The puppies are growing up big and strong. Could be they found out where we keep the chow. Oliver is 30 pounds now at 3 months. Sherman.... well, we'll find out when he goes in on Tuesday for a little surgery.
And they did a good job of chewing through the CAT5 cable. We're back up and running.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Growing
Sunday, May 18, 2008
My Parents
My parents are considering giving up their land line to save money and relying on their "new" cell phone for communication. I use the term "new" very loosely. They've had the cell phone for over 5 years, but I can count the number of times they have used it on one hand.
Here's the conversation we had over the phone yesterday... or perhaps I should say I heard yesterday:
(Mama Bear dials phone number and hears them answer on the other end)
Grandma: How do I answer this phone?
Poppy: Don't answer it. What if it's someone we don't know? I don't want to waste my minutes on a wrong number. What number is calling?
Grandma: I don't know. How can I tell?
Poppy: Look at the window on the front.
Grandma: I already opened it, but I think the area code was 555 (misreading the number)
Poppy: We don't know anyone in that area code. Don't answer it. I'm not paying for wrong numbers.
Grandma: But it might be an emergency. What do I push?
Poppy: The green button.
Grandma: ok (click)
Grandma called me this morning. She said she wanted to practice using the cell phone. She and Poppy are heading out on a week-long bus trip with the senior citizens to see famous gardens in North Carolina. She tells me their bus is currently passing through our area so the call won't be long distance. Then she asks me to call my sister "E" back home and ask her to check in on my sister "S" to make sure she made it safely home from dropping them off at the bus station. "S" has only been driving for 34 years, so she might have gotten lost traveling those 3 miles back from the bus station. And Grandma can't call "E" directly, now that the bus is 2 hours from home, because that's long distance. I just say "Ok, Grandma. Will do." It doesn't matter how many times I've explained her plan is free throughout the continuous 48 states.
Grandma says they only took the cell phone with them in case there is an emergency and we need to get hold of them. Poppy doesn't want to waste the batteries, she tells me, so she is going to turn the phone off immediately after she hangs up. However, she plans to turn it on again every night at 7PM just in case we have an emergency and need to get hold of her.
I silently promise to only have emergencies this week between 7 and 8 at night.
It's taken her 73 years to develop this wisdom. Who am I to second guess it?
Here's the conversation we had over the phone yesterday... or perhaps I should say I heard yesterday:
(Mama Bear dials phone number and hears them answer on the other end)
Grandma: How do I answer this phone?
Poppy: Don't answer it. What if it's someone we don't know? I don't want to waste my minutes on a wrong number. What number is calling?
Grandma: I don't know. How can I tell?
Poppy: Look at the window on the front.
Grandma: I already opened it, but I think the area code was 555 (misreading the number)
Poppy: We don't know anyone in that area code. Don't answer it. I'm not paying for wrong numbers.
Grandma: But it might be an emergency. What do I push?
Poppy: The green button.
Grandma: ok (click)
Grandma called me this morning. She said she wanted to practice using the cell phone. She and Poppy are heading out on a week-long bus trip with the senior citizens to see famous gardens in North Carolina. She tells me their bus is currently passing through our area so the call won't be long distance. Then she asks me to call my sister "E" back home and ask her to check in on my sister "S" to make sure she made it safely home from dropping them off at the bus station. "S" has only been driving for 34 years, so she might have gotten lost traveling those 3 miles back from the bus station. And Grandma can't call "E" directly, now that the bus is 2 hours from home, because that's long distance. I just say "Ok, Grandma. Will do." It doesn't matter how many times I've explained her plan is free throughout the continuous 48 states.
Grandma says they only took the cell phone with them in case there is an emergency and we need to get hold of them. Poppy doesn't want to waste the batteries, she tells me, so she is going to turn the phone off immediately after she hangs up. However, she plans to turn it on again every night at 7PM just in case we have an emergency and need to get hold of her.
I silently promise to only have emergencies this week between 7 and 8 at night.
It's taken her 73 years to develop this wisdom. Who am I to second guess it?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sherman gets a brother
My oldest cub is all grown up and living 5 hours away in the steel city. Also home to penguins and pirates. Too far away to get her fill of puppy breath from Sherman. So she decided to take the plunge and get a little guy of her own.
Meet Oliver
Oliver was born the same day we picked Sherman up. They share the same father. And Sherman's mother is Oliver's mother's mother (from quite a few litters back). So that makes them brothers. And uncle-nephew. Sherman is Oliver's bruncle.
They are best friends already. And while my oldest cub is in the process of moving from her old place to a new pet-friendly place, we get to experience the joy of two puppies under our roof until the end of May. Individually they are sweet-smelling, soft, cuddly, tinkle machines. Together they are a tornado.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Newer and improved..... maybe
The Man of the House was recently provided with a brand-spankin' new 2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivan, similar to the one pictured here (photo courtesy of Chrysler). 
It's very comfortable, drives smoothly, stow-n-go seats, cool keyfob entry and "keyless" ignition. All the works. And since research shows that cup holders are so important to women, I can accurately report the cup holders in the sliding back doors are a vast improvement over the ones in the 2005 T&C.
So overall, we have been quite happy with this new Town and Country for the last month.
Until last night. Actually, last night precisely at 11:45PM. When all suburbanites are tucked safely in their beds, dreaming of a big yellow bus coming by bright and early to take their little cubs off for the day. Dreaming, that is, until AN ALARM STARTS BLARING for no reason.
Ok, maybe there was a reason. Maybe some wild animal snuck under it and jostled some wires. Maybe some adventurous hooligans were going door-to-door looking for an unlocked vehicle where they could quickly snag a cell phone or laptop. Who knows. Goodness knows we never figured it out. But at precisely 11:45PM, the high decibal horn began it's frightful call.
In the attempt to get into the car, we grabbed the cool keyfob -- this modern day genius of an invention. And discovered to our chagrin that when the alarm is going off, it is impossible to get any buttons on the key-fob to work.
On Chrysler's website they say -- "The intuitive keyfob that's available with Town & Country can do everything from starting the vehicle remotely to opening the available power liftgate and sliding doors." They neglect to say it won't respond while alarm is sounding and the owner is in complete panic mode.
So, where was the owner's manual that would explain how to stop the alarm? In the glove compartment where every able-bodied American keeps their car's owner's manual, of course. Just beyond the locked doors. Locked doors of a vehicle that is screaming into the night. And just in case the neighbors weren't quite sure who was disturbing their sleep, all of the lights inside and outside the vehicle were on permanent flash.
While scrambling around, adrenalin pulsing, we discovered the alarm will stop sounding all on its own after 3 full minutes. And eventually, we figured out that if you pull the keyfob apart, you will find a valet key allowing entrance to the vehicle - though using that key will also start the alarm sounding for another 3 full minutes. And in reading the owner's manual, we discovered once you gain access, the way to shut the alarm off is to start the car using the vehicle's keyfob. So simple, yet so confusing. Especially in the middle of the night. When your heart is racing a mile a minute. When the temperature is in the low 50s and you realize you are only wearing a sleeveless nightgown.
I think in my next life, I will go to design school to make car alarms more user friendly. I will also invest in long sleeved pajamas.
In the mean time, perhaps I should read the vehicle's owner's manual. On second thought, I prefer to enjoy driving my 1993 Honda Accord, without car alarm and keyfob.
It's very comfortable, drives smoothly, stow-n-go seats, cool keyfob entry and "keyless" ignition. All the works. And since research shows that cup holders are so important to women, I can accurately report the cup holders in the sliding back doors are a vast improvement over the ones in the 2005 T&C.So overall, we have been quite happy with this new Town and Country for the last month.
Until last night. Actually, last night precisely at 11:45PM. When all suburbanites are tucked safely in their beds, dreaming of a big yellow bus coming by bright and early to take their little cubs off for the day. Dreaming, that is, until AN ALARM STARTS BLARING for no reason.
Ok, maybe there was a reason. Maybe some wild animal snuck under it and jostled some wires. Maybe some adventurous hooligans were going door-to-door looking for an unlocked vehicle where they could quickly snag a cell phone or laptop. Who knows. Goodness knows we never figured it out. But at precisely 11:45PM, the high decibal horn began it's frightful call.
In the attempt to get into the car, we grabbed the cool keyfob -- this modern day genius of an invention. And discovered to our chagrin that when the alarm is going off, it is impossible to get any buttons on the key-fob to work.
On Chrysler's website they say -- "The intuitive keyfob that's available with Town & Country can do everything from starting the vehicle remotely to opening the available power liftgate and sliding doors." They neglect to say it won't respond while alarm is sounding and the owner is in complete panic mode.
So, where was the owner's manual that would explain how to stop the alarm? In the glove compartment where every able-bodied American keeps their car's owner's manual, of course. Just beyond the locked doors. Locked doors of a vehicle that is screaming into the night. And just in case the neighbors weren't quite sure who was disturbing their sleep, all of the lights inside and outside the vehicle were on permanent flash.
While scrambling around, adrenalin pulsing, we discovered the alarm will stop sounding all on its own after 3 full minutes. And eventually, we figured out that if you pull the keyfob apart, you will find a valet key allowing entrance to the vehicle - though using that key will also start the alarm sounding for another 3 full minutes. And in reading the owner's manual, we discovered once you gain access, the way to shut the alarm off is to start the car using the vehicle's keyfob. So simple, yet so confusing. Especially in the middle of the night. When your heart is racing a mile a minute. When the temperature is in the low 50s and you realize you are only wearing a sleeveless nightgown.
I think in my next life, I will go to design school to make car alarms more user friendly. I will also invest in long sleeved pajamas.
In the mean time, perhaps I should read the vehicle's owner's manual. On second thought, I prefer to enjoy driving my 1993 Honda Accord, without car alarm and keyfob.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day
In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought I’d share a piece of Bear Family history.
Every family begins with a mother bear somewhere. Our family tree begins with these two lovely, happy ladies, sisters Anna and Hedgwick. Both knew that the key to a future of wealth and happiness was across the sea in
But milk and honey was in their futures. Little did they know they would be gathering their milk and honey from the moo cows and buzzin' bees.
Anna had a slew of children, and the first three boys were well educated in their home country of
And everyone made it over in time for Anna's husband to go on to the promised land. In those days, weddings and funerals were great photo opportunities, since A) photographers were quite expensive, B) pretty much the whole family would be there and C) there was at least one person you didn't have to worry about holding still.The youngest of the original 3 brothers, Leon, was quite the ladies man. His family hoped he would give up his roustabout days and settle down with a nice girl. So he found that young lady of his dreams, proposed to her, set a date and celebrated. C.E.L.E.B.R.A.T.E.D. with everyone who would raise a glass and with a few young ladies of lesser reputation along the way. Word got out to his bride-to-be's family and the whole affair was called off.
So, what was a family to do with such a scandalous young man on their hands? Why, send to the Old Country for a lovely bride, of course!
Enter Ksenia. (pronounced Kah-sehn-ya)She was a virtuous young lady of rather limited beauty, and an interesting upbringing. Scorned by the mother who raised her, she was "farmed out" to another family by the age of 7. She received no formal education and spent her days milking cows, tending to the chickens and working the gardens. Essentially she was an indentured servant.
Her older sisters took pity. Perhaps because they saw their mother's distaste for this child. Perhaps because the oldest sister was actually Ksenia's birth mother. It's just one of those things that happens and no one in the family talks about directly, though hints are dropped along the way. And since everyone involved is long gone from this world, I don't think they would argue over the fact that her oldest sister lamented about a daughter she left behind when she was rather hurriedly sent to America, a child who would just happen to be the same age as Ksenia. And a mother/grandmother who showed such distaste for this young girl.
So money was gathered and Ksenia was sent for. When she arrived in this small upstate NY town, the family threw a party. And what a party it was! She was welcomed by the parish priest. She was given a beautiful dress to wear, borrowed from a cousin, along with a wreath of flowers in her hair and a lovely bouquet to carry all through the party. There was a wonderful dinner, with music and dancing.
And at the end of the night, Leon, the dashing young man with the moustache said, "Time to go home." What? Go home with a stranger? What about her sisters? Ksenia had never attended a wedding before, and had no idea what had transpired. And besides, this guy spoke Lithuanian and Ksenia only knew Ukrainian.
So that night, Leon took Ksenia home to his farm. And thus was the beginning of the Bear Clan.
Ksenia may not have been formally educated. And she never learned to sign more than an X to a document. But she was one smart cookie. The first thing she told Leon was that she had no idea how to milk a cow. And she never again milked a cow in her 95 years on this earth.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Circle of Life
I don't trust anyone who does not own pets. Pets teach us so much and only ask for love in return. And love comes in abundance from a four legged furry guy. Yep. Anyone who has ever read Marley and Me without sobbing at the end is not to be trusted.
We've owned Ernie for the past 6 years. Each night he climbed the stairs and laid at the foot of our bed while I went through my nightly rituals - tooth brushing, changing into jammies, checking out the nightly news. And when I turned down the covers, he knew to hop off the bed and lay on the floor, leaving a nice toasty spot behind to warm my feet as I slipped under the covers.
In late January, Ernie didn't want to climb the stairs one night. I thought perhaps an old knee injury was acting up and made an appointment on Thursday with our vet. With no other symptoms, you can imagine our shock at the vet's diagnosis of primary lung cancer. The x-rays were beyond belief, even to the untrained eye. How could have even be walking around with all those tumors? By Saturday, he was gone. It happened so fast; a blessing he didn't have to suffer. But our hearts were broken. How could I ever find a dog so smart, so loving, so in touch with each of my feelings to take up that now cold spot at the foot of my bed? Who could fill this void in our lives?
I spent my free time visiting our local shelters (can you say "pit bull"), checking out petfinder.com and contacting rescue organizations. And then we found this guy...
Meet Sherman - aka The Sherminator. A three month old golden retriever who's walked into our lives. No one could ever replace Ernie, but Sherman is eager to fill the empty spot in our hearts. He will probably be eager to warm up the foot of my bed...
.... as soon as he is big enough to reach it.
We've owned Ernie for the past 6 years. Each night he climbed the stairs and laid at the foot of our bed while I went through my nightly rituals - tooth brushing, changing into jammies, checking out the nightly news. And when I turned down the covers, he knew to hop off the bed and lay on the floor, leaving a nice toasty spot behind to warm my feet as I slipped under the covers.
In late January, Ernie didn't want to climb the stairs one night. I thought perhaps an old knee injury was acting up and made an appointment on Thursday with our vet. With no other symptoms, you can imagine our shock at the vet's diagnosis of primary lung cancer. The x-rays were beyond belief, even to the untrained eye. How could have even be walking around with all those tumors? By Saturday, he was gone. It happened so fast; a blessing he didn't have to suffer. But our hearts were broken. How could I ever find a dog so smart, so loving, so in touch with each of my feelings to take up that now cold spot at the foot of my bed? Who could fill this void in our lives?
I spent my free time visiting our local shelters (can you say "pit bull"), checking out petfinder.com and contacting rescue organizations. And then we found this guy...
Meet Sherman - aka The Sherminator. A three month old golden retriever who's walked into our lives. No one could ever replace Ernie, but Sherman is eager to fill the empty spot in our hearts. He will probably be eager to warm up the foot of my bed...
.... as soon as he is big enough to reach it.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
I'm in love with my cars
My cars and I have a special relationship. I know a lot of people who love their new car. Many adore that "new to me" vehicle, that second owner relationship. But when you and your car reach a 15 year milestone, it's beyond a normal bond. It's love.
I am the proud owner of a 1993 Dodge Caravan. Purchased when every suburban housewife obtained a mini-van to drive around their 2.1 children and family pet, it's hauled soccer gear, musical instruments, camping equipment, girl scout cookies, Christmas trees, neighborhood food cupboard donations and carpool-sized loads of children. It's taken family vacations, trips to Grandma's, an excursion to Florida and back as well as a few wrong turns (adventures). It had one run in with a deer and two with the basketball pole in our driveway - by two different teen drivers. Every one of my three children learned to drive with the Big Blue Tank. It was built for safety, not beauty, sports or speed.
And Big Blue keeps on going. Ok, it has a little wear and tear. Only one hubcap will stay on. The Man of the House rescued another from the side of the local interstate, which our son had watched roll away the week before via the rearview mirror. It now rides around inside the van to ensure it won't get lost again. The "metal" detailing is peeling away, revealing white plastic beneath the neoprene "metal". The weatherstripping is pulling away from the back window. The driver's side door looks like an animal chewed away the lower edge, thanks to the salt spray of upstate New York winters.
But, oh, that engine. Like an old general, she just keeps on going, heading into daily battle on the road, thanks to Steve and Dan. Yes, Big Blue owes its life to S&D. We knock on wood with each visit. They always remind me they will let me know when it's time for the DNR order, but somehow they always pull her through, replacing pumps, belts, lines, tanks, you name it. Perhaps Big Blue continues to enjoy life on the road because she has more new parts than old.
Last fall, faced with 5 drivers in the household, we decided we needed to add to the family fleet. Dear Son became the alpha driver of Big Blue, ensuring his safe travels to the local community college and work. I promptly went out and bought a new car for myself.
I am the proud owner of a 1993 Honda Accord. What can I say? It was a very good year.
I am the proud owner of a 1993 Dodge Caravan. Purchased when every suburban housewife obtained a mini-van to drive around their 2.1 children and family pet, it's hauled soccer gear, musical instruments, camping equipment, girl scout cookies, Christmas trees, neighborhood food cupboard donations and carpool-sized loads of children. It's taken family vacations, trips to Grandma's, an excursion to Florida and back as well as a few wrong turns (adventures). It had one run in with a deer and two with the basketball pole in our driveway - by two different teen drivers. Every one of my three children learned to drive with the Big Blue Tank. It was built for safety, not beauty, sports or speed.
And Big Blue keeps on going. Ok, it has a little wear and tear. Only one hubcap will stay on. The Man of the House rescued another from the side of the local interstate, which our son had watched roll away the week before via the rearview mirror. It now rides around inside the van to ensure it won't get lost again. The "metal" detailing is peeling away, revealing white plastic beneath the neoprene "metal". The weatherstripping is pulling away from the back window. The driver's side door looks like an animal chewed away the lower edge, thanks to the salt spray of upstate New York winters.
But, oh, that engine. Like an old general, she just keeps on going, heading into daily battle on the road, thanks to Steve and Dan. Yes, Big Blue owes its life to S&D. We knock on wood with each visit. They always remind me they will let me know when it's time for the DNR order, but somehow they always pull her through, replacing pumps, belts, lines, tanks, you name it. Perhaps Big Blue continues to enjoy life on the road because she has more new parts than old.
Last fall, faced with 5 drivers in the household, we decided we needed to add to the family fleet. Dear Son became the alpha driver of Big Blue, ensuring his safe travels to the local community college and work. I promptly went out and bought a new car for myself.
I am the proud owner of a 1993 Honda Accord. What can I say? It was a very good year.
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