The Last Day of February

As you know, February has not been a good month for me in most respects. However, I do try to look for something positive amid all the dark, gloom, sadness, and despair. In this situation, it stood out like a sunny day! So many people have come forward: friends, family, friends of friends, friends of family, family of friends and even complete strangers to support us through this sad and stressful time. It has meant so much to all of us and we want you to know how much we appreciate it and to thank you for all you've done for us. I know there will be sunny days ahead and that soon I'll be able to snooze in my own sunbeam.

Thank you everyone!

HOW TO MASSAGE A DOG...

In following Alice's great informative posts, I thought I would do more of a spoof on how to massage your dog....well Giupetto style.

He was a little fiesty, as he prefers his massages in the morning, and not mid afternoon. But he really does enjoy them.

He comes to me in the morning and curls his body in this funny position asking for his massage,

and he asks for it every morning.

In this video, he was only accomodating me, but really not in the mood for a massage. Unfortunately, I needed a video. LOL

I am not really pulling hard on his legs, just playing, and everytime I pull on the front ones he shows is teeth. He also thinks this part is play time, but he is not really biting.

He is just so easy to position where ever I want him.

And I am not pulling the tail, just very gently on the tail, as most dogs do not like their tails pulled.

Giupetto also LOVES to be brushed out.

Not the best video of this, but I tried.

You can here DaVinci (aka Cheeca) in the background.

I hope you enjoy it, at least a little.

No animals were harmed in the making of this video, only annoyed.

http://www.dianadesignsny.etsy.com/

http://www.stylindogsboutique.etsy.com/

Dr. Seuss Birthday Giveaway

March 2nd is Dr, Seuss' Birthday. This week's Sunday blog is a giveaway that is all about him.

Dr. Seuss was one of Theodor Seuss Geisel's pen names. He is well know for the many children's books he wrote and illustrated. He was born on Howard Street in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 2, 1904. Before writing children's books, he wrote for a variety of publications, made political cartoons and made some army training films. His first published children's book was And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Can you believe it was actually rejected 27 times.

In honor of this great author who brought the joy of reading to so many children through the generations,

(This picture is of DogBarks and CatCalls - Patty's grandson Zeke in his Dr. Seuss outfit.)

I am doing a blog giveaway. I am giving away two hand drawn laminated bookmarks as shown below to one lucky person. (Note the familiar Dr. Seuss like stripes. )

The game is simple. Match the quotes to their Dr. Seuss' book titles (some books may be used more than once with the quotes). Once you have matched them all, convo (do not put answers in comments area) the answers to me at SassySashadoxie. If you have the correct answers, your name will be put in a drawing for the free bookmarks.

Good Luck to all. You have until February 28, 2011 at 12:01am Eastern Standard Time to convo me your answers. After that time, I will put the winner in the comments area below.

If you want to put a list of your favorite books (Dr. Seuss or not) in the comments area below that would be nice, too. Keep on reading folks. It is good for your brain!

Here are the Dr. Seuss Book Titles to use:

A. Cat In The Hat!
B. Horton Hears A Who!
C. Green Eggs And Ham
D. The Lorax
E. Oh, The Places You'll Go

Now, match them to these quotes.

1. You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
2. a person’s a person, no matter how small
3. He should not be here. When your mother is out!
4. Not in a box. Not with a fox.
5. And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
6. Oh! Baby! Oh! How my business did grow!
7. I meant no harm. I most truly did not.
8. I do not like them, Sam-I -am.

Saturday Blog Hop 2/26/11

The World Wildlife Fund - visit their website for more information. You can Support Earth Hour on March 26, 2011, Adopt a Species, Save the Tigers, Protect the Amazon and more. Visit their website today.

For All Those Smart Birds Out There

Thank Bird It Is Flyday!

Lumps and Bumps

It’s not uncommon for middle-aged pets, particularly dogs, to develop all sorts of lumps and bumps, either on or just under the skin. In most cases the bumps are nothing more than harmless fatty tumors or cysts -- fluid filled sacs. Most lumps and bumps on dogs are benign. In cats however, as well as some dogs lumps and bumps are the warning sign of a more serious problem.

-Turn your back on cysts: Don’t panic if your vet discovers cysts during a routine exam. These fluid filled sacs are almost always harmless, so the best thing is usually to ignore them. Occasionally cysts form in areas that gets a lot of friction -- under the collar, for example -- and they can get irritated and sore. If this happens your vet may recommend having them surgically removed.

-Keep them clean: Occasionally cysts will rupture on their own, which can cause the skin to become infected. You can keep it clean with soap and water, or you can apply rubbing alcohol several times a day, which will keep it from becoming infected and to reduce itching.

-Do a laying-on-of-hands: Frequently rubbing and stroking your pet is perhaps the best way to find potentially serious lumps early -- and keep your pet happy at the same time. Try to do a monthly check.

-Put up the beach umbrella: If you live in a sunny climate or your pet spends a lot of time outdoors, they need sun protection, preferably the kind you use on yourself, like SPF 15. Apply sunscreen to his ears, nose and face, which are the most exposed to burning rays. Don’t be concerned if he licks it off. With the exception of products containing zinc, sunscreens aren’t harmful to dogs or cats.

-Do a mouth check: It’s not always fun to get up close and intimate, particularly when your best friend has been dining on liver and fish heads. But lumps that occur in the mouth are more likely to be dangerous than those found on other parts of the body. It is important to get your pet to open wide so you can do a careful inspection and perhaps catch them early. Look at the tongue, around the lips and inside the mouth. You’ll have to look carefully, because the lumps can be quite small. If you find a lump you are not sure about, ask your vet to take a look.

*These tips are home remedies only and should not ever be used as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your veterinarian. If your pet has a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical care.

Alice England
Makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com

February 23rd is National Banana Bread Day!! 

by Patty from Dogbarks

Bananas are a Superfood for your heart, providing an excellent source of vitamin B6 and a good source of potassium, fiber and vitamin C - nutrients that help promote heart health.

A study published in Nutrition and Cancer found that those who consumed bananas three or more times per week had a 72% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who consumed them less than one time per week. 

Children who eat just one banana a day have a 34% less chance of developing asthmatic symptoms, according to new British research.

Bananas have health benefits for every stage in your life, such as reducing abdominal pain in children and lowering blood pressure in adults.

"Yeah, I like cars and basketball. But you know what I like more? Bananas." - Frankie Muniz

(American actor, musician, and racecar driver.)

And here's  a nice healthy version of this favorite treat! 

Ingredients

---

• Combine in a large bowl:
• 2 c whole spelt flour (or whole wheat or barley - or a mix of flours)shopping list
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• -
• Combine separately:
• 3 lg very ripe bananas (about 1&1/2c) - mashed
• 2 eggs
• *1/2 c brown sugar or sucanat
• 1/2 c milk or substitute
• zest of a lemon or orange (optional)
• 2 tsp vanilla or 1 Tbsp dark rum
• -
• Mix wet and dry until just incorporated.
• 
  

How to make it

---

• Pour into a generously greased and dusted loaf pan - any smallish pan will work.
• Bake at 350 for about 50 min - a toothpick inserted in center should come out clean.
• Wait 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a rack to cool.
• Enjoy :-)
• * For sugar-free or a lower-sugar banana bread, replace the sugar with 1/3c of unsweetened fruit juice concentrate (apple, orange, white grape), agave syrup, maple syrup or honey.

SHOW AND TELL TUESDAYS - 22nd

I thought these were really cute. Hope you like them too:







Diana

www.DianaDesignsNY.etsy.com
www.StylinDogsBoutique.etsy.com

Dedicated to My Friends

I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful prayers, bible passages, words of encouragement, support, emails, convos and gifts during this time of loss. Words aren't enough to express how much you've helped me deal with everything, so I found this montage to help express the warm and fuzzy feeling you all manage to emit across the miles.
Thank you so much for all you do :)

Sunday Spotlights

Sasha and I want to start spotlighting a few of the awesome pawsome PetsJubilee team members' items on Sundays. Here are just a pawful of the great items that our team members have created.
If you like any of these items, please click on each picture to see how you can purchase one of your very own.

SewingLoves on ETSY

Pugpossessed on ETSY

peachypaws on ETSY

helensadornments on ETSY


9kitties on ETSY

Pet Loss And Grieving

It has been a tough week for the petsjubilee team. The loss of our team captain's (Shari's) hubby on Valentine's day and then two of our team members have lost beloved dogs. The team has been hit hard and we are all grieving deeply for the lost ones. This blog is dedicated to the two new furry critters who are romping over the rainbow bridge until the time when they can rejoin their human companions once again.

First, CamargoCreations or Sean lost his Maltese Sugar. This is what Sean had to say about his loving furbaby:

"Sugar was a tiny Maltese but had a big personality. She was brave, loyal, funny and so much more. She brought a smile to everyone she met. Her little sticking out tongue always caused a stir and people were always stopping to pet her. She had a quick no nonsense pitter-patter of a walk and never seemed to tire. She enjoyed going anywhere I went. She was always up for adventure. She loved to dress up and show off. She was always excited to prance around and pose. She had never found out that she was a tiny dog and liked to boss around bigger dogs. They must have known she meant business because none of them ever crossed her. What made her really special was how loving she was. She would curl up on my shoulder and nestle her head under my chin. She was always there for me in good times and bad.When we rescued her she was in need of lots of loving care. Her hair was a matted mess and overgrown, her poor little mouth was black and rotten, and after her spay we found out her poor little organs were infected and deformed, perhaps from having been breed. She was only 3 lbs. from not being able to eat because of her teeth. Our vet is incredible and he promised to make her feel good as new- after her surgeries he told us "She won't win any beauty contest, but she is going to feel much better." Her little tongue hung out of her mouth since the vet was only able to save a few of her teeth but that tongue was always there to give kisses! We thought that she was the most beautiful dog ever and that is all that matters!As she started her new life our groomer had to shave her down to get rid of her dirty matted hair. She was cold but I couldn’t find a comfy sweater to fit her. I sat down and made her a little sweatshirt. It was for her that I started Camargo Creations. She was my little muse. She always kept my company while I was sewing and gave her stamp of approval to all my finished products."



Then, ChocolateKennels or Stephanie lost Diva to some kind of unknown poisoning. This is what Stephanie said about Diva:

"She was me and moms little spoiled angel. We are so upset over her. She was a very great model as well as the best dog anyone could ask for."

Finally, may we all Cherish the animals in our lives for as long as they are with us because they bring us so much joy, love, and happiness. Rest in peace Sugar and Diva. You will be greatly missed by us all.

This blog post was made by a joint effort of Lori (DoodyPops) and Athena (SassySashadoxie).

It is also blog hop Saturday.

This blog hop is sponsored by:

Watson

My husband and I got a Quaker parrot, Watson, near the end of 2005 -- he was a hand fed baby and we got him as soon as he was weaned. Of course with my excessive talking, he quickly began to speak. I spend nearly every day, all day in the room with him, which is the ‘secret’ to why I think he has become such a talker. By mid way through February of 2006, he said his first sentence: ‘What do you want for breakfast?’. This was something I asked James every morning, so it was probably inevitable that he would learn this phrase first. I decided yesterday to write down his phrases and they are listed below. An explanation, if needed follows the phrase in parentheses. The list became so long, I even surprised myself. Phrases that follow an asterisk are ones that he says ONLY in response to the situation, proving (to us at least) that they DO know what they are saying and why they are saying it.

*Good morning, Wat. Time to wake up. (When we take the cover off his cage in the morning)
Mama brought you some breakfast.
Mama brought you some supper.
Mama brought you some clean water.
Mama brought you a treat cup.
What do you want for breakfast?
*It’s hot. (About James’ coffee in the morning)
*I can’t share it. It’s got chocolate, baby.
Are you hungry little bird?
Did you taste it?
Is that good?
Does it taste good?
*It’s good for you. (Said about anything he likes to eat, regardless of good or bad for him)
*That’s good id-un-it? (that’s southern for isn’t it? lol Again about food or drink)
What are you doing?
What are you saying?
Are you a talking bird?
I’m a talking bird. Talk, talk, talk.
I’m a pretty bird.
I’m a smart bird.
I’m a puffy bird.
I’m a funny bird.
*Be right back. I’ll be right back. (When James leaves for work)
*Did you drop it? (Every time something -- anything -- hits the floor)
Your mama loves you little bird.
You are a good little bird. A good little bird. Good little bird. (He likes this one lol)
Clean up the house.
Pick up the house.
*Mama is clean up the kitchen. (Grammar isn’t perfect, as you can see)
Take out the garbage, take out the garbage, take out the traaaash. (southern edition again)
Want your mama to give you a bath? You wanna bath?
*Come on up. (When I put Montana on the couch with me or when Watson flies to James)
*Sweet baby. (When we are petting and loving on the dogs)
*Love on, love on. Love a little. (When James is loving and kissing on him)
*Mama’s picking her fingers (When I am nervously picking at my fingernails)
James!
*Mama’s comb Montana. Mama’s comb Montana’s hair.
*Stop it! (When the dogs won’t stop barking)
Buster or Boster
Montana
Chance (I can’t imagine why he doesn’t yell ‘Jake!’ but he doesn’t -- yet)
*Hang on, here we go. (When we move his cage to the bathroom for the night)
*Hang on. (When you get up with him on your shoulder, he has to hold on)
Have to go to the bathroom. (Because I announce to him why I’m leaving the room lol)
Damn. (And miraculously nothing else in this category lol)
*Bite. (When you are eating something he wants to share)
*Drink. (When you are drinking something he wants to share)
It’s good for you. That’s good for you.
*You make your mama laugh. Hahahahahaha (This if I laugh at something he says)
*Don’t be scared. It won’t hurt you. (At scary things like the vacuum cleaner, etc.)
I’m sorry. (He never says this at the right time lol)
*Oh, look, it’s a little feather. A pretty little feather. A sooooffffft little feather.
*Are you a little chicken? (Jerks his head back and forth like a chicken)
Yeah, yeah, that’s true. (the response he hears on my end to many phone conversations)
*It’s all gone. That’s it. (When the people food is gone -- for him and for the dogs)
It’s good for the trip.
Little peanut.
Little piece of paper.

I haven’t exaggerated at all when writing these phrases out. They are spoken clearly and most are spoken only at the right time, as I’ve indicated. Watson will be six this year on September 17th. He plucks himself mildly on the chest, but otherwise has never been sick. James has actually walked outside with Watson on his shoulder twice and we were VERY fortunate that he came back. He flew out of sight one of these times, but came back shortly, landed on the grass in front of James and said ‘Don’t be scared, little bird’. He brings much humor and happiness to our home.

makingstuffwithlove

Alice

Ken- You Will Be Forever Missed.

(Above image provided by Tammy of earlybird454 on ETSY.)

On February 14, 2011, Ken, Shari's (petsjubilee team captain) husband passed away from a long battle with colon cancer. Today's blog is dedicated to him, as well as, the love that he and Shari shared together for 25 years.

The petsjubilee team is morning with you Shari. We want you to know that he will be forever in our hearts and minds, too. We are there for you whenever you need and we want you to know that you have best friends all over the world that are sending prayers at this very moment for you and your family.

Shari and her family have set up a special memorial blog for Ken. There are photos, loving statements from his family, as well as, a way that you can support the family during their grieving process.

http://kennethweeksmemorial.blogspot.com/

Finally, I was moved to write this poem for you Shari. I hope in some way that it helps.

The See-Saw
By Athena Taylor

A boy - A girl
On a see-saw.

Up. Down.
Up. Down.

When one sores high,
The other comes crashing
Down - BAM.

Each connected to the other
In air,
On ground,
Or in between.

Up. Down.
Up. Down.

In the park,
Children running, screaming, tagging.

Up. Down.
Up. Down.

One young boy falls,
Skins his knee.
But, on the see-saw
No one notices.

Up. Down.
Up . Down.

Other children come
to the see-saw.
"My turn!"
"Time to share!"
"I'm telling!"
The see-saw keeps going

Up. Down.
Up. Down.

Children leave.

Dark clouds in sky.
Rain drops fall.

Up. Down.
Up. Down.

Boy and Girl Laugh.
Catch rain drops on tongues.

Up. Down.
Up. Down.

Thunder rumbles in distance.

Up. Down.
Up . Down.

Flash of bright light fills sky.
BOOM!

The see-saw stops.
The girl is frightened.

Father comes.
Lifts boy up.

"No! Not yet Daddy!"
"I don't want to go!"
Tears - tears - tears.
Yelling! Screaming!
Sobbing - sobbing - sobbing.
Lots of sobbing.

A meek head
Peeks over
Father's shoulder.

Boy waves good-bye.

Girl alone on see-saw.

Rain falls harder.
Tears fall with rain.

With loving arms,
Her father scoops her up.
Whispers:
"You will see him tomorrow."

Do a Grouch a Favor Day

When : Always February 16th

Do a Grouch a Favor today. Do it and make the world a better place.

Everyone has been a grouch at one time or another. Some people are seemingly grouches all of the time. It's in their nature. 

Others are occasional grouches, influenced by events in their lives, lack of sleep, the weather, etc. A few people are good at disguising their grouchy mood. But, they still need cheering up.

 Look around for someone who is in a grouchy mood today. Then, do him or her a favor that will cheer up their day. There's plenty of grouches out there to practice on. Try it on all of the grouches that you see today, and watch the results!

Spread a little cheer today! 

By Patty from Catcalls and Dogbarks 

God's Valentine

True Love

.........For God so loVed the world.
................that He gAve
......................his onLy
....................BegottEn
...........................SoN
................................That whosoever
................Believeth In Him
...................Should Not perish,
................But have Everlasting life."

John 3:16

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Today, on the petsjubilee etsy team page the team will be doing a special activity called Hearts For Valentine's Day. This activity involves team members going through other team member's shops and finding new items that we like. We heart those items and then post a link to the item in this forum thread here. At the end of the day, I will count up how many hearts we got for the whole team (or at least the thread posted ones). Then, I will let you all know how many we got for the day in the comments area below. Feel free to take a guess on the end number of hearts for the team we will get today in the comments are below, too.

Sasha and I found this video on You Tube that is so fitting for today.

Sunday Spotlights

Sasha and I want to start spotlighting a few of the awesome pawsome PetsJubilee team members' items on Sundays. Here are just a pawful of the great items that our team members have created.

If you like any of these items, please click on each picture to see how you can purchase one of your very own.

jorjanm on ETSY

PenguinArtByKate on ETSY

simplesubtleties on ETSY

shopsewfetching on ETSY


rockmyworldinc on ETSY

Saturday Pet Blog Hop 2/12/11

Beauty Of Mathematics

Pauline from Paulinesfashions wanted to share this you tube video with us today.

Vomiting- Best Not To Read While Eating

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. But it’s also a dog-eat-rancid-garbage world. And cat-eat-dead-mouse world. Your pet came into this world with a vomiting reflex to match his adventurous appetite. Dogs do it at the drop of a hat, and cats are pretty good at it too. While dogs usually vomit because of dumpster diving, eating too much or eating too fast can also upset their tummies. To help your pet hold down his lunch, try these tips:

-Give him fast relief: When your pet is vomiting, his stomach needs a time out. Don’t let him have any food for 24 hours. A short fast may be all it takes to get his stomach back to normal. If he’s still sick in 24 hours call your vet.

-Fill the water bowl: Once the worst of the vomiting is over, encourage your pet drink water during his fast. The last thing you want is dehydration.

-Let him lick ice: If water makes him queasy, give him ice cubes instead. He’ll lick the water off more slowly and it usually stays down better than when he drinks. To make sure the water stays down, don’t give him more than one cube every 15 minutes.

-Keep a lid on it: To prevent your pet from drinking too much, keep the toilet lid down.

-Make the menu bland: Start with a bland diet to gently work his system back into digesting. Vets recommend mixing two parts cooked white rice with one part cottage cheese or boiled skinless chicken.

-Bring back his favorite food -- slowly: After two days on the bland diet, you can start re-introducing his usual fare.

And one question answered -- No one knows why all dogs and cats occasionally eat grass and then vomit as a result. Some vets think they do it to purge their systems of unpleasant things. Others suspect grass-eating may be more of a be a culinary thing. As long as the grass isn’t treated with chemicals and it isn’t eaten in excessive quantities, grass-eating probably isn’t anything you need to prevent your pet from doing.

*These tips are home remedies only and should not ever be used as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your veterinarian. If your pet has a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical care.

Alice
Makingstuffwithlove.etsy.com

Answers to the contest using the blue list of animals and matching the correct  number from the green list. 
dog  6 
cat  4 
 hamster 8
fish 7 
mice 9 
 guinea pig 10
 bird 1
 snake 2 
iguana 5 
ferret 3




And the winner(s) are...


















Tooey!! You are NOT the winner!! 

Athena AND Shari!!! 
 Congratulations! 

Since it's my game, I decided a tie didn't have to be broken! So you two will be receiving a goodie in the mail!!  


Thank you all for playing!










Top 10 Pets 

These are the current top 10 pets according to several internet sources. But even if they are wrong, this will still be a fun game!

Can you match which statement in green corresponds to each pet?  Give it a shot and email your answers to me at Catcalls.etsy.com. Please do not leave them in the comment section! Winner will be mailed a surprise prize! (That's because I don't know what it will be at this point!) Winner will be notified tomorrow morning.

  

Good Luck!

1. Dogs    2. Cats   3. Hamsters   4. Fish   5. Mice 

6. Guinea Pigs   7. Birds    8. Snakes    9. Iguanas    10. Ferrets

1. Some of us were bred for sport, but one of my kind was bred specifically to accompany miners underground to detect poisonous gasses in the shaft.

2. Those bred in captivity tend to make better pets and are considered preferable to those caught in the wild.

  

3. I came to my height of popularity during the Victorian Age in England around 1875 when Queen Victoria began giving us as gifts to visiting heads of state.

4.  I was believed to be an agent of the devil, and to possess magical powers. Pope Gregory IX declared me to be a "Diabolical creature”.

5. One of my favorite activities is to climb on objects so I can be in the sun.

6. I will quickly find that my most comfortable spot to sleep in is also YOUR most comfortable spot to be in, whether it's a bed, large bean bag chair, or couch. 

7. I am welcomed anywhere you live, be it a rented house, flat, or apartment.

8. In the wild, I am a nuisance to farmers. I have been known to hide in excess of 60 pounds of grain to feed myself through the winter.

9. Other than people, I am the most widely distributed mammal. 

10. I am easy to feed and very hardy with few health problems.

Written by patty from Catcalls and Dogbarks on Etsy