you know it's cold...

you know it's cold when your dog is standing in front of you looking like she's smoking because you can see her breath... and you're inside.  it's 52 degrees in my house and definitely time to turn the heater on.  I've noticed how louie and ella are sleeping a LOT closer to me at night, and it's toasty warm when I'm in bed.  325 pounds of additional body heat is very comforting, but also hard to move when they get there first.  I still "trick" them with "let's go outside" to get them off the bed so I can get in and claim my own space first, but they manage to take over anyway.  I wake up in weird positions trying to jockey for position while sleeping.  love them!  this photo was taken at ellen's when we stayed there last year in the queen sized bed.  having a king isn't MUCH better.

happy belated birthday louie!

I missed posting for louie's birthday (nov. 2)!  boy am I a bad mom.  louie is now 8 too and I didn't make a meatloaf cake for him either.  it's a good thing that I spoil him rotten every day so that every day seems like his birthday.  I think we were all coming off that halloween sugar high, and I was making truffles, turtles and peppermint patties for a party I was going to.  we're going to have a belated special meal.  I did manage to get his nails trimmed, which is probably why he's looking so dejected!  love that puppy.

it's that time of year

I was just thinking back to last year at this time, when I cooked a turkey and had given the dogs all the dark meat.  not all at one time, but chopped up into their food.  I then took the 2 breasts and sat for about an hour (while watching tv) shredding them into small pieces in a bowl, so I could make enchiladas and turkey pot pie (two of my favorites when I get tired of turkey sandwiches - if that's possible).  when I was done I got up, leaving the bowl full of turkey on the back of the sofa and went to wash my hands.  now... under normal circumstances, this would not have been a big deal.  I have left a steak sitting on a plate on the sofa so I could go get something else and come back to find it still sitting there.  louie and ella are both SO good at not stealing food, it didn't even occur to me.  that ella was on steroids.  that make her ravenous.  that make her stand in the kitchen looking like she's figuring out how to open the refrigerator.  needless to say, in the 1.2 minutes I was gone, the entire bowl was licked clean and she was back on the floor looking like she was starving and ready for more.  I couldn't punish her, I didn't see it happen, and it COULD have been louie.  to this day I STILL don't know for sure it was her.  except I do.  so I cooked a turkey yesterday and gave them some dark meat in their bowls, cut the rest of the meat off the carcass and put everything in the refrigerator.  if she's figured out how to open the door I'm in trouble.