And it is CHRISTMAS!

You just gotta love this time of year! MoM has been busy with the little rug rats.... they decorated the 12 foot tree in the foyer of the JH! Very cool... made all the ornaments by hand.... and MoM says that for what it cost, she could have done 4 trees.... and then some. Then, with the leftovers from the tree project, the kids made cards for their teachers..... MoM says that there is glitter and sequens and sparkley from her room down to the office a half a block away... and out the door to the cafeteria and across the street.... OMG! What fun! Pictures may follow....

Sad

There are some times that MoM is really sad.
This is one of them.
MoM's Aunt Mack is gone.... 88 years and a life well-lived in spite of adversity that seemed to go on and on.
Aunt Mack was MoM's mama's baby sister; raised by her because Aunt Mack's mom was very ill after she was born. Allie was already married and so Anna, the next oldest girl, was responsible for the new baby. Her older sisters (Allie and Anna and Anise) named her Maxine Elliot... off a shoe box label of all things.... because they wanted to break the trend of all the girls being named with an A ( even Alice, who died in infancy)...
Aunt Mack lost her first love, JW, in a tragic car accident -- she had Jane and "Sonny" to love and cherish. Married John Lee-- a man she had known since her teenage years.
Jane married, had children, lost a son, divorced, raised two daughters.
Sonny married, had a child, divorced, stayed with his mom.
Aunt Mack was proud of her children and her grandchildren and loved her neices and nephews, those close by and those far away.
As she aged, she lost her sight to macular degeneration. It was one of the hardest times, she told MoM in phone visits, that she had faced in her life. But she would get through it.
She grieved when she lost "Buttons"-- her little dog.
She was the glue that held the rest of her extended and awkward family together... a touchstone for those of us who by choice or necessity or personality quirk could not be close.
Maxine Elliot McClinton Dodson Gist.... will be missed.

and THIS is what MoM has been up to....

And MoM is a tired puppy!
This is her art room.......if TRS and some disgrunteled and underpaid employees (who by the way are not degreed) will leave her alone to do her 4 hours a day....
Thanks to Mrs. Beach who gave up her desk for MoM!
Thanks to Becky and Richard Tellez who helped do all the room... It is Becky's room too!

MoM stays busy!

MoM is sooo busy that I am neglected....worse than my blog.. I can not master typing... but I jumped in MoM's lap and put my feet on the key board.... she yelled and dumped me on the carpet... don't know just why she did that....

She has been gathering up western stuff for her Art class... oh yeah.... by the way.... she is going to teach 1/2 day art to grades 6,7 & 8... Has 40 little 6th graders... uh-huh. Because of TRS, she can only do 1/2 a day.... good for me.... and for her.... 4 hours away from me is plenty....

She tells me the "decor" is going to be western... I wondered about her sanity when she went out in the prarire out back of the house and dug out old fencing to make picture frames... really thrilled the scorpion and the snake too....

She is looking for an old saddle to put in the room.... Ebay here we come! I think that the kiddos would get on it and then fall off.... kids are pretty breakable too....maybe she will leave the saddle off.... for a while....

Sigh. Between her preprations for the new class and her summer teaching at the University of the Southwest.... I really began to feel neglected.... until this morning when she shaved my ears.. Yes! I am loved! And still.... sooooooo cute!

MoM has been reading about TC-- JoJo's little rescued baby...Our little rescued baby died... he/she was going to be a ringneck dove...but he was not as feathered as TC and got too cold... and died.
Which brings me to remember just how little I was when MoM got me. I weighted in at .40.... and she could hold all of me in her palm. She loved me and fed me every four hours... and I got to suck on fingers when I wasn't eating. Then, I was lucky enough to have a substitute mom... Becky. My MoM Becky got me every morning at 5:00 and kept me until noon or until MoM got me.... I still love MoM Becky... I talk to her on the phone and when she comes to see me, I just "eat" her up and lick her and clean her ears and face and wiggle all over to show how glad I am to see her! And people say dogs don't have memory... HA! I know who fed me and gave me my first bath....and loved me just like MoM!

So I guess my muse today is that it doesn't matter who feeds you and raises you if you are loved... all MoMs are pretty special ....

Spring is gone-- summer is here!

I am now a robust boy of about 12 pounds and very elegant looking, if I do say so... and I do... I am certainly not shy and retiring... so much for being a tiny yorkie. I can take on most anything.... and do.... and enjoy it. My momma Sugar is teaching me to chase birds... almost got one the other day.... almost.... Life is good here. Hot! Triple digit numbers MoM says... and that is warm when your backside is all black... and long. MoM shaved my belly and my ears and my feet and my legs. I may look funny but I don't get pecan bloom in my hair anymore....So I really do have something to grin about....

MoM is BuSy....and I am running wild

Oh yeah. MoM is busy and I have torn up paper and tissue...boy, does tissue make a mess and MoM yelllllls!
Sugar (my mom) caught a big mouse! Then, before MoM found us with it, we played catch with it....fun. At least until MoM caught us with it...uh-oh.

Here are some goodies from MoM:

Ten top ways to tell if Martha Stewart is stalking your dog
10. There's potpourri hanging from his/her collar.
9. The dog's nails have been cut with pinking shears.
8. The dog toys are all stored in McCoy crocks.
7. The pooper scooper has been decorated with raffia bows.
6. That telltale lemon slice in the new silver water bowl.
5. You find liver and whole wheat dog treats stamped out with copper cookie cutters and decorated with royal icing using a #2 rosette tip.
4. Dog hair has been collected and put into wire baskets for nesting material for the birds.
3. A seasonally appropriate grapevine wreath adorns the front of your dog's crate.
2. Your dog goes outside naked and comes in wearing a thyme colored virgin wool hand-knitted sweater with matching boots.
AND THE NUMBER ONE WAY YOU KNOW THAT MARTHA STEWART IS STALKING YOUR DOG IS...
1. The dog droppings in your backyard have been sculpted into swans.

Words to live by:
"Dear God, Please help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."
"On judgment day if God should say, "Did you clean your house today?"
I will say, "I did not, I played with my dogs and I forgot." Yep-- MoM relates to this one... better she play with me and Sugar and Su-su and the maltese fur balls than clean house... life is short in dog years! Enjoy every minute... and the house can stay dirty.... a hundred years from now, no one will either know or care....

Just couldn't resist this one.....MoM

When Good Dogs Go and Crossbreed
Pointer + Setter =
Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet

Kerry Blue Terrier + Skye Terrier =
Blue Skye, a dog for visionaries

Great Pyrenees + Dachshund =
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed

Pekingnese + Lhasa Apso =
Peekasso, an abstract dog

Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel =
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as a whistle

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever =
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists

Newfoundland + Basset Hound =
Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisors

Terrier + Bulldog =
Terribull, a dog prone to awful mistakes

Bloodhound + Labrador =
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly

Malamute + Pointer =
Moot Point, owned by....oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway

Collie + Malamute =
Commute, a dog that travels to work

Deerhound + Terrier =
Derriere, a dog that's true to the end

Cocker Spaniel + Rottweiller =
Cockrot, the perfect puppy for that philandering ex-husband

Bull Terrier + Shitzu =
Bullshitz, a gregarious but unreliable breed

Dang Wind.... Dang Sand....

MoM says that NM is moving into our neighborhood.... I sure don't know who NM is but he better watch out.... I plan to ambush him and bite him and chew on him and tear off his ears... I can't potty properly with all that sand and wind... and when I do potty... well, it ain't pretty. And then, I get a tummy wash... oh yeah.

MoM is soooo busy. She is working and working and working.... and she is singing "Hi-ho, hi-ho! It's off to work I go.... because I owe, I owe...."

Busy MoM...

I am one sad little doggie. My MoM has been sooooooo busy that I have not had all the scratches and scritiches that I need...... So I have been busy chewing up paper... got the new Penny's catalog yesterday and the bank statement the day before....Sigh.

I do love the yard! I can ruuuuuuunnnnn and bark and dig..... oh yeah. Life is good when the sand is not blowing... when it is, I kinda roll across the yard... and the maltese bunch float along with me....

MoM found the cutest (her word-- certainly not mine) cartoon... and she is sharing....

Stupid Dogs....as MoM speaks out....

Last night, BBisquit laid his little head on my feet... ah, how sweet. Then, I noticed that he was chewing something. I am soooooo distrustful... I checked. Oh! NO! He was chewing on the remains of a mouse trap! His mom, Sugar, must have pawed it out from the side of the frig....mouse and all... and then they shared.... I got it from BB-- and looked over at Tooter (Maltese) and there he was chewing frantically.... on the rest of the mouse trap.... I Laxatoned both ( my vet makes sure that I am prepaired for these little episodes....ever since the Christmas ornaments...) BB was pretty good... Tooter bit me. Poor thumb! And he had to swallow the stuff any how...Sooooo today we visited the vet... Tooter may not be doing well... he got a shot and some more antibiotic and some more Laxatone.... and bring him in tomorrow if he is not better.... Gotta love "em.....

MoM needs to be 5 peoples....

Yep. It is that time of the year. MoM has decided that the house needs cleaning and the yard needs cleaning and.... uh-oh.... us puppies need to be cleaned... Thank Goodness it is still too cold to clip and cut on us! She has not been blogging... she is also trying to get out of credit card hell.... and is very, very unhappy with taxes.....Not a good time at her house.... but I am exempt... she loves me and the rest of the pack...sigh.

Clipping in the Springtime.....

Equal time for the pretty ones in the bunch.... all the Maltese wish that they really looked like this picture....ooops... doesn't work that way. That hair knots up and mats and has to be clipped off.... and it is shedding time at our house! MoM got my ears (so that they will stand up straight!) but it was a real battle... took her nearly an hour. I screamed and screched and bit and wiggled with everything in me! She got my feet first.... then, my bootie... then, my ears... by that time, I was so tired that most of the fight was out of me....Oh, well. There is some talk of a bath.... but that is down the road after the Maltese Munchkins are clipped and fluffed....

My Rules....

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.
11. If Su-Su can reach it, it's mine when it hits the floor.
12. If I can get it from Tank and Porky, it's mine...

Because I'm the baby and I'm soooo cute... Uh-huh. Uh-huh.


Yep, works for me.

Here's the Latest Dirt....

"MoM has been sick! There was this major praire fire just over the NM line ... and the smoke and ash came our way! The news said that it got 11 houses... and burned bunches of acres...Course, being a TOP YORKIE I went on my merry way... Not MoM. She had a major as-mah attack. Went to the Dr. in Lubbock... thought it was flu... or strep throat.. but no... just a big as-mah attack. So she has cought and hacked and felt bad all Spring Break... She got one set of 5 pills that were $23.50 per pill... and some really good cought syrup that was $117.... She is sooooo thankful that she has insurance! All she has done is sit and rock most of us fur babies and watch re-runs of Jag and Walker and SVU ..... Nothing like some good action and blood to take care of being sick. "

"I have learned not only UP but now DOWN. There is no stopping me now. I can make it UP on the couch and DOWN from the couch! Su-Su ( MoM's Poodle rescue) and I really tear things up now. There is not a pillow on the place that is safe from us! We are real pillow killers! I am still a bit nervous around Buddy (Mom"s yard poodle/airadale rescue) but he and I do the dance and have smelled butts and we are getting better. At least now, I am big enough that he doesn't scream ' Rat! Rat! Gotta kill it!' when I go into the yard."

"And... I remain---- SOOOO cute. Yes, I am. Sooooooo Cute!"
MoM says --- and only about 5 pounds heavier.... Uh-huh. Fat little fellow.....

Doggy Psychology 101.....

If dog breeds could talk:


GOLDEN RETRIEVER: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?
BORDER COLLIE: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.
DACHSHUND: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!
ROTTWEILER: Make me!
BOXER: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.
LAB: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeze, please, please, please!
GERMAN SHEPHERD: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.
JACK RUSSELL TERRIER: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.
OLD ENGLISH SHEEP DOG: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light.
POINTER: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there........
COCKER SPANIEL: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.
CHIHUAHUA: Yo quiero Toco Bulb.
AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle.........
GREYHOUND: It isn't moving. Who cares?
YORKIE: MoM will do it while I look cute and catch the mice in the kitchen….
MALTESE : Yawn. Time for a nap. No light; no need to get up. Let me fluff my hair, check my bows, and settle back in for that nap.
GREAT DANE: Here, let me do it…. All I have to do is stretch an inch….

Love Saturdays!

On Saturdays, MoM has time to sleep in... which we all did today! And the weather was lovely!! Did we go work in the yard... oh no... not that... we slept and had company. MoM was in her gown tail and here came two different sets of visitors... Pepper's MoM ( my babysitter MoM) came over and so did Miss Pat...who makes the bestest cakes in the known world.... I got loves and hugs and scratches and rubs.... I was a happy camper today!

P.S. Click on the picture and see it in gif format......Oh, Yeah!!!

TAKS TESTING LASTS FOREVER!

A little musings from a sleepy Burnt Busquit as his MoM soaks in the tub after a long, long day......:

“It's been a hard night’s day and Mom’s been working like a dog
It's been a hard night's day, she should be sleeping like a log
( Just look at me!)
But when she gets home to me, she'll find the things that I do
Will make her feel alright

I know she works all day to get me money to buy my things
And it's worth it just to hear MoM say, “ I’m going to give you everything!”
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause

When MoM's home everything seems to be right
When she’s home feeling her holding me tight…
Owww!” ( Not THAT tight-- gotta breathe, Mom!)

MoM has gotta burn those old 78’s stored in the garage….
But she is too tired to today--it has been National TAKS TESTING DAAAAY! Oh Yea!!! Can you tell how excieted I am....

My! How Lubbock is growing...

Lubbock is moving west -- just as hard and fast as it can...
What was once farm land with fields of white cotton is now the Marsha Sharp Freeway.... named after a former student of mine who hales from Tulia.... I remember her when she was a little skinny girl who loved basketball better than anything else in life...... anyhow--- I certainly wouldn't want something like the Lubbock freeway named after me.... it is taking forever to get up and running....But the big "skyway" overpass is there on the west side ... now known as West Lubbock.....

Burnt Bisquit says," Ain't no way at all that you are gonna get my MoM up on that thing.... I don't understand why we gotta go UP when there is all that flat space around..... Oh yeah!"
“Would you like to ride on my beautiful freeway
Would you like to ride on my beautiful freeway
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful freeway…..
We can sing a song and sail along the silver road
Up, up and away
Way up in the air on my beautiful freeway
Up, up and away”


MoM reminds us that Yorkies are pretty verbal....pretty tone deaf too....maybe, even a little insensitive.....

Gotta love Texas Weather.....

Burnt Bisquit says:



"MoM went to Lubbock! To get dog food... oh Yeah!

Left all of us in the house.... BUT we were good!

And the weather was lover-ly.....

Soon changed!"

See the brown line..

See the dust coming?

Oh yes... and the wind

(And the temperature is 74 degrees...Bring on the air conditioners!)

And the tumbleweeds...And see the stuff that looks like fog...

Just moving across the field....

Not so Magee...That is dancing dust....

And today... there was snow... and a wind chill of 17 degrees...

Oh yeah! Gotta love Texas Weather!

Me? I'll just stay in and munch on a new doggie bisquit.....

On the couch again.....

“On the couch again

Just can't wait to get off the couch again

On the couch again,

And I can't wait to get off the couch again.

Just can't wait to get down again

The life I love is makin' a mess with my pack mates

And I can't wait to get off the couch again”

With apologies to Mr. Nelson…. Burnt Busquit is not the best singer in the pack…..

Oh the indignity of it....

Burnt Bisquit says..

"Oh the indignity of it all.

First, MoM shaved my ears.. both sides....

Then, she taped them....UGH!

Just because I had pretty hair on them.. and just because they kinda drooped a little in the middle..

MoM cuts off all my hair and puts this stuff on them...

SHE says its for my own good and that I will not have to wear it long...

Well, she is right on that.... Momma Gracie doesn't like the tape either...

I give it about 5 minutes... "

MoM says... the tape did its job and now we have Yorkie ears-- not droopy ones!..... And it only took three days and four rolls of tape.......

Gracie says that she is the boss of them all...

Gracie is the Maltese matriarch of the entire bunch....
Burnt Busquit says " Don't mess with this one... she will eat you alive. Her name at the vet is Alligator Mouth...."
And she weighes in at 5 pounds.......

Yawn... Saturday...

It's that day that MoM gets to sleep late....
And so do I...

She wears her jeans

I just keep my fur on.....

Please note.. MoM has belly shelf...

Pretty handy for getting droppage from breakfast.....

Over all, YAWN, I love Saturdays........

Breakfast at my house....

Burnt Busquit knows just which side of the bread the butter is on....

"Yes... MoM ran late today... and I know a new trick!"

MoM at table....

Cute little me (and all my brothers and sisters) on the floor...

Mom at table with food...

Cute little me stays right under foot.... pretty dangerous place...

The white bisquits give up pretty quick..

Not me!

Yowelllllllllllllllllll!!!! Look! Starving puppy alert!

Screeeem! Ribs showing!

Owlllllll- oooooops! Remember-- anything on the floor is MINE!

And with one more Yowelllllll-guilt hits MoM.

Yummmy! I get egg! Uh-huh!

One more screeeem and I get sausage!

Then, with casual aplomb.... I get the rest of MoM's yogurt... on her finger, no less.

Yep.... I know just how to be soooo darling.....

Aren"t I soooo cute!

Yes,yes! I am! Soooooo cute!!! Uh-huh! Uh=huh!

A Visit to the "Dentist" .... maybe

Burnt Bisquit says:
" So okay. Here I am chewing legs off tables and the corners off all MoM's furniture...
And my BIG tushes are coming in.... that is the good news!
BUT my baby teeth are still in.
MoM wiggles them and I snap and snarle and gag.....
To no avail.... those baby teeth are in there.....to stay..... forever...."
MoM says:
"Quick trip to Vet will solve all....."

Give me a break-- Colt was born bigger than me!

Burnt Bisquit says that Colt was bigger when he was born than he is now!

At 4 weeks, Precious Burnt Bisquit Bear weighed .40 oz. He fit in the palm of his MoM's hand.
His birth mom had to have a C-section and almost died....
Sooooo at 4 weeks and .40 oz.-- Burnt Bisquit came to MoM......
MoM works... so every morning at 6:30, BB went to his sitter....his second MoM, Becky.
MoM knows why new mommies are always soooooo sleepy... BB had to have a bottle every 2 hours.....

When he reached a pound (at nearly 2 months old), boy, were we happy!

And it has been fatty since then.... At 6 months, he is a robust little boy at 7 pounds, 1 oz!

Course--- that is about the size of one of Colt's feet!!!

Adventures with the couch.....

Burnt Busquit has learned to jump up. "Up" being the operative word..... "Down" is another story.

His version is:

• " Okay! I'm up! I'm up!.......
• Uh-oh. I really am UP...and I can't go DOWN!"
• Sit for a while.... Sit some more.
• Run up and down couch.
• Lay ears back, tuck tail under rump.......Go into front down, rump up mode.
• Go close to edge.... NO-- That's not where I want to be........ Sit some more.
• Once more up and down the couch.
• Sit again.....

When all else fails.... SCREAM AND SCREECH FOR MOMMA!
(One thing about Yorkies, they have BIG voices!)

Oh yeah! Here comes MoM!
I'm DOWN! I'M DOWN.......Let me go NOW!

Now, let's try THAT again......

So this is blogging....

From the viewpoint of being only 6" high, blogging looks interesting and "MoM" is going to try it... I could care less... as long as she lets me on her feet as she plays with the computer.... course when you're a Yorkie... and cutting teeth, a chair leg is pretty good....