They're Like Herding Cats...

Christmas is the happiest time of year.  Right?!  Sometimes I need a little reminder.

I should have taken Christmas card pictures of my darling herd 'o dachshunds over Thanksgiving weekend.  But I was lax, and starting my Barnes & Noble "residency program" (more info on that soon), and well...distracted.

So Tuesday night I tried to get the pups to all look in the same direction at the same time.  Which, no matter how sweet they are - is like herding cats. Brady wanted to play chase, Beckett wanted belly rubs, Paisley refused to look at the camera and Meadow kept turning and facing in the wrong direction.

I know, you're probably asking why I had to get my Christmas cards done Tuesday night.  Well, this crazy lady doesn't use those pretty plug and play Shutterfly/Tiny Prints/Minted templates.  She designs her own cards...and the Vistaprint 60% off sale ended at midnight. Motivation, thine name is SALE!

I won't show you all my Christmas card yet.  Instead, here are a few outtakes.  Sorry if you already saw them on Instagram!

I refuse to look directly at you, mumma! #paisley #dachshund #dachshundsofinstagram #instadachshund #weeklyfluff #longhaireddachshund #instacute #ibettergetcookiesforthis

A photo posted by Nicole Fowler (@cole711) on Dec 2, 2015 at 8:08am PST

Being a model is EXHAUSTING! #beckett #dachshund #dachshundsofinstagram #instadachshund #weeklyfluff #longhaireddachshund #instacute

A photo posted by Nicole Fowler (@cole711) on Dec 2, 2015 at 8:16am PST

Want to be on my Christmas card list? Fill out this handy form.  :-)

Tuesdays at the Table - Pupper Pumpkin Muffins & Thirty Days of Thankful - Rescue

Happy Tuesday!  Thanks to you awesome people who have participated in Tuesdays at the Table since I restarted the weekly linky.  I love you all!  Please keep linking up your recipes or sharing recipes you find here that you really enjoy.

This week we're going to the dogs!  I know my furbabies haven't been featured on the blog as much as they should lately - and I'm going to rectify that.  Unless you're new here (in which case, WELCOME!!!) you know that I'm one of the co-chairs and founders of Little Paws Dachshund Rescue.  If you asked me even five years ago if I would have two rescued dachshunds and a dachshund rescue - I would have asked what drugs you were on!  But I stumbled on dog rescue one day and never looked back.  Then I got involved and found people that understand me and are just as dog-crazy as I am. (P.S. LPDR's 3rd Annual Barksgiving Auction starts on Wednesday.  Click HERE to view items now and bid, bid, bid when the auction starts!)

Rescue is never easy.  Tears flow most days... Happy tears for the dogs we've found new homes for, sad tears for the dogs we don't have the resources to help or the ones that are just too far gone and we need let go as humanely and lovingly as we can, tears of frustration, anticipation and exhaustion. But at the end of the day, I look at Paisley & Beckett - my twin terrors; two of a litter of eight pups that wouldn't be here without rescue - and know I can do it all over again tomorrow.  If you could all meet the amazing people and dogs that I get to work with and for, you'd fall in love with rescue too.  I'm honored that I'm among the people that others come to with medical, behavioral or psychological problems in hopes I can help them find solutions or at least the resources to help their beloved dogs. I hope some day that rescue isn't needed...but in the meantime, I'm thankful to be the voice for some really amazing dogs.

Pupper Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups whole-wheat flour 

1 cup oats

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg                            

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

4 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup water

1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

½ tsp vanilla

2 Tablespoons honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray of your choice.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together the eggs and canola oil. Add vanilla, pureed pumpkin and water. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Using a small cookie scoop, fill each mini muffin tin to the top.

Bake for 17 - 18 minutes. Test to make sure they are done by sticking a toothpick in the center of a muffin, it should come out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling completely.

Store in air tight container, or plastic zipper quart or sandwich bags, in refrigerator. 

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Hide and Seek

I love my dogs.  Two of them *ahem* Brady and Paisley *ahem* have a habit of wanting to make a 3 AM potty run.

Don't they look sweet and innocent?!

I always go out with my dogs.  Sure, I have a fenced in yard...but I've told you all about the herd "kill list" so far this season, right?!  And I'd prefer not to experience them getting sprayed by a skunk either. 

Paisley is good about her pattern.  Out-potty-in.  Brady on the other hand meanders a bit, and my yard is fairly dimly lit.  Usually at the five minute mark, I start loudly whispering his name to get his buttocks back over to me so we can go in.  Well...Tuesday night he didn't reappear.  So I whispered louder.  Then I started saying his name louder...and louder...and louder.  Until I was hollering at him with a few choice words mixed in.  But he didn't show back up.

So I ran in and got a flashlight.  Then I heard noise behind the fence and started to REALLY panic. Did he escape somehow?  Is there an animal trying to get into my yard?  After about 10 minutes of circling the yard without him reappearing I went out front just in case he did get out and was running in the street.  No dice.  So I headed out back again...and there he was.  He ran up to me proud as punch.  

I was so relieved that I started to cry.  Not my finest moment.

His snazzy new, GoDoggie glow in the dark collar arrives tomorrow. (*Disclosure, this is an Amazon Affiliate link and *if* you buy, I get a few cents towards the Xanax I'll need if he tries to escape again.)

Brady - 1       Mumma - 0
He wins for now...but I demand a re-match!

Wordless Wednesday - National Dog Day

These four.  What can I say?  They're loud. They're opinionated. They're goofy.  But they're also sweet, affectionate, loyal and love me for all of my flaws.  I'm thankful for them every single day.

Happy Nationals Dog Day from Meadow, Beckett, Paisley and Brady.  And me, of course.  :-)

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Eight Photos of Happiness

I have been nominated for the ‘8 Photos of Happiness Tag’ by Bridget over at Expat BS.  I followed Bridget back when she was an Atlanta blogger.  Now she's "crossed the pond" and started a whole new blog.  :-)  I'm really enjoying reading as she and her hubby-to-be get settled into their new life!

Here are the guidelines for the tag:
1.Thank your nominator/s and link them in your post.
2. Link the creator Ariel's Little Corner of the Internet
3. Post your 8 photos of happiness
4. Pop in a brief description of the photo, why you chose it, or let the photos do the talking!
5. Spread the happiness and tag up to ten other bloggers!

This is my cousin Kristin and I at a wedding earlier this year. (The wedding story will be another post soon.)  She is one of my best friends and I'm so lucky to get to have her in my life. 

This little one is baby Vivie!  She's Kristin's little girl and will turn a year old just days after my birthday.  She has such a big, happy personality and I just adore her!

From my gram's 90th birthday party.  She was adamant that she get a big party when she turned 90 and so she that's what she got!  Gram was thrilled! This picture is bittersweet, as it's the last picture of gram with all four of her children.

It's not the best picture in the world, but I have such great memories of my first trip to the UK the summer I turned 16.  Here are my brother Josh and I getting chased by sheep...it was a recurring theme during that trip!  I can't wait to be in England again this fall.

As a little kid, my grandparent's had a summer home on the lake in New Hampshire.  So many awesome family summers!  Here's a picture of my dad and I when I was really little.

My herd.  They bring me such joy every single day.  So much personality, love, silliness and utter devotion in such TINY bodies!

These girls!  They are all absolutely beautiful inside and out.  We do a yearly group picture at Christmas and here's our 2014 picture.

Ok...so this isn't a picture of me, but it is a picture of the rag quilt I made for baby Vivie.  I love to craft and take such pleasure from it.  That counts, right?!

Now it's my turn to nominate some bloggers to take on this challenge. I'm still getting into the swing of blogging again so I don't have 10 bloggers to tag, but if you read this post and would like to join in  please do!

• Sara at Running from the Law - I've loved Sara's blog for years.  Even during my blog hiatus, I kept up with her and her adorable kiddos on Instagram.  :-)
• Karen at A Peek at Karen's World  - Another awesome blogger that I've followed for YEARS!  She just moved her blog from blogger to Wordpress on her own, which makes her my technology hero.
• Rachel from Countdowns and Cupcakes - I've only recently found Rachel.  Her blog is super cute and she's a fellow dachshund mom!
• Carolyn from Life, Love and Puppy Prints - Carolyn is another recent find.  I love her sense of humor.  She just might be one of blogville's cutest pregnant girls too.  :-)
• Jennifer from Crazy Shenanigans - Jen is another blogger that I've been following for quite a while.  Like Christmas or Elvis?  She's your girl!
• Dory and her mom at Dory's Backyard - Dory and her siblings are Lhasa Apsos and ShiTzus respectively.  They (with their mom's help) have lots of adventures and share life from a dog's perspective!
• Puddles and her mom at We 3 Doxies - Think dogs don't have a sense of humor?  You haven't met Puddles yet!  We know dachshunds are a huge part of my life - and Puddles (with her mom's help) shows all the personality in their little bodies!

Wordless Wednesday - The Twin Terrors

Paisley and Brady don't sit still often...and then they do, it's with this look like they're waiting expectantly for something.  :-)

And, Then They Ate A Poisonous Plant...

It goes without saying that I adore my dogs.  They are freaking awesome (if I do say so myself)!

Paisley and Brady are still at the age that they want to taste everything regardless of what it is.  Yeah...they're just over a year old, but dachshunds stay in that "puppy" stage longer than larger breeds.  Generally, I don't take issue with them (or Meadow & Beckett) picking up a stick outside and giving it a good gnaw.

We all learned something the hard way last Thursday - hydrangea bushes are mildly toxic to dogs.  Paisley and Brady decided to nibble on a hydrangea branch before dinner.  They came in, and ate dinner as normal...five minutes later I hear tummy rumbles.

First Brady started vomiting.  Then twenty minutes later Paisley started too.  Between the hours of 7 PM and 2 AM, they emptied their system of EVERYTHING.  To make matters worse, Meadow decided to "help" me clean up a little (read between the lines folks) and got sick herself soon thereafter.

As my washer and dryer ran all night (let's just say the didn't warn me before they puked), I decided to start googling.  I keep a list of all the plants that are toxic to my pets.  Hydrangea was NOT on that list...but it is now.   Everyone was just fine after getting everything up; but I did call the emergency clinic to see what signs I should watch for.

Spring is going to arrive any day now, and I'll be updating my list of "safe" plants before I do any gardening.  I ask all my fellow pet parents to do the same!  Here are a few plants to get you started:

• Autumn crocus (Colchicum): Its active ingredient, colchicines, triggers an anti-metabolic effect that can cause rapidly dividing cells, shedding of the gastrointestinal tract, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
•  Azalea (Rhododendron): This popular plant can harm a dog's cardiovascular system and trigger vomiting or gastrointestinal upset.
• Daffodil (Narcissus): Toxic ingredients in the bulbs cause convulsions, tremors, lethargy, weakness, and upset stomachs.
• Hyacinth (Hyacinth): This popular plant can cause severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, depression, and tremors.
• Japanese yew (Taxis): Extremely toxic to dogs, this group of ornamental plants can cause seizures or cardiac failure. The plant and red berries are toxic.
• Lily of the valley (Convalaria): This plant can cause heart failure, coordination problems, and vomiting.
• Oleander (Nerium): Extremely toxic, this popular outdoor plant contains cardiac glycosides that harm the heart, decrease body temperature, cause abnormal pulse rate, and can cause death. Beware: Even people have died from eating hot dogs roasted on an oleander twig.
• Rhubarb (Rheum): Although the stalks are used to make pies, the leaves pack the potential to cause kidney damage.
• Sago palm (Cycads): Resembling an upside down pineapple, this plant thrives in sandy soils, especially in warmer states such as California, Texas, and Florida. A few seeds can kill a dog.
• Tomato (Lycopersicion): Surprisingly, the greenery of this common plant, not the tomato itself, contains solanine, a toxic ingredient that can prompt gastric upset, depression, weakness, and a decrease in heart rate.

If you have any other plants that should be on the "no plant" list - please let me know!

Happy 1st Birthday Paisley & Brady!

An excerpt from my Furever Dachshund Rescue blog post:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

APOLLO, BEAN, BRADY, DUDLEY, LILLY BELLA, MAE, OLIVE, AND PAISLEY!!!!

 

A little over a year ago FDR took in Lulu and Angelo, a set of dachshunds in California. Like so many dachshunds that we rescue – they were fearful and living in conditions far beneath what they deserved. We quickly realized that we not only had two beautiful dachshunds that were in need of a new start, but Lulu was pregnant with an astonishing 8 PUPPIES!! You can see Lulu and Angelo’s “puppy shower” below.



Angelo found his furever home quickly with a California-based volunteer and Lulu made her way back east to deliver her babies.

On February 17th, under the watchful eye of our Chair, Laura and her two daughters – Lulu delivered all 8 gorgeous puppies! In rescue, we’re used to NOT knowing the full story. To rescue a pair; find out that the female is pregnant…and with such a large litter is really uncommon. To us, these babies are something to celebrate!

________________________________________

Because I haven't asked the other moms if I can show off their babies on my blog - I'll refer you HERE for all the cuteness that is the other six puppies.

Paisley and Brady,
I knew I was ready to add another puppy to my pack...but NEVER envisioned that I'd be adding two at a time.  Thank you both for all the joy, love, comedy and mischief that comes packed into your little (or in Brady's case, moose-like) bodies!

In your short lives you've cleaned up my tears, made me laugh hysterically, and forced me to do more laundry than I thought was humanly possible.

Thank you!  I can't wait to see what the next year brings us.

Love,
Your momma

P.S.  I'm sorry I celebrated your birthday by going to the Boston Wine Expo.  You're getting plenty of treats and toys to make up for it.

 

Notes From A Snowdrift...

I'm alive!  Thanks to the sweet people who emailed and tweeted inquiring how I weathered "Nemo".

It was quite the adventure, I tell ya!  Snow started coming down lightly Friday morning - which I took to mean as "let's go grocery shopping and try to locate the last D batteries known to man".  I spent the afternoon taking pictures and taking heat and electricity for granted.  You know where this is going, right?!

I lost power Friday evening as the snow started getting heavier.  That meant no heat either, making my already drafty house cold very quickly!  The pups and I bundled up with fleece and down blankets and hoped power would be back in the morning.

No such luck!  Snow continued to fall and the temperature inside my home continued to drop.  Saturday night I couldn't sleep I was so cold.  Turns out that it was below zero out...and probably only 20-30 degrees in my house!  My parents (who had power from Saturday morning on) showed up to help me dig out Sunday afternoon - BLESS them!!!!  When I realized that power wasn't going to come back on that day, I rounded up the furkids and make the trek to their home.

By Monday back, most people had power back. NOT ME!!!!!  I did get power back Monday evening about 7 o'clock or so.  HURRAY!!!

And...if you read this far, you get rewarded with pictures.

Yes, I did...and still do have snow drifts taller than my windows.

Check out the awesome icicles!

Brady was a little cranky that he had less luck scaling the snowdrifts than Paisley did.

Paisley is my little snowbunny!

 

Wordless (Woofless) Wednesday - Brady, A Canine Sleep Study

 

Hi Momma.  I'z cuddling.  Wanna join in?

 

 

 

You want the pillows?  Too bad!

 

 

 



ZzzzZzzz.... Wherefore art thou cookies?!....ZzzzZzzz



I'm BAAAAACK!

I don't know how in the world I ended up taking such a long break from blogging!  I guess I forgot to post a few days...and just fell out of the routine.

Sorry I went MIA on you!  My Christmas and New Year were wonderful.  And honestly...I needed a mini-break from blogging.

I'm back, refreshed and ready to conquer a new year. :-)

And for listening to my blathering you get rewarded with a cute puppy!

A "Conversation" With My Herd...

I spent my Saturday night doing a transport for Furever Dachshund Rescue.  My older two are used to this...but it's the first transport run I've done (outside of a few owner surrenders) since the babies have joined the family.

To say that I got accosted when I walked in the door is an understatement. Our conversation went a little like this:

Beckett: Mom!  Where have you been? Do you know what time it is?!
Me: Yes, I do.  It's quarter past one in the morning.  Now go back to sleep!
Paisley: Momma, why do you smell like...um...dogs?
Me: That's because I had to help two doggies meet their furever families.
Brady: Did you bring them home, momma?  Can I meet them?!  PLAY?!?!?!
Me: No.  They traveled all day and I handed them over to their new people.
Paisley: Were they cute?  They smell cute.
Me: Yes, Pais.  They were cute!  In fact, one of them was named Paisley!  But she was a Pomeranian that hitched a ride on our transport.  She looked nothing like you.
Beckett/Brady: Mom, we smell a boy too!
Me: That would be Rosco.  You know his foster mom, Auntie Elaina in PA.  He got a new parents and a new fur brother tonight.
Paisley: Momma, next time can I go for the ride too?  I promise not to let any other family keep me.

Meadow: SHHHH!!!! I'Z SLEEPING!

Wordless Wednesday - Playtime

Hey Momma?  I think Paisley and Beckett are being naughty.

 

 

 

Brady, relax.  Paisley is just telling Beckett a story.

 

 

 

Um, Momma?  I really think they're being naughty!

 

 

 

Fine.  You're right.  Be good, you little fuzzballs!

 

 

 

Brady, you're such a tattletale!  I was supervising them.

 

 

 

Sigh.  I'll just go pout in my crate.

Notes From Paisley - The Case Of The Missing Momma

Hi!  Iz Beckett.  Momma left her laptop open again...and I decided to help Paisley hijack da blogger account.  She seems to think most of mom's friends live in the computer.  Hmph.  She might be right!

______________

Hi Everypuppy!
Iz da Paisley! (aka Pay-pay, Pay-ski, or Nugget) I really thunk that momma's fwiends and most of da family lived in da comfuter, but last week peoples started showing up.  Dey showed up at the glammy and grampy's house and momma had to spends ALL her times bisiting dem instead of lubbing on us.

Beckett called her a beach.  Whatever dat means! {OMD, Paisley!  NEVER admit to mom that I called her that!}

Anyway...we all gots stuck in da kitchen.  Which is kinda funny cuz deres is FIVE doors in the kitchen, so gates are everywheres.  She was gone fur hours and hours and hours.  At least, if felt dat way. Beckett managed to go through the window (indoor) that seperates da kitchen from da sunroom, so he got to lay on the sunroom lubseat.  LUCKY!

Now that family has gones back to homes, we want momma to bring us to PetSmart to pick out Hallo-weenie costumes.  We should get presents for being ignored, right? I mean, I'z only seven months old...but I like to looks pwetty and I hear Hallo-weenie is a BLAST!

What should we all be?  Crayons?  Bumblebees? Sheep?

Lubs and kissies,
Paisley