A new clip made by the Promotion Group of our Dogschool about the summer fun for the cold winter days. Enjoy and spread!

I decided to spend my birthday (11/29) this year doing one of my favorite things - helping animals.  I signed up to wrap Holiday gifts at Border’s to raise much-needed donations for the Milwaukee ARC (Animal Rescue Center), the wondeful little shelter/adoption facility in Southridge Mall.  I stopped over there after my 3-hour shift because Director Amy Rowell had some extra dog food that a company had donated - it was nearing it’s expiration date, they had nowhere to store it and didn’t want it to go to waste - so I volunteered to take it.  My plan was to take it to my friend Suzanne’s house - she’s the Foster Care Coordinator for Basset Buddies Basset Hound Rescue - figuring she could contact all the BBR foster families and let ‘em know they could come pick some up.  (I’m a BBR foster mom, too, so I know how greatly appreciated it is to get free or low-cost, top-quality food!)

I didn’t call Suzanne ’cause I wanted to surprise her.  (That’s code for “as usual, I forgot my phone when I left home in the morning.”)  Plus, Suz only lives a mile from me and it’s right on my way home.  Her car was there when I pulled in her driveway and I could hear her houndies barking when I rang the back doorbell, 20lb. bag of food in my arms, so I knew Suzanne was home.  But - she wasn’t answering the door.  A few more rings, lots more barking, still no answer…now I’m a bit concerned.  Is Suzanne okay?  What if she’s sick or something and needs help?!  I stood on the top step and got up on my tippy-tippy-toes trying to peer in the little window of the oak door…”maybe if I kinda jumped up I could see in,” I thought.  That’s when I lost my balance and went flying down on to the pavement.

As soon as I hit the ground, I knew I was hurt.  Bad.  The noise that my left foot made when it rolled sounded like bubble wrap popping.  My shoulder hurt…my arm hurt even worse.  I layed there for I don’t know how long, trying to figure out what to do.  I was between Suzanne’s house and my car on the driveway so I doubted the neighbors could see me.  I finally managed to crawl to my car and somehow managed to get in, glad I’d left the door open.  I knew I needed to get myself to a hospital, but I was staring to feel sick…like I was either going to faint or throw-up.  Just then, Suzanne came to the door with her robe on and a towel around her head.  (Yep, she’d been in the shower.)  I waved her over, she took one look at me and said, “lemme throw some clothes on!”  She got me into the back of her wagon and got me to the Emergency Room in under ten minutes.  What an angel!

The injury report: badly sprained foot, fractured left radius (arm) and fractured right humerus (shoulder).  Recovery time:  yikes!!  My foot is actually feeling a lot better and I’m limping around in my Uggs pretty well.  My left arm’s in a cast that goes up past my elbow and needs to stay in a sling…which means that Dr. Schmeling has to  trust me to not use my shoulder at all rather than immobilize that, too.  All told, we’re probably looking at a good twelve weeks.  And that includes no driving, no lifting, no reaching, no pulling…which means no cooking/baking/cleaning, no dogwalking, no shoveling/playing in the snow, no shooting range, no beading or sewing gifts…no pretty much all the stuff I like to do.

BUT - I still get to do my job here at ‘KLH and spend mid-days with YOU…and I know there are so many people who are way worse off than I am…and with that said, I feel blessed!

Big thanks to State Representative Jeff Smith  (93rd Assembly District) for giving me a few moments of his time to chat about his part in the passing of Wisconsin’s new Puppy Mill legislation.

Download Interview with State Rep. Jeff Smith

Here are all the trick-or-trick dates/times for Metro-Milwaukee.  You might want to double-check with your neighbors tho.  If your neighborhood is like mine, you might have a special “Neighborhood Trick-or-Treat” that’s different from the rest of the community.

Whether you’re a “pet parent” or you’re just looking for some fun family activities, there are some awesome animal events this weekend and the next…and I hope you’ll join me there.

Saturday, October 24th, is Pit Bull Awareness Day and our local Pit Bull Education & Rescue Group - Brew City Bully Club - is doing the coolest event out at State Fair Park.  It’s called PittiePalooza!  Come for the fun AND the learning experience and find out why I appointed myself “head cheerleader” of this amazing organization.

On Sunday, October 25th, there’s a fun pet costume contest going ongoing on -  Elmbrook Humane Society is hosting it at Petlicious Dog Bakery starting at noon.  Even if you don’t enter the contest, find out how you can help the shelter in other ways that day.  Nicole Coglin from Fox 6 and I will both be judging the costumes.

A week from this Sunday, October 31st, put your pet in the costume contest or just come for all the laughs & the great coffee or hot cocoa.  “Boo N’ Doogle” will be a benefit for HAWS at The Coffee Vault on Main Street in Dousman.  Start time is 1pm and I’ll be the em-cee and one of the judges.

It’s the annual fall fund-raiser for our friends at HAWS - the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County out at Olympia Resort in Occonomowoc…and the Boogie Men are playing!  Tickets are still available…you can come for just the band, but I highly recommend getting tickets for the massive spread of food, too, because it’s always fabulous!  Don’t miss this!!!

You’ve heard of those fitness bootcamps, right?  You’ve probably even seen them on TV.  Well, here’s your chance to experience the 30-minute version run by one of the best in the biz…and you’ll be helping the animals at HAWS - the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County.  This Saturday morning, you can train in New Berlin with Jeremy Belter who runs the Fat Blasting Boot Camps.  The cost is a small donation to HAWS and the session is open to ANYYONE who’d like to get in shape.  Click here for all the info!

If they do, you’ll understand why I’m SO excited about this great article about my 16 year old niece, Hannah Steadman, and two other New Jersey soccer players.  Hannah, according to her coaches, is currently the most highly recruited Class of 2011 soccer goalie in the nation.  How cool is that?!?!  Check out the story from The Record, the award-winning daily newspaper that serves northern New Jersey. 

Jones, Steadman & Vajda will be on the attack this season.

It’s time for the annual Doggie Dip at Cool Waters, the pool/water park in Greenfield Park!  On Labor Day evening from 6:30-8pm, you can swim with your dog before they drain the pool for the season.  You’ve never seen anything as funny as dogs going down the water slide!  See you there!!

Ah-HA!  I knew that would get your attention!  There’s a new book out called Women Want More.  Co-author Michael Silverstein had 12,000 women in 22 countries surveyed and the results: having a pet is what makes them happiest!

According to Silverstein, 42 % of the women said pets are the number one item making them extremely happy compared to 27 % who ranked sex at the top. Food ranked third and shopping ranked fourth.  Anyone care to comment on this???

I’d write more, but my cats need to be fed, my dogs want to go outside  and I have to make something to eat before I head to Macy’s.