HURRY!!!!!!!!!!! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY

Well; don't blame me I just found this !!! Today at 7pm is the cutoff so hurry; Pigtails and Snails is giving away a QUILT!!! WOO!!!! I so want it!!!! But here it is!!! Get over there quickly; she is so talented and Canadian so you know I love her work!

A Thought for Friday....

Hello; I hope you all have gotten over to Farmchick's and to Nicole's to sign up for their beautiful giveaways! They are such generous bloggers both in deed and spirit.
I received this today and just thought I would share it with you all.

A married lady was expecting a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had admired a beautiful diamond ring in a showroom, and knowing her husband could afford it, she told him that was all she wanted

As her birthday approached, this lady awaited signs that her husband had purchased the diamond ring.
Finally, on the morning of her birthday, her husband called her into his study.Her husband told her how proud he was to have such a good wife, and told her how much he loved her.

He handed her a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, the wife opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the wife's name embossed in gold.

Angrily, she raised her voice to her husband and said, 'With all your money you give me a Bible'? and stormed out of the house, leaving her husband.
Many years passed and the married lady was very successful in business.She managed to settle for a more beautiful house and a wonderful family,but realized her ex-husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to visit him.She had not seen him for many years.

But before she could make arrangements, she received a telegram telling her that her ex-husband had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to her.She needed to come back immediately and take care of things. When she arrived at her ex-husband's house, sudden sadness and regret filled her heart.

She began to search through her ex-husband's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as she had left it years ago. With tears, sheopened the Bible and began to turn the pages.

Her ex-husband had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, 'And if you,being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?'

As she read those words, a tiny package dropped from the back of the Bible.It had a diamond ring with her name engraved on it, the same diamond ring which she saw at the showroom. On the tag was the date of her birth, and the words...'LUV U ALWAYS'...

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKAGED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKAGED THE WAY IT IS!
ALWAYS APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS; THEY USUALLY LEAD YOU TO BIGGER THINGS.

Happy Birthday Nicole!

glitter-graphics.com

Hey everybody; It's Nicole's Birthday and she is giving us stuff!!!!!!!! Go over to her blog and sign up and say Happy Birthday to her; She is an awesome blogger friend and bulldog mom! Look what she is giving away; woooo! And you can buy things from her beautiful store too!!! Happy Birthday Friend!! Hope it is a Happy One!!!!

Something Good;

Hey y'all; I am waiting for the mister to get over his blog shyness and write his pot! You know how it is when you "do it" for the first time (BLOGGING! BLOGGING! What were y'all thinking?LOL!) So in the meantime; I wanted to thank my friend TrainWreck aka Kim at Cowboys,Sunsets and Kids for the gift she sent me. So I emailed her and went on over to visit and this is what I found and I LOVE IT!!!! (I'll get pics of her gift; needless to say she is a great friend and very talented; check out her blog and her studio; woooo! She is good!)
Turn off my music before you hit play on this video; Thank you Trainwreck for putting me on to this music; I have seen these two in the Overstock.com commercial that I also love; it is sweet! Enjoy; Joey+Rory;

A New Day

Hello Everyone; We are home! DH was released after surgery on Friday to implant the permanent pacemaker; so far so good.:) I just wanted to thank you all for the wonderful support and kind comments I have received from you all; thank you.

And as for the email thing; well, I am not going to out the person who sent that because I feel that perhaps they made a mistake ; and so we should forgive them and move on. We all make mistakes and in the big scheme of life, it is a small thing! So back to normal, whatever that is! LOL!

My husband was very much touched by your heartfelt comments and so he would like to post a reply to you all. So the next post will be from him. I never knew, but suspected, that you are ALL a kind, loving bunch. No one knows about this secret world but us, the bloggers! Underneath all the meanness in the world, there is a whole secret world of real people who are what this WORLD is about. It's international; I hear from you all from all over the world; how cool is that? And you are all GOOD people and I want to say ; I appreciate you all; your prayers and support, your true friendship; what a gift that is. I thank you all and hope you know I will be there for you all too! We all here send our love to each and every one of you. I am fortunate to have you; my friends!
(I have a whole bunch of new goodies to show you in the future! )
Be safe my friends!

A Sad Day!

Hello everyone; I just wanted to write a brief post today to let you all know that I have not forgotten about you. Wednesday, my husband passed out when he was on his way to a regular appointment at his doctor's office. He hit a power pole and subsequently was taken to the doctor's office by my daughter as she had our other vehicle; they then transferred him by ambulance to the hospital.
He has a problem with his heart's electrical system; it does not fire right; and his sugar level, despite treatment was very high. Apparently the heart issue caused him to lose conscoiusness; he knew he was getting sick so he was trying to pull off the road and fortuinately only hit a pole! The accident was very low impact, but it still crushed poor Sparkles grille and caused her to lose one of her off road lights,but she is at the dealer as I write this getting ready to be all new again. I just returned from day two at the hospital. DH is in the CCU and I am able to spend the day with him. He had a temporary pacemaker implanted yesterday and is being monitored constantly; he will be having a small surgery tomorrow to implant the permanent one tomorrow a.m.

They say he will then be able most likely to return home tomorrow night. He is in great spirits and is acting like he is on a field trip. I am not so happy; I do not care that my Sparkle is hurt; I just want him to be all right. He has the capacity to drive me crazy at times, but I still need him to be here with me because I do love him!
I am thankful that Wed. was a cold a.m.; I had wanted to go to the farmers market as Wed is the only day my prim friend has her booth up; but we let my daughter use his truck as she is further from home then her previous post, so he would often take his bike to work on nice days so I would have Sparkle to treasure hunt with. This would have most likely been serious or even fatal. I saw the pole today; they were replacing it; it was the big one. We were lucky this time.

The other thing I want to share briefly is this; I came home to a nasty message to me in my inbox from someone I had emailed recently regarding an email I was sent seeking help for a missing child (allegedly missing) Well I don't always have time to check Snopes; and you know they have been wrong on a few occasions; well this person said I have pissed people off by forwarding the message concerning this child; well I will say this right now; I am physically and emotionally tired right now. I did not need to come home and find YOUR nasty message in my inbox!
I said to this person and I will say it here for ALL; I WILL ALWAYS ERR ON THE SIDE OF A CHILD! I am sorry that there are folks who have nothing better to do than make up stupid ass fake emails! But you know what on the chance that some kid is missing; and all I have to do is send an electronic message out; and it may help someone find their baby; guess what? I AM GONNA DO IT:
TELL ME THIS ; IS YOUR WORLD SO DAMN IMPORTANT THAT YOU CANNOT TAKE A SECOND TO LOOK AT A MESSAGE; AND IF YOU THINK IT IS FAKE THEN DELETE IT; OMG IT TAKES FIVE SECONDS OF YOUR PRECIOUS TIME TO DELETE A MESSAGE. AND BEFORE YOU WRITE ME BEING A NASTY YOU KNOW WHAT, WHY DON'T YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO DO IF YOUR CHILD WERE MISSING; GEE MAYBE WE'LL ALL JUST GET SO JADED THAT WE'LL JUST SAY HEY,IT IS A HOAX AND NOT EVEN BOTHER OURSELVES; IS THAT THE WORLD YOU REALLY WANT TO LIVE IN?
WELL,I DON'T! I AM GONNA DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP ANYONE THAT ASKS FOR IT;IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT;HIT THE FREAKING DELETE BUTTON; OMG HOW OLD ARE YOU? FIVE?
I am really sad that this is what this world is made of, people that do this kind of thing and people who respond in a nasty way to people who are genuinely trying to help someone. She accused me of scamming her? Tell me what the hell did she lose? I know I have lost all respect for anyone who would write me such a nasty note!

Thanks to my loyal bloggy friends for understanding and supporting me; I will always do the same for you as well; this rant is only for the person who felt it necessary to be nasty to me. Today is not the day to do that!

Something for our canine friends

Hi everyone; thank you all for the wonderful responses to yesterdays post. I thought about it deeply before and after posting. The purpose of my blog is for fun and making friends, and I hope to educate; as I learn from all of your blogs too! Usually we are all working on making a lovely,happy home; but the world intrudes on that and so I feel we must defend our families and our homes in order to continue with our goal of making a happy healthy home. And from the comments it sounds as if you all support that too.
Today I am sharing with you some info for our canine friends; here is some crucial information on keeping your fur baby healthy and safe! all the mugs here just HATE it when I say we have to check the "list" to see if something is healthy for them; I never knew about the grapes thing until recently; we do not have grapes or raisins in our home at all; I am paranoid about dropping one and having them ingest it!
I will look and see if I can find my other "list" LOL.
From the DogAge website
Grapes of Intestinal Wrath
September 25, 2008
Grapes and raisins, although healthy and popular snacks for people, can cause serious health problems in dogs. Although the exact reason why they're toxic remains unknown, even small doses can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and abdominal pain and can lead to kidney damage and even kidney failure. After ingesting these fruits, dogs show increased levels of nitrogen, creatinine, and phosphorous in their blood, which indicates impaired kidney function. If your dog succeeds in sneaking any of these snacks, a swift trip to the vet can offset potentially serious health complications.
Poisonous Plants
Some of the following plants can be toxic to your dog. Check with your veterinarian before having them in your home.
Aloe Vera
Apple (seeds)
Apricot (pit)
Autumn Crocus
Baby's Breath
Branching Ivy
Buddhist Pine
Calla Lily
Ceriman
Cherry (seeds and wilting leaves)
Cineraria
Cordatum
Cornstalk Plant
Cuban Laurel
Cycads
Daffodil
Dieffenbachia
Dragon Tree
Easter Lily (especially cats!)
Elephant Ears
English Ivy
Fiddle-leaf Fig
Foxglove
Geranium
Giant Dumb Cane
Gold Dust Dracaena
Hahn's Self-Branching Ivy
Hurricane Plant
Janet Craig Dracaena
Jerusalem Cherry
Lacy Tree Philodendron
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Marijuana
Miniature Croton
Morning Glory
Narcissus
Nephytis
Oleander
Oriental Lily (especially cats!)
Peach (wilting leaves and pits)
Plumosa Fern
Poison Ivy
Pothos
Primrose
Red Princess
Rhododendron
Saddle Leaf Philodendron
Satin Pothos
Silver Pothos
String of Pearls
Sweetheart Ivy
Taro Vine
Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)
Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia
Yew
Amaryllis
Apple Leaf Croton
Asparagus Fern
Azalea
Bird of Paradise
Buckeye
Caladium
Castor Bean
Charming Dieffenbachia
Chinese Evergreen
Clematis
Corn Plant
Croton
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cyclamen
Devil's Ivy
Dracaena Palm
Dumb Cane
Elaine
Emerald Feather
Eucalyptus
Florida Beauty
Fruit Salad Plant
German Ivy
Glacier Ivy
Golden Pothos
Heartland Philodendron
Indian Rubber Plant
Japanese Show Lily (especially cats!)
Kalanchoe
Lily of the Valley
Marble Queen
Mexican Breadfruit
Mistletoe
Mother-in-Law's Tongue
Needlepoint Ivy
Nightshade
Onion
Peace Lily
Pencil Cactus
Poinsettia (low toxicity)
Poison Oak
Precatory Bean
Red Emerald
Red-Margined Dracaena
Ribbon Plant
Sago Palm
Schefflera
Spotted Dumb Cane
Striped Dracaena
Swiss Cheese Plant
Tiger Lily (especially cats!)
Tree Philodendron
Weeping Fig
Home Safe Home
Even pets that spend most of their time indoors may be exposed to a number of potential hazards. The following list will help keep your home safe and sound for your dog or cat.
Be aware of the plants you have in your house and in your yard. The ingestion of a poisonous plant can be fatal. See above for poisonous plants list.

When cleaning your house, never allow your dog access to the area where cleaning agents are used or stored. Some may only cause a mild stomach upset, while others could cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth, and stomach or even be fatal.

When using rat or mouse baits, ant or roach traps, or snail and slug baits, place the products in areas that are inaccessible to your pet. Most bait contains sweet-smelling, inert ingredients, such as jelly, peanut butter, and sugars, which can be very attractive to your dog.

Never give your dog any medications unless under the directions of a veterinarian.

Many medications that are used safely in humans can be deadly to a dog.
Keep all prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs out of the reach of your dog, preferably in closed cabinets. Pain-killers, cold medicines, anti-cancer drugs, antidepressants, vitamins, and diet pills are common examples of human medications that could be potentially lethal, even in small dosages.
Never leave chocolates unattended. Approximately one half ounce or less of baking chocolate per pound of body weight can cause problems. Even small amounts can cause pancreatic problems in dogs.

Many common household items have been shown to be lethal in other species. Miscellaneous items that are highly toxic even in low quantities include pennies (high concentration of zinc), mothballs (contains naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene — one or two balls can be life-threatening in most species), potpourri oils, fabric softener sheets, automatic dish detergents (contain cationic detergents which could cause corrosive lesions), batteries (contain acids or alkali which can also cause corrosive lesions), homemade play dough (contains high quantity of salt), winter heat source agents like hand or foot warmers (contain high levels of iron), cigarettes, coffee grounds, and alcoholic drinks.
All automotive products, such as oil, gasoline, and antifreeze should be stored properly. As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) can be deadly in a dog.
Before buying or using flea products on your dog or in your household, contact your veterinarian to discuss what types of flea products are recommended for him. Read ALL information before using a product on your pet or in your home. Always follow label instructions.
Also, when using a fogger or a house spray, make sure to remove all pets from the area for the time period specified on the container. If you are uncertain about the usage of any product, contact the manufacturer or your veterinarian to clarify the directions BEFORE using the product.

When treating your lawn or garden with fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides, always keep your dog away from the area until the area dries completely. Discuss usage of products with the manufacturer of the products to be used. Always store such products in an area that will ensure no possible pet exposure.

Sharp objects such as knives and forks, paper clips, carpet tacks and pins should be kept out of a pet's reach. Children's toys and small objects may attract a playful dog and become lodged in his mouth or swallowed.

Exposed lamp cords and other wires should be kept as short as possible and, ideally, out of your dog’s sight and reach. If extension cords are used, mount them against a baseboard so they cannot be played with or chewed.

Dogs are sometimes at risk on a high-rise balcony. A lively dog could squeeze through the bars and fall, leading to injury or even death.

Other health-threatening pollutants are radon, fumes from household products such as cleaning agents, pesticides, paints and varnishes, microbial and fungal agents found in air conditioners, air ducts, filters and humidifiers. Among common air pollutants are nitrogen dioxide from gas appliances, wood-burning stoves and un-vented kerosene heaters. Gas stoves, and kerosene heaters or stoves should be vented to the outside of the house.

Lead paint should be removed with extreme caution. Cleanup should be prompt and thorough. Other items containing lead accessible to dogs include lead-base paint, linoleum, and caulking compounds. Signs include vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, loss of appetite, loss of muscle coordination, blindness and seizures

This list came from Purina at http://www.purina.com . I will add to it things like carpet fresheners which often give dogs allergic problems; all products that come into contact with your dog or cat can be irritating to them and can lead to fatal outcomes is sensitive animals; like cleaners,bleaches etc. I use Febreze, but since we have leather furniture; I spray it down in the cushions which are attached and never come into contact with the babies ( yes they sit on the couch!) They say it is safe for pets, but I really don't trust many of these companies anymore after the dog food scandal.

We puppy proofed our house with the first baby and continue to watch to make sure that they are safe. Bitsy liked those electrical cords when we first got her so we hid them under and behind things.

From the Dog Bowl:http;//www.thedogbowl.com
What is toxic to dogs?
While you love your dear dog and want him to have the healthiest of diets, it’s important to know which foods to consume and which must be avoided at all costs. In fact, there are specific foods which are toxic to dogs. Whether its grapes or cabbage or extensive table scraps or bread dough be aware of the list below as toxic food for dogs…in other words, what not to feed!
We’ll start with human food. Baby food can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. In addition, it can result in nutritional deficiencies especially if fed in large amounts. Simply stated, it’s best to avoid since this could be toxic to dogs. That’s why it’s called baby food and not dog food.
Table scraps in large amounts could be classified as toxic food for dogs. Why? Because they’re not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of your dog’s diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat and bones should definitely not be fed. Cooked meat and cooked fats are carcinogenic to dogs.
Bones from fish and cooked bones can obstruct the digestive system. Not good!
Chocolate, coffee, tea, and caffeinated drinks are bad. They contain caffeine which could be toxic and impact the heart and nervous systems.
Citrus oil extracts result in vomiting. Stay away!
Grapes and raisins contain unknown toxins which can do damage to the kidneys. Definitely considered toxic food for dogs.
Large amounts of cooked liver cause Vitamin A toxicity, which impacts muscles and bones. Yet another item which is toxic to dogs.
Macadamia nuts, like grapes and raisins, contain unknown toxins.
Spoiled food and garbage – just don’t go there. Definitely considered toxic for dogs.
Mushrooms can result in shock and cause death.
Alcohol can result in coma and death.
Bread dough can result in a bloated belly and then disorientation and vomiting. Since it yeast that hasn’t risen yet, you do not want it to expand in Fido’s belly, much less get stuck in the intestines! This, like the other items on the list, could be toxic to dogs.
Onions and garlic, whether it’s raw, cooked, or powder in large amounts have the ability to damage red blood cells and cause anemia.
As for chemicals, dogs need to be kept away from all antifreeze spills since this could be hazardous and toxic to dogs. While the sweet smell and taste may be attractive to his sensitive nose, if your dog consumes any amount of antifreeze, rush him immediately to the veterinarian. (Check your garage and driveway for spills and clean these up before your pet has a chance to smell and potentially ingest this!)
Xylitol is a sugar-alcohol sweetener contained in chewing gum and candy. Seizures, lethargy and weakness are the result if dogs consume significant amounts of this chemical.
Ibuprofen, like antifreeze, may smell sweet. Dogs will eat it if they’re found lying on the floor and don’t be surprised if your dog tries to chew threw a bottle to eat the entire contents. This is definitely toxic to dogs. It causes ulceration and perforates the lining of the stomach, and decreases the blood flow to the kidneys. Yet again, toxic to dogs.
And keep the above mentioned foods and chemicals in mind to prevent your dog from consuming toxins. At The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being. For more information about foods and chemicals which are toxic to dogs or if you think your dog could have ingested a toxic substance please contact your local vet as soon as possible.
I will add do not feed GREENIES to your dogs ever!!!! I had been on a site that showed the effects on these treats that stayed in the dogs stomach and maimed and killed a number of dogs. And the company just did not care; I also do NOT give any rawhides for the same reason; you can get KONGS and under supervision you can fill them with treats' peanut butter or KONG makes a filler; this is great for doggies! And safe! I watch them with toys because bullies are BIG chewers; they will disassemble things quickly so we are careful in buying things for them to play with! If they start ripping it up out it goes!
I know it is hard sometimes but we had an incident with Niles a few years ago; he became very ill suddenly on Thanksgiving and the emergency vet did not know what was wrong; my daughter thinks it was a mushroom, but they never did find out; it looked like a toxin; Niles suddenly lost the ability to walk without falling and they thought; and I thought he was dying. I never want anyone to go through that!
He was very ill and needed intense care at home for a long time; we had to take him out and hold him up to go potty and he really could not poop for a long time; the vet said if it was a toxin it had shut down his colon! I made him food for a long time and we just loved him and did everything to help him; eventually he was back to himself and now he is a happy healthy guy, but I watch him closely as I do all of them!
The other thing is spider bites; Murphy has had at least three episodes with these buggers! I am spider crazy now !!!
I hope these things help you keep your fur babies safe and healthy!



EDIT; I forgot about apples; their seeds are poisonous; make sure they are cored well; also if you brush your dog's teeth do not use human toothpaste as it is poisonous for our dogs; there are canine toothpastes; ask your vet for a recommendation! This list is not all inclusive, please ask your vet for his/her list and please make sure your babies get their yearly check up and shots; if you know someone who is on a fixed or low income who has difficulty affording this care, please contact your local veterinary college as they have clinics at times or your local shelter who may have low cost vet lists for your area.