Wilma's Friend's Words of Wisdom ~ Guest Post From None Other Than Tiffy

"Please Find it in Your Heart to Love Again"

Hi everybody! Wilma here. I am so honored, and excited to present you with my first guest blogger for Wednesday's Wisdom. It's Tiffy, from It's Tiffy Time.

Let me just say, that Tiffy's wisdom is the truest kind. Because she has lived these words. She has overcome many obstacles and come out stronger, and with the best rewards, true forever love.

I hope this is the beginning of a long tradition of my friends sharing their wisdom here with you all. It is off to a great start! My friends are the best!

Without further adieu, I present to you Tiffy!!!

I didn't know what to expect when I found myself in yet another home just over five months ago. Another temporary home, I thought to myself. More people who will let me live with them for a little while before abandoning me. More people who will break my forever broken heart. To say I was skeptical would be an understatement. To say I was wrong would be the best news ever. I have lived so many places that I've lost track of most of them. I have forced myself to forget about the bad places, and can hardly remember the good places anymore. My very first home was filled with so much love. My birth mother took such good care of me and my siblings while her human mom found loving homes for us. When I was old enough a nice family drove to Oklahoma to meet me. It was love at first sight. They scooped me up and drove me to my forever home in Texas, or so I thought. I loved my parents with all my heart but for some reason my forever home didn't last forever. I still have no idea why. My second home wasn't as nice as my first but I learned to love it and the people I called my parents. They took care of me and even found me another pug to love. Soon I had little ones of my own to take care of who I loved as only a mother can. More babies followed so I had lots of little ones to love. But then things changed. I no longer was loved like I should have been. My parents hurt me because they didn't understand me. And when I was no longer wanted they left me on the streets to fend for myself. Life on the streets was very hard but I survived. One day a nice lady saw me walking in the wrong part of town and she picked me up. She told me that I didn't belong on the streets. I was taken to another lady who ran a pug rescue group who then drove me to a foster home. Yet another home! But this one was different. This one was so special because of the people and pugs who lived there. I was cautious at first but soon I opened my heart up to love them. And I loved them so much. I thought this home would be my forever home but it wasn't to be. Just over five months ago I was visited at my foster home by a lovely couple. They had driven all the way from Chicago to meet me. My foster mom told me to turn on the charm because these people might want to adopt me. I was very confused because I thought I had already been adopted. What was I going to do? I wanted to stay where I was but this couple was so loving. Should I open up my heart again even though I know it might get broke? So here I am in my forever, yes, forever home. I'm not going anywhere anymore. No more packing up and moving ever again because this is where I belong. This is where I will live out my days because I am loved more here than ever before. And I will not be abandoned, pushed to the streets, or hurt anymore. Nope. I will be loved all the days of my life. And do you know why? Because I found it in my heart to love again. It wasn't easy given my past record but I knew I had to do it. I had to open up my heart and let my new parents in. I had to show them that I could love and be loved. I had to feel love again to know when it was right. I am not as wise as Wilma but I do know that my guiding wisdom has always led me down the right path. I followed my heart and found love again. Please find it in your heart to love again if you are ever abandoned or abused. Open yourself up so that others can love you. It's the only way to be whole once more. And it's worth it because it's the best feeling in the world.

Bone? What Bone? I Don't See No Stinkin' Bone!

 

Dad said Mother Nature threw us a bone. I can't find any bones anywhere! Believe me I looked.

I even has Brigitte and Sluggo looking. Which meant if said bone was found there would probably have to be sharing.

Nope, nary a bone.

Then Dad explained that what he meant was that we were very lucky not to have suffered any damage from Hurricane Irene.

Well Duh! Why didn't he just say that?!

What is it with these humans not saying what they mean.

They speak in these weird codes, and it is very confusing. With us, it's simple. We know exactly how to communicate. Nice and easy, and quick.

Well, either way, what he meant when he said what he said is true!

See that big tree behind me?

That's the one we were worried about falling in the storm. Scratch that, the one Mom and Dad were worried about, which translated into a puke back for me.

The whole top of it sheared off in the tornado we had when we first lived here.

It is on the side of a big hill that is hard to access, so it will cost millions of treat dollars to fix it. Therefore, I have not sanctioned using the funds for such a thing.

You may also notice a rather sad looking sunflower behind me. Unfortunately, the sunflowers did not fare as well as we in this storm. But, Mom propped that one up.

Our big memorial sunflower was almost over anyway, so we lopped of the head to feed it to the finches!

But, not before a few photo op's

Even Sluggo had to get in on the shoot.

All kidding aside, we are truly grateful to have been spared from any damage related to the storm. Others were not as lucky, some  lost their homes, and others their lives.

I guess this Mother Nature lady is no one to fool with.

Today, we have nothing but blue skies!

Update on Oskar

 Oskar is doing better. He will be taken off IV's today, and if he does OK, he will be able to go home and continue to recover.

We are pretty good about not eating strange things. Except for Brigitte's problem of course. But, make sure you avoid eating stuff outside like mulch, grass, acorns and rocks. That is what Oskar had in his belly.

I said that it was probably because he is one of those skinny dogs. We pugs know better than to waste time on non food items. 

Well, mostly.

So Far So Good

Hi everybody! We are doing OK so far, and the hurricane has been downgraded to a tropical storm. There are a lot of downed trees and power lines across the state, and the shoreline is definitely getting walloped worse that us. We still have power, are keeping up with the moderate amount of basement leakage, and Big Pine is still standing.

The worst of it for us so far, I guess you could say, started late last night when we decided to try to get some rest. Mom made a nest in our den out of the couches.





Our bedroom is on the second floor, where there would have been zero protection if any trees decided to fall. So we were all going to take cover here for the night.

Sluggo didn't like it. He decided to pee on the comforter and sheets. Then once the nest was remade with fresh linens, he puked on my back. One more set of linens and a quick wipe down for me, and we all settled down for a rest.

Business runs this morning have been sketchy at best. I told Mom and Dad what I thought about using pee pads loud and clear.




So, we each got taken out between raindrops in the front where there are no trees. I told Mom and Dad I was in shut down mode, and didn't need to go for at least 18 hours, but they insisted. So I squirted out a couple of drops and squoze out a log. I think we all know what Sluggo will do if he needs to go!

As Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon fame says, "we just gotta ride this one out"






P.S. No word on Oskar yet. We'll let you know as soon as we hear.

We're Ready

Hi everyone, it's Brigitte. I am on call Duty Officer this week, so I have been in charge of preparedness for the storm headed our way.
I just wanted you to know, we are bracing for the brunt of the hurricane, and I have done everything possible to be ready. By my calculations, the biggest threat is flooding of our basement, or damage from the giant pine in the back of our house. We are not near the beaches, but there is a river near by. Our house is up on a hill though, so we are hoping for the best.

Wilma also wanted me to thank you all for your kind thoughts for Oskar. We haven't heard anything yet, so we are operating on the premise of no news, is good news.

She also says thanks for all of your thoughtful advise regarding the loghouse. She especially likes Mr. Pip's idea to fill the doghouse for a cause. So we are going to take all of your advise into consideration. Right now, we are using the doghouse. We are cozied up inside of it, down in the Club (basement), keeping safe.

We hope all of our friends and family fare well in this storm. we'll check in soon

Love, Brigitte

We need the Power of the Paw!

Sluggo's little buddy Oskar has gone and eaten a bunch of stuff he shouldn't have. Now he is very ill. He is back at the vet after he was sent home yesterday because he is still not right.



He might be going to the 24 hour emergency vet for the duration of the storm because his vet is closing today.

Please keep Oskar in your thoughts as he battles to returns to his normal spunky self. Like in these pictures from last summer at his Dad's and our Dad's concert...

What to do, What to do....

I think I have one of those ethical dilemmas on my paws friends.

You see, someone came into Mom's work (The Red Cross) and donated a doghouse. they wanted it to go towards rescue of canine victims of the Japanese Tsunami.

Apparently, the folks there could not coordinate this, but the nice lady left it there anyway as a donation.

Mom noticed it right away, especially since it had the tag on it with none other than...

a pug.

Mom wanted it, but couldn't justify spending the 100.00 that the director of fund-raising was asking for it, just before vacation especially. Plus, we are not doghousey dogs. We have one in the yard, but that's for decoration. We would never actually enter it.
But, it is such a cut little log cabin house, that it could actually perhaps be used indoors, or something.
Either way, not practical, we didn't REALLY need it, and Mom figured we wouldn't use it anyway.
She thought to herself, if she did get it, it could potentially raise some green papers in an auction for rescue. There are a few events coming up soon.
But that was that.

So there it sat. Mocking her, every time she went to work.
Here is a picture of it in the lobby, with that stupid Puffy guy.

Then we returned from vacation, and Mom returned to work. It was still sitting there, in the lobby, alone, dog-less.

The class she started teaching before vacation was going to their clinical.

(Mom teaches a Nursing Assistant class for the Red Cross)

Clinical is when they go to take care of real patients.

Well, on graduation day, the class presented Mom with a thank you card. They also told her that the doghouse was hers!

They had all chipped in and bought it as a gift to Mom for us pugs!

Needless to say, we were all touched by this act.

Herein lies the dilemma...

 I like it.

At first, when Mom brought it home, I was kinda eh, about it. Then Britte checked it out and said it was kinda cozy. Especially after Mom placed a nice bed in there.

Mom tried to upload a video of us checking it out, but YouTube said it would take 133 minutes, and then failed. Ugh, technology.

So anyway, here is my question...
Since it was a gift to Mom, would it be wrong to donate the doghouse. Or, since donating the doghouse had been an initial plan of what she may do with it if she got it, would it be wrong to keep it?
Please help! I value your opinions.

It does look good on us.

Wilma's Wednesday Words of Wisdom ~ Well, Actually Salinger's

"Laugh at all things ridiculous"

So yeah, last week Salinger left a comment reminding me of this very sage advise. Which I wholeheartedly endorse! One of my main goals each day is to do something to make my people laugh.I think they really appreciate it. Of course, there are the days when I just don't feel like it. Then I delegate to the subordinates. They are a couple of clowns anyway. I know it works, because they are always laughing at one thing or another. they probably don't realize it, but there are many occasions where I am laughing at them.

Salinger's words got me to thinking... I know I have many wise friends out there. After all, you read me don't ya?! Even though I am full of all kinds of wisdom, (what's that Brigitte? I am full of SOMETHING?! Watch it!) I thought it would be nice to have some of you as guest bloggers on my Wednesday Words of Wisdom! What do you think?! I hope you like the idea, because I am really excited to have my friends share their multitudes of experience and information!
So, hopefully, next week we will have our first of many guest posts from you, my brilliant friends! Just leave a comment, or email Mom, and we will work out the logistics.

In the meantime, enjoy some ridiculousness!

Earthquake in Virginia! Please check in Southern Frieds and all our other southern pals!

Just got an alert from Dad's work emergency response, that an earthquake in VA was felt in New Haven. Hoping all my peeps and their peeps, and all the other peeps are OK!

Finally, The Versatile Blogger Post

A while back our girls Tiffy, and The Southern Fried Pugs, Isabelle, Talulah and Petunia, bestowed upon us the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks girls! The gist of the award is to have our thumbed counterparts share seven things about themselves with you all. I finally allowed the spotlight to turn away from me and shine upon the Mom, so that she could complete the mission.so here goes, in no particular order.


1.) She's the "big sister". She has two younger brothers. That's why she always thinks she's the boss. That is until I came along!



2.) Mom used to fancy herself one of those "Dead Heads". She has more than a few Grateful Dead concerts under her Guatemalan belt.


3.) She has a chitinous exoskeleton.



4.) Mom has platypus feet, and ham fists. Ask me some day to share Dad's caricatures depicting the ham fists!


5.) She comes from a long line of yellers.


6.) She has no conscience when it comes to ice cream. If it is in the house, she doesn't care if anyone else gets any, she will eat it. Never, has an ice cream product developed freezer burn in our house.


7.) She wants to fill the world with silly love songs.


Now, here is where we bend the rules a little. I'm supposed to pass this award on to seven other bloggers. Some of you have received it already, and I think you all rock. So, if anyone is feeling a little shary, go on ahead and help yourselves. I would love to learn a little more about everyone's assistants with the opposable thumbs!

Wilmas Wednesday Words of Wisdom

"Seek pleasure and comfort in all things great and small, it will make for a happy life"

 the cool green grass

A quiet moment

A nice sculpture

A sweet Dad to hold you close

A concert in the park (watching your crush George play jazz)

A comfy bed

no matter where you make it

on dad's pillow

a couch pillow

even near you brother and sister

Mom's butt! (oh, that one was especially comfortable!)

Heed these words my friends and you can do no wrong!

Can We Talk About Sluggo For a Minute?

Back when we were on vacation, I mentioned something about Sluggo's floor issues. I think I may have mentioned some of the boy's quirks before, but Payton asked me to expand on these "surface issues". So, I figured I'd take this opportunity to do so.

Let me start by saying, I love Sluggo to death. He is great to have around when your chilly, because he is a world class snuggler. He worships me, which can only be a good thing. Plus, he does whatever I tell him, another bonus.

I'm not going to mince words folks. smarts is not one of Sluggo's strong suits.

We call this his dumb look...

One of the many issues Sluggo has is with unfamiliar surfaces. Shiny ones especially.

The floors of our vacation house are refinished, very shiny....

hence, it took him over one full day to be able to traverse them without being carried.

Hey, at least he got over it out there, because at Grammy and Grampy's, he regresses every time he makes any progress. Will walk on regular wood floor, will not walk on new kitchen wood floor.

 Except at Christmas when he wouldn't come in the living room because of the tree.

Here he is at a meet up asking Mom to pick him up

then of course, there is the basement floor.

He'll come down the stairs because they are carpeted. But then beds and rugs need to be set up like Frogger for him to go any further.

Oh, then when he goes upstairs, he won't enter the kitchen from the basement. He'll just sit and cry 'til Mom carries him to safe ground.

Here he is sulking, because he can't/won't walk across the floor to be with the rest of us.

He's cuckoo , I tell you.

Other floors he won't walk on...

The Vets office

Won't leave the rug beyond the door at Petsmart

Multiple shops on the Cape.

In addition to these places he won't walk, Sluggo also doesn't like it when certain things are on top of other things.

It started when he was a puppy. He would bark at anything that was placed on top of his crate. Now, random places such as the dining room table, counter, etc.

There you have it. A peek into Sluggo's mind. Anyone else have neurosis such as these. We could use some tips before investing in therapy and doggie drugs!

I would also like to give a Birthday shout out to Lucky! She turns eight today. Hope your day is filled with all kinds of fun and special treats Lucky!

In addition to that Sunflower news, I am also sending out the Sunflower Power of the Paw to Gracie Lynn over at the Slimmer Pugs.

She is recuperating from surgery she had on her leg last week.

This was an unexpected expenditure for The Slimmers, as Mimi just had a similar surgery done, and they are having a chip in to help cover the cost. So if you are able, donate a few green papers. Even if you can't donate, I know she would appreciate a little get well wish!

Here's to a speedy recovery Gracie!