Unexpected Visits

October 24, 2015

Oh, I just LOVE having company even when it's unexpected. Every morning first thing, my mom opens the slider and I go out and inspect my yard. The pups next door run over to the hole in the fence and bark "Good Morning, Mary-Margaret!" and I bark "Good Morning!" right back. Then I go on a sniff-a-thon, checking out the trees, fence and slope. When I'm satisfied all is as it should be I go back into the house, hop on the back of the recliner and watch TV.

Today we got a big surprise. Mom left the slider open so I can come and go as I please. All of a sudden we hear a really big, deep "woof" at the door. I hop down, respond "arf", and go outside to check things out. Well, hello there! There's my neighbor, a big brown and black lady German Shepherd, standing right there waiting for me. I hop out and we start wagging at each other.

Mom (as usual, being somewhat over protective) starts hollering "Stop...Mary-Margaret, you get back here!". Really? (I say). This is my friend from next door and we're just visiting. The "hole" now becomes an opening if she moves the fence boards to the side. Well, well, well! (I say). The big dog is really friendly and walks over to the fence. Mom holds the boards to one side and my friend skootches back through to her own yard. The fence is maneuvered back into place and it's going to be difficult for my friend to come over again, but we'll figure it out.

Meanwhile, I am very flattered to have my friends come over to my house to play. It's been pretty quiet since the feral cats moved and the people on the corner fixed their fence so their pup, Candy, couldn't get out and come visit. She used to walk right into my house and help herself to my kibble. We'd just let her nibble, then Mom would pluck the twigs and leaves out of her hair, and then we'd drive her home. That's Candy below.

P.S. My friend came over again and just hung out in the backyard with me. We both laid in the grass and quietly enjoyed the afternoon together. Then my mom came and got me and my friend pushed the board aside and went home. A little later, she came back and this time my mom put her investigative talents to work. She tracked down the owner of the house, found his unlisted phone number and told him about the fence. He said the house was rented to a military family but that he'd ask them to call.

About a half hour ago they called and then came over. Mom said that if they were looking for their dog that she was in my backyard. They were totally shocked that their dog had a life they didn't know about. Well, surprise, folks. Us pups DO have friends, feelings, activities and lives you don't know about. My friend is named Lexi and her sister (who stayed home) is named LuLu. Their dad, Jamie, got his tools and fixed the fence. DarnDarnDarn. But he left enough of a crack we can still rub noses together when we feel like it.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and always be thankful for your friends, especially the ones that pay surprise visits.

Mary-Margaret O'Brien Chaplain - Yorkie Brigade Chapel "Yorkie prayers are Angel's wishes!" "A dog has lots of friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue." Anonymous

April 18, 2015 - Going through the car wash

Mom decided to get the car washed today. She checked all the windows and the sunroof to make sure we stayed dry. A couple of minutes into the cycle she hollers at me "WHAT DID YOU DO, Mary-Margaret?". (snicker...snark) Did I mention that I sit on her lap and pretend I'm driving as we go through the wash? I felt a little stuffy so I rolled down the back left hand window just a tad. Enough to get her pretty wet, though. Oh, I just LOVE my life. BOL Happy weekend, everyone.

Mary-Margaret’s Diary – A Day in the Life Of a Professional Yorkshire Terrier

Thursday, March 19, 2015 – I woke up on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and noticed it was getting light outside. Mom’s still snoozing. I saw her foot sticking out from under the covers and decided it was time for her to get up, too. I hopped to the floor, stood on my tippy-toes and started boxing her foot like a prize fighter would a punching bag. “OW OW OW”, she said. “Stop that. I don’t have to get up until 8:00. Go use your piddle pad.”

I sighed and curled up next to the dresser . Not being in the mood to use a piddle pad I figured I could wait another half hour. At eight sharp I started boxing her foot again and telling her in Doglish to wake up and get moving. Today is the day I see Miss Marilyn and get my hair done, nails trimmed, back rubbed, get a bubble bath, have a play date with Rocky or whoever else is there AND get a new ribbon. Last time it was lime green for Saint Paddy’s day. Today will be a surprise.

Mom gets up and takes her pills, and then she opens the slider and I go out. This is the best part of my day, seeing who came by to see me last night. I check out the lawn and then patrol the perimeter of my domain. Sometimes it’s possum, skunk or squirrel. Sometimes it’s feral cats or gophers. I haven’t seen any rats or mice for a long time, though. Then I come in and have my breakfast. Usually it’s kibbles but sometimes Mom shares her oatmeal with me. Today, I got oatmeal, too. I LOVE oatmeal.

When we turn the corner to Miss Marilyn’s place I get really excited and hop up and down. She’s one of my best friends. I get the full treatment and Rocky was there today, too. So was Lucy, another Yorkie who looks just like me. We catch up on the neighborhood news and then wait for our moms to pick us up. My ribbon is cotton-candy pink, in case you’re interested

On the way back to work Mom stops by Carl’s Jr for lunch. She gets the special – 2 Super Stars for $5.00 and another 35 cents for cheese. I get a doggy burger (meat, no seasoning, no bun, nothing). At the office Mom gives one of the Super Stars to Marli who is there filing for us and she cuts up my meat for me. YUM. She already ate hers in the car (how rude as I was starving). Then Marli takes me for a walk. I read my “p-mail”, take care of some business and then go back to work.

As I curl up in my work bed and start to nap, I hear “Mary-Margaret, you have a customer!”. I get up and walk into the front office, say “Hello”, get some scratchies and belly rubs from my client, and then go back to bed. Mom takes it from there. We work until about 7:30PM (which is way past my dinner time) and then I remind Mom that it’s time to go home. I sit by the door and stare at her until she says “OK OK…I’m coming!”. We grab the mail, turn off the lights, lock the door and go downstairs where I do another piddle before getting into my car seat for the drive home.

This was my day. I wish you all days full of love, peace, joy and productivity.

Until next month, stay well and be happy.

Painting Day

The painters arrived at my house about 7:00AM. Awkward. We sleep in until about 8:00AM. At 7:30 there was all this banging so me and Mom got up to see what they wanted. Nothing, they said. They were just attaching plastic over the windows so they could start spraying. UGH (we both grumbled). Mom let me out to piddle but who can do that with all those men watching? I did a little here and there but raced back inside before I did the main poopie. Poopies are a big deal to us pups, you know, and we don't like getting off schedule. Ohhhh.....ahhhh....well, maybe if I scoot under the piano bench it won't be too noticeable?

Wrong again. Mom comes downstairs, wrinkles her nose and sniffs her way into the dining room. She spies with her little eye what I was so hoping she would miss. Eyebrow lifted, she scowls and mutters, "Mary-Margaret...did you do that?". I wonder about her. There's only two of us living here and I have yet to see her under the piano bench ever. "Yeah..yeah..yeah..." (I said). "It's still warm, but firm....ripe.....odorific....." (she says) as she scoops it up and carries it into the bathroom. This is one of the advantages to having a diet of Core Wellness grain free kibble and roast chicken. It doesn't leave even a tiny mark as it comes out onto our white carpet.

Our house is now completely taped up and we are held prisoner by sheets of vinyl and duct tape. This is not good. I need to go out again. I could use a piddle pad, I guess, but I prefer the tickle of fresh dew covered green grass on my furry little tush. I will hold it and hope no one is offended by any accidental minor gas leaks.

Uh oh.....and I hear Mom sniff and sniff again. Busted. We leave for work in an hour. I'll take care of it then.

Later, guys.  Wish me luck.

Midnight Surprises!!

It was a dark and chilly night.   Bed time rolls around and we go upstairs.  Mom turns on the electric mattress pad and plunks me on the bed.  We snuggle for a bit and then I hop down to the floor.  I find my pile of pillows in  the corner, rearrange them more to my liking and nestle in.  

A couple of hours later Mom feels the need for more snuggles and picks me up.   Ugh (I say), and wriggle my way to the top of the pillow pile on my side of the bed.  We're good for a while but I just don't feel right, so I scoot down to the foot of the bed and watch some TV before going back to my pillow pile on the floor.

About 2:15 AM, I am picked up AGAIN and put into bed, this  time under the covers.  We turn the TV off.  Mom thinks I'm cold and need some cuddles.   Some people just don't listen.

At 2:35 AM the bed starts to tremble and Mom wakes up.  "Huh?" (she says) and holds me even tighter.   The trembling increases and at 2:36 AM it's like Mt. Vesuvius all over again.  I blow.  Chucks and goop everywhere IN OUR BED.   "Arrrgh" (Mom says) and pats the place where I was laying because it's pitch black and she sees nothing.   "UGHHHH" and "EEEYEWWW"  (she says) as her hand hits the slimy mess.    Meanwhile I'm starting to feel a whole lot better.

Mom gets up, stumbles into the bathroom where she grabs a towel or two, plucks up the chunks and pieces from the sheets, blots and wipes off the slime, and then lays a clean towel over the now slightly damp spot on my side of the bed.   I'm nestled in my pillow pile on the floor, starting to doze off, when Mom says "I love you, Mary-Margaret!" and I know that all is well in our world.   My mom understands that this kind of stuff happens with pups.  When you adopt us you commit to loving us no matter what, even if your bed is full of slime at 2:36 in the morning.  It's for better or worse all the way.

Oh yeah...let me tell you that I know what created our midnight drama.   Free samples of duck munchies from the lady standing in front of Natural Pet Foods where we went to pick up my Core Wellness grain free kibble.   I told them I wasn't interested but the lady was determined to show Mom that her stuff was something that all pups craved.  So I gave in, had a couple, and I guess they stuck in my craw (if I have one).   No more freebies for me.

Happy Valentines Day to all.