World Rat Day

Happy World Rat Day! (Click the banner for more info.)

I look forward to this day every year. I love that we have a day for our special pets; a day we get to share with other rat owners and with people who have never thought about owning a rat.

As I type this, Sugar is running around on the computer desk, and it strikes me how much she's changed and come out of her shell in the last 2.5 months. I feel so blessed that I was able to bring her home and have her share her life with me. As all rat owners will tell you, each rat, though so very different, touches us in profound ways and teaches us something new. They reinforce that we are their world, and truthfully, they are ours.

It's hard to own a rat only once, and I don't know anyone who has. Once they come into your house, they're in your heart forever. And people who have never owned one can't figure out why.

Anyway, enough reflecting. Give your ratties a hug today!

Kiss The Blarney Stone

If I had any photoshop skills at all, I'd put a little shamrock hat on Sugar. But I don't. So, to wish you a very Happy St. Paddy's, you get this instead.

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

~Traditional Gaelic Blessing

Love,

Lynn, J and Sugar

Just Because

Just because this is an unusual day of the year, and we won't see another one for 4 more years.

Happy Leap Year Day 2008!!

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!!

We hope your day is filled with fun, chocolate and lots of warm rat bodies.

Love, Lynn, J & Sugar

Enter The Rat

Today is the start of the Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year. It is now officially the "Year of the Rat".

They say this is a good year to start over and get married, introduce a new product or start a new job.

Sugar, J and I wish you a happy and prosperous year!

6 More Weeks Of Winter

Today was the annual dragging-the-groundhog-out-of-his-comfy-hole-at-sunrise, also known as "Groundhog Day". Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, and predicted another 6 weeks of winter weather.

Ironically, after a nice week, we got snow tonight.

I blame the groundhog.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our friends!

Let's make the "Year of the Rat" the very best year yet!

Happy 2008!

Merry Christmas!

Or, as a friend of mine told me, "Merry Rattie"!

(This picture looks exactly like what I did to my cat a few years ago. lol)

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

May you have a wonderful holiday with friends and family.

And share a little of the feast with the ratties. :)

Happy Independence Day

To all of our American buddies:

HAPPY 4TH!

World Rat Day

Snuggle your ratties a little more today, because today is World Rat Day!

Rats are amazing pets, as you know, and they are so smart and full of personality. So, take this day to appreciate your ratties a little more and give them a treat or two extra.

Happy Valentines Day!

I hope you're sharing it with ratties, fluffies and people that you love. :)

Happy Groundhog Day!

Well, it's Feb. 2, and you know what that means!

If the groundhog (Punxsutawney Phil) sees his shadow, we get 6 more weeks of winter. If not, spring is on its way early.
















Guess what the little traitor did? (Pssst...it rhymes with "maw his madow")

If he weren't so cute, I'd be upset.

So, here's to Punxsutawney Phil and his shadow.

For Sham

So, Sham wanted to know what exactly a "luminaria" is.

A luminaria is a traditional Mexican/Southwestern Hispanic decoration. We have a large Catholic population here, and the luminarias are part of their Christmas tradition. They are to symbolize the walk to the baby Jesus's birth in the Bethlehem manger. Actually, they are to light the way. They are an adaptation of "faralitos" which are translated to "little bonfires".

Essentially, luminarias are to light the way to Jesus. Only done at Christmas, and done by many people who don't get the symbolism. They have become more of a "southwestern" symbol rather than a religious symbol.

How Do I Make Them?

I'm glad you asked. It's a long and tedious process, so get out your pencils and your check book. You will need:

1. Brown paper lunch sacks
2. Sand...lots of sand
3. Votive candles (Don't waste money on scented ones)
4. Matches

Now, get your brown paper bag in your lap. Fold between a 1/2 inch and an inch down and outward at the top of the bag all the way around. Now fold it over again once more. Make sure the crease is crisp and flat. You can either store your bags flat until you are ready to use them, or begin filling them now.

Next, put a trowel full of sand into the bag. This will fill it about 2-3 inches.

Then nestle a votive securely into the sand, about 1/3 the way up the candle. (You've gotta leave plenty of room for them to burn down. They need to burn about 4 hours or so.)

Arrange the luminarias in whatever design you would like. They usually are placed along both sides of driveways, walkways, sidewalks, on rooftops, randomly on the lawn, on the porch, whatever design you would like.

And finally, the hard part. Lighting the luminarias without setting the bag on fire. Firestarter lighters and extra long matches work.

That's it! Ok, I know it wasn't expensive, but it is time consuming. However, it's usually worth it. Luminarias give off a soft candlelight glow and are really ethereal. Wonderful and Christmassy.







A Luminaria

Happy New Year's Eve and Happy New Year!!!

WELCOME 2006!

Christmas Loot

So, yeah. I got a TON of stuff this Christmas. Wanna see?







The Xmas tree and "loot"















You know you've been naughty when Santa
leaves a roll of pennies in your stocking.








Tearing into loot













Loot on the way home.

Happy Christmas Eve!

I hope everyone is enjoying a peaceful holiday in the company of family and friends. :)

Betty Crocker

is going broke this Christmas! hahahahaha

*recovering* Ok, actually, I'm making loads of old-fashioned cookies from scratch. No mixes or pre-made cookie dough over here.

I'm actually really excited about this. I love Christmas, and I love Christmas cookies. So this afternoon I'm gonna pick my sis up and we're going to spend the whole evening making "rich cookies" (which taste like eggnog to me), REAL chocolate cookies (mmmmm), "cin-kites" (cinnamony-sugary goodness) and chrusciki (traditional christmas polish cookies- my hubby is polish) and real homemade icing. Yum!

Can you imagine how nice it's going to be? Warm and toasty in the house, the smell of different cookies baking, cookies in various stages around the house waiting to be decorated, go on platters or be taste tested by J, the windows all steamy, Christmas carols playing, Christmas lights and tree lit up and everyone talking and having a good time.

I simply can't wait. But first, I must conquer the laundry.

What are your holiday plans for this evening/week?

My Moose Tree

I wanted to get some really good pics of my ornaments, but I can't. So here are some mediocre pictures instead. :)






Here's my little tree and tabletop decs.















A closer view



















My version of a "tree topper".

Some of my favorite ornaments.

I'm Back

Sorry I've been away for so long.

It seems like everything happened at once. First Halfie went, then I got sick, then I got busy with work. *whew*

I'm going to put up an audio post because it's easier right now to talk that to type. I spend all day on the computer, so blogging winds up taking a back seat.

Anway, I got my Christmas decs up they look nice, imho. I will post pics.

This year on my Christmas list is:
Coach bag
Pink wool peacoat
Fuzzy jammies
Healthy rats

What do you want to find under your tree or in your stocking or beside your menorah or on your front porch? Santa reads my comments, you know! :)