She is small, clean, calm and well-behaved.  The only problem we’ve consistently had is floor accidents.  She’s been the hardest dog to potty-train, but even that is not a large problem anymore.   Her accidents are fewer and farther between and are now truly accidents…and not just confusion.

But I’m growing concerned about her appearance…

I’m also a little concerned about how Bonny Annie is curling up her toes, but that is a topic for another blog post.

Is it just me, or does she ever so slightly resemble a Gremlin?

Maybe a little like this Gremlin…

But, unfortunately, a little more like this one…

I think it’s the ears…and the eyes.

I don’t know, but just in case, I better remember those rules about the Gremlins.  What were they again???

1. No bright lights.
2. Don’t put them in water.
3. Don’t feed them after midnight.

Okay, got it.

But, of course, it just isn’t the Peanuts without Snoopy, so here ya’ go…

Ummm…okay….I realize that one is going to require a bit of imagination.  Just work with me here…

I hope you’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I hope that you’re full.  I hope that you’re warm.  I hope that you are surrounded by your loved ones.  I hope that someone else washed the dishes. I hope that there are only 5 calories in your second third piece of pumpkin pie.  And most of all, I hope that you know the peace and comfort that comes from knowing the Savior.

I know about birthdays.  I’ve been around for a few of my peoples’, and I know that they mean CAKE.  So I was pretty excited when they started talking about MY birthday.  Finally, I get to taste CAKE.

They can’t fool me.  That is a cookie…not CAKE…and it’s on fire.

Do they know it’s on fire?  I do, and it scares me.

Although I’m disappointed, I will eat the cookie if they will just stop singing and put the fire out.

There, that’s better.  It’s not CAKE, but it’s still pretty yummy.

Someone, probably the Dad, remembered that I was a dog and put my cookie on the floor.

Now they say it’s time for presents.  I’m hoping that presents is another name for CAKE.

Uh, no.  Apparently it’s another word for torture.

I also got a toy, but I refused to give them the pleasure of seeing me play with it as long as they make me wear this stupid sweater.

I tried my sad look….

I tried my psycho look…

I tired my bored look…

…but they wouldn’t take it off.  They kept just laughing and taking pictures and feeding the cute baby more of my birthday cookies.

Birthdays, I’ve decided, bite.

A few mornings ago, I let Clara out in the backyard at about 7:00.  Usually, I come back in and fix my coffee while she does her business.  On this morning, however, I didn’t see Clara doing her usual sniff-and-search technique over every square inch of the yard, trying to find THE perfect spot to squat.  So I went out to check on her, and the above photo shows what I found.

Clara was frozen, staring at a neighborhood cat, who had just been trying to fish out one of the goldfish that live in our little, pathetic pond.

“Get ‘im, Clara!” I uttered.  Nothing.  Frozen.

Finally, after about a minute, Clara decides to inch a little closer.

This greatly concerned the cat.

Eventually the cat yawned or stretched or something, which spooked Clara, and she came tearing back up to the deck.  Right after this, the real dogs who live in back of us came outside, and the cat fled.

Clara then very bravely went and thoroughly sniffed the area where the cat had been sitting.

And then, hallelujah, she finally peed.

Guard dog? No.

Goofball?  Yes.

At least she’s cute.

1. What?!  Don’t a lot of other dogs have Facebook pages?!
2. One day Jack Henry took a three hour nap, and I was decidedly a tad bored.  Boredom is dangerous.
3. Clara is cute.  All cute people dogs deserve Facebook pages.
4. I thought the kids might enjoy updating her status.  However, it seems they are having a hard time coming up with things beyond unwanted details about her elimination habits.
5. She is, as I type, eating a pencil, which obviously is her way of saying canines are ready for the computer age.
6. She has lead poisoning and only has one week to live.
7. I am lame.