My Grandma.....I love you!!

My GrandPapa called Mom last night to tell her that my Grandma is gone. My Mom is very very sad, and she says it's like there's a huge hole in her heart. She cries a little, then she remembers stuff...the good times, the silly times, and she starts to smile. But then she worries about my GrandPapa being all alone, and who now has a broken heart. Her parents were married for 67 years almost.

She says it's easier for her to have me tell you about my Grandma. She feels so bad that she can't be with my GrandPapa right now because we're in Pennsylvania and he's in California, but we both will be with him when we get home. Me and my Grandma had a very special relationship. Whenever I got sorta distracted by cats or chipmunks or supper and I'd forget to write in my diary, my Grandma would call my mom and ask "How is Mary-Margaret today?" and "What is Mary-Margaret doing? Why hasn't she written?". Mostly all the time, though, she'd tell Mom how really lucky she was to have MEEE. Yup!

I think I really helped my Grandma and my Mom get closer in the past couple of years, you know? People sort of take each other for granted, and figure that if they don't say something today, there's always tomorrow. Because of MEEEE, my Mom and my Grandma really talked a lot in the past few months. They even understood things about each other that confused them for so many years (You know how it is with mothers and daughters?). Most important, though, the very last words they said to each other yesterday afternoon was "I love you!". And there wasn't any more either one could have said.

God please help my Grandma meet up with my Aunt Rose at the bridge, so they can keep each other company on their forever journey.

I love you, Grandma, and I'm going to keep on writing in my diary. That way, you'll always know what I'm up to, and I'll always be thinking about you, too.

Love you forever and ever...

Mary-Margaret

Dominating the BATHROBE!

Dunno what it is about the blue bathrobe but it is absolutely begging me to dominate it. I've given it a couple of shots, usually when I'm on the bed and it's laying there without Mom inside it, and I just get scolded. "Mary-Margaret! Stop humping my bathrobe!". Then, this morning, during our coffee time (her coffee, me looking for chipmunks) I felt this overwhelming compulsion to grab the bathrobe with Mom IN IT!! See?

Well, I can't help it. Maybe it's the color...the smell. Something. Honestly, I've never felt this way about a piece of cloth before. I'm so ashamed. Should I get professional help?

Love, Mary-Margaret

Rain, Rain...Go Away!

This is what it looks like outside my back door today. Big sissy Momma dressed me in my "Squirrel Master" shirt and clipped me to a long leash. So I go outside and do my stuff and SHE stays under the eaves next to the house, all dry and stuff. I really don't mind the rain all that much, and I tried to get her to take me for a little walk to check on the cats next door, but no dice. Uh uh...nope. I can make about a 12-foot diameter circle which isn't bad, but it sure takes the fun out of my morning business.

BTW, I should be in line for a hefty raise in my allowance. I've been absolutely exemplary in using my piddle pads. Yup. I've got one in my private bathroom, and one in Mom's. I don't even tell her about it any more. I just wait for her to say "Oh, Mary-Margaret. What a GOOOD GOOOOOOOD puppy you are!", and then I go and get cuddles.

Life is good.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Finding my level of Cozyness!

I have this nifty day bed at my other house. It's got a mattress...ok, PILLOW...and the rest of the bed is lined with faux sherpa. Trust me when I tell you it gets just a little chilly around here. Like it was 23 when we landed in Philly (that's my way of saying "Philadelphia", you know!) and I tell YOUUU...I made the fastest potty stop in history at my special patch of grass at the Budget car rental place. Brrrrr!!! At home, though, I figured a pillow is just like a thick comforter. So that's what I do. Yup! Works great.

I LOVE Pennsylvania. Really! It feels and smells just like Christmas is supposed to.

Love, Mary-Margaret

Maddie and Owen

I am so glad to be friends with Maddie and Owen of Wayne, New Jersey. I am sooooo good. I guessed Maggie's name. She was wearing a sweat shirt jacket with "Cheerleader" and "Maddie" embroidered on it. I pretty much decided that "Cheerleader" is not a name but a title. Her brother was a little more difficult. He had lots of stuff on his jacket but nothing with a name. He's into hockey and like Wayne Gretzky. His hat, however, said "Goofy" on it. I kinda guessed his name wasn't that and so he told me what if was. It's Owen.

I love airports. I get to meet everly so many people from absolutely so many places. And I make lots of friends, too. I personally met and got petted by the pilot and the co-pilot, all the flight attendants, and especially my very own attendant who kept coming by to make sure I was ok. I slept the whole way, actually. Except when Mom was trying to get her feet warm and stuck one into my personal space. Eeeyeww.

Oh oh oh...and you know what? I really learned a lot from my last trip and this time when Mom put out my piddle pad in the Ladies' room and said "Go pee pee, Mary-Margaret!", I did it right away without fooling around even a little. TWO TIMES! She said she's very proud of me. And when my personal flight attendant commented that I was probably hoping for a nice place to pee, my mom told him that I used the Ladies room, just like all the grown ups. He was very very impressed. And he patted me again. He tastes very good, I must say. I hope I get him again.

Love, Mary-Margaret

PS:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Imperial Majesty Mary-Margaret the Contrite of Bumpstead under Carpet Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Shopping for CHRISTMAS!!

Me and Mom are shopping for Christmas already. Seems like we just finished with last year, huh? I still have my sweater from last year and it fits just fine now. I hope the lights still twinkle on the Christmas tree on the back of it.

The lady across the street already has her house all done up and so do our next door neighbors. Oh, I just LOVE Christmas, don't you? With all the pretty lights and decorations, and singing. Yup. I get to go to Auntie Melissa's house. Well, really she's my sister if you want to be technical, but she's so old that I call her "Auntie", see? No no....not Auntie C - that's Colleen. She's old, too, and she's also my sister, for reals!

So I have a cousin named Sophie who's a Miniature Schnauzer and another cat cousin named Samurai Radio. Oooooh! I am SOOOO excited to meet them.

Love and Puppy Hugs...

Mary-Margaret

PS - Please keep your paws together for my Grandma. We think it's helping a little, except she didn't go get her hair done today, and she NEVER misses getting her hair done. Nope! So we're just praying harder! MM

Paws together for my Grandma, Please?

My Grandma isn't feeling too good. Me and my mom are really worried about her. She's sleeping a lot, mostly. And that's not good, even for a pup. Gotta wake up to play and to eat and to....um...you know.

Would you all please put your paws together for my Grandma? That she gets over whatever it is she's got, and that she feels back to her old self again real soon? Uh...I don't mean OLD self....I mean the self she was before she got sick...you know. That self.

I know my mom's heart is really heavy right now, and she feels really helpless because she lives so far away. Prayers .... especially the Yorkie Prayer Circle type (which isn't just for Yorkies but for all pups and kitties)...usually do a great job.

Thanks, everyone.

Mary-Margaret

My Dogtor and MEEEEE

  This is "Minou Minou", the kitty who works at my dogtor's office. She's nice, I guess. Doesn't talk much and mostly just ignores me. I'm thinking maybe she doesn't speak English...or Dog, for that matter. "Minou Minou" means "kitty kitty" in French, they told me. So maybe she speaks only French? Dunno...don' care...she seems kinda stuck up. Won't play "chase" at all.
  Ahhh...here is a picture of me after Dr. Gindi (pronounced "Yindi") gave me a new scarf for Thanksgiving. Notice it matches my bow? Hmmmmmm???

 
I wore it all day and got lots of compliments on it. Maybe orange isn't such a bad color for me as long as it's mixed with other colors. What do you think?
 This is Dr. Gindi. I really like her. This is the second time I got to see her and she says that I am absolutely PERFECT. Really! Mom asked if I was a bit chubby and she said "No!", that I am just right for my build. She can sorta feel my ribs but not too much, so I'm not too skinny and not too fat. My ears are good, my heart and lungs are good. The only downside to seeing the dogtor was that I saw "Dr. Doolittle" the night before. Remember the part where the vet takes Lucky's temperature and the thermometer gets lost up Lucky's.....er....(ahem?)....rear end? Yeah...exactly! That's not something that's easily forgotten. I was a bit tense, but it was fine. I gritted my teeth and took it like a soldier. It was 102.3° - perfect for a small Yorkette.
 
This is my new friend "Jude". He's only a few weeks old and already he's as big as me. Here I'm teaching him good manners and how to get acquainted properly with another pup. He's a fast learner. Before I left he even played tag with me for a while.

Hope you all have a really great Thanksgiving if I don't talk to you before. Have lots of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie and enjoy your time with your family. Isn't that what holidays are all about, anyway? Being with your family no matter what? Yup.

Love, Mary-Margaret

OHMYGAWSH! Another Award!!!

Wow! Check out my "Awards" over in the right margin. Golly! I can't believe it!!

Thank you to my very good friend, Chloe, who lives in Malaga, Spain. I am honored and humbled by your thoughfulness and generousity. But truly, this award does not belong to me alone. (ahem?)

(crinkle....unwrap....rip...crackle)<-----[unfolding speech prepared just in case]

First, let me thank my mother who has spent long hours taking dictation and typing for me. She is my inspiration and the love of my life. And Greg and Brooke who so untire-ingly manage and encourage us pups to participate in "Dogs with Blogs", and Opy and Charlie who talked me into joining. Then, I should thank my friends from Dogs with Blogs, especially Chloe, who has ......

Huh? What's that? Oh...er....(blush)...Mom's pointing to her watch and mouthing "WRAP IT UP, Mary-Margaret. This ISN'T the Oscars!!". Well, my goodness. It's not like I get awards every day, you know.

Sheesh!

(speaking quickly!)....and THANKYOUTOALLTHERESTOFYOU, YOUKNOWWHOYOUARE!!!

Hmmph!

"Mine...mine....MINE!!!"

Love, Mary-Margaret

PS: Mom? Do I have to share?

Mom's getting a cold....

....and she's coughing and honking all over the place. Sheesh. I'll be lucky if I don't catch it. I'm trying not to touch anything she touches, and I go outside and walk through the wet grass to wash my paws off. She's got some syrupy looking stuff that smells funny. I tell YOUUU..you wouldn't catch ME drinking that stuff. Nope. Ooops....gotta run. I'm not supposed to be able to type....and I don't want her to expect ME to keep up my own blog. I know she likes to feel needed.

See you later. (Here, Mom. Take a tissue!)

Love,

Mary-Margaret "Nurse Pup" O'Brien

Pet Peeves

My personal "pet peeves":

Someone asking Mom (about me) "What is IT??"

Also...."What's IT's NAME?"

Then, when she says "HER name is MARY-MARGARET O'BRIEN", they say "Is it a boy or a girl?".

Silly humans would do better to bark than to talk. Would keep them from looking silly to us pups, don'tcha think???

MMOB

Our Office Fambly Party

Oh boy! Was Mom surprised or what? I tell YOUUUU....she almost started to cry. Really, she did. Me and Sonia planned a surprise party for her with her Office Fambly. Sonia got the cake with Mom's name on it in really pretty purple icing. It was a marble cake and just right for sharing.

I didn't want to wait until after lunch and made it perfectly clear that, as soon as I saw the napkins, plates and forks, it was TIME TO PAR-TAAAAAY!
Well??? What's taking you guys so LONG to open that cake box? Hmmmmmmm??? Sonia figured I'd keep busy with the box of forks. Yeah...!! That only took maybe 10 seconds to open. I LOVE CAKE!!
Er......Sonia? Putting the forks up on the high shelf is NOT going to keep me from getting into the action.

But the rest of the people said after lunch was fine with them. Hmmmmph! So I waited. And then Auntie Debbie from across the hall came in and she and Sonia sang a really lovely duet of "Happy Birthday to YOUUUUU!". Mom got all pink in the cheeks because that's the first time in a gazillion years that anyone has sung that to her.

Michael and Derreck came by and said "Happy Birthday"; Fidel came in and had some cake and said "Happy Birthday"; Mary-Ann-From-Down-the-Hall came in after she went to the dentist and said "Happy Birthday" and had cake. Julie, the attorney, came in and said "Happy Birthday" and had cake. Then Mom took the last piece home and had it for dinner.....with ice cream.

I had a couple of helpings of the cake part without the frosting. Debbie from Across-the-Hall said I didn't need a sugar high to get MEEEEEE through the day. The cake part is my favorite anyhow. Mom's other daughters, Melissa and Colleen, both called to say "Happy Birthday", and so did my Grandma and GrandPapa. All in all, it was a really nice day.

Mary-Margaret "Let them eat cake!" O'Brien

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!

She sorta forgot it was today until the news came on TV, and it said "November 15, 2007". "I know that date", she said. And she thought a bit. "OHMYGAWD", she gasped. "It's my birthday!". Hey, trust me on this. I didn't forget.

I don't have a lot to offer, you know. First off, I whispered in her ear, "Grrreet urrrp?". Then I hopped onto her back and sorta massaged her shoulders, gently of course, before curling up into the small of her back. "Mmmmfffff...", she mumbled, "Where's my kisses?". I gave her plenty of those until she got out of bed. But the next thing I did was skippity-do into the bathroom and squat on my piddle pad. Oh sure, I could have gone outside like I always do but it wouldn't be "celebratory" and this way she knew it was special. For her.

I also let her have her morning bagel in peace. I sat right next to her and just watched her eat breakfast and did NOT ask for anything. Nope! Not a bit. Still, she offered a couple of dollops of cream cheese (which I LOVE!) and I very graciously accepted.

It's only 7:45AM right now and so far, she's having a great birthday. I aim to keep it that way, too!

Love, Mary-Margaret

My FAVORITE things!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Feather pillows and old fashioned hand-made quilts. Yup. Those are MY favorite things, especially when I'm nestled comfy-like all in the middle of them. Oh sure, I miss my other "fambly", but I'm everly so glad to be home. Mom says it's good for folks who love each other 24/7 to be apart a little bit because it's so good to get back together again.

Another favorite thing is this: Us pups like to race through the early morning grass, sniffing here and there to see who's been by to visit, and then diving back into our warm, cozy house through our personal door, and hopping into our mom's laps. Yup. And mine always says stuff like "Eeeeyeeeewwww, Mary-Margaret!! Your feet are WET!!!". Hmmmm...well, yeah? And your point is what???

See ya later....

Mary-Margaret O'Brien

Alpinehorns!! In case you wanted to know!

Mom went to the Hofbrau Haus in Munich. She says it's a big "Biergarten" (which is weird because she doesn't drink anything more than water, usually, but I digress...!)

Yikes. I never heard an Alpinehorn before. Big and loud, huh? I figured I'd let my mom put one of these up for me, too. You know....thinking about it.....if I had an Alpinehorn and a cat came into my back yard, and I knew how to blow on the Alpinehorn (or got "someone" to blow it for me? Hint? Hint?), imagine the fun I'd have. (hehehehehehe)

Love,

Mary-Margaret "Yodel-ay-he-hoo!" O'Brien

Vacation Vacation!

Yup. That's the way things are around here. Mom is still walking around like a robot and going "Ow..ow...ow!". We couldn't even get into the office today because she says she needs a vacation from her vacation. Hmmmph. If you ask me, it's because I didn't go along to look out for her. Somebody has to remind her to take a rest once in a while, you know? Well, that would be MEEEEEEE!

Good news, though! I did get a half of a turkey weenie for snack this afternoon. I guess she got tired of me telling her what a great time I had at Auntie Lynda's house with all my new fambly and friends. Never hurts to lay a little guilt, I say. I noticed she also bought some cheese. Now, I don't know if that's for me or not, but I intend to find out in a few minutes. Yup. I do enjoy my cheese, too!

Love,

Mary-Margaret "Take me with you" O'Brien

Rothenburg, Germany

(double click pictures to see the details)



Picture #1: My Auntie Colleen at the gate to Rothenburg.














Picture #2: Here's what the town looks like. Mom says it reminds her of those little Christmas villages that Aunt Susie (the human one) used to set up every year. See Colleen on the left hand side wearing sunglasses?





























Picture #3: All the stores are decorated for Christmas. They all look like this one. This is where my Mom and Auntie C met "Au Coeur". He was wearing a camoflauge jacket. Kewl, huh?


Picture #4: This is what the river valley looks like over the city wall. The whole city has a big wall around it to protect it from the bad guys. Sentries used to walk on top of the walls to help keep the city safe.












Picture #5: And here is another picture of the Roman style bridge over the river. Mom told me that this city was her very most favorite of all. She would really like to take me there someday just to walk around and check out all the stores and go shopping. Yup. I'd like that too.

Do you know that people take there dogs absolutely everywhere with them? Even into restaurants? Really! They do!



Something I know - there are over 1200 kinds of sausages made in Germany! Yum! Too bad airport security doesn't allow sausages, dontcha think?

MMOB

Mom's HOME HOME HOME!!!

She's HOME!! She's HOME!! Oh, I missed her a little bit, I guess, but mostly I had a whole FAMBLY of pups to play with..all MY size. There was Pixie, Twinkie, Furball, Roxie and Max. Mostly me and Max played a lot. He's a 6 month old pug and I got to "mentor" him in the proper way to play. There were also two kids, Macy and Caden, and their parents, Mandi and Kyle. I pretty much followed Lynda around, but also had special relationships with both Cort and Kyle. They're both really nice!!

Max even swiped one of my biscuits once and so I hid the other UNDER my piddle pad and just watched him. Oooo..he's so smart. He actually found it after a bit and ran away. But then I got to chase him all through the house. I had the everly best time at "camp" ever. It was like "Puppy School" 24/7. Wheeeeee!

When Mom came to the door to pick me up, I hopped into her arms and gave her a gazillion licks and cuddles. Lynda said I was absolutely perfect and NEVER piddled in the house. Her hubby, Cort, said he was thinking of leaving Lynda and running off with MEEEE. Silly man. I am committed to my relationship with Mom and would NEVER leave her. EVER!

Only thing is, when I got ready to leave everybody said how much they'd miss me. So I decided to leave my scent under the pool table for them. Auntie Lynda just laughed at me and Mom did the Dr. Phil thing, saying "Mary-Margaret!! What ARE you thinking?". Well, it seems obvious to me. I want them to remember me forever. Lynda told Mom to leave it and she'd mop up later. Not like it was a lot, but enough to say "Mary-Margaret was here!", ya know?

There are lots of Yorkies in Germany and Austria. She met Merlin, and Au Coeur, and Gina (and some others she can't remember names of). They were all over 10 pounds and had their whole tail. And they all had little coats. Merlin even had his name embroidered on his red fleece jacket.

As far as getting me a present, the sausages she WAS going to bring me (she says?) never would have cleared the customs people. She even had to throw her yummy German apple away. I wouldn't have minded a T-shirt but she said she couldn't find any my size. Besides, I think having my Mom back was the very best present anyway. Really, I do.

We snuggled and cuddled and kissed all night long when we weren't nestled against each other snoring.

PS - My Auntie Shelly wanted to know how come Mom didn't take MEEEE. Mom says that if 12 hours on a trans-Atlantic flight is torture for a human, there's NO way she'd subject me to such misery. Don'cha just love her for that? She could hardly walk last night and is still a bit shaky and sore today, too. AND...the worst, she says. Despite all that walking she gained FOUR pounds. Probably because of her quest to find the world's most perfect Apple Struedel. Ya think??


Love you guys....

Mom's going through withdrawal.

Hi. It's me, MM's mom.

I can't stand it. I am so miserable without her. Life is just not the same. No wet feet jumping on my bare legs.....nobody using me for a springboard. No puppy licks.... no snoring. I even had dinner without being asked to share even once. And who's going to tell me when the cats sneak into our planter bed? And however will I wake up without someone pouncing on my sleeping body?

Withdrawal pains are awful, I tell you. We kissed and hugged goodbye at 5:00pm, and she didn't take her eyes off me until her Auntie Lynda rounded the corner and she couldn't see me anymore. I keep reaching for the phone to call Lynda just to make sure my little girl is all right and stopping just before I start to punch in the number. I certainly hope she's handling this separation better than I am. I've been going through her baby pictures. Here she is at nine weeks old.


You won't hear from either of us for a few days. Don't worry. She'll be fine, I'm sure. You know how kids are. I miss her sooooo much already.

Later...

Michele, Mary-Margaret's Mom