Friday, December 29, 2006

My Christmas...

Gramma had a great big tree at her house!!

I think I looked quite good under that tree with all those presents!!!

Gramma got me a great big Christmas stocking from someplace called LL Bean. I don't know who LL is but he makes a cute stocking with a Labrador on a Sled on the front!! (I think Mollie was jealous of my big, cute stocking!)

Dad started off with just a couple of ribbons, but then he went a little overboard!!!

Suddenly I was covered in ribbons and bows, I felt pretty silly but didn't have the heart to tell anyone. All those bows seemed to make everyone laugh and be happy. (Do you think they noticed I was checking out Zach's stocking for treats??)

All the fun and present opening tired me and my friend Mollie right out, so we took a little snooze under the coffee table. And to all a good night!

Friday, December 22, 2006

To Gramma's House Dory Goes...

(To the tune of to Grandmother's House We Go - I have way too much time on my hands and yes, we do actually cross four rivers to go to Gramma's!!! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwaanza, Mirthful Festivus, Hail the New Year!!! We are off for the holiday - but will be back soon. Love , Liza and Dory)



Over the Charles River and thru the tollbooth,
To Gramma’s house we go;
My Mom knows the way
To drive the Cherokee,
On the highway and traffic, oh!

Over the Connecticut River and thru the tollbooth,
Oh, how the traffic does bog down!
It makes Mom grumpy,
And makes us late,
As over the state line we go.

Over the Hudson River and thru the tollbooth,
To have a first-rate Christmas;
Oh, can almost see the house,
As we exit the highway!
Hurrah for Christmas vacation!

Over the Mohawk River and thru the woods,
Go-fast Mom go fast I say!
Drive up the driveway
And get me outta this car right away!
For it’s almost Christmas Day!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

The Night Before Christmas...

This is parody of Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas" -

We hope that you all enjoy the humor and that all our friends, family members, Dogs With Blogs Community, Labs4Rescue group and every friend of animals near and far have a very happy holiday and a joyous New Year. With love and best wishes, Dory and Liza



'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the town,
Not a puppy was barking, not even Dory our clown;

The doggie stockings were hung from the mantle with care,
In hopes that Santa Claus soon would be there;


The puppies were snuggled all warm in their dog beds,
With visions of rawhide treats dancing in their heads;

And Chris in his PJs and I in my wrap,
We had all settled in for a long winter's nap,

When out on the front yard there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a bird,
To opened the window to see what I had heard.

The moon on the edges of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster and shine of mid-day to objects below,

When, I spied something to out there – I was agog,
A sleigh, and eight furry bloggers all of them some kind of dog,


With a little old driver, so lively and attentive to dog paws,
I knew in a moment it must be Santa Claus.

More rapid than eagles his doggies they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Buster! now, Opy! now, Joe and Boo!
On, Comet! on Marvin! on, Maggie and BLU!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the house!
Now dash away! dash away! And be as quiet as a mouse!"

So up to the house-top the dog bloggers they flew,
With the sleigh full of chew toys, and Santa too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
Some jingling and pawing and a definite doggie woof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney Santa Claus came with a bound.


He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
It was PETA approve fake fur covered in soot;

A bundle of chews and squeaky toys he had stuffed in his sack,
And he looked PETCO salesman just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the puppy stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his doggies gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

It's Dorylicious...

This weekend we had a party for Dory. Never in the world has there been a more spoiled Labrador!!!

We started off by having Pizza on her actual birthday and giving her a slice of her own. This was followed by baking her a “doggie cake” from scratch, with Dory’s assistance of course. She even had a personalized Birthday Party Hat!!!

Anyhow - this is how it all happened!


First you add the egg.


Then you quality check the batter.


Don't forget to taste the pan - just in case.


Hey, we made a cake!


It's a very pretty cake!


Can you say TASTY - it's Dorylicious!!!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Happy Birthday Baby!

She looks great for 28 years old - that is 4 years old in dog years!!

Today is Dory's 4th birthday and tonight we had pizza in her honor. Because Chris is working tonight we are having her cake and "party" this weekend. Dory and I had a small celebration this evening and I couldn't resist trying on her birthday hat!


We have also been "tagged" and have to list six weird things about ourselves. Dory has three and I have three - here we go:

1. Dory loves pizza more than anything in the world.
2. Dory loves being held cradled in your arms, only Chris can manage this one.
3. Dory will stare out the window at birds for hours - she's a avid bird watcher!
4. I (Liza) love John Wayne World War 2 movies,watching them over and over.
5. I hate peanut butter in any form - Chris says this is un-American of me.
6. I have a brand new artificial knee and I set off alarms all the time, every where.

Not sure how weird - but there you go.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Technology - A Brave New Project

Technology has never been my friend. I love electronic gadgets and can become mesmerized by snappy and cute online animation. I have the gadgets, but I can never figure out the technology well enough to do my own fun stuff - until today!

I joined Dogs With Blogs (DWB) - a super nice online community of "Blogging Dogs". This year they did a card swap and I am I have to say I was totally wowed by all the cute photos and variation of photos integrated together for truly unique and funny cards. I was definitely embarrassed by lack of tech skills. There is this one DWB dog, Pappy and his human, who do marvelous animations - so when they created an angel that we could print I thought certainly maybe this was something I might try.

I was already printing out Dory's party hats for her birthday (we are throwing a "party" next Sunday) and since Chris and Dory were stone cold sacked out - I decided to finally try the photo paint shop thingy. I have to say - at first I was just making an electronic mess - but in the end I think I did alright.


I cut and pasted the wings from one image to the other and tried my best to make everything mesh. I'm not exactly a pro, but I came out with two images I was happy with and was able to print out on card stock to make two tiny memorial angels for my tree.

I was so happy I made one of each for my tree and one each for my Mom's tree. It's hard when a pet dies and having lost two in the family this year was just awful. Some people don't like the memorials and reminders, but I like the thought that I am honoring a memory and working through the ache by being creative.

Goodness knows I had a billion things I could have been doing, but it was nice trying something new with the computer and my camera. I ended up with something that is meaningful to me and now I can hardly wait until next year's card swap - I hope to hone my computer skills and really wow them next Christmas!!

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Lucy Young 1991-2006

My mom just called to let us know that our beloved Golden Retriever, Braevue's Loose Pocket Change, Lucy to the family, has passed away.
Lucy came to us as a gift from a dear family friend. This is a photo I found from her first Christmas with us in 1991. As a kid growing up in a "Labs only" family it was my dream to "have a jeep and raise a golden", needless to say I was fortunate enough to have Lucy paw her way into my life and our family. She was a gift to me, but really mom and I shared her right from the start.
When Lucy was a baby and I was finishing college she lived on the farm with mom. After college she came to live with me and we were joined by Emily Jean a year or so afterwards.
When I decided to move to the Boston area Lucy was simply too old and set in her ways to brave the big city. Lucy stayed with mom and her two Labs Zachary and Mollie and Emily followed me to Boston and graduate school.
This past October 17th Lucy celebrated her 15th birthday. Everyone knew she was really coming to the end, but no one wanted to admit it. I was glad to have Thanksgiving with her and I'm glad that Dory got to meet our grand old lady dog.

2006 has been a hard year, I had major surgery to replace my knee, Emily died all too soon after developing heart disease and now Lucy is gone. I could dwell on the pain and loss but I know it is important to look forward to all that the future holds. Dory is part of our family, my knee is on the mend and this Christmas I will be with those I love. The difficulties we have faced this year make all the joys just a little bit sweeter.

So please, take the time this holiday season to snuggle with your pet, call a friend who lives far away and take time to make a donation or volunteer for a good cause. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "It is not length of life, but depth of life."

Oh Tannenbaum!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us.
They're green when summer days are bright:
They're green when winter snow is white.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!
How oft at Christmas tide the sight,
O green fir tree, gives us delight!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!

Our tree from the side...

Our tree from the front...

Our Dory and her first New England Christmas.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Our tree was held hostage...

Hello. Dory here today! Mom is at work and since Dad is home with the "sniffles" he offered to help me with our blog today. This past weekend was lots of fun!

Dad had to work on Saturday so Mom had to brave the COLD and go rescue the pretty tree we picked out last month at the farm. Apparently it was kidnapped and held hostage - it was all tied up when Mom saved it from the farmer. I had to stay home :( - Mom said she couldn't fit both the tree and me in the Jeep!

Once Mom brought the tree in the house I gave it a good sniff to make sure it was the right tree - you know those farmers can be very wiley. (Oh and check out my pretty lobster collar - it new and my very favorite!)

Yep, it is our tree, the tree got it's feet cut off, but Mom said that it was just fine and she was going to give it a new "stand" - what ever that means.

Mom is not only smart, she is very clever. She made out tree all straight and tall again. Mom said we were going to put the lights and garland on so when Dad got home we could all decorate it together.

Mom cut just one string and our tree popped open all furry and free, kinda like me :)!

THIS IS A DORY APPROVED DOUGLAS FIR CHRISTMAS TREE!

As you can see Mom and Dad were too busy decorating, singing and smooching to take action photos of us hanging all the ornaments - but that's okay because my tree is all decorated and pretty now.

I love lounging under the tree waiting for SANTA - Mom said I have to wait a few more weeks, but at least I have a fun place to hang out while I wait.

I do have one confession, Dad said he would break it to Mom when she got home - I ate two ornaments. They were made of cinnamon and apple sauce and kid safe glue. Mom thought they were tail proof and they were, unfortunately they weren't teeth and tummy proof. Alas, they smelled better than they actually tasted and I promised never to taste things on the tree ever again - cross my heart!

MANY, MANY THANKS!!!!!!!


Dory and I would like to thank everyone so much for your lovely cards and well wishes this holiday season.

Since we are having "comment posting" issues we have had a hard time thanking everyone in person on their blog. But please know that we have been visiting all your blogs and enjoy reading each of them.

We are sending the warmest thank yous to Comet, Lacey & BLU, Charlie & Opy, Buster, Bogart, Chelsea, Lillie, Angel & Daisie, Holly & the Furry Five, Boomer. Annabelle & Snickers, Cubby & Dakota, Butchy, Snickers & their humans, Freda, Salchicha & Lilly, Isabella, Joey & Tanner, Simon, Scarlett & Shelly, Copper & Hershey, Tin Tin, Simba, Ollie & Mackie, Murphey, and Shannon, Princess & Katie.

Dory and Chris have had only one question since all the cards came in, when can they get a fox terrier of their own!!! Apparently your cards have had a big impression on them both!!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL HAPPY BLOGGING!!!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

The Amazing Technicolor Dog Coat

I made the mistake of saying to Chris “I think Dory needs a winter coat.”

New England weather is notorious for being nice one minute and freezing the next. Sun, turns into rain, which then morphs into a blizzard – I’ve seen it happen. So with this in the back of my mind I noticed while brushing Dory she doesn’t have what I call an under coat. Don’t get me wrong she has a beautiful coat of shiny black fur, but some dogs also have this dense under coat that really protects them from the elements – Dory is just not one of those.

So I’m starting to worry about the undercoat thing then I notice that she seems to be seeking snuggly spots a bit more now that the temps are dropping and of course this leads me to ponder – does Dory need a doggie coat??

Well when I finally said it out loud Chris gave me the look of death. He indicated that no self-respecting Lab or Lab-mix would ever be caught dead in a “fru-fru” coat.

I have tried to convince him that it wouldn’t be as bad as he thinks!! I had no intention of something over the top, just something functional and feminine. (He scoffed at the feminine part of that discussion)

So of course, I have now spent hours looking at every sort of dog coat imaginable. There are so many choices, I fully believe dog coats must be a key factor in our global economy.

The coats range from silly to sweet, fancy to utilitarian, fleece to neoprene. I have no idea what I am going to do or what type of coat I should get, but as a doting doggie parent you bet your bottom dollar I will make sure Dory is warm and toasty once the snow flies!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Pizza! Pizza!

Dory and I have finally awakened from our turkey induced coma and decided to have pizza for dinner.

Now I know it sounds like we have pizza alot and honest we don't - but it is Dory's favorite food thing in the whole world. Never in my whole life have I seen a dog go so bananas over one particular food.

Tonight was no different, Dory had her traditional doggie food dinner, a romp in the yard, we ordered a small pizza, pepperoni and mushrooms and from the time the door bell rang she became a wild thing.

She could stare down a serial killer if he had a slice in his hand - I'm not kidding. Not since Garfield loved lasagna has an animal had such a love of an italian food. She loves pepperoni, sausage, onions, ANYTHING on a crust with sauce and cheese.

Tonight (and I pray my vet does't read this) she got her very own slice and is now peacefully sleeping. More than likely she is dreaming of a pepperoni with extra cheese!! Hey maybe we can make her a "Birthday Pizza" - only 16 days and counting until our Divine Miss Dory turns 4!!!!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night...

We just wanted to wish all our blogging Dogs With Blogs (DWB) friends, our friends from Labs4Rescue and everyone who makes this blog so fun to write - a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
We love having all of you (especially our Ohio State University friends – you know who you are) as part of our online circle of friends! So go out have some pie, spend time with those you love and reach out to friends who are far away during this very special time of year.
We will see you all when we get back to Massachusetts – the home of Plymouth Rock and the very first Thanksgiving in North America!!
As Dory pointed out to me on our visit to down to Plymouth, MA – even Plymouth Rock has a crate!!!