Even Dogs Get the Blues

There's rain, and then there's RAIN. We've been experiencing the latter, along with much of the country. This fact, coupled with Fly's injury, has reduced Dexter to a moping, bored, chewing mess. Right on the heels of my mentioning to Glenn, "Hey, have you noticed it seems Dexter has finally outgrown his chewing phase?", the Black Mass of Terror chewed up 2 blankets, a tribal rug, a top sheet, and, this morning, a corner of our duvet and its down comforter inside. Good thing I love him so much. And good thing I'm not attached to my things.

 

To add insult to material injury, Cleo, one of our "sister cats" (not because they are Mormon wives, but because they are, in fact, sisters), decided Dexter was hogging the attention and projectile vomited all over my open laptop yesterday, inducing in me EXTREME HEART POUNDING. Mind you, this is the very same laptop I'm using to pen my book series. Her timing couldn't have been better, though, as I'm between books. Well played, Cleo. 

Chewed up textiles, regurgitated-upon laptops (it's in the shop for who knows how long-borrowing Glenn's laptop in the meantime-thanks G!!!), grandmothers in hospitals (she's home now), mothers needing double knee replacement surgery, and then a flooded-out chicken run this morning make for many a heavy sigh around the 'ole English estate. There must be a statute of limitations on bad things that can happen to one household, right? 

The good news, however, is that books number 3 & 4 have been approved, as of yesterday! Comin' atcha Spring 2011 will be "Home Dairy with Ashley English" and "Beekeeping with Ashley English" in the Homemade Living series. Tell your friends! Tell your readers! Tell your grannies and grandpops and aunts and uncles and second cousins! And tell me some good things happening on your end in the meantime. I could use some tales of bliss and joy and revelry!

*Please pardon the "Hounds of the Baskervilles" glow in my pooches' eyes. The aforementioned rain has made our already darkened hamlet in the forest even more dim, inducing the need for a flash. Although, Dexter does now look like the Devil Dog he actually is......