Sadness, cookies and cakes

On a very sad note I feel really badly, JustAnUgly Monkey didn’t get the first dog he wanted, Katie, because the owner gave her to someone else. Then, we went to the shelter to get a puppy and he ended up adopting a beautiful little Australian Shepard girl. She was so beautiful and sweet she let us rub her belly and hold her like a baby. Before we left they painted her toenails with pink puppy polish to show that she was adopted. The polish made her sneeze and it looked like a huge smile every time she reared back to let another one go. The very next day we went out and got her treats, a kennel, toys, shampoo, and a pink and lime green argyle collar. Monkey even pick out a small pink metallic heart for her collar and had it engraved with her new name, Daisy, in very pretty script font. The shelter called him the next day and told him that one of the puppies had parvo, and that we should contact our vet to see what we should do about it. Monkey sleeps during the day so I called and found out how bad parvo is. The shelter later called and said that she had it now because it spreads so easily and he and her brother’s and sisters would have to be put to sleep. Monkey and I are heartbroken; she was only 2 months old. I can still she that tiny smiling face. She was very loved in those few days and we will miss her and all the plans we had for her. It is for the best though, the shelter, vet and family and friends say that parvo is just awful and the rate of survival is so low that to put them to sleep was the humane thing to do.

It still makes me wonder at our local shelter, puppies can be vaccinated for parvo, and I know they are going through a moving process, but I wonder what it would take to have some kind of procedure in place so that this didn’t happen again. Many times I’ve thought about volunteering

at the shelter when they moved to their new location not to far away from us, maybe this is something else I can work towards if I do. I understand that our shelter isn’t a no-kill kind, but if we can help out these babies in life who are more likely to be adopted I think we should. It’s our place in the world. Societies are judged on how they treat their less fortunate and I think that applies to our animals.

I had to go home and hug my Leela.

So guess what I do when I’m sad? That’s right again! I bake. Well okay I just love to

bake in general, but there is something so soothing about a home that smells like warm sugar. I love to read the murder-mysteries by Joanne Fluke that have recipes in them. A few Christmases ago Nana and Mama Monkey bought me pretty much the whole set, there are like 12 books and I love them. But it’s around Valentine’s Day and decided to try out a new cookie from the book and it’s called Coco Snaps. And I should have paid more attention to the few words after the recipe, because she writes that they remind her of chocolate animal crackers. So I whipped up a batch and refrigerated the dough like it said, made balls, rolled in sugar, pressed down and baked. Now they are really beautiful cookies the sugar really stands out and makes them sparkle. Just don’t eat them on the day you take them out or at least let them cool all the way. They taste like crap if you don’t. I only baked a dozen and left the rest of the dough in the fridge. BUT this morning I thought what the heck I’ll try one and now they are like crack to me. They aren’t really sweet but they are tasty like an animal cracker. (Photo is of actual cookies! Aren't they pretty?!) Next up Chocolate Chip Crunches or Molasses Crackles.

So it’s been a crazy week. Everyday I’ve had this pounding headache-fever thing.

Makes it hard to concentrate.

We had a freak snow day this week that was supposed to be a few flakes and ended up with me having to clean off my car and slide around the roadways, oh well it wasn’t too bad it was pretty clear by quitting time.

This is the cake that JustAnUglyMonkey and I saw that would go great with my cake design! or alone, either way it rocks!