Friday Five: Hasty Edition

As posted by reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals:

Today, what are you:

1. Wearing -- a lovely tricolor fur coat

2. Reading -- Greyfriars Bobby (the dialect is a little hard to understand, but I'm enjoying it)

3. Eating -- Merrick dog food, it's the best!

4. Doing -- blogging with my Mom in the kitchen

5. Pondering -- wondering whether I wouldn't be better off in the attic, since I think I hear Funder!!!

Sad Tonight

My mom's friend is hurt. Mom loves the dog at their house a lot, so I am praying for my RevGalDogPal. I wish people could be as loyal as dogs are.

Sadly,
Your friend,
Molly

Dreams Do Come True!

Hello, everybody!
Remember yesterday I said I wanted to make better friends with cats?
Well, lately, I've been going upstairs early in the morning to see if I can get some snuggles before Sam takes them all. My Papa Bear has been boosting me on to the big bed, and I get to snuggle between Papa Bear and my Mom. Sometimes Baby the Cat is there, but she usually hides behind my Mom.
Today she walked right over to me! I made friends with a cat!!
Love,
Your friend,
Molly
P.S. She smells very, very interesting.

Friday 5, Gifts and Talents

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Sally writes:

Our Circuit (Methodist) is having a "Gifts and talents day" tomorrow- we have a minister visiting from another circuit who has modified the Myers Briggs personality test and added a few things of his own to run a day where we get to look at ourselves in the light of giftings and of the whole church. The idea is to encourage everyone with the news that there is room for you in the ministry of the church- and perhaps to discover where that ministry might be.....

It should be an interesting day, and one where I hope people will leave feeling encouraged and challenged...

So with gifts and talents in mind here is todays Friday 5;

1. Personality tests; love them or hate them?

The only important personality test is the one I give to everybody I meet: it's the Molly Berner Temperament Index. The three possible results are:

Loves me

Likes me

Doesn't know what's good for them

2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture ?

I am highly intellectual and creative about getting my people to serve my practical needs.

3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had yours yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?

I'm not famous? But I'm on the Internet!

4. If you were given a 2 year sabbatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...

My whole life is a sabbatical. Come on over to the couch, and let's have a nap.

5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.

I would like to be able to make better friends with my cats.

How about you? What talent would you like to have?

Five Things I Dig About Jesus

Rosie and Jenny tagged me to do a meme about Jesus. They want to know five things I dig about Jesus. I had to ask my Mom what that means, because I know about Jesus and I know about digging, but I thought digging was in the backyard, when I smell the roots starting to move under the ground. She explained that this kind of "dig" means like a lot and think is cool. So here goes!

1. Jesus loved everybody, even people who nobody else liked. That's how I feel about people, too, and I love being like Jesus that way. I always say hello to everybody and try to make them feel happy.

2. Jesus told a lot of stories. I tell a lot of stories, too! Wroo Wroo!!!

3. My mom says this list is not just about me. She says think of something that is different from me. Hmmm.

Okay, I've got one. Jesus liked walking from place to place so he could talk to as many people as possible. He didn't wait for people to give him a ride. He used his own feet. (I prefer the car.)

4. Jesus loved the little children, back when people didn't make a fuss over them. That is sweet. I love little children, too. (I can't help it, Mom, I really can't.)

5. Jesus told people to love each other. That's the most important thing there is.

What do you dig about Jesus?

8 Things About Me!

Hi, everybody!
My friend, Seeker, asked me to play a game and tell you eight random facts about me. So, here goes!

1. I am a BERNESE Mountain Dog. I am not a Burmese anything, but lots of people say it that way. My ancestors came from the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, and I am proud to be a Mountain Dog.

2. I like to look pretty, and I don't mind going to the groomer, but I hate it when my Mom brushes me. It's not as much fun.

3. Every time I meet a Chow, those dogs with the purple tongues, they want to play with me, especially the boys.

4. My brother, Sam, is very jealous when I play with Chows.

5. We have three cats at our house, and not one of them will let me sniff his or her bottom. I swear, all I want to do is sniff.

6. I have a weakness for Dog Nip. Sometimes I just have to roll in it. Life's too short not to. Seriously.

7. I love going to church almost more than anything, especially going in the big church when the choir is practicing and I can sing along. Wroo Wroo!!!!

8. When I was a puppy, I had operations on one hip and both elbows and they had to shave a lot of my fur off, and I didn't like it one single bit. I looked silly.

(That's a picture of me after my hip surgery, with one of my human brothers. We're both more grown up now. Don't tell him I used this picture, okay? I really liked that pretty bed, but when Sam was a puppy, he peed on it, more than once, so my mom threw the inside part away. She's always saying she'll get a new one to use with the pretty cover, but she never does.)

I don't know who to tag except Whistle and Cub. Will you play? If any of my commenters would like to play on their human's blogs, that would be great, too!

Love,
Your friend,
Molly

Not Fun

Dear friends,

I don't know why they call them Funderstorms. They are not FUN!!! Whenever I feel the thunder coming, I want to run away! I pant and pant, and no one can make me feel better. I feel all electric inside. I go to higher ground. My mom says I could work for the National Weather Service. She also says higher ground is a good him, but I don't know what she means.

Last night we had big funderstorms, and they came right at dinnertime, and I could not eat in my usual spot because I was too upset. My human sister brought my dish upstairs, and when the storm got quieter, I could eat my supper, mostly.

Do you like funderstorms?

I really, really don't.

Love,
Your friend,
Molly

A New Tree

Dear Everybody,

I have a new tree in my yard!



My Papa Bear dug up the stump where my favorite bush used to be, and then he and Mom planted a pretty new tree. It doesn't have much shade yet, and Sam peed on it. I told him to stop it. But he just did it again. Papa said Sam was christening the tree. I object!



Now Papa Bear is digging up stumps in the front yard, too. It all looks strange. I don't know if I will like it. Mom says we will get some new shrubs, but I have a feeling I won't be able to fit under them when I get free.



Yardwork is tiring, I'm going to have a nap now.

What's happening in your yard?

Love,
Your friend,
Molly

P.S. If you click on the pictures, you can see them bigger at Flickr my mom says.

Friday Five: Big Event Edition

My mom posted this:

Did you know that the major purpose for forming a non-profit, RevGalBlogPals, Inc., was to be able to attract grant support for a large scale RevGalBlogPal meetup? My dream from the beginning has been attracting financial support that would allow as many of our bloggers to be together as possible.

RGBP, Inc. now has a planning committee, and we are in the early stages of planning the RevGalBlogPal Big Event. What, When, Where and Who are all on the table at the moment. In that spirit, I bring you the Big Event Friday Five.

1. What would the meeting be like? (Continuing Ed? Retreat? Outside Speakers? Interest Groups? Workshops? Hot Stone Massages? Pedicures? Glorified Slumber Party?)

Wroo wroo! I like Interest Groups. Are those like Playgroups? Would there be separate rooms for RevGalDogPals and RevGalCatPals? Or could I finally get to meet Whistle and Littleman Kitty? Could we have a special group for Therapy Dogs? And will you paint my toenails?

2. When in 2008 might you be able to attend? January? Shortly after Easter? Summer? Fall? Some other time?

My calendar is wide open!

3. Where would your dream meeting location be? (Urban Hotel? Rural Retreat Center? New England Camp? Southwestern Fantasy Hotel? Far away from civilization? Nearby Outlets or Really Great Thrift Stores?)

Obviously, it needs to be at a pet-friendly resort. Sheesh!

4. Who would make a great keynote speaker? (That's if #1 leads us in that direction.)

I have a lot of things to say! Pick me, pick me!

5. Did I leave out something you want to suggest?

Yes. The most important thing on the menu: Milkbones.

Dream big for the Big Event!!!

As posted by my Mom at RevGalBlogPals:

Tell us these five things about parties, birthday or otherwise.

1) Would you rather be the host or the guest?

I LOVE to go to parties as a guest. I LOVE it when people come to my house, too! But I suppose I prefer getting out and socializing.

2) When you are hosting, do you clean everything up the minute the guests go home? Will you accept help with the dishes?

I just let Sam lick the dishes after I nibble on the tastiest leftovers.

3) If you had the wherewithal, and I guess I mean more than money, to throw a great theme party, what would the theme be?

When my Mom has her Hobbit party, I will be there with Sam, because we both have Hobbit names for our fancy names. I'm Songbird's Merry May Gamgee, and he is Rosier's Loyal Samwise Gamgee. We already have the hairy feet!!!! And we love a party, and we love to eat. So we're all set. (May Gamgee is a real sister of Samwise. My mom found her name in the Ap-pen-dix; she told me so.)

4) What's the worst time you ever had at a party?

Who would have a bad time at a party? I guess the only bad time I had was a Thanksgiving dinner where I had to go back to the car. It made me sad. Another dog was there, and he thought I was big and scary. He loves me now. We just had to get to know each other!!

5) And to end on a brighter note, what was the best?

Any party with Pizza!!!

You can play, too! And leave me a note if you stop by!

Friday Five: What are You...

1. Wearing -- a beautiful tri-color fur coat! It's a little warm for summer, but it's awfully pretty.

2. Pondering -- why do the cats run when I just want to play with them?

3. Reading -- "All Creatures Great and Small" I like it a lot. It's my favorite hymn, too. Did you know there's a verse about Berners?

The loving, noble Berner,

With coat rust, black and white,

Is our beloved companion,

Whose spirit brings us light.

(My mom wrote it for a Berner Blessing service.)

4. Dreaming -- of legs that don't ever hurt me.

5. Eating -- this morning I had venison stew, yummy!! Also, cookies.

What are you up to today?

Friday Five: Surprised By Joy

Hello, friends! I haven't been blogging lately because my arthur-ities have been bothering me. I'm not an old dog, you know; I'm only 5! But I've had arthur-ities since I was a puppy girl in my hips and my elbows. Now I have it in my right wrist, too, and since I'm right-pawed, I didn't feel like typing.

But, today I am feeling good! So I am playing the Friday Five!!

Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life.

1) My mom says the place I came from had people who didn't really care about good health for dogs; then she told me she couldn't have asked for a sweeter dog with a better nature, and she hugged and kissed me. That is Joy # 1!!!

2) When I'm feeling sore, and I can't go for a walk, I like to lie under my bush in the backyard. The snow hurt my bush, and my mom said we're going to have to cut it down, but she promised I could have a new one. That is Joy #2!!!

3) I like Winter best, because if you have a big fur coat like mine, the Summer is too hot, and even Spring, too, sometimes. But, in the Spring, I can smell something in the earth that I want to find, so I dig and dig until the roots of things show, and I can smell them even better! That is Joy #3!!!

4) Sometimes on gloomy days, my mom gives me a marrow bone! I love them!! That is Joy #4!!!

5) Even though she says it's time to leave the dog park, my mom always lets me wrassle with Sam for five more minutes! That is Joy #5!!!

What makes you feel joyful? Write and tell me, okay?

Love,
Your friend,
Molly

Friday Five: Rivers in the Desert

For this Friday Five, name five practices, activities, people or _____ (feel free to fill in something I may be forgetting) that for you are rivers in the desert.

1. I really love to meet new people. I like dogs, but I love people even more. Most people love me, too, unless they are just afraid of big dogs. I tell them, "You should see my brother at home!"

2. Milkbones are the best treat ever! I would do almost anything for a Milkbone. My mom calls them "doggie crack," but I'm not sure what that means.

3. The smell of cat food in the air, either being put down for the cat or freshly thrown-up by one of our cats. I can smell it anywhere in the house, and I feel it's my job to go and clean it up as quickly as possible.

4. Sitting in my chair in the living room. I like to hang out with my people in the evening, when they are watching TV. Sometimes the kids try to get my chair, and sometimes I might let one of them, but I prefer to sit in it and be with all of them. They can lie on the floor. It won't hurt them.

5. Going to the vet. The people there all know me, and when I have an owie they make it better. I have had lots of owies in my life. My joints are not very good. When I was still a puppy I had two kinds of surgery, one for a hip, and one for both elbows. Today the vet (her name is Dr. Molly, isn't that high-larious?) told my mom I have arthritis in one of my wrists, too, so I am going to take a bigger dose of my medicine every day and see if that helps. My mom loves me a lot, and so does my dad, even if he is grumpy sometimes when I lie down during a walk. But now he will have to let me because Dr. Molly said so!

What are your rivers in the desert?

Snow Day Pictures

Yesterday it snowed a lot! Then it turned to rain. I thought it might be different in the front yard, but it wasn't. My mom stood in the rain with Sam and me for a while, and we watched our human brother shovel. It was NOT fun. I got very wet.

But earlier it was okay. The new snow got really high on top of the old snow, so high Sam could look over the fence!

(That big mound on the fence is a rug. One of the cats peed on it. I guess it's going to the trash someday.)

Anyway, when our mom saw Sam standing up so high, she called him, "Sam! Sam!"

He listened to her.

I'm not sure why he does that.

I know I don't. Not when I'm in the backyard having fun.

What do you like to do in the snow?

My Birthday!

Today I turned five years old! My mom says it is amazing that a girl who had hip and elbow surgery when she was still a pup can have so much fun at 5. I think she is very silly. Fun is all about attitude!

This morning I went to the dog park. It was sunny and the snow was crunchy and I told everyone there it was a special day!!

WROO WROO!!! I said. WROO WROO!!!

Tonight for dinner I got my favorite treat. My mom took me to McDonald's, to the drive-thru, and we got Molly Burgers. We call them that because once when I was a puppy I took one right off my human sister's plate before she could stop me. They are DELICIOUS!!! (But hold the pickles, and definitely hold the onions. I don't want BAD BREATH on my birthday.)

This is a picture of me giving my mom a paw in our kitchen. I wish you could all come and visit me!

Love,
Molly

My Day

Hello, everyone!
I have a little problem with snow. I really, really love it! It is so exciting to run on the snow! I love the cold air; it makes me feel like a puppy again!!
But I hurt my toe on Wednesday, and then I wrenched my leg on Thursday, and today I made my toenail bleed again.
That is NO FUN.
On the other hand, it stopped right away, and my sore leg was fine today. Also, my mom took me to the dog food store this afternoon, and I finally got a Greenie. It was delicious! Then she read Riley's comment and now I can't ever have another one.
Oh, well. I get a lot of treats, so I can't complain too much. (Don't tell my mom I said that, okay?)
My birthday is on Tuesday. I will be 5 years old. I hope I get a cheeseburger, because that's my favorite thing, and my mom and dad call them Mollyburgers, because once I took one away from my human sister, just took it right out of her hand, because cheeseburgers are VERY EXCITING!!! Even for grown-up dogs who are turning 5.
Just thought you might like to know these things,
Love,
Molly

Ouch!

Dear World,
Today I tore off one of my toenails on my front left foot. It hurt!!! There was blood (not too much), and my mom said she felt faint or something.
My human brother used to work at the vet's office, and he cleaned my boo-boo. He had to give me a little foot hair trim, which I DID NOT LIKE, but he was gentle.
Now I am wearing a bandage and a sock. I got the first bandage off, but my mom (who did not faint after all) put on another one, and then the sock.
The sock FEELS ridiculous and looks FOOLISH!!
I'm going to the vet in the morning and tell them what I think about it. This boo-boo totally ruined my fun time at the park, running around in the snow with Sam and our friends.
Not so happily,
Molly

What I Did on Friday

Hello, friends!
Yesterday I FINALLY got to go to church again. We took a long ride in the car, with a stop for donut holes, thank you very much. Then we pulled into a vaguely familiar parking lot, and when my Mom let me out, I sang, "Wroo wroo! I'm here!!!"
Mom told me I was not Ethel Merman, and this was not Broadway.
Then we went in the door and got in the elevator.
I probably mentioned to you before how much I love elevators.
My new friend Long Hair Lady was there in the office, and she heard me singing as soon as the elevator doors opened!
When I got thirsty after all the cookies they gave me, my Mom emptied the pretty bowl on her desk that has person treats, and took me over to the ladies room and filled it with water. I like to drink from a pretty bowl.
We had a visit from a nice man, and I very politely took a nap while he was talking to my Mom.
I get bored when my Mom is working on the computer, but I keep an ear out in case we have other visitors. Whenever anyone comes to the door, Mom gets up and I give a paw, and someone gives me a cookie. Yay!
After work, we went to the hospital, but I had to wait in the car. Then we drove back to our town. I could hear my mom talking to Whistle's mom on the phone; they were making each other laugh, but I didn't get the joke.
When we were almost home, Mom drove by the dog park, and she even turned in, but she told me there was a guy in the shelter there drinking from a bottle in a brown paper bag, so we had to go home instead of playing. Quelle disappointment!
I bet you didn't know I could speak French.
What are you up to today?
Love,
Molly

Did you hear?

Did you hear the news? We finally got some snow here, for heaven's sake! It fell on Saturday. I am really, really enjoying it. That's a picture of me in the backyard in the early, early morning, which is why it looks sort of blue. I was running, because snow is fun!!!

I like to lie on the snow. Sometimes my mom comes to the back door and says, "Molly, are you stuck to the snow?" But she is smiling, and I know she isn't really worried at all.

Today Sam and I took a walk with our Papa Bear and our mom and our human girl. We drove to a neighborhood in our town that is right next to some really nice woods, and we took a circle trail. Sam and I were very busy, because there was a lot of pee-mail to read all along the path. We didn't go up on the ridge because our mom was COOOLLLD! Then we came home and had supper, and then we told our Papa Bear we needed *more* supper! It's cold outside! We need extra fuel!!!

Then we told our mom we needed her dinner, too. She always gives us what we want. We got some leftovers.

Now it's time to sleep, because tomorrow we're going out in the snow again!

Friday Five: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I'm a RevGalDogPal, so I'm playing the Friday Five!

Change is a given in life, yet it's not easy for any of us. So strap on your seat belts and let's talk about it:

1. Share, if you wish, the biggest change you experienced this past year.

Sam and I used to go to doggie day care at a really nice place. Then it had to stop having so many dogs come, because the neighbors complained or something. I don't know why anybody would complain about dogs! It's ridiculous.
So, we were sad to stop going, or at least I was, because everybody there loved me and I got to put my paws up on the counter and open the treat jar with my nose, and they all thought I was super-smart and very pretty!!!
Also, they had lots of woods for running and I miss it.
BUT, then our mom called a really nice lady who takes dogs for walks and to the dog park, and now when we need help, she comes over. Sam loves her more than anyone, and I like her a lot, too, but more when we go to the dog park. I'm not into the leash walking. Would you like me to walk you on a leash? I'm just sayin'.

2. Talk about a time you changed your mind about something, important or not.

When Sam came to live here, I didn't like him. But he got better.

3. Bishop John Shelby Spong wrote a controversial book called "Why Christianity Must Change or Die." Setting aside his ideas--what kind of changes would you like to see in the Church?

More churches that welcome dogs. And I am sure Cousin Jack would agree! He told me I was pretty when he came to visit!
Also, more churches that welcome everybody. I love everybody, and I'm sure God does, too.

4. Have you changed your hairstyle/hair color in the last five years? If so, how many times?

I am almost five years old. First I lost my puppy fluff. Then I had to be shaved for hip surgery and then for elbow surgery, and then I got a crazy-short haircut to even it all up. That was not my best look. Now I keep my coat long and full.

Here's a picture when I had my puppy fluff.



5. What WERE they thinking with that New Coke thing?

I don't care as long as they don't change the Milk Bones.

Kits and pups, join in and play!