Video Star

I now star in my very own video on You Tube. My Dad made the video. It is inspirational, as well as very good because, well, because I am the star.

Xena Meets Her New Cousin

Within minutes of being strapped into the back seat with Lucy, I was free. I don’t like being in the back seat. When Mommy stopped for gas, she strapped me in again, so I tortured her by panting real loud the rest of the three and one half hour trip. You should have seen how far my tongue can hang out! Mommy was too busy driving to get a picture. When we got to Auntie Jen’s, Mommy left me in the car, with a dried out tongue and starved half to death while Lucy got introduced to the new boy, Achilles.

It was finally time for me, the starved schnauzer, to meet Achilles.He didn’t look so big from up here in my Daddy’s arms. Really, all I could think about was why my dinner was so late.Did Lucy bribe you to keep my cornered here? You’d better move along before me and my shadow go all schnauzer warrior princess on you.

I didn’t have much peace the rest of the weekend. Achilles seemed to be fascinated with me. Yes, it’s me, Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess, and I’ll warrior all over you if you don’t get your nose out of my bee hind.

Now what do you want, big dog? No, I won’t be your girlfriend.

In case you are wondering, the green scarf isn’t a fashion statement. Mommy puts essential oils on it to keep the bugs away from me. It didn’t work on keeping Achilles away, though, BOL.You promise to stop bugging me if I what?! Well, OK, maybe just one quick kiss.

That was a mistake, ’cause then what I think I overheard Achilles say to my Daddy was, “Mr. Jeff, can I marry your daughter, the little one, the pretty one?” After Daddy said no, Achilles settled for a taste of Daddy’s coffee.

All in all, it was a good trip. I got to know my Auntie Jen and Uncle Bill better, and had a good time playing with Ella and Lucy. Mommy, do we really have to leave now? When can we come back and visit our new cousins?

Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Lucy Meets Her New Cousin

Dad and Mom packed me and Xena in the backseat of the car like so much luggage and took off down the road. Uh oh, Mom’s giving me the stink-eye. Well, it’s true. We didn’t get any snacks or Netflix to watch or toys to play with. So. Luggage, right?

After 87 hours we got to our friends’ new house near a big city called Nashville. They live out in the country with 4 acres of land and a great big fenced back yard. Friday night was mostly getting Achilles introduced to me and Xena. I showed him a lot of submission so he wouldn’t hurt me wouldn’t feel threatened by me. On the plus side, he did take care of the pesky little sister issue for a while.By Saturday the peeps were all more comfortable letting us play together with minimal supervision. Ella and I remembered each other and played together.Here we are smiling and getting ready to play .Ella is a good player and I don’t have to be gentle with her like with my little sister. In the meantime, Achilles was still busy trying to eat figure out Xena. I decided Mom and Dad had that part covered.When they went out on Saturday Ella and I had the house to ourselves. The eater and eatee Achilles and Xena had to stay in their crates.  Uncle Bill had used zip ties on Achilles’ crate and pushed furniture up against it, too, to try to keep Achilles-dini from escaping. (It worked.) Then the peeps went to a winery and tried all different kinds of wines. I don’t know why…I could have given them some good whines for free, he,he! In the front is my Auntie Jen, then Uncle Bill, then Dad and Mom.

Dad and Auntie Jen love to cook, so, later,they worked together in the kitchen and made mashed cauliflower and  meatballs and portabella mushrooms with special 100%  grass-fed beef.Here, Dad is waving the smells from the pan into his nose. How silly! I could smell it from across the room and knew it was just right! Needless to say, I didn’t get any.

Achilles and I finally got to be friends and played together, too.He is a big boy, though – 70  pounds to my 50 – so sometimes his Dad had to hold him and let Xena play with me and Ella. (You can just ignore the peep’s talking – if you want.)

Tomorrow – or sometime soon –  Xena is going to tell you her version more about “her” part of the trip.

Love and wiggles, Lucy

PeeS: If you can’t play with the big dogs, stay on the porch. ~Xena

PeeSS: Xena, get outa here, this is MY post! ~Lucy

Achilles-dini

Hi friends, Achilles here. You remember me, right? (Anyone needing to get caught up can click here for my introduction.)

I have always liked magic tricks. I’m pretty good at them too! Recently I’ve been trying to show my New Mom how good I am at magic. She’s so impressed, she calls me a regular Houdini. Make that Achilles-dini. My latest performance was that of legend. Here’s what happened:

Mom put me in my kennel and gave me my biscuit for being the good boy that I am. That’s when I immediately decided to pee. (No, that wasn’t the magic trick.) Apparently she wasn’t too fond of my decision and said a few very loud choice words before taking away my blankets. When New Mom then put me back in my kennel she didn’t give me any blankets. I think I was being punished, even though she was only going to be gone for a few minutes. She also closed the door to the room that I’m in so that my new sister couldn’t keep me company. She was upset because I made her late.

Well I figured what a better way to cheer her up than my ultimate magic trick! When New Mom came home I was outside of my kennel and had opened the door to the room!! I was so incredibly proud of myself! I met mom at the door and exclaimed, “I am the great Achilles-dini!!” Boy, was New Mom surprised!  At first she thought I was a “bad boy.” Sometimes New Mom talks like her lips don’t fit. So I thought I would shared my day with her, like I hear her and New Dad do. I told her about playing with the toys. And guarding the house, and playing with Ella.

At the end of the day she told me I had a great magic trick and I got plenty of hugs and kisses. I think I’m winning my new family over!

I am the loved and magical Achilles-dini.

 

PeeS I got out of the kennel without opening it. It’s my secret how I did that, too.

Boring Days

Mommy and me, we aren’t working at the St. Luke church anymore. We went from 3 days to 2 days to 0 days. You can see I was always busy there; never a boring minute. We took my ‘puter home with us (you can see a little of it just behind my bed) and I am still waiting on the IT people to set it up for me at home.                                                                       Me busy at work

I can’t go to Mommy’s new job at another Methodist church ’cause they have something called a Licensed Daycare. Mommy said I wouldn’t like it there anyhow, ’cause there’s lots and lots and lots of little screaming kids right outside her office door. She puts on her headphones and listens to music. I don’t have any headphones, but it doesn’t matter ’cause I’m not allowed to go anyhow. So here I am without a job. Sometimes I get so bored I count the flowers on the blanket. Yep, my Guardian Angel Lexi is teaching me how to count. So far I can count one plus one plus one. I think that comes to one.

At least Mommy’s home with me on the days we used to go to work together. And so is my friend Sweetheart Bear.Sometimes we watch Netflix shows together. Last week I saw this huge animal on the TV and I barked and barked at it. I found out it is called a horse. The rest of the afternoon, I barked at the TV every time I walked past it, just in case that horse was still there. I wanted it to know I am a brave Schnauzer Princess Warrior. I think I scared it away, too.Sometime I play with my bones and bully horn. I chew them and I throw them and push them all over the house. It makes tons of wonderful noise. The only problem is I won’t be able to hear the horse coming because of all the noise. Mommy says that’s ok, she can’t hear anything, either, when I am doing that.                        Will someone please find Xena a job? ~Lucy

I think I will take a nap before we go to my Agility Won class.I am Xena the *yawn* Bored Schnauzer Princess Warrior

Mommy’s Home!

And look how nice I sit and stay until she tells me, “Free!”

Xena, the Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Introducing Achilles

Hi, I’m Achilles. And yeah, yeah, you can hold the heel jokes, I’ve heard them all. I was named after a powerful Greek hero, and that’s better than any defect I might have, and I really don’t think I have any.  Never mind that, it isn’t what I’m here to tell you. First, I want to say hey, and more importantly, I want to tell you my story, starting with just before Angel Piper got sick unto death, as they say in the Good Book. I was happy living with my Dad, who is a war hero (at least to me he is a war hero). When he came home from fighting overseas, things kinda fell apart with him and Mom and he had to move to an apartment where they only allow one big dog. He had his military service dog, and he couldn’t try to find him somewhere else to live for lots of reasons.

Say “Cheeeeese.”

Then he heard about these good people who were open to adopting another dog. Turns out, Piper apparently had a talk with Jesus, ’cause he was so worried about what would happen to his folks – especially his Mom – that he didn’t think he could go and leave her. Jesus said he had this covered, and he was sending someone to help. Guess what? I. Am. That. Someone.

I knew right away that I had work to do. My New Mom and New Dad and New dog sister Ella loved me right off, but were also very sad ’cause they knew Piper was leaving soon. My New brother Piper perked up a little bit to see the answer to his talk with Jesus. I promised him that I would take care of things, and told him he could stick around or leave if he was ready, but not to worry any more.

And I did. When New Mom was crying, I cried with her and brought her a toy to try to cheer her up. And I watched TV with my New Dad. I went outside and kept an eye on Ella. She’s been taking care of Piper for so long, I thought maybe she needed someone to take care of her for a while. And when Ella succumbed to depression, I was there for her.
So here I am where I’m supposed to be. And it’s good. Even though the grief is still heavy, there’s a lot of love. My New sister Ella is also my new best friend, and I hear rumors about New cousins coming to visit soon. I got word from up high that it’s OK for me to be on Angel Lexi’s blog, so I’ll come back from time to time to catch y’all up on what’s happening around here.

Your new friend, Achilles the White Boxer

Grooming with Mom: Roxxii

Hmm, I wonder if her name is really Roxy or R O twenty three. 

Hi, friends, this is Lucy with another episode of “Grooming with Mom.” In this episode, my peeps brother Andrew was hangin’ with one of his friends…I wonder if Riley was with them and if he was thinking about me. Anyhow, his friend’s girlfriend was there with her 8-year-old shih tzu, Roxxii.  He, he.

So Andrew said, “Oh my God, that dog is an unholy mess! You need to go see my Mom right away!” OK, maybe not exactly like that, but she got the message, right?

Here’s Roxxii’s before picture: Andrew was right, right? Mom said that Roxxii is a very good girl. Mom’s thinking maybe a scissor cut next time would be more attractive, but it will be whatever Roxxii and her Mom want. Well, mostly what her Mom wants. When Roxxii was done, she looked like this:Her Mom was so happy that she asked if she should bring her back in two weeks. My Mom tried not to laugh when she said she thought six weeks might be just about right. 

This is Lucy, signing off with licks and wiggles from Grooming with Mommy.

At Heaven’s Gate

At Heaven’s Gate

I don’t want to go mom,
And leave Ella, you and dad.
My time is getting nearer mom,
But oh the fun we’ve had.

We’ve been so many places,
We’ve had so many friends.
We’ve had our share of hard times,
But they were great in the end.

I fought hard for you mom,
For you I stayed so strong.
I’m going to miss you and dad,
Oh mom it won’t be long.

You say I’ll see my friends mom,
All that have gone before.
I’ll even see GOD mom!
And he’s who DOGs are named for.

I don’t want to to leave you mom,
But oh won’t it be great.
I know you’ll love me forever mom,
And I’ll be waiting at Heavens gate.

-Piper

We will love you always, Piper.

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R.I.P.

January 10, 2004 – July 24, 2018

 

The Exploding Chair

Oh, uh, hi Mommy. Are you home from work already? What chair? Oh, that chair. Well, you see, Mommy, I was just sitting here minding my own business and it just kinda’ exploded. There’s Ludwig. He was watching from the top of the Victrola. Ask him!

(A few minutes later, after everyone returned from pottying.)

You can probably put it back together, Mommy. There’s some of it over there.And some of it over there.

You didn’t think I could do anything naughty with the cone on my head? Well, that’ll teach you. And I have to stay in my kennel tomorrow like I used to before the cone without ice cream?  *mumbles* I can’t help it if chairs explode.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess on Restrictions

Xena Remembers Agility Fun

It’s so boring wearing the cone without ice cream. I was just thinking about how much fun I had at my pre-agility class. Remember the V-ramp that I loved – just like Angel Lexi said I would? Look at my legs-I was running so fast they were just a blur.

And there were those hoops to jump through. Easy-Peasy.

The blind tunnel was harder. I had to have faith that there was nothing bad waiting to eat me on the other side of the blind, and I had just enough faith to run through it one time.I hope my boo boo heals up fast so that I don’t have to wear the cone without ice cream when I go to my very first Agility Won class in a couple of weeks.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Princess Warrior Cone Head

A Cone without Ice Cream

Do you remember when Mommy and I almost died in an almost car wreck? And then I was banished to the back seat with a seat belt harness? I hated it soooo much, I shook so hard every time we went somewhere that my teeth started to get loose. OK, maybe not, but I thought they did. We now have a compromise. I still have to wear my seat belt harness, but I get to sit in the front seat. Mommy checked about the dangerous airbags, and they only work if there is at least 50 pounds on the seat. Since I am only 13 and one half pounds, no problemo. Hey Mommy, where are we going?

Mommy: To the vet. The one you like.

Why are we going to the vet, the one I like?

Mommy: Because you have been shaking your head and flapping your ears, and I can’t find anything wrong. Your ears are as clean as a whistle, and…

How clean are whistles?

Mommy: Very clean, Xexe, just like your ears. And now you have a sore under your left ear. You know I put lavender essential oils on it for 2 days, and yesterday I used the Vet-tech Sea Salt spray, and it isn’t any better. It keeps seeping. 

40 minutes later (the car ride is almost 30 minutes each way): Dr. Smith said the same thing you did about my ears being super dooper clean. I wish my favorite vet, Dr. Karen, had been there. Thanks for stopping the helper lady from putting that glass stick up my butt.

Mommy: I had to. I didn’t bring my earplugs.

And when Dr. Smith said he wanted me to take prednisone – whatever that is – you said, “No” again. And then you were nicer about saying no to the next medicine, and the next…

Mommy: I just suggested some other things, and he said they would work just as well for a hot spot. And I already have the sea salt spray, so we didn’t have to buy more. 

But I know I saw you give them your plastic money!

Mommy: Yep. I paid $54 for them to tell me you have a hot spot and that I can just keep doing what I was already doing. *mumble, mumble*

30 minutes later: Hey Lucy, I went to see the vet lady but she wasn’t there so I saw the vet man and guess what? Lucy: I don’t know, Sis, what did the vet man say?

He said I am a hot spot, just like when Daddy uses his phone to get on the internet. I bet I could save Daddy a lot of money.

Lucy: Better look behind you, Xena…your tale is growing.

My tail doesn’t grow, silly Lucy Ducey. He wanted me to take medicine, but Mommy suggested I eat ice cream instead. I am still waiting for it.

Lucy: That doesn’t make any sense. I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Well, I kept my head down under Mommy’s arm most of the time, so I couldn’t hear real well. But I know she said something about a cone instead of even more medicine.

10 minutes later: Why are you doing these things to me? Where is my ice cream?Mommy: You’re not supposed to scratch your boo boo, so I am trying a big band-aid before I have to get the cone. What ice cream?Lucy: I don’t think you have it on her right, Mom. 

I want my ice cream.

I am Xena, the Schnauzer Warrior Princess with a big cone and no ice cream.

Thankful Thursday with Ludwig

Ludwig: Xena, do you know what I am thankful for?Xena: Hmm, let me think. I know! You are thankful that I am so beautiful!

Ludwig: Of course, Beautiful Princess, I appreciate your beauty and your friendship. But that is not what I am thinking just now. I am thankful, Xena, that I got to come live with you and your family and friends.And that I’m beautiful, right?

Ludwig and Lucy: *sigh* 

We thank Brian’s Home for sponsoring this Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Me and My Daddy

I am Xena, Daddy’s Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Independence Day USA by Lucy

And I Wasn’t Scared at All

Hi friends! I’m so exited about taking another class with Mommy at Play Dog Excellent, or PDX for short. This is the class us pups take before we start something called agility. I know that Mable and Hazel at the Idaho Pug Ranch do agility, and so does Benji at Life of Benji, and I bet a lot more of my friends do, too. Here’s my second week at class.
 The filming on this one wasn’t great, but you can see that I was learning to run along a raised board. I think I did pretty good for my first time doing this kinda thing, and I wasn’t scared at all.

I could run so fast through this ladder, my legs are almost a blurr! I got lots of compliments on how good I did it. And I wasn’t scared at all!
I never did understand what I am supposed to do with these squishy discs. I guess that might be ’cause Mommy didn’t know, either, BOL!

Last Tuesday was week number three, and things get harder more challenging every week. At first I didn’t want to do the “V Ramp.” I started up it and when I slowed down, I started to slide backwards. I have to admit, that was no fun. Mommy kept encouraging me, and then my Guardian Angel whispered in my ear. She said that this was her very favorite piece of equipment when she was doing Agility, and if I just ran fast the whole way up, over and down, just one time, I would love it too. So do you know what I did? Well, let me show you. I do have to tell you, this video was taken at the end of the hour when I was exhausted. At the beginning of our training fun I was tearing up and down it so fast, Mommy could hardly keep up with me. I would get to the bottom, eat my treat, and turn around and run back up (and down) it. I was like that speedy guy from Marvel – I think his name is Speedy, or maybe Flash – yep, that’s it, Flash.

I guess that’s enough wowing you for one day. I’ll show you more videos again soon.

I am Xena the Future Agility Champion

 

Guests?

Lucy: So, Xena, what do you think of the new dogs in the house? They’ve been here over a week. I wonder if that means we are keeping them.

Xena: They do look familiar. I think Mommy grooms them. But they won’t play with me. I try and try. I grab their stuffies and shake them in their faces and run, and nothing. Then I do the same with my stuffies.  Nothing.

Lucy: That’s ’cause Maggie is 10 years old. But I did see her chewing on your new birthday bully horn.

                                                      Who? Me?

Xena: That’s not exactly a group activity. So I took it away from her. ‘Cause it’s mine. And she can’t have it.

Lucy: And Dora forgets who Dad is and barks at him every day when he gets home from work.

Xena: Maybe that’s what happens when you turn nine.

                                                         Who are you?

Lucy: Just before their folks left, I heard their Dad mumble something about Dora not being the brightest bulb in the lamp. 

Xena: Well, they have just about stolen our Mommy and Daddy. 

Is that good, Maggie? A little more to the left, Mr. Jeff.

Lucy: I don’t mind Mom sleeping in the other bedroom with them. That means I can sleep in the big bed with Dad all night long. 

Mom and Dad are coming for us today. I am so outa’ here.

We are Lucy and Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess, the ONLY permanent resident dogs in our house.

Wordless Wednesday

A tired dog and her hockey puck bone.

Grooming with Mom

Hi friends. This is Lucy, reporting on a new episode of Grooming with Mom.

Maggie isn’t a newbie. She has been here before. This is her before and after picture from the first time she was here in October last year. 

She has been back twice since that. This time, however, Maggie’s Dad brought her and told my Mom to give her a short poodle cut. She is half poodle and half shih tzu, and definitely looks more poodlish.  Her “before” look isn’t nearly as bad as it was the first time she was on Mom’s torture grooming table.After a lot of shaving and some arguing over getting her face shaved, here’s how she looked in her “after.” We found out that her Mama was about to have surgery for breast cancer, and needed Maggie to have an easy haircut to manage. Please send up your POTP, good thoughts and prayers for Miss Marcia, Maggie’s Mom.

Licks and wiggles, Lucy

Birthday Surprises

Dear friends, before I start telling you about my great birthday, I want to say I’m sorry for tricking you. I didn’t mean to. My paw hit the publish button by mistake, and I wasn’t near done. But I am now, so please don’t be mad and read about my most specialest day ~Xena

I had the bestest birthday I ever had. Of course it was the only one I ever had. On the way home from work, we stopped at the Smart Pet place. After looking around, we went home with yummy treats for me.

When we got home, there were all my stuffie friends, including Ludwig, in the kitchen with bags of pressies for me. Winter bear got tired and fell asleep while he was waiting for me to get home, so he missed me opening my pressies. This pink bag had a lot of bouncy yellow foam balls that Mommy will throw for me. I love to play fetch with balls, and I’m even getting better at catching them with my mouth and my paws.The flower bag had yummy flavored bones in it – I had to share one of them with Lucy. Mommy let us chew on them for a while before dinner, but when she saw how quickly we chewed them apart, she took them away from us and fed them to that bad old can that’s under the sink. I hate that can. It gets lots of stuff I could eat! 

Ludwig ran and got me to come open my last pressie. He whispered in my ear, “I got this one for you, Xena. You are my friend and I love you.” Sure enough, that bag held my favorite pressie of all…a bully horn sized just right for me. Lucy wanted to chew it up, so I am going to take it to work and leave it there, where she can’t get it.

Next came supper. I got a French meal called steak tartar. Instead of bacon on top, there was fresh salmon. It was on a real fancy plate that used to belong to my Grandma. Next to it is my dessert: sliced apple and strawberries and goat yogurt.

Nom, nom, nom.

Lucy got beef and chicken and egg and cabbage and a tiny bit of salmon. And she got the same dessert as me.

She ate so fast that she made all these disgusting piggy noises (sorry, Bacon). We got our desserts after we finished our meal and had licked our plate and bowl clean. You can see we both dug into the yogurt first.

So that is the story of my first birthday, and I hope everyone liked hearing about it.

I am Xena the One-Year-Old Schnauzer Warrior Princess

At Work on My Birthday

 

Here I am at work with Mommy, getting baby hold time on my very first birthday. I wonder when I am going to get my nice pressies. I wonder what I’m getting special for supper. I’ve even got my birthday cupcake scarf on so efurryone will know it’s my special day.

 

 

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions for what to ask for on my birthday. Mommy’s giving heart worm prevention to a no-kill shelter in the area. And I’ve asked for more of what I already have, since I can’t think of anything new.

Mommy, Mommy, I need you to tell me sumptin.

Today I turn one year old, right? Does that mean I’m all grown up and I’m not your baby anymore? *whispers* I still want to be your baby.

Mom: Xexe honey, no matter how old you are, you are and always will be my baby and my heart, all wrapped up in one.Good! When does the party start?

(Dear Reader, please come back tomorrow for pictures of the surprise festivities. – the Mommy)

I am Xena the Birthday Schnauzer Warrior Princess