Indy's Favorite Things

If Oprah can do it, so can we. Do what you ask? Why, talk about our favorite things, of course. So for your gift giving pleasure, Indy and Bogey are going to let you know what gifts put the pitter-patter in critter hearts.

First we have Indy's holiday picks.

1. A delectable delicious chewy bone. There are few things more delightful than gnawing on a flavored chew bone. Indy loves them all, from softer dental chewies to hard nylon bones such as those made by Nylabone. Nylabone lasts longer than any other chewy and Indy keeps a stash on hand at all times. Happy chewing!

2. Any plush toy with a concealed squeaker. Indy's older and a bit hard of hearing, but a loud high-pitched squeaky toy is still able to perk up his ears. Beware, though, if your dog is a squeak-removal expert. We certainly don't want you to spend Christmas in the emergency vet clinic.

3. Unlike Santa hats and mufflers, a soft comfy dog sweater is a clothing item Indy enjoys wearing. Find a sweater that is not too snug and not too loose. It will help keep old bones warm when the thermometer drops. If your dog has never worn a sweater before, let him/her slowly get used to having it on. You'll soon have a true canine fashionista on your hands.

4. Plush fleece-type bed topper. Indy has several beds throughout the house and insists on snuggling in fluffy layers of softness. Plush blankets are fairly inexpensive, but here's an even cheaper option. Go to the fabric store and buy a couple of yards of plush fleece material. Fold it and place on top of your pup's bed. No hemming needed. Ahhhhh. Now that's luxury!

5. A personalized bandana. Indy has several that range from a checkered flag pattern to snowmen to red-white-and blue. Each one has "Indy" embroidered in a contrasting color. You can find a ton of sizes, patterns, and colors at K9Design. We've ordered from them several times. They do good work and have always gotten the finished product to us FAST. What stylish dog wouldn't want a wardrobe of bandanas?

Okay, there you have it. Indy's top five favorite things. Bogey is now hard at work on his list. We'll share it with you next time.

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

A Thanksgiving Public Service Announcement from Critter Alley:

Thanksgiving is a time for us to give thanks, and overindulge in a table laden with goodies. We all know what it's like to feel those pants pinch after the Thanksgiving feast. But too much of a good thing for pets can result in a trip to the emergency clinic.

A nibble of cooked turkey or taste of sweet potatoes shouldn't hurt a healthy pet, but never let him/her have too much. Vet visits soar after Thanksgiving due to pancreatitis, a serious condition resulting in pain and a host of gastrointestinal problems for pets who have gobbled rich foods.

Back to Our Regular Programming:

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Critter Alley readers. We know it takes time to visit, and we appreciate you stopping by to read a story or leave a comment. Our Blogger Buddies are the best and we gratefully send you this Thanksgiving wish:

May your day be filled with the love of family and friends, bountiful food, and much laughter. Be safe in travel or safe at home, and may your blessings always far outweigh your woes.

Giving Thanks

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is a mere few days away. I'm happy, though. We have so many things for which to be grateful this year.

Health scares have been turned into sighs of relief. We all are fortunate to have decent jobs. No one lives so far away that they can't be home in a heartbeat. And an elderly aunt who endured several years of the indignities brought on by end-stage dementia has finally been released from her suffering. Thanksgiving will be a time for us to sit back, breathe, and know that everything is as it should be.

Since Thanksgiving is "my" holiday, I need to prepare for company. I've made lists (checking them twice) and will soon be filling my grocery cart with delectable goodies. There's nothing like the scent of Thanksgiving Day. I can smell the mouth-watering aromas of turkey, pumpkin, and cinnamon now.

Unfortunately, I can smell something else, too. This has added yet another task to my list...

He-he! I'm thankful to be a self-service hygiene expert. 

It's That Time Again

I put Bogey's little crate on the floor so he can climb in and out at will. It's good to keep him looking at the crate as entertainment. After all, there's nothing horrifying about crates, is there?

Wait a minute. The vet sent an email saying it's time for WHAT?

Looking for a Mini-Me?

I have a very talented blogger buddy. She can crochet anything. And I do mean anything.

Each one of the above pictured critters were modeled from a photograph. Yep, that's right. A pet owner can send photos of their kitty, pup, squirrel...you name it, and Miss Lynne will create a "mini-me" version of the original. These awesome one-of-a-kind creations would make a perfect gift, Christmas ornament, collectible for display, or new pal just to hang out with.

For details on how to purchase your own mini-me, hop over to check out the Mini-Me Shop. You'll be amazed at the sample pictures.

Lynne is also a very talented watercolor artist, not to mention Chief Blog Secretary for her cutie-pie chihuahua kids. I always enjoy visiting Dip-Dip and the Bridge for news from across the pond. You will, too. But be forewarned...today's post is a bit, well, "R" rated.

A Mini-Nano Tale

Is our face red! We volunteered to write a chapter in the NaNo saga of a dog named Petey searching for his master. We didn't realize that today was our day! Yikes!

Under the theory better late than never, here it is. For Part 1, please visit Roccos House. You will be led to the next part of the story via a link.

******

I look high and then higher still. Standing in the light of the full moon is the outline of an enormous beast, his nose pointing to the heavens, sniffing the wind. My belly drops to the ground, my ears flatten, and I lie very still, barely breathing, uncertain what to do next. The beast takes a step and then stops, sniffing the air again. He shakes his head and I hear a deep rumble come from his throat. 

In seconds that feel like hours, I think about my master. Of the day he found me, a hopeless and starving street dog. How he took me home and lovingly nursed me back to health. He saved my life. I cannot turn tail and run. I cannot give up. No matter the obstacle, I must find my master. A shiver ripples through my body, but I crawl slowly forward. The head of the beast lowers until I can see the bright reflection of moonlight glint from his eyes as they lock on mine. I leap to my feet and keep my legs stiff as the hairs across my shoulders rise. My lip lifts in a snarl worthy of a guard dog three times my size. 

The beast crouches and then launches himself toward me. 

*****
For the next installment of this NaNo story, please visit Kari Neumeyer. 

The Reveal

Here it is! My neeeeeew bathroom! Because the bathroom is tiny, I didn't have a way to take all those lovely decorating magazine photos. So here we go, in bits and pieces...

Meet my new vanity and brushed nickel fixtures.

Here's a look at the new lights, mirror, wainscoting, and a handy dandy wall cabinet. I ordered the wall cabinet on line. Imagine my surprise when it arrived in 8 flat pieces. I thought the darn thing would come assembled, but no such luck. Thank goodness for a son who is willing to put things together for his all-thumbs mom.

How about this shower? The contractor even built a small corner seat for me. Oh, the luxury! My first use of the shower was quite an adventure. The water barely trickled from the shower head. Back came the contractor to remove the "regulator". Now the water comes out so hard it stings. Maybe it will beat my skin back into its youth. Or beat me to death. One or the other.

I wanted a basket weave pattern in green for the floor and could only do it with marble tile. The contractor stressed that I needed to seal it because marble is a soft stone. Imagine the fun I had sealing all those little pieces.

I love it. The tile man told me the finished room reminded him of the way bathrooms look on the east coast. A "beachy" look was exactly what I wanted, so I call this remodel a SUCCESS...but I'm even more happy it's finally done.

Have you tackled any remodeling projects lately?

Projects, Projects

If you have a writer friend who has recently disappeared, you may wonder what happened. I'm betting your pal is participating in NaNoWriMo. As many of you know, November is National Novel Writing Month, affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo. The challenge is to get at least 50,000 words toward a novel on paper. You can outline and think about your story all you want, but can't begin writing it until November 1. Likewise, you must stop writing by midnight on November 30.

I've done the challenge 3 out of the past 5 years and reached my goal each time. It's stressful, but definitely exhilarating. This year I opted out, which makes me feel like a real slacker. After all, NaNo is addicting in a stuff-yourself-with-carbs kind of way, but I'm going cold turkey...until next year.

To appease the guilt gods I plan to drag out my last year's NaNo project this month and focus on trying to turn it into a real book. Haven't started revising yet, mind you, but it's on my list.

Other things have been taking up my time. Aside from my sister's health issues (Update: final pathology report showed everything benign! Thanks again for your prayers and positive thoughts), I've been working on another project.

I hate it when Mom does a project.

  










Mom's projects live in Snooze City.

I am doing a bathroom remodel and have a few post-project observations. First, who'd ever imagine redoing such a tiny bathroom would take so much time and cost so much money? Second, know what the contractor will and won't do. For example, I had to do the wall prep, painting, and sealing of floor/grout. I hadn't planned on that.

Anyway, here are a few of the "before" pictures.

Old oak cabinet and tacky linoleum floor in very sorry shape.

Fiberglass surround shower, with plenty of cracks, leaks and messy problems.

The contractor stripped the bathroom down to the studs. Now, nearly 3 weeks later, the job is complete. I'm pretty pleased with it and will post the "after" pictures later this week.

Thank You SO Much!

Just a quick update...

My sister had surgery today. We were told the surgery would take 1-2 hours. As time ticked by, my stomach became more and more queasy. Extended time had to mean more problems, more complications. Fears began to multiply despite my resolve to stay positive.

But when the "update" board showed surgery had ended and my sister had been moved to the recovery room, no doc appeared to talk to us. Could the doc be conferring with the oncologist for a treatment plan? Even the desk volunteer wondered why the doc hadn't come down yet to see us.

Agonizing minutes passed until finally the doc arrived. She took us back to the private room set aside for "physician consultation". I felt numb as I sat on the edge of my chair, barely breathing.

Then the doc told us preliminary biopsy results looked good, and said my sister did well during surgery. They will send out for a more detailed lab report to ensure that nothing was missed, but overall both docs were pleased with what they saw.

I felt like a two ton weight had been lifted, especially after hearing the oncologist's statements three weeks ago (yep, they made her wait 3 weeks for answers). At that time things did not look very hopeful for good news.

I fully believe that all the prayers, positive energy, and well wishes directed her way made all the difference.

THANK YOU BLOGGER BUDDIES, so very much for your support. You are the best!

A Call Out for Help from Our Blogger Buddies

Isn't it strange how all the troubles of the world and scary news reports fade into insignificance when someone you love develops an urgent problem?

My sister will have major surgery on Monday. Some of her test results were unexpected and alarming. Now the doctor is telling her there is a 50-50 chance he will find cancer. We are focusing on the positive...i.e. chances are just as good things will turn out well as not.

I do believe in the power of prayer and am asking a huge favor. Would our blogger buddies send prayers and/or healing thoughts her way for the best possible outcomes on Monday? We need a strong positive force to guide the surgeon's hands, a healing presence, and good news. I know having an army of people behind her will make a huge difference.

Thank you so much for your help. I'll report back next week.