Autumn Walkies

The town gargoyle watches as the trees turn color

 Never leaving his post

 As elsewhere, lions guard an entrance

 So many colorful leaves to romp in.

 I love my walkies around the village in the Fall.

 I'll keep to the path Mom, but it's hard to see with all of the leaves.

The pumpkins show up on porches

 As I snoot out the smallest of things.

 You best hide in the shadows Mr. Pumpkin, as Mom could make a pie out of you.

 The sun's so bright and I forgot my "shades".

 Look - it's OUR House

I'll pour this and maybe Mom will come home early.

Monday Man-Chow with Abby Lab

Hi - Abby the Lab here.  Mom is traveling to some squirrel meeting in another State and will be gone all week, so she has charged me with putting posts up until she gets back, including some diet blog posts she wrote when she took a break from blogging during the move (but not eating or recipes).

So I'm going to open this week with FOODABLES!

There was one day that Dad came home later than expected and Mom had already eaten some leftovers.  So what could she make  him that would be fresh and hot after a long day?

Beefins.

Make a batch of biscuits (or use ready made dough from a can or thawed) and place in a greased muffin cup, forming a "cup" of dough up the sides.

Fill with a spoonful of leftover meat  (or veggie "meat" crumbles) with pasta sauce (no garlic so I could have a bite)  Top with cheddar and bake as directed for  regular biscuits.

These are even better than Pizza Bones!

Hey Mom - That's NOT a Beefin!

Sunday Black and White - BOO!

Out with Abby for a walk there was a cute decorated window from a ground level apartment along our route. (I thought we were in Chicago but it appears we wandered over the border into Witchconsin)

As we looked at the display we heard a

"Bark! Bark! Bark!"

from the windowsill

Surely the pumpkin can't be barking at us.

No   - It's the ghostly form of a real live pug, trying to scare us away.

Thanks to Nola and Sugar for Hosting.

Road Trip - Don't Drink and Decorate -

We've all had some dwelling in our youth that was less than "tastefully" decorated. But as we grow up and move into adulthood, we sometimes get to experience some really nice places, be it a vacation, our dream home or a honeymoon or first class business trip where you get to stay in a luxury multi star hotel

It was a hotel with good expectations. Highest Four Star hotel rating, fine dining and "new and complete renovation". It billed itself as a "peaceful oasis of sophistication" in a bustling city down south. I had visions of a long swim, or a soak in the hot tub followed by a night of relaxation in soothing decor for the weary traveler. For the price I expected, well , peaceful luxury. Soothing colors, a virtual SPA of a room. What I got was red, black, ultra modern with lots of bright shiny silver and the Bathroom from the OK Corral. It was so ugly I actually called a couple people and described it. Then I walked a careful grid in the room until I found alcohol.

I will leave the name of the establishment out of here because the wonderful staff, I'm sure, didn't pick the decorator and they were really nice. The bed was comfy and the food, quite tasty (if you don't mind paying $50 for an 8 ounce steak and a side salad). But the room. Oh my eyes, my eyes.!

Maybe there's one of these with the soap and the shampoo.

The lampshade was bright shiny red and brought an interesting red glow to the room. I figured if I got lonely enough I could open the curtain and light the lamp and within an hour there would be five guys looking for a good time at my door.
The extra chair for lounging was comfortable if you were a anorexic Hobbit.
We'll start with the art work. First the one over the desk. Don't look directly at your computer monitor. Medication questions should be posed to a pharmacist. Readers experiencing nausea should leave the post. I called this one, "Road Trip from Hell".


Over the bed was the artists rendition of Cirque de Soleil, but which I called Les clowns sur les drogues. Maybe it's just that I'm not deep enough for modern art..

At least I can turn the one light that's not red off and get a bath.

Maybe not. The bath was painted in Cow Patty Brown with a towel rack that resembled something that I think was leftover from Chain Gang Fantasy Camp. There was no other decor but a stark mirror, some shampoo, soap and such, and alas, no eye mask.

The wall couldn't decide it it was world's biggest padded headboard or padded walls. What wasn't padded was a muted cow patty Brown and, ever so soothing with the bright red, brown, black and silver. It was a room with the coziness of a dental lab, albeit without the sink to spit.


As I settled in, I had this nagging feeling I'd seen this room before. Then it hit me. It looked like the modernistic furnishings from a scene in Woody Allen's 1973 movie Sleeper.


Abby Lab - You don't know how good you've got it back at home.

Wordless Wednesday - Do You HAVE To Go to Work?

Celebrating "gotcha" days

It's been six months since Abby's 1 year "gotcha day" celebration to mark when we adopted her.   It is a decision I am  glad we made.  She is SO different from Barkley, yet she has her own unique personality, one that's become a treasured part of each day. She's was estimated to be about a five or six year old mixed breed, lab and possibly flat coated retriever it appears from her slightly longer, super soft fur with a red undertone, muzzle shape and tail. Such dogs are often overlooked as people look at younger and purebred dogs to adopt.

She'd been in foster care only a week when we met, a very loving lady and her husband, but the scars from time in a shelter showed in her eyes.  She was lucky - black dogs are the last adopted and the first euthanized in shelters.  She was rescued just hours from death by the wonderful people at Love of Labs Indiana.  They get her started on the heartworm treatment that was necessary to keep her alive, then worked to find her a loving home when she was well enough from that treatment to be adopted.

This photo was taken the day I adopted her.  She had been given a lot of love in the week her wonderful foster Mon had her, fed well and groomed carefully and had completed her heartworm treatment but  she was still thin, scared at being someplace "strange" again after a week in a comfy foster home and was  not even excited to get a treats.

Here she is now.

I miss Barkley each and every day, and know you can't replace any dog that's such a big part of your life. But my husband and I are so happy to have the love of this sweet girl our lives and smile every time we see her.  Bless you Love of Labs Indiana for this beautiful girl you saved, and all you do to help the labs.

If you are considering a dog or cat for your home, please consider adoption - there are so many wonderful souls out there just waiting to be rescued.

Get a Gift and Help a Dog to His or Her Forever Home

Just a note from Abby Lab -

Mom just noticed that Amazon has her paperback copy of her second book  - Saving Grace - A Story of Adoption marked down to $1.56 from $13.56.   It might be to spur sales upon the announcement that her first book won Silver in the Reader's Favorite International Book Award, but for whatever reason it's a bargain and a quality printed book you would be proud to give someone.

If you want a thoughtful but cheap Christmas gift for friend or family, go check it out. She's  not sure how long the price will be that low.  Saving Grace was a #1 Amazon Best Seller and has had great critical reviews from the professional book reviewers. It's more than just about adoption, both two and four-legged,  it's a story of growing up in the 60's and coming of age in a time of great change in out country that many of you might relate to.

• Click here for Saving Grace Amazon Page

Like The Book of Barkley- ALL sales proceed go to animal rescue and adoption centers, this month -

• Lab Rescue L.R.C.P.

as well as Search Dog Foundation where Mom matches will personally match sales to sponsor a search dog's training from rescue to rescuer.

Sunday Black and White

Walking with Dad, the best part of the weekend.

Join our hosts - Nola and Sugar

Guess Who is Back in Blogville?

Abby Lab here on a lazy, sunny Saturday morning.

And I have a message for a couple of furry folks.

You know - you dogs that have sniffing around here since I haven't had an outing with my favorite fella in a while -

Yes. . . You

And YOU.

I have a message for you.

YES

He's BACK in Blogville.

Everyone go say a warm and happy Welcome Back! to

• Frankie Furter and Ernest

They've completed their cross state move and are settling into their beautiful new home and surroundings in Pencil-VANIA to be closer to family members (Sarge's Paw-rents). We're so happy to see you back. Especially YOU, Frankie

The Healthy Eating Blog is Back (let me go hide the wrappers)

Seriously - are you going to eat all of that?

Abby the Lab here with news that Mom's healthy eating and diet blog is off of hiatus because she quit stuffing her face due to stress finished moving out of her other home and started her new job in the city where she and Dad live have lived since they got married in 2013.

There won't be any calorie counting - just some ideas for healthy meals and snacks, tips to incorporate more fruits and veggies in your diet (seriously Mom thinks Starbursts count as a fruit) as well as some healthy recipe ideas that the entire family will love.

She had lost 42 pounds before the wedding by calorie counting but she wasn't eating really nutritious food all of the time so she was always hungry and the weight was creeping back on. Plus, she noticed her skin was getting dry and she didn't have the energy she should. So she did some homework on nutrition post mano-pause (as they didn't get too much into that when she took Home Ec in the Bronze age) and read up on good and bad fats and quality protein as well as how to build and retain muscle mass as one gets (ahem) older. 

The first step was to get rid of her candy supply which will go to Dad's office. Dad's a stick and he's only 33 so he can eat the contents of an entire bread truck and not gain a pound. Mom said that is NOT fair and it's all  her metabolism's fault, her eating and exercise habits have nothing to do with it.

Bwahahahahahaha.

The first step was to clean up the cupboards of stuff we don't need to have around.

Did I tell you Mom really likes bread and desserts and fruity candy, espcially Zotz.

Did I  mention  Mom likes Zotz.

Yup - this was her stash.  She kept a dish of them on her desk at work and they seemed to disappear at a regular rate.  SURE your coworkers are eating them, I told her as I looked through the phonebook for Zotzaholic Anonymous.

She is ditching all candy and food with high fructose corn syrup, tossing the sweetened beverages and reworking some favorite recipes and posting the mayhem results.

Then we stepped her plans for exercise, ditching the "The Three Toed Sloth Presents Workout Now!" tapes and buying some weights like Dad's but wimpier.

We hope you'll stop in and visit as Murphy and Stanley and Oreo's Moms started the idea and it's always fun to support and share.

• Mom's Healthy Eating Blog

TMI Time - Static Electricity

Abby the Lab here.  Mom has a nice office at at home, where she writes her books and her blogs at night.  But it also has low humidity, Mom being worried about a humidifier leaking on the hardwood floors. Now add in fuzzy slippers, said low humidity, and skin and a metal filing cabinet. Sometimes Mom gets the occasional light shock after shuffling along the big area rug to touch the light switch.

Picture an evening at home, it's late, Dad;s away on business and Mom just threw on a pair of panties and a ultra thin robe that sort of gapes open in the front after her bubble bath while her pajamas finished up in the dryer. The room is quiet and I'm happily sleeping on my Orvis dog bed waiting for Dad to call us from his hotel. 

It's time for Mom to go fetch her jammies and go to bed. Shuffle shuffle (insert sound of static electricity building here) shuffle shuffle.


Unfortunately, in passing the metal filing, there was a portion of Mom's upper torso,  that sticks out a bit further than anything else (no Mom, NOT your tummy).

Guess what touched the metal filing cabinet as someone tried to get between it and some boxes of books?

Spark!

ZAP !!!

"Son of a *)#*& !!"    

Mom said - if you think a static electricity shock hurts on your finger which has just a few nerve endings. . . . .

Next time, forget comfy Mom,  you need to wear your "Don't Tase Me Bra!" when you're writing late at night.

Abby Lab

Wordless Wednesday - Signs

People - Know Your Labs!

National Taco Day for Angel Jazzi

Abby Lab here.  Mom was a bit tired after the move, drive and unpacking but we wanted to post as we join

Oreo and Addi

as we remember Angel Jazzi on National Taco Day.  First Mom got out some leftover unseasoned burger she'd fried up for soup.  Then she put together the ingredients for brunch for her and Dad.  I was wondering if she'd forgotten about the taco and she got out these miniture gluten free yellow corn tacos from the foodiespoon company.

Oh yummy - mini doggie sized tacos with no hot spices, just meat and a little cheese and veggies.  YUMMY

I don't think it was NEAR as good as my dog tacos but  Mom made breakfast burritos for Sunday brunch.  They started with some small salad plates and tortillas.

First - she prepared the secret ingredient.  Jalapeno corn salsa.

A couple of cups of frozen corn, thawed
A handful of Cilantro, chopped
2 small jalapeno's chopped (Mom left some of the seeds in to make it hot)
1/3 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a few dashes of salt
juice of a couple limes (approx. 2-3 teaspoons)

Let sit for a bit to let the flavors blend and served with slotted spoon.

This will be awesome later on some pork tenderloin. (hint hint Mom)

While the flavors for that blended Mom fixed some scrambled eggs and bacon.

A little white cheddar and ancho chili powder was added to the eggs.

Then, the corn salsa a little sour cream and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper

It's brunch, so that sort of counts as lunch which means Mom and Dad also get dessert.

Key Lime Cream  Cheese Pie (Recipe in the comments) No, it's NOT traditional key lime pie and is not trying to be.  But if you like citrus and cheesecake, Mom says this is a super easy dessert made with things many of you will have on hand and requires no baking. 

It was a HUGE hit with Dad.  I would be willing to bet it will be gone in a couple of days.

Jazzi  - you left a lot of good friends and good times here - we're so happy to share them and continue the traditions that bring out the wagging tails and happy faces.
Abby Lab

Last Burger Standing - Cable Coming Down as I Move

While Mom moves the final load of stuff Saturday and the Comcast people sprinkle the ring of salt around her home office chair in order to start the process of turning off the cable in crashpadville, I leave you with this til we're home and can post Sunday or Monday

Dad's Double Trouble Burger (with drunken beans)

I can't WAIT to be home Sunday so Dad can grill again.  I've only been commuting 1 year but Mom's been making that 8 hour round trip drive each week for over 3 years, waiting for just the right position to open up so she could stay in management and not take a big pay-cut.

One reason she picked me from all the senior dogs available for rescue was I "loved long car rides".  I should, my rescue people drove 12 hours round trip to save me from being put down in a high kill shelter. From there I went to heartworm treatment in the care of my wonderful Foster Mommy, and then to my furever Mom.  Thank you Love of Labs Indiana!

I've driven with Mom the  three and a half to four hours each way at 3:30 am every Monday and 6:30 pm every Thursday for a year. She is super stingy with the Arby's Onion Rings that fall into the truck at the Hebron, Indiana exit - ( best Arby's ever!)  What DO they taste like?  They smell so good!  But I have lots of pats and loves when we stop for a break, walkies, water, and a dog treat.

Abby Lab

Sadie Hawkins Time!

Tonight's the Big Sadie Hawkins Dance and Blog Hop over at

• Dory's Backyard

We hope everyone has a great time.

Abby was sulking because she didn't get the date she wanted, and I explained that some of our furry friends are VERY busy right now with their paw-rents and are away from Blogville.  I also explained that the Blogville social events are open to all and many doggies go alone just to see their friends to dance and have fun with all.   So she only briefly pulled the "sulk" card to get an extra treat before wishing her friends a wonderful time as she decided to stay in to keep ME company.

Because I was in a sulk as my husband and I are apart all week due to schedules and the move and I really miss him.

So Abby - care to share this dance?

Mom