Wordful Wednesday

I could be WORDLESS because this picture is filled with words - don't you think? But I can't. I have something to say and I gotta USE MY WORDS. . .


Dear Mother Nature,
This is Noodles the Pug. It is Spring. It is ALMOST SUMMER. And do you see what is going on down here? It is cold. It is rainy. This is weather I expect in late March or April - which, I might add were warmer than now - but NOT in late MAY. We had a week or two of high temps and then they came crashing down. And that is where we are at.
Please correct the situation soon.
Love Noodles


Dear Noodles,
I am trying my best. But with  human expansion of greenhouse gases, many of the gases that control weather, are trapping in heat that would normally escape the atmosphere. In a way, you could say I am having HOT FLASHES. That is what happened at the end of April and beginning of May when you had all of that hot weather. And all that heat makes the polar ice melt which is causing something akin to sweating in the form of very wet weather - like what your lovely state California experienced this past winter. It is a problem humans need to address now - before it is too late.
Love Mother Nature

I'm a little PUG. What can I do?
Let's get humans to open this dialogue
and make something happen.

Here's something to think about. . .

Even if you don't like Al Gore you should give him a listen - I did.

AND NOW FOR A LITTLE AFFIRMATION

NOT According to Plan

I think we can all agree that I like. . . no I LOVE Strawberries. I really do. The ones in the backyard are on the cusp of ripeness and I simply cannot wait. I check them everyday in hope they have turned red. So far they are still quite small and very green,

So IMAGINE my delight when Aunt T came home with a FLAT of fresh strawberries. A flat, for you city dwellers, is 12 baskets. And my oh my! Did they smell heavenly. I jumped and jumped and begged and whines all over the place. Yes, I got some.

This morning I was still a little groggy when the smell of strawberries came wafting over my bed. It work me up TOOT SWEET and I went running toward the smell.

It was odd that I bypassed the kitchen. But I kept on dogging the scent until I was upstairs and in the bathroom. The BATHROOM????? What is up with that? There was Mommy, grinning maniacally and holding an open bottle of this

Lucy Pets Products with a Cause 

Then it all made sense. I was getting a bath. THAT woke me up in a hurry.

The good news is I smell like STRAWBERRIES. The bad news is I smell like strawberries and it is making me HUNGRY!

Wait! What? It's FRIDAY Already??? Thoughts On a Lost Week

Did you celebrate Red Nose Day, Too? I did but had some trouble putting on
my RED nose

Hiya! How have you all been? I realized this morning that I have been MIA for most of this week and for that I apologize profusely. I have an incompetent HELPER is all. I asked her WHY she missed so many days posting when she DID NOTHING all week. And she said that would be TRUE if I did not include one fact - my Aunt M arrived on Wednesday for a long long visit and Mommy has been wrapped up in things like - pick up Aunt M from the airport, get some food in Aunt M's belly, going to stores that DO NOT exist in Aunt M's rural town. . . and so on.  In addition to meeting her boss WAY FAR AWAY up the peninsula, well I think you can tell where she is heading with this series of excuses. . .

EXCUSES.

I have not been doing a lot. One of the funnest things I did was PARTICIPATE in Red Nose Day. If you don't know what it is all about then READ ON. Or you can click the link right above ^ here and it will take you to the website.

Red Nose (dot) Org is about helping people in NEED. There are a lot of those everywhere, that is a fact. More specifically, it is a fundraiser to END child poverty. What a great world this would be if we could end child poverty. No one would go to bed (or get out of bed) hungry. The event started where everything starts - in the United Kingdom - as Comic Relief (many of our older Mommy's know all about THIS event). The event eventually CROSSED THE POND and is now an annual event sponsored largely by Walgreens.

Walgreens sells the red noses and half of the the money from sales goes to the charity. But the idea is to GRAB people's attention by making them laugh. "Be a Clown. . ."

This is as close as I got to wearing the nose

That's pretty much it. While my assistant was out and ABOUT, all I did was SLEEP and dream of snacks and cuddles.

I hope this weekend - the LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND - is something closer to normal. I can use a return to my ROUTINE.

Have a wonderful MEMORIAL DAY weekend (the official beginning to Summer) and remember to stand close enough to the BBQ and food table that you get LOTS of nibbles.

Sometimes We Need a Little Affirmation -

This is for Manchester, England

If I Replace the S with a Z Does It Taste Better? #chewyinfluencer

Maybe I should say TAZTE better? 

The THREE Muzzleteers

As you are aware of, I LIVE for the first of the month and the Chewy.com newsletter. I learn about new products on the website (www.chewy.com) AND THEN I get a chance to pick one for review. How cool is that? I think MAJOR cool.

This month I decided to try a FOOD like none I have tried before. It is called ZIGNATURE and it really is different from most commercial dog foods. Zignature (from what I can tell, the ZED refers to their down-under sources for lamb and kangaroo meats - New Zealand) has a whole line of wet and dry dog food in an amazing variety of flavors: lamb, kangaroo. duck. turkey, trout & salmon, whitefish, venison, salmon, and multi-protein. They all sound delicious but we opted for LAMB.

In case you are wondering - and you might since SOME of you are CAT people, ahem - Zignature has a complete line of CAT FOOD as well.

You might notice there is no chicken on the list. I was curious about this as well so I went to the website to find out more. It seems OUR FAVORITE FOOD is not so good for some dogs. Chicken is one of the highest allergy catalyst foods. Who knew so many dogs had trouble eating chicken? And it IS everywhere in dog food. That suits us fine as we are BIG on chicken and not at all big on beef. No matter - Zignature does not have beef either. Instead, the COOKS at Zignature make use of proteins dogs would likely find in the WILD and not at the farm and then they build in antioxidants, fatty acids and vitamins these proteins do not have (but a dog needs to maintain overall health).

Lulu has gone home now - but while she was here she helped
taste test Zignature. It is appropriate for ALL LIFE STAGES

So armed with this knowledge, we set about TESTING the lamb (wet) food every day for THREE WEEKS (Lulu was in on 10 days of testing) and we came up with a SOLID CONCLUSION . . .

Replacing the S with a Z may or may not affect the taste of the food BUT it - Zignature - has a WINNER of a food. It is tasty. It has a good mouth-feel to it. It smells heavenly. It is tasty (I know I said this but it bears repeating) and we thrived (are thriving) on it. It was sooooooooo good we begged for it and looked at our human servants like they were CRAZY if they, by chance, forgot to put it on top of our KIBBLE. And ENERGY???? I have not felt this energetic since I was a pup of 4!!!

Zignatures limited ingredient LAMB formula is (a)

• Grain-free and limited ingredient formula
• Made with Lamb from the farmlands of New Zealand
• A staple source of complete protein, Lamb provides Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Manganese, and is rich in Vitamin A and B12, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium
• Free of the most common potential canine allergens: corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and chicken
• Nutritionally correct ratio of fruits and vegetables rounds out the recipe with powerful antioxidants, and fiber-rich low glycemic carbohydrates

The LAMB formula does NOT include (to be truthful, NONE of their formulas include any of these)

• Corn
• Wheat
• Soy
• Dairy
• Chicken, Chicken Eggs, Chicken Meal, or any Chicken By-Products whatsoever

We are so glad we took the PATH LESS TRAVELED and tried Zignature Limited Ingredient LAMB.

It is definitely one of the tastiest foods we have ever tried. We give it TWELVE paws up with Lulu filling in for Sunshine. Sunshine the Cat tried a small taste of the food. She said it was okay but she will reserve HER opinion for a time when she tries the Zignature CAT formula.

Oh, and good news - Chewy.com carries a complete selection of Zignature Cat and Dog formulas and at a great price.

** A Bowl of Noodles received no payment for writing this post nor any guidance for what to say about the product. We received enough food to try for a period of time sufficient to develop an opinion of it. All opinions therefore offered in this blog are OURS and OURS ALONE.

Corn, Wheat, Soy, Dairy, and Chicken. And when we say free of Chicken, we mean completely free. We don’t use Chicken Eggs, Chicken Meal, or any Chicken By-Products whatsoever

Saying Goodbye is Hard - Zoey Martinez

Zoey in her new RIDE

Today I am very very sad . My dear dear FURiend Zoey has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She joins her love YODA as well as too-many-to-name FURiends. I have known ZOEY (and her daughter Phoebe) my whole life. My Mommy #2 met her Mommy via Blogville and it was instant FRIENDSHIP. We saw them at Pug Sunday in San Francisco's Alta Park, we saw them at Pug-o-ween, and we went to Bark in the Park with them too. Zoey was a FREE SPIRIT and I loved just spending time with her, soaking up her pearls of wisdom. In recent times, she had some health issues so her Mommy did not bring her out so much. Nonetheless, ZOEY will always have a very special place in my heart.

To honor Zoey, I am posting photos from her 10th BARKDAY some years back. It was great fun and all of my favorite PUG PEEPS were there. Some I met for the first time and all have become very very good FURiends of mine.

Run free sweet Zoey. You will forever bring a smile to my face with I think of you.

I can't get this photo to rotate. But since the theme was Mad Tea
Party from Alice in Wonderland, it kinds is fitting

As you can see, the decorations totally ROCKED. So did the food. And the party was at this really cool park in Niles (outside of Fremont) where the annual Dog Show is held. We have gone to the Dog Show (which is less about showing and more about being there and enjoying the activities) a couple of times with the Martinez grumble. It is a great fun time.

Zoey's Mommy, Susie, thought of everything. She even had a cartoonist to do portraits of all attendees. I still have mine hanging on my Mommy #2's wall. I think it really captured me.

The Birthday Girl Zoey

I cannot find a photo of my portrait. My bad. Trust me - it is CUTE!!!! This was wayyyyyy before Molly so she was not in attendance.

Beach Weather

I am not at the beach. I am WISHING I was at the beach, though. After pretty much a whole week of cool weather it is warming up again. . . Today it is in the SEVENTIES at the coast and eighties inland. Lovely.

Here are some more shots from my day at the beach a couple of weeks ago but to whet your appetite. Summer's on the horizon and it is time to prepare for all the FUN.

Affirmation Wednesday

BLOG HOP

HOP HERE

The Last Days With Lulu - Her Mommy Returns on Thursday

So. . . what do YOU wanna do . . . I dunno. . . What do YOU
wanna do?

Lulu is entering her 9th day at Case de Noodles. It has been an interesting time dealing with a PUPPY. She has a lot more energy than either myself or Molly. She is mouthy (hahaha, as if I am not) and completely distrusting of Sunshine the Cat (who could care less). BUT she is a good girl and has had no accidents in the house - rang the bells ONCE to be let out - and generally listens when Mommy or Aunt B tell her to do something. She no longer sits by the front door waiting for her Mommy to return (this is partly because I admit to pirating her bed). She is comfortable all over the house and with all HUMAN family members.

And she loves to play. . . and play. . . and PLAY! Have mercy on me does she love to PLAY. It is really good for me because it UPS my steps per day. And the weather has been perfect for staying outside for a while and running around the lawn (our "lawn" is really all weeds since the drought killed off all of our soft cushy grass).

Lulu will be here until Thursday because that is when her Mommy returns from her cruise. I am sure she has had a lot of fun on that big floating city. Lulu sent her a Mother's Day message along with a photo. Smartphones are wonderful for that kind of thing.

Lulu's Mother's Day Portrait

I think we will miss Lulu once she returns home BUT I know we will see her now and then. She always has a place with us.

Affirmation Time

I am a Clean, Lean, Cuddle Machine

Among PUGS and PUG pawrents, weight is a common topic of conversation. Rightfully so. We small compact pups DO tend to pack on the pounds if we are not ever diligent. I had to lose 5 pounds a few years back and let me tell you it was not EASY. That is a QUARTER of my total weight!!! Mommy accomplished this by being very careful with my diet in addition to making sure I got some exercise through the day,

What to do. . . what to do. Well in addition to small meals two times a day, I got lots of fruits and vegetables to fill me up and round out my diet. This photo tells the whole story. Those things in front of Molly and myself are what I want to focus on today - the "cakes" from Sunshine the Cat's birthday celebration. No calorie laden cakes for us! Our "slices" consisted of a cantaloupe shell with watermelon ice and a yogurt drizzle. How yummy is THAT????? Oh, I assure you, VERY. It's clever and Oh So TASTY.

Sunshine the Cat had a "cake" of a new wet food she was trying out. It is behind Molly in this photo. For some reason Sunshine did not like it and it was not enough to keep her attention. Hence the mournful stare into the house.

My point is - there are ways to get fruits and vegetables into your pet's diet which are fun and tasty. In the long run a good BABY CARROT (my fave snack) is a much better choice than a high calorie DOG BISCUIT. OMP! Just thinking of that sweet luscious is making my mouth water. . . .

I gotta find Mommy and sit pretty. Hopefully she gets the hint.

And Now for an AFFIRMATION 

T.G.I. . .KNOW!!!! It's So Cool. . .A NEW Breed of Tester. . . . . . . . . . . . . #chewyinfluencer

Jade

What am I talking about, you might ask. What NEW BREED are you talking about? Well, I am not sure if you are aware of it or not, but Chewy.com is now offering products for OTHER pets, like BIRDS. We just so happen to have A BIRD by the name of Jade.

So everypuggy, welcome our newest INFLUENCER, Jade the Bird.

Jade has been a part of our family since 2007 - that's before even ME and Molly!!! And here's the thing - no one knows how old Jade is. You see, Jade was part of another family (there were two birds, Pearl and Jade - sadly Pearl crossed the Rainbow Bridge last November) and when that family suffered a divorce, we said we could make room for them.

Hey Jade, look what I have for you!

Jade is a pretty funny bird. We don't know if  Jade is a boy or girls bird (the bright color suggests boy) and it really doesn't matter CUZ we tend to call every pet in our house she because - well we all are. Jade sings for her supper. . . sings to the sun, , , and sometimes sings to "The Voice". Apparently, Jade is NOT a sports fan because she squawks when it is on the tv.

This month is the FIRST month that Chewy.com offered BIRD choices in the monthly newsletter. Jade, being a very very particular bird when it comes to food, chose something she KNOWS she likes - Kaytee Natural Spray Millet Bird Treats.This stuff is like bacon to us dogs - crazy good. And Jade, like any of us would with bacon, attacked that spray like something out of "The Birds".

This is the millet spray on day ONE

This is the millet spray on day TWO

Needless to say this is a WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER for Chewy.com. Jade is happy and we are ALL happy that for the time being she is too busy eating the millet to squawk at the tv -because, HEY, it is play-off time for hockey and basketball!!!!

If you are a BIRD, or know of a bird on your gift list, check out the Kaytee Natural Millet Spray on Chewy.com. The price is competitive, the quality is high, and best of all - it is delivered to YOUR DOOR by the friendly neighborhood package delivery guy.


**Not one of us took payment for writing this blog post. We (this time, Jade) received from Chewy.com enough of the product to assess its overall quality and suitability and to write a review. All opinions expressed in this blog are ours and mostly MINE, alone.

Eight Months

This is me at about 8 months old. I look pretty much the same, huh?

This is Molly at 8 months. Her brown ears are more
white now

This is Lulu who IS 8 months old now

We forget how energetic puppies are. Lulu wants to play all the time and she doesn't really mind a whole lot. Mostly she does - but she is still trying to figure out who is the ALPHA in our house (hint Lulu - it's MY Mommy).

I thought it would be fun to look back to when Molly and I were each 8 months old. We may THINK of ourselves as puppies; but we have really grown a lot.

Affirmation #14