BUY IT NOW!!!

Just finished reading "Dog Nanny" ... a hilarious new book by my friend Ann Whitaker. Ann and I met on a message board for grieving pet parents 13 years ago. We have never met F2F, but have remained fast friends all these years. "Dog Nanny" is available NOW! Go to amazon.com for YOUR very own copy!

Petunias 2009

Ah! Spring has finally sprung and my verandah is filled with a billion petunias.

Happy Holidays

This is one of the most interesting (and practical, if you have animals) things I've come across in a long time. It's an artificial Christmas tree that hangs on the wall! Addy J was fascinated with it at first, but she got bored. The main thing is that she can't actually get into it like she would a tree on the floor.
Anyway, I thought it was a great compromise. It sure beats the heck out of the little fiber optic one we've used the past two years!
Stay safe and warm and may Santa bring you what your heart desires!

Cherry Snow and Leo

Don't you think it's about time for me to add a picture of Leo to this blog? Here is my handsome boy! He's almost two years old, is a Golden Lab and weighs in at 100 lbs.

A Long Six Months

It seems that the past six months, since my father died, have flown by. After his death it was Thanksgiving, then Christmas with one of our daughters and her two children, then New Years with my cousin and her husband. My birthday, Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, Easter and finally ... Spring.


I'm looking forward to Summer. I have seeds to plant and hummingbird feeders to fill.


I'm going to use my IRS rebate check (what a joke) to have the house pressure washed and the carpets cleaned. I feel that I will actually be using it for the purpose it's intended ... putting it back into the economy.


And I can't wait to be able to spend Sundays on our verandah playing dominoes or acey-deucey while surrounded by my wildflowers, my hummingbirds and the fabulous mountains of Western North Carolina.

Tin Cup Necklace

Today is my anniversary ... well, OUR anniversary. It's our 10th and I'm happy to say that we're still very much in love and very happy together.

My husband has been so good over the years with picking out jewelry, but this year his choice was more meaningful than ever.

The proper gift for 10th year anniversaries is tin. He did the research, then found what is called a "Tin Cup" necklace. It's named for the necklace Rene Russo wore in the movie of the same name. It all rolls together in that it's the only movie I ever liked with Kevin Costner in it and golfing is a favorite pass time of ours.

My necklace isn't tin, of course. Mine is white gold with 23 pearls. A beautiful and thoughtful gift from a loving and thoughtful husband.

Happy Anniversary to me!

Poor Ole Addy J

This is Addy J. She is a rescued Calico and is around 14 months old. The reason she is looking so pitiful (and standing there like a Prairie Dog) is that she has been declawed. I've never done that to any cat I've ever owned. Most of the others were indoor/outdoor types, but Addy J is strickly an indoor cat. We had to agree to that before we adopted her.

After watching her get frighteningly close to the big ole dog's (more on Leo later) eyes, enduring 3:00 a.m. claws in my toes and finding a perfectly good window treatment shredded, I decided it would be best for the whole family to remove those claws. Only the front claws are removed.

It's been three weeks since the surgery. I know she's OK because I find evidence of her being on the kitchen counter in the mornings (not OK). But, she's still working it. She'll hold one of her little paws up and look pitiful while expecting to get treats. Doesn't work on me!