Hello Celebritys

"All 187 dogs seized in the large bust that led to the mass indictments earlier this month, Smith said, were euthanized because of their aggression — an all-too-common end to a life of suffering." Chron.com

They did it. They went for the all-too-common easy out: The most convenient, economical way to deal with an unwanted excess of abuse victims. Instead of assessing the animals or asking for help, they decided to blame the dogs and make them go away. "Euthanized because of aggression." .... Surely, America will believe that every single one of those 187 was dangerous, because, pit bulls are just freaky scary, right? Who can blame them? Evil, evil pit bulls.

Now that the dogs are 'officially' dead, Houston authorities are planning a campaign to curb the fighting they say is on the increase in their counties. "But the crime is more commonly found here among kids or young adults who spontaneously engage in the activity — referred to as "bumping" — on street corners, in parks or near school grounds." - Assistant DA Smith.

Before they start, Houston might want to look at what's been helping to make it so acceptable among the kids who do it.

Recipe for Increasing Kids' Interest in Dog Fighting:

1. Devalue pit bulls through agency policy: Ban all shelter adoptions. Stand firm against helping any impounded pit bull, no matter how adoptable. Reinforce the public's belief that the dogs aren't worthy...'Nice people don't want pit bulls.'
2. Alienate young people by blaming popular culture for devaluing pit bulls. Kids looove when adults disapprove of their music.
3. Use the media to stereotype. Categorize dogs as "aggressive" and indicate to bored youth that, after all, the dogs were "bred to fight."
4. To separate out from acceptable shelter dogs, reinforce the pit bulls' lessor status: "They are not pets." - Assistant DA Smith
5. Where possible, alienate further by implying that dog fighting is a stain on the lower classes. "I really want to get the word out, especially to the low-income students" - Assistant DA Smith.
6. Indicate that pit bulls are better off dead. "This is a point where death can be a gift." - Houston SPCA veterinarian Harkness.

Here are some more pictures I took using that string of Christmas lights. I think these turned out pretty cool. Comments?

Thanksgiving dinner was a success once again this year. While I was terribly sad that my grandparents were unable to join us from California, it was still an enjoyable day with delicious food, conversation and fun. This year our family was joined by my dad's cousin David and his wife Martha, who live in the southern part of the state. I, of course, decided to document the entire day with pictures. So. . .I present to you: Thanksgiving at our house, 2008:

We didn't try to wake up particularly early, but we decided to get started around 7:00am. The first item on the agenda was the pumpkin pie. We have had this pumpkin pie recipe for as long as I can remember, and it is soooo good! My job was to make the filling while my mom made the crust.

Next on the agenda was the pumpkin roll cake. I assembled the cake (with the help of our KitchenAid mixer, as you can see in the picture!) while my mom beat the egg whites, then we folded it all together to make a fluffy pumpkin cake. This was baked and as soon as it came out of the oven we rolled it up in a big towel and it stayed this way in the refrigerator for over an hour. Later we unrolled it and stuffed it with a delicious whipped cream/rum extract/heath bar pieces mixture. Yummy!

The green beans and canned yams sat on the counter for most of the day, waiting to be used, and begging to have their picture taken. The green beans were used in the green bean casserole, which is a new tradition since we moved to Idaho (we used to have brussels sprouts when we lived in California) and I think it's pretty tasty! The yams were for the sweet potato casserole, which is something my mom, being raised in the south, enjoys.

Pretty soon the pumpkin cake was done in the oven and it was time to de-pan it and put it on the towel to roll up. We coated it with powdered sugar before rolling it to help it not stick to the towel. Yum!

We don't like to eat a big lunch on Thanksgiving because there is so much food to be enjoyed for dinner, so we enjoyed some appetizers provided by David and Martha. They brought mini quiches (one had a spinach mixture and the other was ham and eggs) and a fancy cheese which we spread on crackers. My dad had also purchased some herring which everyone else seemed to enjoy, but which I decided to pass on. :-)

My next task was to set the table. This is something that I love doing every year -- I think it is fun to make the table look pretty and to set out the dishes. It is especially fun when we use my mom's good china, but this year we decided to simplify things a little bit. I decided that, in order to properly document the day, it was important to take a picture of the table before and after I set it in order to show the transformation. While I was setting the table I discovered that the Purina Dog Show was on TV, so I enjoyed watching some interesting dogs parade around as I set the table. I was also on the phone at the same time, so setting the table turned into a fun little break from the kitchen -- a dog show, a pretty table, and a phone call. :-)

The one thing I realized after I took the picture of the finished table is that I forgot to put out the cornucopias! My grandmother has a set of cornucopias that we used every Thanksgiving at her house. When my grandparents were coming to visit us for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago I asked her to please bring the cornucopias, because they are something that I have a lot of memories of -- so she did, and since she left them here, we used them this year. Normally we fill them with candy corn, but this year we put nuts and chocolate-covered raisins in them. We used our moose and bear plates, so I alternated between which plate was at which place.

My mom and Martha busily made the dressing. We've used the same recipe for as long as I can remember, and I can't imagine Thanksgiving without it. It's got lots of veggies (celery, onion, watercress, parsley, and yes, even mushrooms), bread, bacon, sausage, and spices. Yum.

Before long it was time for David to carve the turkey (while Reba supervised, of course!). . .

. . .and then we all gathered in the dining room to enjoy the feast!

Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the cranberry relish or the cranberry sauce, or the creamed corn or the mashed potatoes, or even the Idaho Potato and Cranberry Orange rolls, courtesy of my work. But. . .they were there, and they were all enjoyed.

Thanskgiving was a success, once again!

In a new pending home tonight: Once adopted, then bounced back due to a move to Australia: Roller! ... Dogs that are one step away from going home: Kinzie, Harley, Jelly Roll Jones ... Now in a new foster home: Squeeks ... Now being courted by new applicants: Grace, Piglet (fingers crossed) ...

.... Still waiting to be claimed by Obama or other ... Bob the Dog (above). Bob is living at the Oakland Animal Services as part of BR's Ambassadog Project.

Other gossip... BR's Vick dogs will be in a major publication in time for Christmas. Good stocking stuffers for the dog fans in your circles. And, Jonny Justice is about to make an appearance on a popular show. Stay tuned for juicy details.

As announced earlier this season, Christian Audigier will be debuting his Ed Hardy swimsuit collection to follow his uber successful clothing line.

I now wrap up my 27-day challenge. While I didn't post on-time each and every day, I did manage to end up with 27 posts listing things I am thankful for. Today it is time for my final post in this challenge. Yes, there are so many other things that I am thankful for. . .and I hope that the past 27 days have helped you to see what you are thankful for, as well!

27: I am thankful for everyone who has helped to shape me into who I am. I am thankful for my parents who have spent the past 21 years teaching me and raising me. I (like to think that I) have become more independent as the years have gone by, but they are always there for me, always helping me out if I need it. I'm thankful for my Awana leaders (especially Mrs. Gemellaro, my favorite Awana leader) and Sunday School teachers (especially Mrs. Harmeling, my favorite Sunday School teacher, back in 3rd & 4th grade) throughout the years who spent so much time sharing their time with me and helping me to better understand God's Word. I am thankful for the girls in my Awana group when I was a leader -- yes, even they have helped me become who I am today. I am thankful for my teachers -- some more than others, but all of them at least a little! Some of them have taught me patience, some of them have taught me that a teacher can be a great friend, and some of them were just plain awesome and have impacted me in some small way that I may not even be aware of yet! I am thankful for Laura Brandt, Sarah Mount, Sara Wilson, Raina Witt, Jenna Martin and all the other girls who led and were a part of small group discussions for the Saturday Night Bible Study that I attended when I lived in California. Each of those girls impacted me more than they will probably ever know. I am thankful for Mr. & Mrs. Stueckle, Mr. & Mrs. Helgeson and now John & Charity Cook, who have faithfully led the college group at my church. It's challenging at times, I'm sure, but it's been good for me. I'm thankful for Michelle, Sarah, Val and Kristy for being part of our weekly Girl's Group where we share what's going on in our lives and have a time of Bible Study and prayer. And I'm thankful for Andrea S. for starting the Girl's Group. Our group time has really helped me to learn and grow and I sure hope it continues for a loooong time! I'm thankful for my friends, especially Michelle, Val, Sarah, Kristy, Sherre, Mary, Katie H. and Devin. . .you guys ('scuse me. . .girls and guy) mean more to me than you will ever know, and I am oh-so-thankful for each of you, and you have all impacted my life in some way and through your friendship you have helped me to become who I am today. I'm thankful for my grandparents. They have all encouraged me as I've grown up and helped to guide me as I made decisions in life. I'm thankful for my brother. We don't always get along, but it's getting better all the time and I am thankful that we are siblings. And yes, I am thankful that we moved to Idaho. I shouldn't say this (because my parents read my blog and I am not supposed to ever admit this to them, lol). . .but anyway. . .the people I have met and the experiences that I have had are pretty great. Yes, I am thankful for the 16-years I spent growing up in California with some pretty awesome experiences, and I wish we hadn't moved at the time that we did, but I am thankful for the people and the experiences that living in Idaho has given to me. And there is so much more that has impacted my life, but to list each person and incident could take hours.

But I thought I should end this list and 27-day challenge with the most important thing of all: I am thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has changed my life more than anyone or anything else ever could.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dogs remind: Life is good. Even better if you get your feet wet.

Thanks to all the dogs out there who inspire us to push past our comfort zones and into some of Life's happiest adventures.

Fireproof

There are some movies that fall into the "okay" category, some that fall into the "worth watching again" category, still others that fall into the "worth owning" category, and some movies are movies that "should be seen by everyone at least once." I think that Fireproof falls into the last category. All I could say, as I wiped away tears, at the end of the movie was "wow, that was a good movie." I am willing to put it pretty near the top of my list of favorite movies, and I just might buy it once it comes out on DVD.

If you saw Facing the Giants a year or so ago you might recognize some of the actors because Fireproof was, indeed, put out by the same church in Georgia that put on Facing the Giants. This time, though, instead of just using church members, they also brought in Kirk Cameron, of Left Behind fame, to play Caleb Holt, a firefighter whose marriage is failing. Caleb believes it is his wife, Catherine (played by Erin Bethea)'s fault, and she believes it is Caleb's fault.

While Catherine is working on divorce papers, Caleb's father sends him a handwritten journal of sorts entitled The Love Dare which encourages him to spend the next 40-days trying to win back his wife. Each day has a different task, which Caleb tries to do, but Catherine does not seem to care or be responding. Caleb is discouraged, but with encouragement from his dad he continues to try the love dare. How does it end? You'll have to watch the movie to find out, but let's just say that it had four girls sitting in the theater crying.

For a lower-budget production, Fireproof is excellent. The movie is almost as good of quality as most Hollywood movies nowadays, and if the small church in Georgia keeps it up, they will soon be having movies right up there with the top movies from Hollywood.

I would highly recommend Fireproof to everyone. Go see it. If you are married, see if it changes your life and marriage at all, and for the rest of us, those who want to get married someday, see if it gives you something to think about that might help your marriage someday.

Now. . .go see Fireproof -- Now!!

For a review from PluggedIn Online, click here.

I didn't watch a whole lot of movies when I was growing up (I'm realizing this more and more every time my friends or co-workers ask if I've seen certain movies, and my answer is almost always "no." *grin*). . .but I have seen several over the past few years since we moved to Idaho. Just this past weekend I saw two movies, and I would recommend both, but one of them in particular.

Bolt
The first movie I saw this weekend was Bolt, which is a new Disney animated movie. It was done without Pixar, and it was very entertaining. I saw it with a friend and we were laughing all throughout the entire movie. John Travolta is the voice of Bolt, a dog who believes he is a super-dog, and my friend conveniently "forgot" to mention until we were seated in the theater that Miley Cyrus is the voice of Penny, Bolt's owner -- but she did a great job as that character. Bolt is the super-dog on a TV show, rescuing Penny from all sorts of danger. However, there is a catch: he doesn't realize it is a TV show, and he thinks Penny really is in grave danger. He gets out of his trailer one night and ends up in New York. The movie is basically about Bolt's journey to get back to Penny, and it is full of funny moments and some great lines. It's a great family movie, but adults would love it too. :-)

Read a review from PluggedIn Online here.

My next review deserves a post of its own, so this post is TBC (To Be Continued). . .

26: I am thankful for food. Tomorrow we should be eating a big meal and thinking about it is causing me to realize that I should be so thankful for food. Some people, in lands far-far-away, don't have lots of food. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving, or have a big feast. And so, therefore, I am thankful for the food that we will enjoy tomorrow, and every day.

25: I am thankful for snow. I haven't yet seen it snow this year (although my family has seen it -- it has apparently snowed-and-not-stuck whenever I am not home), but I am anticipating the first snow. I went sledding for the first time last year, and I am excited to go again this year. :-) Plus it's pretty. . .

(and yes, You-Know-Who-You-Are, I am admitting that I want it to snow! **grin**) (Now, if we have another winter like last winter, I reserve the right to retract this statement sometime in January or February!)

24: I am thankful that my friend Val was able to come home for Thanksgiving and I am thankful for time spent with her. She came home on Saturday, and I have gotten to see her a couple of times already. I love my friends, and when they are away at school I miss them. . .so I am so glad Val was able to come home for the week!

Continuing on, as I catch up with my list of 27 things I am thankful for. . .

23: I am thankful for memories. I have many fond memories of my childhood, and I am thankful for that. I am thankful that I was able to spend time outside creating adventures, and I was creative enough to turn my walk-in closet into a fort, and my desk into a doll house. :-) A lot of kids nowadays (and I'm sure back when I was quite young, too) spend time in front of the television and in front of the computer. . .and I'm glad that a lot of my time was not spent in either of those two places. I hope that, if I am blessed with children someday, they experience a childhood of fun, adventures and imagination, as I did.

Goodness. I got dreadfully behind in this challenge. I guess I failed it. However, I am going to make up the last few days with posts. Life has gotten busy (work has been crazy!) and we have company in town, so posting on my blog hasn't really been my top priority. . .but here is #22 in my 27 Days of Thanksgiving challenge. :-)

22: I am thankful for the other seniors in the Comm program at LCSC. We are all going crazy this semester/year and we are growing very close, so I am thankful that we all get along and that we can all have some bit of fun in our classes and with our projects. :-) So. . .I'm thankful for Dorian, Desiree, Kristen, Ashley and Jason. :-)

22 hours a day in a kennel is a looong time to wait for fun. This holiday, please consider giving to the sheltered pit bulls - either those in Oakland's kennels or closer to your home - or both! All toy donations go to BR's foster dogs, especially the kenneled Ambassadogs now living at the shelter. We also share around with the many, many other pit bulls that come in. Even the dogs that are under custody hold (below) and/or those that can't be adopted due to health or behavior reasons deserve some kindness before they go 'home.'


Our Wish List:

For downtime in the kennels...
Used blankets and towels for better naps.
Goods to freeze inside kong balls: Peanut butter, healthy wet dog food
Cans of unsweetened pumpkin to curb diarrhea
Healthy chewies: Bully Sticks, white shin, tibia or knuckle bones Link (no rawhide, pigs ear or smokey meat please since they tend to upset our sensitive divas' bellies)
Grizzly salmon oil to rebuild our dogs' health
Multi-vitamins for the same
For play time...
Used stuffed toys for rowdy fun (bagged thrift store stuffies are great)
Old soccer balls, basketballs, footballs - YES! and tennis balls, too.
Strong (long) tug ropes
Tuff toys - oh WOW do they love these. Tuff Stuff
Treadless motorcycle tires for fun tug & toss games
For our training room...
Washed dog beds for quiet time
Cleaning supplies: Nature's Miracle for those inevitable accidents!
Healthy training treats (liver treats, Natural Balance loaf, etc)
Handsome 16"-22" collars to look pretty for dog shoppers

Please send items to:
BAD RAP Ambassadog Program
c/o Oakland Animal Services
1101 29th Street Oakland 94601

Or, let us know where we can pick up your donation.
Thank you, Thank you!!

A couple of years ago San Francisco city leaders spearheaded the movement to pass SB861, the state legislation that permits municipalities to enact local BSL for the purpose of controlling overpopulation. Since that time, the city has remained the only one in the Bay Area and one of very few state-wide to avail themselves of this option. The city’s ordinance requires pit bulls, as determined by Animal Care and Control, over the age of 6 months to be spayed/neutered unless granted an exception. The fines collected from those who fail to comply are to be utilized not to provide low cost or free pit bull S/N, but rather to fund the ‘pit bull breeding permit program’ – a system for issuing permits to those who would like to breed their pit bulls.

You may be asking yourself ‘what’s the problem?’ After all, we all generally agree that we would like to see a dramatic decrease in pit bull breeding and an end to casual backyard breeding. Beyond the fact that we know voluntary S/N programs work best, and BSL comes with horrible unintended consequences like difficulty finding a rental that will accept your dog, San Francisco has enacted what politicians like city mayor Gavin Newsom rail against the state and federal governments for – an unfunded mandate. In this case the mandate is imposed by the city on the citizens.

While the rest of the Bay Area encourages and supports pit bull owners in their efforts to do the right thing and S/N their dogs through low cost and free services, San Francisco’s efforts are limited to fining those unable to afford to do the right thing. Take for example, a nurse I spoke with recently. A city employee and native, she’s spent her professional career devoted to treating incarcerated youth. A dog lover, she’s only owned rescued dogs and does not discriminate by breed. Are you getting the impression that she’s a good person and responsible citizen yet? A few weeks ago, by way of a friend of a friend, she came into possession of a young female pit bull puppy. When the San Francisco SPCA would not accept the dog, she stopped by SF ACC where she got the distinct impression the dog’s chances of survival were slim. Though she has 2 small dogs already, she decided to try to find the puppy a new home herself. Since then she’s been crate training, house training, exercising the energetic pup for hours every day and searching for a place to spay her. At about 6 months old, the dog is required to be spayed under SF’s ordinance. The unintended rescuer wants to comply, wants to be responsible and doesn’t want to pay a fine, but she cannot find an affordable spay clinic in San Francisco. The prices quoted for spay of a dog over 40 pounds range from $350 - $450; euthanasia is substantially cheaper. Local rescues can probably get a cheaper rate through their arrangement with vets based on their non-profit status, but because SF still has an overpopulation problem despite their BSL, San Francisco rescues report that there’s ‘no room at the Inn’.


One bright spot in the S/N situation in San Francisco is the FREE mobile S/N service offered twice a month by the Peninsula Humane Society. PHS provides the service that SF based organizations should be providing. Unfortunately, the need is far greater than the space available and from what I hear, people routinely line up at 5am for the first come, first served program and it still often takes several weeks before actually getting in for service – a burden, even a barrier, for residents with full time jobs and families.

The fate of this pup remains to be seen. If only the Good Samaritan lived in the East Bay, South Bay, on the Peninsula or even in Sacramento, she could easily do the right thing for the dog and the community. If only she had morning after morning to wait in line for weeks. Unfortunately she lives in San Francisco, works a full time job with a shift that ends at 8am, and as a result, may be unable to save this dog from euthanasia after all. If the purpose of San Francisco’s BSL S/N ordinance is to decrease the city’s pit bull population, in this case, I guess maybe it worked.

Volume in SKIRTS

This one is going to be a quick entry because I am off to bed (I work the early shift tomorrow, which is good because I love going in and baking the sweets and having the whole bakery to myself on Saturday mornings, but it's bad because it means I have to wake up early! Anyway. . .

21: I am thankful for good books and the ability to read. I found a stack of delightful books by Janette Oke at the library the other day and I am reading through them over Thanksgiving break. . .ahh, delightful.

Grab a sappy book (or any type of book. . .Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Janette Oke, or even J. R. R. Tolkien, if that is more your style!), and you'll see that reading is delightful. :-)

20: I am thankful for music. . .be it Christian, Country or Classical. . .or a selected few songs and artists from other genres (for instance, David Archuleta, who doesn't fit under any of those categories!).

If I am driving, there is a 99% chance that there is music playing in my car. The station or CD varies, but there is almost always music in my car, and I'm usually singing along. :-) I also often listen to music while I am doing homework. Sometimes this doesn't work because it distracts me, but sometimes it does. And hey, that's what soundtracks are good for -- music without words (in most cases!).

Yes, I think it is safe to say that I am quite thankful for music. :-)

And if, after reading this, you are curious just what I might be listening to while driving, scroll down to the bottom of this page -- and the music player should start. :-)

People often ask us how we learned to work with pit bulls. We've had some good teachers: Our husky mix taught us everything we know about preventing dog/dog issues and keeping pack harmony (most pit bulls have nothing on a drivey, ball possessive nordic breed). But some of our most important lessons about animal handling came from this lovely lady.

Pam Hessey is a gifted master falconer who showed us how to convince winged predators that sitting on your wrist was in their best interest - Not easy, considering the alternatives that Mother Nature offers. Tim and I studied under Pam years ago while working downed raptors at a wildlife center. We used falconry equipment and techniques to handle the birds and strengthen their flight muscles. Falconry is more than a cool hunting sport: At its best, it's an amazing art of cooperation, trust and ego-less leadership. True falconers understand that taking a bird from the wild (via permits acquired from Fish and Game after a long and arduous apprenticeship and accreditation process) steals something very precious away from that animal: its freedom. So in return, the bird is offered the exchange of ready meat, meticulous care and a chance to fly and hunt - under the direction of a human teammate who knows how to do magical things, like, flush game out of hidden places. Yum.

Falconers' birds fly free, by the way...they can go AWOL at any time during their hunt. Amazingly, that doesn't happen as often as you'd think. So, why would a raptor choose to put up with a two legged anchor and not disappear into the sky? The answer has everything to with the falconer being very aware of the bird's needs and motivations (food) and staying a respectful, competent handler with a reliable focus. The birds are still very wild, but come around to believe that these huge predators with their leather jesses and pickup trucks and crazy ways are worth accepting. And that's nothing short of a miracle and testament to the ability of humans to motivate our fellow creatures to achieve that zen-like state of mutual cooperation.

Of course pit bulls aren't wild animals, so the line drawn between handling raptors and handling dogs is admittedly rather fuzzy. But I find myself drawing on our lessons learned from the hawks again and again when working the dogs. Dogs want what the raptors wanted from us: A game plan.... A reason to believe that working as a team is in their best interest. Not for the avoidance of pain or an endless parade of treat bribes, but for the pay-off that helps each animal fulfill its destiny. With hawks, that destiny is to succeed in the hunt and survive. And to highly social animals like dogs, surviving involves flourishing as a pack animal, preferably, with a truly awesome leader who'll call the shots and make life enjoyable. Having a great leader is so, well, gratifying! - especially to this intelligent working breed. Pit bulls thrive on it. Most will drop bad habits, even dramatic bouts of leash reactivity when their person finally offers them something better ... direction.

Learning to become a good leader takes some real effort. Without that relationship, many dog owners let their pets make their own decisions, and that's a huge responsibility that dogs just can't handle. They may love their pets completely, but indulge them like children, begging for their compliance. There's nothing sadder than this: "Sit. Sit. Sit. Siiiit. Come'on now. Siiiit." Imagine how confusing it is to a dog to see his human beg! Lacking structure, dogs are more than happy to invent exciting games, like, "Woo! I wanna fence fight and revel in that adrenalin blast - Feels GREAT!" And so shelters fill up with dogs that are rejected simply because they never had a leader to show them the joy of behaving beautifully. It's sad when society demands that dogs should be born already knowing what we want them to do.

One of our greater challenges in teaching new dog handlers is helping them find their inner leader, women especially (and in men, quite often the challenge is toning down their inner dictator. I'll leave that topic for another blog!) In short: remember that your treat bag is not your dog's leader. Your clicker is not your dog's leader. YOU are ... or at least your dog wants you to be. Be fair, be upbeat, be consistent and decisive and clear in your direction, and your dog will fall over backwards to work with you.

Below. The unmistakable glow of a dog who adores her leader. Sally owned by Sheri Cardo, captured by Ali Talley on CGC Day.



We're currently looking for a few good leaders-in-the-making for our work at the shelter. The dogs there are dying to be told what to do. If you love to motivate others and are one of those people who can get a roomful of squirrelly six graders to cheerfully deliver their homework, you're probably a natural for this work. For more info on being a part of our team, contact me! donna@badrap.org

19: I am thankful for Thanksgiving break. At my school I get a week off for Thanksgiving, but I don't have classes after Wednesdays, so I am now officially on Thanksgiving break. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about the next 11 days. I have lots planned: I am going to see a movie on Friday night with a friend ("Bolt" -- it's a new Disney movie about a dog, that's about all I know), I have something really fun that I'm looking forward to on Saturday night, and, of course, I am anticipating Thanksgiving week. . .Thursday is the big feast, which my dad's cousin and his wife will be joining our family for, Friday is Black Friday, which of course means lots of shopping, and I think one of the things I am most looking forward to is the day-after-Thanksgiving parade and Holiday Lights Show where downtown Coeur d'Alene becomes a winter wonderland with thousands of Christmas lights, the entire town of Coeur d'Alene joining their voices in song while singing Silent Night by candlelight, followed by a huge fireworks show (set to music by Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra -- yes, it's bigger and better than July 4!) and just lots of fun! And then I can start listening to Christmas music full-time. . .

Of course, there is homework to be done, but it pales in comparison to the excitement I am anticipating. . .

So, long story short, I am thankful, oh so thankful, for Thanksgiving break!

Oops. . .I knew I was bound to forget to post some day. I realized after I had gone to bed last night that I forgot to do my daily post!

So, without further adieu, here is the post for yesterday!

18: I am thankful for good books. I have been reading books by Janette Oke (who wrote the Love Comes Softly books -- excellent books! Read 'em!) and I am really enjoying the chance to relax and find myself part of another world through these books. I went to the library the other day (two different libraries, actually) and checked out about 4 or 5 books by Janette Oke. I have read 1 1/2 of them so far, and I am sure I will quickly read all of them over the next 11 days!!!

On the heels of the messy dog fight bust in Texas, we present Ginger, one of the lessor known Vick dogs that trekked cross-country in the pit bull crowded RV trip to start a new life with the folks at SPCA for Monterey County.

This is the same shy little sprite that appeared in the video with Tim, leaving her VA shelter kennel for good. The road wasn't easy for Gingerette. She was one of the more timid dogs that came this way and she forced her foster mom to downshift big time so she could perform a modern day version of the patient art of soul retrieval on this little lost girl ... (Hey, it IS California, after all)

We were thrilled to hear from her foster-mom turned forever-home in an email update, along with this beautiful PHOTO SERIES outlining Ginger's evolution.

Bless you Stacy...You're an inspiration!

From her update: "Our early days and months were not easy - her clinging to the back of her crate for hours on end as I cried and wondered if we would ever be friends, her fleeing from any attempt at a gentle touch, refusing to eat for days as I tried a variety of techniques to prevent her from wasting further away...it goes on and on and has probably been experienced by many a person fostering an abused animal ....

.... It has been such a pleasure watching her evolve into a happy and loving dog. She loves running about the yard, playing with toys, treats, riding in the car, snuggling on the bed (how a 35lb dog takes up the entire bed I do not know), and did I say treats? Her exuberance (or perhaps clumsiness) at times has unfortunately led to her crashing into many a wall, tree, piece of furniture, my shins, etc…she shakes it off in that bully way even as I am still muttering various expletives thinking that must been painful and surely this will be a visit to the vet .... It is a delight every day to see how happy she is when I get home, to see her sprinting up when I whistle for her or like now, to simply have her curled up at my side snoring away..." - Stacy Schmidt

17: After a much-dreaded trip to the dentist this morning to get several cavities filled, I decided that I definitely have something to be thankful for: anesthetics. While I absolutely hate the process of being numbed up (I hate the feeling, I hate the shots, I hate not being able to feel my tongue!), I am sure grateful that I don't have to feel the procedure taking place in my mouth. The bottom of my mouth is apparently harder to numb than the top, and at first I could feel a little bit of what was taking place (until I had about 4 shots of anesthetic!!!). . .which made me all the more thankful that they have novocaine (or whatever it is they use nowadays) and I don't have to feel much of anything when getting dental procedures done.

But I still hate going to the dentist (even though he is extremely nice)!

Victoria's Secret is one of the most successful - and sexy - lingerie brands in the world. It is renowned for its star-studded roster of supermodels, known as ‘Angels’ - Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Laetitia Costa, Helena Christensen and Karolina Kurkova among them.