"He is a neat dog..."

That's what the vet tech at the pound told us when we picked up our new 60 pound, 9 month old "puppy".  And I thought, "Aww, that's so sweet."  What I didn't realize at the time, is that's what most everyone in our lives would think whenever they got to spend time with Bo. 

We weren't actually looking for a dog when we were at the pound.  We were looking, in vain, for our cat, Stimpy, who ran away from home.  I didn't really think we'd find him there - that cat was way too smart to end up in the pound - but I figured we should at least try.  When, as expected, we didn't find Stimpy, my husband's face turned in to that of a six year old as he asked, "Can we go look at the puppies?"  Always one to indulge my husband's playful side, I said, "Sure!" and we wondered over to the dog kennels.  Now, I was six months pregnant with our first child at the time and while I like big dogs, I wasn't too keen on getting a bigger dog knowing we were going to be introducing a little baby in to the picture very soon.  There was a cute little brown medium sized dog with sweet little eyes I thought would be a good fit for us.  That's when Chet spotted him.  The BIG pointer mix in the back row with his big ol' paws halfway up the cage, focusing all his attention on us and looking at us with those BIG black ears pointed forward as only a hound dog can do.  He looked like a dalmatian with his white coat and black spots, but the tag said "pointer-mix" which to me meant "cute-like-a-dalmatian-but-without-all-the-crazy."  Still being unsure, I suggested we look a little bit more, but when it came time to "meet" one of the dogs, Chet talked me in to the One with the Big Black Ears. 

We sat in the little room and waited.  When they brought him in, he did his perimeter check (a trait he always exhibited from here on out) and at the end of it, sat down right next to my leg, put that long snout in my lap and gave me what can only be described as puppy dog eyes.  As he leaned against me and let me rub his ears, I knew this was the dog for our growing little family.  That somehow it would all work out and, of course, it did.

So, we loaded up our new charge (still not sure how we loaded the giant dog in the back of the king cab on our truck) and headed home.  That dog was smiling from ear to ear as we rolled down the windows with his big sloppy tongue hanging out and fur flying everywhere!!  That's when my husband looked at me in all seriousness and said something I will never forget. "He won't always shed like this.  He's just nervous."  Well, apparently, that dog was nervous the rest of his life, but I'm not sure he ever stopped shedding!

It was on that ride home that we knew we had to give this dog a name - a good name.  Why I don't know, but I wanted to give him a long name with a fun nickname.  Chet was alright with that and somehow, we settled on Beauregard.  Beauregard Panique.  Beau, for short.  Bo, for even shorter.  Beau morphed in to Bo over the years because just like trying to explain that this white dog with black spots was in fact a pointer and not a dalmatian, it was just easier to let everyone spell it B-O.  A lot less explaination all around, making a life a tad bit easier. 

The thing about a pound dog, especially one that has been there for two months, is that there is a gratefulness to them.  They know where you've brought them home to is so much better than where they were.  And I could see it in Bo's eyes every day.  When we brought him home, he was so eager to please and just so happy to be with us every day!  He wasn't a perfect puppy by any means.  He chewed the carpet all the way down to the stairs one night, resulting in getting a whole house full of new carpeting 3 weeks before the baby arrived.  He got in trouble over and over for digging in our postage stamp of a backyard.  But then he snuggle right up to you with those eyes and beg for you to love him. 

He was, in a word, irresistable. 

Bo became my constant companion.

**This is the beginning of a series of posts of stories I don't want to forget about Bo, who went to chase rabbits in heaven this last week, after 13 years as my dutiful dog.  Thank you for indulging me.

Stories about Mike

This last week our family lost one of our dearest friends, my dad's best friend from childhood, Mike Stroud. He succumb to a brain tumor that he had spent the last several years fighting. While I am glad is no longer suffering, I am sad for my dad, who has lost a true friend and I am sad to see little bit of my childhood pass away with him. In talking to my dad, I was reminded of so many great memories and family stories of Mike and Peggy (his first wife). It seems like the right time to write some of these down.

*A little history: Mike and my dad have been friends for almost their entire lives. Mike and my dad met in 6th grade shortly after my dad moved to Sunnymead when his dad was transferred to March Air Force Base in the mid-50's. They went to Alessandro Junior High School (later my jr. high school, too!) and Sunnymead Wesleyan Church together. (They are on the originial charter of the church.) They graduated from high school together in 1965.

*We spent many a Thanksgiving holiday and summer vacation outside of San Francisco at Mike and Peggy's house. We use to call it "The Upside Down House" because it was a split level home with the living room, family room and kitchen all upstairs and the three bedrooms were downstairs. Melissa and I slept on comfy beds in the kids/guest room while Mom and Dad slept on a sofa bed in the office. There were so many stuffed animals in that room! We loved it!

*Mike and Peggy had no kids, which made them instantly cool to me and my sister. Even though they didn't have children of their own, they were the most kid friendly and welcoming people I knew. Peggy LOVED Snoopy and was an avid collector! There was Snoopy things all over their house! One of the first things Melissa and I would do when we arrived at their house was count all the Snoopy things we could find to see if there were any new things since the last time we were there. (There always were!) The best Snoopy in the house? The giant Snoopy sitting in the big wicker basket chair hanging from the ceiling!! Yet another cool thing in their cool house because they didn't have kids. Surely, my mom and dad were never going to have a wicker basket chair hanging from the ceiling and the reason for that? My sister and I! Once in a while, we even got take Snoopy out and sit in the chair. Oooh! Big fun!

*We took many a Snoopy related field trip on our trips to San Francisco. Almost every trip involved a visit to Pier 39 (arguably one of the best places in S.F.) and the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, a store devoted solely to Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. I had a Snoopy Belle Dress Up doll and would buy outfits for her there. They had everything Snoopy you could think of: toys, shirts, pins, coffee mugs, pencils, pens and books. I loved that store. Down the street was the Snoopy Ice Cream Shoppe, an old style ice cream parlor with some of the best ice cream I've tasted. One time we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and in to Santa Rosa to a Peanuts Museum and ice rink near where Peanuts creator Charles Schultz lived. While eating at the accompanying ice cream parlor, Charles Schultz himself walked in! Peggy was so sweet wondering if she should talk to him. We were all beside over selves just seeing him. She did finally work up the courage and he graciously talked to her and drew a picture of Snoopy on a napkin for her and signed it. He was getting up there in years at this point and the lines were pretty shaky, but I know Peggy treasured that little napkin like it was gold.

*Mike introduced us to the most heavenly ice cream sandwich known as the "It's It" at this little tiny ice cream shop by the bay. Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiched between two soft oatmeal cookies and covered in a thin layer of chocolate. It used to be we could only find them when we were visiting Nothern California, but recently my sister found them in Southern California and I couldn't wait to share one with her on my latest trip home! Yum!

*Mike was the first person to point out that my generation "goes" when having a conversation instead of "saying" what we mean to say.

* When I graduated from high school, Mike sent me a blue backpack from the Half Moon Bay Backpack Company. He said it was guaranteed for life and I could send it back if it ever fell apart. I carried throughout my entire 4 years in college and on many a trip. I still have it and while it's definitely worn but I still love it. A reminder of a great person and a great time in my life.

*When Mike and Peggy would visit us, Mike and my dad would go play basketball. I now realize it was to get some guy time, but as a child I would often ask to go and sometimes they were nice enough to let me. I liked hanging out with the big boys on the court. One of our biggest family jokes came from a BBQ with the Noftz family, when a big group of us were playing a pick up game and Mike fouled Rich and I was indignant that he get a free throw for it because we played basketball in P.E. and "I know basketball!" I've been quoted on this repeatedly since the 8th grade! Surely, one of my finest moments!

*Mike owned a Dalmatian and a couple of other dogs. The Dalamatian was a little crazy and lived primarily in the backyard. We got to feed the dogs treats from the balcony. It was a treat for my sister and I as well!

*We visited Great America, Marineworld U.S.A., Knott's Berry Farm, San Diego Wild Animal Park and lots of other parks and tourist spots!

*One of the most beautiful letters I've ever read was written by Mike right after Peggy passed away after her own long battle with a brain tumor. He wrote about his love for her and what she meant to him. It brought me to tears. One of the most touching things I've ever read.

Mike had a great laugh and he laughed a LOT when we were around. I always felt like he was glad to see me. He talked to me like I was an adult even though I was only a child. I loved visiting him and Peggy. I can truly say my life is better for having known Mike Stroud. You will be missed, Mike. We love you.

Tips for completing a Layout a Day

So, here it is again! The Layout a Day (LOAD) challenge is back! (My husband can not be more thrilled!) The good news is that February is only 28 days, so compared to 31 days in October that should be a piece of cake! So, here are my top ten ideas for creating a Layout a Day:

1. Pre-plan some layouts!

We all have those layouts that are swimming around in our head. That layout you knew you wanted to make as soon as you took the picture. The cute page you saw in a magazine that you knew you were going to scraplift the minute you saw it. That funny thing one of your kids said you've been meaning to get down on paper but haven't done it yet. Pull out the things you need to complete those layouts and create your own little page kits. Put them together now and on a day that you only have 15 minutes to work on your page together, the majority of the work will already be done. You just have to put it together!



2. Use up your page kits!
Speaking of page kits, admit it. You have at least one page kit laying around that you swore would make your scrapbooking easier because everything was all coordinated. How about the half finished pages from that last class you took? Some of us subscribe to kit clubs and those kits come faster than we can scrap. Now's the time to make those kits work for you. Pull them out and make sure they are ready to go. Resolve to use it for at least one inspirational prompt from Lain.

3. Work on a theme album you are trying to finish.

Is your son's school album stuck in 1st grade and he just started middle school? Did you start a hertiage album for your mom that you haven't gotten around to finishing? Are all your daughter's sports pictures piling up? Maybe you took an online class and never finished the assignments. LOAD is a great time to become the Queen of Finished Projects! Finish those half done albums and you will feel like a million bucks!

4. Write down some stories you've been meaning to tell.

There is nothing that says you can't write your journaling before you sit down to create the layout. Write down that funny thing your kids said yesterday. Tell the story of how you met your spouse. Write down a favorite memory about your grandmother. Gather some of your favorite quotes. Write it in a journal. Open a word document. Whatever story is burning in your head: WRITE IT DOWN! When you're ready to use it, you'll just need to find a photo and paper and you'll be done!

5. Pull out your favorite pics!

You know the ones. The ones that make you smile every time you see them. The ones that melt your heart. The favorites. Go through your albums, piles and boxes now and pull them out. You don't have to have a story to go with them. I guarantee at least one of the daily prompts will take you straight to your favorites and inspire you to use them in a new way.

6. Make a list of pages or albums you want to complete.
Start a list and carry it with you during LOAD. It could just be a cute title you've wanted to use. It could be all the albums you've wanted to make since you started scrapbooking. Make a list and as you start mulling over ideas and you will come up with more. Having a goal to complete a layout a day can really motivate you to finish a good chunk of your wish list by the end of LOAD. The layout below is from my son's sports album. I used this same template for each sport and changed the colors to match his team's colors. Easy peasy! This album came together lickety split!!

Digital Template by Cathy Zielske

7. Pick some favorite digital templates or flag some favorite sketches.

If you are a digital scrapper, save copies of your favorite templates (or look for fun new ones to use) in a separate LOAD folder on your desktop. When you have your daily scrapbooking time, they will be there and ready to go. If you're a paper scrapper, go through your favorite sketch book, magazine or websites to find sketches. Make copies of ones you'd like to use and store them in an easily accessible notebook or on a clipboard within arm's reach of your scrap area. Then when you have the idea and photos, a sketch will only be an arm's length away.

8. Make a go-to basket.

This is an idea I got from May Flaum during her Use Your Stash class last fall. Take some time and go through your stash of product. Pull out some of those things you want to use, but just haven't found the right project for. Put all your re-found treasures and put them in a basket or box and put it on your scrap table. You don't have to know what you want to do with it, but when you are creating your layouts and you just need one last little thing, take a look in your go-to basket and pick something out.

9. Participate on the message board and in the Flickr gallery.

There are so many talented scrapbookers that take this challenge on! When you see all the different ways they each interpret the daily prompt, you will be inspired and excited to try a new thing! On the layout above, I saw someone's layout with "naked" chipboard and I knew I could do that! There's nothing like the positive feeling you get when someone leaves a positive comment on your page! Wanting to get more of those great comments can be the very motivation you need to finish that day's page!

10. Keep it simple, scrapper!!

I can't take credit for this one either but it's the best advice I can give you heading in to this challenge. Many, many scrapbooking celebrities, including Stacy Julian, Lain Ehmann and Cathy Zielske have espoused this idea in one way or another. There will be days that you have hours to create and others where you will only have a few minutes. Not every page needs to be a show piece with all the latest and greatest techniques. Some just need to tell your story in a simple way. The important part is to get the story down and after 28 days you will have 28 more pages of your story done!

Layout a Day 2/11 is going to be a challenge, but with these tips I hope it will make the journey a little easier. No matter how you get to day 28, it will be a rewarding and joyful experience! I hope you'll join me.

To hear more about LOAD just click the button on the right side bar to hear from the LOAD master herself, Lain Ehmann. Hope to see you there!

10 Things I Love About You!

This is my newest class offered at A Memory to Scrap!

Just in time for Valentine's Day we will be creating a mini chipboard album filled pictures of your special someone and 10 things you love about them!

Your special someone could be your spouse or boyfriend, your child or grandchild, it could even be your favorite pet! Just pick someone you want to tell how much you care about them!

We'll be using Bo-Bunny's Crazy Love line with accents from Little Yellow Bicycle, Dazzlers and Art-C.

The class is on February 3rd at 11am or 6pm and the cost is $18! Space is limited, so sign up soon! Bring ten 3"x 3" pictures and your list of 10 things you love about that person and you will leave with a finished mini album! How cool is that?

Hope to see you there!

This Christmas...

... I had a special girls lunch with Tracey & Steph to exchange presents. Steph wore her matching Merrytini shirt that Tracey gave all of us for Christmas last year. Tracey and I did not.


...Big Chet bought a new 9 ft. pre-lit tree. Too big for the regular spot it found a home next to the fireplace. Thankfully, it was a rather warm Christmas and we didn't need to get the blankets in the cupboard the tree is now blocking.

...we hosted the Shepards, Curbs, Noftz and Lukers to our annual Chili Dinner. Rich ate a bowl laced with 4 drops of Da Bomb Haberno Hot Sauce! Steph wore her Merrytini shirt. Tracey and I did not.

...Grandpa flew out from Palm Springs and spent 10 days with us! He is a force of calm during an otherwise stressful season.

...I created many handmade gifts. Loved making something with my hands for the people I love.

...Big Chet nixed my nostaglic big C9 outdoor Christmas lights for energy efficient LED icicle lights with easy to hang clips. It looks nice especially since we didn't have real icicles this year!

...I made paper Christmas trees in shades of white with blue "ornaments" for my parents to comemmorate Grandma Margie's non-traditional white tree with blue silk ornaments. Melissa put it in their hotel room before they arrived and surrounded them with blue Christmas lights. I can not tell you how much I love this!

...Santa brought the boys an Xbox 360. We may not see them again until next Christmas.

...I was amazed that Santa knew what the boys wanted because we didn't even go visit him. Ooops!

...we had a cat to climb the tree and open the presents in advance. Surprisingly, the puppy did not do either of these things.

...I received a shower curtain as a gift from my sister and her husband. Already planning for his next gift...

...Ethan and Chet helped make Christmas Sugar Cookies. When you do it the day before Christmas and there's no one to give dozens of cookies to, there are A LOT of cookies to eat.

...I still haven't sent out my Christmas cards.

...we went to the Shepards for Christmas Eve Mexican Fiesta! Tracey and I wore our Merrytini shirts. Steph wasn't even there to see it!

...our tradition of the kids getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve continues. So does the tradition of opening TWO presents on Christmas Eve so that Ethan won't cry that his one present was pajamas.

...the boys woke up at 12:20am to see what Santa brought them (and maybe see the big guy himself). Tired Mommy sent them right back to bed. They got up again at 3am and 5am. Mom and Dad didn't get up until 7:30am. That's a lot of time just looking at Santa's gifts!

...while he loves the Xbox 360, Ethan's favorite gift was his Paper Jamz guitar!

...we realize we are truly blessed by the family and friends God has surrounded us with. I hope your Christmas was as merry as ours.

Legos Day 4

So, the second day I had to remind the boys about this project they wanted to do. Now, they walk in from school saying, "Hey, Mom, we have to do our Lego thing!"

Chet:

This ship is called The Bat. (Hey, he actually built something with Legos today!)

Ethan:

A girl at school made Ethan this "hat"! (Ethan and the girls, oh my goodness!) So, his picture is a continuing story from yesterday. Paraphasing: "After the Mumu Monster blew up the tree, there was a HUGE fireball. Then a big black cloud picked them up and carried them away!"

On another note: Say a prayer for me. I am going to substitute teach tomorrow afternoon for the first time. Yikes! Hope it goes well!

Legos Day 3

Today, Chet's stormtroopers took a ride in a crystal sleigh. They travel in style!

"Wheeeee!"


After, the Mumu monster destroyed the Christmas tree, Ethan's guys and monster narrowly escaped the blast in a convienently located car ornament!

Go Legos!