Family Christmas

I receive my share of Christmas cards, both paper and electronic. Many of those I have already shared with you. Today is an email I received with a couple of accompanying photos that just made me smile. That and I had been hoping for a photo of Peabody for ages, even though he's not a Boxer.

"Just a couple of pictures of the "family"  Maxine and Nemo will do just about anything for a treat...and Peabody is just a natural...Have a wonderful day and Happy New year to you and Max!!!"

Holiday Wishes (part IV)

This will be the last of the BML holiday cards, unless I get some more permissions to scan.

Today's samplings took some creativity on my part. These are tent cards and I wanted the front so you could see how pretty they are but I also wanted the inside because that's where the Boxers are. I hope you like them too.

Brindle Wishes!

The Brindle and I would like to wish everyone the very best for the holiday season and in the new year!

Holiday Wishes (part III)

Back with another installment of my wonderful Boxer cards. I'm going to stick with this theme until I run out.

We'll start with one of the long time members of the BML who is also someone who's been on our card list many times.

Next: Harley would like to say Merry Christmas to all the other boxers out there! Harley has been busy snooping under the tree - he figured out that one gift squeeks, while another seems soft and squishy!

Finally: I'm sending you a picture of our Christmas card starring Millie. It took forever to get this picture of her because she didn't like the antlers. So about 30 pictures later we finally got one good one so I could have the cards made. She still doesn't look to impressed with us. It's funny though just like she is. So Merry Christmas to you and your.

Holiday Wishes (part II)

Sharing some of the BML holiday cards again today. This will be the theme for the next while. And some of these cards are amazing!

First one is two of our favourites to read about, Tango and Rubin with Janet. Do you see her?

And a favourite of mine, Quinn with his "sister" Jade. So serious, maybe worried about what they will find under the tree.

It Begins!

Today I want to share with you the first two Boxer holiday greetings I received. One electronic and the other as a card.

The first one is a friend we've seen recently, our buddy Willie B. Rumour has it that Santa is someone familiar to the BML as well.

And the other is also some old friends of ours, Lucy & Duke.

Cuddling for Warmth

Dog's aren't dumb... Just read below.

"This is the first time I have ever seen all 3 of my dogs laying together on a dog bed.  It is cold tonight and I think Rollo wanted to get nice and warm.

Chudleigh is on the left, Rollo the center, and Hayley on the right."

Me personally, I think Chudleigh is giving the stink eye in the second one. Maybe he wants to be in the middle?

While Mom's Away...

Yes, I was away on the weekend again. I went to see things like this:

White cliffs of Dover

And this:

London Eye

And to shop at places like this:

loop, luxury yarn shop

While I was gone the Brindle spent a lovely weekend with his uncles. I got a couple of photos on my return, fill free to send in your own captions.

Early Christmas

The Brindle is going to be at camp for Christmas so I thought he should get his gifts early.

He got two big ones this year. The first one is because I thought it was time he started working, pulling his own weight, carrying his own baguettes. So in the recent fundraising auction for Boxer Rescue Canada I got him a backpack and he is surprisingly blase about the whole idea.

Ready to work!

Loaded up for a weekend with his uncles

The second gift? See that white stuff? A good friend of mine said if I need a coat, the Brindle needs a coat. His other coat is at his uncles for when he goes for sleepovers so we got him a second one. He's looking pretty handsome.

Comfy for sitting in.

Good for prowling.

Stylish fellow, note the change pocket on the hip.

Happy (belated) Birthday Willie B!

Back on Dec 4th one of our BML Boxers turned eight. His name is Willie B and he's a pretty smart cookie, just ask his mom.

"Hard to believe, 8 years ago the week of Thanksgiving, we learned my precious Tanker, my Guide Dog, my Soul Mate, had Lymphoma.  And right after that horrid discovery, even though I didn't learn about him till a couple months later, there was a litter born in MI to a lovely Boxer girl co-owned by Phylis of Cinnamon Boxers and Christina of PawPrint Boxers with his sire
being Spirit of the Carroll's Brentwood Boxers.  There was a little white boy who was for sure destined to become my next Guide Dog for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and yet another Soul Mate.

When we were planning our trip to MI to pick up this little bundle of love, we kept trying out names, and nothing seemed to be working for us.  Wayne would say "will he be good like Tanker" and I'd say "will he be able to learn as many words and understand me/us like Tanker did" and then Wayne would say "will he be.." and I'd say "will he be..." and all of a sudden it hit me.  Wayne, that's his name. What?  His name will be Will he be, or Willie B.  So, it became will he be Tanker's paw print.  Gee - so his official name is Willie B Tanker's PawPrint (yep, took the space out).  How fitting can that be?

Shortly after Lymphoma took Tanker from us completely, that next May, just a couple weeks after he turned 7, I heard Willie B with something in his mouth.  He was on the other side of the bed from where I was getting dressed.  Wayne was in the in the shower.  An irony of Willie's dad having the call name of "Spirit" for sure happened that day.  When Tanker was not quite two years old, his tags came off his collar and we found his rabies and county license tag, but never could find his ID tag with phone numbers and all on it. We had looked and looked everywhere, and finally got Tanker another one.  Well, we have NO CLUE where Willie B found it, but Willie B walked around the bed when I asked him what he had and was starting to get up to go see, and dropped what he had in his mouth into my lap.  Right, it was Tanker's ID tag that had been so lost for five years or so by then.

Willie B is not Tanker, but none of them are ever the exact of another we have had or will have, but that doesn't mean the next one can't be as great in his or her own ways!"

On to our favourite part, pictures!

Willie B with his predecessor and mentor, Tanker, on the way home from one of Tanker's chemo treatments.

When he's not working at his first job, Willie B helps out with the GO Boxer Rescue fosters that pass through. Here he is with little Mercy Anna, patiently letting her feast on his legs.

And finally, Willie B doing what he was meant to do, "walking Rachel".

Snow Day!

I've had this rattling around in the inbox since Nov 27th. I think you'll like it.

We had our first real snow here in New Jersey today, and Max and Nemo have been driving me nuts wanting to go outside. They are bell trained (or I am) and have been taking turns ringing it today. So I decided to make it a photo op. They really love to chase snowballs, but I couldn't make them and snap pictures at the same time. They were not happy, but I managed to get these.

Nemo swearing that he didn't eat snow.

Max can't make up her mind to catch snowflakes on her tongue or close her eyes to keep them out.

They both decided the stick buried in the snow was just as good as a snowball.

Shall We Dance?

Another response to the Brindle's plea today, something of a challenge. Captions are mine today.

In response to Max's request for pictures, Quinn and Jade wanted to share their special kind of boxer dancing.

They also would like to challenge the other BML boxers on outdoing their moves!

Jade thinks she is the lead, but Quinn thinks it is him.  The last picture shows that Jade is the current leader ...... for now!

Do you want to dance?

I think Quinn has Jade in a "throw", no feet on the ground there.

Is Jade trying to dip Quinn?

Let me explain to you who leads you young upstart.

Farewell Pretty Lucy

It's always an honour for me when someone asks me to feature their recently lost Boxer in a memorial post, always.

We had to say goodbye to our Lucy Girl last Saturday(Nov 24th). She was finally diagnosed with Hepatocutaneous Syndrome after suffering for several months with a very painful foot and footpad infection which originally was thought to be allergies. This terrible disease affects the liver and eventually destroys it.

Lucy was a pistol and kept her brother Max, and our rescue Rocky, in line. She ruled the house and the boys did as she told them. She had so much personality and loved being the center of attention at all times. This last month, she was unable to walk because of the pain in her feet, she wouldn't eat (except when the Prednisone kicked in), and would just lay on the couch and hardly ever wiggled her stub. Her big brown eyes said how much she wanted to get up and play and get back to the way she used to be. But now, she is running and playing and being bossy to some of the others at The Rainbow Bridge.

She went peacefully with her head on my lap, her Dad close by, and her brothers closer. So very sad.  She will be missed so much around here.

Lucy - 8/1/2005 - 11/24/2012  RIP "Lucy Bug"

Mack & Alice

Another response to the Brindle's plea. He would however like to state in advance that he is a Patriots fan.

We all felt kinda bad that the Brindle had to sacrifice himself for his Mom's blog, so Mack and Alice offered to do their fair share.

We've had our Thanksgiving dinner and now the Bubbas are doing what they do best .... hold down the sofa!  Mack & Alice aren't too interested in football - unless mom is yelling at her Pittsburgh Steelers or dad is hollering at his Buffalo Bills!!  Nap time it is ... notice mommy's pillow on the floor in the one picture?  Heaven forbid should a Boxer be caught on the FLOOR!

Fan Mail

As previously mentioned we've been receiving responses to the Brindle's plea the other day. Today a special one from a special lady.

My dear, dear Max,

I just don't understand why you don't care to have your picture taken.  You are soooo very handsome and just the right age for me. I like mature guys like you!  Ohhh, how I wish we were nearer to each other so that we could be close friends.

Whoops!  Here comes mom, so I gotta go.  Please write me soon.

The White Rose, from Maine

I could be yours!

 The Brindle is suitably flattered and somewhat embarrassed.

Lily & Jake

Our last blog post resulted in a few good responses, here's the first one.

Max, we know exactly what you mean, we're getting tired of hearing that snap, snap and flash, flash all the time too so we do the same thing, we don't look!  I think we heard that about a million times (well, maybe we're exaggerating a little) last weekend and then we heard, "oh crap, only three good ones!"  But that didn't bother us, we went inside and took a nap.

signed,
Miss Lily & Baby Jake

Message From the Brindle

Mom was bugging me today to take my photo, I'm not a fan of that. If I don't make eye contact, she's not there..

She's going to keep doing this until someone else sends some photos for the blog, isn't she? Maybe I can email someone...

Save me!!!