Roses Aren’t Red

… well, not all of ’em anyway.

Happy Thorsday (or whatever day you see this), little friday and Thankful Thursday.  The fast-paced, jam-packed schedule continues here, with no relief in sight until NEXT Sunday.

If you’re local and would like a complimentary early-bird ticket to Dogwood Deals, leave a comment or email me.

If you’re looking for fur-girl photos, click over.   I’ve missed two days of walks this week, but I did manage a couple of new photos and a post on their blog.

Thankfuls are even more important when I’m running ragged.  I’m thankful for a husband who will fix dinner, rolls with the punches when I deliver take-out at 9 pm, and who knows when I am fighting a migraine even before I do and urges me to go home, feed the dogs, and he’ll go to the next meeting alone.

I know I’m blessed to have a husband who also delivers the very best lunches on the very worst days at work.  I’ve written about Blue Ridge Pig before, and if you ever make it to Wintergreen, stop in and get a great sandwich and some of the dill potato salad.  I cannot find a similar recipe anywhere.  (Olive oil, dill and …?)

There are no coincidences; I landed a great job that gives me a sense of purpose.  It’s sad that our happy little quintet drops to a trio tomorrow, but ebb and flow… and I’m glad I got to know A and B, and I hope the next chapters of their lives are happy and  productive.

And there’s no denying how much two furry lumps squeezed against me makes the world a better place.  Gg rarely misses a chance to be a lapdog, but Sis doesn’t always grace me with her presence in such a close fashion.  I am missed, I am love, and I am honored.

Where would I be though without my friends?  Thank  you for checking in on me, and thanks to those locals who are on the hamster wheel with me.   It will all be worth it!!

 

Snow Bunny

Happy Thorsday, little friday, Thankful Thursday and snow day!  Just to prove me wrong, after I ratted the furgirls out in the post on their blog, they awoke and followed me to the deck landing for a QUICK photo shoot.  The Knight wanted to know what on earth we were doing, and I had to remind him that the girls don’t get free boxes from Chewy just because they’re cute; they have to work for their rewards!

Regular readers know the routine.  Each month, Chewy offers us an opportunity to review a product of our choice, from an ever-changing list of treats.  This month, we tried the Wysong Dream Freeze-Dried Rabbit Treats.   They are the new favorite… worth getting out of bed and braving the snow.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but it’s still exciting when we find quality food and treats Sissy can eat, and Chewy has something on the list almost every month.  Rabbit was the first safe protein source for Sissy, and she seems to have a special fondness for it.  Plus, it’s not a routine flavor, so that makes it a real treat too.

These aren’t hard, crunchy biscuits.  They’re dried meat discs, and they are easily broken for sharing with a little sister.  As you can see, Gretchen thinks they’re pretty awesome too.  Add in that “made in the USA” fact and you really have a great treat for your cat, dog or ferret.  They are designed to be part of a raw food diet, but your dog (or cat or ferret) will enjoy them whether you feed raw or not.

There’s so much to be thankful for today!  I’m delighted with our significant snow.  I’m glad the Knight is feeling better after a nasty chest cold.  And more broken recordness, but I appreciate having a job where I don’t have to try to get to work.  I loved my career as a firefighter, but there was no calling in because I couldn’t get out of my driveway.  Of course, we all like being a part of the Chewy Blogger Outreach program too.  Clearly, the opinions expressed are our own.

What are you thankful for today?

 

 

Casual and Corduroy

Just when you thought I’d finally grown up and learned how to dress myself…

Won’t happen.  Ever.

See, I was raised old school and preppy.  I joke that my stepmom is the real Emily Post.  Long-time readers might recall that I was smitten by and purchased some yellow suede sandals, but in the heart of winter, when I can’t remember what a not-salted sidewalk looks like, I’m here to tell you…  I need to admire suede from a distance.

Pucker up, Mama!

I digress.  I don’t wear white after Labor Day, even though it’s on trend this winter.  Here’s the problem…  I had no business wearing white (or cream or pale pink or…) before I took a job with four mechanics and gallons of grease of every variety.  Have you seen Sissy?  The girl greets me with her front paws in my hands (and yeah, I grab them every time) and slurps a big, wet kiss across whatever she can reach.  Gretchen Greer requires constant physical contact, and we live in the land of red clay.

Anyway, now I’m wondering when I should retire my beloved green cords – very narrow whale, in both skinny jeans and a tunic – and when I can bring out my lace and eyelet, because sturdy girl that I am, I still love me some lace, eyelets, pearls and … ooh, shiny!

See, as confident as I am, I am also a rule-follower, so don’t just tell me not to let trends dictate what makes me happy, wear what makes me happy, etc.  I’m fine bucking a trend… as long as Miss Manners agrees.

Celebration!

Today marks a milestone for Sissy and her eye care.   She and Gretchen celebrated with some new treats I’ll review on Thursday, but you get to hear that Kathyb won the Cheesecake Queen contest!  I love Dreamcicle anything, and salted caramel anything too, so what’s not to love?!  Kath, email me and we’ll get that digital book in your … hands?

While we’re talking about salted caramel, you need to know about my new favorite bar.  I eat it for breakfast, for a snack… it’s perfect anytime you need a little protein, fiber and CHOCOLATE.

Am I the last person ever to find out how awesome KIND bars are?!  What’s your favorite flavor?  I have others to try, but honestly… this is so incredible I’m not open to trying new things, even if they might be wonderful too.

What’s your latest find?

Recipe for a great book

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday and everything else!  Gretchen wants to know what you thought of all of the dog commercials during the Super Bowl,  but I want to talk about dogs, magic, baking and books!

Two different authors stumbled upon a great recipe for a cozy series.  You take a bakery, add some magic, a sassy, smart terrier, a couple of hunky (human!) men, well-meaning family, and voila!  Each series also has a firefighter or two in it, so seriously… what’s not to love?!

Naturally, after just finishing Pride and Prejudice, I jumped into Pies and Prejudice, the first book in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries, another series by Ellery Adams.  Just look at the cute cuss, Charleston Chew, aka: Chewy!  What else do you need to know?!

Ella Mae LaFaye heads home after catching her husband red-head-handed, and opens a pie shop with her mom and aunts as not so silent partners.  Of course, heading home means lots of conflict with her childhood nemesis and finding an old flame or two.  You can see the magic in the pies on the cover art, but you’ll have to read the book to figure it out!

#2 in the series is Peach Pies and Alibis, and #3 is already out… but my librarian hasn’t sent it to me yet.  Think Steel Magnolias meets Charmed… in a pie shop, with a firefighter who also owns the local doggy daycare.  (Oh Gretchen…  I think Chewy wants you to attend school with him…)

In the same but different vein comes The Lightfoot Chronicles by Bailey Cates, starting with Brownies and Broomsticks.  Don’t be fooled by Honeybee the cat on the cover; the reader quickly meets Mungo, a black Cairn terrier who adopts Katie Lightfoot when she ditches her former fiance and moves to Savannah to open a bakery with her aunt and uncle.  Her uncle’s a retired fire chief, but her aunt is a hedgewitch… not that Katie knows that before we all find out as the story unfolds.  Of course, her uncle has a favorite firefighter about Katie’s age… but Katie also is drawn to a local reporter…

I devoured book #2 in this series too.  Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti is heavy on the magic, but most of the witches have pet familiars, so Mungo and Honeybee have play dates with a parrot and a Great Dane too.  If you aren’t comfortable with magic as a rather real part of life (and the plot!) this series definitely isn’t for you, but it’s really no darker than MacBeth and the three witches.

Both series also feature some tempting recipes at the end of each book.  Have you ever used a recipe from a work of fiction?

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give thanks for the Knight and his knack for finding things I can’t put my hands on… and they’re usually somewhere I’d already looked (and looked right over them, somehow).  I’m also grateful for the very devoted DIVA who paces with me when I’m a little manic, and for the sweet little snuggler always waiting for me to be still long enough for her to help soothe me.

And I can’t thank you enough.  Friends both near and far have been so very supportive, and it means more than I can say.  I’m pretty sure I’ve never been so tardy with thank you notes, but what’s truly special about my friends and family is you know that and I don’t even need to apologize for falling off the Emily Post wagon.   I am blessed, and I know it.