Mixed Dog Breeds

Mixed dog breeds have come into a world of their own lately. They even have names for them. The Maltipoo, Peekapoo, and Labradoodle are quite popular but there are so many that the breeders have missed, I thought I would come up with some of my own. Here are my suggestions and I invite my readers to add their breeds to the list:

Purebred Canaan Dog + Chow Chow = Purina Dog Chow
Chocolate Lab + Maltese = Chocolate Malt
Cocker Spaniel + Bull Mastiff = Cock n'bull
Teacup poodle + Irish Setter = Tea Set
German Shepherd + Dalmation = Germination
Bloodhound + Kerry Blue Terrier = Blueblood
Whippet + Bull Dog = Bullwhip
Shih Tzu + Bird Dog = Shihtbird

The Three Purchase Categories

I have always said there are three categories of purchases:

#1. These are purchases you need and get excited about making and showing off to your friends; such as, new clothes, new shoes, new cars, new houses, etc.

#2. These are puchases you don't need but make anyway and get excited about making them and showing off to your friends; such as new golf clubs, new jewelry, new motorcycles, new boats, etc.

#3. These are the purchases you need but don't get excited about making and rarely ever show them off to your friends.

Today I had to purchase a new stove! Definitely a category # 3 ! The old stove would start out just fine - on broil or bake - then about halfway through the process, the oven would take on a life of its own, cut off, and the food would sit there sogging for the remaining part of the cooking cycle! I tried going the "repair route" but I think all those people probably get commission on every new item sold because they always tell you it will cost more to fix it than to buy a new one. The "sensor" I needed to repair my old stove was $500 and the new stove was $524. That sort of seemed like a no brainer so for all my friends and family out there who could care less about whether or not I have a new stove, I'm telling about it anyway and am enclosing a picture for your viewing enjoyment!

Today is My Day!

Today is National Left-Handers' Day. (If you don't believe it, look it up) Us lefties deserve a special day. After all, history has not been very kind to us. There is a strong association with things referred to on the left as being bad. The word "sinister" is from a Latin word that means "left", and a left-handed toast amounts to a curse, not a well-wish.

Just one generation ago, many left-handers were forced to change with the rod of the school marm hitting their left hand every time they tried to write with it. My uncle, who was born left-handed, was forced by his parents to switch to being right handed and it caused him to stutter so badly that he had to go to a speech therapist.

Growing up left handed in a right handed world is not easy. I spent most of my college years sitting sideways in a desk which had the arm and desk part of a chair on the right side. I can't really use a power saw, hedge clippers, or a can opener , vegetable peeler, knife sharpener or many other helpful tools and appliances without the threat of amputating my limbs. After ironing with the cord sticking in my stomach for years, I finally learned to iron right handed and the same thing with scissors - just finally gave in and started cutting stuff with my right hand.

Here's a leftie discrimination for you. You can play polo if you are right handed or left handed except polo rules state that you must hold your mallet in your right hand. DUH!

So, for all you lefties out there who struggle in our right-handed world, today is our day ! Enjoy it and go out and play a trumpet or trumbone or strum a guitar (oops, I forgot- you have to be right-handed to do that!)

US Junior Amateur in St. Louis

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the US Junior Amateur Golf Tournament in St. Louis. It was spectacular! The golf course was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect.

Grandson Will advanced to the top 32 out of a field of over 3100 junior amateur golfers and is now ranked number 81 out of a field of thousands of junior golfers throughout the world. I don't know how we could be more proud of his accomplishments. (And he still hugs his grandmom in front of people which is the thing I like most about him. )

World's Longest Yard Sale

It starts today! The 630 mile-long yard sale which goes through several states passes through the area where I live and there is quite possibly more junk than you could ever imagine amassed in one place! There are people who bring huge trucks and trailers to travel the entire distance picking up trinkets they don't want so they can sell them to someone else who doesn't want it so they can sell it to someone else - well, you get the picture. It is some sort of cult, I think. They call it perpetual junking.

Anyway, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I do not have to go out much for the next four days because getting from point A to point B is virtually impossible.