Janet Returns From Her Blog-Cation!

A series of incidents have prevented us from posting on our pupplog.

First, in a failed effort to sync her fitbit to her iPad and upgrade her iPhone, tech savey Janet lost ALL the photos on her iPhone.  When she explained this to Phil, he said.."no, no..remember, I removed all the photos for 2015".  He didn't understand it was every single photo.  This was devastating!  Second, Janet has been in varying degrees of cold/flu almost since they arrived home from Spain.

However, today marks four full weeks without an update on our rich and diverse lives, so we decided it was about time!

One of the first things Janet did after they arrived home was to make some chicken stock and in turn, make the stock into homemade Wor Won Ton Soup.  The stock was easy - a recipe from Smitten Kitchen that was done in Janet's fancy pants slow cooker.  The stock was super.

The won tons, not so much.  Janet is very familiar with Gyoza, which are Japanese dumplings.  Gyoza skins are fairly thick, so easy to fold.  Won Ton skins are much thinner, thus more difficult.

End result, after hours of work and using every bad word she knows, the Won Ton Soup was only marginally better than a restaurant version.

This falls into the "not bloody likely again department".  Phil told Janet his client, who is house hunting and currently staying in a motel with a kitchenette makes his own Won Ton Soup from scratch - including making the dough!  He uses a bottle to roll out the dough!

We also had some painting done, which was super for me as I was able to bond one on one with my favourite painter.

She loved the way I touched her leg with my paw.

And, we had some doggie play dates.  Now that I am 11 years old, I am less likely to frolic and more likely to be crafty and scheming.

First Miss Bean from next door came to stay overnight.  I spent three weeks with Miss Bean while Janet and Phil skipped town went to Spain.  Amber brought over Bean's bed and guess what - it's way better than mine!

She tried to pal up with me.

I allowed Bean to share in our Friday Night Peter Edamame party.

See the home made chicken broth on the stove top?

When it was nighty night time, I forced her to sleep on my sub-standard lumpy bed whilst I sawed logs and counted dog cookies on hers.

Unfortunately, I made a tactical error and got off Bean's bed briefly in the middle of the night.  She reclaimed it in a heart beat, which only strengthens my argument as to why Mr. and Mrs. Tightwad can't buy me a new one!!

Next up was Lola!  She was only here for the day and we engaged with each other from opposite ends of the Manor.

Lola is super cute and super little.

Phil made me look silly with this We Three Kings of Orient costume.

We had snow....lots of it in just one day!

Only in Victoria, would riding a sleigh down a small slope be considered huge fun!  Janet says she remembers tobogganing on the "huge" hill in front of Lacombe Home in Midnapore.  Lacombe Home was built in 1910 and was originally a refuge for orphans, the aged and the poor, which sounds like it might border on a prison camp.  Janet thinks it was a Catholic school when she was a child and it was run by Nuns wearing their full habit.  For some odd reason, it was fun to hit huge bumps, careening down the hill and crashing.