Revelations of a Stormy Night

Two Things I know!

It finally stopped raining a few minutes ago.
Mom and I stepped out on the back porch...
she to survey Lake Comet...
me to go boom.
Within three feet of the door...
FLASHBAM!
Mom shouted "GET IN THE HOUSE!"
AND I DID.
Mom thinks lightning struck a block from here.
I don't know about that...
but I DO know two things:

1. I can wait till morning to go boom!
2. My chair is a good place to be!

Resemblance, Anyone?

Whattaya think?

Auntie Dav gave Mom this really great coffee mug
in her Easter Basket.
It reminds me of someone...
but I can't quite put a paw on it.

(Literally... Mom has forbidden me to put a paw on it!)

It's been a Great Birthday Weekend!

But I'm pooped...

Take my picture...
but don't even think of taking my toys!

Lovin' My Gifts From Lovey!

That girl's got great taste... in toys AND treats!

(Front row, left to right: Effy and Terry... the Terrapin, of course; Back row: double meat dingo bone (try and take that from me), mailman cookie (snicker!!!!), mini-Buddy Biscuits (my favorites as everybody knows)... and yogurt drops for dessert!!!)

ENOUGH WITH THE PICTURES...
GIMME GIMME GIMME!

All Play Every Day!

I got a birthday card from Auntie Dav and Lovey!

I love stretccchhhing out this birthday thing!

(We love them, too... LOTS!)

In Loving Memory of Wellington P Bonaparte

My Brother

Born April 19, 1984

My birthday is always full of fun and frivolity, songs and good food. But there are also quiet moments... moments when Mom prays over me, with her hand caressing my neck... and moments when she tells me stories... about my birth and adoption, and about my brother, Wellington.

Wellington left our world in the summer of 2001. He was over 17 years old. I was just over 2 years old. In that two years we shared together, I remember many things:

1. He knew everything. He knew how to be.
2. He could hold it forever (unfathomable to me at the time).
3. And when it was time, he knew where to pee... and poop. (Ok, I admit it... I was confused for a while).
4. He knew how... and when... to sleep. (Again... me... confused).
5. He knew how to fetch. He knew if Mom threw it, she meant for it to be brought back to her. (I still don't get that... if she throws it, doesn't that mean she doesn't want it???). And he knew what "I can't reach it" meant. (Again with the confusion).
6. He was our protector. He was suspicious and intuitive... me, not so much so.
7. He comforted Mom in a way I didn't know how... but I've learned.
8. He was the best early morning eye licker in the world... paws down.
9. He savored his food and preferred Mom's company to the isolation of our food bowls... making him an easy mark for swiping food.
10. He knew that paper is not a food group... though I'm still not convinced.

And here's what I've learned from the stories:

1. When we tracked in dirt and mud, and Mom asked, "Were you born in a barn???"... he could, legitimately answer... 'why, yes... yes, I was' ".
2. He had broad horizons and lived lots of places, adapting well to every one of them: Melrose (farm) to Austin (townhouse) to Nacogdoches (house to house) to College Station (house) to Bryan (house) to Houston (apartment to house to house to townhouse).
3. Grandpa gave him his middle initial, 'P'... for what Mom calls all the obvious reasons.
4. He had the good fortune to know his Grandma and Grandpa and all of their love. I wasn't born in time to know them... but Mom is sure they love me, too.
5. He was there for Mom through all of her losses.
6. I was there for her when she lost Wellington. I learned how... from him.

Other Fond Birthday Memories

Dinner In My Belly...
Peakin' Out the Window with Piggy Hoo Hoo

And now bedtime...
Wif Bunny, Piggy Hoo Hoo, My New Woostah... and my favawit waindeah...

It's been a most excellent day!

Birthday Loot: The Lineup

Missing in Action is Piggy Hoo Hoo...

(Pictured front row, left to right: Lammy 3 in Blue, Obby-Nockshus Woostah,
Birfday Bunny and Hank the Honkin Duck; back row: Flammy-Ingo in bikini).

I spy Piggy Hoo Hoo...!

And a special thanks to Auntie Dav for calling...
to Auntie M and ShineyBoBeany for calling and singing to me...
to Aunties W & KL, and TuTu for email wishes...
to Uncle Stevey for the special birthday message...
and for everyone who passed along good wishes to me through Mom!

Five Good Things About My Birthday!

One: Mom made it home a little early today!
Two: The landscape man came today! And I barked!
Three: Mowed lawn = Good shnoofin'!

Four: Foiling Photo Ops is good Birthday fun!

Five: Lemme In! And bring on the Birthday Hamburger!

Get the Party Started!

It's 6:00am,
MY BIRTHDAY
...and I got a bangin' (well, more like a honkin') bunny!

Mom is dressing like she's going to work.
Don't the people at the milk bone factory know it's my birthday???

Wake Up! It's My Birthday!

Wake up! It's 5:15am and it's my birthday!
I started my day my favorite way...

SMOOCHES,
MAMA HUMMING THE BIRTHDAY SONG...
AND WHISPERING THE TALE OF THE PURPLE TAIL!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

Somebody's celebrating a Birthday tomorrow!

Can't guess???
Here's a little a hint!

Yours truly, Miss C!

Scrapbook Photo Memory

Happy Day!

Sometimes...
when the news is sad, and the weather is gloomy...
you have to think about happy times!

And sometimes...
I just marvel at how pretty I am!

Today was a sad, sad day.

I don't understand evil... evil thoughts or evil ways.

I know sadness, though... and gratitude.
And tonight, I'll lie in bed,nestled in Mama's arms.
And I'll be grateful for every minute we spend together.

And we'll shed a tear and pray,
for those that lost their lives today.

Our sincere condolences, sympathy and prayers go out to
those touched by the tragic events on the Virginia Tech campus.
And we thank God that Uncle Patrick is ok.

Gosh... Blatant Golden Retriever Post

Wow. I guess I did Easter up so well that almost all my 'Ads by Google' are Easter ads, instead of golden retriever content!

This is my feable effort to beat the spybot system!

Golden retriever. Golden retriever. Golden retriever. Golden retriver. Golden retriever. And other dogs, too. Australian Shepherd, Pekingese, Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Rotweiller, Dachshund, Poodle, German Shepherd, Chow, German Short-haired Pointer, Airedale, Beagle, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rat terrier, Shih Tzu, Pomeranian, Mutt, Heinz 57.

And for my kitty friends... Persian, Maine Coon, Tabby, Persian, Manx...

I know, I know... but even a sweet little golden retriever like me has to think about her college fund!

And while we're on that subject... clicking on the links under "Feed Me A Doggy Treat"... pays a teeny tiny portion of the future tuition for my journalism (more like creative writing) degree!

And it doesn't cost you anything to click the link! So click it click it click it click it click it... you get my point! >:-)

goldens postulate no. 4: a rebuttal to criticism

Having received a firestorm of rebukes, criticisms and skepticism, I must rebut (or repatooty, as the case may be!).

First, let me remind you of that famous quote by Phil Pastoret:

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give Fido only two of them.

Second, check THIS out!

And if you're still skeptical... this!

Late Breaking News... Death Toll Ticker

Sammy..... 15
Squirrels..... 0

goldens postulate no. 4: theory of economic relativity

E = (m x C) squared... x infinity

So... Mom spent $89.26 at PetsMart (or is that PetSmart) yesterday. And after she lugged in the all that food, she presented me with her receipt and muttered something about how I needed to get a job.

Well, that got me to thinking (disregarding taxes, because thank God, Uncle Sam ain't figured out how to tax ME yet!)

• $42.99 for 35 pounds of dry... @ 2 cups per day = 30 days, so $1.43 per day.
• $15.48 for 12 cans of wet... @ 1/2 can per day =24 days, so $0.65 per day.
• $23.99 for 120 tablets of glucosomine... @ 1 per day = 120 days, so $0.20 per day.
• $4.99 for Dingo Outback Bites... @ 2 per day = 21 days, so $0.24 per day.
• $4.49 for Buddy Biscuits... @ 1 per day = 28 days, so $0.16 per day.
• $5.00 (average) for one toy... @ 1 per 10 days, so $0.50 per day.

That adds up to a teeny weeny $3.18 per day.

Now if you add in doctor's bills, dental cleaning and miscellaneous treatments (heartworm and skeeter goop)...

• $700.00 per year... so $1.92 per day.

And that raises the total to a mere $5.10 per day. And applied to the theorem of economic relativity, here's how it plays out:

Entertainment (value) = (money x Comet) squared x infinity

E = ($5.10 x Comet) squared x infinity

E = PRICELESS

Dear Diary (while America is Idle)

Mom watches this silly show every Tuesday and Wednesday nights lately.

It features a lot of howlin', a little spittin', a dog impersonator (sometimes Afghan, sometimes unclipped Airedale, sometimes Rhodesian Ridgeback, and tonight... poodle!), and Dr. Doolittle's daughter... who's clearly got it goin' on!

So here's what I'm thinkin' and doin' while Mom is distracted with America Is Idle:

1. That new little dog in the back corner of the yard... is a nuisance. Doesn't she understand the rules of the Golden queendom?
2. I can really mop the floor with my Easter Bunny! Seriously, she rocks!
3. Ho hum ho hum with the text messaging, Mom!
4. Sighin' really big sighs. They're not altogether effective... but I DO get my head rubbed!
5. My birth mom's name was Haley... she bore not the slightest resemblance...

Dear Diary, Contract Renewed!

Mom came home with a PetsMart receipt for $89.26...

Along with a 35 pound bag of Science Diet Nature's Best Chicken,
twelve cans of Savory Chicken,
a Bottle of Glucosomine with Vitamin C,

and the news that my contract has been renewed!

(Of course, she says that every time she brings home food!...

She's such a tough negotiator!)

Easter Sunday and Rasslin' with the Bunny!

It's been a wonderful Easter Sunday!

I've been rasslin' with the Easter Bunny a large portion of the day! He's on the bed, he's off the bed... he's back on the bed... he's flying to the kitchen for breakfast... to the sofa... to the back door...!

Mom's been sneaking up behind me trying to document me in the act of bunny abuse, but I'm too smart. Heehee. You see, it's a cold, dark day... and by the time she gets the camera adjusted for the light, I'm behaving properly! Hehheh. I've really got her number!

Happy Easter All!

To everyone I love...
and to everyone else I've never met...

Graphic by Angi Laframboise
who has an online gallery of really great work!
Of course, her golden retriever t-shirts, buttons, journals, coffee cups
and a ton of other neat things... are just awesome!

Enough with the Easter Photos!

Gimme that Bunny!!!

(and the eggs she laid!)

Me and My Easter Basket!

I got an Easter Basket! I got an Easter Basket!

(And if you listen closely,
you can hear Mom saying
"Stay... Stay... Stay...".)

Easter Bunny Visits Early!

The Easter Bunny rang the doorbell tonight!

Mom and I briefly debated... for whom the basket was delivered!
The eggs would reveal the mystery!
As Mom dreamed of chocolate,
I dreamed of chicken, pork and beef...
and wheat gluten free, tasty treats!

And what to our wondering tastebuds do we find,
but healthy, holistic, corn and wheat free treats
(and not a speck of chocolate)
... ALL MINE!

Curious, Mom called Auntie S...
Did she see anything?
Well, yes... Auntie S happened on our front porch tonight...
and saw the Easter Bunny, delivering this basket!

Word on the street has it that my boyfriend,
Sammy, enjoyed the same bunny treats!
Word... Dude!

A special thanks to Auntie S for her generous support of,
and testimony in behalf of the Easter Bunny.

Dear Diary: Why We Need a Cat

I was just thinking it would be really cool if we had a cat around here...



Hat tip to Sammy! It was HIS idea!

Dear Diary

I spent an hour or so this morning doing a google search and then, ultimately, jotting letters to Macy's, JCPenney, Bed Bath & Beyond and other major retailers... pitching an ingenious product I'm developing.

I should probably keep this to myself until my patent comes through... but I know you, Dear Diary, can keep a secret!

My invention???

A kevlar comforter!

Dear Diary

Barrel racing on the bed is so much fun! I ran a clean and competitive round while Mom was in the shower this morning.

It seems, in my fervor for a personal best... I ripped the comforter slightly about 12". I tried to lay on it so that Mom wouldn't discover it until this afternoon, but alas... I got so happy about something else that I moved.

Mom said, and I quote... "I could just kill you... or crawl back in the bed and love you to death".

In her defense, that ole gal is pretty patient with me. And I guess if this were the first time, she wouldn't have taken the news so hard. In actuality, this will be the fifth comforter that we've had to lay to rest, but only the second one since January 6th.

You're wondering what Mom decided to do to me...

She sighed deeply, sat quietly on the end of the bed... and rubbed my head. And I gave her my repentant look. I'll do my best, I said...

Dear Diary

I'm at peace with eating peoples foods... but now my Dingo chicken jerky is tainted with salmon-ella???

I'll join Mom in her march to Washington and the Effy-Dee-Ay over that one!

That just ain't right.