Dearest Jewel

My Meme

2006-05-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, Alfred's Mom and Willow & Belle's Mom did these so....

My ~Meme~

Five Things In My Closet:

Shoes
Sweaters
Cat food (so she can't get into the tin)
My Halloween costume (Tigger)
Work clothes

Five Things in the Fridge:

Milk
Carrots
Orange Juice
Leftovers
Sour Cream

Five Things in my Purse:

Sunglasses (prescription)
Sunglasses (non-prescription for when I wear contacts)
Cell Phone
Keys
Organizer with cash, checkbook, credit cards...

Five things in my Car:

Dog Hair
Kleenex (not used)
Cell Phone Car Charger
Cell Phone Ear Piece
CDs

Five things I watch on TV

House
Nip/Tuck
Cold Case
Survivor
Two and a Half Men

Five things I dislike

Germs
Asparagus
Dishonesty
Coconut
Spiders

Now we get to see if I used all these computer codes correctly!

Not really but you get the idea. :-)

This is perfect because I LOVE donuts!!

2006-04-27T11:16:00.000-05:00

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you.
But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft.
You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily.
You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

I'm addicted to quizzes!

2006-04-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

This one is pretty funny!

You Are 32% Abnormal

You are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul.

You are at medium risk for having a borderline personality. It is somewhat likely that you are a chaotic mess.

You are at low risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is unlikely that you are in love with your own reflection.

You are at medium risk for having a social phobia. It is somewhat likely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement.

You are at medium risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is somewhat likely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.

How Abnormal Are You?

Another one...

2006-04-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

You Are A: Duckling!

The cutest of the cute, these baby ducks are often spotted in the spring following closely behind their mother. As a duckling you will grow up quickly, becoming one of the adult ducks seen commonly in ponds and streams. Playful and timid, charming and vulnerable, ducklings are nature's very definition of innocence.

You were almost a: Lamb or a Chipmunk
You are least like a: Parakeet or a Squirrel What Cute Animal Are You?

More Quizzes from Jodie :-)

2006-04-27T10:48:00.000-05:00

Your Personality Profile

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Rate My Life

2006-04-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

So I was looking at Sadie's page (http://sadiethepugpooch.blogspot.com) and checked out another blog (http://jodieslife.blogspot@com">jodieslife.blogspot.com) and found this neat quiz: Rate My Life. Here's how mine turned out:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.1
Mind:	5.6
Body:	5.5
Spirit:	7.1
Friends/Family:	5.4
Love:	8.5
Finance:	5.3
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

The AFTER Photos

2006-04-19T14:53:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello. I'm am still debating whether or not it's a good idea to post these. Please keep in mind that I am NOT a professional groomer. Do not attempt this at home.

She may not look perfect but she is one happy girl! Her constant panting has pretty much stopped. She acts like she has a ton more energy - running - RUNNING - in the yard. This little girl did not run before. She even JUMPED up on the bed this morning! The first time ever!! I think she is so thrilled with being lighter, and cooler and free that she's like a new dog!

Spring is here!

2006-04-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

Finally, Spring is here to Wisconsin! Our high today is supposed to reach 67 degrees! That may not sound too warm for anyone from the South, but it feels sooooo good to those of us in the northern country. :-) I think we even hit 80 degrees last Friday. That's nearly unheard of in April!

Sandie Collie Girl and Pooh Bear were at the v-e-t April 7th to get their teeth cleaned. I should have taken a 'before' and 'after' shot. Pooh Bear's teeth were icky and Sandie's breath was horrible. The photo would not have shown her horrible breath obviously but maybe I could have taken a photo of Chris trying to avoid her smelly breath when she sits next to him! They both have sparkling white teeth now, much better breath and I have a large hole in my checking account. But they are so worth it!

Every summer since I adopted Sandie I've wondered if I should shave her. Even temperatures over 60 degrees cause her to pant. Some people I've asked though have said that their coat helps to keep them cool (in the summer) as well as warm (in the winter). I decided yesterday (after much debate with myself) that her coat wasn't doing a very good job keeping her cool and that it should come off.

Now, a smart person would say to themselves "I should make an appointment with a groomer". But me? Noooo. I said to myself "Why make an appointment with a groomer when I could do it myself?"

I might post photos...I might not. Chris has been very supportive and given Sandie lots of compliments so she doesn't get a complex. She doesn't really look very bad...she just won't stand still while I clip her so some spots are not as even as they should be. Poor girl. HOWEVER, she is much happier without all that fur!! She is prancing around like she's queen of the ball. And for the first time in a long time she layed down next to my chair without panting!!!

I'll take photos tonight and think of posting them tomorrow. Right now she kind of looks like a male lion with a large mane and a skinny little body. :-)

Sandie Collie Girl

2006-04-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

This is my Sandie Collie Girl. She is ten years old now. I adopted her from Collie Rescue when she was eight years old. She had been kept in a barn or a small kennel her whole life (until she came to live with me) so she moves around a little slow. If there's food nearby though, look out! She is a sweetheart of a girl and just LOVES to be petted and hugged (and fed). Doesn't she look like a little piggie when she's laying down? That photo was taken before she slimmed down a little. :-)

My Pooh Bear Schmooh Bear

2006-03-31T10:59:00.000-06:00

This is my Pooh Bear. I adopted him from American Eskimo Rescue of Wisconsin when he was twelve weeks old. He is my baby and totally loves his Mama. :-)

100 Things About Me...

2006-03-29T14:35:00.000-06:00

Okay, here it goes 1) My middle name is Ann 2) I have three dogs (Marvin, Pooh Bear, Sandie) 3) I have one cat, Emily 4) My fiancee has one dog, Cleo 5) I met my fiancee on eHarmony.com 6) We dated for a year before we got engaged 7) I was born in Iowa 8) I've lived in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Hawaii, Illinois and Wisconsin 9) I've been to Disneyland and Disneyworld 10) I have always LOVED animals 11) I wanted to be a vet when I was little 12) I get too attached to animals to ever be a vet 13) If I won the lottery I would buy a huge plot of land and adopt as many animals as I could 14) I don't mind snakes, lizards and frogs 15) I think animals with fur tend to be cuter 16) I won't live long enough to adopt all the different dog breeds I want to 17) I have one younger brother 18) We are not close 19) He lives with my parents who I am close to 20) I like my fiancee's family a lot 21) I am loyal to my friends 22) Trust and honesty are HUGE to me in ANY relationship 23) I work at a law firm 24) I am not an attorney 25) I have a Bachelor of Arts in Child Psychology 26) I do not work in my field of study but would like to 27) I would like to go back to school to get my Masters 28) I think being a forensic psychologist would be very interesting 29) I like to cross-stitch, scrapbook and watch movies 30) I don't have time to do a lot of the above 31) I divorced my former husband because he had an affair 32) My music interests are varied: hard rock, soft rock, classic rock, classical, opera 33) I have seen Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarroti live in 'concert' 34) I have never seen a live opera 35) I would love to see one at the Met in NY one day 36) I would like to travel to Europe one day 37) I have not traveled outside the United States 38) We are going to Disneyworld for our honeymoon! 39) We're going to see Busch Gardens and Sea World too! 40) I took French in high school 41) I took Italian and Spanish in college 42) I can't speak any of them fluently 43) My paternal grandfather is from Sicily 44) My favorite drink is an Amaretto Sour 45) I am definitely a night owl 46) I love to sleep in late (especially if I was a night owl the night before!) 47) I love to have all the dogs in bed with me 48) My cat sometimes sneaks in too 49) My only cat is not lonely without the other two like I thought she would be 50) I drive a 2004 Buick Rendezvous 51) I live in a tiny, tiny, tiny house 52) If I had a larger house, my dogs would still be as close as possible to me 53) I love my friend's pugs and going to pug play time 54) One of my summer jobs - that lasted only a day - was trimming Christmas trees 55) I am 5 foot 1 3/4 inches tall 56) I have a mild form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 57) Not many people knew that before now 58) I do not wash my hands until they bleed - I tend to check things over and over again, like if the iron is unplugged, etc. 59) I am petitioning the Catholic church for an annulment of my first marriage 60) I do not feel that this process (annulment) is very enjoyable 61) I have three grandparents that are living 62) My maternal grandfather died when I was ten years old 63) I miss him a lot; we were very close 64) I wear glasses 65) I am not generally a risk taker 66) I graduated high school in 1988 67) I've been friends with my best friend for 25 years 68) I got the chicken pox when I was in seventh grade - for the second time 69) I've broken my right leg, my right wrist, my left collar bone and three ribs 70) I'm often told I'm weird but I take that as a compliment 71) I don't want to be ordinary 72) My first car was a gold Chevy Nova (1972 I think) 73) My Plymouth Arrow in high school was called the "midget mobil" 74) I knew how to break dance in the 80's 75) I even saw the break dance movie that came out at the time 76) My 'sport' now is bowling 77) It's my second year and I have a 118 average 78) I started with a 98 average 79) I've earned a pin and two patches 80) The strangest movie I ever saw was "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" 81) I ran my own daycare for five years 82) I had to quit when I got divorced 83) I do not have human children 84) I might have some one day 85) I don't want more then two children though 86) I do not like to clean but I do like things to be clean 87) I love fresh flowers 88) I love pastries (donuts, cinnamon rolls, scones...) 89) My favorite color is yellow 90) I do not like coconut 91) I am allergic to most nuts 92) I love to dance 93) I can't sing well 94) I was in the choir in sixth grade 95) My dad and I raced in the Pinewood Derby when I was a kid for Indian Princesses 96) I was in a community theater play 97) I don't enjoy bar hopping 98) I like to snack on Cheerios 99) I like to snack on a custard sundae too 100) I don't mind dogs licking my face

Tiger 1995-2006

2006-03-28T16:43:00.000-06:00

I had to put my Tiger kitty down. :-( I had to put Bear down about six months ago. He had gotten very sick and "told" me he was ready to go. I adopted Bear and Tiger at the same time eleven years ago. Tiger was about five months old and Bear was about six months old. They were inseparable. Tiger was diagnosed with a thyroid problem shortly after Bear was put to sleep but I think she just didn't want to live without him. With medication her thyroid levels returned to normal but she had stopped eating when Bear was gone and just wouldn't start eating again. I tried everything and she refused all of it - even tuna! In this photo she is a healthy 7 lbs. When I took her in she weighed a tiny 4lbs. 6oz. I held her as she went. It was peaceful and it is what she wanted. She is with Bear now, where she should be. They will wait for me together and play in the catnip until that time comes. I love and miss them both very, very much.

Fourteen days...

2006-03-21T14:36:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's been fourteen days since my last post. Five of those days were out of my control though - major computer problems. Somehow I managed to completely fill my hard drive! The IT guy had to come and fix it. Embarassing. To be fair, I am not the only one on my computer. Someone watches the desk when I'm in the accounting department and when I'm at lunch. That's three hours out of the day when someone else has control of the controls. Anywho - my MOH (matron of honor) found this in a display case in a nearby hotel after we had lunch in their cafe. I'm thinking of using it as an inspiration to my wedding reception centerpieces. I think they're wintery without being Christmasy and navy blue/silver are our colors!

ALERT! Lost Pug...

2006-03-07T14:41:00.000-06:00

From Roy and Gwen's blog... Missing Pug in SunnyvaleMarch 7th, 2006 From: http://www.craigslist.org/sby/pet/139204819.html My four year old pug, Yoda, got lost yesterday afternoon. He must have run out while someone was coming in or out of the house. He is fawn/gold, is not wearing a collar, and his back is all shaved (due to dry skin) He is normally not very adventurous, so I’m hoping that someone found him close to our house in Sunnyvale and kindly brought him to their own home to care for him until they found the owner. Unfortunately, he does not have his collar because I took it off due to some skin issues he’s been having. If you see him or have been caring for him please call me (650) 704-9141.. He has never been lost before.

BEYOND ADORABLE!!!

2006-02-27T15:21:00.000-06:00

If you don't think this little girl is the cutest thing you've ever seen, then something is wrong with you! This is my friend's new puppy! Her name is Ice. She is ten weeks old and she is an American Eskimo. Absolutely adorable!!!!! You just want to hug her and kiss her don't you???!!!

This is Ice when she was just itty bitty!

Pug-O-Rama!

2006-02-24T15:28:00.000-06:00

Here we are at the Pugapalooza! There were about 50 pugs!

Pugapalooza!!

2006-02-21T10:50:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday was the annual Pugapalooza in Madison, Wisconsin! Each year pugs and their people (including aunties like me) get together to help celebrate Cecil and Buddy's birthdays! Last year there were approximately 65 pugs!!!! I don't have an estimate for this year's attendance yet, or photos. I don't bring my camera because taking photos interferes with my pug-greeting time. ;-) As a wanna-be pug owner, seeing all these adorable pugs is pure heaven. Remember, I don't have a pug because I already have four dogs and five is simply NOT an option. So I am a doting Auntie to Piggie, Jack and Chance! There were plenty of pug playtime regulars there: Monty, Betty, Cecil (of course), Buddy (of course), Rosie, Vivian and Zeus. Zeus is one of my favorites! Probably because he can be very naughty. He gets a little amorous with some of the other pugs and needs to have little time-outs every now and then. He will cuddle with you for approximately 30 seconds though if you hold him like a little baby and rub his belly. :-) When I get photos from the other attendees, I will post them!

Dresses Are Covered

2006-02-17T14:36:00.000-06:00

So we went dress shopping last Saturday with Chris's sisters, his mom, my mom and my Matron of Honor (aka M.O.H.). What did we find? We found the bridesmaid dress AND I found my dress!!! Yay! The bridesmaid dress looks like this. This photo doesn't really do it justice but it is beautiful! The color for the wedding is no longer a shade of purple but is now Navy Blue. This dress looks perfect in Navy Blue so we're sticking with that! AND the best part is that everyone loved it!! All ten women loved it! I'm not going to say anything about my dress except that some of his sisters cried when they saw me in it, my mom cried and I nearly cried! It is GORGEOUS! Everyone got along fabulously!!! My mom and his mom clicked right away and at the end of the day everyone was hugging everyone else good-bye. It was just a perfect, perfect day. :-)

Naughty Naughty

2006-02-10T16:17:00.000-06:00

Jack says thank you for all the kind compliments. He is also very thankful that there are rescue organizations!! Right now he's working on an anger management problem. Jack likes to attack his brother, Chance (the other fawn pug). Repeatedly, however, Chancey wins the fight. Nonetheless, Jack continues to attack Chance over and over and over and over - well, you get the idea. Jack is covered in little itty-bitty scabs from Chancey biting him in defense. Now, if you know pugs, then you know that pugs cannot really bite like, say, a chihuahua. But Chancey does get his point across - or at least it would to anyone but Jack. One of Jack's favorite things to do is wait until everyone is in bed - and nearly asleep. Jack likes to sleep on TOP of the covers, whereas Chancey likes to sleep UNDER the covers. For some reason, only known to Jack, he will start to growl and sneer at the lump that represents Chancey's whereabouts under the covers. Chancey, hearing Jack's challenge, begins to growl back. Soon, Jack is leaping to the lump and snarling with great viciousness (ya, right). It makes for a soggy spot in the covers - ick. Their Auntie Beth finds this fairly amusing. Even more amusing however is what occurred the other evening. Jack, thinking Chancey was curled up under the covers, started growling at the lump of covers. His growling became more and more sinister until at last he leaped and attacked!! Chancey, being outside the bedroom door at the time, looked into the bedroom puzzled. From what I hear, it took some convincing to make Jack understand he wasn't attacking Chance. :-)

Meet the Family

2006-02-09T16:01:00.000-06:00

This Saturday my Matron of Honor (or M.O.H. for short), my mom and I are all driving to meet Chris's mom and sisters! Chris (my fiancee) is the oldest of seven. Yep, seven. He has one brother and five sisters. It was a bit overwhelming for me when I met them - and I didn't meet them all at once. I expect everyone will be a bit nervous when everyone first gets together at lunch. We are going to have lunch, chit-chat, and then go looking at bridesmaids dresses! I haven't decided yet if I want them all to wear the same dress or if they can wear different dresses as long as they're all the same color. Anyone have thoughts on this? Maybe I'll be able to post some photos of dresses we like. I know my M.O.H. doesn't want to wear anything strapless. Fair enough, I don't want to either. I suppose whatever I decide on won't satisfy everyone - especially with seven attendants!

Pugs!

2006-02-07T13:40:00.000-06:00

Above is Piggie and Chancey, two of my friends' pugs. Piggie is my favorite but Chancey is coming around. Chance and Jack (below) are from Midwest Pug Rescue (www.midwestpugrescue.com). It took Chance awhile before he really knew what cuddling and being spoiled meant. Now he knows both VERY well!! This is Jack. He's slowly learning what love means and what it is like to have people around him who care for him. He's not too wild about kisses - yet - but loves to sit on your lap and be petted! He lived with a smoker for years before he came to rescue so he has some breathing problems but he manages much better now!! Piggie is the youngest at nearly 6 years old, Jack is next at 8 years old and Chancey is creeping up on 10 years old but you would never know it! Hugs to my puggers!!

2006-02-04T18:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday everyone! I have to admit, I love weekends. I love them because I don't have to go into work and I can sleep in past 6am!! Today I went to Pug Playtime with my good friends and their three pugs: Jack (fawn, 8 yrs), Chance (fawn, 9 yrs) and Frederick Pigwigeon (black, 6 yrs). The black one doesn't go by his full name unless he's in BIG trouble. He is actually my favorite...probably because he LOVES his Auntie Beth and he was their very first puggers. He's usually called Piggie, Freddy Pig, Pig Pig or Freddy. I'll have to post a photo of them here on the blog when I get back to my work computer (all my photos are stored on that one). There were so many pugs at playtime! We had Pia, Buddy, Cecil, June Bug, Rosie, Poppy, Gizmo, Zeus, Vivian, Nemo, Monty and Earl. Earl is actually a silver pug - the only one in the "group". You just don't know how much fun pugs are until you get a whole gang of them together! My gang was thrilled to see me when I got home. I was thoroughly examined since I smelled like so many strange dogs. I must have passed the test because they all gave me welcome home kisses!

The countdown officially begins!

2006-02-03T15:50:00.000-06:00

One year from today I will be at my own wedding! I'm excited but kind of nervous. There is SO much stuff I have to do before then. We have the church reserved, and the reception site. But we DON'T have a bakery, d.j. or florist picked out. I've tried on a few dresses but none of them have hit me like THIS IS THE ONE! I'm looking for a bridesmaid dress in some shade of purple - which turns out to be the color of February's stone! I don't want a Barney purple though...more like a deep royal purple. And at least one of my bridesmaids doesn't want strapless and holy cow! the photos in the bridal magazines are mostly STRAPLESS! What is the deal with that?

Full House

2006-02-02T15:41:00.000-06:00

Here we are! Chris (my fiance), me and the gang. No, I don't have a pug. :-( But I do have a good friend with three pugs! Mine are: Cleo (German shorthair pointer, 2 1/2 yrs), Sandie (Rough Collie, 10 yrs), Marvin (Shepherd/Husky, 12 yrs) and my Pooh Bear (American Eskimo, 3 yrs). We have two cats too - Emily and Tiger. There is a LOT of fur in our house!!

Welcome

2006-02-02T15:11:00.000-06:00

Oh my gosh! The day has arrived! I have created my very own blog and - the most difficult part - thought of a name for it that wasn't already being used! So how did I come up with Dearest Jewel? I wanted "No Bones About It" since I have four dogs. I also thought about "Holy Cow" since I find myself saying that very often. Alas, both were taken. I then searched the thesaurus at www.dictionary.com for synonyms for 'pet'. Behold! Dearest (adjective synonyms: affectionate, blue-eyed, cherished, darling, dear, dearest, endearing, fair-haired, favored, loved, precious, preferred, special) and Jewel (noun synonyms: beloved, blue-eyed boy, cat, darling, dear, dog, evergreen, fair-haired boy, fave, favorite, idol, jewel, love, lover, number one, persona grata, treasure). So, I'm on the map. Leave your comments - and I'll be very surprised if there are any tomorrow!