My Stylish Cousins

 I keep wanting to share my cousins pictures with you. You've seen the up town girl Chelsea, she lives with Paul and Gladys she has had some facetime here in a previous posting. Now I would like to introduce Daisey and Shorty the Dachshunds who live in  Staten Island, NY with our cousins,  Rosalie and Jimmy. Daisey loves shopping, dieting, resting (with Shorty all cozy and warm) and ooopps eating... lots of eating.

The True Meaning of Christmas

I love receiving presents from my packies, whether it's for Christmas, or my

birthday, or just because they thought of me. I love that they think of me and want to give me something that I will enjoy chewing. Unfortunately, I can't go to a store by myself and buy a gift for my packies, so I can just give them my unconditional love and affection. And lucky for me, that seems to be all that my packies need, which I gladly give to them in abundance.

2009 was a very difficult year for many of my human friends, not the least among them were my own packies. My mom and dad will gladly watch this year fade into life's rearview mirror. And although Mom wanted so badly to be in California for Christmas this year, we will instead be together for a quiet New England Christmas, just the three of us.

Dad bought a tiny little Charlie Brown Christmas tree the other day to decorate the house, and I heard them talking about what we would have for dinner. Whatever they decide to make, I know I will have some of the left overs and it will be delicious. I don't know what Santa will give them, but my dad, on many occasions, has said that he doesn't need anything except my mom and me. He says we are the best presents you could ever receive. My mom, in turn, says that Dad is her Christmas gift.

I think that's really sweet, but I also think it goes to the heart of what this holiday is about. It's not about the presents we receive, or the gifts that we give, but it's all about the love that we share with our family and friends, the selfless acts of kindness, the tiny gestures of appreciation and the recognition that all of these things together contribute to our greater humanity.

The legacy of George Bailey is as meaningful today as it was in 1946.

Season's Greetings

Hi Friends,

I've finally been able to get my dad to sit down at his desk and write his Christmas cards to everyone. I also reminded him that he hasn't been fulfilling his duties as a good blogger to keep his posts current. In fairness to my dad, he has been working like a dog, which is an expression I don't quite grasp because my job is mostly making my packies happy, and I really love that job. Nonetheless, my dad seems to be quite happy to be back at work, but I just miss having him around all day to play ball with and take him on his favorite long walks. Okay, so they're really my favorite long walks, but the relationship is symbiotic. I have to do my part to keep my dad in good health.

I enjoy Christmas and all the pretty decorations, but one day I would really like to meet Santa Claus. He and his reindeer must be very quiet because I always seem to miss them on Christmas Eve. I never hear them enter the house, but somehow he always leaves me my present. He's a really nice man that Santa, and I would just like to show him my appreciation some day.

I also know that not all of my friends celebrate Christmas. My Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah. They light candles each night instead of putting up a Christmas tree. They also get a present every night, which I think is pretty cool. It just boils down to family and tradition, with the emphasis on family. And in the end, that's what the holidays are all about.

So to all my friends out there, be you Christian, Jewish, Muslim or non-believer, I want to extend my very best wishes for a happy, joyous and safe holiday.

Poster Boy for Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Harry wants everyone to join in with wholehearted support of friends and loved ones who are survivors of this disease.

Harry has decided that he must do something to encourage women everywhere to FEEL YOUR BOOBIES. He has been elected by secret ballot as the official BOOBIE Poster Boy.

Stop breast cancer early by doing breast self exams monthly. Harry will be watching.

CALLING

A package arrived last week and I couldn't figure out what all the excitement and giggling was all about. Then Robert and Dena told me they had decided that I need my own calling card. Calling card? Once they showed me the card and explained its purpose, I loved the idea and can't wait to pass my cards out to my fans.

Everywhere we go people think I'm lovely and want to hear all about my adventures. Dena was tired of writing down my address so she ordered me my very own cards. A brilliant idea. I guess I'm a man about town now.

Oh thanks to Dena's friend Alicia for scanning my card.

Dena says its a bad sign...I beg to differ!

MUMS!!! MUMS!!! MUMS!!! I see them everywhere these days. As I walk in the neighborhood the porches and window boxes are filled with mums. I have heard that all the stores whether it be Home Depot or the grocery store mums are in abundance.

Dena said to Robert the other day, "Oh no this is a bad sign...I see mums." He laughed and asked, "Why is that bad?" She reminded him, "When you see mums in this neck of the woods... winter is right around the corner." Bad sign? So she says...she doesn't enjoy winter like I do, it fact she thinks it's dreadful and stupid.

Winter is the best! I can't wait to run in the snow, chew on ice, and walk in a windy snow storm. I love when the wind blows my ears back...it's quite refreshing to me. Maybe as time passes and we move to California I'll change my point of view but for now the MUMS are a sign of good things to come for me.

William is in Beantown

William came to visit last weekend. William is a dear friend of Robert and Dena's. They met when Dena worked at Macy's Herald Square in NYC. Dena and Robert say William will always be a part of their lives no matter where we live or what we do. Now that's friendship!!!

I love love love to have company and yes I do get a little excited. Actually I can hardly contain myself if the truth be told. I'm a Golden and I want to play. Mostly I love to play with balls. William is a fun guy; but isn't interested in touching my spit soaked balls, can't quite figure that out. My toys are my prized possessions, I wouldn't share them with just anyone. I tried really hard to lay my ball gently on his lap but he was really grossed out by it. Gram thought I was funny she always thinks everything I do is cute.

The other thing I tried to impress William with is my ability to jump up on beds. I love human beds and thought William would like me to keep him company at night. Robert caught me and told me to get down.( I saw him smiling though, he thinks I'm cute to) Seems I can't get things right. In the long run it was better for William because I do tend to crowd and snuggle during the night.

Saturday it rained really hard. Dena, Robert, William and Gram got cabin fever and decided to go to the Christmas Tree Store. The store has nothing really to do with Christmas, it's like Big Lots. A bunch of stuff no one really needs but they want it anywazzzz.

On Sunday Dena and Robert took William into Boston. They left me at home even though I tried to explain I would be a good doggie and try not to bark. They drove though Southie, Dorchester, Roxbury, Beacon Hill and finally parked at Dena's building in Boston. Then they walked over to the North End where they were having a fair. William treated us to Pizza Regina (our favorite), after which William had sausage and peppers, then canolli's from Mike's Pastry's . So many good things to eat in Boston.



William took the Peter Pan bus home on Sunday. I was sad to see him go but I know he will be back again soon.

Family Blessings

This summer we have had lots of activity at the house. I get so excited when I see Robert and Dena cleaning the house because I know something exciting is going to happen. Relatives on both sides have stopped in for a visit. Robert and Dena enjoy having company and appreciate that we have family that we love and enjoy. I've heard it said that life is too short to waste opportunities to make precious memories.
One weekend, Paul and Gladys came for a visit. They had never seen our new condo so it was really fun for me to show them around. They really liked our backyard and herb garden. They brought a big box that I mistook for a present for me. Once it was opened, I assumed it was a beautiful food dish for me but later I was informed it is a serving dish for the humans. Heavy sigh.
Paul, Gladys, Robert and Dena went into Boston for a few hours and I got to stay home with Gram. The tall ships were in town and they were all excited to see them. They stopped by the Old North Church, walked past Paul Revere's house, happened upon a festival/parade for a Saint. They came home with stories to tell Gram and me.

We were sad that Paul and Gladys couldn't stay longer and missed them when they left.










Then we made a trip to upstate NY to take my Gram up to see my Great Granny. She is 91 years old and gets around pretty well. She lives with her old doggie; they are alot alike. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of Granny and the doggie - next time.

I did get a picture of the covered bridge my Uncles Dick and Ditty built.


We stayed with Chata my cousin. She lives on a pond in the woods. It is such a beautiful place, quiet and calm with lots of beautiful birds and flowers. I loved just lazing around with Chata.















The morning we left Robert and Dena went to breakfast with Janice's family at an old diner. I was pretty bored waiting in the car for everyone, smelling all of the yummy breakfast foods being cooked nearly drove me nuts. We were all sad to leave but we will spend more time another day.
The following weekend my Aunt Janet and Uncle Dick brought Gram home. God I missed her. I thought she was never coming back. Uncle Dick gave Gram a haircut and we tried on some wigs...he's a fun loving guy!














When Uncle Dick and Aunt Janet had to go back home we wished they could have stayed longer.

Dena had an opportunity to take a trip to SoCal last week. She'd been looking for airfare for weeks and complained daily about the prices. Saturday AM she found what she was looking for at 11AM and was on a flight at 5PM. Touched down in San Diego at 8:30PM and was driving though Del Taco by 10PM. What a great time she had. Hit the beach twice - O.B.(See Givanni boogie boarding) and Doheny. She loved spending lots of time with loved ones.

Next weekend Big Dave is coming for a visit. We are hoping our friend William is able to arrange his schedule to come up for a visit also.

I've heard Dena talk about taking time to appreciate the little things, but now I'm starting to understand her words. She often tells me how important family and friends are to have in our lives, and how wonderful it is to love and be loved without conditions or conflict. I noticed that everyone who walks though our door makes all three of us happy and content. Time passes by quickly, gosh I'm 3 1/2 already. As time passes we should all make the most of every moment and appreciate that having each other is a blessing beyond compare.

Midsummer Night's Dream

I know I have been very reticent these past few weeks, but I think it's mostly attributable to the "dog days of summer." That's a pretty good excuse if I say so myself. Besides coping with plain old procrastination and writer's block, I've actually been a pretty busy fellow.

Just before the 4th of July, Mom and Dad took me to my veterinarian, Dr. Wember, for my annual check up. As you can see from my picture, I can think of a lot of things more fun to do than visiting with your doctor. I can even take the needles and the blood tests, but the indignities of having your temperature taken are by far the worst. Dad said I was very brave this year, and he was proud of me. Happily, Dr. Wember gave me a clean bill of health and now I'm good for another year. I'm fortunate that I have a great vet, and better health care coverage than 47 million Americans. I'll save my bark on the health care debate for another posting, although you can probably guess that I'm siding with Paul Krugman on this subject.

In between helping dad paint the doors in the house, and he still hasn't finished, I was visited by a turtle. Mom saw the turtle near our house and rescued him from the road, so he wouldn't get hit by a car. We later found out that he was a Red Eared Slider, so we gave him to a nearby shelter for someone to adopt. Apparently, Red Eared Sliders are domestic pets and shouldn't be let loose in the wild because they will destroy the natural habitat. Domestic or not, this turtle wasn't very friendly, and I certainly won't invite him back anytime soon. He didn't even say thank you when he left with Dad for the shelter. I thought that was very rude behavior.

As if this weren't enough to keep me busy, I went on a three and a half hour car ride with Mom, Dad and Gram to upstate NY, and you won't believe this, but I actually visited my great granny. I didn't even know I had a great granny! She's 91 years old: that's pretty old, even in dog years. It was fun because I got to stay with my cousin Chata again and take a swim in the pond in front of her home. My mom thought it was quite funny, while Dad just sort of stood there apoplectic, knowing that he would have to dry me off for the ride back home. That's a picture of me during my time out after my swim in the pond.

So you can see I haven't just been lying back this summer sipping drinks with little umbrellas in them. It's been a fairly busy few weeks for me so far, which brings me to perhaps the more important news of the day. I'm actually a little embarrassed to share this information, but I sort of have a girlfriend and we've been dating off and on. Her name is Roxie and she is a Leonberger. As you can see from these pictures, she is quite the head turner. She's a big-boned girl, since her lineage is a cross of St. Bernard, Great Pyrenees and Newfoundland. I think you humans would refer to her as a BBW (Big Beautiful Woman). I think Roxie is more serious about the relationship than me, but we're having a good time together. I already told her that I'm not ready to settle down right now, but I'm willing to take my time and see what the future brings. I try to play it cool, but I really like it when she makes eyes at me. Sometimes we just spend the time laying in the grass, chewing on my tennis ball, and staring into each other's eyes. I never would have thought that a girl like Roxie would want to go out with a ball-obsessed Golden Retriever like me. The laws of attraction are just too complex for me to ponder.

I think that just about covers my activities for the summer so far, and I will definitely make a conscious effort to post some more thoughts and comments before long. In the meantime, I'm going to try to get Dad to take me to the beach one of these days, and spend my midsummer nights dreaming of playing catch, chasing squirrels and just hanging out with my girlfriend, Roxie.

P.S.

If you are interested in some fun on-line summer reading, check out Bo Obama's Op-Ed article in the NYT, and I've also been following the series in the NYT called the Puppy Diaries. It's a series about the trials and tribulations of training a Golden Retriever puppy written by a Times staff writer. Check out my picture on the reader's dog photos link while you're there too.

COOL Dog Site of the Day Award

From the folks at Pet Supplies Place. The Award is was chosen by our webmasters, to honor your hard work and dedication in providing a quality website.

Requirements:
1)Excellent Quality Content.
2)Website Ease of use.
3)Great blog that all shall read.
Thanks a bunch to Pet Supplies Place.

Californication

It's the edge of the world
And all of western civilization
The sun may rise in the East
At least it settles in the final location
It's understood that Hollywood
sells Californication
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mom and Dad spent last week visiting Mom's kids in California. They came home on Sunday morning after a bumpy red eye flight. I came bolting out of the door and charged up to my dad, but I could tell right away he didn't have quite as much fun as I had while they were away. In fact, even though I almost knocked him over on the sidewalk when I saw him, he still said to me, "Harry, I really missed you."

Mom really loves going back to California to visit with her kids and fill up on Mexican food and In n Out Burgers, but poor Dad can only take so much of that stuff before he just wants to give up and eat my dog food or just go on a starvation diet. Dad thinks that most Southern Californians define haute cuisine as Del Taco, In-n-Out Burger and Claim Jumper, another chain restaurant. The only difference being that Claim Jumper serves booze and doesn't have a drive through window.

I, on the other hand, had an amazing time while they were away. I almost feel a little guilty letting my dad know that I had so much fun and excitement, while he was slogging through a steady diet of tacos and burritos. Foremost, I got to spend the entire week with my Gram. I have to admit, she spoils me rotten as most grams do. Not only does she save her last bites for me after every meal, but she also lets me sleep with her on her bed - and she has one very comfy bed. I have a very nice bed that my mom and dad bought me, and which I like very much, but there is something luxurious about sleeping on a human's bed, while they're sleeping next to you. It's the next best thing to a spa treatment.

The other fun thing I got to do, which I haven't done in quite a while, was to spend time with my other favorite human, Karen, my dog walker and sitter. You won't believe this, but I actually was invited to a birthday party for Karen's son, Cole, who turned 3 years old. Cole and I are actually the same age, and we've grown up together, so the birthday party was especially poignant to me - about as poignant as any party can be for a Golden Retriever. Needless to say, I had the time of my life playing in the dirt with Cole, his older brother RJ, and their dogs Oden and Trixie. Trixie is an old dachshund, who doesn't have very much patience with us kids, so she sometimes yells at us when we get too rambunctious. We just let her yell, and we go on our merry way. Karen is the coolest person I know, and while I love my parents and Gram to bits, I always have a wicked pissah when I'm with Karen.

Oh, by the way, my mom and dad told me that my cousin, Joe the Cat, says hi to everyone, and was wondering when we were going to move out to Southern California to hang out with him and learn to surf, but judging from my dad's reaction when he got home, he's not too excited about Californication.

AWARD from Lexi

I receieved an award over the weekend from my new friend Lexi. Thanks Lexi! Stop by her blog she is a really cute puppy, it will be fun to watch her grow.

Hola Chata

I met my cousin Chata this weekend for the 1st time, she is a traveling dog and lives an exciting life. She is what they call a Snowbird. I never heard this term before and of course Chata looked at me like I was so uneducated when I said, " I see birds in the snow all winter long." Then patiently explained that she and her people drive a big truck with a house attached to the back from New York to the Rio Grand Valley of Texas every winter. They are called Snowbirds because they fly away from the dreadful winter weather and go to a warm climate. They live very close to the Mexican border in Texas which means lots of yummy Mexican food...beans, rice, tacos, flautas...



After Chata realized that I'm a welcoming and lovable host she warmed right up to me. She was a good backup when I barked at the squirrels and birds. She pulled up the rear so to speak. I loved that we worked together to chase away those little buggers.


I took her on a walk around my backyard and showed her my favorite spots to pee. I even showed her the prime locations to find rabbits poop to eat. I figure there is enough for everydog. Later in the day we walked over to a specially designed poop park in my neighborhood. Both of us poo'ed but Chata's was different from mine, it looked like a mini licorice jelly bean. Unfortunately, for Robert big dogs make big poos.

I enjoyed meeting and visiting with my cousin Chata and can't wait for her to come back again hopefully she won't wait to long. Chata and I talked about her wanting to stay longer but Uncle Ditty and Aunt Janice had lots of things to do back home...Chata said somethings about a car race in New Hampshire maybe I'll get to drive up there and she can show me around.

Long Walks

You must be thinking I'm posting for one of those personal ads for a date, the ones where the lonely heart writes that he enjoys long walks on a quiet beach, nights at home spent watching Casablanca, etc. You don't have to worry, I'm not looking for my special someone. Certainly, not yet. After all, I only just turned three a month ago, and I think there is still plenty of time for me to settle down. Besides, the only long walks I like to take are with my dad, and he and I mostly watch either The Colbert Report, or baseball now that the season is well under way. I have to watch out for him too because he is a Yankees fan who lives in the heart of Red Sox Nation, but that's a story for another time.

I like having my dad around, even though he isn't too keen on spending countless days at home. I know he will find a job one of these days, so that's why I encourage him to take long walks with me, like this morning at around 7:30. I heard the birds chirping away outside, and thought it would be a great morning for a walk. So I walked over to dad's side of the bed and laid my head down next to him and gave him my best stare. He got my message in a few minutes and off we went. I know it helps dad clear his head when we walk, and besides, it's the least I can do to help. I also think dad doesn't mind staying out with me longer, especially now that the weather is much warmer.

Truthfully, I don't do this solely for dad's benefit. I happen to like that he lets me take my football with me when we go for our walks, and eventually I get him to throw the ball a few times. My mom thinks this encourages my obsession with my ball, even though I don't think I'm overly obsessed, well maybe just a little. Case in point, this morning on our walk I kind of got a little distracted with all of the different smells I was investigating. There was goose poop, rabbit poop and everything was still wet from the night's rain. As you can imagine, the combination of all of these smells send my retriever olfactories into overdrive. Before I could even say "rut roh," dad said to me, "Harry, where's your ball? Get your ball, go find it!" Boy, did I snap out of it fast, but then I had no idea where I left my ball. I was running around, looking back at dad for help, and all he could do was laugh. I eventually found it, without any assistance from the supposedly more evolved one of the species. In the end, I did my good deed because dad got a really good chuckle out of the whole experience, and that's what our purpose in life is when you stop and think about it. You create these little moments of happiness seemingly out of the mundane, and it's those little moments of happiness that help lift our heads up from the ordinary and let us glimpse at our horizon.

How does my garden grow?

The last few weeks have been a challenge for me, lots of excitement over getting an herb garden planted. Robert and Dena talked about plants, soil, sunshine and fertilizer for what seemed like forever. I was bored to tears. Then finally my favorite part came, I knew I could be of assistance when I saw the shovel and bag of garden soil come out. Besides being a retriever, I'm an expert at digging. But do you think they asked for my help? No freakin' way. Robert dug and mixed the soil and the worst part of it all was he didn't get dirty. I was sitting there thinking, "You took all of the fun out of gardening, dirt is to roll around in and get between your toes, in your ears and on your tummy." Then the topper was when he watered the freshly prepared soil, he had his chance but he blew it. All I could think was,
"Lay down in the mud, roll around Robert, it will feel so lush." Do you think he did? No way...he watered and then rinsed his hands off..as if they had dirt on them. Heavy sigh. They need my help desperately.

The next day plants went in. I do have to say they are lovely. Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Chives, Parsley, Sage, Cilantro, Rosemary, and one tomato for balance and beauty.

I learned that planting even a small garden is tons of work and that at first the plants are fragile. Which means that it's not a good idea to step on them ever ever ever! I've recently been told that I am a big ox and need to stay out of the garden...I didn't mean to step on the basil, how would I know it would kill it? It sure made my foot taste and smell good. I'm trying hard to be supportive of Robert and Dena's garden adventure by watching from the sidelines.

All I can think of now is the delicious chicken that Robert will make using all these fresh and fragrant herbs. My mouth is watering just envisioning what we'd be eating in the days to come. Gardening is fun after all.

GRAM'S in BEANTOWN

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while but my Gram has been here since April 17th. She is a ton of fun like all Gram's. She lets me do things I'm not suppose to, which makes me feel a tiny, little, bitty tinge of guilt...then it goes away; I go for it with gusto, for example: I get to go out back almost everytime the back door opens, she gives me the last bite of everything she eats, she lets me up on her bed day or night, she sneaks me my favorite Polka Dog treats and she thinks everything I do is funny and cute. By the end of the day I'm exhausted from all the fun we have.

I'll try to write in a few days about my Spa Day...it was glorious.

Special Thoughts for Honey

Mom and Dad read the very sad news this morning about Honey. There isn't a whole lot to say except that our thoughts and very best wishes are with Honey, and especially her parents right now. We hope the medicine your vet gave you helps to ease any pain. We also hope your mom and dad find peace and comfort from their family and friends. You have given them wonderful memories and unconditional love, and in return, they have given you a fantastic home that many humans would envy, along with that same unconditional love. I know how much my mom and dad care for me, but you reminded them of how short our time together is, and how important it is to take advantage of every day. Thanks so much for sharing a little piece of your life with us through your blog.

Love,
Harry

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday, Dad and I celebrated my birthday in a subdued way - no cakes or candles. Since I turned three, and am now a mature adult, we sampled a couple of nice cigars and some single malt scotch. I'm really just kidding, although I have sniffed my dad's scotch from time to time and I think I would much rather sniff another dog's butt. That stuff is truly nasty; I don't know what he sees in it. Now red wine, on the other hand, is a completely different story. I do enjoy that a lot. I particularly love the subtle aromas, and the earthy textures and tanins that massage the palate and dance across the tongue. Dad and I are big fans of Dorothy Gaiter's and John Brecher's Tastings column in the WSJ. We especially like that they take the snobbery out of wine, but also provide a nice education every week about different varietals, vintages, regions, etc. Dad is a closet oenophile; I just like to drink it.

I think Dad and I will have a little post birthday celebration over a couple of glasses of Pinot Noir this evening, and talk about what a great choice President Obama made for his new first dog, Bo. Congratulations to Bo and the Obama's, and Happy Birthday to me.