Meet My Parents

I was tagged by Reina to tell you a little something about my mom and dad.

My parents have been married for 34 years and and they have one daughter, Melissa, who just got married earlier this month.

If any of you have ever read my profile at the side of my blog you'll know that my dad is a heart transplant recipient. His miracle happened on November 6, 2004. His donor was a woman from Boston and that's one reason he loves the Boston RedSox!

Dad flew to Louisville, Kentucky last year in June and participated in the Transplant Olympic games and won a bronze medal for a swimming event. We are so proud of dad!

Here's me modeling dad's medal with Mitch looking on!

My dad is a woodworker and a timber framer and he teaches timber frame classes each year to lots of students to keep the art alive. He has a HUGE passion for barns! He's restored and built around 35 barns and a couple of them have become houses - like this one in particular. It's located in Maine. Dad has a beautiful workshop and loves to build furniture in the autumn and in the winter when it's too cold outside to do much else. Mom and dad are both stay at home parents and Mitch and I are VERY lucky dogs and we know this!

Mom loves to garden! She loves the sun on her face and the dirt under her fingernails and she loves to hear the birdies singing away!

She also loves to woodwork. She puts all of dad's wood scraps to good use carving spoons and small dishes and donates them to Airedale rescue to help bring in funds for the less fortunate doggies. Here's one of the dishes she made a couple of years ago. She also loves to knit. Last year she was knitting purses and felting them in the washing machine and then needle felting Airedales on them and donating those too!

Check out her summer purse! It's me! Isn't it just perfect!

I can't even tell you how many of these babies she cranked out! She was having so much fun that she wore her wrist out and had to have surgery! She's given up knitting for now but she's going to try to go back to it when the seasons change! That's how much she loves it!

My mom also sews for the Airedale quilting bee. She's participated in 6 of the quilts that they've made to raise money. The quilting bee is always planning their next quilt and you can be sure that mom will be a part of that one too! This quilt is called "Aire Lifted". Mom's block is the first one way at the top on the left hand side. That's me with Mr. Carrot!

So that's about it! I could ramble on and on about my parents for hours! Mitch and I feel very fortunate that we have two very special parents!

We've decided that we're not going to tag anyone. If you want to play along then by all means jump on board! We'd love to hear about your family too!

Until next time...............

Love ya lots,

Maggie

A Surprise Birthday Pawty for Maggie

I've been invited to SoCal Maggie's surprise birthday pawty tonight at 6PM!
The celebration is being held at Camp Bow Wow where Maggie is hanging out. Her mom is on a camping trip for a few days and Maggie didn't get to go!
Pawty time girlfren! I can't wait to get there!

I'm planning on taking a nice dip in that cool refreshing lake!
As many of you know - I hate water and I don't like getting wet - but I figure because this is a birthday pawty and so many of my DWB friends will be there, it'll be okay!
I can get the hang of this swimming stuff and have a good time!
What do you think? I'll be okay with it, right?

Mom helped me pick out the bathing suit I'll be taking along - I can't very well go naked! Horrors!

Does this color look good on me?

Does the suit make me look fat? Honest opinions only!

Don't forget to pack my sunscreen mom! I don't want to forget that!

Mitch overheard us talking about the pawty and he felt bad because I told him he was too young to go. I told him this pawty could get rowdy and it might not be appropriate for youngsters! Mitch was crushed! He really wants to go too!

He went upstairs and came back down wearing dad's red swimming trunks trying to get me to change my mind!
You look adorable Mitch but you're still not going! It's for grown-up doggies and that doesn't include you!

He really was upset that he was going to miss the event! He's been reading all of the blogs and he has been dying to meet Oscar and Boo Casanova and BenBen and Simba and Girl girl and the Asta's and AmberMae and Huskee and Lorenza and of course, the birthday girl Maggie! Me too!!!!!!!!!!! We've never ever been to California before! I got to thinkin that Mitch is 7 months old and Maggie will be 2 years old - not that much difference in age really! So we emailed BenBen our host, to see if Mitch could come too. He's in! Mitch is a much happier little dude! Thanks Ben!

I wonder what else goes on at camp besides swimming? I wonder if we should pack outfits just in case we get a friendly game of softball going or maybe a game of soccer! I wonder what everyone else is packing?

The last I heard, Simba was picking us up in his hotty car - hopefully he has the directions to our house! But then I heard that it could be fat fat daddy's boat! Wow! That would be cool! Will it go fast enough Simba? We don't want to be late for the pawty! Others will be riding along with Girl girl in her pretty pink GG-mobile!

We can't wait! It's going to be so much fun! Maggie's going to be so surprised! We're going to pawty all night long till we drop! You were so clever to come up with this awesome idea BenBen! Thanks again so much for inviting us! See you at the pawty!

Until next time...............

Love ya lots,

Maggie

Helping Dad Roof the Barn

It's a hot day today in Connecticut and we've been helping dad roof his barn - well, we haven't really been up on the roof with him but there's lots to do on the ground!
Dad started by ripping shingles off the roof and tossing them on the ground. We're part of the ground team helping mom pick them up and bag them! Look at all these tasty shingles!
Mitch is checking them out deciding which ones he needs to steal and chew on!

Don't worry - mom's being a meany and not letting us eat any. If anything - Mitch is learning "leave it" real good!

Here's Mitch inspecting the nail magnet. Mom wants to make sure that we get all of the nails up off the grass and in the driveway so we don't roll over any of them with any tractors or cars and puncture tires!

Here's a shot of dad and Uncle Bob up on the roof. You can see what a big job they have ahead of them. This barn is 75 feet long!

We got bored with all of the heavy duty work after awhile so we played a friendly game of tug!

I think I can safely say that Mitch won the tug game! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Mom went inside for a bottle of water and came back with a treat to share with each of us. She told us that we had to do a trick for this treat! Okay - we're game!

Mom asked me to do a "down" and I did a high five and then a down! I think I deserved two treats but mom only brought out two cookies!


Now it was Mitch's turn for his treat! Check out this humongous foot! OMG one paw is as big as his whole head!



Well - break time is up! Time to get back to helping mom pick up shingles!

Till next time.................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

For You Toby

I was reading Toby's blog and he said that one of his best tricks was a spin! I asked him if his mom could please shoot a video so that I could see him doing this awesome trick because I don't do spins! Toby told me that we'll trade - he'll post a spin if I post a high five so this is for you Toby!



Mitch wanted to get in on the act too so here he is doing a "down" for a treat! Mom says he's harder to shoot because he moves like the energizer bunny! hehehehe


How did we do Toby? I wanna see that spin!

Until next time......................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

What About Me - I Want to Play Too!

Maggie said that I could play the game that everyone else is so that I can feel included too! Thanks Maggie! You're a real sweetheart!

1. Your age? Almost 7 months

2. Your age when came to live with your people? Four months old

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? Brown and black leather with a brass nameplate - same as the one Maggie wears

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? I don't really have a favorite person. I love everyone - I'm a puppy!

5. How much do you weigh? 49 pounds. I'm catching up to Maggie FAST!

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? Mom's Kathe Kruz collectible teddy bear - oops - sorry mom!

7. Do you like other Dogs? Yes, I want to meet everybody and jump on them!

8. Who is your best non-human friend? My fursister Maggie

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Squeaky toys

10. Do you like to be brushed? Yes, as long as I can bite on the brush while mom is trying to brush me

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Cheese please!

12. Do your people cut your toenails? Mom does it. She says starting while I'm young is very important!

13. Any formal education? No, not yet!

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Energizer bunny! I'm a terrier puppy!

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Mitchy, Grandpa, Scotch Brite boy, BumbleBee boy, Mitchell

16. What is your best trick? I do hi five like Maggie for treats!

17. Do you like kitties? I haven't met one yet!

18. What did you have for breakfast? I had a piece of mom's toast

19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? I'm a sweet boy. I've never killed anything! Update: I just killed a baby mousie! We had live entertainment in our family room last night and I caught a mousie but didn't hurt him. Mom just found me with another one and this one was a goner! oops! I'm sorry that I killed your baby Mrs. Mousie! I'm a naughty boy!

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? At the end of March for my big boy neutering surgery.

21. Where do you sleep at night? In my crate in the laundry room

22. Do you like to swim? I've haven't tried it yet.

23. Can you make puppies? No

24. Do you give kisses? Wellllllllllll - mom and dad usually initiate this and I'm only too happy to go along with the plan.

25. Can you potty on command? I do peepees on command but I need time for poopoos.

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? I love Cuz! He's the greatest!

This was lots of fun! Thank you Maggie for letting me play too!

Love ya lots,

Mitch

More about ME!

I was reading Lorenza's blog and she has this neat game going and I thought it might be fun to play along.


1. Your age? 8 years old - soon to be 9
2. Your age when came to live with your people? 8 weeks old
3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? Brown and black leather with brass name plate.
4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with? My hooman sister Missy
5. How much do you weigh? 54 pounds
6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? One of my own stuffies! I'm not bad like Mitch!
7. Do you like other Dogs? Depends who they are. I'm very selective about who I hang with!
8. Who is your best non-human friend? I guess I have to say Mitch but Putter is a very close second!
9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? Squeaky toys
10. Do you like to be brushed? Sure! I love to be beautiful all the time!
11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? hummmmmmm - tough choice! Cheese is better, I think!
12. Do your people cut your toenails? I try to avoid having this done at all times! Mom does it if I let her.
13. Any formal education? I graduated puppy classes and I have the diploma to prove it!
14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Energizer bunny! I'm a terrier!
15. Five nicknames your people call you. Sissy, Mags, Magster, Princess, Britt
16. What is your best trick? I do high five real good - especially if food is in front of my face!
17. Do you like kitties? I want to chase them - so I guess the answer is no.
18. What did you have for breakfast? A piece of mom's toast
19. Can you hunt (aka have you ever killed anything living)? If so, what? I killed a baby turtle and made mom super sad
20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? hummmm, I think it's been about a year?
21. Where do you sleep at night? On my own bed at the foot of mom and dad's bed
22. Do you like to swim? No, it gets me wet!
.23. Can you make puppies? Nope.
24. Do you give kisses? Yes, but I have to be in the right mood.
25. Can you potty on command? Absolutely!
26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? I love my bad orange Cuz!

This was fun! If you want to play along, copy and paste the questions into your blog! I'd love to know more about all my doggy friends!

Until next time....................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

Sleeping Giant with Putter

We've been talking about this day FOREVER and we finally made it here! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Putter and her mom met us at our house and they followed us over to Sleeping Giant. We were in dad's truck with our heads poked out the rear window keeping an eye on Putter and making sure she didn't get lost. Putter was in her famous yellow Puttermobile! It only takes about 15 minutes to get there thank goodness because we were anxious to see each other again! It's been too long!

Here comes Putter! There she is Mitch!

We did have quite a bit of barking to do and a few friendly growls but it didn't last long before we set off on our climb!

Here's dad giving Putter a love pat on the way up the mountain. Putter is such a friendly girl and always happy-go-lucky!

The climb was oodles of fun. There was a lot of great sniffing and we saw chipmunks and squirrels and lots of birds and pretty flowers and the hoomans were talking away and having the best time!

Here we are at the top of the mountain right outside the castle!

Now to climb to the top of the castle! The climb to the top is 4 or 5 short ramps and you keep turning corners - going around and around. If you ran it would make you dizzy!

We're at the top and Putter is bound and determined to see over the edge! Careful Putter - it's a longgggg drop! We had a beautiful day! You could see for miles and miles! Mitch looks super impressed! hehehehe

Here we are in a group shot enjoying each other's company!

Next thing we know there was a water break and cookies for everyone! yippeeeeeeeee the best part!

Mitch was getting a little bit frisky at this point! Maybe he was feeling romantic at the top with the lack of aire??? He's sharing a kiss with Putter! awwwwwwwwwwwwwwThe trip down was just as much fun as the trip up but we were all thirsty once we got to the bottom. There is a special water fountain just for the doggies and we weren't shy! well...............Mitch is getting his drink~

And Putter sure wasn't shy~

I was really thirsty too only I don't drink out of community bowls or dishes that could possibly have cooties! There could be germs and other dog's slobber and I could actually catch something - so I refused the free water!Mom always brings our fancy blue cooler with ice water in it so I'll wait! It's much safer this way!

We had the greatest time and were sad to see our adventure end! We're already making plans to go back again real soon!

Till next time...............

Love ya lots,

Maggie

Unexpected Surprises

Mom took off this morning to buy me and Mitch dog food. She said we were running low and if she didn't do something about it like NOW we'd either have to both go on diets or starve to death! Neither one of these choices sounds like something that I want to deal with so we kissed mom good-bye and told her to hurry back!

She came home with a huge bag of dog food and lots of plastic bags. She was unloading a couple of them into the frig and one of them into the fruit bowl and the last one she dropped into the dish drainer so we couldn't see what was in it!

hummmmmmmmmmmm - now both of us know at this point that something is definitely up! Before we could get too antsy she tossed a tied-up plastic bag on the floor!

I'm not sure if this was good or not because we didn't know who this suprise pressie was for! Mom said it was to be shared!

Did you hear that Mitch? She said to share and if you don't share I'm going to bite your foot off!

OMG when will the imp learn the meaning of this five letter word!

That's it buddy, steal the squeaky toy and hide from me in MY crate! Brilliant idea!

But mom wasn't done yet! She tossed another plastic bag on the floor and watched us wrestle with it! Should this woman be considered evil?

Hey, look what this is! Mom is thinking that bigger is better and maybe Mitch will leave HER collectible stuffies alone!

BTW, Mitch did score father's day ice cream! We all felt sorry for him! Mom says it's hard to look at that sweet face and stay mad at him for long!

The problem is that I kinda like him too!

So now we have 2 new toys and I have a funny feeling that Mitch will inherit both of them!
Mitch told mom that he promises that he'll never ever touch her stuffies ever again! Yea right! We'll see how long that lasts!

Until next time..............

Love ya lots,

Maggie

Happy Father's Day Dad

I wanted to share a few memories with you between me and my dad. I'm almost 9 years old so I've known my dad for a good long time! We've shared lots of great times together and there will be many more great times to come.

This is me at 5 months old! I had just gotten my first haircut from the groomer. Dad looks a wee bit younger too- wow - 8 1/2 years younger to be exact!

This picture is from Christmas '05. Dad and I are playing tug-a-war with my new bone toy! Dad's always good for a few laughs!

Here we are impressing Aunt Eva with a tiny training session! Look how young Mitch is!

Mitch now does high five for cookies too so dad's hard work has paid off!Dad is always taking us to get ice cream!
99% of the time it's his idea, not moms! Thanks Dad - you're the greatest!

This is me, Mitch and dad at Sleeping Giant, our most favorite place in the whole wide world to hike! Thanks dad for all the adventures! We can't tell you how special each and every one of them is to us! You're the best!Today is your day dad! We'd love to tell you to relax and put your feet up but that's totally not you! So instead we'll go for our Sunday walkie and we'll have oonies for dinner with the sauce that you made for us with your own two hands! - yum - and how about if Mitch and I treat you to ice cream - whatever flavor you desire! It's on us!

We want to wish you the bestest father's day ever!

We love you - lots and lots!

Love,

Your furdaughter Maggie and your little boy Mitch~

What Mitch Wants To Be When He Grows Up

Mitch was in deep doodoo this morning. Mom got up at her usual early hour and did a load of laundry and put coffee on and was coming into the computer room to relax and have an hour of fun before dad got up. She passed by bed #1 and no Mitch and she passed by bed #2 and no Mitch and she knew right then and there that he was up to no good!

She came into the computer room and there was Mitch happily sucking the eye off of her collectible Kathe Kruse floppy bear named Huffy!

Here's a picture of Huffy's good eye! It's a shoe button eye and we haven't found the button yet so we're guessing that it's still inside Mitch's tummy!

Mom was so upset about the eye that she didn't notice right away that his nose is also missing! Mitch is a bad boy!

Huffy didn't come with that sweater. Mom knit that sweater just for him because he's one of mom's favorite bears! She got him years ago when Missy was still in elementary school and now she's a married woman!

Mom and I have decided that Mitch must want to be an opthomologist when he grows up. He's already getting his surgical experience on both eyes and noses! He did do a pretty thorough job of it, didn't he!

Mitch doesn't look like he's very sorry that any of this happened! What do you all think?

Dad has offered to take us out for ice cream tonight! Does Mitch get to go too or should he be punished and have to stay home alone with a partially blind Huffy who now can't smell the better things in life?

Until next time..................

Love ya lots,

Maggie