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!

Another Amazing Animal Story

No, this isn’t yet another story about how smart my kitty Derick is.

This is a story that I heard on the news last night. A story that blew my mind!

During Hurricane Sandy, a woman and her daughter in Chadwick Island were rescued by boat, with their kitty Porsche, and ended up staying with family nearby in Point Pleasant, eight miles away. Porsche was disturbed by some loud noises and ran away.

The mother and daughter didn’t think they’d see the cat again.

Then six months later, the Porsche showed up — at the  home in Chadwick Island!

Read the full story (and see the video) here: Cat lost during Sandy finds way home!

HOW, did the cat know how to get back to the original home? I can only imagine an angel coming down from heaven, directing the cat to it’s home. And that owner must have been something special for the cat to be that determined to get back home. The cat was well fed too. Didn’t even look like it was lost.

Imagine that? Traveling eight miles, coming back healthy, avoiding getting hit by a car and other catastrophes! Don’t forget, this cat was traveling through the winter time.

I want to go to Chadwick Island and meet this cat. Maybe he’ll tell me the secrets of the universe!

UNBELIEVABLE! THESE AMAZING ANIMALS!

This reminded me of a similar story several years ago.

My mom was friends with a woman whose dad had a chihuahua. When the dad died, the chihuahua was missing.

Three days later they found the chihuahua at the father’s grave site.

Amazing … just amazing.

Another Amazing Animal Story

Maryanne and Buttons, Summer of 2011

I’m going through old photos in my email box and came across this adorable photo of Buttons, who I met at a car show two years ago.

This photo has an adorable story behind it. Buttons is blind and she had only one eye, but when my husband took this photo, she turned her head to show her “good side” with the good eye!

Just goes to show — it never ceases to amaze me how smart animals are, especially the tiny but mighty Chihuahuas! She was so lovable it broke my heart to give her back to her owner. (Animals — so easy to fall in love with!) I hope to meet her again someday. Now that spring is here, there will be so many car shows. Yay!

Pictures from Easter

The Easter Bunny came!

After opening my Easter basket, I went to my first Easter service as a Christian.

Then my husband and I headed to Park and Orchard.

 

Dennis and Maryanne, Park & Orchard, March 31, 2013

I’m not showing photos of the food because although it was DELICIOUS, it didn’t look very appetizing! We both had casseroles. Mine was a vegan lasagna with polenta, tofu and spinach. My husband had an eggplant casserole. I had a hard cider beer, one of my favorite drinks — ever!

Then we had dessert at my Mom’s — homemade ice box cake! What a wonderful day!

My nephew, Matthew, 11, and puppies, Alley Marie Paige and Oliver Pancho

Happy Birthday Miss Harper Lee!

Miss Harper Lee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the cutest puppy on Word Press!

Check out her awesome blog, Reflections of a Golden Retriever: http://thek9harperlee.wordpress.com/

Wishing Miss Harper Lee a happy healthy year filled with love, joy, happiness, lots of chew toys and good eats!

At Work, Rest or Play, Animals are the Best!

My Derick 

Monday I started working at the home of a new client (who will probably use my services once a week).

Within minutes of working, her beautiful, fluffy black cat with big green eyes, jumped on my lap and stayed there for almost the entire time I was in the client’s office.

This kitty cutie was a big fluff ball and it made me a little homesick thinking of how my Derick is always on my lap while I am working at home, knocking the mouse out of my hand when I’m working so I could stop and pet him! How cute is that?

And it made me realize — I think all my clients are pet lovers! That makes me so happy. Clients, friends, family, almost everyone I know loves animals. These little creatures are just too much, too adorable, too cute. All they want is to be fed and a lot of love.

When the kitty jumped in my lap, my new client said, “She knows you’re an animal lover.”

That is so true. They tend to gravitate to those who love them. But it’s also funny when they go to the ones who don’t love them. It’s as if an animal can sense the goodness in a person’s soul and knows deep down that someone who isn’t an animal lover may have it in them even in a little, tiny way.

I can’t imagine living in a home without a pet. All my life I’ve had: cats, dogs, a ferret, turtles, a guinea pig, fish, a snake and hamsters. The little that we do to take care of them, and all the love they give back to us.

Every day should be “bring your pet to work day” — the world would be a happier place.

And every night should be snuggle with your babies night.

I have just two cats — Billy and Derick. But if I had just one, or if I had 101 — they are all welcome on the bed to sleep with us!

Readers and fellow bloggers — tell me about your pet! And post links to pictures!

(Even if your pet is deceased, you can tell me about your pet and we can honor him/her and say a little prayer).

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!