Gift of Love

 Love is a simple gift, but so vital.
At Fences For Fido we do so much more than build fences,
we build love and trust.
Here is a look of the dogs that we've loved and the hugs we've given.

Gift of Love

Thank you to my Fences For Fido family for another fantastic year! <3 

The Gifting Goes On

Most people know that I like to spread out celebrations.
Birthdays should last for at least a week.
but it's better if they last for the entire month.
Thanksgiving should be something that we always think about.
And Christmas?
Well, Christmas should be a gift that continues way into the New Year.

This year three sweet dogs were given a very important gift,
the gift of freedom.
Now this is a fence that has been in the works for awhile.
Some times it takes a little bit longer for their people to understand that we are really here to help them.
We aren't here to judge.
It's hard to trust...I definitely know that feeling.

But one of the best things about Fences For Fido
is that the dogs that we want to help are NEVER forgotten.
And I mean NEVER!
How awesome is that?!
When a dog/s is referred, people go into action to see
if the family qualifies and to get permission.
At times it takes a few days, weeks, or even a couple years,
but FFF doesn't give up.
Their persistence really pays off.
Toaster, Jane, and Mya are feeling the benefits of that persistence today
and will for the rest of their lives.

To honor the patience of the volunteers that never forgot them,
the organization that loves, and the volunteers for built two fenced areas for them,
here is a little video collage of that day.
Enjoy!

A Gift of Freedom

Want to feel the love we give to dogs?

Come out and volunteer with us!

It's going to be a great experience 

and you'll realize that it's the best way to spend a weekend morning.

www.fencesforfido.org

Reflection.

 

As this year comes to an end,

I feel reflective...

it's something that most of us do this time of year.

At the heart of everything for me is heart.

It's how I try to live.

I let my heart guide my steps and

it's led me to a place I happy to be.

I've been on an interesting journey over the last couple years.

Maybe it's my age,

Maybe it's the awesome people that love me,

Maybe it's the contentment that comes with helping others,

Maybe it's all of the above. :)

It's easy to be happy

when you remember the feeling of being very unhappy.

Those bad feelings are so strong that it makes it hard to forget.

That's not a bad thing.

It's important to remember the bad

so that you can avoid getting to that point again.

"History repeats itself endlessly 

for those who are unwilling to learn from the past." -Leon Brown

I don't want to repeat the past,
I have spent enough time doing that
while working through the events,
so that I could learn.
And learn I did.

Actually,
I repeat so many of the good things...
I have a lot of things that could be repeated, endlessly.
For that, I am happy.

So, what are you focusing on?
Do you relive the past, hoping that it will change?
Or...
Do you live in the now?

My hope for you as we move into the new year,
is that you live for the day.
The future will be a combination of those days.
If your days are filled with good events, helping others, and learning,
what a great future that will be!

A Murphy Christmas

Maybe you haven't met my best friend...

He's Murphy.

or Murph

or The Murphinator.

No matter what he's called,

he's the best furry friend a Lori could ask for.

And when you have a bestie like him,

you must have a stocking for him at Christmas

and he must receive fun items from "Santa" too!

Here of some of the things that will be under the tree for Murph

and a few things that he just LOVES that will make your pooch happy too.

Star Spinner

Murphy's brain needs to be active all of the time (Border Collies-Geesh!) and this will be a perfect, fun game.  I was super excited when I won the bid for this on an online auction for Lovers Not Fighters Pit Bull Rescue.  He's going to love it!

Mimi Green Reflective Collar

Okay, maybe Murphy doesn't care about this, but he's happy when I'm happy.  I'm happy when he's safe and I can see him.  It works well.  I love these collars because Murphy had a habit of breaking his dog tag off during his very active play and these collars are engraved with my contact information.  Perfect!

Yeti Dog Chew

Murphy loves these chews and it's easy to know why...it's cheese! Yep...it's Yak and Cow milk made into this hard cheese.  Now if your furry bestie is an aggressive chewer, DON'T get this.  My mom got one for sweet Daisy girl and it lasted just a few minutes. Yikes! At around $10 a chew, you would definitely want it to last a little bit longer than that. Murphy isn't an aggressive chewer...he's a savors each bite and nibble, so it's perfect for him.  (I have to admit that I purchased this for Christmas and have already given it to him.  He smelled it and I gave in.  I can't take those big eyes looking at me! Yes, I'm a sucker.)

Buster Dog Maze

When I leave for work, this makes me not feel as guilty because Murphy's face isn't so sad.  He knows that when I leave he has some of his favorite treats to find and get out of his maze.  It makes leaving this sweet face a little easier.

Chase 'n Pull

A holiday is not complete until I mention the best toy ever!  The Chase 'n Pull is the highest reward toy for Murphy, which means that he adores this toy and I keep it that way by only bringing it out once or twice a week.  He gets so excited as soon as I say, "Tug?!" Boom.  Murph is ready to run and run fast! Zoom!

These are just a few ideas,
but they are sure to make your pup happy and you feel good.

From myself and The Murph,

Merry Christmas to you!

FIFTY

Yep...it's have a century kind of number.

Last weekend included two builds that bring my build number to 50...

50 Fences Built = 81 dogs that are Living Life Free.

Just as they were meant to be.

Like Sally O'Malley,

I like to kick, (chains away from dogs)

Stretch, (fence wire)

and kick it. (with my friends)

I seems unreal that I have been a part of this 

life-changing team of awesomeness for almost 2 years.

Even better that there are fifty fences that I have been a part of building.

I like to think that I leave a little Lori sparkle on each one. :)

It's a nice thought to this sparkly girl. 

Fences #49 and #50 

both included a nice long drive to Ocean Park, Washington.

But if I have to make the drive 

then I'm lucky to have awesome people to ride with...

it makes the time go a little faster...

especially if I can sing along to music or even better

CHRISTMAS CAROLS. HA!

 Oh course, we had to make a little stop on the way.  

And I have to strike a silly pose.

 Somehow, these people put up with my silliness 

and keep acting happy to see my goofy face.

But, we really do enjoy each other and have a great time together.

There aren't very many people that you can muck around in well...muck 

and still laugh, smile, and joke.

We do all of that.

Build #49: 

Snuggles, an older Husky who was too scared to have us near,

but who's life will be much, much better.

So we get to work to get this girl off a tight, rusty chain 

and into an open space with a dog house to keep her warm.

 We all know what jobs to do and set a record time for this fence.  

Finishing in just under two hours from start to finish.

It's all for you Snuggles.

 You are loved sweet girl and life will be better.

With the sign hung and pictures taken,

we are off to the 2nd build already in progress a couple miles away.

Build #50: 2 Husky Sisters who can't wait to play and play and play!

This build was already in progress, but we set to work right away helping to finish things up.  Unfortunately, by the time we got there, 

the pups owner had taken them for a car ride to get away from all of the work. 

Bummer!
But we set to work even without puppies around,
because we are professional volunteers and we get the job done. hehehe.

 I just adore these girls...

 ...and Jeff Hood...

 ...and my bro Jerry....I just LOVE THEM ALL!

Even you Tom! 

Though you made me look silly in the photo 

since I was doing the Tom pose 

and then you had to go and wave.  

Geesh! Oh well, I still love ya. 

Want to join in the fun, silliness, and love with an awesome group of people?

Come out and volunteer with us!

www.fencesforfido.org

Pies, Treats, and Jam, Oh MY!

It's been a busy few weeks,

which is why it's been a little quiet here in my blog.

Life has been filled with baking,

volunteering, celebrating Thanksgiving, 

class with the Murphy boy, and, of course,

my actual job, teaching.

Whew, it's been busy, but a good busy.

It's crazy to me that December is going to quickly!

I can't believe that it's the 9th.

It just snuck up on me, and the other day it hit me

that I hadn't even thought or put out my holiday menu for Christmas!

Eek!

So, here it is and there are some delicious new additions.

Holiday Time!

This Happy Girl is baking up a storm for the holidays. 

Phase one of baking starts this week! 

Let me know if you need a treat for your celebrations. 💖

----

Made with Flipagram

Download for free at www.flipagram.com/get

What is on the Holiday Menu?

Here it is!

HOLIDAY PIES: Classic, Vegan, or Gluten-Free

Apple Pie- The Classic ($20) V or GF

Apple Spice Cider Pie ($20) V or GF

Apple Maple Bourbon Pie ($20) V

Dutch Apple ($20) V or GF

Sour Cream Blueberry Pie ($18)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie ($20)V or GF

Triple Berry Pie ($20) V or GF

Dutch Berry ($20) V or GF

Bourbon Pecan Pie ($20)

Chocolate Cream Pie ($18)

Coconut Pie ($18) GF

Funky Monkey Pie ($18)

Spiked Key Lime Pie ($18) GF

Cookies and Breads

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies- Large Order ($15)

Molasses-Ginger Cookies-Large Order ($15)

Chocolate Crinkle- Large Order ($15)

Peanut Butter Chip- Large Order ($15))

Baklava- Large Order ($15)

Cranberry-Orange Bread, glazed ($10)

Coconut Rum Bread, glazed ($10)

Homemade Jam:   $3 each

Strawberry               Apple Butter 

Boysenberry             Pear Butter

Marionberry             Blueberry-Lime

Raspberry                 Triple Berry

What is Funky Monkey Pie?
Well, it's mostly just delicious!
It's my classic pie crust, layered with cookie butter, sliced bananas, and caramel.
As if that's not enough,
then it's topped with melted dark chocolate and fresh whipped cream.
See....YUM!

What is Spiked Key Lime Pie?

It's a classic Key Lime Pie spiked with tequila. 

I was going to call it Margarita Pie, 

but thought that I'd keep it simple.

All treats will be available for pick-up on either Monday, December 22, 2014 

after 2pm at my house or meet me at Kraxberger Middle School at noon.

(If you need treats sooner, please let me know! I'm baking for the next couple weeks.)

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

Please make all checks payable to Fences For Fido.