puppy

Puppy-Sitting Trevor: A Charlie Guest Post

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Puppy-Sitting Trevor:  A Charlie Guest Post.

Last weekend, we had a guest stay over.
He is my younger nephew, Trevor.

Though he is taller…..
and heavier….
and stronger than me…
He is DEFINITELY still
a PUPPY!

Mom and Dad think it is so much fun
to have him over.

And I like him…. don’t get me wrong.
I get along with all dogs and cats and deer and turkey
and people, and well – you know – everybody!

But when we puppy-sit,
it is also a lot of work for me!

Trevor wants to play play play…
ALL
THE
TIME.

I like to play, but this kid!!!!!
Gee Whiz!

He is constantly antagonizing me
with barks and jumps and little nips at the neck
to go go go!

He strews my bones and toys out all over the house…  and outside!
(but he does bring some of his own to share with me too, so that is really nice!)

If I have one of my bones out of my special bucket, that’s the one that he wants.
So I have to take turns and share.  I have to teach him you know.

Then there is the doggie door.
He loves to run in and outside like I do,
but he doesn’t know the boundaries of our yard.

So…..
when he is here, Mom puts a gate up on the porch so he doesn’t wander off.
And guess what that means??
I’m trapped in too!
NO FAIR – right??!!

But I’m a good boy and put up with it
since I know it is all part of being a good Uncle Charlie when we puppy-sit.

When we go for walks, it is pretty fun to show him my “stomping grounds”
and show him where all the juiciest grasses are to snack on and sample along the way.

At night, though, he does get a little jealous.
You see – I get to jump into bed between Mom and Dad when I’m ready to snuggle.

But this is where I draw the line (and so does Dad – PHEW!).
Trevor sleeps on the floor next to the bed… in his bed.
(na-na na-na boo-boo!)

It’s all part of being an Uncle and good boy,
so I do it.

After all,
we were both rescued and saved to a better life…

A dog’s life!
And it’s a great one!

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

Charlie is an adopted dog with brown eyes and a white-tipped tail who brings joy and laughter to his family and friends.  Charlie is a gifted writer, raving food critic, cat, chipmunk, and donut lover, and exceptionally photogenic model.  Some of his best friends are Mike the UPS Man, Cliff the Mailman, and ANYONE who delivers pizza to the house.   If you would like to read more guest posts by Charlie, simply type “Charlie” into the Search box at the top right hand corner of this link: thecreativelifeinbetween.com.   If you would enjoy a companion like Charlie, please consider pet adoption.

Babysitting our Grandpuppy

/ Jodi / 26 Comments
Trevor McKinney Original Watercolor – 8×10 by Jodi McKinney

Babysitting our Grandpuppy.

As most of you know that have been hanging around here for any length of time, I am the fortunate grandma of two beautiful granddaughters to my oldest son and daughter-in-law.  You may not know, however, that I have an adorable grandpuppy to my youngest son and daughter-in-law, and we had the pleasure of having him over for a weekend vacation when his Dad and Mom went away on a little trip recently.

Charlie was such a good uncle to his young nephew, Trevor.

He got a bit annoyed at times with Trevor’s puppy energy and enthusiasm, but he properly warned and then gently taught him when “enough was enough!”

It was so fun having sweet Trevor around.  He never left my side, and I was told he may have missed us as much as we missed him when he went home.  He often comes to visit, however, so we are sure lucky!

I just had to paint a little portrait of his sweet puppy face and eyes for his Dad and Mom.  I cropped and used a bit of artistic license from the photo above I took from his recent stay.

Love you Trevy!

Happy #WorldWatercolorMonth!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Birthday Dachshund Puppy

/ Jodi / 50 Comments
8x10 Watercolor Dachshund Puppy on 140lb Saunders Cold Press

8×10 Watercolor Dachshund Puppy on 140lb Saunders Cold Press

A Birthday Dachshund Puppy Watercolor Painting.

I have to say I was a bit taken aback when we received a message on our McKinneyx2Designs Etsy page from a sweet lady named Sarah telling us (my daughter-in-law, Colleen and I) that she loved our shop and asked if I could paint a dachshund for her best friend’s birthday.

My first reaction was to immediately decline.  Then I decided to wait a day before responding and secretly give it a try… just for fun… to see if I could even do it.

I seriously allowed myself to have fun with it.  Not worrying if she would like it or not.  I had recently picked up a tube of Daniel Smith Lunar Black just for kicks recalling Debi Riley mentioning a while back, and thought this would be a great opportunity to give it a try.

For this painting, I used only three colors:  Daniel Smith Lunar Black, Yellow Ochre, and Permanent Deep Red, and I painted loosely and quickly.

I’m happy to report Sarah loved it!

And don’t tell Charlie…. but it makes me want want one of these cute little Dachshund puppies!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

And they call it Poppy Love

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

poppy watercolor original 4.25 x 5.5

Do you ever get an old song stuck in your head triggered by something  totally unrelated?

If you ask my family, they will tell you I can come up with a song for most any word, subject, discussion….

And to their dismay (as I truly have no musical talent!), I often break into random song most any time of day.

So ever since I painted this little poppy flower earlier this week, I’ve been walking around singing, Puppy Love (yep – 1972 Donny Osmond), but substituting “Poppy” for “Puppy.”  (I know – I have issues!)

And while we are on the subject, the 9-year old girl in me remembers Donny Osmond being much more swoon-worthy than the silly kid I see now when I watch the video on YouTube.

Oh well – I guess that is why they call it Puppy Love.

I thought this Poppy would make a beautiful greeting card, so that is just what I did.

poppy watercolor original print cards set of 4 1

And I called it “Poppy Love.”

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Waiting and Watching – A Charlie Guest Post

/ Jodi / 51 Comments

Charlie Waiting and Watching

Waiting and Watching…

for Dad to come home,
or Cliff the mailman,
or Mike the UPS man,
or Jake or Colleen or Liz to come visit.

Waiting and Watching…

for Pippa and Twiggy (the doggie girls next door) to come out,
or a deer or a turkey or a squirrel or a chipmunk to scamper by,
or a bird or bee or butterfly to flutter by,
or maybe the Easter Bunny!!

Waiting and Watching…

for Mom to say it is time for a walk,
or for dinner,
or a treat,
or an ear scratch or belly rub.

Waiting and Watching…
until my eyes grow weary
and close for “just a blink,”
which is rarely more than two minutes.

It’s a dog’s life.
It’s a good life.
It’s my life.

Woofs and Wags,
Charlie

Kitty has a Name! A Charlie Guest Post

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Some of you may remember when I first introduced you to one of my new BFFs, Kitty.  Kitty lives a mile or so down the road, and we get to visit on my lunch time walks with Mom.

Well – guess what?  Kitty has a name, just like I do!  My name is Charlie.

Kitty’s name is “Sebastian,” and he is a boy – just like me too!

Aren’t I so lucky to have another boy to visit and play with?

One day on our walk, Kitty’s human teenage brother was outside, so we asked him about Kitty.  It’s so nice to know his name, and isn’t it such a nice one too?!

When we get close to Sebastian’s house, my mom calls out to him.

She says,  “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! Here Sebastian.”

I wait patiently for Kitty to emerge from who knows where and what in his yard.

If you listen VERY carefully when you watch the little video above, you will here Sebastian say,

“Meow!  Here I am!  Hi Charlie.”

But you have to listen really, really closely.  Us dogs and cats have extra special emotional intelligent super-duper x-ray hearing, so you might miss it.

After we snuggle and sniff and whisper a few secrets, Kitty visits with my mom a bit for a few ear scratches and belly rubs.  I allow her, because I know how much I love them too.

Then we turn around and head back home.  Mom goes back to work, and I take an afternoon nap or play with my donut.

It’s such a good life I have … eh?

A dog’s life!

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

P.S.  If you would like a friend like me, be sure to consider adopting!  There are lots of dogs and cats that would love to be in your home and give you lots of love.

AdoptaPet.com (this is where my dad and mom found me!)

Animal Friends

For more guest posts by Charlie – just type “Charlie” in the Search bar on the right.  He chimes in quite a bit here!

Charlie: I love donuts!

/ Jodi / 64 Comments

Charlie donuts

I LOVE Donuts!   Have you guys ever tried them?

Here I am in one of my favorite napping spots on the love seat on my sherpa fleece blankie with my blueberry donut.

I just got this new flavor.  It’s quite delish and squeaky and fun!  These donuts can be found in a multitude of places throughout my home and yard.  Aren’t I the lucky one!?!!?!

I have already had two chocolate and one cherry donut, and I would really, really, Really, REALLY love this glazed one!  HINT HINT – will you please tell my Mom?  (or maybe our friends at ZippyPaws will see this and send me one for sharing the love!)  Paws crossed!!!

charlie donut

One of my favorite things in the entire world to do is play.  Play follows closely behind my other favorite things in the whole wide world: breakfast and dinner and walks.

Here are my favorite things to do with a donut:

  • Grab it first thing in the morning (after breakfast of course), and squeak it around the house to make sure everyone wakes up.  After all, it is a new day – an opportunity to play.
  • Bring it to my Mom and push it up against her leg while squeaking it so she will throw it and play fetch – especially when she is on conference calls for work.
  •  Bring it to Mom or Dad or Nick, but as soon as they bend down to grab it to “play fetch,” run away quickly to make them chase me.  It is also important to give a playful GRRRRRowl when I buzz past them – just to let them know who has it!
  • Carry it around with my nose sticking out of the hole and the top covering my eyes – just to show I can maneuver quite fine even when I can’t see where I am going.
  • Take it out the doggy door into the rain and snow so it gets nice and smelly and wet and even more delicious, and then bring it inside and lay on Mom and Dad’s bed with it under my chin.
  • Play tug with Mom or Dad or Nick until the say “Drop It!” (which they always say quite firmly and authoritative…) Dang!   Then I really have to let it go – because that is what a dog is supposed to do – right?
  • Chew on it and make it squeak at least 27,569 times (give or take) until you can break a tiny hole into it and rip it apart – destroy the squeaker and show it who is boss!
  • Sleep with it to assure nobody else gets it!

Donuts are wonderful!

I did, however, see and smell something different in the house the other day…..

IMG_8899My family was eating these donut-like things called  Paczki (pronounced punch-key – WHAAAT???!!) in honor of Fat Tuesday.  Sheesh  – any excuse for a sweet in this house!  Hey – they didn’t share…..  I wonder if they tasted as good as my donuts……?

 

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

Thursday Chuckle with Charlie

/ Jodi / 61 Comments

charlie autumn nap

Yippee!  Yippee!
It’s Me! It’s Me!
Your favorite guest blogger – Charlieeeee!

Mom said I could write again today, but she chose this embarrassing picture of me to share…
SLEEPING!
Of all things!!!
Of all the wonderful, adventurous, exciting things I do….
She posts THIS!!
I was just catching a few eensy weensy teeny tiny winks out in the yard in the beautiful Autumn weather and sunshine for a moment. Really!

My dad tells me she gets a kick out of doing that to him sometimes too.
He works and works and goes and goes – and then, the minute he “rests his eyes” in his recliner…
SNAP!
She catches the moment as if it is something funny!

Us guys do have our pride…. Right guys?! Cut us a break!

Usually I am quite busy.

There are butterflies and bees
and chipmunks and falling leaves to chase.
There are sticks to chew.
There are peppers and cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden to eat.
There are holes to dig.
And deer and turkey to watch.
There is fetch to be played.
And stuffed animals to rip the stuffing from.
When Mom cooks, there is food falling on the floor in the kitchen to clean up.
And when I’m really lucky – there are walks to take
and breakfast and dinner and the occasional treats to savor after doing a potty outside or showing that I can sit (DUH!).
There are visitors to get to know – cautiously at first – right friends?! You can never be too sure!
But when I do know you – look out! Puppy kisses and snuggles galore!
And sometimes I even get to go for car and truck rides
and even boat rides (though I am working desperately on trying not to get sick from the motion!).

So of all of this important stuff – Mom shares a picture of my [ahem] brief nap!

But sometimes…..
I just run out of steam….
(doesn’t it happen to you sometimes too?)

and all the sudden….
my eyes just can’t stay open anymore….

and before I even know it,
out comes that daggone camera – and SNAP!

Caught in the act!

Hope you are enjoying your little place in the world as much as I am mine this week!
Take some time to lay down in the soft grass and crunchy leaves and take it all in until you can’t stand it any more, and take a nap.

As my mom would say: cherish the moments!

Woofs & Wags,
Charlie

PS  If you are a new “lifeinbetweener” and would like to read more “Chuckles with Charlie,” you can click:
Here or
Here or
Here
or just type “Charlie” in the Search bar.
Happy Chuckling!

Old-Fashioned Fresh Peach Pie

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

old fashioned fresh peach pie 2

It is fresh peach time in our little corner of the world, and some of the best come from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, an area known for micro-climate, soil and slopes conducive to growing sweet, juicy, high-quality peaches.  Though Chambersburg is about three hours from Mars, we have a local feed store (that I frequent for bird food) whose owner has a connection and receives fresh peaches and several varieties of plums for just a few weeks every August from a farm in Chambersburg.

old fashioned fresh peach pie slice

Fresh warm peach pie a la mode is one of hubby’s all-time favorite desserts.  He is a fruit pie lover, and peach is at the top of his list.

Old Fashioned Fresh Peach Pie

I was happy to have an opportunity to bake a pie in my less-than-usual spare time this weekend.

blanched peaches

You see, we got a new family member Saturday morning…

Meet Charlie.  We rescued him from a shelter about an hour and a half away.  They believe him to be about a year old.  Day one, he was very shy, but warmed up quickly enough to actually help himself to jumping up and snuggling right in between hubby and me at bed time.  (not sure how long that is going to fly!)

Day two found him to be 45 pounds of galloping, fetching and retrieving exuberance.  His confidence is growing, and his puppy-ness kept me busy.

charlie 080215

He was right by my side in the kitchen while we made this yummy pie for “dad.”  We were both in our happy place!

Enjoy the old-fashioned taste of this classic recipe from our family to yours.

Old-Fashioned Fresh Peach Pie

Ingredients:old fashioned fresh peach pie 2

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Blanch, peel and slice peaches.  (To blanch, place peaches in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then remove with slotted spoon and place immediately in large bowl of ice water.  The skin will slip right off. )

Mix peaches, sugars, juice of lemon, flour and cinnamon in bowl and let set aside while you prepare pie crust

Line pie pan with one crust.  Add filling.  Cut remaining crust into strips to form lattice top.  Brush with milk, sprinkle with a little white sugar.

Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil to prevent pie crust from burning or overbaking.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and back for another 30-35 minutes.  Remove aluminum foil during last 10 minutes.

Peach pie is good served warm or cold, and especially yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi