Saturday, February 28, 2009

Scrapbooking - All Day!





Here are three really nice layouts. As many times as I sit down to crop some photos, there is always a different approach to take. I like to see other people's pages also because this is a hobby that truly reflects individuality.

We all have stacks of paper that we have purchased, some for the color, some for the sparkle and some because it reminded us of days gone by.

CeCe and I have a running joke about polka dots and I sure hope you haven't heard me talking about this before . . .

One night, I was cropping a little black and white photo of my Grandmother. Grandma was a tall lady, very kind who always had some sweets to slip to me. (Uh oh, that's how we all began our battle, isn't it?) She was my cheerleader and I suspect she was older than some of my friends' grandparents. I just had one and I respected her, loved her and had lots of good times with her. So this was a good memory to crop.

In the 50s, Dad and I went out every Sunday to visit and Dad would play cribbage with Grandpa, a retired policeman. Grandma and I would sew, knit, crochet, talk and laugh.

"Martha, every one's crazy but you and me and sometimes I wonder about thee!" She smiled as she said that for fun - lots of times.

So, in this little black and white photo (very fragile and dry, ready to destruct), my friend, CeCe noticed that Grandma was wearing a polka-dotted dress.

"Oh, look, you can use polka-dotted paper - that would be perfect!"

The lovely scrapbook papers available today are like candy in a sweet shop. So, I wandered out of the crop room and into the shop to find just the right paper for Grandma's photo.

When I came back from shopping, CeCe looked at my paper and said,

"WHAT is this? This isn't polka dots!"

"No, it isn't, but I did get polka dots to back up the picture of me to put on the opposite page!"

"Well then, WHAT is this?" By now, she is smiling real wide because she feels she is being rather inquisitive, but she is very curious about the paper I have chosen to back up Grandma's polka-dotted dress!

"Well, CeCe, this is just like the wallpaper in Grandma's living room!"

The memories we have are ours to keep, to share, to crop in a scrapbook. Imagine finding paper that was just like Grandma's wallpaper, so many years ago!

Have a beautiful day. I love cropping, with it's calm, laughter, tears. It is truly the best hobby I have ever had.

And if you haven't already, please read yesterday's Blog on Newspapers.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Life Without My Newspaper?

Maybe I need to give you our routine each morning so you understand just how much a part of our day our newspaper is!

The alarm goes off - most mornings - and Keith quickly dresses. Ever notice how quickly men dress? Annoying, isn't it? But it is handy!

He opens the master bedroom door and says good morning to Buddy (our Lhasa Apso who sleeps outside our door). Keith now turns off the alarm at the wall there and he and Buddy walk together to the patio door so Buddy can go outside and check out the squirrels and birds in the yard.

Now, I can hear the garage door opening. Keith walks out that way, down the driveway, says "Hello" to any neighborhood walkers and picks up the Lufkin Daily News at the bottom of the driveway. On rainy days he unwraps the paper and puts the wrapper in the blue recycle bin.

Now, he heads back in and sets the paper down while he pours my coffee into my striped mug and brings me the paper and coffee.

Keith exits the bedroom and goes to turn on our computers and check a couple of things.

Now, it is my time to read the paper and sip my coffee. It takes me just about 25 minutes to scan everything.

I glance at the cover stories and check the names of the unfortunate folks who had a mishap over the past 24 hours. (Sometimes you hear about a wreck, but now you have the name.)

I turn the page and - yeah, yeah, because I'm a senior, I guess - I check the obituaries. More than the deceased's name, I check the paragraph of survivors. Keith and I try to honor those who have lost loved ones and generally we show up at the visitation if you lost your brother-in-law or your father. (I don't know everyone's name as well as some do: remember I've only been here twelve years.) We pride ourselves on being people who "always show up".

I glance at the Police Report in the upper right, to see how well our neighborhood is doing. Hmm. Shot out a back window of a SUV six blocks from our house yesterday? Glad we are down to one vehicle always parked inside the garage. On the opposite page is a coupon for Belk Department Store or maybe it's Senior Day!

Now, I realize I have about 13 minutes left till Keith expects me for our apple and cheese which starts our day.

I glance at the AP stories that I may have seen on KTRE or online in case I missed one. I always check the People column, especially the birthdays of famous people at the end. Sometimes I get an idea for my blog that day.

Always glance at Sagittarius (Keith's) and Taurus (my horoscope) and check if Dr. Gott has an idea for anything that is bothering one of us.

Glance at my watch - not that either of us is obsessive-compulsive but the day is short, yup, shorter than it seemed when we were younger.

On Friday, I scan the entire Entertainment. Are the Hipshakers playing somewhere this week? (Jeff, their keyboardist is our church music director) and is Larry Greer at Fredonia twice this week? Is there a concert at Angelina College this weekend? I do quickly check the movies that start today.

Glancing at my watch, I speed through the TV page and you know sometimes I have told you what classic movie is playing in case you've had enough of the news.

Sometimes I check the Pet/Dog column, just in case somebody is looking for a dog, like the time I found Kathleen's Scottie! Oh, what a day that was - just about two (or maybe three) years ago this week. I called the number. The lady was pregnant and needing to find a home for "Samantha". I got all the details; Kathleen went at lunch break; Southwood checked out "Sam" out in the afternoon and well, Kathleen brought "Sam" to church that night to thank me for finding her. The best part of that story is that Keith thought I might have been interfering!

Classified stories don't get much better than that. Well, they sort of do . . . like the time we found Buddy the Lhasa about five years ago.

I glance at my watch again and - oh, man - if I hurry I can catch the comics and I'll leave the flyers till later, I guess.

The comics are generally on the back of the last section and I start at the middle crease on the left column which is Dagwood Bumstead and scan up to Arlo and Janice. I move across to Family Circus and catch three more, skip three and pick up at Zits down to Sally Forth.

I fold the paper really neatly - that's a courtesy to hand the paper to Keith as though it hasn't been yet read.

In comes Keith and we sit on the side of the bed, eating our apple and cheese. We say our morning prayers and begin our day.

I feel I must tell you that Saturday I do read the Religion page thoroughly but I hear you asking, "What about Sunday"?

Yes, Sunday is church day and there is definitely less time and more paper. Well, I do not touch the Sports section and I save the Business, Charm/Lifestyle and East Texas to read after apple and cheese. I go out to the sofa and Buddy and I check the flyers quickly before I go back to put on make-up and earrings. Last Sunday, we used an El Chico coupon for lunch after church.

So, why - if we can fit reading the paper into our daily routine - why are newspapers closing down? This is one of the last leisurely pleasures in life! Heck, Dagwood Bumstead was on those comic pages when I was a kid! Why wouldn't I still read him now?

I like to keep up with what's going on - right here in my town - not somewhere else! First thing in the morning, with that beautiful cup of coffee, I want to be updated right then at the beginning of the day!

Isn't it time more people subscribed to have the newspaper in their driveway first thing? I hope so, because that's my ritual and I don't want to give it up!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

It Must Be Spring in East Texas!

First, the forecast high temperature for today is 81 degrees F. That's a good start to what we love about Texas!

And to make it a really fine day, the first televised game from Florida Winter Training will be on ESPN today at noon. Atlanta Braves will be playing Houston Astros. I just love it!

The picture above is of Minute Maid Park in Houston which is very much like Rogers Dome (SkyDome) in Toronto.

Ah, surely spring is here!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Brightness of Shrove Tuesday Before The Solemnity of Ash Wednesday



Well, here we are in our Mardi Gras colors of yesterday. We had our party at church and followed with another photo of Buddy the Lhasa at home. It was a fine time! I already explained that good food we enjoyed.

Today is Ash Wednesday, a solemn day in the Christian calendar. We are heading out to our church service where Pastor will mark a cross of ash on our foreheads - "From ashes you have come and to ashes you will return". We will all leave in silence and thus begins the Lenten season which ends in the crucifying of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. After three days, He rose on what we call Easter Sunday.

It is for Christians, the holiest time of the Christian calendar. Then on Easter Sunday, we shall proclaim,

The Lord is risen; He is risen indeed! On that day (Easter) we shall again put on our bright clothes in celebration.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Letters for Our Troops

March, 2009

Hello Again from East Texas,

All around Lufkin, there are sparse signs of spring emerging. Driving down a residential street, if we look carefully, we can see paper whites and daffodils in clusters on lawns or in prepared flower beds. At our house we have a few blue iris in bloom. Looking up, some trees are still bare, but some trees have beautiful branches of tiny pink flowers.

The birds are starting to come back and some are looking for places to build nests.

At churches, the Lent season has begun which will bring Easter.

We think about our troops and all you do and how much you have sacrificed for us. We pray for you every day, hope you are safe and that you will be home again soon.

We send you our special blessings,

Keith & Martha Sutton


This isn't all that special - just a simple letter - to which I add comic strips top and bottom. In our area, our American Legion Auxiliary boxes personal items, candies, special things that troops miss from home. They do this every month, month after month and are currently sending about 85 boxes to troops from our area.


A young person away from home, serving our country, opening one of these boxes, knows people back home are thinking about them and praying for their safety and their safe return home.


We have a granddaughter in the Army serving in South Korea and being away from her friends and family is a sacrifice she is making for her country. We have more young people from our church who are serving. Joyfully, one, a Marine, is back on American soil after serving three tours in Iraq. He signed up coming out of high school and in May, his commitment will be fulfilled. He's coming home this week for a three-week leave. Is he ever in for lots of hugs!


You may have a member of your family serving in the forces, or know someone who has made this sacrifice to keep us safe.


Its just a little thing that we do to contribute 85 letters each month. Some teachers have their students write letters in their classes, many people hand write letters every month. Many contribute money for postage, money for the contents; some contribute some of the contents. Some people get together to put the boxes together and ready to mail.


If you go to http://www.ala113lufkin.org or call Lucy Burris at 936-676-9148 in our area, you can learn more. If you are in another area, I think you will find links to guide you. If you google for information for your own area, you will find people just waiting to receive your contributions with open arms!


God Bless our Troops and we do pray for their safe return!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Happy Fat Tuesday - Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Tuesday

Tomorrow - Tuesday - is known by various names in different places, but for us it is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and we will have a party at church tomorrow. When I was in Canada, we called it Pancake Tuesday, which would have the same effect for those of us who are inclined to gain weight easily!

This Tuesday represents the last day before the beginning of Lent (on Ash Wednesday). So, in other words, Mardi Gras is the last hurrah or party or major eating before Lent when some people give up - say chocolate - for the entire time till Easter.

Now our party will be pretty tame with some in costumes, perhaps masks and most dressed in gold, green, purples with matching beads. Our meal will be red beans and rice. (Oh, I do hope there will be some salad or cole slaw!)

For dessert, we have special Mardi Gras cakes. You eat your piece very carefully because there is a tiny plastic baby doll baked at the bottom. Whoever gets the little baby is expected to have the next party - or have good luck - whatever one believes!

The slogan for Mardi Gras which is celebrated in the craziest and grandest style in New Orleans, is LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

If you are really wondering what to do tomorrow, just go to IHOP and get a stack of three pancakes for a donation to charity. Hopefully they are having that promotion where you are!

At the very least, do wear something colorful and enjoy a break from routine!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Yup . . . Even Smaller Than You Think!

About ten days after John’s death, I was in the Mart and when I said my husband had died, a cashier named Jopy put down her cash tray and gave me a huge hug. These were small miracles that got me through the day, the kindness people would show to me. Although people at that store did not know me by name, they knew my husband was very ill in nursing home and now that he had died.


- Exerpt from the Chapter called More Than Groceries in BUMPY ROAD TO TEXAS by Martha Sutton


I was talking to my wonderful Port Hope friend, Judy today and she was telling me about talking to her friend, and how she had told her about my book and that she was in it! Her friend turned out to be Jopy! She actually remembered me from 13 years ago and now Jopy is reading Bumpy Road To Texas!


Of course, I do wish all these people would buy copies so my book would generate income and become a bestseller, but I have to tell you that I thought it was amazing that woman remembered me and that she was interested in reading my book!


Just like Winn in Ottawa shaking Barack Obama's hand on Thursday, it points out how small this world really is! It reminds us too just how our actions can actually impact others!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Ava Is Two Already! Where Does The Time Go?


When Ava comes to our house, we crate Buddy the Lhasa because he's an only and we don't ask him to play with "other children", but he always leaves his toys for Ava to play with. Ava rolls out the toy bin from under the coffee table to see what stuffed toys and what balls are there.

It sure doesn't seem very long ago that you could hold Ava and she'd be real still for a photo. You have to be pretty fast with a camera these days!

She is as pretty as her Mother and she walks with a Texas swagger now. She can string words together into sentences and loves veggies. Today, her Mommy and Daddy will host a party for her at their house - yes!

Where does the time go?

Happy, Happy Birthday AVA!
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Friday, February 20, 2009

Laugh . . . and the World Laughs with you!

This is our nephew - actually with a couple of "greats" or "grands" in front of that - Josh! Bet you didn't see anybody smile as fun as this today!

Josh is so old now that this week he got his first real haircut. Yup, Josh was one-year-old in January and his parents even took a whole week for themselves, skiing in Tahoe last week.

The benefactors were his grandparents who got to keep Josh for a whole week!

Especially these days, we need to have beautiful little children in our lives to remind us what it really is all about.
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Thursday, February 19, 2009

It's A Small World . . . Even Smaller Than You Think!

Well, it was a great visit to Ottawa for President Barack Obama today and we followed it from our Lufkin home on Twitter and TV.

Back when we were entertaining visitors in Toronto, I was always fascinated that they really did want souvenirs to take back home. Once we toured the CN Tower with a well-known purebred dog person as he closed down one kiosk with an enormous bill and we moved on to another that was still open where he bought several more items to take back to Bogota, Columbia.

So it was no surprise to watch President Obama looking for maple sugar (cookies) and a snowglobe among other souvenirs in the ByWard Market in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada this afternoon.

What was a surprise was that friend, Winn from Ottawa (who we know from widownet and that's twelve years ago) was there and shook hands with the President!

Now, how did I know that and know it 13 minutes after she got home? Well, that would be because when I joined Facebook a few weeks ago, Winn found me there stat! Heck, Winn has even read my book, Bumpy Road To Texas!

Don't you just love it! The world is really delightfully small these days!

By the way, Winn had already read my blog this morning!

Canada Welcomes Barack Obama - From A Different Point Of View

President Barack Obama being greeted at Ottawa by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Mounties; R.C.M.P.) and Governor-General Michaelle Jean.

Take a longer look at this cartoon coming out of Canada to honor President Barack Obama's visit today to Canada. Almost like tourists on a cruise ship, The President will spend only about six hours in Ottawa, Ontario (The Capital) today.

When people draw a map showing you how to get to their place, they often do not draw it traditionally with North at the top. Well, this cartoon is like that. It is drawn from a Canadian perspective with Canada at the bottom and U.S.A at the top. I like that!

Take another look at the Superman rendering of the President! Better than the cartoon in our paper this morning of his arm being yanked off when trying to cross the aisle (to work with the Republicans).

Being a Canadian, living most of my life in Toronto, I grew with multiculturalism. (Sorry, Mr. Hilliard - readers: refer to Mesopotamia West - see link on sidebar.) When I was a kid, Toronto was pretty British and Canada was still a Colony. Toronto back then was about 500,000 in population and Montreal, Quebec was THE city to visit in the 50s

Once I was into my thirties, Toronto was a mix of every nationality and the last figure I knew was that "Anglo-Saxons" represented only about 17% of that city's population. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is about 5.5 million in population and that makes it THE most culturally diverse city in the world (yes, including New York). When you ride the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) buses, streetcars and subway system, you can hear many different languages.

Canadians are very excited about Barack Obama being elected President of the United States and they are showing him quite a welcome!

So far, I see that he was greeted by Mounties (R.C.M.P. - Royal Canadian Mounted Police) at Ottawa Airport. I would wager Canada will try to cram as much Canadiana into the six hour visit as possible! Already I have seen photos of people who have come from other parts of Canada to greet Mr. Obama.

Ottawa is about 250 miles northeast of Toronto. I think many people will be following Mr. Obama's visit and some may have travelled to Ottawa today.

We will see lots of footage tonight, I am sure on our nightly newscasts of this visit.

Bienvenue (Welcome) Mr. Obama! And by the way . . . there might be roaming charges on your Blackberry!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Forget the Stimulus – Here’s News You Can Use!

Fox News last night on Twitter posted a story from the Times of London on Adolf Hitler’s table manners.


Apparently while cleaning out a house, papers marked, “must be destroyed within 48 hours of reading” were found.


The papers included a psychological profile of the Nazi dictator. I think we already knew pretty much all we wanted to know about Hitler’s psyche!


I wouldn’t have thought him to be particularly well-mannered, so it is not surprising that the Fuhrer is described as biting his nails during meals, gorging on cakes. Ah . . . too much sugar, was it?


It was also mentioned that he was lost in his own thoughts and paid little attention to the dinner conversation going on around him. And we thought he was the life of the party!


Apparently Hitler would eat only vegetables and stewed fruit and banned smoking in his presence. As we would expect, he generally had one or two glasses of beer. The veggies and fruit are healthy enough.


All this coming a little less than 64 years after Hitler’s death is pretty much a non item.


But, it got you away from thinking about the stimulus bill and GM’s new money request for a few minutes, didn’t it?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Everything is BIG in Texas!

When I lived in Ontario, Canada, everybody there knew that everything is big in Texas! We also knew lots of songs about the Lone Star State including the first line . . . The Stars at Night are Big and Bright . . . Deep in the Heart of Texas!

So, for the last two days, we have seen all the headlines about a swirling bright ball curving through the sky over approximately Dallas.

Well, I have lived in Texas for 12 years now and really, folks, I am just wondering - what is all the fuss about? Isn't this what everyone expects of Texas?

Bigger, Brighter, Better - swirling through the sky! Nobody was hurt and no harm done!

FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said the fireball seen across a wide stretch of the state Sunday morning "probably was a natural phenomenon and not debris from last week's space collision."

Time to move on and let's hear another round of real phenomenon - GM & Chrysler asking us taxpayers for more money. Whoa!

Monday, February 16, 2009

A Little Pep Talk!

As I get older, it becomes more and more obvious to me that we must never give up! When we have something we want in life, we must work at getting that!

Some of us have to work all the time to keep our weight down. We can never give up - not even for one day because it is very easy to gain back weight we have lost!

Perhaps weight is not a problem for you. Perhaps something else is difficult and gives you a tough time.

Friends play a big part in our having a fine life. Many of my friends . . . especially those at a distance, I keep in touch with via e-mail, but I do keep in touch! Now that we have Facebook and MySpace, we can keep in touch very easily. It is good to have people who will remind us of the things we want and encourage us to keep trying to get it right.

Right now I am doing well with my weight and I know I can get it down a little more if I exercise every day as well as watching what I eat. So that means, I have to work at it. I cannot let it get away from me for even a day!

For you, it might be something different you need to do. I know one gal who has two children and has now gone back to get her university degree. It is hard to do things like that, but if we have a team of friends cheering for us, we can do pretty much whatever we set our minds to do.

It is important to make sure our "friends" are all on our team and really wanting good things for us. We need to weed out people who do not have our best interest in their thoughts.

I think a lot of us are not as good friends to ourselves as we should be! We need to take a better look at what we do well. Concentrating on what we do well and improving ourselves every day makes us feel good about ourselves. When we feel good about ourselves, it is easy to feel good about those around us.

Learn to shake off people who are unkind or do not have your best interest in their thoughts. Be civil to them, but don't concentrate on mean things they might have said. Just keep on improving what you yourself do well!

Another way to make friends and feel really good about yourself, is to think about the other person and notice what might be bothering them. You can help that person and feel good about yourself at the same time. People who focus on others have less time to worry about themselves. Soon everything just naturally goes smoother!

Hope you are having a fine day and planning to have an even finer day tomorrow!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

What To Do On Sundays!

I imagine for most people Sundays are different from other days. Some people do go to church, setting the pattern for the day, but I think anyone who does not work on Sunday tends to make it a restful day.

People with families can visit other family across town while some parents will take their children somewhere like the park, a movie, shopping or for a meal. It's a day for being together and hopefully you do not have to be alone.

I think people without family are the loneliest on Sundays. So, if you know someone who might be alone, it is a nice idea to call them or invite them some place.

I suspect that dogs get a little mixed up on Sundays. Buddy, our Lhasa, knows Sundays have a different routine. First he has to wait longer while Keith puts on shirt and tie rather than his usual golf shirt. He waits and waits to get his breakfast and romp outside.

When I come out to our breakfast on Sunday, Buddy always checks my outfit. He jumps up in approval that I am wearing what he considers "best".

(Of course, it is harder for Buddy than it was for dogs of the past when we wore hats and dresses to church - those dogs had it easy to know their masters were going to church!)

By the time we have been to church, then to lunch and then perhaps run an errand, Buddy is just about fed up with the waiting for us to come back home. When we are back, he is just about beside himself from waiting so long!

We usually treat him to vanilla ice cream and we kick back and have a nap in our recliners as I imagine many folks do. Buddy does not like to let Keith nap for much longer than an hour before hopping up to waken him to do something fun. (One assumes Buddy has napped while we were out.)

I hope you have family to enjoy and a "Buddy" to remind you how to behave when you have Sunday off!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday, The 13th

I was born on May 13th and since I was 13 months old on a Friday, the 13th, they put my photo in the newspaper suggesting I was not superstitious!

Things went relatively well for me as far as the number 13 went until my father died on my 22nd birthday.

My Mother was a superstitious person and after Dad's death, she worried about everything involving the number 13. We call that fear "triskaidekaphobia", which we might have difficulty pronouncing! Mother would back away from anything involving the number 13th.

Most of us cannot do that and must press on (as the British say) with the day's work.

There are many beliefs as to why 13 is a "bad number" but the one I think of is Jesus' Last Supper where thirteen were gathered and one (Judas) betrayed him. I think most people do not like to have thirteen seated for dinner. (In Paris, a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest can be hired.)

Some numerologists feel that the number 13 simply suffers from its position after 12 which they consider to be a perfect number. There are 12 months in a year; 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 in a dozen (excluding that wonderful "baker's dozen" of 13) . You get the idea!

In large cities with tall buildings, quite often the 13th floor is skipped and hospitals often have no Room 13, hotels and apartments, no number 13.

This year, there are three Friday the Thirteenths - today, March 13 and November 13th. So we should just get used to it!

Do remember that tomorrow is Valentine's Day and today will be unlucky for you if you forget that special card and perhaps a box of candy or a bouquet of flowers! (It's not the same if you have to run out in the middle of the day to purchase these!)

Hope your day goes well!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

How Did She Get To Know About Dogs?


YOU WANNA WATCH WESTMINISTER - THAT'S OKAY BY ME (Buddy the Lhasa watches from his armchair)

For those of you who do not know, I jumped into the deep end of the Purebred Dog Fancy when I married International All-Breed Dog Show Judge John Devlin in 1977. We owned and bred Scottish Terriers, Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu. Because we travelled and were often entertained by dog fanciers, I quickly learned as much as I could about as many breeds as possible. That way, I would be able to chat to whoever was seated next to me.

I loved watching dog shows and made lots of friends but showing dogs was really not my favorite thing to do. When I was widowed and ultimately married Engineer Keith Sutton, moving from Toronto to East Texas, I brought my last two homebred Shih Tzu to join Keith's two senior cats.

Having written from when I was about nine years old, it was natural that I wrote about purebred dogs for magazines and newspapers. Of course, I also wrote about the travel we did. I was very fortunate to travel most of Canada, some of the northern U.S. and to Bermuda, Dominican Republic and Venuzeula. As you know, I still love to write - it is my passion!

Buddy, our Lhasa Apso, who is now five, was born in Nacogdoches (Oldest Town in Texas) and raised at Lucas Lhasas on Martha Street there. They have shown fine Lhasas for many years and perhaps held Buddy back, thinking he might be good to show. We first met him when he was 10 months old. I went over him and assessed him and also looked at other Lhasas they had available. Buddy appealed to me and had wonderful color and great structure. I knew he was a little bit "Texas Size" but Keith and I were not thinking of showing him.

When we first brought him home, Buddy was a little shy but he has grown to be a happy, outgoing and very intelligent dog. We have been very blessed with him!

This year, the Canadian Kennel Club has made me a Life Member. I am honored and happy about that!
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Canadian Alert! Westminister on TSN Tonight!

Canadians will be able to watch the first night of Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show on TSN (The Sports Network) tonight! You'll love it!
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

"Stump" Winning Westminister - Senior Citizen Does It Again!

This year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City was a great one! As you have seen, The Sporting Group Winner, a Sussex Spaniel named "Stump" took the entire show!

Veteran Judge, Sari Brewster Tietjen gave the nod to the ten-year-old with a story to tell, Ch. Clussex Three D Grinchy Glee.

In 2004, Stump won the Sporting Group at Westminister. After that, for reasons nobody knows, Stump's body apparently just shut down. His owners took him to Texas A & M Veterinary Hospital where they kept him for 19 days. Magically, the vets managed to save him and get him back up and running.

Stump has been in retirement, living the good life in Houston. We say that "once a show dog, always a show dog" and his owners must have thought hard about that. This year, they decided to take Stump back to Westminster. History was made! "Stump" is now the oldest dog and the first of his breed to win Westminster which has been going for 133 years.

The standard for the Sussex Spaniel calls for a cheerful and tractable disposition. His gait is rolling and deliberate but not clumsy. You could see the perservence as "Stump" came round the ring!

Translated into human years, "Stump" is the equivalent of about 70. Many times I have been to Specialty Shows (for one breed only) where older, retired dogs have been entered. Over and over, I have seen the tenacity and perservance. They just love dog shows; they love the applause and they love to win!

Once the dogs reach the Best in Show ring, generally we expect they are all good dogs. Each has been assessed against his own standard for his breed. In the Group ring, we look to see if this dog is more to his standard than this other dog is true to the standard for his own breed.

Once the dogs reach the Best in Show ring, we look to see if - in this case - "Stump" portrays the standard for his breed better than say, the Poodle or the Puli portray their standards.

At this level, we are also looking at each dog's personality and showmanship.

Last night, "Stump" had it all! Let's hear it for the seniors!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

2009 Westminister Best In Show!

A Ten-year-old Sussex Spaniel, "Stump", a Texan, has won Westminister Kennel Club Best In Show tonight!

Westminister Group Winners - Night Two

Sporting Group Winner: Sussex Spaniel


Toy Group: Brussels Griffon


Working Group: Giant Schnauzer

Tuesday Update on Westminister K.C. Dog Show - Follow Down Through Blogs for More Info

CAN A PULI WIN BEST IN SHOW AT WESTMINISTER TONIGHT?

Tonight - Day 2 of the Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show - begins at 8:00 p.m. (Eastern) and 7:00 p.m. Central on USA Channel and will continue on the same channel for three hours.

Tonight's Groups will be Sporting (Cocker Spaniels, Irish Setter, Labradors), Working (Boxer, Doberman, Saint Bernard) and Toys (Pomeranian, Shih Tzu, Chuhauhua) followed by Best In Show.

Last night's winners were:

Hound Group - Scottish Deerhound - Gayleward's Tiger Woods

Terrier Group - Scottish Terrier - Roundbon Mercedes of Marepot (Amstamm Kennels bred)

Non-Sporting - Standard Poodle (Black) Randenn Tristar Affirmation

Herding Group - Puli - Cordmaker Filed Of Dreams

As mentioned before, these dogs are at a disadvantage in that they have been relaxing since their wins. Tonight's group winning dogs will come off their wins, still in top form ready to go back into the ring. For them, the show never stopped.

I did have a favorite last night, but this dog has to be in the same form, of course and we have not yet seen tonight's winners. I liked the Puli. The Puli just seemed to have that little extra and more personality than one generally sees from that breed. Incidentally, the 4-year-old Puli, named Cordmaker Field of Dreams, is from Raleigh, NC, where I just happen to have friends working at TV Station Carolina 14. A Puli has never won Best in Show at Westminister!

Hope you enjoy tonight's Westminister and of course, the Best In Show competition is generally the most interesting! Remember - once they make it to Best In Show - we are looking at the Best of the Best!

Monday, February 9, 2009

What Are The Dog Judges Looking For When Judging a Dog Show? See Next Three Blogs for Details of Westminster K.C. Dog Show!

This is a Lhasa Apso, all beauifully groomed and ready to be shown.

What is the Dog Show Judge looking for when he is judging the dogs?

First he or she is looking at how each individual dog compares to that breed's standard. There is a standard for each breed which outlines mostly physical components and sometimes contains remarks like, "Should not be . . . " Here is the Standard for the Lhasa Apso, which just happens to be the breed we have right now. This is the standard, verbatim, from the American Kennel Club by which each Judge is required to assess each Lhasa Apso:

A.K.C. Lhasa Apso Breed Standard (Non-Sporting Group)

Character
Gay and assertive, but chary of strangers.

Size

Variable, but about 10 inches or 11 inches at shoulder for dogs, bitches slightly smaller.

Color

All colors equally acceptable with or without dark tips to ears and beard.

Body Shape

The length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks longer than height at withers, well ribbed up, strong loin, well-developed quarters and thighs.

Coat
Heavy, straight, hard, not woolly nor silky, of good length, and very dense.

Mouth and Muzzle

The preferred bite is either level or slightly undershot. Muzzle of medium length; a square muzzle is objectionable.

Head
Heavy head furnishings with good fall over eyes, good whiskers and beard; skull narrow, falling away behind the eyes in a marked degree, not quite flat, but not domed or apple-shaped; straight foreface of fair length. Nose black, the length from tip of nose to eye to be roughly about one-third of the total length from nose to back of skull.

Eyes
Dark brown, neither very large and full, nor very small and sunk.

Ears
Pendant, heavily feathered.

Legs
Forelegs straight; both forelegs and hind legs heavily furnished with hair.

Feet
Well feathered, should be round and catlike, with good pads.

Tail and Carriage
Well feathered, should be carried well over back in a screw; there may be a kink at the end. A low carriage of stern is a serious fault.

Approved July 11, 1978


In the Lhasa standard, characteristics are mentioned. The term gay, used here means happy and assertive means the dog should hold his own ground. Then it goes on to state he should be "chary" of strangers: he should stand up for himself and be alert for those unknown to him. This refers to the guarding instincts of this breed.


The rest of the standard for this breed goes into physical detail.


The color often preferred was golden or lion-like and some judges will gravitate to this color still.


The Lhasa gait is very beautiful to watch as he strides around the ring. One judge used to say, "They present their pads to me as they walk away", because you could not see their feet otherwise.


So, each breed has its own standard and the judge is judging each breed to its own standard.


Next, the judge decides - and this is his or her own opinion - if this dog represents his standard better than the next dog of another breed.


Finally, the judge will be looking at how a dog behaves. Does he gait when asked by his handler? Does he ignore the other dogs and look like he knows why he is there? You will notice that some dogs are "born show dogs" and just naturally know why they are there! And they are there to win!


Hope you enjoy the Shows!


Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show - Tuesday Three Blogs to Help you!

Pictured is the Shih Tzu from the Toy Group - A Lovely Companion Dog. (Unless you are showing your Shih Tzu, you probably keep him cut down.)

During the day on Tuesday, the breeds in The Sporting, Working and Toy Groups will be judged and there will be a Best of Breed chosen in each. In the Evening of Tuesday, Feburary 10, 2009, the winners of Best of Breed will advance to Group. In each Group, there will be four placements - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. When these three Groups are finished, the dogs who have placed 1st in each Group will move on to Best in Show.

Sporting Breeds include Cocker Spaniels, GoldenRetrievers, Labrador Retrivers, Vizslas.

Working Dogs include Boxers, Great Danes, Giant & Standard Schnauzers, Siberian Huskies

Toy Breeds include Bichon Frise, Cavalier King Charles, Shih Tzu, Brussels Griffons, Pomeranians

So, the Best in Show ring will have seven dogs (Four who won on Monday) competing. for Best of the Entire Show.

By the time a dog reaches the Best in Show Ring, one assumes he is a pretty good dog and save something unusual happening, you will be looking at seven fine dogs.

Any dog can have a bad day and it is generally felt that the dogs who have competed for Breed and Group on that same day, (in this case, Sporting, Working and Toy) have a slight edge.

The other four had had 24 hours to forget they were at a dog show, eat something that didn't agree with them, stumble on something and be limping. Those are the things that can sometimes happen.

The one thing that discourages me the most when watching the dogs is to see one who has no clue why he is there. Now, at this level of dog shows, it doesn't happen very often. Most of these dogs LIVE to be at a dog show!

At the Best in Show level one assumes there are no bad dogs and that whichever dog is chosen is deserving.

Hope you enjoy the Show as much as I always do!

Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show - Monday

OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOGS TAKE A LOT A GROOMING BUT PROVIDE A LOT OF FUN FOR ALL OF US!

HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART FOR YOU TO GET RIGHT TONIGHT! AT 8:00 P.M. EASTERN (7:00 PM. CENTRAL), HAVE YOUR TV OR YOUR RECORDING DEVICE SET TO USA CHANNEL FOR ONE HOUR. AT 9:00 P.M. EASTERN (8:00 P.M. CENTRAL), YOU MUST SWITCH TO CNBC FOR TWO MORE HOURS. THE TOTAL GROUP JUDGING WILL BE FOR THREE HOURS.

(If you are in the Pacific Time Zone, the times will be the same, in other words, taped coverage, so do not go to the American Kennel Club Website as they will have already posted the winners.)

During the Day today, each breed from these Groups will be judged and a Best of Breed will be chosen to represent his or her Breed at the Group level.

Tonight, the Groups being judged will be Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding.

The Hound Group includes Afghans, Basset Houds, Greyhounds, Salukis.

Terriers inlcude Airedales, Welsh Terriers, Westies and Scotties.

Non-Sporting breeds include Lhasa Apso, Standard Poodles. Bulldogs and Boston Terriers.

Herding breeds include Border Collies, Bouvier des Flandres, Collies, and German Shepherds and Old English Sheepdogs.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Getting Ready for Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show

If only all the dogs would behave like this Springer Spaniel!

I always have my paper and pen ready to judge right along with this show. The commentators are excellent and you get six hours today of some of the finishes dogs in the country today!

The Hounds, Terriers, Non-Sporting, and Herding breeds are judged on Monday and then on Tuesday, the Sporting, Working and Toys are judged.

The Groups are televised live each night. That’s when the four best dogs are chosen from the seven groups. The arena fills with anticipation. It has the feel of a grand pageant.

When the group winners have been picked, it’s time to choose the “Best In Show” dog. Best In Show is the Grand Finale on Tuesday night! ENJOY!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Let's Play Trivial Pursuit!

Do you have some board games up on a shelf? How long is it since you played a board game? Right now, there is a 20% increase in sales of boards games - you know, Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Sorry, Snakes and Ladders. Those last two are good ones when there are younger children in the household, the others can be enjoyed by older children and adults.

Monopoly was actually designed during the Great Depression and gave people the feeling of ownership and good times.

Of course, I have to tell you that Trivial Pursuit was created by a group of Canadians based in Hamilton, Ontario. This is probably my favorite as I seem to be able to hang on to lots of "useless" information and that is just what it takes to win this game!

Monopoly always had the allure of counting money and who doesn't like to count money - preferably real, of course!

Scrabble is an intellectual game where die hard players actually bring their own dictionaries.

These three games pretty much need a time set at the beginning of the game. You really have to say, "Okay, we will call it a game at 10:00 p.m."

For Trivial Pursuit, if there are more than two people playing, I like to make teams. That way, younger or weaker players are not embarrassed by older or stronger players.

If you have beverages, it is probably a good idea to have a couple of small tables to the side so nothing gets spilled on the game. Snacks are best left till later as chips or nuts tend to get the games sort of messy.

Generally each team has a pad of paper to keep tally. Of course, we all know to keep the rules to these games in the boxes.

If you do not have the rules, you can probably google them online and of course, every home whould have an According to Hoyle Game Rule Book.

It would be good to see families sitting round the kitchen table playing an old-fashioned board game again. If you haven't already, give it a try!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Driving Up Yonge Street - Where Will We Stop?

When we go to Toronto this spring, where will we go and how will it feel?

I am probably a little more attached to my home town than most people because I lived there pretty much continuously for over fifty years. There are certain places I have to go and some people I like to see.

It is easy to find a Swiss Chalet Restaurant - in almost any city in Canada. And the chicken tastes much like it did when young men would take me there when I was in my early 20s. I usually go there more than once. You can still get a quarter chicken dinner with fries, BBQ sauce for dipping and a side salad. It just costs a bit more, but even the Catalina-style dressing tastes the same.

The tough part for me now - and for Keith when he goes to Robinson, Illinois - is that there are less and less of our friends and relatives each time we go.

It has been almost two years since we were in Toronto and Port Hope. There are at least two less people to visit this time. It was the quickest trip we ever made to Toronto - in and out.

A major highlight, of course, is visiting young William who will be 6 - 1/2 when we see him. He always gives me a spectacular welcome. His Grandmother, Judy, will either make us a wonderful home-cooked meal or even better, she might take us to Swiss Chalet! (When you know how much I look forward to that, why would you knock yourself out cooking?)

Last time I saw Judy in person, she was facing some pretty serious surgery and we were all scared. She has done very well and I expect her to be pretty happy when I see her. Her hubby, Don, always makes us feel welcome as do the rest of their family.

Two years ago, we had lunch with my "old" friend who died last year. I didn't think of her as old but yes, we had been friends for 48 years.

This year, her husband will pick us up at our hotel and take us to his daughter's home - and she and her significant other will welcome us for dinner.

Cathie is so much like her grandmother, that I always have to smile when I see her. Do you know someone who reminds you more their grandparent than their parent?

Well, Cathie is trim and blond and, dresses very smartly. Her mother liked to be relaxed but grandmother Mary was more formal.

Mary wore lipstick at 8:30 in the morning. Her hair was always in place and she loved to wear shirtwaist dresses which suited her petite figure. Cathie is like that. Mary was very friendly - all those gals were outgoing and friendly.

Mary would get excited when she could introduce you to something "new" and I recall in the late 50s her discovery of a wonderful coffee creamer that was frozen when you brought it home, lasted three weeks in the frig and tasted delicious! That was Coffee Rich and I always think of Mary when I see that product. She had such an enthusiasm for life and passed it on to daughter and granddaughter.

Although I am sad to have lost my friend, I am honored that her family is enthusiastic about seeing us when we are there.

So that is a little of what we will be doing. I will let you in on some more things another day. There's a special friend who's wheelchair-bound and a son and daugther-in-law of my late cousin. There are some of the wonderful neighbors from Port Hope but they tell me the Dover Seafood House is closed. Hmm. . . things do change.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

. . . Read All About It!

I have always wanted to know what was going on so I am always amazed when someone has not heard about something that has happened today that has been widely reported.

If you have some time on your hands, you can go to the C-SPAN TV channels and see what is happening in government right now. Quite often, they are broadcasting live from the House. So, you can see news being made right there!

The News Channels - CNN and FOX are the ones we have - give you pretty much all the news you want anytime you go there.

If it's Business News you want quickly, that would be Bloomberg, MSNBC or CNBC. They have tickers going throughout the day.

Here, the big stories can all be had after your local weekday news at 6 Eastern, 5 Central with the major networks on the half-hour.

If you want a full account of news and opinions, your daily newspaper gives all the details of local, national and international events. Newspapers tend to give more details and have featured columnists, comics, horoscope, entertainment, TV and movie info for your area;

You can also go to online websites for your local TV station which will include weather and local headlines for your area. The major networks also have sites.

If you are unsure where to go, just "google" what you want. I have spoken to more than one person who seemingly did not understand about googling. I tend to assume if you are reading this blog, you know how to google, but perhaps not. So, maybe someone could use this info:

There are several search engines including Ask.com, Yahoo.com, Dogpile.com and Alta Vista.com. Since Google is one of the best known search engines, the word "google" became a verb to do a search on your computer.

So, you can go to http://www.google.com and there will be a space where you can insert what you want to know. You put in the words to describe what you want, click where indicated, and several references will appear. To limit the number of answers displayed, make your question very precise. Once you are familiar with searching, you can easily and quickly find answers to just about anything. (It saves time and makes you look smart!)

The newspaper has columns and the computer has blogs to keep you up with ideas - opinions and editorials (op/ed).

The Obama administration has a very extensive website where you can see exactly what is being been done today. There is capability for you to send a message. Simply go to:

http://www.whitehouse.gov

One of the easiest ways today to keep up with everything - in real time - is Twitter. Go to:

http://www.twitter.com

and set up your own account.

You can select who you want to receive updates from and who you want to see your updates. Twitter lends itself to business people who like to promote what they are doing.

I think young people take a lot of things for granted because they have grown up with them. We seniors need to understand as much as we can about what is happening each day.

Just because people have computers and televisions available, doesn't necessarily mean they make the best use of them.

We have come a long way from walking up Yonge Street to catch a bus and hearing a man with an armful of papers barking the current headline, and saying,

". . . read all about it!"

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Nothing Stylish About Being Broke!

I keep seeing interviews with "experts" re the part of the Stimulus Package where it is suggested that no executive of a company being bailed out shall receive employment compensation of more than $500,000 per annum.

Additionally, I keep hearing the comeback, "Well, if you want good people, you have to pay them!"

Hello? Is this some sort of "blond joke"?

Don't they get it? If there were more "good people" running the companies, less would need us - that's you and me - to bail them out!

What part of broke do these people not understand?

I've talked about all the mansions and luxury cars before. It is no secret that America is over-mortgaged and maxed out!

Let me share a fabulous concept about spending money. When we were kids, parents used to tell us, "Here's your allowance and remember: when it's gone, it's gone!"

Some time - oh, maybe in the 50s - credit cards came along and we all know that was the fall of the empire.

We have heard all the comments about credit cards and how handy they are. A debit card is handy. Yup, the money is taken out of your bank account right away. Makes perfect sense. It doesn't keep coming back every month with accrued interest.

You want to know what is handy? A wallet with some coins in the one part, small bills in another and twenties in another. (Some people know that I take pleasure in counting out the exact change.)

There is just something about counting out the cash and paying. Transaction complete.

Let me tell you, if you simply pay all your accounts online and give yourself some cash for smaller items, you are coming close to sanity. Using a debit card for groceries and large drug store purchases is fine, as long as that money is right there waiting to be removed from your account.

Purchasing something for twenty dollars or less and using a credit card . . . how did that start?

When two of you go to lunch, you can pay cash. Sure you can! Your guest knows how much things cost, because it was printed right there on the menu. Are you afraid the other person will see you are a cheap tipper? Oh . . . well, 15 - 20 percent should be fine. (Is there a possibility that some people cannot figure out the tip? Shame, shame. Take 10% and double it.)

So, could it possibly be pride that gets in the way of us having a peaceful relationship with money?

If you want to enjoy some one's company at lunch and you don't want to spend a lot, there are two things you can do. You can suggest going "Dutch" (splitting the bill) or a trip to Subway.

There is nothing stylish about being broke, but eating at Subway or Quiznos can be lots of fun.

What would Forest Gump Do? There was a fellow with very few worries! The line "Stupid is as stupid does" might fit! Who wants to be stylish and broke?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Two Weeks On The Job

After two weeks of Barack Obama in the White House, it is not business as usual. We have not fixed everything that is wrong but there is a calming sense we will turnaround at least some of the problems.

Everyday, we can follow Barack Obama as he works to make life more livable for all of us.

You gotta love a man who says, "I screwed up" in answer to one question and moves on to another.

You gotta love a man who furrows his brow when he is watching someone else speaking out of turn, even if that man is his Vice President.

So far, it looks like we haven't just made history, we have a man looking after things who is definitely in charge and going to make life a little better each day.

God Bless America and God Bless Barack Obama!

Monday, February 2, 2009

What Was He Thinking?

How many people who have done so very well, especially in athletics, have done really stupid things - in public, where someone is always there to record the event?

The common phrase is, "What was he thinking?" Well, the truth is, he wasn't thinking!

What makes anyone think they can do something against the law and get away with it . . . you know, just this once?

What makes a person think they can say something rotten about someone and that it will never get back to that person?

So, the obvious hardly needs stating.

Here you have an excellent athlete like Michael Phelps whose whole life of work (not to mention his Mother's work) all came together at the Olympics so he could have endorsements, extra education, be whatever he wants to be. What does he do? For one brief, silly, stupid moment, he tests the system and takes the chance of throwing it all away!

Michael Phelps is not the first to do this. Professional athletes are among the greatest offenders.

Not only are these people chancing throwing away everything they (and their families) have worked so hard for, they forget that they are who young people pattern themselves after.

WAKE UP!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

BlackBerry Convenience

It has been two weeks to make your head spin - well, almost two weeks. Since Barack Obama was sworn in (at least once) as President, every day there has been something new to consider when watching FOX and CNN.

(By the way, I subscribe to the rule that Mr. Obama officially became President at noon, EST on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 and that the swearing-in ceremony is ceremonial.)

I think a lot about the mind and health of Barack Obama. His quick mind was evident when he was campaigning, debating and speaking before the Election. Occasionally we saw his self-deprecating humor.

My cousin, Tom, would have said Barack Obama would make a good dinner companion.

You have to like his wife, Michelle and their daughters. You don't have to look too carefully to see how much Barack and Michelle truly love each other.

Most writers are observers of life. That is where we find our stories.

At the Alfalfa Dinner last night, Mr. Obama made fun of himself suggesting that keeping his beloved BlackBerry was his hardest work so far.

Now, Mr. Obama is not in my "fave five" but I know I would miss my cell phone if I had to give it up. Since Hubby is generally driving, sometimes I get calls made while we are in traffic around town.

Since I learned to text, I have been able to cut messages to one granddaughter to bare minimum words and she seems to like that. She's a busy Mom with a job and a house and is often on call. A brief, precise message gets an answer.

So, although I don't have Mr. Obama's number, he can get mine, can't he?

Now, we all know he texts because he texted his choice for VP.

Since texts are short and to the point, can I expect:

Pls send recipe for dumbed-down guacamole dip PDQ for Steelers fans. Thx, B.

Yup, that's what we're having this afternoon. If I am well enough, I'll be at Super Crop and Hubby will be watching Super Bowl here at the house.

So I just hit the reply on my-less-than-BlackBerry:

1 pack Wholly Guacamole. 1 lge Sour Cream. Blend together till it tastes right. Welcome, M.

Enjoy the game, all and especially you, Mr. President!