Gray skys are gonna clear up.....

Willow & Belle & family! These skys will probably clear up...soon. Maybe not today, or maybe not tomarrow, but soon! Think sunny thoughts!

So, low on creativity today, so I thought I'd share a photo of one of my cats, yes, we have 2 cats. This one is over 17 years old and her name is "Baby Kitty"...she is a crabby little thing! Actually, she just doesn't like Pugs, or any dogs, although sometimes she forgets and actually lets one of the girls touch her!















And here's a photo of Rosie and Zoey, who are actually getting along pretty well. Funny in this photo they Rosie actually looks more true to size. She seems so big for 5 months?????

Flowers

Today I went to look for flowers on my lunch hour. It was pouring rain. There is something strange about looking for flowers, dressed for work, in the rain. I drove to Home Depot first and their flowers looked bad. Then I drove to a farm stand that I drive past each day. I picked out flowers for my 2 huge step planters and bought hanging baskets for my arbor. I thought maybe this year that would be all I would get. I have tons of perenials that bloom throughout the Spring/Summer/Fall and I really felt that was enough..until now. I realized I have 2 more planters on the pool patio that need flowers, another planter on deck that needs flowers, 2 more planters on the patio that is attached to my house, and 2 planters that are sitting in front of the basement windows where I had my hubby pull out the huge, ugly, overgrown bushes...so I guess I am really NOT done buying flowers. Silly me. So, I will buy more flowers and then be done...maybe.

Speaking of flowers, did anyone see these flower "puppy" masterpieces? What a creative idea!

5 more to 50 - yikes

Well, I've keeping pretty quiet over here with my birthday CREEPING around the corner. But, I decided to "let the cat out of the bag" and admit I'M FREAKING TURNING FIFTY! Wow, I said it - phew. Looks terrible in print, sounds terrible coming out of my mouth. My hubby asked what I wanted for this occasion and I said "not to be fifty"....Now, I'm thinking the alternative is not much better. Cripes, I gave my father a 50th birthday dinner party, my mother a 50th birthday dinner party...my hubby a surprise 50th party and I am here to say...NO ONE BETTER SURPRISE ME! I can not possibly keep my house spotless and myself looking fabulous for the next 5 days in anticipation of a "surprise"! So, for now....49 and holding!

My garden flowers

Mother's Day Weekend Recap...stop and smell the lilacs

Phew, what a weekend! I have to say that this was my best Mother's Day in a very, very long time. After my mom and both grammies died within 12 months, Mother's Day has been a sad time for me. I know I was blessed with my own two beautiful children, so that made me a Mother's Day recipient, but it just wasn't the same having those beautiful women gone from my life. Over the past 5 years I have learned to avoid card stores. So anyhow, something changed this year. I guess I put my grief away in a little box next to my heart.

Friday night we met my BIL and SIL at the Country Club for dinner. Beautiful setting, great food and tons of laughs. I did take my camera along and tried to photograph my food like Sandy at raguspug.blogspot.com, but quite honestly the food was coming TOO fast and I was eatting TOO much!!!!! Let's just say there were stuffed clams and coconut shrimp on the appetizer bar, the salad bar was dee-licious and the fish was the best I have had in a long time. They removed that ugly skin prior to frying...yummy!!!!! I took half mine home and ate it from breakfast Saturday morning.

Saturday - Got up and made another attempt at the mountain of mulch in the front driveway. I think someone is secretly dumping more mulch there each evening after I go to bed! Mulched the beds in front of our carriage house that we rent out and weeded around my patio garden. We then decided to drive to SIL and BIL to pick up the row boat she was giving us. I love rowing...love it. We do have a power boat, but I wanted something to just row around with the girls. So we hooked the trailor up and took off for the drive. They live on one of the Finger Lakes...get out your NYS maps. It is around 40 minutes from our house. Hubby had not told them I was coming along, so my SIL was thrilled to see me. We have such fun and laughs together. We helped them take the bunk beds from their upstairs to their finished over barn and loaded the row boat onto the trailor. They threw in oars (for me) and a 10 horse motor (for hubby). While there she gave me a complete new ensemble for my king size bed and a HUGE stuffed Pug. She has decided that since this coming birthday for me is a special number (UGH!!!!) that I should celebrate continuously! She has also planned a weekend at the Jersey shore for the four of us in June! She is probably the best SIL anyone could have. We went out to dinner, again, and I did not have my camera. This time dinner was Eggplant Parm..yummy!!!!

Sunday, I got up and my furry girls posed for me on the back staircase....



Aren't they the sweetest!!!




These were waiting for me....





Wow, great gifts...



Yep, right down to the matching shoes! There was also a cardigan and two yummy smelling candles. My daughter gave me a certificate for a pedicure and manicure...wow I am the spoiled one!




Then off to breakfast with my dad, hubby and son. After that we went to the Lilac Festival which is held here in Rochester. Check out www.lilacfestival.com
The Lilacs were exceptionally beautiful this year. It is amazing to look over the park and see Lilacs EVERYWHERE. All shades of purple, blue, white and even yellow!

I leave you with these.............
Can't you just smell them?

Why God made mothers.....

Thought I'd start out this Mother's Day Weekend with some fun stuff said by kids!

Why God made moms" answers given by elementary school age children
to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in
the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on
beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof
ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work & work at home, & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of
that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it
and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.

=======================! ======

THE MOMMY TEST

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off
the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from
her and I asked her not to do that. "Why?" my daughter asked.
"Because it's been laying outside, you don't know where it's been, it's
dirty and probably has germs" I replied.
At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,
"Wow! How do you know all this stuff?" "Uh," ...I was thinking quickly, "
All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or
they don't let you be a Mommy."
We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently
pondering this new information.
"OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be
the daddy."
"Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face and joy in my heart.

====================

Too cute!

"Dear Lord," the preacher began with arms extended and a rapturous
look on his up turned face, "without you we are but dust..."

He would have continued, but at that moment one very obedient little
girl (who was listening carefully) leaned over to her mother and
asked quite audibly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mommy, WHAT is
butt dust?"

Church was pretty much over at that point

Tails your it

I was noticing how different the girls tails are........

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's off to camp we go

Friday night we packed the car with Pugs and took off for our camp. We have had a spot at this particular place for 8 summers. My dad has had a spot there for 25! We now have new owners... here is a photo of the new sign






We got there when it was just getting dark and quickly unpacked, hooked up the propane, electric, and took all the outside furniture from inside where it was stored out to the deck.

This was the first time Rosie would be sleeping with us and the girls. Well, the hubby went fast to sleep, Chloe was panting, Rosie was thrilled and Zoey was mad. NO ONE was comfortable..except sleeping hubby. So, I opened up the sleeper sofa, and took the girls out there. Rosie was still thrilled, Zoey was still mad, but at least Chloe stopped panting and then started snoring, of course. I awoke around 6am and was FREEZING. Seems the propane tanks ran out during the night and cold air was coming out of the constantly running furnace. I turned off the heat and tried to fall back asleep. Finally at 7am I gave up and got up for the day.

Here are the girls sitting on the back of the sofa. Rosie is not there because she kept falling off (either that or Zoey was pushing her!).












Zoey decided that the dining table was an interesting place to sit.....










I told her, sorry, Pug butts don't belong on the table



Well, the day progressed and it rained and rained and rained. I was extremely bored and could think of no good reason to stay. I did not want to go to the mall and because of the rain, no one was out, no campfires...boring! Here are the girls..bored.










So we packed up and decide to leave for home. The halfway mark to home is the City of Oswego. We always stop and get coffee at Dunkin Donuts. Zoey wanted to help place our order and couldn't believe the hubby tipped the guy and she didn't even get a "munchkin".













So the rest of the way home the girls amused ourselve...Rosie with self portraits, Zoey going in the back of the truck to sleep or crab, and Chloe, well Chloe showed Rosie how it is to cuddle with mom in the car. Yes, I was riding in the middle seat!

How to avoid a long wait at the doctor's office

Today was my 6 month check-up for the mysterious "lump" in my right breast. I have been having checkups since last August, when it was first detected. As previously posted the biopsy results were fine and the doctor's view has been, keep having checkups....or have it removed. So today was the day to make that decision, yet again. Now the last time I went to the office they were running an hour behind. I had nothing with me and without taking the chance of nodding off and SNORING out loud, I read the newspaper from front to back and back to front...so anyhow, today I went to the library on my lunch hour and got a book to take along. I walked in gave my name and sat down..opened to page one, read 3 pages, they called me in, get undressed...blah, blah, blah...opened the book, read 1/2 page, in comes the doctor, put the book down, talk about the lump.....decide surgery won't be so bad, doctor says I'll go get the paperwork, go ahead and get dressed...get dressed...open book, read NO words, back comes doctor...read this, sign this, okay no aspirin for a week before surgery, go to check-out. So, is taking along a book the way to speed through a visit or was today, just abnormal???? I don't set the date up for the surgery until tomarrow. I'll be glad to have the bugger out and not worry about it growing, changing, whatever.

Gotta go...I've got a book to read!

More Spring Fling!

What kind of donut am I???????

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that. You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness. Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone dig you. And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

What Donut Are You?

Spring Fling Fashion Show

Spring Fling photos as promised! Chloe, Zoey, and Rosie - the flower girls.

Rosie with her "human" daddy

Rosie and her Pug family...mom, Isabella, sister, Olivia, Rosie and her daddy

Here comes Chloe the Prom diva

Yes, she is "walking" the runway!

Here comes Zoey in her birthday dress

Rosie's first runway appearance

Busy, busy, busy

Okay...so last time I checked it was Friday...I mean really!!!!!

In a nutshell, the last few days have gone like this:
Friday - 1/2 vacation - run home, change clothes, go to wake, return home, change clothes, drive to Raider's Game to set-up - all by 2pm. Get home from game at midnight, go to sleep. Saturday - wake up, get dressed, pack car, go to scrapbook seminar, scrapbook the day away, with a quick trip out for lunch and a stop at Joanne Fabrics...back to scrap - home by 7:30pm. Get organized for our Spring Pug event, in bed by 10:30 pm. Sunday - up at 7am, get dressed, pack car, grab Pugs...off to Spring Fling set-up. Fling starts at 11am and ends 2pm. The day was a huge success. Lot's of money made for Pug Rescue, home by 3:30pm, change clothes and go outside to spread MULCH - phew...and the boss wondered why I was tired today?

Anyhow, I have tons of photos of our Spring Fling, which I can hopefully post tomarrow! I had an idea for a Pug Fashion Show and it turned out GREAT! Runway...lights....fashions....can't wait to share!

And so another journey ends.....

Goodbye...grama nancy.







My parents divorced when I was 17. My dad met Nancy when I was around 20...they dated for almost 20 years. Nancy loved the camp at Henderson Bay and from the time my son was 3 months old we spent weekends there. She loved my children as if they were her own grandchildren. When she and my dad broke up we remained friends, but as time passed saw less and less of each other. She didn't live far from me and when my mom passed away, she was one of the first people I called....now this. She was 71. I have to say when I heard she had lung cancer, I wanted to call her, I wanted to go see her, but I was selfish...it just plain hurt. I lost both my own mom and grama to the dreaded lung cancer..not another woman, close to me, loosing the battle. Tomarrow I will go pay my respects to her daughters and tell them I do know how much this all hurts, yes, sadly I do. It just plain hurts, and now tonight I cry, memories both good and bad, fun and sad....goodbye grama nancy...sleep well and dance with the angels.

Where has the week gone?

Wow, can't believe I haven't posted in almost a week! We have been very, very busy around here. The hubby had his two auctions close on ebay. We sold 81 items! Woohoo. Nice to sell/make money, but then there's invoicing, packaging, shipping, feedback...on and on. I have been busy every night this week with the paperwork end of thing. I have been going to bed at 1am and getting up at 7am, I think I may need more sleep!

In between all of the ebay, we have had the search for a new "camp" location. We are trying to find a spot closer to home, especially since the price of gas is soaring. Our current spot is over 2 hours away. We are on a waiting list for a new spot, only an hour away. We'll have to see how things go with that.

Since Sunday I have been having a real problem with Zoey (middle child). Monday night she started fighting (and I do mean fighting) with Chloe. I broke that fight up, things settled down and all was fine. This morning, my daughter came into my room where we (Chloe, Zoey and I ) were sleeping. She came over to bed, said hello girls and Zoey went after Chloe again! Now tonight the worst.... Zoey was upstairs sleeping with the hubby, Chloe and Rosie down in kitchen with me. Zoey comes down, sniffs Chloe and goes whacko. I literally picked her up by harness and was holding her in the air. We tried 3 times to settle things and she kept going at it. Finally, I brought my portable fencing in the kitchen and put Zoey in it. She settled down and now they are both here in office with me! What gives??????

I thought her attitude before was because of Rosie...now I wonder. Only weird thing, I can think of is that we had mulch delivered. We have it out in the driveway on some black tarp and another tarp over it. Both Chloe and Zoey are fascinated with those tarps. They walk on them and pee on them too! I don't know if there may be some other animal smell on there or if I am just grasping at straws over her BAD behavior. Anyone have any ideas? I am worried that this might happen during the day when I am not here. Do you think bringing Rosie into the picture created a dominance thing? HELP?????? I am thinking doggie consuling, drugs...something. Ahhhh, right now they're kissing! What gives?????

Playtime

Rosie mainly plays with Zoey (middle child), however; Zoey has her moments when she just DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY. Today, she went up to bed with hubby at 4:30pm (remember he works nights) and she never got up until 9:30pm. Meantime Chloe has taken to playing with Rosie...tonight went like this.....

"Take Your Chloe to Work Day!

Today Chloe came to work with me. No bosses today (not that they care). Unfortunately, the hubby needed the camera and I don't know how to download off my camera phone. She is loving being with mama all day! Zoey was a little sad about us leaving, but Chloe is in heaven. We are going to go for a walk around the block and stop for something to eat at the deli. Then back to work! Meanwhile at home Zoey and Rosie have been helping hubby write his ebay listings and are now going for a walk too.

Maybe tomarrow will be "Bring your Zoey to work day"!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Chloe Rosie & Zoey








Chloe doing the bunny thing solo







I found this baby doll buggy on the curb! Perfect for a stroll with the girls!!!!!!

Sunny and sad

I have previously posted that I live in the home that has been in my family since the 1930's. Having lived all but 8 years of my life in this town I have seen many changes. Our street in particular has gone from lazy, narrow, road with ditches and fields, farms, and a spattering of 50's built houses is now considered the "hub" area of the town. The private side road that once was the center of my grandparents farm now houses a junior high, senior high, hockey area, soccer arena, warehouse and on the far end a huge company building that now houses a gym amoung other things. Two years ago we found out that the area across the street was being looked at by a developer. The developer entered into contracts with several of the homeowners to purchase and demolish their homes for a hotel. My best, best friend lived in one of these houses. She now lives in Colorado and her parents are not in the greatest of health so the kids (4 of them) made arrangements to be here to help with the move. As busy as she was I anticipated that I would not see her while she was here. I went to pickup my son's car today and driving back towards my house saw her in her mom's garden digging up some plants. She couldn't believe it when I stepped out of the car. We sat on the front steps and laughed and talked. She took me on a tour of the now empty house...how sad to walk those floors. She moved from our town over 20 years ago, but has always bounced back and forth for visits and now as her mom said to me "your the last"...and she's right. My family is the last of the families that has lived on this road for over 50 years. I took a few plants from her garden and a blue glass canning jar as momentos. In a few months a hotel will sit where we spent hours playing, laughing, crying and dreaming....I am the keeper of memories.... the last one left and I am sad.

Happy Birthday Hubby

Today was hubby's birthday. What a crazy day. He was told he had to work overtime until 11am this morning, so I drove my son to work and part way there got the call that he had actually come home. So, later in the morning I get the call my son will be done at 2pm. I send my daughter to pick him up and drive him back home...she was also asked to do dishes, work on laundry and bake a cake for daddy. We decided that hubby, son and daughter would drive back to Red Lobster, near the community college and I would meet them there. My son could eat and leave for his class at 6:30pm in one car and we could have coffee, finish up and drive home in the other car. Well, the plan actually worked out nicely, except during dinner my daughter mentioned she didn't have time to bake the cake and when we got home she had not done the dishes or worked on the laundry....all she says because she had to interrupt day going to pick her brother up. Oh well, I'll bake some cupcakes tomarrow and put them in my cupcake tree and we can sing with the girls...they really can't miss out on a birthday! Hopefully the weather tomarrow will be nice, since we have the day off, and we can meet some puggy friends for a walk.

Enough, enough, enough

Okay, today my lovely daughter calls...crying....mom I just ran into the car ahead of me at the stop light! Now who feels like crying???? The woman was a b....... She was driving a 2005 mini-van, with 15,000miles as she kept telling me. My daughter was driving her cute little 1994 Saturn. Her car is low and scraped the bumper of the woman's car. We were going to try to pay out of insurance, but the woman was so nasty, I said forget this and called my company. Within 10 minutes of the accident the woman had and "estimate" from her dealer of $950!!!! What a scrap on your bumper?????? I can't begin to tell you the times I have been tapped from behind and said oh, it's fine...yeah, nice guys finish LAST!!! Did I mention this accident took place at the same spot that my son's wheel fell off on Monday????

On a happier note..Chloe and Zoey would like to report that they have been conversing with the Easter Bunny.......










about Rosie and her bonnet

Wow....

Well, today was a beautiful sunny day. My stomach has been rather upset from all the Advil the doctor has had me taking, but I went for a walk at lunch and was thinking about a nice sit on my deck when I got home from work, then.......

My son stopped home after work on his way to his night class, he mentioned his car was acting up, so I told him to drive his dad's...nah, it will be okay. So, approximately 2 minutes later the phone rings...mom, my tire fell off my car and the car is smashed!

He was still on our own street, just about 1/2 a mile from home. Yep, there he was, pulled off the road, no wheel on car, fender smashed, rotor smashed, missing lug nut, not good. I pulled off the road and just sat in the car wondering what to do. Of course we were by entrance to plaza where BJ's and a bank are, so our cousin saw us and came over, a friend drove by and yelled, a couple of guys walked over from their house..yep, your tire fell off, must have not been tightened on. I called our local shop, no tow truck, local body shop, no answer, friend, can't tow without tire on, called another company who does 24 hour towing. They showed up about 1/2 later and took another 1/2 hour to get it rigged up for towing. Off it went to the repair shop and back home we came. All I can say is thank God it happened close to home and in a slow speed zone. Yesterday he traveled home from his fiance's, which is 1 1/2 hours away. That would have been really bad! So, no funny Pug stories or photos today. Off to bed I must go so I can get up nice and early to drive my son to work.

Go Raiders!

Last night was the opening game for the Rochester Raiders Arena Football team. As I previously posted my daughter is a cheer/dance for the team. I apologize to Stiner as to not getting permission to post these photos taken at the game....there is no link on his website! I'll have to say sorry to him at the next game! My brother-in-law actually owns the team and this is his dream come true. He had a real replica pirate ship built for the players to come off of and the girls to cheer on. The crowd last night was awesome and they won. Let's hope the fever continues!

My first ambulance ride

Okay, the knee is better, however, last night I awoke out of a sound sleep with unbelievable chest pain. I totally freaked at 3am..I got out of bed shut the girls in my room,called my hubby to come home from work, then called 911, and then went in to wake my dad. We ended up with everyone awake, 2 different ambulance companies, the police, and who knows who else was in my kitchen. My family said they never saw me act so scared. My hands were shaking so bad I was trying to hold them in my lap....off I was whisked for my first ever ambulance ride..at least in the back! IV's, nitro pills, all very, very scary. Thankfully, I am back home...resting. I was monitored all day, saw the heart specialist, and took a stress test. No heart attack!!! Wow, what a week! I'm off to take a nice bath and lay on the couch with my girls.

The Knee is Fine

Okay, so my knee is doing good. Some strange named thing going on with my knee cap, or actually the back of my kneecap. Anyhow, no arthritis, no breakdown, just irritation. Exercises, walk on walking track at school instead of all over town on pavement. So we're through that part...now on to the skin cancer check. All clear no sign of mysterious looking moles, growths, or other weird goings on. I did get some "skin tags" freezer burned. Why am I the only one in the family to inherit my grams's moles and stuff?????

Where's Rosie???????????????

Another Saturday at Pugsville

Mom - "Let's all take a nice nap on the chair"
Chloe -"I'm outta here"




Zoey - "Okay, kid show me what you got"





Zoey - "See mom, it's all Rosie Mom, not me"




Meanwhile, sweet Chloe.......