Christmas 2021, all wrapped up in a small bow

Hello everyone and happy Monday! It's a sunny day for us, a bit on the cool side. We jut got back from a nice walk by the lake. The trails are good and our pooches have not had to wear boots so far this season. Despite not having had new snow since last week, we still have a nice layer of packed white stuff in our backyard which is perfect for some fun recall training!

Here we are, another Christmas in the books. For the second year in a row, we ended up cancelling our gathering, even if it would have been a small one. We made the call last Wednesday. We felt terribly bad but we just didn't feel comfortable. On Christmas morning, I drove to my brother's place and dropped off a few goodies for him. We met in the parking lot and wished each other Merry Christmas. Last night, my nephew Sean dropped off a few presents for Russell and I. We chatted for a while in the living room, masked up, at a distance. It was nice to see him and catch up.

Back to our Christmas. It was a quiet one. The highlight of our day was when we took Cooper & Spicy to the basement first thing in the morning. We had a surprise for them...toys scattered all over the place! I got the idea from a heartwarming video that Russell sent me last week from Dogs Trust, Ireland's largest dog rescue and rehoming charity.  It was about dogs that got to pick their own Christmas present. It made me smile and I thought it would be fun to replicate the idea for ours, on a much smaller scale of course. I got everything ready on Christmas Eve. It was so much fun. Needless to say, the Coop and the Spice girl were very excited. I took a few videos (posted on my Facebook page) which we've been watching over and over again...cuteness overload 😍In all my excitement, I forgot to take still photos but Russell was able to do a few screen captures for the blog. A little blurred but you get the idea of the fun that was had by those two munchkins. Memories of Christmas 2021 that we will always cherish. 

This week will be quiet other than my appointment tomorrow for my booster shot. Part of me wants to take all the Christmas decorations down but I will wait until next Sunday. 

That's my last blog for the year. On this day, we are remembering Russell's dad who passed away 20 years ago. Always in our hearts 💗 I hope you all have a great week, leading up to New Year's Eve. I will write again in 2022!

These two are definitely Santa's little helpers!

Christmas stockings in place and doggie toys
placed perfectly, ready for Cooper and Spicy.

Let the fun begin, Cooper and Spicy rushed to
see what they could find!

Predictably, Spicy selected her favorite chew and
headed for her cushion to enjoy.

Cooper found a new squirrel to shake but first
he had to try the rat.

Two in full flight doing a little recall in the
backyard.

A nicely iced Lake St Louis shoreline, last week.

The ice from the lake even coated the trees on this
bright sunny day.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

Happy Sunday! Well my friends, this is the last blog before Christmas. Looks like it might be a white one at that. We got a bit of snow last night, not enough to shovel paths in the backyard but enough to cover the grass with a nice layer. We hope it stays as we need a layer of snow to keep the grass from icing up...and to keep the little paws clean. 

Our weather today is beautiful, sunny and not cold. We took the pooches out for a nice walk in the neighbourhood before lunch. It was nice to get out and feel the warmth of the sun on our faces. 

This past week was good. Everyday I meant to finish my Christmas baking but it never happened. I got it done this morning. On Thursday, Russell and I had a nice lunch out. It was timely as that night our government announced capacity restrictions in restaurants as of tomorrow. Other restrictions too, as in many other provinces and countries around the world. As people keep saying, the pandemic is not taking a holiday. We still have some hope for our holiday in the sun in early April. I was looking at my sundresses in the closet the other day, they are screaming to be worn 😂On the bright side, Winter solstice is on Tuesday which means brighter days ahead...let's hope in more ways than one. 

We are ready for our small lunch gathering on Christmas day. We will serve smoked ham from La Bernoise, a local European deli, home made scalloped potatoes and a Winter salad made with mixed greens, radicchio, apples, cranberries, maple candied pecans and shaved parmesan. Very yummy and festive for this time of year. Lunch will be simple and delicious. An assortment of my baking will be our dessert. I am still thinking about our Christmas Eve dinner....most likely Coquille St-Jacques, Russell's favorite!

That's my blog for today. Our pooches are waiting for their 3 pm treat, Russell is getting ready to watch football. I will probably read a book or watch something on Netflix. This morning, I made a lasagna so dinner just needs to be reheated. Have a great week! We wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas! 

Cooper and Spicy want to wish everyone a 
very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Cooper and Spicy are always ready
to hit a cushion or the BOSU
for a Fun Fit Canin workout!

All this training can be a little tiring!

Cooper enjoys his evening TV pre-bedtime
nap on a comfy blanket.

It's beginning to feel like Christmas

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope your Christmas preparations are going well. We're basically ready, we don't have much to do really. I did some baking last week, not a lot, just two cookie recipes, mostly for Russell. This week, I will make a batch of Fruitcake Blondies and that will be it. About one quarter of what I normally bake. Thanks Russell for being the official cookie tester 😋

The four of us had a good week. We woke up Monday morning to a dump of super heavy wet snow...heart attack snow as I call it. Miss Spicy wasn't too happy and couldn't figure out where to do her business. With my boots, I quickly cleared a small area and she was good to go. Cooper was hopping across the backyard like a rabbit. The snow was so heavy that we didn't dare push it with a shovel. After my first cup of coffee, I went back outside with my snowshoes and trampled down the snow. It took me about 20 minutes. It was a good workout and the pooches thanked me for it, especially Spicy. Then the rain came in the afternoon and the snow basically melted away. We've had cold nights since so we have icy patches due to the water on the grass. Russell put our crampons on as a safety precaution. 

On Wednesday, the technician came to start up the generator. It was timely as we lost power last night due to the high winds. We were watching TV when it happened. Within less than 10 seconds, our house was powered up. We're not sure how long the power outage lasted but it was still out after midnight. It felt kind of weird, but nice, to be the sole house on our street with lights on. A wise investment coupled with peace of mind, priceless.

While Russell was busy with the technician, Cooper and I made our way to DMV Veterinary Centre for Coop's appointment with Dr. Javard. It was nice for me to finally meet him in person.....a very caring and knowledgeable vet, and kind of cute too 😉Bottom line, Coop's protein blood levels are stable, which is very good news. It essentially means that his Protein Losing Enteropathy disease is not deteriorating. Having said this, Coop also suffers from IBD which is usually managed with diet and sometimes medication. The game plan is to continue antibiotics at a reduced dosage and frequency for the next 28 days. Then we will stop and see what happens. Dr. Javard gave us refills should another flare up occur. He is not concerned about any resistance to the medication. Barring any issues, Coop will have a follow up appointment next Fall. Needless to say, Russell and I feel more relaxed about all of this now. We are taking it one day at a time.  We cannot say enough about the wonderful care we have received from DMV so far. Our appointments are always on time, we are never rushed and the staff loves Cooper to pieces 💓

On the topic of dog health, our duo started their new heart medication last Tuesday and they both seem to have no issues with it. Unlike Vetmedin, which is a capsule, Benazepril is a small tablet which we add to their food. Easy peasy. Our job now is to keep track of which pill to give when. It's all good. 

Friday morning, we made an unplanned trip to the LCBO store in Hawkesbury. SAQ warehouse employees have been on strike for a while so the stores have very little stock. We didn't realize it was that bad until I started checking the inventory on the website. So off we went, us and many other Quebecers!  

That's my blog for today. We don't have much on the go this week other than my monthly pedicure on Friday. Our weather will be sunny and mild so we plan on having some nice walks with our pooches. I wish you all a great week!

Cooper and Spicy, the best gifts anyone could
wish for under the tree!

Patiently waiting for me to return to the vehicle
after shopping at the LCBO in Hawkesbury!

Spicy says...mmm, Coop you smell good!

A little windy and icy in the backyard.

Happy Coop waiting to see Dr. Javard

Cooper and Spicy's medicine bowl... all neatly organized

A beautiful December day

Happy Sunday everyone!  We're having a beauty of a day, sunny, not cold at all, no wind, the perfect weather for a nice walk with the pooches. We did just that before lunch. We also stopped by the ice rink in Pointe-Claire to watch people of all ages skating away. It's very nice to see families out and about, making the most of this beautiful weather.

This past week was good. Last Sunday, I put up our Christmas tree in the living room. As I was getting ready to hang up Cooper and Spicy's ornaments, I realized that they were getting lost in the tree....so we decided to get a tabletop tree just for those wonderful ornaments that we've been collecting for the past years, and there is room for many more. This has now become our most cherished Christmas decoration!

We are slowly getting ready for Christmas although I haven't done any baking yet. This year, we will have my family over for lunch on Christmas day. I haven't quite finalized our menu yet but it will not be turkey. As for Christmas Eve, I will make us a special dinner, still thinking it out. 

Yesterday, we got the results of Coop and Spicy's echocardiograms. We were hoping for a stabilization of the heart disease but that's not quite the case. Having said this, it is progressing at a normal pace, for lack of a better description. In an effort to delay onset of congestive heart failure and optimize their long term prognosis, the cardiologist is recommending continuation of their current medication, Vetmedin, with the addition of an ACE inhibitor, Benazepril. It will help relax the blood vessels, hence the blood will flow more smoothly. We will start this new medication this week.  We will also do a renal blood test in 3-4 weeks and repeat the echo in 10-12 months. Despite the fact that we are terribly upset and sad, we know our pooches are getting the best medical care. We also know that we are doing everything we can to keep them as healthy as possible. So, with the new medication, continuation of their low fat/low sodium diet, a good amount of activity and, most importantly, our endless and unconditional love for them, we count on celebrating their sweet sixteen in 5-6 years from now 💞

This coming week is shaping up to be a bit busy. Russell has a doctor's appointment on Tuesday for a follow up on blood work he had done last week. On Wednesday, our electrician is coming over for the generator start up. Cooper also has an appointment with the internist that day. I will be going with him. We know he will get some blood work done to check his protein levels but beyond that, we're not sure what next steps will be. We will wait for blood results and take it from there.

Those are my little news for today. I wish you all a great week!

The special tree to display the 
Cooper & Spicy Christmas
ornaments we've collected.

Cooper is wondering what will be
going under the tree for him.

Spicy loves her naps near the Christmas tree.

On the lookout for any action on 
the street.

The refrigerated ice rink in Pointe-Claire
Village...everyone having a great time skating on
a bright Winter day.

So long November!

Happy Sunday everyone! A beautiful sunny day here in Beaconsfield, a bit on the cold side but much less damp than the weather we had last week. A nice way to end November. On Friday, we had a little dusting of snow which is still on the ground due to the colder temperatures. Our pooches are loving it, so are we...the little paws stay clean 😍

This past week was kind of blah. On Sunday night, Cooper's GI issues acted up again so we had a few sleepless nights as a result. We were able to get a refill for his antibiotics and Coop was back to his old self rather quickly. Needless to say, this relapse was a bit upsetting so we decided to get in touch with the internist. We were able to have a conference call with Dr. Javard on Thursday. We will see him on December 8, then we will take it from there.  

On Wednesday, the electricians showed up promptly at 6:45 am to begin the wiring of our generator. It took most of the day and we were without power for a few hours during that time. Next and last step will be the actual start up of the generator, hopefully in a week or two. It's quite the process.

I bought our holiday planters for outside. I was going to wait a bit but they are selling like hot cakes so I decided to go for it. After I write my blog, I will put up our Christmas tree. It's time to get into the spirit. I got Cooper & Spicy's 2021 ornaments a few weeks ago. They will have a special place on our tree 🎄

Yesterday, our duo had their follow up echocardiogram to determine the progression, if any, of their Mitral Valve disease. We should get the results in a week or so. Fingers crossed all is stable.

Russell will be getting his booster shot tomorrow. I'm not eligible yet but hoping sometime in the new year. 

I'm ending this blog with special thoughts to my mom, she would have been 90 today. She's always in our hearts 💗

Have a great week!

The tradition continues, the Spicy and Cooper
Christmas ornament 2021 edition.

A frosty morning on the back deck...this is the
glass railing.

Mornings this time of year can have very
spectacular sunrises...no exception 
yesterday morning.

Christmas arrived early, Cooper and Spicy had
to inspect the treats that arrived from BioPaw,
dehydrated chicken - their favorite!

Spicy is all smiles as she helps
me with my workout.

Cooper seems to be saying, OK I
brought the chew here...now toss it
so I can go fetch.

Ready for Mr. Winter

Happy Sunday everyone! It's a sunny and coolish day for us. Our yard work for the season is now complete. Yesterday, we covered the VegTrug, disconnected the hose, raked and bagged the last of the leaves, covered our cut leaf Japanese maple and put the snow shovels near the garage door. We also put up baby gates in one very mucky area of our backyard. We will leave those up until the ground freezes. On Wednesday, Russell took our Palisade in for an oil change and snow tires . We're ready for Mr. Winter to make an appearance one of these days.....no rush, we can wait 😏

This past week was good. For the second year in a row, Cooper & Spicy signed up for the Fitness Advent Calendar with Fun Fit Canin, starting December 1. We look forward to new exercise modules that will keep us occupied until Christmas. On Thursday, Coop and I had our last Fun Obedience class for the year. We will resume in January. Our instructor, Wanda, is getting a new knee this week. We wish her the very best and a speedy recovery. 

As we are slowly starting to think about Christmas, we can't help but think about all the people in British Columbia who are going through such a difficult time following the mudslides and flooding. Our hearts go out to everyone. 

Our pooches are doing well. They are napping with their daddy now...at around 2:45, Coop will get up, then Spicy will follow. They will join me in the living room and give me the stare down: time for our 3 pm treat mommy! Who needs a clock when you have doggies in the house 💖

I'm making a Dublin Coddle for dinner tonight. I just put it in the oven, it takes about 4 hours to cook, low and slow. I used to make this meal only on St-Patrick's Day but I now make it a few times a year. It's delicious and we get lots of leftovers for freezing. I also made for the first time an Irish soda bread to soak up the delicious broth. Can't wait to see how it turns out. 

My brother came over for lunch today. It was nice to see him again and catch up on things. 

This coming Wednesday, the electrician will finally come and connect our generator. He's been waiting on a part that took forever to get to Canada. It will be a 5-6 hours job and we will be without power for part of that time. He will arrive at 7 am. Better get that coffee ready before his arrival!

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a great week!

Ready for the 2021 Fitness Advent Calendar

Spicy and Cooper love to 'help' change the bed
sheets...excellent little helpers.

Spicy doing her best play bow during
a vigorous game of retrieve.

Cooper ready for action...what am I 
retrieving today?

Front door guardians while we do
the final pre-Winter clean up.

A sunny November day

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! We're half way through the month already, can't believe it. This morning I looked at the calendar and realized that Christmas is six weeks away. In a few weeks, I will put up our tree and get the ball rolling with some holiday baking...."some" being the operative word. I don't plan on baking much this year, only a few of Russell's favorites. 

This past week was good. Our weather was a mix bag of everything except snow. We had some strong winds one day and the larch in our backyard lost almost all of its needles. Because of the way the wind blew, the needles ended up on the patio near our back door....the perfect place for Cooper & Spicy to drag them in the house 😂

I got my fill of space events this week with the splashdown of Dragon Crew 2 and the liftoff of Dragon Crew 3. I always find this stuff so fascinating and never get tired of watching it. 

On Thursday, I had an eye exam. All is good, no cataracts, no glaucoma and I got myself a new pair of Tom Ford glasses, similar to the ones I have but a bigger frame. Big is in this year so I thought why not. It will be a nice change.

Russell is doing well. His new glasses came in and he is getting used to the progressive lenses.  He is not legally required to wear them but so far he's noticed that they really help especially when reading and using the computer. 

Cooper & Spicy are as happy as can be. They don't ask for much and yet give us so much 💖Yesterday, I took a photo of them on the couch, side by side, looking out the window, watching the rain. They are so sweet 😗

Not much else is going on with us. Our weather is gorgeous today, a little brisk but very pleasant. We had a nice walk before lunch and noticed how busy the new Pointe-Claire refrigerated ice rink was. The photo below was taken last week. The blue planters are now filled with Christmas trees. There are also lots of picnic tables between each planter. I will have to take a photo next time we're out that way.  Truly a wonderful set up.

That's my blog for today. I leave you with random photos that we took last week. Friday morning, Russell captured our cutleaf Japanese maple in all its glory. Today, the leaves have almost all dropped. 

Have a great week!

Japanese cutleaf maple in full crimson red in
the front yard.

A single raindrop on a brilliant red maple
leaf in the backyard.

Cooper enjoys face planting in 
his doggie bed.

Spicy relaxing on the freshly mowed
grass.

Hey, what is going on up there? These two
never miss a beat.

Neighbourhood Watch dog 
style on a comfy sofa.

The newly installed refrigerated skating rink
in Pointe Claire.

Glorious weather, brighter mornings

Happy Sunday everyone! We are enjoying a glorious day, nothing but sunshine and double digit temperatures. Not bad for November. This stretch of nice weather has been with us since last week, more to come this week. With the time change, we will also have brighter mornings, at least for a while until Winter settles in for good.  

This past week was good and quiet. On Tuesday, we took Cooper to the vet as he was not getting much better. It might have been a bacteria of some sort or a flare up of his chronic GI condition. He's been on antibiotics since with another week to go. The Coop is basically back to his old self now and we are back at having full uninterrupted nights. I will be updating his health record daily for the next little while just to keep track of things.

On Friday, my friend Lillian and I did something different...we went to Salon Rosie-Lanoi in Pointe-Claire Village, a tea salon. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours while sipping tea and nibbling on cucumber and egg finger sandwiches, squash fritters, scones and a few sweets. A very pleasant and relaxing lunch with great company and food. Now to convince Russell that he should go with me 😂

The holiday planters at our local Provigo are out. It never fails, every year, same timing. I didn't buy any, much too soon I think. On the topic of Christmas though, this morning we went to St-Lazarre for our annual family Christmas photo shoot. Spicy and Cooper were all decked out with pretty red bows and a holiday tie. Can't wait to see how they turn out. 

Our leaves have basically all fallen. Yesterday, we filled about 12 bags, Russell cut the grass for the last time and he also washed the windows. It was the perfect day to do outdoor chores. I also sat on the deck with our pooches for a couple of hours. I'm actually sitting outside now, quite lovely I must say.

Quebec municipal elections are being held today and Russell will be a scrutineer at our local polling station tonight as of 7:30 pm. It is the perfect role for him!

Those are our little news. Have a great week everyone! 

The larch in our backyard is a 
brilliant yellow, ready to drop its
needles.

Spicy in her chair and as 
always...on alert.

Cooper looking for uninvited guests.

Tea time at Salon Rosie-Lanoi with 
Lillian. Delicious!

Holiday planters at Provigo...same time 
every year. Some things are so predictable!

Happy Halloween!

Hello everyone and Happy Sunday! Today is the last day of October and Halloween. Tomorrow, Christmas ads will be full on...we already saw quite a few on TV last week. Crazy how smoothly we go from one season or holiday to another. 

It's a dark and rainy day for us....the perfect day to have a nap with our doggies. That is exactly what Russell, Cooper and Spicy are doing now. Coop has been under the weather since yesterday and he's kept us up most of the night. Between trips outside in pouring rain and bum washing, Russell and I didn't get much shut-eye. Spicy slept through most of it, lucky her. Cooper seems better today so hoping for a better sleep tonight.  We always feel so bad when our pooches are not feeling well. 

We're not sure how many kids we will have tonight given the weather but we will be ready. Our candy bowls will be protected from the rain under our front porch. I will find a way to donate whatever we have left. I have indulged in a couple mini chocolate bars but I'm done now. I kept a small stash of Kit-Kat and Coffee Crisp for Russell, his favorites 😋

This past week was good. We got more raking done, mostly in the front yard. Our maple tree is almost bare now. I was able to get a photo of it against the blue sky on Friday, so pretty.

On Wednesday, we celebrated our sweet girl's 11th birthday. Spicy seemed pleased with her cake and new hair bows. Cooper chose to wear a pink polka dot tie for the event...it was a pink kind of day 💝Russell took great photos and I'm sharing a few in this blog.

Russell had an eye exam and all is good. His vision is still legally 20/20, 25 years after his laser eye surgery. Despite the good vision, Russell will be getting prescription glasses to be worn at his discretion, when reading, using the computer and driving, depending on the light. His eye muscles are getting a bit lazy, for lack of a better word, and it makes for a tired vision sometimes. The glasses will help. 

Those are our little news. I wish you all a great week and a fun night tonight!

Spicy and Cooper want to wish every ghoul
and goblin a Happy Halloween!

Happy 11th Birthday Spicy, time has flown
so quickly since you graced our lives with your
special presence.

Spicy was very pleased with her cake and bows,
here she smiles in appreciation.

Cooper wore his special pink polka dot tie to the
celebration to match Spicy's pink bow, too cute!

As only these two can do, cake sharing at 
its very best!

Brilliant yellows against a sky of 
blue - Fall colours on our front 
maple tree.