Dog Days At Our House

puppy post of JuneIt is time for a puppy fix. Hot summer days require refreshing water nearby. June is our neighbor’s precious golden retriever pup.

puppy post from CAThis is one of Canine Assistants’ puppies. I imagine Tahoe looked much like this pup…wish we had early photos of him.

another puppy post from CAPirelli was born at Canine Assistants without a foot and is now 11Alive’s morning mascot. Certainly Tahoe was this cute as an older pup. Wish I had pictures of him at this age.

puppy post with neighborsTahoe meets neighbor ‘June Bug’ for the first time. He loves other pups…as long as they don’t interfere with his meals or play time. After all, he’s the one who gets to go everywhere.

puppy post with friends from churchTahoe loves children and helps them overcome canine fears.

puppy post with davis girls

…and he loves more darling little visitors.

Hooper, a friend’s golden doodle, recently stayed with us for several days and decided to dominate and take over the bed. He’s a snuggler and almost makes Tahoe jealous.

Zeek, a neighbor’s German Shepherd, loves Brent’s attention when he comes to the Williams hotel. Yes, Tahoe is patient with company and his dog whispering dad.

Our nieces visited for a week and when we were waiting for their departing flight Tahoe was sad and needed comfort. See how he suffers.

Leah gives love as she says good-bye. She has a special bond with Tahoe.

Now that all the company is gone, at least for a few days, Tahoe just wants to go inside…run to the backyard…

…. play some Kong

…and happily go to bed with mom and dad and no visiting dogs, kids, friends or cousins.

Happy dog days from our house to yours. -Madge

Tahoe and a Family Trip

It wouldn’t be a trip to Florida if we didn’t stop and see our ninety-eight year old Aunt in Tampa. In the beginning of each year Brent has a meeting in Orlando and we add a couple days to our travel so we can swing over to Tampa to see her. This year we had another opportunity over spring break when we went to Clearwater Beach with my brother, Brian and his family during spring break.

Aunt DicksieShe is not as spry as she used to be, but she reads two newspapers each day and does the crossword puzzles. She often reads the latest books before we do.

Leah and Maya enjoyed time with their old Auntie, and Leah volunteered to come visit me regularly when I got old. I like that she doesn’t think I’m already old!


I had to include this picture with my sister-in-law Ann. She is so ‘purty’ but never likes anyone to photograph her. I could do a whole album of pictures where she avoids the camera like this:

My brother, Brian, cuddles with Tahoe!
Can we say completely spoiled puppy? Tahoe doesn’t look like much of a helper dog, but I desperately miss him when I drop my keys or phone or toothbrush or money or protein bar or peach!

It is so wonderful when holidays can be shared with family……

This is how Tahoe wakes his cousins, Maya and Leah, on Easter morning! ‘He is Risen…you guys need to get out of bed!’
Leah and Maya make me smile – I love them so much.

A week in Clearwater is full of many trips to the beach where sisters make memories!

Maya buried Leah one day…

Five trips to our favorite restaurant, Columbia, were all delightful and yummy experiences! Their  ‘Original 1905 Salad’ was enjoyed at every meal.  Check out the recipe here.


Wish all five siblings and their families could have joined us. I think of them so often and pray for them regularly. Hopefully another time!

I treasure times with my family. So thankful for them and for beach memories…and Ha! another great photo of Ann with her incredible family!

Cheers and prayers for treasured family moments. Hope you have summer plans to make memories with your family.

It is truly wonderful when relatives live together in peace. Psalm 133:1 (CEV)

-Blessings, Madge

Brent’s Buckwheat Breakfast

You have to love a man who cooks…and cleans and does the hundreds of things Brent does! All this work along with his high metabolism produces an ever present appetite!  A couple of Sundays ago, Brent decided to make gluten free pancakes for breakfast to have along with bacon from the whole foods applewood bacon bar.

We used a boxed mix that called for two eggs and a bit of oil, but no other liquids to make about ten small pancakes.

Notice Tahoe hopes something will drop on the floor.  It is not going to happen this pancake morning. After a quick mix….a few added blueberries, and a super quick cook time…

Voila!  An irresistible breakfast, even for me, the coffee only gal.

Afterwords Brent said he thought the gluten free buckwheat pancakes were better than any pancakes he had ever eaten and I have to admit they were very good. Afterwards, the carbohydrate high nearly put me right back in bed!

This is what I felt like doing…

Or maybe it was like something more like this….

Going gluten free may make it difficult to go out for a weekend pancake breakfast at IHOP, but you can make your own IHOP (In Home Out-of-this-world Pancakes) and you won’t have to nap in the parking lot!

The Almost Indestructible iPhone Case

I love my OtterBox Defender iPhone case even though I wish it was more sleek and feminine.  What it lacks in fashion it makes up for by saving my iPhone from total destruction nearly every day.  My case needs to have a bit of a rubber-sticky feel so it’s easier to grip and it must protect from the inevitable two or three mishaps (aka drops) a day!

I have a boring black case – partly because  I carry it on my lap all the time (Brent thinks it is less noticeable) and partly because I can’t decide between the black, blue or pink (there are other colors too).  Don’t get me started on my indecisiveness, there’s a post coming on that subject as soon as I decide to finish it!   I can’t justify the nearly $50 each for a wardrobe of case colors, but if I had one other color, I’d pick the blue as a back-up.  What do you think?

One sleepless night when I was laying in bed listening to my iPod, I used my teeth to position my phone  in my hand so I could change the podcast. Low and behold I heard a faint ‘crack’. The next day Brent took a look at my phone and said, ‘You have a crack across the glass on your phone!’, I was aghast and wondered how in the world something like that could happen! Not wanting to go to the Apple store and beg or use every manner of my wheelchair influence to finesse a free or reduced price replacement or much less pay full price to replace the glass front of my iPhone; we looked more closely and found that it was only my OtterBox case that was cracked!  OK, it was a nearly $50 investment, but at least I wouldn’t have to go to the mall (yikes) to the Apple Store to get on the list, wait, and potentially buy more accessories or a new sweater at Ann Taylor next door.

I quickly called OtterBox and they asked me a few questions which I reluctantly answered honestly! And the next thing I knew they were sending a brand-new OtterBox Defender free of charge! Their warranty is extensive and user-friendly.  The new case arrived within ten days.  Meanwhile, I cautiously used an old Otterbox case that was not made for my iPhone version.   Impressive response and outstanding customer service.  Otterbox ROCKS!

My use of the OtterBox has pushed any limit you could expect from a case:
– I’ve dropped it from a height of 3-5 feet on to concrete, tile, wood, etc.
– I’ve rolled over it with all 350 lbs of me and my power wheelchair but really don’t want to do that again!
– Tahoe has picked up my phone off the floor and run around the backyard with it more than one time.  The stinker…he gets so proud of himself.
– Last night I dropped my phone on the floor in the kitchen while we were engrossed in eating strawberries with freshly made cream cheese frosting (big kudos to Brent for his first experience and success making this staple). I’m sure Tahoe tried to give it to me, but when I licked the spoon and spatula clean there was no sign of Tahoe or the phone. Uh oh! In comes Tahoe, but there was no sign of the phone in the house or the yard. Our last resort was for Brent to call my phone…we listened for the barking dog ring tone….no, not in the house…hmm…we walk outside and hear a faint ‘ruff, ruff, ruff’ coming from the thick green bushes where Tahoe likes to curl up and relax.  Alas, there lay my phone.

If you are as clumsy as Madge or want to trust your phone with your 3 year old or your new puppy, give up your stylish case and get the OtterBox Defender!