Happy Birthday to The Murph

Five years ago this guy was born.

His early months were more than a struggle.

He was born into a hoarder house,

so bad that he got really sick.

But this guy does not give up.

He's stubborn, and that stubbornness helped him survive.

I like to say that he survive so that he could save me.

This was definitely a case where he rescued me,

not the other way around.

Sure, people would say, "Wow, that's great that you rescued him!"

but he and I knew the truth...

My heart was saved by his four little busy paws.

To read the entire story, check out these previous blog posts.

Even Wonder Woman Needs a Sidekick

Happy Rescue Day

To celebrate this sweet guy, here's a look back a a year in the life of a Murph.

Murphy is 5

I love you more than you know Murphy!

And every day I'm thankful that you saved me.

Lucky Girl

I'm not sure how I got to be so lucky...

Do you ever wonder about that too?

My students during our class meeting this week,
wanted to share what they were doing for Thanksgiving
and the things that they were thankful for in their lives.
The first share was easy...filled with food, family, and football watching.
The second share was more difficult and definitely understandable
if you knew some of the worlds that they live in.
Some gave silly answers about socks, phones,
and the caramel lollipop in their binder,
while others actually said family or friends.
It's not always easy to see the good in your life
when it isn't really that great to begin with.
I guess I've always been one to look at the bright side.
You're probably shocked by that,
but it's true...I only get "humbug" at certain things,
and in those cases run away.
Seriously, it's best for both of us if I'm alone. (Ha!)
But I'm a glass is half-full kind of gal.

When it got to my spot in the circle to share what I'm thankful for,
it was easy.
I'm so thankful to my people.
Yep, they're mine and they're all around me.

I often look around and see the people that are in my life
and smile big.
They fill me up with all that I need.

Seriously, how did I get so lucky?

When I look around myself
I see;
-faces with the biggest, most loving smiles
-arms ready to embrace you in hugs that make you feel special
-hands that want to help others
-willing hearts that see needs and work to make those needs less
-people of action, not just talk

I hear;
-laughter, unashamed at it's volume and duration
-kind and encouraging words
-whispers of love to animals that drink in every syllable
-instructions to make things better
-decisive decisions that weigh the best interest of others
-knowledgable expertise

I feel;
-encouragement
-belief that things are and will be okay
-happy
-endless joy

AND LOVE.  So much love.

See, I'm really lucky.
I know it and I'm thankful for it all.
What are you thankful for?
Unsure?
Just look around you, it's there.
And it doesn't have to be big.
Often the best things in the world are in the items
we can own and hold,
it's in the people and how they impact your life.

Wishing you love and peace this Thanksgiving.

Must Have Pie, Must Spread Love

Some people love Thanksgiving for the turkey and gravy,

fresh cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and all the trimmings

Others love it for the time with family and friends...

All of those things are great, 

but for me,

it's all about making and enjoying homemade pies.

I don't think that I'm alone in this feeling at all.

A holiday just isn't the same without pie.

Do you need a little pie for your feast?

I have practiced for many years and learned the perfect way to cram 

as much love and joy into every morsel and crumb.

People often say, 

"Why does this taste so good?"

And I think it's because of the love.

For each pie you order, 

the money goes straight to help animals in local shelters.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate a holiday of giving than to give to others.

Can you?

Maybe you should order a pie and taste the difference love in the tummy and heart feels.

Believe me, nothing is sweeter than helping others.

I'm still taking orders for pies until Friday, November 21st.

All money from this sale goes to PAWS Animal Shelter in West Linn, Oregon.

It's a little, but mighty shelter that takes in abandoned and homeless animals.

Recently sweet Henry Travers was just that, abandoned and homeless.

He had a UPS driver that couldn't walk away and leave this dog...

got to love those guys with hearts like my dad.

Henry was saved through a series of caring people from certain death, 

brought into PAWS, and the loving hands of a foster family.  

Though these pictures are difficult to see, 

he is on the road to recovery and a life worth barking about.

Want more information about PAWS Animal Shelter and follow Henry's road to recovery?

Like PAWS' Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/PAWSOregon
Above pictures are from PAWS Facebook page.  Isn't he the cutest?

Need help with holiday baking?

Sure you do!

Well, maybe you do,

and if that's the case then I can help you out.

Thanksgiving Pies

To show how thankful I am to the animals in my life,

I'm going to make holiday pies and limited treats

and sell them to raise money for a local charity.

This year I've decided to select a little,

yet super big hearted charity in my little town of West Linn.

PAWS Animal Shelter
They are little, but mighty and this year I want to send a little love their way.
So who is this group?
Here the description from their Facebook page;

PAWS Animal Shelter is a non-profit pet adoption center in West Linn, Oregon.
We specialize in ORPHANED animals. ( an animal who is too young to survive without a mother)

Description

...specialize in caring for ORPHANED (newborn) Animals ~big or small~ as well as providing Tender Loving Care for homeless, unwanted, or abandoned animals.
~ Education is important to us. Pet ownership is a responsibility, not to be taken lightly. With any responsibility comes challenges along with joy.
We work with people to get through the difficulties in order to keep their pets....and are firm believers that doing the right thing is not usually the easy way out...But it is the right way to live.

It's that time of year again...pie time!
Of course, I like to think that pies can happen at any time of the year.  But my flavor choices get a little smaller at this time of the year since I only use products that are in-season and fresh.  I think that is what makes my pies so delicious.  Well, that and all of the love that I squish into every nook and cranny.

If you are new to my blog and my bake sales,
then you should know a couple things.

• First, I am not a commercial bakery, all items are made in my home. I make baked goods because I LOVE to bake.
• Second, I also ADORE dogs so all of the profits from the pies and treats are donated to Fences for Fido. 
• Thirdly, if there is something that you don't see on this list, it's because I have a modified menu of treats for Thanksgiving.  I just want to make sure everyone has pie for the holiday. But that doesn't mean that you can't ask...special orders can always be made.  :)  

Holiday Pies: Classic, Vegan Classic, or Gluten-Free Classic

• Classic Pies are made with real butter and are Chambers family favorites.  All of the pies listed are classic pies.
• Vegan Classic are made with quality vegan substitutes that I have perfected and had taste tested and approved by several vegan connoisseurs.  They are made to mimic my classic pies, and it's so close that your family won't know that it's vegan. Vegan Pies options are labeled with V.
• Gluten-Free Classic are available this year in a couple different pies.  A big thank you to Bob's Red Mill for making the best baking flour in the world! Whoop! Whoop! Gluten-Free options are labeled with a GF.

Classic Pie Flavors:

• Apple Pie ($18.00) V or GF
• Pumpkin Pie ($15.00) GF
• Bourbon Pumpkin Pie ($15.00) GF
• Coconut Pie ($15.00)
• Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie ($18.00)V or GF
• Blackberry Pie ($18.00) V or GF
• Mixed Berry Pie ($18.00) V or GF
• Dutch Apple Pie ($18.00) V or GF
• Dutch Berry ($18.00) V or GF
• Pecan Pie ($18.00)
• Chocolate Cream Pie ($15.00) Graham Cracker or Pecan Crust

Notes to tempt:

       - 9 inch pie -this is the standard pie size, excellent for sharing :)
       - 6 pies are available by request only
       - Berries were picked in the Oregon sun 

TREATS, NOT PIE
Baklava- Large Order ($15.00)
Cinnamon Rolls- Dozen ($18.00)
Pumpkin Bread, glazed with or without pecans ($10.00)
Banana Bread, glazed with or without pecans ($10.00)
Cranberry-Orange Bread, glazed ($10.00)
Zucchini Bread, glazed ($10.00)


HOMEMADE JAMS
8oz jar = $3.50

Flavors:

Strawberry
Boysenberry
Marionberry
Raspberry
Triple Berry
Blueberry-Lime
Apple Butter
Pear Butter

All treats will be available for pick-up on either 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014 after 1pm

or

meet me at Kraxberger Middle School at noon.

Want to place a holiday order while supporting an amazing charity?
Email me your order at:
                 happygirlbaking@gmail.com

Payment: Cash, checks, or credit card through iSquare.

                            Please make all checks payable to PAWS Animal Shelter.

Gone to the Dogs

In third grade I had pretty much figured out my entire life.

I knew exactly what I was going to do and how I was going to make it happen.

I was a planner.

A long-term planner, but definitely a planner.

I knew that I was going to work with dogs. 

That was a given.

Remember my first words were "GiGi"-my grandma's dog.

It was inevitable that my life was going to the dogs...

Literally...pun intended.

My life's work was going to be surrounded by dogs and making the world a better place.

Either I was going to groom dogs, I had plenty of stuffed animal practice...

Or train police dogs...they were cool and tough...

Or I was going to need a seeing eye dog...

I must have had trouble with my eyesight even then,
but I was a good actress so I put on a competent show...for a couple years anyway.

Of course, being a teacher was always in my mind.

I was bossy, controlling, and liked to learn. 

Yeah...you know why my life took me there, not much has changed.

But in 3rd grade I wrote a report on training police dogs.

They were cool.

Come to think about it, I must have had some kid picking on me 

because I remember really liking the idea of telling a dog to "Go get 'em"

Hmmm...third grade Lori was a thinker. 

I had to give a speech too,
so whoever was bugging me would know that I could train dogs to catch bad guys.
(duh, I read the book!) 

Boom! problem solved.

But during my research I learned that Little Lori
was probably not a good match for jumping and lunging dogs during their training process.
Luckily for me there are so many others ways to work with dogs
and I've been fortunate to find other ways to work with dogs.

As a little tribute to our furry best friends,
here are some of my favorite things around the web this week about
our side-kicks.

These 10 Must-Watch Animated Dog Shorts Will Make You Want To Go Hug A Pup

Here is just one of them...Makes my heart heavy and then happy.

“Omelette” by Madeline Sharafian

21 Facts About Dogs That Will Blow Your Mind

Frito Paws!  :0)

If Dogs Could Apologize- BuzzFeed

Doggie Tops
Sometimes you just need to show how much you love your dog by wearing a cute t-shirt.  Plus, 10% of the profits are donated to rescues.

I'm pretty fond of the border collie t-shirt in red.

Piglets- Will It Herd? | Petcentric

Murphy LOVED this video!  I think that he was wishing that he could herd a group of piglets too.  :)

And last but not least...

SHAKE PUPPIES by Carli Davidson

Who can resist a whole gaggle of adorable puppies, including our sweet Duncan Lou from Panda Paws shaking water off of their cute selves?  No one that I know!  Click on the link in the title to watch the adorableness in action.