Kung Hei Fat Choi and Happy Valentine's Day!

Today we had two holidays to celebrate. The day of LOVE and the year of the TIGER.

2010 is a year of good fortune and wealth on the Chinese lunar calendar. There are 12animals on the Chinese zodiac that rotate being identified with a year. If you're born in a particular animal's year, the Chinese believe you take on that animal's characteristics.

According to YearoftheTiger.com, "Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, and it is a sign of bravery. This courageous and fiery fighter is admired by the ancient Chinese as the sign that keeps away the three main tragedies of a household. These are fire, thieves and ghosts."

Holy Cannoli! There better not ever be fire, thieves or ghosts in my house. Especially thieves. The mama tiger in me would come out and I just may have to put a tiger beatin' on him or her. Thieves better watch out.

"Tigers are physically powerful, gracious, independent and brave, they are extremely bold animals. Tigers are also instilled with a good dose of courage. The Tiger has an overpowering attraction and is very kind and always takes on the character as protector. The Tiger flourishes by power and attention and takes advantage of all circumstances it gets itself into. The Tiger is a natural leader and loves to be the centre of attention. As a rebel it goes up against authority and speaks out about wrongs in society, and willingly puts up objections. Even if you don’t agree with the beliefs of the tiger you admire her way to protest."

"Just as how their counterparts in the jungle are impulsive, so too are individuals born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. When people think of tigers, it is their vigor and power that comes to mind first. But it has also been noted that tigers are known to share and are unselfish animals. The reason people admire the tiger is due to the fact that they are ferocious and domineering on the outside, but they are just as noble and distinguished on the inside. These are the same personality attributes that persons will have who are born in the Year of the Tiger."

Stop it Chinese calendar, you're making me blush! **me, blushing** Ha ha ha! Some of this is true only for me, but most of it is true for pretty much everyone I know, whether they're Tiger born or not.

So, if you were born in 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, or 1998, then you were born in the year of the tiger. If you were born in 1902 and you're reading this blog, I'm buying you a bottle of the best champagne. You deserve it after 108 years. Fo' sho'.

I was born in August 1974. I'm a Leo born in the year of the tiger. Every once in a while I read about what all this means, and I can't help but think that it is all so fascinating. So, I decided to share it with Blogistan, in case you have nothing better to do.

"People that are born in the Year of the Tiger are generally well liked because of their charismatic personalities. Often, failing at a given duty or being unproductive in her personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a deep sense of depression. A Tiger is always at their happiest when they endeavor to climb the ladder of success. Attaining the top spot is his foremost purpose; being in a position of power is her ultimate goal. They are quick learners, need to be challenged and often prefer to work alone. Some Tigers tend to change careers more frequently because they get bored quite easily. They are natural born leaders and perform at their best if working towards positions of power and influence. So once there is no further room for progression, they will often move on to something else."

"Anyone that is born in the Year of the Tiger is usually straightforward and outgoing by nature. They will never give up no matter how aggravated they may become. But, they are also full of suspicion and at times will take hasty action. Never lose sight of the fact that Tigers are smart and instinctive."

"People born in the Year of the Tiger always take pride in being different from others, and normally demonstrate their originality best in their homes. Their homes are typically filled with exotic possessions. It is no surprise that one of the Tiger’s favorite gemstones is the cat’s eye, but tigers also love the sparkle of rubies and diamonds. They like to spend money, and also to share it. They can be very impulsive spenders because they know they can at all times make more."

Were you born in a tiger year? Does this describe you? Inquiring minds wanna know! :-)

As for the day of love, Valentine's Day, it was a quiet one for us compared to years past. BelovEd had to go to work in the wee hours of the morning, and when he returned later, he took a nap. My poor baby has come down with an awful bug that knocked him down since Friday night. After his nap, he had to go back to work. I made Valentine's Day dinner, but we didn't have it until 9:30. That's ok, I didn't mind waiting for my baby doll. But, I'll post about VDay dinner tomorrow.

Today was a special day for me and my furry babies. Who loves you more unconditionally & loyally than your pets, right? Who better to spend the day with then!? :-)

I treated myself to one of my favorite lunch feasts. A glass of my favorite wine, it is Twin Poms Pomegranate Wine. Absolutely. Delicious. Yuuuummmmm. Super tart, clean, crisp. I like to mix it with sparkling mineral water and a lime wedge. So refreshing! There are twin brothers up in northern California who make this wine, hence the "twin" Poms.
Artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, medley of olives, crusty & rustic wedge of bread, and oil and vinegar for dipping. I was in heaven. I got some reading done, sipped my drink, and indulged in my tasty fare.
Afterwards, the kids and I took a walk down to Lynne & Amos' house. It is a pretty nice hike down into the canyon to their house. The return trip is uphill and quite a workout. Milo, Laverne & Shirley get a LONG walk everyday, so this counted as their long walk for the day.

It has been some time since we've spent time with our friends, and I have missed them. In life, we surround ourselves with folks we strive to emulate. Lynne & Amos are two such beings in our life. We are blessed.
Laverne & Shirley made themselves at home in Lynne's kitchen. They watched attentively as she made oatmeal raisin cookies.

Lynney has a garden made in heaven. It is the ultimate in xeriscape gardening. It is a culmination of years of her own task and toil in the earth. We are the lucky beneficiaries of all her hard work. There was so much to sniff and explore. Shirley was in Smell-a-Vision heaven!

In the center of Lynne's garden is a zen, calm, super balanced area. Mix of pavers, rocks, succulents, herbs, and of course, Amos' fabulous art pieces. Perfect place to do yoga, enjoy the sun, or simply lie back and stare at the wide blue sky. It is breathtaking.
Lynne's zen den.
Laverne chasing down a hummingbird. As if!!!
Shirley Pie always wants my attention. Always. I love her deep chocolate kisses eyes.
Relaxing in the shade after our hike down to the house.

Milo was full of vim and vigor at Lynney's house. That's because he had a wonderful afternoon of napping in the sun. None of our dogs have loved the sun like Milo does. He is such a sun lover, much like his Auntie Laura.
Papparazzi stalking Milo the Sleeping Bear.

We missed this boy however. Valentine's Day or not, I don't enjoy being apart from him on days we should have together.

The furbabies got a special Valentine's treat. They normally get an apple or two a day, but today they got the MOTHER of all apples. It had to be the biggest red delicious apple I'd ever seen, about the size of a softball. I'm not even kidding. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them, but there is video further down.

Shirley doesn't like me with the camera, she shies away and stops what she's doing. Laverne, however, couldn't give two flying effs. She was in apple heaven. (It is crucial that you put down a towel for apple treat time. You'll see why!)


This apple was GINORMOUS! Happy Valentine's Day Laverney!


I took some video at Lynne's garden, but for some reason my camera kept stopping after a few seconds. Ah well. I went ahead and posted them all anyway. Here they are exploring away:


Milo on the hunt for his mischievous sisters:

Where's Laverney!?

Sisters, best friends. They do everything side by side.

Just hangin' out, being groovy.

Have you noticed how good my girls look? Pretty soon we won't be able to call Laverne "Battleship Lavernicus" anymore. She's down to 76.8 pounds! And Shirley Birdey is 64 pounds now. Their ideal weight is 55-60 pounds. We were at the vet's yesterday. Milo got his sutures out, and the girls had their ears examined. All is well with my pups and I'm grateful for that.

I hope you enjoyed your Sunday, and were able to spend it with those you love, whether human, canine, feline, or avian. :-) Oh, and Kung Hei Fat Choi as well!!!