Happy New Year, Friends!

Annabelle would like to wish you a Happy New Year, but as you can see, she's chilling out from all the Christmas activities. In this photo, she's sitting with...or rather on...her Aunt Dee. The girl is plumb tuckered out!

And Maddie's beyond tuckered out she's pretty much unconscious! I know she's dreaming about all the stories we'll have to tell you in 2010 and all the stories that you'll share with us.

Getting to know all of you has been so much fun and we can't wait to get back to our regular blogging routine. We've laughed with you, we've cried with you, and we've become friends with you. Thank you so much.

Tango probably would like to say Happy New Year too but he's in deep doo doo. On Christmas day he took his girlfriend Tantra and went on a jaunt off the farm and down some country roads. I'll let Tango share that as the first story of the New Year. For now, he's in time-out!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us!!!

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Merry Christmas to All Our Friends

Maddie and Annabelle went to visit Santa. It was quick, easy, and fun. The worst thing that happened was that Annabelle exposed Santa's hairy leg. No big deal. I'm sure Santa's going to treat them well!

Then it came time for Tango's Christmas photo. First, a barn cat caught his attention and he wanted to follow her. I'm sure he thought she knew where the food was hiding out.

Of course as the barn cat walked away Tango couldn't focus on any
place but behind him. I'm sure he was lamenting on how the friendly cats get to roam free and he's always
contained one way or another...at least hopefully!

Then Tango decided it was time to kiss and cuddle. Now usually that's just fine with me, but since my sister visiting from Texas was taking the photo (and freezing) we needed to move things along.

As usual, Tango found it hard to take "no" for an answer so he decided to show me who was head of the herd for a minute or two.

But we finally got his attention by rattling a box of Craker Jacks...which he sniffed quite attractively by lifting his lower lip to get a better smell...horses do that. All in all, we got lots of festive photos but just not the perfect shot.

Nonetheless, all of us would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Love,

Jan, Chuck, Annabelle, Maddie, and Tango

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The Christmas Story As Read to Bru and Captain Jack

I couldn't believe my luck last night. I was at a camera store (buying a Christmas present) and right in front of me in line was the lady you see in the photo. Her name is Wendy. I came to find out that she was picking up photos taken the day she read...or tried to read...The Christmas Story to her dog, Bru and her Shetland pony, Captain Jack. One thing led to another and of course, we started talking about our dogs and horses. Wendy pulled out her package of photos and began to share.

I asked the obvious question: "Could I scan these and put them on my blog for my friends to see?" I asked.

Wendy hesitated for a minute...but just a minute...and answered, "Of course! I was just having a little fun...Captain Jack isn't always in the house, but I brought him to get pictures to show my friends!"
I understood completely! Like most of the rest of us, Captain Jack and Bru aren't just animals, they are Wendy's heart.


It took awhile for Wendy to get things started what with Bru and Captain Jack being the curious fellows that they are. Clearly Wendy has the patience of Job and her animals are beyond adorable.
I noticed the foot...err I mean hoof...prints on the carpet and asked what they were. "Oh Captain Jack just tracked in a little water," she answered.

Good enough for me!



In the end, Wendy read the special story to her wonderful little (big) guys. And the beauty of Wendy reading The Christmas Story to Bru and Captain Jack is that I got lucky enough to share these special Christmas photos with you!

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Hooray!

Thank you for all your kind words and prayers. I began to take the medication that the doctor prescribed on Monday and today is the very first day that I feel like myself. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

I was concerned about taking a prescription because any narcotic makes me sick...literally. Thankfully the medication for a syrinx is not a narcotic to kill pain. It's a medication that interrupts the signals that my nerve endings send to my brain. I haven't had any side effects and the doctor was right...it took 48 hours to get into my system.

Meanwhile, little Boomer found another home so I'm not fostering him. I did find great comfort with my girls and of course my family (who doesn't know quite what to make of me when I'm not my usual happy self!).


Maddie and Annabelle would actually sense when it was time for me to lay down and make it to the bed before me! What good girls!

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The Human Animal - ME!

Please forgive me for taking so long to post (as well as comment on your blogs). As most of you know, I've been having some really bad back pain between my shoulder blades. It hurts to sit. It hurts to stand. It doesn't hurt to ride Tango...much!

At any rate, I had my MRI last Wednesday. On Friday the doctor called me back into his office to show me what was wrong. I have a cyst INSIDE my spinal chord called a syrinx. When I first got the diagnosis I was dumbfounded. I had never heard of anything like this before.

Then I came home and started to read....wrong thing to do. I spent a weekend in pain and scared. I'm calmed down now because I think what I read doesn't necessarily relate to me but I was wondering how many (if any) of you have heard of this before? It's knocked me off my game a bit!

Meanwhile, since this is a blog about our favorite kind of animals...the furry ones....I was distracted from over-thinking about my condition today. You want to know how? Well I'll tell you! I got an email from one of my rescue friends asking if I'd foster a dog from the prison system for awhile. Just the idea makes me happy. See what dogs can do even when they're not with you? Just thinking about Boomer the basset hound distracted me from my problems.

Thank God for dogs...and horses....and of course cats too!

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Hmmph! Annabelle and Her New BFF!

Okay. It's time to get things off my chest again. The reason I'm not hogging this picture on Thanksgiving day is because I was sleeping under Mom's hand. I was being quiet and calm...not trying to steal the show. Wish I could say the same about Annabelle! Just look at her. She's making goo goo eyes to Mom's friend Sherry. If I would have done that, I feel pretty sure Mom would have told me to settle down. Humph! Annabelle gets away with murder.


Annabelle decided she needed a new best friend and Sherry was it. She forgot all about Mom and me. They thought I was sound asleep, but I could hear the ooohhhss and ahhh's. And just when I thought it was about all over.....

Annabelle gave Sherry's face a gentle pat. There was no point in me even moving. Sherry was in love. Oh well. It was Thanksgiving. I guess I should be grateful that I was even in the living room...we never go there except holidays.

I better be thinking of some cute things to do before Christmas. Any ideas?

Oh...one more thing. Mom says to tell you she's sorry she hasn't been posting and commenting much lately. She's been having some serious pain in her back and it hurts her to sit. She's going for an MRI today, so hopefully she'll be back in the seat for much longer really soon!

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