Sunday, December 30, 2007

Winter Wonderland & our Golden Retriever friends

We've had more snow this season than any other year on record!! The previous record was set in 1970. One bonus was that we finally had a white Christmas. Not so nice is all the shovelling. But, it was a good trade off I'd say.

If you like snow...and like Golden Retrievers...you're going to love this photo:


From left to right:
Choya, Kiche, Kodi and Sage...aren't they beautiful?
Sent to us by Peter, who is on the Board of Directors for Canines with a Cause. Peter and his wife Cathy generously donate many, many hours to charity.

And...a little something given to me at the recent CWAC annual meeting.
Happy New Year everyone! Here's looking forward to some more great dog adventures in 2008.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Cogan and Canines with a Cause

Cogan (left) and Noah are featured on our Mambo Combo packages. The photo was sent to us by Miriam Mas, who is the founder of the charity Canines with a Cause.

Cogan was featured in today's Ottawa Citizen. Here is the article:

Couple lets Cogan do the walking
Among his duties, dog fetches, opens doors, turns on lights
By Ute Mikula, The Ottawa CitizenPublished: Friday, December 28, 2007

Bob Paynter has dropped his water bottle and is unable to retrieve it. "Take it, bring it here," he commands Cogan, a beautiful Labrador retriever, who is also known as Pillsbury Doughboy. Cogan picks up the bottle and places it with care on Mr. Paynter's lap.

The 48-year-old Mr. Paynter has used a wheelchair for 26 years. He has limited use of his hands, arms and legs as a result of Becker's muscular dystrophy, an inherited disease that causes slow, progressive muscle weakness.

Enter Cogan, a huge white bear of a dog. He's a graduate of Canines with a Cause, a non-profit organization that trains puppies to help people with mobility problems to live on their own.

Cogan, Mr. Paynter and his wife, Karen, live in Nepean along the Rideau River. Mrs. Paynter also uses a wheelchair due to renal failure and childhood encephalitis.

The couple can't imagine a life without their willing-to-please companion, who's been with them for the past four and a half years. "Cogan is one smart dog," says Mr. Paynter. "If he was any smarter, I could send him to work."

Cogan's household duties include opening doors by pulling on a rope that's attached to the handle. He also switches lights on and off and occasionally pulls Mr. Paynter's socks off at bedtime.

Mr. Paynter has a full-time government job and has, until recently, taken Cogan to work with him every day.

At first, Mr. Paynter relied on Para Transpo, but one day, Cogan was spooked by a loud noise, and he's refused to get back on the bus. There's a new solution in the works, however. A co-worker who plans to move nearby, will drive the two in the Paynters' specially outfitted van.
When Cogan goes to the office, he's busy, either retrieving items or opening doors by pressing the handicapped button. If the two are in an elevator alone, Mr. Paynter holds a laser pointer and Cogan knows what floor to press by following the laser's light ray. "Everyone at work is crazy about him."
-------------------------------
Canines with a Cause was founded in 2001 by Ottawa's Miriam Mas, after she had a near-death experience.

"You have to have a sense of humour when you are working with dogs," said Ms. Mas. "I think I would have been burned out if I had to work with people so closely."

The average cost for training, placing and certifying one service dog is about $14,000.
The organization relies on donations and holds various fundraisers such as silent auctions, trivia nights at Rideau- Carleton Raceway and Christmas craft shows. Singer Allison Crowe has performed three benefit concerts.

Canines with a Cause has seven graduates and several puppies-in-training. They are looking for two more volunteer puppy raisers to socialize and train future graduates.

They also have a wishlist of items including toys, nylon bones, leashes, baby gates and a projector. For more items, check the list at www.canineswithacause.org
--------------------------------
Service dogs are trained to be very obedient. At a fast-food restaurant recently, a friend of Mr. Paynter's tested Cogan's discipline by putting a hamburger on the floor in front of him. Cogan's mouth salivated, but he didn't budge.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2007
Some great coverage for my favourite dog charity.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Harley crew
We wish everyone a joyful Christmas, and Very Happy New Year! From left to right: Mulligan, Cassie, John, Sara, Cody (holding Phantom) and Cinder.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Parcels in the mail

Who doesn't like getting nice things in the mail? Two wonderful packages arrived for me yesterday.

The first was all the way from Japan.

A 2008 calendar and lots of little goodies from Leslie of good-ness. Leslie is originally from Ontario, Canada but now lives in Japan. Her blog is full of interesting tid bits of life over there and is on my regular blog read list. She also has an etsy shop full of Japanese good-ness. Take a look sometime. (Leslie, I am going to do something special with the Merry Christmas ribbons!)

And from the outrageous Tara, who has recently returned after taking a break from the blogging world....CROCS!
Maybe not the kind of croc you were thinking? Croc mittens in 3 sizes...one pair for our 2 year old grandson, one pair for our 6 year old granddaughter, and one pair for our 20 year old (yes, 20!) son. Yes, Cody will wear them.

Too funny. I couldn't resist playing with the larger size. Maybe Cody won't get them after all!


Friday, December 21, 2007

A Christmas Classic

I haven't seen this for years, but heard the song on the radio as I was packing a biscuit order and went to hunt it down on YouTube. Hope you like it too.

(press the arrow a couple of times to play)

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas Tree Expedition

Yesterday took us to the Christmas Tree farm with John's daughter and grandson. It was a bleak day outside, but we had lots of fun nonetheless.
3 Generations

Lots of fun making snow angels...can you see Mr. J's angel?

Not to be outdone, his mom had to join in the angel making fun...

Despite all the shenanigans, we did find a tree. A skinny but tall tree who will look just fine with our decorations at home. And on our way back home, what did we see? Wild turkeys by the side of the road, who took flight when I stepped out of the car to snap some photos.Back home to some hot soup!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Six more sleeps

It's getting closer! As our granddaughter says "six more sleeps".


This photo was sent to us by Tiffany. You can't get more Christmassy than this! Piper and Rio by the fire wearing their festive finery. Thanks Tiffany.

We're off to the tree farm today with our grandson to cut down our Christmas tree. I'm not quite sure that he'll be able to make it through the deep snow, but we'll give it a try. Cinder, Mulligan, and our cat Phantom never bother the tree. We're not quite sure what Cassie will do, since she tries to grab and eat most things. We'll have to keep a close eye out this year for sure. Nothing dangerous will be going up this year.

Have a happy day!

Friday, December 14, 2007

More locations for Barking Biscuits

This is a very busy time of year for most businesses. It's a little unusual to pick up new accounts at this time of year, so we're really fortunate and happy to announce a few places that have added Barking Biscuits.

A brand new business....Spoiled K9s...opening on Monday and supplying gift baskets exclusively for dogs. They are in Toronto. You can reach them at 647.346.1480. Good luck Lisha!


If you are on "the right coast"...aka the east coast (Halifax & Dartmouth to be exact)...you probably know about Paws 4 Health. They supply all natural food for dogs. And now they supply Barking Biscuits and organic catnip as well. You can reach Maureen at 902.435.2528.

And...Country Canine in Limehouse, Ontario (I must go check out where it is) has just placed an order which they will be receiving on Tuesday. How terrible...I don't have Deb's phone number but you can reach her by email.

------------------------------------------------------------

We're off to the annual meeting and celebration for Canines With A Cause tonight...one of the charities I like to support.

And...if I'm very, very good...maybe a nice dinner with my favourite man!

Have a good weekend everyone.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

There's no pimping here

Our new pumpkin biscuits have been giving me a few little challenges.


First of all, we printed up some lovely new pumpkin tags featuring Sammy. The tags look great, but after packing our bags into shipping boxes I realized there was a little problem...the tags are 1/4 inch wider than all of our other tags. This probably seems like a very small detail, but let me tell you it makes a difference when you are trying to snuggly pack rows of 10 bags into shipping boxes. An extra 1/4 inch adds up to an extra 1 & 1/4 inches when you pack a row of 5 bags...and there's not that much room to spare in our shipping boxes. Sigh.

Secondly, the pumpkin biscuits have been wildly popular (which is a very good thing) but so popular that I sold out a couple of weeks ago. Not to worry, I had our bakery bake up some more and picked them up earlier this week. I opened up the box and much to my surprise, it was filled with pumpkin biscuits...but the wrong ones.

A couple of years ago, we had a pumpkin biscuit which was truly uninspiring. We dropped them due to dismal sales. We revamped the biscuits a couple of months ago. We dropped the corn, dropped the grains, and added pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and sesame seeds...oh yes, and a dash of allspice. Yum.

But the pumpkin biscuits in my boxes had no seeds! Seems my bakers used the OLD recipe, not the NEW recipe. Sadly, I am still sold out of pumpkin biscuits.

But...I still had to smile. I took a look at my packing slip. My production manager is originally from Switzerland and her written English is interesting sometimes. It seems I picked up "pimping pieces" instead of "pumpkin pieces"!

An interesting business alternative, but I think we won't diversify into pimping just yet.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Handmade Christmas

This wonderful illustration is available for you to use for Christmas cards courtesy of Julia at Lineanongrata. Go to her blog to check out the details or her etsy shop to check out her wonderful illustrations and bags. Truly original and inspiring. Now, if you are part of my family and live on the "right coast"...please stop reading right now.

For the rest of you, I want to share part of my handmade Christmas....for our lovely Miss M.

Back in the summer, I blogged about an auction we went to. I purchased 2 wooden silverware cases For $1 that I planned to revitalize and turn into treasure boxes for our 2 grandchildren. That didn't go as planned. Some things just don't work out I guess. The boxes were the perfect size. I took out the old velvet linings, but no matter what I tried I couldn't get rid of a terrible musty smell. Yuck. I abandoned my plans. But I did come up with an alternative for Miss M....a wooden mini chest of drawers that I bought and painted. Here is the finished project:

I filled some of the drawers with wrapped presents. Her Beebee Mod shirt...some "jewels" to make her own jewelry...some rhinestone flowers with sticky backs...some sticky foam letters and flowers...Purple is her favourite colour. I hope she likes it.

Monday, December 10, 2007

It's all how you look at it

On Friday we took a little trip. To Toronto. Four hours of driving to take a look at Cody's new home. Well...the home is not so new. But it's new to him.


His dad drove him and all his worldly belongings down to Toronto on Thursday. John and I took the drive on Friday. Our first little problem was that we arrived (by using our new GPS system) at the address on Danforth. But the address was a little bungalow in a neighbourhood that just didn't seem right. And I knew he was living in an apartment over a bar. (it sounds worse than it is). I didn't have his cell phone number with me (he just got a new number the day before). We don't own a cell phone. So off we went...walking to the nearest convenience store to see where the closest pay phone was. We got to talking with the convenience store owner. After about 5 minutes we discover that we are on Danforth Road. There is also a Danforth Avenue. Ahhhh. Back to the car, rekey in the address on the GPS, and off we go.

You have arrived at destination. (I don't know if I'll ever get used to the woman's voice on the GPS system) Cody was waiting for us and very excited. This was great to see, because usually he's pretty laid back. The first thing he wanted to do was show us his apartment.

It's funny how life is. He is on top of the world because he has a place of his own (well, he's sharing with one of his best friends). His own stuff. His own responsibility. It's perfect for him. And I'm comfortable with it too. The neighbourhood looks great. Lots to see and do. Lots of opportunities for part time jobs...good for a struggling actor. And it looks safe...important for a mom's well being.
Look Mom...it's perfect. We've got all the movies and games we need. And we have table hockey too!

So, he's really happy. But you know how life is...at our stage of life...if we had to live there...we wouldn't be so happy about it. We'd think that we had come down in the world. It's all how you look at it, isn't it?

Cody used his new tool kit and hung some pictures. We headed out for lunch, and then shopping for a futon. (for some reason, he didn't want a bed and had his heart set on a futon). That was not an easy thing...rush hour through downtown Toronto traffic. It took us 3 hours of driving around, but we found the perfect one. We managed to squeeze it into our CRV and crawled at a snail's pace through traffic. We got it up 2 flights of stairs, got him settled, and headed back home. It was dark when we left. Here is a shot of his building. He lives on the top floor. Rails and Ales is at street level, 2 apartments on the second floor (one occupied by 2 girl's from Cody's Theatre program), and Cody and Mike's place on the top.

Another 4 hour drive. I shed a few tears on the way. Sad, but happy too.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Have fun out there.

I love this commercial. The look on the guy's face when the wolf swallows the bird just cracks me up. (not to worry...the wolf spits him out and starts to sing)

Any one remember Andy Kim? I want to dance and sing every time I see this on tv. John thinks I'm crazy.

If I buy a Jeep, will all my driving be like this? Fun!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

More of my favourite things

Yum. That's all I can say.

Well, maybe I can say a few more words. It's been a Christmas tradition every years for the past number of years that Cody make a party mix to give away to some family members. It was born out of necessity...he being a poor, penniless, starving student. But it continues because it's such a popular gift (well, to be honest he's still poor & penniless but now he's an aspiring actor...not a student)

So here is the recipe for Cody's Party Mix. It's GOOD.

6 cups Cheerios
6 cups Crispix
2 x 200 gram bags pretzels
300 grams salted peanuts
1 cup melted butter
4 - 5 tbsp worcestershire sauc
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp chili powder and/or
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix up dry ingredients in a foil roasting pan.
Melt butter and add other ingredients. Mix well.
Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes and stir every 15 to 20 minutes. (Keep an eye on the top layer - it may get dark - reduce heat or cooking time) YUM!!


Another favourite thing...continuing in my theme of hand made things for Christmas:

A wonderful long sleeved t shirt from Beebee Mod for our lovely Miss M. Isn't he the cutest snowman? Check out Jen's etsy shop to see all her great designs.




Are you ready for Christmas yet? I'm getting there!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Things change

Our son Cody has been home for the past seven months, after spending two years in Theatre School. He lived a 6 hour drive away so we only saw him a few times a year. He moved home after graduating to work and save some money. He has saved enough, he's found a place to live in Toronto, and he'll be leaving us for good on Thursday.

After spending 20 years raising him to be independant, it's time to let him go and live his dreams. I'm so very excited for him, but it's bittersweet for sure.

He's going to have so much fun. He'll be sharing a 2 bedroom apartment with Mike, who graduated from Theatre at the same time. They'll be living one floor above 2 very beautiful young women from the same program. I'm sure they'll go through lots of ups and downs together as they work their jobs, and all try to "make it" in acting.

But I'll miss him.

Monday, December 3, 2007

The picture of contentment

Meet Jasper and puppy Skyler...two of our special customers in Cornwall, Ontario.Here are some words from Mary Lynn:
Skyler is almost 4 months now and is a JOY. He is very smart of course and Jasper just loves him. He was so very sad after Spencer passed away and just moped around and didn't want to do anything and now he runs like the wind and the little one prances around behind trying to keep up to his big brother. They sleep during the day curled up together and every once in a while they give each other a little kiss. He is exactly like Jasper, a minature blond Golden that's as sweet as could be.

Did I mention I love hearing from our friends and customers? That's what makes what I do special to me.

Speaking of special...Saturday was a very special day. A "Photo With Santa" fundraiser for BARK. Two hundred and fifteen photos were done (one photo even had seven dogs in it...yes seven...all sitting pretty).

It was a long day, and I have a confession to make. It was a very slow morning for me. We started at 8 in the morning. At 11:00 I thought I would leave at noon. Sales were dismal. But I didn't have the heart to leave so I sent John home and I stayed until 5:00 when it ended. And you know what? It turned out that it was the best show I've ever done. Sales were amazing. It goes to show...it's not over till it's over. I'm embarrassed that I even thought about leaving early.

A very good reminder for me. Sometimes it's easy to give up, but it's usually better to work things through.

Today we're in for a big snow fall. I have some orders to get to the post office so I think I'll get them done early and then snuggle in by the fire to watch the storm. It's going to be a great day!

Friday, November 30, 2007

A few of my favourite things

First of all, a reminder to please join us at the BARK Photos With Santa event tomorrow.

When: 8 am - 5 pm
Where: St Richard's Church, Merivale Road at Rossland in Ottawa


And now for a few of my favourite things:

Chilly Dogs coats (modelled here by our Cassie). Chilly Dogs is a member of our Paws for Charity group. I've known the owner Julie for many years. She's a great woman, and her coats are the best quality dog coats you'll find anywhere. Cinder has had a Chilly Dogs coat for years and of course we had to get Cassie one too. (Mulligan has a thick natural coat that seems to shed water and doesn't need one) The coats come in lots of colour choices and sizes. There are rain slickers and fleeces available too.

Dog food tables modelled here by Mya. I love these tables and I think they would be perfect for our Cinder. She's having a really tough time these days. Her legs are really shaky and she has a tough time standing. I think these raised bowls would help her a lot since she wouldn't have to lean over to eat. Contact Christine if you'd like to order a set.


And a present for me. Vintage Chick. That's the perfect tee for me. Available through the Prairie Home blog. I presented Sherry with a challenge and she came through! I think I was her first Canadian customer. I can't wait to receive my tee. Also available: Cowgirl Couture and Junk Prom Queen. They are a very soft cotton with cap sleeves and round neckline. Swarovski clear crystals added for sparkle. Sherry and her friends sell their items through monthly barn sales. How cool is that? I wish I lived in California. I'd be there every month. Love the shabby chic style.

One of my favourite blogs to read is Peach Tree Bliss. I have ordered a photo from Angelique but I don't have it yet. I'll share it with you as soon as I can. She's a photography student in Colorado (yes, the internet does allow me to shop the world). Read about her journey and take a look at her photo gallery.

I'd love to hear about your favourite things.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

There's a new biz in town

This is a photo of Dawna-Llyn and some of her customers. She has recently started up a business in Kemptville that all you local dog fans should know about.
Your Pet … Your Way
Dog Walking
In-Home Pet Care
Home Monitoring

"Experience the freedom and peace of mind"

Serving Kemptville and surrounding areas
Call Dawna-Llyn Marshall
613.558.3952

For more info, check out her website: yourpetyourway.bravehost.com

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Warm & fuzzy feelings

Some days I receive the nicest presents. Sometimes by mail. Sometimes by email.
From Pauline:
Hi Sara, I just wanted to let you know that the biscuits arrived - and that the dog barked all night at the cupboard where I keep them. She's never done that before - so I guess its safe to say that she really really likes them. I have a feeling they aren't going to last very long and I'll be ordering some more soon.Take care and thanks - Pauline

From Bill:
Nan says THANK YOU she really loves your treats...


And the cutest little Christmas card from Fluffy Flowers...Mr. Candy Cane Stripe.

For cards and stuffies, check out the Fluffy Flowers etsy shop.

Keep those emails & mail coming! You make my day.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Join us - BARK Photos with Santa

Please come and join us on location at our last appearance for 2007...at the BARK Photos With Santa event.

When: Saturday December 1st, 8 am - 5 pm
Where: St Richard's Church, Merivale Rd at Rossland, Ottawa
What: huge auditorium with lots of parking, bring your dog, photos $10, tons of Christmas crafts and vendors, and of course Barking Biscuits!
Why: to help raise funds for B.A.R.K.

Ho..ho..hope to see you there!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Urban Dog Photog's great Christmas Photo Idea

One of my Paws for Charity partners is Urban Dog Photog Suzanne Bird. She is the most amazing photographer...not just the actual photographs she takes but also the creativity and experience she provides to her subjects. Just look at this great idea...

Not your average "dog photo with Santa". You can have a photo taken of you and your dog under the mistletoe. What a fabulous way to show the connection between a person and their pet.

Available at Wag Cafe in Ottawa this Friday November 30th. Sessions are $59 and include a custom 5x5 print ready for framing and 5 custom country kissmas cards. Call Wag to book your appointment.

Fabulous!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's really starting to feel a lot like Christmas. We have lots of snow now. Last year we didn't even have snow on Christmas Day.

Things are bustling around here...yet another trip to the bakery tomorrow to pick up some more biscuits.

Today we are doing our own little Christmas photo session...John, the "girls" (aka dogs) and me. I'll let you know how it goes! It's not always the easiest task to get 3 dogs doing what you want them to do all at the same time.

Enjoy your day.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Stocking Stuffers for Cat Lovers

Our organic catnip comes from British Columbia and is powerful stuff. I just received a new shipment last week (backordered from June...phew! I'm glad it made it in time for Christmas). It's always a big joke at the post office when I go to pick up the box. The catnip is packed in a large thick plastic bag, and then boxed in a shipping box. This stuff is so powerful, you can smell the herb through the plastic and box. So, the standard line at the post office is...."Catnip? yeah, right! They grow other herbs in BC too you know". No, I'm not a druggie. But I know some cool cats who are.


I have a Stocking Stuffer Special for the cat lovers in your life.

1. A packet of organic catnip packaged in a cellophane bag with festive star design, sealed and closed with our catnip label...for the cat

2. A one inch button pin in your choice of colour (hot pink, light blue, golden yellow, orange, apple green)...for the cat lover

Price to Canadian addresses: $4.50 (includes catnip, button pin, taxes, postage)

Price to U.S. addresses: $5.00 (includes catnip, button pin, postage)

Send me an email if you are interested and I'll email you with payment instructions. Meow!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

CWAC Puppy Raising Program

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that I support Canines With A Cause, a registered charity based in Ottawa. I received an email about their new Puppy Raising Program from CWAC founder Miriam. I have reprinted it here with her permission.

Here is the CWAC announcement:
After years of carefully planning we are happy to share the news that CWAC has officially started its own Breeding Program.


Our girl named Hope (for a good reason), gave birth to 10 beautiful Golden Retriever puppies on Nov. 4, 2007. Hope was kindly donated to our program by Animation Acres and after passing all the health clearances, and successfully undergoing CWAC program socialization and training she was bred with a star stud from the National Service Dogs program in Cambridge ON.


There are currently open opportunities to puppy raise puppies from this litter to be placed early January 2008.


For more information about puppy raising, please click here.



We need your support to help these puppies become Assistance Dogs. Please consider making a donation or to sponsor an Assistance Dog Team.
Contact us and we will be glad to send you an information package.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Shades of Gray

This is what we woke up to today. It looked like a black and white world.

But every day has some colour to it.

The glass window is hanging in one of our trees. I love working with glass, and used an old wooden window frame when I created this piece. It's quite large...about 1 1/2 feet wide by 4 feet tall.
Hope you have lots of colour in your day today!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Go Elf Yourself

It's really, really busy around here but sometimes you just have to take a break and have some fun.

Courtesy of Beebee Mod's blog, I discovered elfing.

Take a look at John and me prancing around in our elf outfits by clicking
here
. I must admit...Jen's elves are much nicer looking than mine! As I searched my computer for suitable photos of John and me I realized that we don't have many. Lots of photos of dogs. Lots of photos of grandkids. Not so many photos of John. Hardly any photos of me (the result of me being the person in control of the camera)

Have some fun...take a break...and go elf yourself!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Photos from a Paws for Charity fan

Paws for Charity clothing is not just for people! Introducing Sam wearing her Paws for Charity nightshirt...You can purchase clothing for yourself...or your dog...with our Paws for Charity logo (in pink or in black and white or even just plain black print without the round circle) Full proceeds are donated to breast cancer research.Thanks Sam! You look truly fetching!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Old friends and new

I just love receiving photos from our customers and friends. Dogs, like people, come in so many shapes, sizes, and personalities. Each one has a different story.


I heard from an old friend last week. I haven't heard from her in many years so it was a nice surprise to hear from her. Meet Pichenotte, Pastel and Pablo:Thanks for your email & order Joyce!

A while back I heard from a new friend. She also sent some photos...a couple of photos that I'm holding until closer to Christmas. But here's a really cute one to warm your hearts...


Introducing Goose, Blitz, Surf, Brie, Ordi, Queue, Baxter. Thanks for the photos Tiffany!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Devil in Disguise

This is the face I see at work. Those are my legs in the photo, with Cassie gazing up at me. She's between me and my workbench. The other dogs are trained to stay out of my way when I pack biscuits. Cassie is determined to get between me and my workbench. Sometimes she lays down on the mat I stand on. Basically, she makes packing biscuits a challenge and I'm constantly "shooing" her out of the way.

But isn't she a cutie?

However, she was not such a cutie today. She was a challenge when a friend dropped by for tea. The friend asked how Cassie was progressing and I talked in glowing terms about how well she's doing...not much counter surfing and snatching things going on. Ahem. What was that again?

In the short time it took to drink a cup of tea: Cassie got up on her hind legs and grabbed a tea towel from the counter. Cassie grabbed an oven mitt from beside the stove. Cassie grabbed one of my slippers (something she has never done before) Cassie grabbed a kleenex from my friend's lap. Cassie jumped up on the couch beside my friend, sat down, and then lay down across my friend's lap!

So I'm wondering...Dawna, will you ever join me for tea again?

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Pleasant Surprises

Isn't it nice when something happens totally out of the blue? Something pleasant that you weren't expecting?

I found out that our Barking Biscuits are featured in this month's Ottawa Magazine. A friend told me about it...I had no idea. I guess the person who wrote the article just went out and bought some for their feature. Totally cool!

Our biscuits are at the bottom of the page. They used 2 packages and then put some loose biscuits in the dog bowl. Our website & details are mentioned in the big white dot at the top right of the page. It's so great to have something like this happen when it's totally unexpected!

And...to make the day even better...I read one of my favourite blogs and my biscuits are featured there as well! I read Beebee Mod every day. I just find Jen so creative and so funny...I really enjoy following her ups and downs. Check her blog out (and my biscuits too!) Thanks Jen!