Ain't nothin' but a clown dog!

I absolutely LOVE dogs, so I thought it would be fun to see what some of them were up to out 'n' about the internets. Here's a bunch I found just "clowning around"...

Yikes! I'm not JOKING,
this one is scary!

        Won't you laugh for
sweet Snuggles?

"Do you like my rrrruffles?"

"I really need a drink!"

I've heard of the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat,
but THIS is ridiculous!




~ All photos via Google Images ~

Introducing, Esther... Our NEW circus dog extraordinaire!

Meet Esther, everyone!

She's a 2-year-old Chihuahua mix that Tommy and I recently rescued from the county animal shelter, and the latest addition to our circus family. Since we lost our beloved 14-year-old Mr. Scoots back in February of this year (R.I.P.), we're VERY happy to, once again, have a little animal friend roaming around the house (and fairgrounds).

Aren't those BIG ears great?! Maybe we'll find out she can fly, just like Dumbo! Or, maybe, we'll soon discover that all she can really do is receive satellite radio with those dishes. Even if Esther has no special talents to speak of, we'll love her regardless. Besides, we already do... BIG TIME!

Show & Tell: Henry

Here is yet another post unrelated to pop culture, but I so enjoyed Heidi's post about her kitty, Dizzy, over at her Gold Country Girls blog, that I felt inspired to share with you MY late Tonkinese cat, Henry.

Gosh, I guess it's been about a decade now, since we lost him to kidney failure. That was very hard. We actually had to have him put to sleep, after he had been through all that the doctors could do for him. And, I think, that was the most DIFFICULT thing I've had to do in my life. If you have ever owned pets, odds are that you probably know what it feels like. I'll never forget how paralyzed I felt when I was trying to sign the release form authorizing Henry's euthanasia...





Henry, in the thick of it all!



In case you aren't sure what a Tonkinese cat is, it's a Siamese/Burmese cross-breed. I much prefer it over a normal Siamese because Henry did not have the typical eyes that they do. His were the same pretty, light blue, but they did not look crossed. I was so glad about that since I've always thought that the cross-eyed ones look really DUMB! (Sorry, if you have one. I'm sure that yours is just lovely.)

I can remember Henry's coat being VERY soft, which made it especially nice whenever you held him. And I miss how you can usually hold a cat in the same manner as you would a baby, cradled in your arms. Every once in a while, I attempt to hold Mr. Scoots that way, but he wants NO part of it! Oh, well...

I asked Tommy what quirky things he remembers about Henry, and he mentioned how, at Christmas time, Henry absolutely loved to lay under the glowing tree for hours in an almost trance-like state. While under there, he also enjoyed selecting one particular hanging ornament (usually something irreplaceable) to bat at, and then eventually squirrel away with to nibble on!





Tommy & Henry, caught playing
their reindeer games!






Oh, to be a cat... Wouldn't that be nice?



I'd like to have a cat again, someday. I love Mr. Scoots, but there's just something about having a cat for a pet that is sooo different from a dog. And vice versa, of course! Even if we did get another cat, I doubt that we'd ever find another one as SPECIAL as our Henry was!

JoAnne Worley, The Nutty Aunt I Wish I'd Always Had!

There is just something about the inimitable JoAnne Worley that I find very endearing. Of course, I have no idea what her demeanor is like in real-life, but if she's anything like her public persona I would love to know her! Heck, I'd have her to all my family functions. "That kooky Aunt JoAnne...", we'd say. "She's such a hoot!"

Worley was born in Lowell, Indiana on September 6th, 1937 as the third of five children. Even back in high school, she was developing a reputation for being funny as she was named the 'School Comedienne' by her peers. After studying drama in college, she went on to do many professional theater productions, including musicals. It wasn't until 1968, when JoAnne landed a regular spot on 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In', that she really broke into the main stream and became a star. After about 2 years on 'Laugh-In', Ms. Worley moved on to making movies and continued to spread her distinctive personality around the T.V. landscape.

Isn't she... pretty in pink?

Growing up in the 70s, I can remember seeing JoAnne (and hearing her trademark laugh) on many a television show. Why, she was on everything from 'Love, American Style' to even 'Love Boat' in the 80s. Then there were also several game shows of which Ms. Worley was a regular on, such as 'Hollywood Squares', 'Match Game', 'Password', and even 'The $10,000 Pyramid'. I would've "bet my sweet bippy" that she had also appeared on 'The Liar's Club', but I couldn't find any record of it. I must have dreamed about that the same night I dreamed an evil Billy Barty was injecting a couple of helpless young ladies with a syringe full of terror...

As a child, I didn't always understand what everyone was laughing about, but just hearing her laugh or suddenly break into operatic song was enough to make me giggle. And the clothes she would usually wear, with all the feathers and/or boas were certainly attention-grabbing! Not to mention, she was obviously a fan of the bouffant. Quite fashionable, really!



I think Big Bird had something to do with this!

Looks like JoAnne's sharing an operatic

moment with Goldie on 'Laugh-In'.

In somewhat recent years, she's done voice work for animated productions such as Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' (she was the Wardrobe/Armoir character) and even the Sony Playstation 'Kingdom Hearts' video game. She's also played both, the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in a stage musical of 'The Wizard of Oz', and Madame Morrible in the huge hit 'Wicked'. And most recently, she even played a bit part on Disney's T.V. show 'Wizards of Waverly Place'. I think JoAnne must have a thing for Oz and wizards!

Perhaps the best thing Ms. Worley has been doing, is her work as the President of Actors and Others for Animals. It's an organization that is dedicated to the promotion of humane treatment of animals. They say their main mission is to try and curb the pet overpopulation problem by subsidizing spay/neuter surgeries, but they do so much more. Please, use the link to see all that they do!

As a kid, I dug everything about JoAnne Worley. Today, especially since I know of her efforts toward helping animals, I really admire her! Now, if we could just have her over for our next family dinner night...

"Hey, kids! You can collect them ALL!"

Easily the BIGGEST on-going collection I've ever had, and probably ever will, is of a really cute toy line known as 'Littlest Pet Shop'. For those that aren't familiar, each one of these toys is a very small and stylized version of the much larger animal or insect it's based on. Well, the actual insects are probably smaller than their toy counterparts, but you get the idea.

Well, look, here are a couple of examples:

How much is that doggy in the window?

Only about $5, actually.

My snail is NOT wearing a bonnet

like this one because last time I

checked, snails do not WEAR bonnets!

See why I can't resist "adopting" these wee charmers? They are just almost TOO cute! And I love animals, anyway, so these are like my retail Achilles' heel. Oh, I almost forgot. Their heads bobble, also! Could they be any more perfect? "No", you say? Well, what if I told you that most of them come with some sort of accessory, such as the bone that comes with that dog, above? I bet that sweetened the deal for ya, huh? It certainly does for me!

At last count, I had 106 Littlest Pets in my "shop" and I'm pretty sure it's only going to continue to grow. I may need an intervention...

This is where I'm headed. Care to join me?

Show & Tell: Mr. Scoots

My dog is soooo cute and lovable that I just had to share! His name is Mr. Scoots, but we did NOT name him that because he drags his behind across the floor. No, he does NOT even do that! Tommy and I were thinking of the American Heritage College dictionary's definition of the word, as in "To go suddenly and speedily; hurry". He WOULD go suddenly, too, when we first brought him home from the pound! In fact, when we first got him home, he escaped out our front door and onto the busy street running toward certain death. And if it weren't for two selfless neighborhood kids that were able to outrun him, we might never have known the joy he's added to our life these last 8 years.

Our vet says that he is most likely a Terrier/Chihuahua mix and you can see the Chihuahua part whenever he gets nervous or emotional, as he will shake like a leaf! I tend to think that the Terrier part is a touch of Jack Russell. He looks a lot like the 'Wishbone' dog on the television show.



The famous book-loving dog and possible
cousin to Mr. Scoots, Wishbone.


A lot of the time he'll just sit and stare at me for what seems like an eternity. I like to think that it is just an adoring gaze, but he looks so expectant that I KNOW he wants something. It sure would be nice if he talked like Wishbone does. Then I wouldn't have to wonder what he's longing for. We could also talk about celebrities and their latest fashion faux pas (or in this case, faux "paws").

Of course, we have nicknames for him. Among my favorites are: Scooty-licious and Licky Licardo. The latter is used whenever he's administering kisses!

There is nothing quite like having a dog for a pet. They are just so loyal and completely trusting. I never will understand how some people can abuse them. They love us so unconditionally and I feel that they embody the true meaning of innocence. Dog IS man's best friend!



Yes, we let Mr. Scoots jump on the furniture.
Cesar Millan would not be happy...