~Looking For My Girl~

Yesterday I went looking for my girl as I often do when she is outside wandering.  Sometimes she gets lost.  If you click on the above 'my girl' link, you will see what I mean.  I've started a TikTok account and I'm getting a lot of enjoyment from posting small videos and such.  Also, I find so many I love to watch and follow. 

Gracie is a full-time job these days.  She sleeps a lot, but she loves her walks, food, and cuddling too.  Sometimes she about pushes me out of bed when she insists on sleeping more beside me than at my feet.  Haha!  But.  It's all about making her comfortable these days.  

Our house is like a maze and a bit of a mess with all the carpeting and blankets padding areas where we want to make sure she doesn't run into/jump off of/ fall into etc. and hurt herself.

When she decides to sleep at the foot of the bed it makes for a good night's sleep for me.

If you watch the above video, you might notice that she had fallen into her poop and it was a mess on her butt.  A surprise bath followed.  She was not a happy camper.

But she did rest well afterward.

God and Dog

 The reason I chose to write an allegorical fiction Christian book (THE HOUSE) is this:

I know God.  I love God.  But I do not understand this love that I have for my dog.  After all, she's just a dog, right?  I prayed, God - what is the significance of this animal that has stolen my heart so completely? Why do I live my life loving her so and depending on her love to enhance each of my days?  She's just a dog!  

That's when God gave me THE HOUSE.   

Before, I hadn't a clue about how my love for my beast tied in with Biblical scripture, and God's love for me. 

If you love God and you love pets, you'll love THE HOUSE.

"She can't live without me....  BOL"

~Meet Mandy Baxter~

We were sitting on the back porch discussing plans to save the world (haha) when Gary asks, "What's that?"

"What?" I replied.

"That.  It sounds like a cat."

"It's probably one of the birds feeding at the bird feeder."  I was sure.  Gary was not convinced.

"It's a cat," he said.

"No way."  The privacy fence would keep uninvited guests at bay.  Yea, right.

So I began to survey our yard carefully, looking for signs, and there she was, hiding beneath the lawn mower cover.  Meow.  Meow.  Meow.  I hurried Gracie inside, so she wouldn't scare kitty away.  

Kitty was apprehensive, but quite hungry.  A packet of tuna helped build trust and before we knew it, she was an overnight guest staying in husband's shed.

Allowing Gracie to smell her was met with strong disapproval from the sweet thing and she hissed and growled, ready to spring on the dog who just wanted to love her.  Minus Gracie, she was the sweetest, most loving little thing you would ever want to meet.  She purred and played and snuggled with us for the remainder of the night.

I tried frantically to find her a home, but with no success.  So we did what we had to do.

During her ride to the shelter I sensed her loving, playful eyes now throwing daggers.  She had been betrayed. 

I couldn't sleep.  Those eyes kept staring back at me and I was certain God had sent her into our yard for a purpose.  But why?

A week later we piled into the car, my sister, my daughter, my granddaughters, and myself...  we were going in for the rescue!!  

Meet Mandy Baxter.  

Princess of her domain.

Gracie's Sweet Sixteen

 I can only imagine the cuteness that took place 16 years ago today, as a litter of adorable cockapoos were born into this world.

Months later, when I was met with the decision of which one would go home with me, I could see for myself the cuteness they had all grown into.  Eeenie, Meenie, Minnie, Moe.... which one shall I pick to go (home with me).  I picked up the cutest, curliest, most adorable one, and I asked, "male or female?"  After kissing him on his head, I returned him to his siblings. I wanted a girl.

"Who's this little cutie?" I asked, as I picked up the shy one.  *Her puppy breath was amazing*  

"That's a girl," the owner of the litter said.  

We bonded immediately, and Gracie came home with me.

Gary and I have been married 18 years.  Gracie has been with us for 16 of those years.  We barely know life without her.  I imagine when her time on earth is thru, I will still see her, sneaking around the corner to check on dinner.  I will feel her walking behind me to receive her daily fortune cookie when I go to my office in the morning.  Her bark will be heard from inside when she is out and ready to come in.  Her presence will be felt each evening as we settle in to watch some TV and she lays resting beside us on the sofa.  I'll hear the patter of her paws making her way up the ramp at night to join us in bed.  When we come home from being out somewhere, I will look around the house for her to greet us.  I will smell her sweet smell after a day at the spa.  But all this, will be a memory.

Maybe Jesus will come and take us all home before her departure from this planet.  We don't know what tomorrow may bring, but what I do know is that I am thankful for God's goodness, and these past years with my girl, Gracie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!

 James 1:17 NIV  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  

Happy Dog Day!

Facebook is saying its National Dog Day or Pet Day.  Whatever the case, Gracie insisted I recognize her so... 

HAPPY DOG/PET DAY GRACIE!!  And Happy Pet Day to all of you wonderful four-legged fluffer's out there!!  There's no love like a dogs love!

What We've Been Up To....

We recently hopped on over to Walmart to stock up on plastic Easter eggs and fillers for Sunday.  There will be lots and lots of colored surprise eggs for the kiddies to find.  

Then it was off to the grocery store for some special treats for movie night.  We had a variety of  donuts, party mix, and popcorn flavored jelly beans.  This weeks presentation:  Bumblebee.  It's a transformers movie which I would generally steer clear of...  but for Jake (11 yr old GS) I said sure.  And to my surprise it was enjoyable.  Some humor and some heart with a lot of action (not a fan of the action).  I give it a 5/6 on my 1-10 scale and that's not bad.

Last week we celebrated National Pet Day by taking our pet to camp for the day.

Easy Gracie...  those wild boors are not intimidated by you...

Dear Diary,

National Pet Day won me a trip to the zoo  camp where I got to antagonize play with little pig little pig.  They were show offs if you ask me, dancing the piggly wiggly dance and causing mom and dad to think they're cute.  hmph.  Not as cute as the cockapoo. 

Gracie

The Day I Ran

My neighbor is missing.  He ran away from home a little over a month ago.  His name is Ollie and everyone is looking for him.  I mean, everyone!!  Even mom - she always says when we are outside. "Keep an eye out for Ollie."  An eye out?  She wants me to take my eye out?  How will that help?

My pack is strange.

Anyhoo...  If you happen to see this guy call the number there and for cryin' out loud don't chase the poor guy!  He's scared enough as it is.

I remember the day I ran away from home.  It was a warm spring day (BF) (BEFORE FENCE) and mom had me tied to the clothesline out back.  I decided to play Houdini and I magically became separated from my restraints and voila!! I was free at last!

I ran like the wind!!!~!  Soon I heard the frantic voice of mom calling my name!  "Gracie!  Gracie!!!!"  I could tell she was losing it.  (she does that a lot, ya know..  BOL!)  Finally, she spied me laying by the front door.

"Where have you been?  Why did you run?  How did you get loose? !!!!"  Interrogation began.  Seriously, mom.  Do you really think I'd run out in front of traffic like you insinuated I might would do?  Psssshhh  

So that's my story.  Of the day I ran...   all the way around the house.

Sunday Smiles

Nothing puts a smile on my face like a walk with Dad.  

Gracie

No Excuse If You Ask Me

I am not getting a walk every night like before.  It gets dark early and there is a chill in the air.  No excuse if you ask me. 

 Daily walks should be mandatory when one owns a dog. 

 Trips to Pet Smart do not count.  I want to go somewhere where I can pee on everything.   

The warning "Don't pee or poop in the store!" before walking into the store kind of makes you lose your desire, ya know what I mean?  

My 12 second video of a poor excuse for a walk:

Good, Bad, and Ugly by Gracie Phillip

The Good:

She feeds me.  She takes me for walks often every day whenever the spirit moves her. She moves over - way over... on to the the edge of the bed so there is plenty of room for me. She puts up with night sweats so's not to disturb me by moving me from her face. She gets up in the middle of the night when she hears me whine and picks me up and puts me back in bed (after I've jumped down to sleep under the bed for a while) (for some reason I have some trouble jumping back up into bed).  She plays Chase Wally, and Get the Squeaky Toy with me.

She lets the cookie carriers give me cookies and sometimes she gives me cookies too.  She scratches me where it itches and where I can't reach.  She cleans my butt when I have a poop that sticks there. Wait.  That should go under ugly, right?  She hugs me too much a lot more than I am comfortable with deserve.

The Bad:

She puts me in a tub of soapy water to make me clean and tries to glamorize it by calling it a bath.  She pulls me away from good smells on our walks.  She doesn't feed me nearly enough.  She withholds treats because she's cheap she says I'm getting stout and it's not good for my health.  She complains if I hog the bed.  She whines about me being distant and says she's worried about me when I sleep underneath the bed.

The Ugly:

She has this habit of putting stuff in my ears because she likes to torture me she says my ears are infectious and so I hide really good but she finds me and pulls me out from under the bed.  And then, after the whole cruel and abusive ordeal she begs me to come on up into bed with her and dad.  But I sit, outside the bedroom, and wait for her to get into bed and start reading her book.  Then, and only then do I know I can trust that she will not touch my ears again. #MyEarsAreOffLimits #DontTouchMyEarsEver #MyMomIsAbusiveSometimes 

Did I forget to wish you a happy mother's day?
Yea well.  Maybe next year.

DOGS n KITTEH'S LISTEN UP

I am mistreated, neglected, ignored and nagged at.  Are you? Do you have some probs with your peeps and you'd like to get some pointers on how to handle the situation>?  

Email me:  graciephillip@yahoo.com

You just may be featured on my very own advice column/blog here

Together, we can make a difference and take back our role as leader of the pack!

Or something like that.  

Emergency Visit to The Animal Hospital

Hi Everyone.

It's 3:30 AM and I just got back from an emergency visit to the animal hospital.  Gracie has bladder stones and a blockage.  

Please pray for her, that she does okay with the procedures that she will have to go through and for  possible surgery.

I have a choice to make. The vet is going to try to push the stone that is causing the blockage back up through the urethra and into the bladder, however he feels that he should then do surgery to remove the stones so this doesn't happen again weeks from now.  OR if it is a certain kind of stone, a special diet might work... but this is not as effective.    

Surgery?  Or not?  I want what's best for Gracie. 

I miss my girl already.  

Animal Abusers

This little guy has come a long way since Sunday when he was rescued after a long week of running scared in the woods with his snout duct taped shut....

You can see the black tape on his mouth above.  This is how he was found, on somebody's porch.  The girl immediately called 911 and had the rescue team come.

 Ducky has become quite famous.  There are over 3,000 likes on his facebook page. 

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Love-Ducky/177877658926387

Ducky's case has brought an awareness for the rescued animals in our area.  More people are adopting, giving of their time, and donating $$ than ever before.  Everything happens for a reason.  This poor dog's suffering has been turned into something good.  

And people are trying to get laws changed for stiffer penalties for animal abusers.  

People like Ducky's abusers should pay

 for their evil deeds.

"Why?"

Pink Floyd Experience and Love Your Pet Day

I'm back.  I had to take care of 

a few things out of town.  

Like...  

Having a piece of the best chocolate cake ever...

and attending a Pink Floyd Experience concert

 in Lancaster, Pa. 

 It was great, by the way, and our seats were wonderful...  took the above video on the way out!!  

And watching this sweet pooch get his hiney shaved at the Pet Smart Grooming center.  Look at that face.  Isn't he a sweetheart?!  And he was such a good sport.
If he could talk, what do you suppose he would say?  

It's good to be back to my Gracie.  And by the way, I think I fixed her poopy problem before I left.  It seems she had some matted in her butt fur so I cleaned and cut her fur there and she hasn't had an accident since then.  She was probably just trying to get that disgusting stuff off of her.

Dear Diary,

February 20 was 'love your pet day'.  Wouldn't you know I'd be left alone on the very day I was supposed to be loved?   

And is it any wonder that I tore up a newspaper and spread it through the house, threw pillows on the floor (along with other important stuff), and refused to eat....  

Well...  I refused to eat until Lindsey and Rissa came and fed me.  Then I caved.

  

So as a peace offering I get this funny looking toy that squeaks real loud.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  I love the toy.  But I smell a rat.  Or should I say I smell a dog...  on Mom's clothes.   It seems to me she might have been "loving another pet" on Love Your Pet day. 

I guess I'm supposed to forgive, forget, and watch the house like a good dog.  And I guess I will.  Gracie.

It Was Hard To Say Goodbye To Socks

Have you ever gone against the rules and did something totally bizarre....  ???

 I always wanted a house pet.  Preferably a dog.  But my landlord at the time said, "NO PETS!"

It was the summer of 2003 I believe...  and Gary's daughter Athena was with us.  While he worked, Athena and I visited the pet store.

"Please, lets get him... Please... look at those eyes!" she begged. I was too busy looking at her eyes.

  

I knew it was a bad idea, but I did it anyway. We named him Socks.... and he was with us for a total of three hours, then we returned him to the pet store  from whence he came...  thanks to the level headed advice of my hubby who insisted we'd get found out and end up living in the streets for disobeying our landlord's no pet's rule.

It was hard to say goodbye to Socks... 

 He was so adorable!!

And I am such a pushover.  

It Was With Great Regret That We Performed Barnabas' Funeral

Meet Jinx the Cat. Jinxy was the best! I can't remember a time when he was not purring.  Even when I had him dressed in doll clothes complete with bonnet and booties and paraded him around the neighborhood in a doll stroller - he was still purring.

Gizmo was equally as great... only in a guinea pig kinda way.  Gizzy had a squeak that came from his sharp little toes and meant different things at different times.  I always knew what he wanted.

I had a black cat named Yogi and a puppy named Boots.

 I found a bat that flew smack dab into my neighbors front porch door and was deemed brain dead by me and a few of my friends.  Refusing to give up on him, I put him in a jar and put  holes in the lid and gave him a name, Barnabas. It was with great regret that we performed Barnabas' funeral a few days later.  

There was a dog named Smokey that lived past 20 and a cat named Mama Cat.  Scooter, a german poodle, and another guinea pig named Russie who loved to bite.  Matt the rabbit and ...  oh gosh I could go on and on.  

I guess I've always loved animals.

Is it any wonder Gracie was 

the best Christmas present ever?

My Christmas Present

Okay... Smile!

Me: Gracie, C'mon... let me take a fall picture of you for my blog.  My blog friends love you.  They think you're cute.

Gracie:  I have a better idea, let's put twigs and brush in your hair and make you sit still while everyone stands around laughing at you.

Me:  That's it girl.  Smile.

Gracie:  If you see a smile on this face it's because I have gas.  And thanks for that by the way...   You know better than to give me chicken.

Me: Oh Gracie, you look so cute.  Now lets go inside... Mommy's got to go to work.

Gracie:  Sure, and without even so much as a Beggin' Strip as a reward for being good.  That's how you are.  

Me:  Oh Gracie, why are you so sad?

Gracie:  Well, lets see.  You yelled at me for having my chew bone in the middle of the floor, you haven't changed my water yet today, you told my buddy Gumby you were going to throw him away if you tripped on him one more time, you didn't share your toast with me, you pulled me away from the best smells outside - near the fire hydrant, you always have that stupid Mac on your lap instead of me.... and my ears itch!  Why do you think I'm sad?

Me:  Gracie I love you

Gracie:  Yea, well I guess I love you too.

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DOG LOVERS/GOD LOVERS:  BE SURE AND CLICK ON THE YOU TUBE VIDEO BELOW.  IT'S BEAUTIFUL.