Thursday, May 25, 2006

Telly-bration in Sedona, AZ

All us dogs know that someday we must depart this Earthly plain. My buddy Telly is close to his occasion of passing. I pray that he can pass naturally without his people having to euthanize him. But I cannot control the universe. I have my personal doggy prayers, and I have my Dad to take me to the stupa to pray!

Today my Dad's boss sent him this montage of the "Celebration of Telly's Life." My dad's place of work is a dog bakery in Sedona, so they hosted a party and Telly got to come and bring lots of dog friends. They made him a cake, and all the dogs had a grand time! I could not go because I still want to growl and bite other dogs that I don't know... apparently that bugs my people. But I sure felt like I enjoyed the party vicariously through this posted montage! Good job Emily (Telly's mom)!!

Today's yum-yum of the day: Three Dog Bakery Peanut Butter Cake with Carob letters that spell out "In Celebration of Telly!" (My Dad got to put the letters on the cake, he's all proud of that and keeps nudging me to mention it!)

Enjoy the show (and it does have sound if you are in a place where that might get you in trouble!! But we all love Louis Armstrong!)

Love ya'll like Telly clearly loves this cake!!!

G'night,
Joy Beagle


View this video montage created at One True Media
Telly's Celebration

Monday, May 22, 2006

Dog-claration of Family Values


Well, every now and then something strikes you and it knocks you for a loop. In those moments you have to reflect on something safe, and warm and positive.

Think back if you can (and I hope all of you have some variation of this memory) about a time when you were just a puppy, or a little human puppy as the case may be. Perhaps you were in your crate, or crib or whatever... and your mom or dad or person came and picked you up gingerly, rocked you and cooed into your ear. They held you close and made you feel warm and protected.

And maybe you remember a time later in life when you were hungry or thirsty and that family gave you an abundant meal or a big bowl of water to drink. I think of the days that I hear the family car roll up the drive way... I race like a bullet to the door... tail blazing back and forth like a metronome on "fast forward". My parents walk through the door with an arm full of groceries but still manage to stop and pet me and my sister Sarah Basset. They quickly put groceries away and grab the leashes and flashlight so we can get a walk around the neighborhood before dark.

I hear Chris talk about his memories of his parents and he remembers sleeping on the floor on a Sunday while they watched football in Athens, or a moment in New Jersey with his parents that they all sipped cocktails and played "Hearts" with a deck of cards.

I share his affection because right now I can hop up on the sofa between my parents while they discuss their work day, and one of them might pinch off a bite of whatever forbidden snack and sneak it to Sarah or me. And they keep talking or they might stop and play with us for a little while before they go back into the office to pay the bills, or before one of them heads off to cover a late night prayer shift, or meet friends out for a movie.

I blend all these experiences in my little doggy mind, how similar they are, and how I miss my New Orleans family and I realize how important home and family feels to everyone who has been blessed with a supportive scenario.

Okay - so then I read what these guys in Washington want to tell me. They claim that because my two people are not born with different genitals, that my family is an abomination, should be legally prevented and is in danger of leading to beastiality, polygomy or something like fathers and daughters copulating. At moments like this, I wish I... Joy Beagle, could be president. Or at least a minister in one of these "churches" that are all speaking such hatred. None of you would ever have to read such B.S. disguised as "values" in this lifetime again. Cause I'd never ever expect someone to give up this warm feeling of family that I am blessed with.. just because my parents both have "gender: m" on their driver's license.

I pray for your human species everyday! And for voices of wisdom to become more prominent and drown out these foolish men who abuse their authority. Tonight's bone-appetit recipe is "humble pie" and I am eating it in spades to have been fortunate enough to have a gay family adopt me!

Well, I gotta go. This soap box is getting uncomfortable, and my Dad's have some more affection to share with this family before the day ends!

Love ya'll like a gender blind partnership that gives love and compassion to all the people in their life, despite a media battle they witness everyday that would have them feel unworthy of even the slightest human dignity.

(a disheartened) Joy Beagle

---------------------------------------------------------
HERE IS WHAT HAS UPSET THIS LITTLE PUP:


Weekly Web Message: Is the FMA a threat? Listen to the extremists in their own words.May 2, 2006 - Transcript

President Bush: "Our nation must enact a Constitutional Amendment to protect marriage in America."


Read what Sen. Santorum said: " in every society, the definition of marriage not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be."

Sen. Orrin Hatch: As you all know, I don't believe in discriminating against anybody but when it comes to traditional marriage, I draw the line.

Rev. Pat Robertson: Self absorbed narcissists who are willing to destroy any institution so long as they can have affirmation of their lifestyle.

Bill O'Reilly: One of the arguments against gay marriage that we just spoke about is that if it becomes law all other alternative marital visions will be allowed ... you can marry 18 people, you can marry a duck... somebody's gonna come and say I want to marry the goat. you'll see it. I'll guarantee you'll see it.

Rev. Jerry Falwell: I'm against same-sex marriage but I'm against a Federal Marriage Amendment. That's like saying 150 years ago I'm opposed to slavery but if my neighbor wants to own one that's alright.

James Dobson: How about group marriage, or marriage between daddies and little girls? How about marriage between a man and his donkey? Anything allegedly linked to civil rights will be doable.

Rev. Lou Sheldon: Once you enter into the culture, into the music, into the gay bars, into the gay literature, into the gay theater, and all of that kind of - and gay travel - once you immerse yourself into that... only a sort of exorcism can release you from it.


Discrimination has no place in our country and certainly not in our Constitution. Stand up against the Federal Marriage Amendment. Go to hrc.org/VoteNo and fight back.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

My Friends have a Blog!

I am so delighted to have stumbled across the blog of the aforementioned "chicken lady"... and her writing accomplice Norbu Tashi. These are two people that my person spent a lot of time with during the post Hurricane Katrina Dog Rescue efforts. They are pictured here with the usual suspects...



[l-r backrow: Alyce Louise, Norbu Tashi, Chris (my Dad!), Tooky, Cian, Nyima (the dog in Cian's lap) / frontrow: Ani Kunzang (my "chicken lady") holding Billy Elliot (little white dog - a fellow evacuee from N'awlins)]

Kunzang and Norbu have started the Dakini Valley blog to discuss life out at our people's Buddhist Retreat Center/Animal Rescue Haven (Tara's Babies). You can read up on their postings here.

But of course, this being the Bone-Appetit blog, we have to bring in the full dog angle. Shortly after I moved into the care and custody of Chris, I started hearing the stories of Sandy Chow. He held a prominent ranking among the volunteers of Tara's Babies because he actually knew how to behave himself on the end of that leash you people always like to clip onto our collars so we can walk you. (BTW - I must retract a gender faux-pas that I made when I commented on the Dakini Valley blog - I referred to Sandy by the spelling of Sandee - and called him a "gal-pal"! Imagine the blush in my cheeks when Chris informed me that Sandy was a boy and spelled this way. I guess it goes to show ya - without a good sniffing of the old back side, we dogs can't tell a whole lot about one another from a distance!)

But Sandy had a longing in life... to live at Dakini Valley with Norbu. And though the fates could not allow that at the time, this pup hears it from good sources that Norbu may be returning from his present home in Maryland to the gorgeous sacred land of Dakini Valley. Perhaps fate will bring Sandy, who was fostered to another location while Tara's Babies ramped up on infrastructure, back to the Valley to live with his fave person. (We fellow dogs just looked the other way when extra treats and toys "ended up" in Sandy's kennels after a day of Norbu doing dog care.) ; )

Anyhow, here is the gorgeoous Chow named Sandy:

A real Teddy Bear of a guy you can tell by his face!

As for my "chicken lady" - Ani (which is an honorific for nuns in Tibetan Buddhism) Kunzang would walk through my room every night to get to the "cat room". I would love to sit on the other side of the door when she would go in there, and bark at the kitten that would come to the door. Kunzang was taking the cats boiled chicken and checking in on them each day. She would come out of that room... and I tell you my friends, my tail would be going gangbusters! Cause that bowl in her hand would be placed right in front of me to lick the last traces of heavenly poultry out of the dish.


That brings me to the recipe of the day. Have your humans go out and buy a whole chicken. They should boil it in water, tear it apart and feed it to us dogs! Simple, inexpensive, and we think it's "the bomb"!! I call this dish "boiled chicken." : P


Love ya'll like a trip to the vet where they don't need information that requires a thermometer in my bottom!

-Joy Beagle

Monday, May 15, 2006

Az Republic Article



Hello Everybody,
I hope you will pardon a human post here in Joy Beagle's territory - but I came across the clipping of her rescue in the Arizona Republic, and I thought you all might enjoy reading (or re-reading) it here.

The photo here from the article is Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo holding Joy the day that I received her officially in my care as a foster parent. I cannot even describe the feeling I had looking down from the upper kennels and seeing this sight which I am thrilled was photographed and used in this article. Only moments after Jetsunma held Joy Beagle I was approached by Ani Alana (she is the lady photgraphed on page 1) and told that I should pack up my tent and move into the "bunk-house" because this little dog had given up hope and was in need of some serious nurturing and could not tolerate living out in the kennels anymore. I was to become her "momma" so to speak!

So I gladly took this puppy in my arms and moved her to a comfortable room in the trailer that we had on site. Jetsunma's daughter and I had named her "Joy" as an aspiration because she seemed so sad and at that point was not eating, walking or moving at all on her own.

Well, to say that I fell in love with her is an UNDERSTATEMENT! She began to greet me when I would enter the room each day by tilting her head and raising a paw (almost a cross between a "wave" and a "high five".) She began eating hearty meals and even got a special treat every night from "the chicken lady" our resident nun (Kunzang Drolma.) Ani Kunzang would let Joy Beagle lick the chicken bowl clean every night after she delivered freshly cooked chicken to the cat room that butted up against our room.

I could talk for hours about this precious little dog, who affectionately became nicknamed my "Monkey-Bunny" ... but I don't wish to bore you. Suffice it to say that Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo has facilitated two miracles in my life - Sarah Basset and Joy Beagle. She put in my custody both of these dogs that have opened my heart like no other relatinoships in my life! They are my children, and I love them desperately!



I hope you all experience this type of Joy - manifold in this life...

Peace to you all,
-Chris


SEE THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC ARTICLE HERE

Sunday, May 14, 2006

D.D. Dan

Alright Bone Readers - prepare yourselves to meet somone who, until now, I could not have foreseen having mention on a blog. We strive to be cutting edge here at Bone-Appetit (although cutting edge generally refers to a knife blade preparing meat dishes for dogs on our site... but I digress.) My humans were out shopping at Basha's (a local chain of grocery marts here in Arizona) and they had spare change in their pockets - a rare event indeed. So Chris decided to create a feeling of abundance by shopping the coin operated toy machines in the grocery lobby. Among the dazzling display of charms, lick on tattoos and gumballs the size of small countries, my ever imaginative dad saw a no-brainer purchase for creating a post on this blog.

I kid you not, he walked right up to the self described Trailer Trash Figurine dispenser and dropped his quarter in, eagerly anticipating his prized trinket. Among the potential cast of characters, whose names he cannot recall as he tells me about this, was a non-descript, run of the mill, overall wearing chap named... "Doo Doo Dan"! That's right folks, his fecal referencing name was printed right there on the gumball machine, and it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to him now...

I hope that having his name in a post does not suddenly cause our advertising (which is based on content of the page) to begin recommending intestinal and digestive aids!

Did ya'll see the flattering photo Zack posted of me on his blog! If he weren't practically my cousin I'd kiss him!



Well - gotta bolt. No time to write a recipe of my own today so you can check out the "recipe of the month" over on my dad's website Home Pet Treats.com for a goody from the Payson PAWS IN THE PARK cookbook.

See y'all soon. Love you like a spot in the sun on the living room floor...
-Joy Beagle

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Little Sister Blues...

Okay, now I'm seriously pouting! My Dad came home for lunch today and when he left he took the other dog with him! I'm simply disgusted by this.

In all fairness though... yesterday I got loaded into the car without Sarah and she had no idea why she couldn't go. But I went to Prescott Animal Hospital for another of those dreadful injections. This is possibly the last one, it was like a dose of "Heartguard" x 10 according to the vet. If all the adult worms have died from the previous injections... then this is supposed to clear up any of the microfilea (sorry - I don't have a CLUE how to spell that) so that they don't grow into adult worms. If all goes well with my 4 month checkup and I am worm free- then we are DONE with this treatment. So follow the prayer link at the bottom of this post and pray for me! (Chris and John keep putting in prayers that the dying worms are reborn in auspicious life forms... I gotta admit, living with two Buddhist Dads is very different!)

Okay, while the whole household is away let's see what we can whip up in the kitchen.

Alright there is some chicken here... I'll sautee that in some unsalted butter... be right back...

Mmmmm, that smells great... I chopped it into small pieces and now I'm gonna throw in some brown rice that my people cooked up and refrigerated. Alri ght I-m TyPinG Withh 1 PAw WhileEE I StIr ThEm TeGeTHer.

Whew, that took some effort. Now let's see - oooh sweet potatoes, I'll grate those up and boil them al dente. Back in a flash...

Alright... got my chicken, rice and sweet 'taters. I melted a little more butter in the grated sweet potatoes and now for a finishing touch... some frozen peas. They just need a minute in the boiling water from the taters (I was able to strain the water through a colander into another pan. That give the peas a little extra flavor.) Let me do these peas and I'll be right with you again...

ALL RIGHTY THEN... this feast is one delectible delight that makes me glad Sarah isn't here to have to share it with!! Well, I kinda miss her... but what's a gal to do? Left to my own devices I do what I do best... blog and eat. Bone Appetit mes cheries!!!

With love and a side of gravy,
-Joy Beagle

Send those prayers: Prayer Blog

Friday, May 05, 2006

A Bone to Pick

Hi hounds and humans,
Well what a CRAZY week this has been... first of all thanks to my blog donors we will be sending nice donations to Tara's Babies, The ASPCA and Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary this week! Thanks for your generosity. And from here on out, for comments you don't have to post anonymously... that was just for the initial voting!

Secondly, Bistro was mailed to Grove Beach California, and my Papa heard from his friend Terrie today (she's the nice lady that the majority of you voted for!!). Sounds like Bistro is enjoying his foster home near the beach and we can expect a photo from that area soon. Let's keep sending out prayers that he arrives safely at each destination and is well received like he was by the Marshall family! If not I've got this idea for a documentary/reality show about stuffed animal abuse...

just kidding.

Many thanks to our other potential foster families: 1) Mike and Michelle, 2)Blake 4)Michael G. 5)Patty T. Any of you would have been a FINE home for launching Bistro's tour.

BTW here is a photo of 3) Madison with her mom not long after she was liberated from that awful situation (can you believe somebody would tie this little booger up and leave her alone?)




Okay... while we wait for the next Bistro update... I thought of one of my favorite passtimes. Digging up all the buried bones in my back yard!! Well this being cyberspace and all... I'll have to improvise a little.

In this post I will bury 200 virtual bones to "dig up". The first three of you to dig up the "secret bones" will get a surprise! (I better think of what that will be real quick...) ha,ha. Nothing extravagant, but a little "reader appreciation/incentive" for our Bone-Appetit family.

Please only reveal one secret phrase here (just in case you happen to "dig up" more than one.) And by the way, you may have to "dig" on the target pages (hint, hint.) I hope for three SEPERATE winners so we can spread the Joy (so to speak!) Meanwhile I'll start burying these bones... (scroll down and follow links to "dig")

Love ya'll more than a long forgotten bone under a shady tree!

Joy Beagle


bone,bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone, bone,

Basic rules if they weren't clear:
visit any of the 200 bone links above. If you find one of the three "secret" links... follow the instructions there to claim your prize. Make sure that we can e-mail you or identify you somehow so we can get your mailing address. I would NOT recommend posting it in the comment field for your privacy reasons!

Monday, May 01, 2006

Two minutes into today

Ok my cyber diary friends, it is past midnight and the polls are CLOSED...
we have a clear winner in listing # 3!

So tomorrow the boys (or girls) in blue, the US Postal employees of area code 86336, will begin handing Bistro off to his first location. I am asking all my canine mates for a day of abstinance from barking at, growling towards or biting on the persons of US Mail carriage. For Monday May 1st, 2006 in honor of one of our own (you know, minus the life-force) taking to the road in that postal carrier tradition - we declare it First Class Private Bistro Day!



Feel free to wear a red, white and blue collar or harness to show your solidarity!

And eat something yummy too... cause food rules.

Bone Appetite my darling ballot stuffers,

Love,
Joy Beagle