Lily

Lily. Lilybug. Baby Girl. Sweet Lily. Wacko. Doesn't matter what you call her. She's the head of this household. She rules the roost. She's a tiny little dog with a HUGE personality!We sort of rescued her from Akron, Ohio. We drove there expecting to see this beautiful little black pug. We were not expecting to find a little, dirty, stinky, almost hairless, pug like creature. The ad should have read "Needs good home". Good being the key word.

There was no way she was staying there with those people. No way, no how! Against our better judgement, we exchanged some dollars for the puppy and made a quick escape. Fred and Barney were along. You would have thought she was an alien. They were scared to death of her...still are kind of. :)

It was the dead of winter. She had never been taken outside. We did what any responsible new parent would do. We went to Petco and bought her an entire wardrobe of the tiniest clothes we could find.

She grew. She grew hair. She got a bath or twenty. We all (even F & B) adjusted. She settled right in. Fearless. Adventurous. Crazy and Sweet. She proved to be the best mistake we ever made.
She has stolen our hearts. Ripped them out and chewed them up. They are gone. I have never met a dog as animated, as ornery, as wild, as unruly, as sweet as Lily is. Can you see the orneriness in her eyes? Right after this blurry picture, she ripped the hat off and tried to destroy it.
My boys travel well in the car. Lily does not. She is all over the place. She wants to sit in your lap. She gets herself all worked up in a tizzy. This picture is from a recent trip back from Massachusetts. She looks like an angel, but really she's just passed out from sheer exhaustion. She had spent the previous five hours screaming her head off. I was traveling alone and didn't want to hold her on the busy highways so I put her in a crate. Safe yes. Nerve racking double yes! I wanted to toss her out the window. I didn't. :)

She screams. I 've never heard anything like it. It's a high pitched screech. She hates cats. When she gets excited or nervous she runs around and finds a toy bone to hold in her mouth. She likes to be held and she sleeps tight up against me.

I am so glad she's in our lives. She makes every day interesting.

One of the perks

My guys travel for work. This time of year they travel a lot. Sometimes I go with them, but because of other obligations I often find myself staying here at home more than I find myself out with them. I miss them...but I also enjoy my time alone. Don't worry...they are here 24/7 for about 5 months over the winter so I get to make up for lost time then. Could be one of the reasons why I love winter so much...that and snow. I adore snow almost as much as I adore my family.

Anyway.

One of the perks (besides staying up late to watch Gilmore Girls for the millionth time) is that I don't have to cook. I love to cook, but it's nice to not have to cook all the time. Know what I mean?

Like tonight. Earlier my uncle dropped off some potatoes and zucchini that he had made. Now I wouldn't normally think to saute potatoes and zucchini together but it is really good. Trust me. I had an ear of corn left over from the other day. I cut the corn off the cob, mixed it with the potatoes and zucchini and nuked it in the microwave. The whole process took less than 2 minutes...and was yummy. My guys would never in a million years want that for dinner. No meat. No pasta. Just veggies. Doesn't meet their minimum requirement for dinner...but it does mine.

Daydreaming of Fall

It's hot! It's humid! Ick! Double Ick!! I am so glad Fall is just around the corner. Call me crazy, but I am ready for summer to come to a screeching halt. I'm daydreaming about cooler days and all the wonderful things that go along with such a glorious season. Like a billion acorns in our yard. These painters hands belong to my youngest son, Brantley. Even though he's 21 and all grown up, he still loves the little things, like acorns in the fall. Football games. Doesn't matter if it's high school or NFL. I love football.

A little bit of fall decorating. Who doesn't love pumpkins and mums!?!
Long country roads and gazing at all the beautiful colors.
How about a bubbling kettle of soup? That'll warm your insides on a cool fall day. Yum!

Let's not forget certain childish antics.

Yep, that's what my daydreams are full of right now...lots and lots of fall goodness!

Barney

Meet Barney. He's my middle pug. Actually, he's only about 3 weeks younger than Fred. Yes, we got them at the same time and yes, my husband insisted that they be named after the Flintstones. Whatever! He's the complete opposite of Fred. He's slim and leggy, shy and reserved, but with a playful side. He can be timid and the next minute he's acting like a wild animal. He's not attached to me the way the others are. He's best buddies with my oldest son, Jared. That's okay...I love him all the same!




He wears his heart on his sleeve (if he wore sleeves). He shows all his emotions in his eyes. They are adorable eyes.



He's easily embarrassed.


He loves to go "bye, byes" but chooses to sit in the back seat. He's a barker. He flips out if there is any kind of animal on TV. His favorite movie is 8 below.

He has a sense of humor. He can be a little clown.

He sleeps so much because he loves so hard.

He's had emergency surgery because he likes to eat things he shouldn't. He's okay though. Pugs (or any type of dog really) are just like kids. When you have more than one, it's amazing how they are all so unique, so different. I cherish each one of their personalities and all their little quirks. You'll get to meet Lily (my last pug) shortly. Be prepared. she's a wild woman. :)

iPhone app

Do you have an iPhone? Have you seen the photo apps that you can download? I was playing around with them the other day...love em! The first photo was taken with the ShakeIt app. It makes the photo look like a polaroid instamatic camera. The second photo was taken with the Hipstamatic app. I love the vintage feel/look it gives to an ordinary cell phone photo. I am NOT a very good photographer. I'd honestly probably describe myself as a "picture taker" instead, but these apps are so fun!

Oh, that's Ernie my cat in the photo. He likes to cuddle...and drool.

Fried Green Tomatoes Anyone!?!

I don't eat a lot of fried foods, but every summer should have at least one feasting of fried green tomatoes...don't ya think!?! A little horseradish sauce for dipping makes them all the better. Yum!
Fried Green Tomatoes

• 1 egg


• 1/2 c milk


• 1 cup flour


• 3/4 cup cornmeal


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon pepper


• 3 or 4 green tomatoes, cut into slices as thick as you like them


• oil for frying (I use canola)


• additional salt for sprinkling


• horseradish sauce (if desired)

Combine the egg and milk in a shallow bowl (I like to use a pie pan).

Combine the flour, cornmeal, teaspoon salt and pepper in another shallow bowl.

Coat tomatoe slices with flour/cornmeal mixture. Dip into egg mixture and then back into flour/cornmeal mixture. Set aside.

Pour oil into a cast iron skillet until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in depth. Heat over medium to medium high heat. Drop tomatoes in batches into hot oil (don't crowd) and fry till golden. Flip over and continue until other side is golden and crisp as well. Drain on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt while still hot.

Enjoy!

*For horseradish sauce; mix mayo and bottled horseradish (found in the refrigerator aisle) to taste.

Fred

This is Fred. My oldest pug. Fred adores me! I adore Fred!

I share a special bond with Fred. A few weeks after we brought him home, he came down with pneumonia. He was a sick puppy. I mothered him and things have never been the same. He sits on my lap...all the time. He stares at me lovingly...all the time. He gets away with things the others might not get away with. He's my Fredders. He has huge eyes. He's a tad chubby. Lives to...I mean loves to eat. He's a bit of a sissy. He watches TV. He's sweet. His whole body shakes when he barks. He does tricks. He steals the other pugs food when I'm not looking. He can't jump.

He'll work for food.

He's loyal, loving and funny. I know he understands me. He hangs onto every word I say.
He's up for anything.
He's a napper. This picture makes him look chubbier than he actually is...honest.
He travels well.
He's stolen my heart.