried to go to the back door but she kept chasing me back into the yard. Then she left me out there! Aghhhh! Dad let me in after she left. I heard him on that little box he talks into telling mom that he had to let me in because it was raining. I don’t think I want to know what she said back to him. But I think I might know because he didn’t put my brand new crate pad in my kennel this morning when he crated me before he left. I was really looking forward to using it and maybe even chewing it a little – or a lot. After all, I am only one year old.

Mom’s gone away for a few days. It’s probably for the best. Maybe she will be happier when she gets home. I sure hope so. I love my Mom lots and don’t like her to be mad at me. I will try to be a good boy and go in the grass. It’s just that paw thing…and the dark thing…

I am Riley the chastised.

Lunchtime in the garden

Published on June 12, 2015July 27, 2017 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

I love going to work with Mommy to the church on the mountain. It’s quiet around here today so we went outside to soak up some sunshine while we had lunch. I got a bite of her sandwich, then decided to enjoy myself in one of my favorite spots. I love lunchtime in the garden.

The sunshine makes me squint even though I have eyebrows to help shade my eyes.

Ahhh, rolling around in the English ivy feels so good. — Ahhh, rolling around in the ivy feels so good.

Now I'm hot and worn out but feel really good and relaxed. — Now I’m hot and worn out but feel really good and relaxed. Do you like my pretty peach-colored bow?

Here’s a very short video Mom took of me relishing the roll in the ivy. See me roll with abandon!

Memory Monday with Lexi and Friends

Published on June 8, 2015August 15, 2016 by Xena, Lucy and Chia5 Comments

Today is Memory Monday and I was thinking about my first performances as Toto in the Wizard of Oz. Mom had gotten down my Annie award and my head shot and I got so excited when I saw them again. I poked at the Annie and wiggled all over. I remember winning it! Me and Mom and Dad were sitting in the audience. I was wearing a strand of Mom’s good pearls, so I know I looked extra-good. I had already run down the aisle and up the stairs to the stage to help My Dorothy present an award. So we were just sitting there politely waiting for the awards to end when the director, Geoffrey, announced that the Director’s Choice award went to….wait for it….Lexi!!!!! I jumped out of my seat and ran back down the aisle so fast that I left Mom in my wind. The audience was cheering and clapping for me as Mom mounted the stairs to the stage and picked me up. I leaned into the microphone to give my acceptance speech, and everyone laughed. I decided to leave it at that and let Mom talk for me. I worked very hard for that award and am still proud of it.

After reminiscing a bit about my award, I poked at my head shot picture with my nose until it almost fell over. Mom knew I was saying, ‘That’s me!” I asked Mom to share some of my memoirs from that time.

Memory Monday

October 2, 2006
I am the star. That’s what everyone says. They say I steal the show, but honest, I didn’t steal anything. I just run out on the stage (at least most of the time) when Mom says, and get treats, and run off, back to Mom who is always there waiting for me. Now I have found that I can go down the front stairs and off the stage into the audience. That’ a hoot. Mom seems kinda freaked out when I get back, though. She says she can’t see me and isn’t sure if I am coming back. I know when I have to be back for when the good witch points at me and says, “Is that the witch?” Silly Mommy! I haven’t missed my cue yet. And those monkeys – oooooh I don’t like those monkeys. I run as fast as I can when I see them coming and Mom picks me up. But then she hands me to one of the monkeys! So, the last time they came after me, I ran into my kennel off-stage where I would be safe. When I came out of my kennel, thinking they were all gone, Mom picked me up and handed me to one of them again. I don’t know how I am going to stop her from doing this. Doesn’t she know they are scary?? I am Lexi the star.

October 5, 2006
I keep adding things to my part as Toto, as the audience notices and responds. I have, however, decided to leave one thing out, and Mom has finally stopped trying to make me do it, because I am not going to do it anymore. Period. End of discussion. Those trees scared me. They walk around and dance and act entirely not like trees. Well, they got in my way after I skipped – well I try to skip – with Dorothy and the Lion and the Tin Man and the Scarecrow across the stage. It is the third time I sort of skip down the proverbial yellow brick road during the play. The first two times went fine. Then that third time those trees, oh those nasty moving trees, got in my way and it scared me and I will not do that again when they are on the stage. Absolutely, positively not. I am LexiToto.

October 12, 2006
So there I was near the front of the stage close to all my adoring fans, and I was getting a bit bored just standing there with my good pals – no one was feeding me or petting me or singing to me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the wicked witch sneaking across the back of the stage. Thinking it would be great fun, I turned and ran after her, barking as loudly as I could. She kept stopping and motioning with big waves of her arm to go away. I glanced over at Mom in the wings (isn’t that a funny name for part of a building that can’t fly!) and she was making big waving motions at me too. She must have been really enjoying my impromptu performance. Then my good pals, the lion and the scarecrow and Dorothy all started looking from side to side and saying, “What can Toto be barking at?” Silly people, I was right behind them! The audience started laughing so of course I kept it up until the witch was clear off the stage. What a great time that was! I tried it again the next night to see if people still thought it was funny, and they did, so I am just going to add it to my part. Won’t the wicked witch be surprised!

Now, for more Memory Mondays from some of my friends:

Here is Ziva the Blackberry Bully Monster last summer. (Ziva is my newest friend!) Check out her blackberry memories.

http://www.dzdogs.com/2014/08/blackberry-bully-monster.html

Memory Monday by Noodle the Schnoodle (my boyfriend). Check out his peanut butter memory

Hmmm, do you detect a theme starting? Well, we are dogs!

https://noodle4president.wordpress.com/2015/06/08/memory-monday-2/

Sickness and Memory Monday updates

Published on June 2, 2015August 8, 2018 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

First, the most important thing. I am feeling much better this afternoon. Mommy gave me a half feeding of my regular chow. I have been staring at her for the last 70 minutes telling her I am ready for the other half. I’m a schnauzer. I am persistent with a very long attention span.

**I can wait like this for a very, very long time.**

Next, it has been brought to my attention (thank you, Noodle) that the e-mail address I gave for Memory Mondays is not working. Please use this one: lexitheschnauzer@gmail.com. And please resend your blog if you tried earlier and it didn’t work.

Finally – oh, wait! Mom, can I have some of those potato chips? Not on my life? Well, then, how about some more dog food?

Back to what I was saying. The very best dog friend in the whole world ❤ posted a Memory Monday and it is now on my original blog, Memory Mondays. Check it out!

A Moment of Silence

Published on May 25, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia6 Comments

Piper – on the left – visited us for the weekend. Mom asked us to be quiet for a moment to honor all who have served our country and to remember those who have given their lives for this great nation. That was asking a lot of two schnauzers, but we agreed it was a small price to pay. Mom also explained that this was one of the reasons I have the freedom to be a church dog. So I will be silent (oh, this is so hard) for a moment. *silence*
I am Lexi, the all-American dog.

Home all alone

Published on May 21, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia8 Comments

There are no pictures to show today. That’s because Mom left me home. All alone. With my schnauzer cousin Piper. And my Dad. And my people brother Andrew. And my bestest friend Jentry. And The Boy. Yep, all alone. Mom didn’t take me to work. She left me home all alone, where pictures are not taken. I mostly stayed in the closet in my kennel. All alone.

Then, after Dad shut the bedroom door and left the house too, Jentry came looking for me. She finally found me all alone in my kennel in the closet. I wouldn’t come out. She thought I must have done something wrong. Why does everyone always assume I am a bad dog? She finally coaxed me to come out, but I just stood there with my head hung low. That made her think even more that I had committed some heinous crime. Finally, she asked me if I didn’t want to be shut up in the bedroom with Piper. Hallelujah! She got it! That got me talking. Bowowow and arruf. After I unburdened myself to her, she asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of the day downstairs with her. I said yes and off we went. Being home alone the rest of the day wasn’t so bad anymore.

I Am NOT a Mean Old Thing

Published on May 19, 2015May 19, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

Today was my second day at my new work. Mommy is not pleased. With me. At all. Last Thursday I got confused – that’s my story and I’m sticking with it. I thought I was supposed to be a guard dog. Someone should have explained to me that I was supposed to be a ~~good dog~~ welcoming committee. Yep, Lexi, the welcoming committee of one. You know everything is done by committee in churches. So today, on the way to work, Mommy spent time outlining my boundaries. NO growling, and NO barking. I guess I didn’t hear the NO part. Hey, these people tried to walk into my office without even asking. They are lucky all I did was growl And the preacher, well, I didn’t recognize him until I had already barked a couple of times. Come on…I had only ever seen him once, and he didn’t give me any treats that time either. *sigh* Now ~~the mean old lady I live with~~ Mommy is threatening to not take me to my job any more. Dad looked especially upset when she told him that. In fact, Mom said that I was so bad at work today that she wasn’t going to memorialize it with any pictures. Grrrr. (Oops, that’s what got me in so much trouble.)

On the way home we stopped at a quickie oil change joint. I thought that Mom must not have been as mad as earlier, ’cause she put me in charge of her credit card while the people changed the oil in our car.

I'm NOT a mean thing. — **I’m *NOT* a mean thing.**

But that wasn’t true. She said I could guard her credit card because I was such a mean old thing that no one would try to take it. 😦

**Hey, I wonder what else I could buy with this?**

Lexis Bday — **I am reminding myself that at least *someone* loves me. Thanks, Noodle.**

I am Lexi the ~~guard~~ ~~good~~ schnauzer.

I AM A DOUBLE CHURCH DOG

Published on May 8, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia12 Comments

Mom and I got the new church job! She starts Tuesday. I start Thursday. BOWOWOWOWOWOW!

I am Lexi, the employed schnauzer.

Early Birthday Celebration and What a Present I Got!

Published on May 6, 2015 by Xena, Lucy and Chia9 Comments

Mom made dog bone-shaped cookies to take to work to celebrate my birthday today. I helped get rid of the broken ones, then helped to clean the beaters

My birthday is actually tomorrow, but we won’t be at the church tomorrow, and Mom didn’t want anyone to miss out. My new bestest friend Cary brought me a treat present. She knows what I like. I am going to start calling her Auntie Cary because she loves me and I stay with her most of the time I am at the church.

Mom told me she had a surprise for me after work today. I thought maybe we were going to the dog treat store, but Mom said it was something even better. She said if I was on my best behavior I might have a new job! We went into a different church and got interviewed. They would let us come on Tuesdays and Thursdays when we aren’t working at the church on the mountain. How great is that! When we were almost done, Mom and the people interviewing us started negotiating salary. I nudged her and she knew I wanted her to just take the job!! They had already asked if I would come to work for free. 🙂 Now we have to wait until Friday to find out if they can meet her salary requirements. She came down a lot from her first number, and they came up a lot from their first number, so maybe they can meet in the middle. I sure hope so. It seems like a good place to work, and I would be the only church dog there. What a great birthday present this would be! Everyone please keep your paws crossed.

I am Lexi, the double church dog.