Re-blog day! Best Friends Animal Society – Saying Goodbye to the Love of Your Life.

                                                                                                                                                                                                   This struggle with knowing when to say good-bye is hard.

This blog actually made me physically shudder and I had to hold back a sob when I finished reading it.

As the author of this blog says, sometimes knowing when the time is, is a gift to have, sometimes it’s a burden.

It is never easy to let go of something that you love unconditionally.

When each and everyone one of mine has left to cross the Rainbow Bridge, I have been with them to the end. 

I have mourned harder for my pets than I have for some people.  Is that because they are so easy to be with, because they have a soul that comforts me, because there is a different bond with a loving, trusting pet?

It’s pure, there are no hang-ups, no conditions, no spite!

I wish everyone well that is facing or will be facing this now or in the future.

One of the things that goes with the privilege of being a pet guardian is knowing they will pass over before we do. 

It’s a small price to pay for all they give to us while they are here.

I wish I had never read it! I can’t get to horror out of my head now!

I mistakenly read an article, no I read an article about animal abuse at the hands of Michael Vick and now I wish I had not.  I cannot get the images out of my head.  The article spoke to the fact that most people feel he has “paid his dues to society” and is a great athlete so we should just let him get on with his life.  Well if one did some research he paid his dues to society on the charge of profiting from dogfighting.  He NEVER faced his charges of Animal cruelty because he plead guilty to the aforementioned charge and the latter was dropped.  He didn’t pay for torturing animals.  He is a monster and his life should never get back to  normal.  The article was so disturbing to me I will not even link it to my post.  I will not describe the elements of it that are now forever embedded in my psyche either. 

However in doing some research on this topic I have found that there seems to be some debate going on about whether dog fighting videos should be made illegal or will that have a baring on “freedom of speech?”  Well as far as I am concerned if the video is depicting something illegal WHICH DOG FIGHTING IS…  Then the video is illegal and freedom of speech goes out the window…….? 

This brings me to the fact that society is sooooo caught up in what is their RIGHT they don’t have a clue what is their responsibility anymore!  No one realizes that the more they “exercise their right.”  Which for all intent and purpose is a bunch of entitled people screaming that they want to do what they want or they will throw a tantrum (basically stuck in Freud’s Anal stage which is very appropriate if you ask me.  ‘Cause they are Big A$$’s.)

There were a few articles in the Toronto Sun right after the G20 fiasco and I have to say that although I really am not a fan of the Sun’s point of view on a lot, I had to really applaud the columnists!  They have finally said what has been the elephant in the room for a looooonnnnggg time!  No one thinks about society as a whole, everyone thinks of themselves and what is best for them and what they can get.  It isn’t always all about you….  I understand that we have to protect some rights.  That we have to make sure we don’t live in a police state, but when the right to speech supersedes the torture of another life…..  There is something drastically wrong with that society.  People need to stop, take stock and re-examine themselves and their wishes, wants and priority. 

So now I move onto something along that topic.  His Excellency…  The husband of the Governor General.  Who the Hell is he!?  Anyone know?  He is called His Excellency because he sleeps in the same bed as the Queen’s representative in Canada and he calls the Queens property in Canada his home.  YET, he didn’t want to have Her Majesty stay there while she was in Canada.  What a selfish pig.  Does he not realize that he would not be where he is if there wasn’t a Queen of Canada?  Because she wouldn’t need a representative and his corrupted wife would not have a job because well there would be no Queen for her to represent.  Ms. Jean and her Excellent husband cannot vacate the position of Governor General fast enough for me.

Anyway I would say that OUR QUEEN had a lovely and successful visit with her subjects here in the Great (white) North.  She was met with cheerful smiles, flowers and exclamation of her beauty no matter where she went.  Come back again Lilibet!  We love you!

So it’s been a while…

I have not watched Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) in a while but this time I started watching late in the season.  I love the Osbournes and routed for Kelly the whole way.  Until I watched Donnie Osmond’s first dance on Monday night.  Well I fell in love.  He won, Kelly came in third.  I am happy and well I will see how it goes with Season 10…  Watch or not to watch that is the question!?

Went to see New Moon this past week-end…  Not impressed.  I loved the book it was my fave of all four I read it in one day at the cottage.  The movie just didn’t do it justice!  Jake all the way for me peeps!  Not contest in my mind!  Love me some werewolves! 

Have been skimming through blog roll here some really good blogs and writing you should do the same when you have some time.

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man’s hat if you haven’t got a penny a ha’penny will do if you haven’t got a ha’penny then god bless you!  Picture Miss Piggy and John Denver!  I love it.  Gotta break out the CD!!!!  I am so very excited, I am sure it is going to be a good year for us!  I have done most of the shopping only about two more to go! 

Work have been good nothing too much to report.  I for the first time actually enjoy coming to work. 

 Cell phone is busted.  Every timeJames calls it hangs up on him!  LOL!  I think it’s hilarious and it just really ticks him off!  Oh and I busted my Parking break in my car and with a manual trannie it ain’t a good thing!

 Love, happy to be in it! 

Was going to do a pic of the day but found this on YouTube instead!  And they say dogs are dumb!

Here’s a quick recipe too!  They have a new Budget wise section on Kraftfoods.com and a big Potluck section for Christmas and US thanksgiving coming!

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/chicken-parmesan-bundles-107338.aspx

So, I am going to the One of a Kind show with  my Mother-in-law and Grandmother this Sunday!  I have not been in years, should be fun! 

Along with the One of a Kind we used to go to the Sugar Plum Fair every year at Casa Loma, it was the National Ballet of Canada’s major fundraiser.  Kinda miss it.  We always got these chocolate and caramel covered apples from a place called Treemendous apples.  I don’t know if they still exist!

I am really very sad that  Eastwick has been cancelled it was really the only new show this season that I liked. 

Jon and Kate plus Eight signed off on Monday night!  I am really sad!  I am going to miss that show quite a bit.  STOOPIT  Jon.  Criminal Minds and Vampire Diaries have moved into my fave show category although I am really leaning towards Table for 12 as a replacement and in the end I still have 18 (soon to be 19) Kids and Counting! 

It’s kinda funny that this season I didn’t watch too much of the reality TV, I have not watched Survivor, missed a few of the Hell’s Kitchen, got board with ANTM to the point I PVR’d it and skipped to the end every week so I could just see who got kicked off!  I am getting back to the dramas except when it comes to TLC.  Oh who am  I fooling, still watching the Housewives and Tori and Dean.  Still watching Canada’s Worst Driver!  I love it!  My newly discovered Rescue Ink is GREAT too!

Had lunch with an old friend and her puppy last Friday!  It was nice!  This time of the year is always good to reconnect!  

I miss my best friend we don’t see nearly enough of each other.  Lives are too busy!

A shout of Sympathy to my long time friend MAB.  You have an angel watching down over you know.  Just know that Snoopy is with Tiny and Mowhawk now!  You will always have him in your memory! 

The loss of a loved and cherished pet is devastating especially when they are nearing their 20s.  Here is a website that helps with this…  http://www.pet-loss.net/index.shtml However you need to remember that you have to go through the stages or grief the same as you would with a Human being!  Don’t let anyone tell you any differently!  http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm

Well that is me done!  Going to sign off now!  Have a good one!  I won’t leave it so long in between next time! 

 

17th post and being 17 again!

Well here we are my 17^th post and well I was just saying to James I want to see that new movie with Matthew Perry in it, where he gets to go back to being 17 again.  Then we got to talking about just how quickly we would go back to being 17 as long as we could know what we know now.

 When they said, “Take Math, English, Science” and I wanted to take Art, Drama and Music, I would be able to say…..  “NO!  ‘Cause when I am 36 turning 37 I want to be happy in my life and well maybe being an artist would do that for me.”

 When they said, “don’t have sex you might get pregnant!”  I could say, “What’s the difference, all those girls that got pregnant in high school while I was busy being the good girl, have homes and cottages and flashy cars now.  Where’s the down side?”

When he said, “If you loved me you would.”  I could say “well I don’t love you and besides you are gonna leave me for Suzy tomorrow anyway!  So….. NO!”

 There is so much I would do differently, I would have taken the Criminal Psych courses the first time I went to Post Secondary School and not waited until I was 36 to do what I really want!  I would have pursued the Probation/Parole office route.  I would definitely not be in Administration.  I would have played harder and not been so uptight about school ’cause quite frankly high school really don’t matter so much any more! 

 I would have taken many different roads but then again I may not have.  If I had not gone down the road of leaving advertising, I would never have ended up at the Moulding Company and would never have met James (or would we have met?  Was is destiny, or did the stars just align?)  

 

If I had not gone to the Moulding Company I would never have put my resume on Workopolis www.workopolis.com , which is where my present employer found me. 

 If I had not gone with my Aunt to pick up her puppy I would not have Brody!  

 If, if, if.  I don’t know.  I would love to go back, but when I think about it I really honestly have to stop and say, although I don’t have all I WANT!!!!!  I really do have all I NEED!  My little family, James, Brody, Connie, Ali and Me.  My friends, Jenny Jenn, Diane, Ariela….  A place to lay my head at the end of the day, a GREAT job, where I moan a lot but am never gonna find a kinder gig, a car to get me from point A to point B, enough money to pay the bills and have a little fun. 

 Sure we all wish for something bigger and better, but are actually happy with what we gots! 

 On a lighter note.  Check out the new Dog friendly Hondas……  http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-04-07-pets-autos_N.htm

So some changes this week! Boring week-end but together, savings, a recipe and more!

 This week, I cancelled my home phone with Rogers!  We noticed that we were getting maybe three calls a month and paying $43.25 to have the line, call display, call waiting, call answer!  So we both have cell phones; which is how most people find us.  I also cancelled part of our TV package because we noticed we were paying $19.95 per month for the movie package but NEVER watched movies!  So we are now saving $63.20 each month and per year that adds up to $758.40.  Woo Hoo us! 

 So this week-end was regular one!  Friday night we had McCoy’s James a burger and me a chicken sandwich, we watched all of the recorded episodes of NCIS, The Mentalist, etc. etc. etc. you know what we record.  I actually got him to watch The Real Housewives of the OC.  He was funny; he really can’t stand the rich!  Then I got him to watch The Real Housewives of NYC. Have you ever watched this?  Man the Rich of NYC is much nastier than the Rich of the OC!  Ramona is the funniest!  Luanne happens to be my favourite but she is really showing her ways this season!  She is after all a Countess.  The real funny part is Simon and Alex.  It is so obvious they are so TRYING to be part of the social circle and the RICHY Rich of NYC.  They just can’t stand it!  The other women are so “This is just me and if you don’t like it then you can lump it!”  Where as these two are just so worried about making sure everything makes them look like they have money!  Too much!

 Then on Saturday night we had Holy Chow, did you know that you can get two appetizers, two meals, one rice for $23.99.  We picked it up to save the $3.00 delivery fee.

 Here is another recipe for:

  

 

Crispy Orange Beef

 

 

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Ready in 1 hr 5 mins

Serves 6

 Ingredients

 1 ½ pounds beef top sirloin thinly sliced

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups water

¼ cut cornstarch

2 teaspoons orange zest

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic

8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched

2 cups oil for frying

 Directions

• 1- lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels allow to dry in refrigerator for 30 mins in small bowl mix together the sugar rice vinegar orange juice concentrate salt and soy sauce set aside
• 2- Meanwhile combine rice and water in a medium saucepan bring to a boil the reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender add more water at the end if necessary
• 3- Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown set aside drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.
• 4- Add orange zest ginger and garlic to the remaining oil and cook briefly until fragrant add the soy sauce mixture to the wok and bring to a boil an cook until thick and syrupy about 5 minutes add beef and heat through stirring to coat. Serve immediately over steamed rice and garnish with broccoli.

  I know, I know we are boring. 

 I finally watched Marley and Me!  I wasn’t really impressed.  I LOVED the book so much; I have read it about four times.  I cry like a baby each time.  I am not saying I didn’t cry during the movie.  I just think the fact that Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson were the  actors, took so much away from these real people who simply loved their dog!  I am sad I didn’t like it!  I wish some lesser known actors had played the parts.  Brody was a little worried over the noises the dogs made and was very upset when I cried!   I still say you could re-title it Brody and Me and never have to change a lick!  I was however impressed with the literature on Labrador Retrievers in it, as to stop those irresponsible people who see a cute puppy from running out and getting one!  Although all I can say is I love my little “Clearance Puppy” more than anyone will ever know! 

 The weather today was great and I am a little more than upset about the weather that is apparently coming our way!  I may just take the TTC tomorrow and put my iPod on and read my book!  Let someone else worry about the driving!  I just can’t!  However it is supposed to be nice again by next week-end!  Woo Hoo!

 I have been downloading George Carlin skits, to make a CD for the car of the ones we have not heard, or don’t own.  I realized I have yet to talk about the music on my iPod!  Wait for it; I will do a whole post!  It is affectionately known as my “Dork Mix.”  Dubbed so by my Best Friend’s husband. 

 I am sorry I didn’t write on Friday or Saturday but life has caught up!  I was too tired!  So this is a short week, and I can’t wait for the four day week-end!  Just so you know I will try to post all week but I will be out of commission from Friday through Tuesday. 

 I hope you all have a Happy Easter or Passover, or whatever you may be celebrating!  Check out www.marthastewart.com for some ideas for recipes and crafts for the holiday!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

OK soooooooo, many things to talk about today.  ‘Cause I didn’t write yesterday!  Sorry!  I was counting inventory at work and when I got home I was overwhelmingly tired!

 

1 – I want to say Happy Birthday to my Granny in Belfast.

 

2 – I want to say Happy Birthday to Abby-dog, we miss you! 

 

3 – Tomorrow, my Nanny and Grampa will have been married for 59 years!  Wow, maybe I will do a blog on their secret, although my Grandmother told the checkout girl at Food Basics the other day that he secret was “to never fight about money!”

 

4 – Year-end is over at work!  HURRRRRRRRRAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!

 

5 – Did anyone listen to Mad-Dog and Billie yesterday!  Their April Fool’s Day stuff was actually really funny!  www.childtrader.com really who falls for this crap!  In 2009 do you really think someone would be allowed to have a site like that?  Do you really think someone would participate?  However it made me laugh on my way to work.

 

6 – Then I have to say I was listening to Ryan Seacreast’s show on the way home and he was talking about how he had asked his sister for a mint and she had told him there was one in her purse and to just go and get it and he wouldn’t.  He feels he cannot and should not go into a woman’s purse.  His sister and his on air partner told him.  “If we tell you to get it out of our purse go and get it.  ORRRRR don’t ask us for it if you aren’t prepared to get it.  If you ask us at a time that is not convenient for us to go and get it for you just go and get it.”  He took calls from men that kept bringing up that “They were raised from little boys by women telling them never to go into their purse so now they just can’t do it.”  There is a difference guys, we live with you, you are our partners, if we say you can do it, it means that we trust that you are “OK” to go into that space.  You should see it as a form of trust as well.  If we had something to hide we would never let you in there.  Now if we were secretive about it and never let you in our purse wouldn’t that make you WANT to see in it?  Maybe, who knows it is reverse psychology on our part!  If your mother tells you not to go into her purse when you are 10 that is because she wants some respect for her space!  It is because she doesn’t want you taking $10 out of her wallet, it is because she is protecting you as a child from things children don’t need to know or see that grown-ups keep in their personal space.  When you are married to, live with, go out with someone it is DIFFERENT!  So the moral is, if you ask and I say get it from my purse!  Just get it, don’t pick my purse up and bring it to me, ask me to root through it and get for you what you need.  Just get it yourself!  This is a constant struggle for me and James; he just will not do it!  I will keep trying to train him.  One day I might win! 

 

7 – Now, for the lovely surprise I got when I finally watched The Mentalist last night that I had recorded on Monday!  Now any of you that ever watched the very lovely, quirky, family oriented British show “The Monarch of the Glenn” would know just how lush Archie MacDonald was as the Laird at Glenbogle and just how the show went down hill when he left the love of his life Lexi to run the estate with his half brother.  Well seems Alastair MacKenzie, has come to America!  Woot woot!  He was in The Mentalist! 

 

8 – Sorry to see Megan Joy go from American Idol but she almost seemed like it was staged, she did poorly to get kicked off.  She didn’t seem like someone who was really sorry to be going…..  NOW!  I can’t say I was sorry to see Sandra leave America’s Next Top Model.

 

9 – I started watching a show call Exterminators on A&E last night at the urging of my Bestest friend!  I have to say I am hooked at three episodes.  He is an ethical, caring exterminator.  Don’t find too many of them around! 

 

10 – I also finally tuned into Sandhogs on History and found that amazing and amusing! 

 

So I think that is enough!  Talk to you tomorrow!

What is in a name?

Well we had a lazy Saturday and  Sunday again!  We watched a lot of NCIS, nothing to special there, we do that every week-end right?  Then we got stuck on a series called In the womb.  It was the different gestational processes of Sharks, Kangaroos, Wasps, Penguins, Cats (mall/domestic/large/wild) and  and Dogs (domestic/wild.)  It was very interesting and kept us glued to the TV for four hours.  This was in between episodes of The Dog Whisperer http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-whisperer and At the end of my Leash http://www.slice.ca/Shows/ShowsPage.aspx?Title_ID=105200 where it was pointed out that I am the “weak link” and the source of most of Brody’s issues.  No?  REALLY?  I didn’t know that!  James you are sooooo smart!

Anyway, here goes for today!

Lately there seems to be a lot of talk about baby names.  James decided that he was going to name his first born boy, Maxabillion, because well it is 2009 and Maxamillion is so before inflation!  Yuck yuck yuck!  I know you are slapping your thigh and holding your belly you are laughing so hard. 

Well, I started thinking and there is a great deal of importance in a name.  Do you name a new baby after a family member?  Do you name them after a big star, do you give them big shoes to fill or somewhere to strive to?  Or do you just give them a name that is theirs?

My name is hyphenated.  For those of you that don’t know what a hyphen is you may have said dash instead….  It looks like this –  It was a great pain when I was little.  I could never have anything with my name on it, because there was never a LESLIE-ANN licence plate, pen, barrett whatever you wish to have AND to top it all off Leslie is spelled the boys way so if I even settled for a choice that read Leslie it was blue not pink!  Named after my Mother’s godfather I was blessed with the male spelling of Leslie and therefore they added the Ann onto it.  However they had to spell that less the e that everyone wishes to put on it.  Further from this, since Leslie-Ann is so uncommon, look it up there is a Leslie-Anne Warren and a Lesley-Ann Down and that is it, no one could ever catch the Leslie part and heard the Ann and assumed I was called, Leigh-Ann, Lorrie-Ann or Mary-Ann.  I stopped correcting people it just wasted time.  So here I am today having gone through many phases in my name of being called, Les, Leslie, L, Leslie-Ann, Lee, Leaky, you name it and now it’s just LAGGY! 

In looking at the top 100 boys and girls names listed on Yahoo last week, I was alarmed to know there were only two girls names I would consider and maybe four boys names but one is my dogs name and two are WAY to over used….  So I got to thinking. 

Even each of my pets’ names have been well thought out.

• Alistair, my first cat in  my own home, I just really liked that name.
• Billy was named so because he was an orange tabby and so called after Prince William of Orange otherwise known as King Billy.
• Connie, was called so because she was a CONstant pain in my but, she was a bottle feeder when she came to me and CONstantly needed attention.
• Merlin was called so because he was pitch black and seemed to me that he would be the kind of cat a magician would have.
• Coby was a cobalt blue budgie
• Belle was his girlfriend and at the time Coby Bell was on ThirdWatch
• Fionn the Fairwat!  or Ferret if you say it without the speech issues, was called Fionn as she was so little but had a Giant of a personality and so was called after Fionn MacCool!
• LB or Little Bird was just a really little bird.
• Rory was called so because he was an albino and had red eyes, Rory is red in Irish Gaelic
• Brody was Casey, then Duncan, even his pedigree papers were drawn up with that, then when he came home it didn’t fit so we called him Brody, it meas muddy and if you know Brody you know that fits!

But moving onto kids…..

I love the name William Stanley, William is Germanic and comes from Wil (desire) and helm (helmut or protection.)  Stanley is English and means the stony meadow.

I also love Dennis James, I have always loved Dennis but would surely shorten it to Denny, this Greek and means follower, while James is English and means he who supplants.  Trust me the atheist to pick a biblical name!

Other boys names  would consider are:

• Eamon
• Ronan
• Declan
• Doyle
• Orry
• Donnal
• Rory
• Aiden
• Liam
• Terran
• Tarick
• Rowan
• Grier

Do you see a pattern here, most of them are Irish, Celtic or Gaelic.  Hmmmm read on.  Some of the girls names will shock you!

My first choice would be Alexandra, only so I can shorten it to Lexi Maeve.  Alexandra is Greek and the feminine form of Alexander which means defender of mankind!  Who knew my little girl would be a goddess!  Hmmm!  I kinda suspected!  Maeve is Irish and means intoxicating, sooooo she would not only be a goddess she would be an INTOXICATING one!  Whoo hoo only from my loins! 

The next name I would choose would be Jillian Mari.  Of course she would be called Jilly!  I watched Practical Magic!  Jillian is the feminine form of Julian and youthful!  Mari is the welsh form of Mary, although it is pronounced Mah ree not Mary!  It means, bitter.  Haaaa haa, I will have a boy from the stony meadow who’s will is to protect, another boy who supplants and is a follower, I will have a gorgeous little intoxicating goddess, and a bitter youth!  Well again ONLY FROM MY LOINS!

Other girl names I would choose:

• Niamh (pronounced Neeve)
• Maura
• Tovah
• Aine (pronounced Awnya)
• Seraphina
• Meredith
• Navah
• Isabella (of course she would be a Bella, liked this before twilight)
• Gwenne
• Carly

No, don’t get excited in any version that excited can be, James and I are not having or even contemplating kids right now.  There are many things we have to get a handle on before that happens….  But it is nice to know that when we do, the names are already chosen…  Then again, who knows we may look at the little bundle of joy at the end of the day and say, hmmmm he/she does look like a Maxabillion.  After all anything James and I make will defo look like a billion dollars! 

Love ya sweetheart!

Recipe Day! Hmmm! Laggy’s becoming domesticated! James what are you doing to her?

One of the things I love about living with someone is coming home at the end of the work day to them.  I love coming home to our space, our love, our little family and to dinner and talking about the day across the table.  Cooking together in a too small kitchen and learning from him.  God (if there is one) knows I have a lot to learn with it comes to cooking!  LOL!!! 

James is a GREAT cook, he likes it too.  So I am happy to hand over that household duty to him.  Burgers or tacos, steak or meat loaf… Never a complaint when I devour it.  His specialities are lasagna, ribs on the bbq and French onion soup! 

I received these two recipes from some mail lists I belong to and asked him to make it for me.  I thought you might like to try it too!

Garlic Cheesy Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs, seasoned
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 (7ounce) package of garlic cheese spread.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
• Pound chicken breasts until thinned out.  In a shallow dish or box mix together bread crumbs and cheese.  Dip one side of each breast into melted butter or margarine, then into crumb/cheese mixture.  Place a dollop of cheese spread at one end of each chicken breast on he side of the breast no dipped in the mixture. Roll each breast and secure with toothpicks.
• Place roll-ups in a lightly greased 9×13 inch banking dish and drizzle any remaining butter or margarine over all.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear. 

Garden Vegetable Chopped Salad

• Prep time 10 mins
• Total time 10 mins
• Makes 6 servings

What you need.

• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut or shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup KRAFT CALORIE-WISE Creamy Caesar Dressing
• 1/2 cup shredded CRACKER BARREL Old Cheddar Cheese Light – Made with 2% Milk
• 3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

Make it!

• Toss lettuce with broccoli, carrots and dressing
• Top with cheese and bacon

Shortcut

• a 300-g pkg of torn romaine lettuce will yield 6 cups which is just what you need to make this flavourful salad.

Try Kraft Kitchens http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/Pages/home.aspxor All recipes http://allrecipes.com/ or Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/There are many more like Olivieri and most sites let you set up your own recipe box to keep your favourites in or you can add yourself to their mail lists for the recipe of the day, some have discussion boards where you can share and get advice, they also go as far as converting for you from metric to imperial and vice versa as well as calculating more or less servings if you need to, but I really like these three.

Happy cooking!  By the way, we didn’t have a candle-lit dinner last night during Earth-hour, we ate burgers from The Real McCoy’s and watched TV!  I will talk about my distane for the environmental and green cause later!  Right now lets all eat drink and be merry!

 

Animals have feelings too! We are all living and breathing and all deserve respect.

In a world were DIVERSITY is a buzz term followed by RESPECT and EQUITY why is it was can’t see that a beating heart is a beating heart, a breathing lung is a breathing lung, a brain that can make the decision to drags it’s beloved people from a burning building is one that is functioning! 

 

Why is it then that we can’t see that animals deserve just as much respect and equity as we do!  They see, feel, breath, eat, love etc……  The same as we do.  So why then are we so passive about the way they are treated.

 

Gandhi said you can learn a lot about a society by observing the way they treat their animals!

 

Well in a society that condones, beating a baby seal over the head and skinning it alive, rounding up wolves by scaring them senseless flying above them in helicopters in order to shoot them without and chance of escape, bating bears, dogs, badgers, cocks, killing cats in the name of art I don’t think we would pass for anything more than barbaric, if we were measured by this.

 

Sentences for animal cruelty are laughable and studies show that cruelty to animals is generally the precursor to cruelty on a much larger scale to human beings!

 

Why do we still allow this to go on?  Why must they starve, be hurt, discarded like garbage, when all they ask in return for their super love, obedience and ability to forgive and forget at the drop of a dime is that we feed them, love, them, and provide for their basic needs. 

 

If you don’t feel anything after reading this then you are not human at all!

 

A Pet’s Prayer

            Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness that the loving heart of me. 

 

Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do. 

 

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world’s sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear. 

 

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to the elements.  And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. 

 

Though, had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow that rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshipper. 

 

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. 

 

Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger. 

 

And, beloved master, should the great Master sees fit to deprive me of my health or my sight; do not turn me away from you.  Rather, hold me gently in your arms, as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest — and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

 

 ~Beth Norman Harris

 

 

I would not have survived my issues and stumbles in life had it not been for my pets.  They each came to me when I needed them the most and taught me what I needed to learn.  They gave me and still give me a reason to get up in the morning.  They make me laugh, they make me cry and fill me with an incredible love I will never know from anyone else.  It is the only love that is unconditional.  Not even than of a mother and child is like this love!  I do not use them as substitute children they are my pets and this is different.

 

Here is my motto, keep it in mind of you ever come to visit!

 

I love my pets, this is heir home.

It is my hope, they’ll never roam. 

My faithful friends, they are the best.

Remember this is THEIR home, YOU are the guest. 

So if to you they are a peeve, then by all means feel free to leave!

 

Don’t for a second think I don’t mean it! 

 

SEE even Martha Stewart thinks pets are tops….  http://www.marthastewart.com/pet?lnc=bb1e0f7ef140f110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=globalnavigation_pets

 

We went for dinner the other night and the people’s dog jumped in the car as I got out and was so excited she pee’d on the sleeve of James’ coat.  He simply shrugged it off.  These are the joys of pets. 

 

I don’t like to go to a home where there are no pets.  I don’t understand it.  A home is not a home without some fur and toys EVERYWHERE!  I would not know what to do with myself if I wasn’t picking up, feeding, cleaning little boxes, walking or shopping for them.  I have insurance for them and a savings account that is called PETS as I would never want to have to choose between saving their lives and paying my bills.  I have the money to pay the vet bill until I can claim it and get the refund from the insurance which goes right back into the savings account.

 

I have suffered vet bills in excess of $5000.00 and never once batted an eye!  I would rather eat toast and cheese and go without than have to worry about not having the money to give them what they need!  I have force fed, I have administered sub q fluids, I have done things for my pets most humans would not think I doing for other humans! 

 

People with kids think I am CRAZY, however I ask, if you didn’t have OHIP would you choose between paying your mortgage or a $5000.00 treatment for your child.  NO!  I didn’t think so.  So don’t think me crazy when I am dealing with a life.  I know, I know, don’t compare my cat to your kids!  Well in most case I would take my cat over….  Oooppss going to offend here!

 

I will call it a day!  Have a good one!  Remember April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month…..  Visit your local Human Society or SPCA to see how you can give your time or your money!

 

RELATIONSHIPS!?

Sorry for not posting yesterday but that might happen a few times on Saturdays, it is the only day of the week that James and I actually devote to each other and try to not allow ANYTHING to get slipped in that is not about us.

 

Well you might be wondering what we actually did yesterday being Saturday…  As I suspected he opted for the 17 episodes of NCIS that were clogging up the PVR.  I am so happy that it is cleared out now.  I am also happy that we watched new episodes, caught up on old ones, and just sat on the couch together all day!  In between Brody lying on us, and getting up for walkies, food and bathroom breaks and naps we did all 17 hours from 9PM Friday till 11PM Saturday!  Can you say Marathon?

 

The fact that we spent all of the time together, just being together is the best segway into the topic for today!

 

My relationships!

 

As trying as they might be, we all have them.  Family, friends, love, enemies.  They are all dynamic whether positive or negative.

 

I have many, my relationship…..

 

With myself (which is the most important one I will ever have according to Diane Von Furstenberg’s advice to Whitney!  Oh The City, I miss it already!)

 

With James the sweetest, most loving person I know.  It is not easy being on the Rollercoaster called Leslie-Ann’s anxiety but he sticks with it.  Give and take, listening, patience and truly, unabashedly, openly, honestly, loving and trusting are just a few of the things he has taught me.  Not to mention I know more about after market “soup-up parts” for cars than I ever had wished to!  But if I want him to know about what I like and am passionate about, then I have to give that respect back.  Wow, did any of you ever think you would hear Laggy say something like that!?

 

With Brody!  This dog from the beginning has taught me about trust, perseverance, true fun and joy and just what a ball of anxiety looks like.  I hasten to wish to know what happened to him before we got him, but am lulled by the knowledge he is much better with us.  But “Barky bark bark bark…” be quiet sometimes!  Ok!

 

With Alistair.  This is a funny one.  He loves me but he hates me!  He needs me but it bothers him that he does.  He screams for food each day like in his mind I just might forget to put it down, when I have done it without fail twice a day for TWELVE years.  Oh, big white cat……  I can’t forget!

 

With Connie!  This one is the most influential in my life.  If it was not for this little seven pound outspoken, face biting, cushion peeing grey ball of fur.  I may still be lying on the couch in a cloud of depression that started back in 2005.  She would not let me.  She honestly was sent to me for a reason.  That was to help me live!  As an atheist I do not believe in the divine or a higher power, but someone…  I don’t know who, knew I needed Connie and did me the biggest favour anyone ever has by putting her in my path…

 

With Jennifer.  There is not one other person that I can say that has seen me through, stood beside me, pushed me down, picked me up, smacked me, laughed with and at me or pepper sprayed me.  She is my best friend and I cannot tell you how much I need her and love her!

 

With Various at work.  Fun, trying, nurturing, teaching….  Too many to talk about.  Except my Ariela.  She is a very special person.  You don’t find them like her too often!

 

With Family!  My in-laws and mine!  What can I say?  No matter what I say someone will be offended!  I love them all for, because of and in-spite of themselves.  I have to, I didn’t choose them, and I was popped into the middle of them.  I can’t change them and I am not sure I would really want to.  They are all mine, and no one else’s!  If you don’t like them well that is too bad!  To the ones who are still here (in Canada or overseas) I love you, to the ones who have passed on…  I miss you!

 

With Nikki Sixx!  Haa!  XXX rated, lasted for about 23 years and all in my head!  See the humour in this; I really am not in need of psychiatric help!

 

With the person that answers the phone at Rogers!  Hmmm maybe I should skip this one and write a whole day on it!  I really could write for a whole year on it! 

 

There is an intro to some of the major relationships you will hear me talk about, there are more like my relationship with my TV, Ha!!!!  And the one with the washing machine!  And the woman who yelled at me in No Frills when I yelled at her kid for tripping me!  Oh but in the words of the narrartor of Tales of the Riverbank (aka Hammy Hamster) “that is another story!”