Peanut Butter

Dear Max,

The puppy called Toni is a strange creature, let me tell you. She likes to chew everything. Firewood is one of her favorites. She has even chewed up some ceramic tiles. She brought one to our bed and I gave it a try. Don't try one, it was nasty. She is licking the coffee table, as you can see. Gramma warned her that she would not tolerate some things. Toni's middle name is Louise. Louise was a big dog like Georgie. Louise ate the coffee table Gramma used to have. Really, I have seen pictures. Gramma must have loved Louise a whole lot. She said that the puppy called Toni acted a lot like Louise........

Louise ate wood, so does Toni

Louise likes to run away, so does Toni

Louise didn't care if she got scolded, neither does Toni

See what I mean? We had some small kongs that Gramma would fill with peanut butter. I could work on one of those for days. Oscar has the longest tongue in the world (one of the qualities that led Jill to not like him) and he can slurp his clean in no time. Emmy no longer cares for this activity of working to get our treat. She says it is undignified and prefers to have her small soft treats handed to her as she sits upon the couch. So, Gramma gave Emmy's kong to Toni Louise.

I was going to show you the remains of this kong, but Gramma forgot to take a picture before she swept the remains into the dust pan

So, as you can see, Gramma simply gave her the almost empty peanut butter jar. She was hiding under the table, until Gramma lifted it. Boy, was she surprised! Gramma told us dogs to take a look at her. I did. Gramma thought she was so cute. Personally, I thought she looked a little goofy, carrying that empty jar in her mouth.

She spent almost three days on this jar and she managed to lick every single bit of peanut butter out of it. By the time she was done Gramma was sweeping pieces into the dustpan.

Do you like peanut butter? I do, but not as much as the puppy called Toni does. It gets on my white fur and Gramma looks at me suspiciously and asks if I have been rolling in something nasty. This usually results in a bath. I do not enjoy baths and even the tasty peanut butter is not worth the risk!

Until next time, I remain your faithful dog friend, Wall-E

Happy New Year Resolutions

Dear Max,

Happy New Year. I am not sure what all the fuss is about, but everybody says it. Miss Nan and Miss Barb came to see us yesterday and they said it to Gramma. So, I am wishing you a happy one, too. If I wish you this, will that mean that you will be happy for a whole year? Or, does it just mean that I am hoping you will have a happy year? What if I don't really like someone? Am I supposed to say "Bad New Year"?

Gramma and Papa were talking about resolutions. These are things you want to do in the coming year. Gramma calls them goals. Papa says he wants to makes lots of money. I don't know why that made Gramma laugh. She said she just wanted to find the last part of her mind that she has lost. Papa agreed that her goal was a good one. I did not know about this resolution thing until I heard them talking.

So, I asked Oscar if he also participated in this resolution making. He was annoyed because I woke him to ask this. He said his resolution was to bite the one who wakes him from a good nap. I wanted to know more about this making of resolutions, but he was not in a mood for conversation. I went to look for Emmy. She was hiding under a blanket ..... also sleeping.

She said her resolution was to have Papa build a ramp that will make her trips outside a little easier. She admitted that resolutions were actually goals that should be something that are accomplished by the ones making them; but, she is old and set in her ways .......... and darn near perfect, so she decided to choose something for Papa to accomplish.

Emmy says that humans makes these resolutions, but they fail more often than not. I asked why they even bothered. Emmy says that it makes them feel good to set these new goals. This information is not helping me make my resolution. I understand that it should be something about me that needs to change to make me a better dog. I just don't know what that could be.

I don't run from Gramma. I don't bite Gramma (she bites back). I am a good dog. I greet visitors. I sleep all night. I keep Papa warm. I do not like to go out in the rain and sometimes I pee on the floor and then try to hide the evidence. Gramma does not like this. Maybe this should be my resolution. To get over my fear of going outside in the rain. Gramma would appreciate this. I think this is my resolution.

Toni Louise has many choices! I tried to explain the concept to her. I even suggested that she choose to stop escaping out the front door and running from Gramma. She says that she loves freedom and does not want to choose that one. She is too busy chewing up a piece of firewood to really discuss this making of resolutions. She chews everything. She even chews ceramic tiles. She brings them into bed at night, providing yet another suggestion for a resolution. But, I give up.

How about you, Max? Have you chosen a resolution? Did my boy choose one? I hope you choose a really good one. Gramma says that Gavin's mom says that you are the best dog in the world, but, really ......... I thought Emmy held that title. She says she does. Gramma says that every dog's owner should feel that way about their dogs. I guess that makes you one lucky dog. Papa just said that everyone was wrong, because I am the best dog in the world. I must say that I am enjoying this contest!

Until next time, I wish for you happy new year ........... from one best dog in the world to another best dog in the world.

Your best dog-friend, Wall-E