We have been horribly busy for a solid three weeks. I was really looked forward to last weekend…a long weekend at last! But I ended up spending Friday and Saturday helping my sister with her yard sale, then I had a out of town wedding to go to and it rained the whole rest of the weekend. Boy did those weather guys have it wrong! I went to bed at 9:00, but I still wasn’t a bit ready to go back to work.

I need a vacation at home, just me and my pups. A nice long one.

And now this; are you or your Shar-pei searching for the very best anti wrinkle cream?

I often worry about my dogs safety when we’re away. I worry someone will stop by and unknowingly forget to latch the gate and my babies will get out and be run over, stolen…or worse. So I was thrilled when I was recently given the opportunity to receive one of these great dog in yard signs. These attractive metal signs come in three great shades; chocolate brown and cobalt blue and my personal favorite, grass green. They even provided the brass screws or cable ties to attach my sign to the gate. The company doesn’t accept credit cards, but has a good Karma policy–they ship your sign out fast and expect pay later. All they ask of their customers is that they send in their check just as quickly.

I have to say I feel a lot better now when I have to leave the house!

It’s been a grueling couple of weeks! We just finished National Nursing Home Week today and after five days of big events, I’m exhausted. My youngest daughter also graduated college last Saturday and we had a house full of guests, which meant I had a full house to clean and tons of food to prepare. But in all, it worked out pretty well, my daughter was thrilled with her party and the guests all had a great time. Our nursing home residents seemed to really enjoy themselves as well. Now I’m ready for some R&R!

Before I hit the hay, this question; are you looking for travel deals? If so, here you go!

With six dogs and allergies my husband and I simply could not live without  air purifiers. Our dogs are also washed frequently, so the pups are generally very clean and well groomed. I also sweep up dog hair and and mop the dog room floor daily up with a strange concoction of cleaning fluids, one of which is skunk shampoo, just to make sure we have no doggy odors. And still, I occasionally catch a whiff of Eau de canine. I wondered what other multiple dog families used? Any great ideas out there?

The weather is starting to get nice and we’re hoping to able to hit the walking trail more regularly. Beans is still too fat, though she would disagree. She could probably benefit from a treadmill during the winter months, but then so could my husband and I. She has lost about nine pounds and has the beginnings of a waistline. I would like to get her one of those doggie vests, with pockets for soda or weights, since she tends to wear me out long before she’s winded.

We all know that pets can have a calming effect on humans, they can help lower our blood pressure, pulse rate and have many other beneficial effects we may not even fully realize yet. But sometimes live pets just aren’t an option, as in hospitals, dormitories, at your workplace or in cases of extreme allergies, etc.

The ZZZ Animals are adorable little fluffies, handcrafted of super soft synthetic fur and powered with two D batteries so that they actually appear to “breathe”. Each pet comes with its own bed, collar, adoption certificate and pet carrier. Choose from a Puggy, Shih-Tzu, Schnauzer, Golden Retriever, Chocolate Lab, Sheltie, Beagle or King Charles Spaniel. There are even two kitties for those cat lovers out there.

While nothing can compare to the joy of interacting with a real dog or cat, the ZZZ pets may be just the thing for those times when a live animal simply isn’t an option. Check out the site and while you’re there take a look at the other great products like motion sensor lights.

The girls had a rough day! First we were awakened at around four-thirty by a big boom, followed by a long low rumble and lots of shimmying and shaking. The dogs were pretty freaked out and the rest of the morning they stuck close–every time I stopped, either Beans, Ginger, Weenie or Wishbone or all four ran into the back of my legs. When I went to put my check into our savings account, they waited right by the gate until I returned. Then the two little fuzzies sat in my lap while I worked on the computer. About the time they all got settled down we had a really strong aftershock. These southern Illinois dogs just aren’t used to earthquakes!

This evening it suddenly blew up a nasty storm, the sky turned black and the wind was so strong that the rain came down sideways…all the girls really hate storms, so now our chicken-littles are sticking to the back of my legs again. I hope it’s not going to be a six dog night…

Do you love to garden? Are you a dog lover as well? Now you can indulge both of your passions with these whimsical dog topiary frames! These life-sized frames are made of heavy gauge wire with a double-layer epoxy coating. Frames
can be filled with sphagnum moss and covered with vining plants such as ivy for a unique garden attraction. Six dog breeds to choose from; Pug, Weenie dog, Poodle, Labrador Retriever, Jack Russel and Bassett hound. These adorable leafy canines are sure to lend a light-hearted fun and games mood to any landscape!

I have asked by several readers about the nail covers shown on Logan, my daughter’s evil, blog-invading, kitty cat.

They are called “Soft Paws” and they were developed by a veterinarian. Soft Paws are vinyl nail caps to which adhesive is applied, the caps are then slipped over your dog or cat’s toenails. They are completely safe, even if you pet manages to chew them off and swallow the pieces. Soft Paws can help protect hardwood floors, screens, doors, furniture, bedding and guests from the damage inflicted by razor sharp toenails.

They also help protect your pet from excessive scratching which can lead to sores, hot spots and so on.

The kids were all home this weekend, Kizzy and Stinky too, so for lunch I made some of their favorites; ham, sweet potato casserole and cheesy potatoes. Everything was great until the hubby tried to get the pan of sweet potato casserole out of the oven…I saw it tip and yelled, “Don’t drop it!” At which point he dropped it. Hot sweet potatoes went all over the oven, the floor, the oven door. Luckily, no one was burned! Only about a third of it was salvageable, which was a shame because it turned out especially good this time. It was also a nightmare to clean up, but at least we didn’t have to make a trip to the emergency room.

The kid’s are heading back tonight. Kizzy and Stinky both look worn out. Their doggy cousins can be pretty exhausting, especially for Stinky, who’s no spring chicken.

It didn’t really feel like Easter today, maybe because it came so early, or maybe it was the cold, gray weather. At any rate, I’m looking forward to a nice hot bath and an early bedtime.

But before I turn in, here’s a brief message; looking for carpeting, furnishings, electronics or home improvement items? Directbuy is a members only design center where you can buy all these things and more at manufacturer-direct prices!