It's 1984!

Oh my... the second British Invasion was in the late 70's / early 80's and what a time I had! From an early age I was enthralled with music, especially my dear first love...Adam Ant. It was February 1984 when I went to see Adam Ant and the Romantics at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville. That night is one of my favorite memories with my Dad, just the two of us experiencing some British craziness.

I share this with you because I just purchased the latest album from Adam Ant. A couple of years ago he did a show in England that was very small and acoustic. In between songs he read from his auto-biography. Why oh why couldn't I have been there! But fortunately they've released an album of the show and in about 2 weeks I'm going to feel as elated as I did that snowy February night in 1984. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! (That's me spinning!)

Thought I would share some memories with you of that night, our ticket stubs and the t-shirt Dad bought me at the show.

Front of the Shirt.... (I wore this to school and my teacher, Mrs. Ramsey, wanted to paddle me for it. Luckily the Principal and Dad were good friends and he sent me back to class with a piece of candy and no punishment! I miss you Mr. Royster - you were cool before it was cool to say cool!)

Back of the shirt...

Best wishes and high hopes to all of you,

Jennie and the pooches

My beloved Sandy Sue

is free of heartworms! I'm so thrilled. When I was a child I lost my first Peke to heartworms, granted that was long before anyone really knew what heartworms were or dressed their dogs. Dr. Norris assured me that Sandy Sue would be fine and that she was healthy enough to survive the shots but I was so scared.

In November she began heartworm treatment, two shots of arsenic between her little shoulder blades to kill the worms. I then had to keep her still for 4 weeks and only let her walk when she needed to go outside. I sort of slipped on that one because she was so upset being in a cage while the other 3 played.

When it comes to the girls, I always worry. Not that I'm a drama queen or a hypochondriac or anything.... ha ha ha But truly, it is a relief to know that she's healthy. She is such a dear.

Enjoy your evening and remember to give your little loves their heartworm medicine monthly.

Best wishes and high hopes to you all,

Jennie and the healthy pooches

Bette Davis and her Peke

The exquisite Bette Davis and her beloved Pekingese, Popeye. Hard to see the little one but what a glamorous picture. I do believe she's being pushed while in her lounge chair!

Best wishes and high hopes to you all,

Jennie and the Pekes

Ziggy the Painting Pekingese

Oh my heavens! I found this precious little man while surfing the internet. I'm in love, he's so sweet and talented. And he's the perfect age for my little Ginger Socks or little Sandy Sue. Hmm....he lives in Palm Springs and I love Palm Springs. Girls, get your prettiest ribbons - ROAD TRIP!

This talented Peke actually paints and quite frankly...he's better than me! ha ha ha Please visit the site and send some Peke love to little Ziggy.

http://www.ziggythepaintingpekingese.com/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/tazviolin
http://www.myspace.com/liondogart
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1324085681&ref=profile



Best wishes and high hopes to you all,
Jennie and the smitten Pekes

Dreams and Goosebumps

So most of you have probably heard of Ms. Susan Boyle. She's the woman that stunned everyone with her lovely voice on Britains Got Talent.


Well, she also released another song years ago, remake of the blues single, "Cry me a River." I've added it to my playlist below. Please, please listen and enjoy. Her's is a voice found only in dreams and fairy tales; it is so clean and angelic that I get goosebumps when I hear her.


Best wishes and high hopes to you all,
Jennie



Links to the YouTube videos of Ms. Boyle..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmbJzH93NU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI2DxkrgpgQ

Picture to share...

May you all have sweet dreams and answered prayers.

Best wishes and high hopes to you all,
Jennie

Have you tried taking 4 dogs to the vet at once?

Hello friends!

Each time I take the girls to the vet I have to laugh at myself. Juggling 4 dogs that LOVE going to the vet is quite something. They are so excited and full of energy because once they get there...it's treat time!

So Saturday morning Sandy (my blonde Peke) had her follow up to test and ensure her heartworms are gone. (She's a Hurricane Ike survivor that joined the family in November and was infected after the storm washed away medicines and left behind many mosquitoes.) Miss Saffron (the black Peke) needed to have her teeth checked. The other two were just along for the fun. Truly, they all like visiting their vet; we are lucky to have such a wonderful veterinarian and support team near us. http://www.bridgestreetanimalclinicfw.com/

Here are a couple of shots before each decided to take a tinkle on the floor (a first for us).

I went to Joanne's afterwards and much to my delight they were having a great sale on just about everything. I bought my first set of brushes, canvas, some more acrylic paint and some oil paint. Below is my latest, my first on a canvas.

Enjoy your Sunday and may you each have a great week.

Best wishes and high hopes to you all,

Jennie and the tinkling pooches

Pink Houses for Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday Friends!

Here are some fabulouse pink houses for each of us to day dream about.

Best wishes and high hopes to each of you!

Jennie and the prettypink pooches

Moi? A hypochondriac?

Hello my friends!
I do hope you've each had a wonderful week. I had an enlightening week.

I realized that I'm not dying; I'm just dirty.

Let me start from the beginning. Long ago when my former beau and I were in the early stages of our relationship we used to go to the beach. Being much younger, skinnier and daring I would prance around in little bikinis completely unaware of Mr. Sun shining down on my very, very, very pale skin.

Well, Mr. Sun gave me second degree burns one flirty day and I now have legs that look like a connect the dots puzzle from the cartoon section of the paper. I have these ugly, "older woman" shall I say brown spots all over (see prior posting about my feelings on being an older woman) . They were brown until about 2 weeks ago. Then they turned purple. I went from looking like a rotting banana to something really weird. (Hmm...I guess looking like a rotting banana isn't weird in my book? ) I digress... so my spots turned purple...bright bluish purple.

Sweet Mother of Pekingese...what was going on I wondered. Every morning I would inspect them to figure out, why are they purple? Are my veins clotting? Did I catch mange from my neighbors dog? Every day when I went to the bathroom I would stare at my thighs and think...I"m a gonner. Every night I would get a hand mirror and poke at them wondering if they would explode.

Then, I became creative because quite frankly, I was getting a sore neck from trying to look at the back of my knees. I took pictures of my legs so that I could stare at these purple marks more easily. I went online, self - diagnosed my condition, determined what treatment I needed and started thinking about who would take care of the dogs.

On Monday I finally gathered my nerve and called the doctor. I begged and pleaded for an appointment and finally got one for May 11. Not soon enough but I screamed, I"LL TAKE IT. (Around Dallas, getting a doctor's appointment without at least 3 months notice is next to impossible!)

That night while I was washing my face I happened to look at some clothes that I had gathered to wash. On top was my new favorite pants.... They are wonderful. They are so soft and comfy....and.....blue.

I'm not dying...I'm just dirty.


Best wishes and high hopes to all of you,
Jennie and the dirty pups

By the way...if any of my friends have been faced with life-threatening situations that didn't turn out to be "in their head" please know that I mean no offense. I send best wishes and hopes to all that have crossed my path in hopes that no one ever suffers a moment. For those that do, I send prayers, love and always...hope.

Blush and Bashful are my signature colors...

Don't you just love it when movie lines stay with you!

Welcome to Pink Saturday. I've opted to focus on decor today. I do love pink and am pretty inspired to re-do my bedroom!



Here's a peek inside Ms. Betsey Johnson's "pink penthouse." Every room has a strong influence of pink. This just says NY girly eclectic to me; I love it!



I have fallen in love with these lamps....must find them!




My favorite room by far is this one. I just love brown and neutrals; the brief touches of pink in this room are just perfect to me.


This room makes me want a cup of tea and a straw fan so that I can lounge the afternoon away...


This is an old Better Homes and Garden image from the 1950's. I once lived in an apartment with the original tile from when it was built in 1950. Pink and teal - I just loved it. The tile below reminds me of it as mine was in the same style but teal rather than the darker pink in the picture.


While these aren't my style I do appreciate how color unites the different styles and genres of the furniture.




Lastly, Martha Stewart has a pink house. Yes, it's decorated all in pink and it's so delicious! Would you not love to be a guest and wrapped in this pink icing of a room!?!


Enjoy your Saturday and find beauty even in the smallest, grandest and gaudiest of things!

Best wishes and high hopes to you,
Jennie and the Pretty Pink Pooches

Voices from the past...

Hello dear friends!

I hope you are well and have had a great week. I had a surprise this week; a message from a family member I've not had a relationship with for more than 10 years. Isn't it amazing how so much time can pass and whether right or wrong we just let people go sometimes.

He and I had a falling out; one that probably isn't too uncommon but that I just couldn't let go of for so long. Maybe I was naive, maybe I was too prideful, maybe I was a *itch. Whatever the case, now it feels as if too much time has passed. Has it? Can we ever truly start again when we know the very worst of each other?

I'm no longer angry, I am ashamed of some of the things I've said but I don't regret them. I just don't know that I miss the man he is...but I do miss the man he was. I miss the man that built me a dollhouse, held my hand, told me I was pretty even when I had that awful haircut in 7th grade. I miss the man from my childhood. I don't know the man he became and I'm scared I won't like him. What if he's not superman anymore?

10 years since we've truly spoken and 8 years of a very strained relationship prior to that. I had to learn so much on my own. I had to become the protector of Mom, the one with the broad shoulders, the one that would kick ass and the one that could fix everything. I became so pre-occupied with survival that I forgot about life. That is until my beau reminded me, till we lost loved ones and till I nearly lost Mom.

Given close to 18 years of making it on my own...is there a point in re-establishing a relationship with someone from my past? Do I need this relationship? Can my heart handle this relationship? Will I be hurt again? Will I become the person I don't like again?

So, he wrote after surviving the tornado that hit Murfreesboro on Good Friday. Evidently the tornado came down his street and just missed his house. He then spoke about mistakes and forgiveness and how fearful he was of dying in that tornado. He spoke of his love for me and Mom.

I can't stop crying but I don't know why. I haven't anything to say to him. I would never want him to see me crying and weak like I feel right now. I don't know that my life would be any better if he were in it. I don't know that his life would be better with me in it. I don't know that knowing each other today will make up for the time lost and I don't know that there's a need to know each other tomorrow. I don't know that having him in my life will be good for Mom. She lost so much, should she have to be reminded?

Is it possible that sometimes...it's just too late?

Technology, Compliments and Crafts...

Can't live with it....can't live without it!

So, my Internet and cable have been out for several days and sadly the techs couldn't figure out how to fix it w/out sending someone to the house. Heavens! I haven't folded the laundry, dusted or washed dishes in days! I think I managed to reboot the modem and cable box so many times that the technology fairies had enough of me because I'm up and running again! And the AT&T guy doesn't have to come in and see my mess! he he he

I hope you each had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed some Southern Gospel and a good peanut butter egg! Mmmm.....love those eggs!

My Easter was great; I spent the afternoon with Mom. Wait....the time with my Mom was wonderful however what I'm about to share with you will never be spoken of again.... I mean it!

Mom and I went to a steakhouse for lunch and were just having a great time. After our meal was delivered the waiter struck up a conversation with Mom; somewhere between asking her if she liked her steak and my drooling like a cave-woman over mine he said to me, "You're pretty...". Huh? Ok, well thanks but I'm kind of busy right now with this steak. He and Mom continued to talk and then he leaned close to me, smiled and said.... "I really like older women." Ok...my instinct was to say, who the heck cares dude! Then what he said sank in.... "You're pretty. I like older women." Mr. Balding Waiter - are you seriously calling me an older woman! WHAT??? I must have had a rather stunned and cheek-filled-with-food look on my face as he proceeded to tell me that he bets I can pay my own bills and that I'm independent. I swear, if I hadn't been so busy licking the peppercorn sauce off my fork I would have smacked his balding, 28 year old head!

In my mind, I'm still a gangly 12 year old without a clue but I'm reminded constantly that I'm not by the really cute college boys that work at Smoothie Factory that keep calling me Ma'am (please do not call the cops on me for putting that in print) and the bouncer at a neighborhood bar that REFUSED to card. I can handle those reminders, even the reminder when I purchase a bottle of wine from a liquor store and rather than carding me the woman asks me to smile so she can see how wrinkly my eyes are. I can handle those minor reminders but to be referred to as an older woman. Sweet Mother of Pekingese what is that all about???? That was almost 24 hours ago and I'm still stunned. When did I become an older woman? I"m 36...holy crap....I"m 36! Holy crap....

Ok...so before I go off the deep end...I want to share some of my newest creations. I'm pretty proud of these; I can tell my perspective is getting a little clearer (and so is my head after a nice sip of my "medicine").

The Fairy in a Jar is an idea from Dawn at The Feathered Nest. The wings are the history of Mom's name and I used some pretty paper to cover the top of the jar.

The next are different 3x5 cards that I made along with a circular fairy with the history of my name.

Why oh why can't I get these pictures to go in the right direction? Again...I'm so traumatized by being called an older woman that I can't even load a picture correctly...

I do hope all of you are well; thank you so much for your comments and laughs! I treasure each one. Let me know if any young punks have ever called you an older woman! ha ha ha

Best wishes and high hopes to you,

Jennie and the older dogs

Pink Saturday

Hello and welcome to my first Pink Saturday post!!!

To continue the 1980's vibe my first Pink Saturday will be reminders of that decadent decade!

I began the 80's doing the "backward skate" to The Spinners wearing a pair of these...

I dreamt of turning 16 and driving this baby, with Adam Ant playing on the tape deck of course!

Proudly wore pink leg warmers, then pink neon, pink jelly bracelets & shoes and pink stirrup pants!

Kept my hair out of my face with a pink banana clip

Collected a few of these...

Carried one of these to prom...

And of course.....fell in love with Andrew McCartney in Pretty in Pink...

Happy Pink Saturday!!!

Best wishes and high hopes to you!

Jennie and the pink puppies