A Sweet Surprise from one of Santa's Elves

I am a bit late at posting this, but I did not want my Dear Friend to think her kindness was unappreciated. Far from it! I received the most Wonderful Surprise Package from my Dear Friend Cookie on a day when I could really use a hug. How did she know? She must be one of Santa's most Special Elves...

I could smell the goodies as soon as I opened the box! Here is the first gift I pulled from the package...

One of Cookies Fabulous STICK REINDEER! Oh My Goodness! I gasped when I saw him. He is So Awesome & he smells so good...I sniff him every time I walk past him! LOL!

Oh, but that's not all! See that Beautiful Santa Ornie in the pic? That's from Cookie too! His beard is made of curled oak strips. I Love Him!

I dug further into the Bottomless Gift Box...What was that smell? It was sooooo wonderful...Then I found it! A Gift Set from Bath & Body Works in one of my Fave Holiday Scents from them...Winter Candy Apple. AND...A set of Adorable Ornies that Cookie made from Tree Pods. They look like Snow Babies. Aren't they just the Cutest?

There was also a Lovely Card & a Beautiful Photo of Cookie & her Dear Hubs on one of their Great Biker Escapes. Thank You from the bottom of my heart, Buddy! I Love Everything, but most of all...I love You! :)

A Shelter Dogs Christmas Poem

This poem was sent to me in an email today. I wanted to share it with you all.

Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full – we are lost, but not found,

Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care,

They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
"Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!!

But now we sit here and think of the days..
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways,

Once we were little, then we grew and we grew
now we're no longer young and we're no longer new.

So out the back door we were thrown like the trash,
they reacted so quickly – why were they so rash?

We "jump on the children:, "don't come when they call",
we "bark when they leave us", climb over the wall.

We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made.

If only they'd trained us, if only we knew...
we'd have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too.

We were left in the backyard, or worse -let to roam-
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.

They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye...
"Maybe someone else will give you a try."

So now here we are, all confused and alone...
in a shelter with others who long for a home.

The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat,

They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer...
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.

We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads..
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.

Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears –
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear.

If you can't adopt us and there's no room at the Inn –
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?

We count on your kindness each day of the year –
can you give more than hope to everyone here?

Please make a donation to pay for the heat...
and help get us something special to eat.

The shelter that cares for us wants us to live,
and more of us will, if more people will give.

Author Unknown

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas...

Whoo! It's getting here so quickly! I think this is the first year that I am totally unprepaired for Christmas. With extra work, an extra dog & a sick dog...I have almost let the Holiday Season pass me right by.

I did finally get my tree up though, so there WILL be Christmas at my house, but I have not made candy or "decked the halls" or even watched "A Christmas Story" which is my very fave holiday movie of all time.

Sooo...as Christmas draws ever closer, I would like to wish all of my Friends & Valued Customers a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! I'll see you in the New Year! Here are some pics of previous creations of mine to browse through...while I scurry off to make candy & wrap gifts! ;) Thanks so much for a Wonderful Primitive Year!

Happy Birthday Dear Brad...Happy Birthday to you!

Today my Youngest Son turned 26 years old. Where has the time flown too? Seems only yesterday he was the same size as his own darling little boy is today...

So...Happy Birthday Braddy Kyle. No matter how many birthdays you have, you will always be my "little boy"...Love, Ma

Enough is Enough...

Tomorrow will be 1 week since Phil's strange sores cropped up. We still don't know what it is. He had a biopsy yesterday, but we won't get the results back until after Christmas, most likely. The vet tells me not to worry, he feels sure it is some sort of allergic reaction, but for the life of me, I have not changed anything in my house. I want it to stop. Phil has suffered so much & enough is enough allready! This is what Phil looked like last night after his biopsy...

This is what he looked like when I got home from work tonight...

Hubs said he just started breaking out about 15 minutes before I got home. Please, if anyone has seen this before...Please drop me a comment. We are deperate to find out what is wrong with our Sweet Philly Boy.

Reece makes the News!

Yesterday, I picked up our Sunday Paper & was both surprised & delighted to see our Youngest Grandson Reece in a color photo on the Front Page! He does not consider Santa a BFF, but he sure made buddies with Duke.

Author: Duay O'Neil
Source: The Newport Plain Talk



Duke, the internationally famous Golden Retriever who appears in Bush's bean commercials, made a special holiday appearance at Bush's annual Christmas party for employees' children on Friday afternoon in Chestnut Hill. Two-year-old Reece Myers, son of Brad and Chasitie Myers of Dandridge, slowly made friends with Duke at Bush's annual Christmas party for employees' children on Friday. Duke's surprise visit delighted the dozens of children and parents attending the event.

Doot-Doot-Doo Lookin' Out My Back Door...

I live in the Great Smoky Mountains of East TN and we are so accustomed to the mountains that I usually never give a thought to the view from my back door...EXCEPT, when it Snows! Then I find myself staring outside most of the day at the Beautiful Snow Capped Mountains.

This is the view from my back door...

...And this is the view from my kitchen window...

Enjoy the View! :)

An Update & a Thank You..

I wanted to give a quick Update on my Phil. He is not out of the woods yet. He went in on Saturday & the Vet ran a CBC which came back normal & two Xrays which showed his spleen & other organs as normal but with some congestion in his lungs. He was given 2 injections & 2 scripts. I have to take him back in the morning for biopsies of the awful bleeding sores that are still afflictling my boy & worrying the life out of me & his doctors.

Just in case he's developed a food allergy, Phil is eating chicken breast & rice. He really likes this meal! :) It's good to see him eat & not vomit.

Even Chief has been worried about Phil & has stayed close by his side, but very still, so not to disturb Phil while he is resting.

I would like to give a Big Heartfelt THANK YOU for all of the Kind thoughts, Prayers & Emails asking about my Philly. I will keep updating, hopefully with Good News Soon. Thanks so much!

One Sick Puppy....

Oh Dear! My Beautiful Philly Boy is Sick! He was fine when I went to bed on Wednesday morning around 1:30 am. He & Chief were snoozing on the couch & when I turned out the lights, Phil followed me to my room, but decided to sleep in his own bed, instead of on mine. No probs...he does this sometimes, so off we go to ZZZZZZZZ land.

Well, I wake up around 5:30 am & Phil is in bed w/ me, but he's shivering, so I cover him up & snooze until the alarm goes off at 6:00 am. When we get up, I notice 3 or 4 large whelps on Philly's back. Hmmm...something must have bit him? I wonder...he has such fair & sensitive skin, the least abrasion makes a place on him, so I go on about getting ready for work. I come out of the kitchen & get the shock of my life!

Within 15 minutes time, my Philly boy is broken out in horrible bumps on top of bumps all over his head, muzzle, neck, legs, toes...his whole body! And some of them are starting to bleed!

I am feeling pretty sure it is a bite or allergic reaction...Could he be allergic to Chief? Hubs asks...Trying to lighten my worry w/ a joke...(Not the time for corny jokes hun...I'm Freaking Out here)

Soooo...off to work with me he goes...Vet says just as I had thought...probably a bite, but not too serious...he gives him a big dose of benedryl & the bleeding stops & the bumps seem to lessen, or at least stop forming more...We feel this is going to do the trick.

At home that night...the bumps come back with a vengeance! Again within 15 minutes, Phil is broken out worse than ever & bleeding again.

So...today he is still broken out awful, but now on an antibiotic & a steroid. We are hoping this will take care of his hives, poor baby. If not, it's back to the Vet tomorrow... And... I did kill a large brown spider in my bedroom this morning when I was getting ready for work. Still don't know if that's what it is, but Phil is not sleeping in his bed for the time being, just in case!

Thanks so much for all of your kind words & emails, checking on my Philly Boy. I appreciate everyone's concern for my buddy. I hope he is back to his Beautiful Bully self SOON!

Christmas at Dollywood

My Hubs Company Christmas Gathering was at Dollywood this year. I always love to go & see the lights there...Just Beautiful! But Boy Oh Boy was it COLD! I had on every polar fleece top & long underwear I could find. hehe

Our Youngest Son Brad works at the same plant, so his family was there too!

Our 2 year old Grandson Reece had a blast & was really into the Reindeer & Elf displays...LOL!

Enjoy the Lights & Merry Christmas to you!

Bringing My "Work" Home with me...

Wow...it's been a while since my last post! A lot has been happening around here. I work part time at a Vet's Office & now have a New Family Member, adopted from our office.

Meet Chief...

He was brought in with injuries to his front legs after being hit by a truck & was abandoned by his owners at our office. After a month in our kennel run & no contact from his owners, our Very Kind Vet allowed me to take him home to "foster" (instead of sending him to the shelter) until I could get him into a rescue.

Well, after being at my home for a week, I noticed a limp in one of his back legs & took him back in for a recheck with one of our Dr's....Just my luck...he has a knee that pops out of place & will need surgery. Wow...poor guy has 3 messed up legs! I took a deep breath & blurted out..."I'm Keeping Him then!"..."after I talk to my husband that is..."

Well, as you can see...Hubs was easy to convince that Chief should stay on with us. We both knew that the chances of getting him a home, or even into a rescue w/ a bum knee, would be down right impossible. His future would be bleak at best.

Chief is a funny fellow. He likes to play & he loves to sleep on the couch...on his back. LOL! He is a comedy show on 4 clumsy legs.

I guess you could say that we have officially "Gone to the Dogs" around here. I didn't plan on another dog, but none of the others were planned either & I don't know what I would do with out them. Sometimes things just work out that way I reckon. Welcome to the Family Chiefie-Poo!