Sunday Happies!

It’s Sunday and I’m ready to hit the road with my hubby!

Another gorgeous Sunday in New Jersey.

I was thrilled to finally be able to grab a bite at Cave in Avon-by-the-Sea. It’s a paleo restaurant. I’ve been eating paleo for a few months now and my body loves it! I had grass-fed beef chili, with avocado and a bullet-proof coffee for dessert. The place was cute and cozy and service was excellent!

Grass-fed beef chili with avocado

This dish was so heavenly. It took me back to my Girl Scout days when I had a dish called “Sloppy Joe.”

Bullet Proof Coffee!

Bullet Proof coffee is organic coffee made in a blender with coconut oil and grass-fed butter. Your body will love the healthy fats that give you great energy without the caffeine  jitters! Something about the mixture just does a body good! I serve it to my husband in bed. I also make a great oolong tea version with unsweetened cocoa — it’s killer!

After Cave, we cruised along the beach and then visited a friend. A lovely full day with perfect weather!

How cute!

We don’t know these people, but the dog was so adorable, I’m so glad I got a great shot on the way home!

The Missy Award! (For Animal Lovers)

I stopped doing the Awards thing for awhile because it is a lot of work.

But I couldn’t resist this one from Ivonne: http://ivonnemontijo.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/the-missy-award/#comment-1703

Being an animal lover, I am soooo honored! Ivonne presented me with this award for being a vegetarian (Since 1986 I might add; and haven’t used products that tested on animals since the early 1990s!)

And isn’t her doggie the cutest?! I wanna snuggle with Missy all night!! AND RUB THAT BELLY!!!!

SQUEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The  Missy Award is presented to those bloggers who support and advocate for animals either in the blog as a whole or a blog post.  They can be animal lovers, vegetarian,vegan, rescue workers, doesn’t matter it’s all about the animals.

The Rules are:

1- You must post the Award Picture onto your blog–but who doesn’t love putting award pictures on their blog?!!!

2- Link back to http:ivonnemontijo.wordpress.com

3-And answer two questions.

A- What inspires or motivates you to write?

B- Why do you love animals?

4-Nominate other worthy bloggers or just simply accept the award and do #’s 1-3

5- Oh yes, please let your nominees know you nominated them .

My answers are :

A. What inspires or motivates you to write? EVERYTHING. Life is just one big story waiting to be told. I can write about my life, your life, my cat’s life … it’s all good!

B. Why do you love animals? Animals are just the sweetest things ever. All they want is to survive and to be loved. You give them a little love and what you get in return is tenfold. My little cat Derick looks at me as if I am God. It’s just so amazing. And they are so smart too. From fish to a monkey — all animals have something to offer. Just pay attention and you’ll see!

My TOP 3 nominees for this award are:

MISS HARPER LEE: http://thek9harperlee.wordpress.com/

(For being the cutest, most reflective Golden Retriever on Word Press!)

RACHEL MANKOWITZ http://rachelmankowitz.wordpress.com/ 

(For sharing stories about her adorable doggie, Cricket!)

LONG LIFE CATS AND DOGS http://longlifecatsanddogs.wordpress.com/

(Check out Susan’s blog, she does SO MUCH for animals, such an inspiration!)

Congratulations to my winners, please spread the award around, animals are a GOOD THING!

Thanksgiving Photo Share

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

My nephew, Matthew, age 11 (isn’t he the cutest?)

My beautiful sister, Kim and her dog Ally Marie Paige

At my brother-in-law Anthony’s home. Left to right: Father in-law Pop, Little Anthony, Jonathan, my husband Dennis (with black shirt), brother-in-law, Joe and Eileen

L-R: Drea, Jonathan, Kate, Kate’s mom Sandra, Pop, Sue, my brother-in-law, Joe and me

Me, the day after 🙂

Note: With SO MANY people and so much commotion, it was hard to take photos of everyone. So I just opted for the photos that were the best of the lot (without blur, too dark, eyes closed, etc.) So a special shout out to the ones not in the pictures: Mom, her other dog Oliver, Uncle, Kathy, Lisa and her girls, Brooke and Crystal, Lisa’s dad John, and my brother-in-law, Anthony. 

I love all of you, thanks for making it so special!

And They Called It Puppy Love ….

Me and my new friend, Lenny

Puppy breath — it’s the best!

Working on the road today, I stopped by my husband’s place of business and got to meet his friend’s puppy, Lenny.

The pictures show how ecstatic I was!

Combat Chihuahuas Unite!

Fawn

Here’s a cute little poem I wrote several years ago in honor of my Mom’s Chihuahua, Fawn (RIP). Although the poem was for Fawn, I think it relates to many small dogs who think they are bigger than they really are, which is always so endearing. ENJOY!

Combat Chihuahuas Unite!

She’s such a little lady
She’s the perfect companion
But better watch your step because
She thinks she’s a doberman!

Combat Chihuahuas Unite!

Her bark protects her master
She’s a killer dog from Hell
Fighting crime, she has no time
But she’ll break for Taco Bell!

Combat Chihuahuas Unite!

So pretty in her doggy cape
She may be the cat’s meow, but
“Get this damn thing off me!
I wanna get naked now!”

Combat Chihuahuas Unite!

And when the day is over
When it’s time to go to bed
She’s no longer known as “killer”
She’s just a weary sleepy head.

Little Combat Chihuahua “Night night!”

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

The Animal Bucket List

I hear so much about “bucket lists.” I decided to come up with one of my own.

While I started writing my bucket list, I realized my “must do before I die” list has everything to do with animals. Those who know me will not be surprised, as I’m the one who prefers having ground hogs in my backyard to a garden; the one who stops to pet each and every dog I meet in passing;  the one who longs to someday live on a farm; and the one who always has cat hair on her clothing.

So, here it is — My Official Bucket List (with the ones I’ve done already striked through!)

Ride a camel

Hold a koala bear

Ride an elephant

Own a ball python

Hold a baby pig

Swim with a dolphin

Own a pocket-sized poodle

Own a Chihuahua

Own an Italian Greyhound

Own a ferret

Come face-to-face with an eel while snorkeling! (which is why I no longer snorkel!)

Ride a horse on the beach with my husband (how romantic is this one?!)

Milk a cow or a goat

Eat frog’s legs (didn’t like them, tasted too much like chicken)

Hold a monkey

Watch a cat give birth

Watch a dog give birth

Hold a baby squirrel

Pet a baby tiger (make that “pet every cute baby animal there is on this planet!”)

Smuggle a grasshopper from Florida to New Jersey (I did that when I was 9, and the grasshopper lived in New Jersey until the end of the summer!)

Ride a horse, English-style, Western-style AND bare-back!

Teach a pet a trick (make that an impressive trick, I don’t think teaching a cat to go crazy for Super Goo counts!)

Continue to treat my cats with such love that they live until at least 20! (They are 16 and 18 now!)

And a few things that weren’t on my animal bucket list, that were not so cool 

1. Got bit by a pig

2. Got bit by a squirrel

3. Got thrown from a horse

4. A pony stepped on my foot when I was 10 (a pony !! and it hurt like hell!!)