The View from Knee Level

Cute pictures

2010-02-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

I took these pictures the other week. I happen to think they are perfectly adorable photos of the twins.

Me with them.

Not a happy song.

He is joy personified.

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted last. Since then, I've acquired some stepsons, courtesy of my fiance. I would like to introduce Shocka and Caesar, who I call Beazer. Shocka is the black and white, Beazer is the brown and white. They are father and son.

They were helping me shovel snow. They thought it would help if they ate it.

It's contaminated!

2008-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

The joys of the elderly!

For some reason, and I don't know if he's scared of them, hates them, or just considers himself to be above sharing the bowl with them, but Gus the cat has decided he will no longer drink from the dogs' water bowl. The water is the same, it comes from the same faucet, he never had this issue before, but now it's a big problem, worth screaming about.

This morning I had to change his water out, and then had to put it in the bathtub because, being the dogs, the twins found the water bowl and started to drink from it, and he wasn't having that.

A Tail of 2 Cookies!

2008-06-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

My brother brought his girlfriend's Jack Russell terrier mix over Saturday night. I guess cause they're moving in together, he wanted her to get used to the Mongrel Horde, since they'll be just up the street.

None of my dogs like her. Robbie hates her because she flirts with him, and he is out of the gene pool, and happy about it, plus she teases him (family reunion, she got him to run the whole way out his tie-out and he fell over and it hurt his pride) and tries to sit in my lap, and Robbie feels I am HIS mother, and she needs to stay out of my lap.

My brother's dog hates her because my brother is always bringing her in and he is Nikki's daddy. She can't understand why he leaves her and goes to play with the little one. Plus, she's busy and Nik's border collie brain is all about order, so it drives her crazy.

Chancey really doesn't seem to dislike her, but advises that, because her brother hates her, she has to stick with family.

Anyway, yesterday, Delilah (the JRT) was bouncing around, and Robbie was moping so I gave them each a cookie. I figured she would calm down, and he loves to eat and cookies make him feel better. He settles down to eat his cookie, because he knows, in this house, an uneaten cookie isn't left alone long, while she proceeds to bury her cookie under the couch cushions. It took that dog 10 minutes to get her cookie hidden, and I guess she realized someone was going to find it, because she got it out, then stood there, trying to figure out what to do.

And then Chancey started to bark. I don't know if it was at the mailman, the neighbors, a ghost or what, but she started to bark. When one member of the Mongrel Horde begins to bark, all members must start barking. Until the offender, earthly, ethereal, demented delusion, goes away or I start yelling. Delilah goes over by Chancey and starts to bark. You can't bark with a cookie in your mouth so she dropped it. And Chancey pounced.

She picked up the cookie and took it to the other side of the room. I guess she figured she would eat that cookie at a more convenient time (I don't give her cookies, because she has an underbite, so you never know if she can chew a hard cookie, but she was trying on this one.) And then that silly dog runs back over to where she was.

As I turn around and start the, "Goliedown. Quitthat. Whatiswrongwithyouthisisn'tevenyourhousedelilahwhyareyoubarking," tirade (because 3 small dogs barking in your ear is TORTURE), I see my brother's dog get off her chair, go to where Chance has deposited the cookie and eat it. Robbie managed to eat his cookie before the nonsense started, so he was good, but his sister and step-cousin, not so lucky.

It was the most hysterically funny group exercise I've ever seen them accomplish.

Very moving

2008-03-19T10:09:00.001-07:00

http://petloss.com/welcome.htm

This was posted today. I love it!

Hi, sorry it's been so long--interesting thing I learned today

2008-03-06T06:22:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry, it's been 3 months since I've posted. It's not that I don't want to post, it's just time gets away from me so quickly.

Everyone is fine at my house. The twins are doing really really well. They've started a new habit of sitting very close and kissing each other. It's very puppy-like and simply adorable, not that my children are not naturally adorable.

I did find out something really cool this morning. Chancey's registered name is Chanson de Nuit. Night Song in French, because she is black. It just flowed so beautifully. When she was a puppy, she was named Cordelia and her sister was named Regan, their brother was Robin. The names are from Shakespeare. I always thought they were from the Tempest because of their grandfather, but Cordelia and Regan were the daughters in King Lear. Robin is not in that play, but he was originally shown under the name "Robin Goodfellow"--I googled him. Robin Goodfellow is another name for Puck. Per Wikipedia, Puck took the form of a black dog.

I love finding out little things like this. Really, Robin is the perfect name for a little black dog. I love it!

Merry Christmas to the forever petparents

2007-12-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

This is gonna probably sound sappy, but this morning, Mom and I were talking, and Robbie-do was being his normal cheerleader self, happy and bouncy and playful. We got to talking and I asked her if she thought he was happy or if he ever wondered about his former homes. She said he is very happy, and that he probably doesn't think about his other owners. And then, it just hit me, I said, "I've always been his owner, it just took him a while to come to me."

So, for all the people who've opened up their homes to being forever petparents, this is from Robbie and I. I've never thought how it applies to our furbabies

"Bless The Broken Road"

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus:]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]

Now I'm just rolling home
Into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

And we have PLAY

2007-10-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

This morning, the Schipperkes played together. Woo hoo! It's been two months since Robbie's come and they will normally just co-exist. Their chief goal has been to be close to me and usually that means, Chancey loses out. Except in bed because she won't put up with him getting all the attention. That is HER bed. She is queen of the Schipperkes. But I noticed that they actually slept touching each other on Sunday night, which I was pleased about. Chancey has seemed a little down since Robbie came and I was getting worried, but ever since she went bye-byes to Pennsylvania with Mom and I, she's much happier, I guess because she realized I still love her, she didn't get shoved aside for new guy, and that she would still get special treats. That said, she still isn't buddies with him.

So imagine my surprise when they played together today. Nothing major. I guess Robbie had energy from the first sprint outside, and he wanted to run with her. She looked at him for a few moments with her special, "What the Hell is wrong with you, freak" look. Then I guess she figured out what he wanted and they actually played a game we call, "Run Dog Run"--it's pretty self-explanatory, they just run with a crazed look in their eyes--for a couple minutes. It was refreshing, at least til Luke's dog, seeing two small black forms running through the livingroom, decided that it was just too much for her border collie brain--"Must herd, must keep order" to handle. Or else she wanted to play with them. Either way, Robin didn't want her there. So he growled and it was over.

But it's a start. Play is a start.

Been a while

2007-10-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted on this, but the animals are all progressing as animals should.

We've had Robbie for 2 months now. Wow, has it been that long? He really is a funny little man. Hysterical. It's like having a puppy, not an 8 year old. When I let them in last night, it was like unleashing a mix of roller derby and Nascar into the kitchen. He slams Chance around like you wouldn't believe.

I think we've finally had a moment of "a-ha" in their relationship. Chance has not really taken to him. I think she thinks he's taken everything good she loved, from their toys to me, and that's been upsetting. But we took her to Pennsylvania last weekend, and it was like, "OK, Mummy loves me, I don't have to stay home all the time when he goes," and then, wonder of wonders, they slept together last night and actually TOUCHED one another. Plus, she licked his ears yesterday morning. Licking the ears is a HUGE deal--that is how she shows she loves someone.

The Rumble

2007-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted on this. I've had a lot going on, most spectacularly the arrival of Robbie. He's so adorable. He seems to be fitting in, maybe not like peas and carrots, but, I mean, realistically, it's family. You don't get a long with your family that well all the time.

His biggest issue is that he growls at everyone. So far, no one's been bitten, well, he put his mouth on Nikki, but he didn't close it, so it's technically not a bite. He does leave Chancey alone. I guess he figures she's his sister, these others are adopted siblings--she "darkened the same hole," to use one of my mom's terms.

Until yesterday. I was sitting in my stitching chair--the computer chair as well--and Chance came strolling up to me. Of course, I'm her Mummy. Well, Master Robin didn't like it. He jumped at her. I, of course, yell, "Stop that!" And he whips around with his, But I was protecting YOU, Mummy. Chance handled it well, she looked at him with this, "Excuse me, what in the H&ll do you think you're doing?" look. And rolled her eyes. Because, you see, Robin had committed the cardinal sin of this house. When my animals want to insult each other, we say they tell each other, "I will bite you in yous face." It's the ultimate slam and one they don't take lightly. And he jumped right at her face. So I knew it was gonna be bad.

She didn't do anything else, so I figured it was percolating in her.

Fast forward to last night. I come home, after my floss expedition, to Robin's, "I so glad you home," booty shaking, grinning, jumping welcome. Chance just hangs back. So I give her her pat--and I do worry that she isn't getting enough attention, so I make sure I make over her. And I go to walk out of the room. I see her, in the corner of my eye, jump on the sofa, right in front of her brother, sprawl across it and start barking at him. I can only imagine the conversation went like:

"About this morning, you do not jump in mys face. I have been here longer, I weigh more than you, this is my house, this is my sofa, these is mys cats. I let you bark at strangers, I let you bark at mys Unca Luke (my brother), I even let you growl at mys best friend in the whole world, Nikki. I is not gonna let you take over and keep me from my Mummy, and then jump in mys face like you owns her. I put my time in with her, Mister. I will see her when Is want to, and you can nots say a damn thing. So NO MORE JUMPING> Does I makes myself clear. " It was hysterical, because Chancey is just not the vocally demonstrative one.

And he's been better today. Little growling, but she looked at him, and it stopped.

Could you resist this face?

2007-08-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

I took this od Chance on Sunday. I think she is absolutely darling. And this showcases her feet. I am passionately in love with Schipperke feet. SO dainty. Anyway, she was sitting on her chair, worried that I would be replacing her with Robin in my affections. I guess she doesn't understand, my heart expands to love them both. I did get some advice from Shirley on how to introduce them to each other. That should help.

Rent a Pet--I Can Pay My Income Tax Bill!

2007-08-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

There was something on TV about people renting pets. I think that is such a silly idea, why would you rent someone else's pet? Why would you pay money to walk a dog, play with a dog, listen to the cats yowl and watch them wrassle? Unless you were using it to meet members of the opposite sex. I will admit, I will use Nikki to try to attract men, because Nikki is a kick-ass looking dog. Chancey is too small and poofy, and most men do not like cats. But I don't think this is the whole point of this pet rental. I think it's just to rent pets, like a pet livery stable. And while this would be a good idea to potentially get animals out of the pound, I keep thinking about how you wouldn't be able to control who was getting your pet, and what they were doing. And what if they didn't return them. It's not like a car, you can't keep the deposit and get another one.

But then again, if I rented them out, that would probably help pay my income tax bill.

A Brand New Blog for my animals

2007-08-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

OK, I have been having so much fun with my cross stitch blog, I decided that it's time to give my pets their own blog. I know, crazy, right?

Let me just explain. A few months ago, a boy I dated in high school read my profile on Reunion.com and thought it was rather intense that I lived with 4 cats and two dogs. I've been thinking about that since then. It seems odd to me that people see living with them as intense, it's just natural to me. I've never not had them, and they are such a joy.

I intend this to be the story of my furbabies: Lilybet, the queen of the house, the oldest, who was my first adult kitten experience; Gus, her orange tabby brother, named after a character in Cats; Felix Anne, our tiny guy, who is my survivor kitty; and the dogs, Wyndsong's Chanson de Nuit, or Chancey, my lovely Schipperke, and Nikki, my brother's border collie/rottweiler mix, our pound puppy. We lost our Grampy a month ago, but are trying to add Chancey's brother, Robin, to the brood.

I hope that, by telling their stories, you will see how beautifully meshed their personalities are. And that the heart is not limited in its capability to love.