ToadMama's Web Abode

Taste-Free Christmas Videos

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:30:00 +0000

These videos aren't all taste-free (aka "tacky"). The ones that are not taste-free, however, are pretty annoying. In a cute sort of way.

Oh, and remember they are videos. They do have sound. So if you're trying to be at all inconspicuous, you may want to come back later to watch.

If you are starting to believe I am obsessed with animals, you are not alone...

Virtually Extend Your Family

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:10:00 +0000

As my regular readers know, Hubby and I have three dogs. Three "rescue" dogs to be more precise. Hubby likes to call them USED DOGS. Affectionately, of course. Our previous dog, CeCe, was a rescue, too.

CeCe is the primary reason we have stayed involved in the rescue effort. We don't do nearly as much as some people, but we do what we can. We have fostered dogs, helped transport dogs and have even pulled dogs out of area shelters (when asked).

One of the things I try to help with is the gift-wrapping effort during the holiday season. American Brittany Rescue (ABR) volunteers organize and staff gift-wrapping tables for various merchants across the United States. Not just to raise money, which is always welcome, of course, but to spread the word about rescue.

The dog shown above is Bodie. That's his Mom, Andrea, who adopted him through ABR,
trying to get him to pose for me. Andrea volunteers a huge chunk of her time doing a wide
variety of work for ABR, including coordinating the efforts in several states.

You'd be surprised how many people know very little about dog rescue. Many people believe the SPCA and animal shelters are the only places you can go to adopt a homeless pet. They don't know about breed-specific rescue groups like ABR and the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network (NBRAN). Not to mention the many groups that take in all kinds of dogs, cats and other critters in need of homes.

The conversations I and fellow volunteers have with people during these events is what I enjoy most. I really hate the begging for donations part, but someone has to do it.

Here are some of the common questions we get:

1. What is a Brittany? (It's sort of an uncommon breed. The answer is long, so you'll have to CLICK HERE if you really want to know.)

2. Are all of these dogs [in the pictures around the gift wrapping table] available for adoption? (Not now, but they were at one time.)

3. Is this dog available for adoption? (Sometimes we take real, live ambassadors along, as shown in the picture above. It could be a foster dog, or, as with Bodie, they are former fosters who have been adopted.)

4. Why just focus on one breed? Why not help all dogs? (There are actually a lot of breed-specific rescue groups. As the ABR Web site explains... ABR began "as a cooperative effort of Brittany owners, breeders, trialers and fanciers who believe we have a responsibility not only for our own dogs and the dogs we produce, but for our breed as a whole. Because many rescue dogs can be traced 1-3 generations back to a recognized breeder, we believe all breeders should take it upon themselves to assist Brittanys in need." Breed-specific groups like ABR, NBRAN and other organizations specializing in dogs of one breed, are great places to get dogs because they know so much about the overall traits and characteristics of that particular breed.)

5. Why is it so important to know the traits and characteristics? Isn't a dog a dog? (Nope. Dogs were bred for specific purposes and, as a result, tend to exhibit certain behaviors people should really be aware of before adopting a dog. Brittanys, for example, tend to be very energetic and need lots of exercise. They are people dogs and don't always do well when left alone for long periods. They are also hunting dogs and some have pretty strong prey drives, so you'd want to make sure they are cat-friendly, for example, before placing them in a home with a cat.)

6. How do you know if a dog is cat-friendly? Don't all dogs chase cats? (To an extent, yes. But there's a huge difference between being interested in what a cat is doing/wanting to play with a cat and wanting to EAT a cat. The latter is not cat-friendly.)

7. Aside from giving money, what else can we do to help? (Rescue groups are almost always in need of foster homes. That's where a dog lives with you and you feed, love and keep it safe, teach it good doggy manners, etc., until a home becomes available. You can agree to make phone calls to check with veterinarians of potential adopters. You can do home visits when there's a potential adopter in your area.)

Of course, donations are never bad and are almost always needed. Which (finally!) brings me to the point of this post. You can...

Extend Your Family Without
Bringing A Dog Into Your Home.

If you want to, of course. I'm not trying to be pushy and shove dog rescue down your throat. But I thought this was such a good idea and so well-done that I just HAD to share.

Our three girls are all rescues.
And they're all great dogs!
L-R are Belle, Meg and K.

Ten Taste-Free Gifts

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Looking for something to buy that no-so-special someone this holiday season?

I figured I would help you with ten totally taste-free gift ideas. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Here's a very special COFFEE MUG.

2. Is there a man in your life who is very proud of his big, manly truck? If so, here's a fake magnetic BUMPER STICKER for him.

3. Here's a neat gift for someone AT YOUR OFFICE who is frustrated by visitors dropping in, unannounced.

4. This one is sure to be a hit at the office. The recipient will no longer have to struggle over TOUGH DECISIONS.

5. Speaking of executive decisions, this one is sure to be a HIT AT MEETINGS.

6. For your perpetually single friends, here's one for the LADIES. And we can't forget one for the MEN.

7. This has got to be the perfect gift for someone that just moved into a new house/apartment/parent's basement that can't afford FURNITURE. If you really wanna splurge, you should get them A COUPLE OF THESE, too.

8. Looking to LIVEN UP the holiday family photo?

9. Know anyone that already has every Christmas decoration imaginable on display? You really can ENHANCE THEIR COLLECTION.

10. This one is really for those of you that just like to pull stuff over on people and/or see HOW OBSERVANT folks really are.

You can't say I didn't try to help solve your gift-giving dilemmas.

- - - - -

FibroDuck made THE NEWS!

Remember FibroDuck?

Wanna SEE ALL MY FIBRODUCK images?

Then click on that link. The one that says "see all my FibroDuck images"!

How Much is That Chick in the Window?

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Here's something new, which I think is quite taste-less.

I Just HAD to Share

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Every now and then I come across stuff on the Internet that I just feel compelled to share with people. It could be something that touched my heart, or that I found disgusting, or humorous, or unbelievable. It could be anything that I read and thought to myself, "This is so good/interesting/funny/amusing/unbelievable/sad that I have to share it."

Like this secret I saw when I read this week's PostSecret blog:

Dear Frank,

Sunday I was with my boyfriend (we are both young Christians). I grabbed his laptop to go to the postsecret website. As I typed in the postsecret address the computer filled in the url with a pornography website.

I used my boyfriend's laptop again to look up postsecret and the computer filled in the url with recently visited sites about pre and post nuptial agreements.

In my attempts to read other people's secrets, I discovered his.

New secrets are posted every Sunday, which I why I didn't just link to this particular secret.

Hopefully the person who submitted this secret has sense enough to RUN, not walk, away from this man.

Here's something completely unrelated to the secret I shared with you above...

Now that we have three dogs, Hubby and I decided it might be a good idea to do some actual dog training.

Hubby has already started working on K so that she comes when he blows the whistle. She's getting it, but is easily distracted and, therefore, much harder to train than Meg and Belle.

It's not that Meg and Belle aren't trained. They know the basic stuff like "sit" and "down" and "come." But they're both bad about jumping on people to greet them. Belle is a barker. Neither of them know how to "stay" when told.

Since K is a more-challenging dog, I decided to look for a good, comprehensive dog training manual. I even went to the bookstore the other day, but didn't find one I liked. Then, last night, I stumbled across this ASPCA Web page, which has lots of articles on dog behavior. It is not just about training dogs either. There's a whole list of topics on understanding various dog behaviors, too. There's also information on rehoming a dog to help people decide if getting rid of there dog is really necessary and, if so, the proper way to go about rehoming.

There is a lot of good information there. If you have a dog, please visit the aforementioned informational page to see if there's anything that can help you.

Now, you know I had to share at least one video, right?

Following is the most inappropriate zoo commercial EVER...

Yes, it's a real commercial. And there are more like it for your viewing displeasure at ilovelocalcommercials.com.

Let's not forget my mission to find totally taste-free Christmas stuff...

I think that's enough sharing for today.

Putting My Foot in My ...

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:32:00 +0000

... mouth seems to be a habit of mine. I don't do it regularly, thank goodness, but when I do it, I do it. It's not that I am trying to be mean or anything. Just that I sometimes say things that offend people.

This time it was someone I don't even know. Someone I've never even met. I didn't even know her name until today. Not that I'm going to broadcast that name here...

I'll just call her SpunkyMom. She's the "older" woman I mentioned in my day-after-Thanksgiving post who had adopted K before us, but returned her after a couple of weeks. I reported in that obnoxious post that SpunkyMom had returned K after realizing "K has way too much energy."

I didn't choose SpunkyMom as a moniker for nothing.

SpunkyMom is actually one of my blog fans. She checks it out regularly to get K updates. (See, people? I told you there are folks that LIKE reading all the dog stuff and seeing the pics I post.)

SpunkyMom has not been able to comment for some reason (you are not alone, Spunky!). So she asked K's foster Mom to pass along this message:

"... I am not an old woman – I’m 65 years young with a young 40 year old daughter living at home with me and I didn’t give her up because she was too energetic for me but because I loved her so much in those two short weeks, loved her enough to realize she was unhappy being alone all day while we were at work – she cried when we left and often cried during the day according to the neighbors – and I wanted her to be happy – I knew she needed someone home during the day to be with her."

I really don't think SpunkyMom was offended, as in P-O'd. I think she just wanted to set the record straight. I admire that. I also admire the fact that she did, in fact, do the right thing. I can't imagine K being crated or even just left home alone all day.

Here's K on my lap as I work.

Typically, with rescue groups like NBRAN and ABR, adopters are required to sign a contract. One of the things on the contract has to do with allowing a six-month adjustment period. Sometimes, dogs have issues that just need time to resolve. I have to admit, I almost returned Meg. Until CeCe's foster mom, who I must have been whining to, reminded me of the six-month commitment.

Belle and K sleeping while I work.

Anyway... not all dogs fit all homes. The being home alone thing and crying thing weren't going to be resolved any time soon. NBRAN, being the responsible, dog-centric organization that it is, realized this and agreed that K could be returned.

SpunkyMom was right. Apparently no one realized K is a dog with separation anxiety (mild, I think). She lucked out finding a home with another young, energetic dog and me, a "regional employee" that works from my home office. Not to mention Hubby, aka "Dad." (I am "Mama" to the dogs.)

I mentioned the six-month commitment for a very specific reason. To point out that a lesser person, NOT someone like SpunkyMom, might have just dumped K somewhere. They might have been embarrassed to admit defeat. Or afraid they would never get the opportunity to adopt another dog.

So... the point of this long, rambling post is to tell SpunkyMom I am sorry. I assumed it was an energy thing mainly because I know I probably wouldn't be able to keep K sufficiently exercised if it weren't for Belle. The girl likes to run.

Actually, SpunkyMom, I should also thank you. Because K really is a perfect fit here. She's not a perfect dog, but none of her issues are insurmountable. And we do enjoy having her.

I promise to never again infer that you are old. Please feel free to check in for K updates.

- - - - -

I can't remember if I posted these here previously. The images that follow are examples of what has become typical behavior during my workday teleconferences.

World's Best Santa

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:34:00 +0000

Those crazy Swiss have done it again...

How does one determine who is the world's best Santa? Well, they go to the Santa Claus World Championships, of course.

I don't consider this taste-free. It sounds like fun to me. I mean, there's a Zipfybob Race for gosh sake. I'd be all over the Santa Creative event. And there's even SANTA KARAOKE! Karaoke!

If you would like to register to participate in next year's event with me, visit the the official Web site for more information.

By the way, how do you like this year's December Blog header (that image at the top of the page)?

Not-So-Great Christmas Gifts

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:53:00 +0000

ToadMama's Taste-Free Christmas continues with really crappy, tacky, ugly Christmas gifts. Not all are Christmas-themed, but all are, well, just plain weird.

Like this NUTCRACKER, which is, um, closely related to this CORKSCREW.

Here's a gift that KEEPS ON GIVING. And it's a gift pack, so you can share the love with four of your friends or loved ones. I'm not sure why SANTA isn't part of that gift pack, but you'll have to buy him separately. If you are into those kinds of Santas, that is. And if you really dig the reindeer, pictured at left, you can buy yourself A WHOLE HERD.

Here's something that really taste-free... a Talking Naughty Farting Santa. If you know someone who will like that, they would probably like a BULLSH*T BUTTON, too.

Looking to add some culture to your celebration this year? Try Pancho the Singing Chihuahua.

Are you thinking about remodeling your bathroom in 2010? If so, there's a great SOAP DISPENSER you might be interested in.

Ladies, here's a gift for the man in you life who is WAY too buff. His own BEER BELLY.

All-New Taste-Free Christmas 2009

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:33:00 +0000

Last year, I thought it would be fun to collect Christmas-related stuff that's ugly, gaudy, tacky, etc., to feature on my Blog. Because what's more fun than seeing the crazy stuff people think of to decorate with, give as gifts, sell, eat, etc.

I figured this video, which is one of my favorites from last year, would be a great way to kick things off.

I like this little game (sort of), too, which I think is actually more fun than tacky. For about 27 seconds.

If you come across any taste-free stuff worth sharing, do let me know. You can send me an e-mail at toadmama_space_@_gmail.com. (Yes, you will need to type that address in. If I actually posted my e-mails address, I'd get lots of spam.)

If you'd like to buy some taste-free stuff of your own with which to decorate your home this holiday season, look no further than good ole Walmart.com.

That's where you can find stuff like this 7' Pre-Lit Paradise Red Tinsel Artificial Christmas Tree, Red Lights. It was on clearance for just $88, but it's all sold out. Sorry.

And nothing says "Christmas" like some holographic palm trees and pink flamingos. Even if I lived in the desert, where it NEVER snowed or felt even remotely Wintry, I still don't think I would EVER think light-up palm trees are appropriate Christmas decor.

When it comes to taste-free, nothing beats some of the lovely inflatables you see nowadays. Like the 8' Tall Inflatable Penguins Mailing Letters to Santa. Or the Animated Air-blown Mickey and Minnie Candy Cottage. (As the one product reviewer noted, the size on this one is not listed. If it were, said reviewer "wouldn't of paid 99.00" if they'd known it was only five feet tall.) They also have an Air-blown Inflatable Skiing Santa. Ew.

If I'm being honest, which I always strive to do here on ToadMama's Web Abode, I have to admit when the inflatables first came out, I thought they were cool. Especially the snowmen...

... but only when used properly. You know, like one snowman, or even one snowman family like this one, in the middle of a yard.

Not like this. Many large inflatables crammed into one small space.

Seriously, how could someone think this looks nice?

The Day-After Doldrums

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Can I just say that I hate the term, "Black Friday"? I do. In all honesty, I hate what Black Friday has become. It's just one more example of the over-commercialization of Christmas.

Not that I am super (or even remotely) religious. But Christmas should be about families and friends sharing and treasuring the time together. Giving gifts if you want to and not because you feel like you have to. Gifts that you choose, that have some meaning or are special in some way.

Anyway... I won't go on and on.

Thinking about Christmas just puts me in a bad mood. So I'll talk about Thanksgiving instead, even if it is history.

This is the first time Hubby and I have spent Thanksgiving at the WV place. It was quiet. Very, very quiet. It also happened to be K's first time here. (Yep, I'm back to talking about dogs again.)

Poor K. She's only been with us for two weeks. Before that, it was three weeks in a foster home (don't worry, it was a great one). Prior to that, about two weeks with an older woman who adopted her and then realized K has way too much energy. Before that, a couple of weeks in the same foster home. And before that, she was in a shelter, but I don't know for how long.

To make a long story short, the girl has been around.

So, I wonder what she was thinking when she was loaded into a vehicle, AGAIN, and taken to a strange house? At least she was with us. But dogs don't get the concept of a vacation home. And it's tiny. Way smaller than the MD place. All of the floors are slippery, too. So not only is there no room to run, it's very hard for the dogs to run.

All in all, K seems to have adjusted to this house well, too. In the picture above, she's in her new bed. The one that I made too skinny. But all the dogs seems to like it.

Yesterday afternoon, I gave them all some treats. K is on one of the bigger beds in this image.

Anyway, K does seem to like it here, except for the fact that we can't let her off leash to run. She is one of those dogs that has a super-sensitive nose, and when she gets onto a scent, that's all she is focused on. So, until we teach her to come when called every single time, no matter what she is doing, she's going to be on a leash.

I feel bad, because Meg and Belle get to run ahead of us, fast, through the woods. But I'd feel worse if K disappeared, never to be seen by us again.

Speaking of running through the woods... it's hunting season. That time of year when we make the dogs wear their "don't shoot me" vests. So no idiot mistakes one of the dogs for a deer. I made Meg and C's vests, but I haven't gotten around to making vests for Belle and K. So, Belle had to borrow C's vest...

... which still says CeCe, by the way. I think C would understand.

Hopefully, before we come back, Belle and K will have their own vests to wear. They won't be blaze orange, though. I could tell you what color they will be, but what fun is that? Then you wouldn't have anything to look forward to!

Happy Thanksgiving!

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:57:00 +0000

I just had to take a moment to wish all of my family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

It's going to be a VERY quiet one for us this year. Just Hubby, the doggie-girls and me on a fog-enshrouded mountain.

No TV, so we won't even be watching any parades. Not that I am complaining.

This is the first time in many years that none of our kids have been with us for Thanksgiving dinner. Shannon is currently in Dubai. Amy and family are going to her in laws'. Eric will be dining with my parents.

I hope each and every one of you has a fabulous day.

- - - UPDATE - - -

Wanna know what a quiet Thanksgiving looks like?

Random Thoughts from ToadMama Herself

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:30:00 +0000

I like this guy. I've never seen one of his movies. But, after seeing him recently on 60 Minutes, I really, really like him. He makes low-budget movies that are extremely popular. But "Hollywood" says he's portraying black people in a bad light.

Even Spike Lee made some sort of disparaging comment about him. Butthead. I think Spike Lee is jealous. Tyler Perry, the guy I am talking about, has had five movies open as #1 at the box office in the last four years. Or something like that. So he must be doing something right.

And he's now at a place where he can give $1 million dollars to the NAACP. Keep bucking the trend, Tyler. And screw Spike Lee, who should be praising you for what you do.

He's one of Oprah's closest friends. Oprah said that herself. Why do I care?

I don't, really. I mean, it's cool that both of them have friends. We all need them.

So why GIVE YOU A LINK to that Oprah video? Because in it, she does a great job explaining "friends." Real friends. There is a difference between being friendly with a lot of people and having a lot of friends.

Being friends with someone is special. It's not about longevity, necessarily. It's about that connection. The bond you feel immediately, or soon thereafter, when you meet someone. The bond that never really goes away no matter how much time passes between get-togethers, or phone calls.

This isn't something I think about often. I mean, I like people and I do have a lot of friends. But I was recently very weirded-out by a person who I saw frequently, but never felt that connection with, telling me that I was the best friend he ever had. I felt bad for feeling that way. Guilty sort of. I mean, I like the person and we do have a few things in common. And yes, we can be friendly. But the best friend ever?

Recently, a former co-worker invited me on an outing with two of her closest friends. I really like this person and always have liked this person. We were never particularly close, mainly because we never really got the chance to get to know each other. We could be friends, is what I am saying. But we haven't made that connection. Yet. Maybe we will one day.

But I have to say, I was overjoyed to see an e-mail from said person where she introduced me as a colleague or past colleague, and introduced her two friends to me as her friends. That made me so happy. Why? Because now I know there's someone else in the world like me that does not feel that knowing and being friendly with someone automatically makes them your friend.

There's different degrees of friendship, too. Again, that's not necessarily a longevity thing.

This is one of those posts that will leave Hubby scratching his head. But I understand. Most men don't get the friend thing at all. They have friends, buddies, even pals, but they don't have friends like women do.

I'm guessing I may leave some women thinking, "Am I her friend?"

If you are, you already know it. Remember, it's a feeling, it's not a title.

So, why the long diatribe about friendship?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, you know. And one of the things I am most thankful for is having a lot of good, true friends.

Enough With the Dogs Already

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:30:00 +0000

You know, for a couple of weeks now, all I've been talking about here is dogs. Or so it seems. I mean, really. My last non-dog post was on November 13.

I know, I know, that's not quite two weeks. But I have to wonder how many of my devoted fans have become bored with the dogs? How many people visit the blog only to go away disappointed for lack of variety?

With all the kids grown and out of the house now, there's just not a lot of non-canine excitement. Thinking of new material to come up with is a stretch. So I decided to take it upon myself to add some magic, variety, and excitement to this blog (and, by extension, our lives) by adding...

... a cat!

Yep, that precious little baby is Maggie. She was perched on my knee when I took this picture.

Looking at her here, I'd say she's about eight weeks old.

Look at those long, white whiskers.

Isn't she just the cutest little thing? There's nothing cuter than a furry little kitten. Unless it's two or more furry little kittens!

Here she is on the steps. Don't you just want to eat her up?

Oh, wait. I probably shouldn't use "eat" and "kitten" in the same conversation around here. Since one never knows when someone with selective hearing might hear "eat ... kitten."

That wouldn't be good.

Here's a shot of Maggie under my desk chair. Stalking something quite intently.

I even got a picture of Maggie with my Grandma. Which is quite good if I do say so myself.

Just look at those itty, bitty, wittle feetsies!

And those blue eyes!

What a cute little fur ball!

I hope you enjoyed the change of pace. Tomorrow, we'll probably be back to those other animals. But you never know...

Sometimes, I'm just full of surprises.

Don't Quit Your Day Job

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:07:00 +0000

Things have been pretty quiet on the home front as we adjust to life with K, dog #3. She's actually dog #4. Our first dog, CeCe, passed away just over a year ago. That means we are currently sharing our home with three dogs.

K is the first dog of ours to come from NBRAN, the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network. C, Meg and Belle were all adopted through ABR, American Brittany Rescue. Both are wonderful organizations full of dedicated, dog-loving people. They both have lots of dogs in need of a home, too.

When we decided to add dog #3, as a playmate for Belle, we were pretty specific about what we needed. There were no ABR dogs that fit the bill at the time. That's how we ended up with NBRAN. And I'm glad, too, because we got the coolest little dog.

Anyway... I promised her foster Mom I'd keep her up-to-date with progress reports. I told Belle's foster Mom that, too, which is one of the reasons you see so much dog stuff on here.

Fortunately for K's foster Mom, I remembered that Hubby's camera takes videos. So I've been trying to shoot little slice-of-life shorts to share. They are not particularly riveting for the average viewer. But I think my dog-loving friends enjoy them.

I shot the above video yesterday around 2:30 when I went downstairs to make lunch. I thought it was cute. When I showed Hubby, he said, "Don't quit your day job."

"What? You don't like my video?" I asked.

"I didn't say that," he explained. "I just don't think it will have any huge mass appeal."

He probably has a point. But today, I have nothing better to talk about. So I hope you enjoyed Lunchtime.

Training Day

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Today marks a full week since we adopted K, dog number 3. She's not perfect (what dog is?), but she is a really good dog. While we are not quite ready to leave the dogs alone for any significant periods of time yet, we don't have to watch them quite so closely. Hubby and I spent a good deal of time cleaning up leaves (again!) today. The dogs were cavorting in the yard for hours. Not unattended, but not closely scrutinized either.

Of course, if I weren't already convinced that it was safe, that wouldn't have happened. But I've been watching the dogs so closely all week, I feel like I've been monitoring some sort of science experiment.

It's really neat seeing them together. Just as we'd hoped, Belle and K are ideal playmates. But there is one problem with K. She has a super-sensitive nose. And when she gets on the scent of something, she is very focused. So focused that when we tell her to come to us, she doesn't always listen.

Which could be a problem at the WV place where there's lots of critters and no fences. So Hubby has been working with K daily, weather permitting. He's been working with the other girls, too, since, like kids, they are very jealous of each other. If we do something with one dog, we tend to do it with the others, too.

K does come after being told to stay for a period, but she just sort of mosies along. Hubby hoped maybe Belle would speed her up a bit. He said it sped her up a little bit.

In the photo above, K is still staying, although she did stand up. Belle, on the other hand, jumped the gun a bit. I had to take pictures from inside the house so as not to cause any distraction.

It was nice being able to watch while Hubby did his training thing.

Here they are holding in a "down" and "stay" position while Hubby slowly backs away.

Then, when he blows his whistle, they come. Well, that's the idea anyway. K needs a little bit of practice. Personally, I think she's just not completely sure about us yet. She likes us, she's just not as used to the routine, our personalities, mannerisms, etc., as the other girls.

Meg had a turn, too. She and Belle are both good with the "come" and "sit" commands. But we've never really had to use "stay" much. Well, we could have used it many times, but we never needed it enough to enforce.

Hubby says Meg is the best of the three with the "stay" command.

You can really see the focus on her face.

Yep, that is serious focus. Do you think the cut-up bits of chicken hot dogs he's using as a reward have anything to do with that?

A Year Ago Today...

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 +0000

... we said goodbye to our sweet little CeCe.

Even if we do now have three dogs (amazing, isn't it?), we still miss this little girl.

I posted all my favorite pics of her in a set on Flickr. They show her journey from shortly after being rescued at 7 1/2 years old to just before her death at 12 1/2.

If anyone ever asks me, "Why rescue a dog?" C and her story is the very first thing that comes to mind. She was a bit neurotic, but super sweet.

She deserved a better life.

We think we did a pretty good job making up for all that she endured during her life prior to becoming our Pretty Little C. I think she knew even to the very end just how much she was loved.

Horrible Timing

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:42:00 +0000

Yesterday was my mother-in-law's birthday. I did not forget it was her birthday. I totally meant to post a picture of her yesterday and announce her big day. But it was one of those crazy-busy days at work. I think I set a record for consecutive and cumulative minutes spent on the telephone.

Anyway, sorry for posting this late, Mom!

Happy Birthday!

I did remember to call at least.

For all of you out there thinking, "Uh, oh. You pissed your mother-in-law off! Your life is ruined..." She's not like that. She knows I love her. And I did call, but couldn't talk to her because her girlfriends had her out and about for the day.

Aside from work, there really wasn't much excitement around here. But there was no time for excitement because of work. And for those of you thinking I really don't work all that much because I work from home, or thinking you want an easy job like mine... it ain't all that easy. And sometimes I work many more hours than I would if I were in a office.

I did manage to get a few cute dog pics though.

Meg sleeps like this all of the time. Belle, not so much. So it really tickles me when I catch her because I just think she's the cutest little dog in the world.

I saw a lot of this yesterday. I often wonder if, during teleconferences, anyone thinks, "Hmmm. Was that the sound of a camera taking pictures? Who would take pictures during a phone call?"

Meg and Belle promptly ate their rawhides in the family room last night, as usual. K took hers to my office and saved it for later. So, later, while I continued working and K ate her chewy, Belle was jealous.

And now, for my favorite shot of the day...

... our three dogs. L-R, Belle, Meg and K (I think of her as Special K because she's so sweet AND her coloring, especially her feet, makes me think of a Hershey's Special candy bar).

Today MIGHT be more exciting. Maybe I'll have better pics tomorrow. Based on my schedule for the day, don't hold your breath.

You Be the Judge

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:18:00 +0000

With all this talk of K, the new dog, some folks may be wondering what's going to happen to Meg. Will she feel left out? Ignored? Shunned?

Remember, part of the reason we decided to add dog #3 was for Meg's benefit. Belle needed a playmate so she'd quit harassing poor ole Meg.

And you know what? I think it's working...

Meg gets to mosey around the yard, doing what she wants when she wants.

Meanwhile, the other girls get to run.

Meg gets to soak up the sun (one of her favorite pastimes) completely unmolested...

...while the young girls wrestle like fools in the leaves.

Meg gets to observe, from afar, the chaos around her. And she knows to relocate when necessary.

The young girls also get to hunt. You really should click on the above image to see it large for a better view. Our backyard is full of moles. (I have more hunting pics to share later.)

So, you be the judge. Does Meg look unhappy? Or relieved?

The Big Disciplinary "Gun"

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Belle has always been crazy about critter watching. She can sit by the sliding doors for hours on end, still and quiet as a mouse, watching the birds and squirrels in the backyard. K, as shown here looking out of my office window, is similarly enthralled. But there's a problem...

K does not sit quietly. She cries. Since Belle and Meg were in my office, I left K alone downstairs. Periodically, I'd tell her to be quiet. But she got louder and louder. That's when I brought out the big gun... a squirt bottle.

She must have experience with one of those. All I had to do was show it to her and she stopped. I squirted her once, from the upper floor, about 15 feet away. She barely got spritzed.

The squirt bottle is a great tool. For some reason, these dogs hate being squirted. When Meg first moved in, she came with a shock collar. It didn't work, but the squirt bottle did.

For particularly stubborn dogs, you can mix some vinegar in with the water. Just enough that it stings a bit if the water gets in their eyes. I haven't shot a dog in the eyes for YEARS.

I doubt it would do well in the heat of an overly exuberant play session, but it does wonders in lots of other situations (stopping the crying, keeping dogs out of the kitchen when cooking, etc.).

K is very good. We're working with her on recall (to come when called), and she's learning quickly. Not only is she crazy for critters, she has a super-sensitive nose. She's even learning how to play The Nose Game pretty quickly. (NOTE: I have a video on YouTube showing Meg and C playing The Nose Game if you don't know what I mean. I'll work on getting a video of K.)

In yesterday's long, two-part post, I explained the adjustment the dogs need to go through. They're doing great. It's funny that Belle is the one that gets over-excited first. It's not an aggression or dominance thing, as I've seen the same behavior in her when she's playing with Hubby or me. She's just a little one that gets carried away.

Before she gets too wound up, they have a great time.

This is just one of a series of pictures that shows them playing in the leaves yesterday. I could've posted all 18 of them here, but it would have taken forever. So I uploaded them to Picasa instead. CLICK HERE if you want to see them.

The Adjustment Period, Part II

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:13:00 +0000

I do realize this is the second long post of the day about the dogs, which may seem excessive to some, but there's a lot going on.

This was the first workday with K here. I was certainly curious as to how that would go. I mean, I need to keep a close watch on things, as I explained earlier. That doesn't mean I need to make sure I can see and/or hear the dogs, it means I need to be close to them watching them so I can intervene if necessary.

They're actually doing well. Belle and K are equally obsessed with watching the backyard for critters.

That by itself isn't a problem. The door they watch from, however, is on another floor at the other end of the house from my office. There weren't many issues today, but I didn't want to take any chances. So I encouraged K to hang out in my office with me.

She didn't seem to mind too much.

I found it sort of distracting, though. Because she snores. And she looked so darn cute.

I just had to take pictures.

I think I may have been getting on her nerves...

I wasn't keeping K prisoner or anything. I didn't even have the door closed. The other dogs came and went throughout the day. And I took them all outside every couple of hours. (It's a good thing I am not super-busy this week. I AM KNOCKING ON WOOD NOW!)

The only issues with K and Belle have been while they're playing and one or both of them get too wound up. They're just like little kids wrestling. They can be rolling around, bumping, hitting, biting, etc., but if one gets a little hurt or suddenly scared, they freak out.

With me or Hubby staying close by, as soon as we see things getting too exciting, we make them stop playing for a minute. That's usually enough to calm things down and they're back to being friends.

Late this afternoon, after they'd been romping and rolling for a good bit, I could tell K was getting tired. They heard the mailman or something and K took off running toward the front gate. Belle took off after her, body slammed K, bounced off and ran in the other direction.

Meg has learned how to anticipate and dodge this little maneuver, which is Belle's way of saying "chase me." Well, K turned around very quickly and chased her. K, who is also very fast, either stepped on Belle's heel or just scared Belle. All of a sudden, Belle yipped and got this look of terror on her face. Had I not been right there to step in, Belle may have snapped, literally. Which would have pissed K off. Their anger could have escalated quickly.

That's why, until they get to know each other really well, we have to stay close by.

Don't worry, though. This sort of adjustment is completely normal. Some dogs can't even be in the same room together for weeks or even months. I think these two are going to be just fine. Especially since most of the time they play with each other like this...

They'd been chasing each other around the yard, flopping in the leaves. Somehow, they ended up laying in the leaves for a while, just wrestling with their heads. It was very cute.

As for Meg...

She really is perfectly happy watching the crazy little ones tear around the yard. As long as I don't ignore her, of course, which I won't.

And she does her share of running, too. She may be getting older, but she still likes to run. She just doesn't have it in her to be chased by our two little speed demons.

The Adjustment Period

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:15:00 +0000

Any time you get a new dog, whether it's a puppy or an older, "used" dog (Hubby's term for rescue dogs), there's an adjustment period as everyone gets to know each other.

I've never gotten a puppy from a breeder. It would be cool to have a puppy because they are so darn cute. But puppies are essentially a blank slate. You don't really know what their temperament will be, how big they'll get, if they'll be loners or like other dogs, etc.

When you get a "used" dog that's an adult, if you get them from a rescue organization where the dog spends a period of time with a foster family, there's a lot you know about a dog before you commit. And that can be important, especially when you already have two dogs in your family.

We had a very specific reason for adding a third dog. Belle, our 2.5 year-old Brittany needed a playmate. Meg, our 10.5 year-old, just couldn't keep Belle entertained. Not that Belle was being bad, she is the best dog in the world, but we could tell she was bored.

So, after thinking about it and searching long and hard, we decided to adopt K, a 3.5 year-old female Brittany, to add to our pack.

The biggest concern when putting adult female dogs together is whether there will be bad dominance issues. The way dogs work, there is always a pecking order as to who is the top dog, who is number two, etc. It's a natural thing. Some dogs are better off in one-dog homes because they are very dominant and, if placed with a similarly dominant female, very serious fights might ensue.

K has been with us for two days now. Meg has no issues with K as long as K doesn't invade her personal space bubble. But that's not a problem because, as we had hoped, K is more interested in Belle. The two of them have been wrestling and playing and tussling, but not in a bad way. Once there were some growls and snarls, but that's because Belle was tired and K didn't get the "back off and give me a break" message.

Still, we are watching them closely.

The biggest adjustment for me is going to be K's morning thing. She's even more of a morning girl than Belle. We have quite a routine where Meg and Belle usually stay in bed, even when Hubby gets up and leaves, until about 7:15 AM.

So, this morning, when K tried to get me up at the ungodly early hour of 5:11, I told her to go back to bed. I was thinking, I'll teach her that we don't get up that early. She tried again. Again I said, "No, K. Go back to bed."

A short time later I heard running water. Not water, pee.

Yep, K taught me a lesson this morning. When she insists on getting up, she has a good reason.

I sure hope she adjusts to our morning routine soon.

All in all, things are going very well. Most of the day yesterday was spent clearing the yard of the gazillion leaves that had fallen. So I don't have any pictures to share. But I did take some this morning of K and Belle playing, which I'll post later. The two of them seemed quite happy, chasing each other around the yard, sliding to a stop in the piles of leaves, wrestling for a bit then chasing each other some more.

As they figure each other out, I am pretty sure K and Belle are going to be very good company for each other. And Meg seems quite happy to watch the two of them cavorting around like crazy dogs, while she gets to go about her business. As long as Mama and Dad give Meg plenty of love and keep the younguns from getting on her old nerves, all will be just fine.

Our Special K Made It Home Today

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:57:00 +0000

We were finally able to get K today. It's not like she was in dire straits or anything waiting for us. She was living with a wonderful foster family who loved her a whole bunch. But we were anxious to bring her home.

I made Hubby drive home so I could document the journey. This was taken not long after we left her foster home. She's looking a bit worried.

She still looks a little worried here, but she did relax gradually. She is a very good car passenger.

K has really long legs. So when she sits, she sits very straight. This is not the most flattering position. I'll have to teach her how to sit like a proper little lady so all her stuff isn't hanging out.

She really seems to like Hubby. Which is good, 'cause he likes her right back.

After the usual doggie greetings, the chase was on. Belle and K are both very fast.

I have a feeling I'm going to end up with a lot of blurry pictures.

It really is great to see them running together. K is exactly what Belle needed.

They even found a pile of leaves to wrestle in, which was quite comical to watch.

I know this isn't a fabulous shot, but it's the best I could do with the three of them today. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.

Welcome home, K!

Tomorrow, Baby Girl. Tomorrow.

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:28:00 +0000

If dogs could talk, here's the conversation Belle, my furry toddler, and I would have been having yesterday when I snapped this picture of she and Meg in my office.

Belle: Mama?
Me: Yes, Belle?
B: When is K coming?
M: Tomorrow.
B: Tomorrow?
M: Yes.
B: So later today, when you're done working?
M: No, tomorrow.
B: What's tomorrow?
M: You know how later tonight, it'll get dark? Well, tomorrow is when it gets light again.
B: Are you sure?
M: Yes.
B: Tomorrow?
M: Yes, Baby Girl, tomorrow. Your new girlfriend will be here tomorrow.
B: Good. Because...

(Here's where her voice dropped to a whisper. She stole a quick glance at Meg then back at me.)

B: ... because this grumpy old bitch is boooorrrriiiinnnngggg.

- - - - -

I have had similar conversations with Gaige, my 6-year-old grandson (minus the "bitch" part), who still has no real concept of time or distance. Just last night, in fact, while I was at Amy's house visiting for a pseudo Thirsty Third Thursday with Shannon (currently in Egypt) via Skype.

Gaige asked Shannon how long it would take her to get here.

"Well," Shannon said as she thought about it, "I think it would be about a 15-hour flight."

"Fifteen hours?" Gaige said.

"Yep," she replied.

"Is that like three hours?" he continued.

"No. Fifteen hours is a long time," she explained.

Gaige thought about it for a minute, then said...

"Oh. But what's a flight?"

- - - - -

Note to Shannon: In case you were wondering why the kids were so wound up when you called, in addition to all the excitement about seeing and talking to Aunt Shannon, they were wrestling and generally having a wild time right before you called.

Here are some other images from the evening. The older kids wouldn't be still long enough for me to get decent shots of them!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

A Little Humor Won't Hurt

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Hypnotism at the Senior Center
(submitted via e-mail by my brother, Tom Reichard)

It was entertainment night at the Senior Center.

Claude the hypnotist exclaimed: "I'm here to put you all into a trance. I intend to hypnotize each and every member of the audience."

The excitement was almost electric as Claude withdrew a beautiful antique pocket watch from his coat. The polished metal gleamed in the light.

Claude the hypnotist said: "I want you each to keep your eyes on this antique watch. It's a very special watch. It's been in my family for six generations."

He began to swing the watch gently back and forth while quietly chanting, "'Watch the watch, watch the watch, watch the watch."

The crowd became mesmerized as the watch swayed back and forth, light shimmering off its polished surface. Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed the swaying watch, until, suddenly, it slipped from the hypnotist's fingers and fell to the floor, shattering into a hundred pieces.

"SHIT!" said the hypnotist.

It took three days to clean up the Senior Center...

My Very Expressive, All-Boy Grandson
(plus ToadMama having a wee bit of fun with Photoshop)

Dear Reader:

You won't fully appreciate the small details that totally make this picture unless you click on the image and check out the larger size. So, please. Humor me. Put down that darn Crackberry/iPhone, whatever and look at the full-size view.

Fondly,
ToadMama

Did you look at the larger version? Well, did you?

Why not?
(The faces this boy makes crack me up!)

K Finally Expelled Her Tapeworm
(submitted by Jenn Myers, K's awesome foster Mom)

She really did. The above photo is a reenactment, staged by K's foster Mom who just may have a sense of humor weirder than me. Maybe. If not, she's pretty darn close!

Where Mom Jeans Really Come From
(submitted by Shannon, my oldest, globetrotting daughter)

Shannon found this Mom-cotton store in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. That's gotta be what they use to make Mom jeans, right? Mystery solved! Thanks, Shan.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought...
(found by little ole me while shopping for dog bones)

Amazon.com definitely has its pluses and its minuses, but I still shop there often because they have lots of stuff and you can usually find pretty good prices. For the life of me, I don't know why local brick-and-mortar retailers either don't sell compressed rawhide rolls or do sell them for exhorbitant prices. But that's a whole 'nother story.

I found the rawhide rolls on Amazon at a good price. And I got a little giggle out of the deal. Check out the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" recommendation.

You'd think more than one person would have to buy this item for it to qualify as a recommendation, right? Could it just be a weird coincidence that multiple customers bought professional noise canceling earmuffs with the bones?

I confess, I didn't so much giggle as just scratch my head and wonder what's up with that?

Wacky Web Sites You Might Enjoy
(most of these were found by Hubby)

Is your partner one of those not-so-handy men? If yes, you should be able to relate to this one. If no, go look anyway, just for some giggles.

Do you always feel like somebody is watching you? Apparently, lots of other people do, too. They see Faces in Some of the Weirdest Places. You may never look at things around you in quite the same way.

Need a cartoon for your Blog? There are some cool--FREE--ones to use at www.BZToons.com. Like this one, which made me think of K's foster Mom...

Here's one that describes yesterday's weather...

Speaking of crappy... you have reached the end of today's post.

That's a weak closing, I know. Sorry. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

It Finally Happened...

toadmama@gmail.com (ToadMama) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:12:00 +0000

What? What finally happened? A moment of peace that I can use to do a real Blog update.

Yes, I've had Blog posts recently, but they were pretty much filler-type stuff. At least that's what it feels like. Ever since October 30, when I went to the Bombay Hook NWR, it's been go, go and more go. Or so it seems to me.

But I shouldn't waste the time whining, right? I should just do the dang Blog post already!

One of the reasons last week felt so hectic is that I was working on a pretty large proposal (for my employer). I'd hoped to join Hubby mid-week at the WV place, but this was a pretty demanding project that required extreme focus. Since I don't have an office in WV, I was afraid Hubby and the girls would be too much of a distraction for me. So I stayed put at the MD abode until Friday night.

When the girls and I arrived at the WV place, I was quite surprised and delighted to discover that Amy had brought the kids up to visit for the weekend.

The kids were in bed when I arrived, but they were all happy to see me bright and early on Saturday morning (they got up at 5:30 AM, much to their Mom's chagrin). Amy tried to keep them quiet and in bed. After taking the dogs, including Klondike (our granddog) for a quick walk, I went and stole Joey from Amy. Then I told the older kids they could get up, but had to be quiet so Mommy could sleep.

Brianna and I spent quite a bit of time doing word search puzzles, and playing squares and tic-tac-toe on her little activity pad.

Notice the dog on my lap? No? Well, take note.

There's something that's very cool about three little kids being happy to see you. Not just like, "Oh, look. It's G." They were all excited, like, "Hi, G!"

It's neat. When you have kids of your own, you get that when they are little. Then they grow up to become teenagers and mostly you feel like you are just being a pain in the ass. Of course, you probably are, but they are teenagers, after all. Teens bring the evil, or at least all sorts of exasperation, out in a person.

So it's cool to have little ones smile when they say your name.

They were each even trying hard to get some lap-time. As you can see, I had a pretty full lap already. They just got as close as they possibly could to watch the YouTube videos I was screening on my notebook computer.

Perhaps the most entertaining one for me was You Spin Me 'Round (by Dead or Alive), which the kids know from The Wedding Singer movie. Seeing Gaige emulate the dude's 80s dance moves was priceless. I can still see his little face looking all puzzled when he asked, "Is that a boy or a girl, G?" I would have gotten up for the camera, but I was sort of pinned down. And that would have ruined the moment. Know what I'm sayin'?

You did notice Belle still on my lap, right?

Joey eventually got tired of the videos, but somehow Brianna and Gaige managed to get on my lap, with Belle, to continue the video screening. Even Belle couldn't resist YouTube; we were watching some of my favorite Brittany (the dog breed, not Spears) videos at that point.

It wasn't the videos keeping Belle on my lap, by the way. It was Klondike. It takes Belle a while to warm up to new dogs. Especially big ones. And Klondike is B-I-G. How big?

Really big. Much bigger than my little Tinkerbelle.

After lunch, a trip to the store for me and a nap for the kids, we got to go outside. Mike did fun stuff like air up Amy's tire.

The kids and I spent a good bit of time gathering kindling, and logs and prepping the campfire, which we planned to ignite after dark.

We did a good job with the prep work, as you can see. And once it burned down, we got to roast marshmallows!

Joey was a giant, sticky mess. Note the glob hanging off his face.

Brianna had reason to look unhappy here. Meg had just stolen one of her marshmallows!

Gaige wasn't quite as messy as Joey. And he's old enough to wash his own face.

Hubby, being the good Pop that he is, took Joey up to the house to get him cleaned up.

On the way, he stopped so that Meg could help get some of the excess marshmallow off of Joey's hand. Hubby was watching Meg so closely, he didn't notice Belle sneak in to help clean the excess off of Joey's face!

After Joey left the fire, Amy got to play with his fire stick.

The next day was gorgeous, so I got to take pictures of everyone outside.

These are just a few of the many pictures I took. To see the rest, you'll have to go to my Picasa site.