How does the pooch plea?

Bingley's in the dog house after being "convicted" of snatching and irreparably harming a freshly knit baby booty. It all happened less than 24 hours before I was planning to present the booties to Amber in celebration of her and Jon's first child, whom they are expecting in June.

Because I was able to purchase more yarn and miraculously make another pair of booties before Amber arrived on Thanksgiving, Bingley narrowly escaped a "severe punishment." When asked about the incident, he refused to comment. But his guilty expression says it all.

Sleak and Sassy Turkeys

In between baking pies, going to the library and packing for our trip to Warrensburg, we also swung by Snip-n-Clip to get Turkey No. 1 (Nicholas) clipped ... While we were there, Turkey No. 2 (Michaela) spontaneously decided to get her hair cut (and short, with no potential for a ponytail!). I was in shock, but I figured it was the best opportunity I would get to help her clean up her current straggly situation. Thankfully, there were no tears or changes of heart midway through the process. :)

Mike Simpson Precht

If The Simpsons ever need a left-handed, bicycle-riding, Sudoku-playing sidekick for Homer ...

Mike's their man!

Cats vs. Dogs

Some people are "cat people" and some people are "dog people." Then there's another group called "cat people and dog people" who like cats AND dogs -- but not together. :) ("Cat and dog people," on the other hand, have cats and dogs co-existing in the same family.)

I enjoyed 15 wonderful years with my two cats, Buster (pictured) and Abby. They were so entertaining to watch. I frequently came across them snuggling together or relaxing in some unexpected pose. They ruled the house, and they knew it. They would never have welcomed a dog into the family. Imagine our relief when they let us bring Nicholas and Michaela home from the hospital!

Now, life with Bingley is just as much fun -- but in a much different way. He's always ready for someone to play with him, and he constantly amuses us with his kangaroo (jumping) and dancing antics. He loves to play fetch, and he's content to chase the same toy down the same hallway for as long as you'll continue throwing it. As he approaches his first birthday (Dec. 11), he still has the energy and zip of a puppy.

That's Entertainment!

Last night we were entertained by the entire fourth grade population at Nicholas' school. The show opened with an impressive drum selection in which every student (100-120 kids) was playing a hand-held drum with a mallet or a bongo-like drum like Nicholas. Hearing that many drums playing in perfect rhythm was unlike anything I've ever heard. It was phenomenal (not to mention a real coup for the music director)!!

Hot diggety dog!

The cooler weather is giving Bingley a burst of energy. He tears around the house as if something's chasing him. And he never tires of playing "fetch." I must have thrown his hot dog to him 20 times to get this photo, and he just kept trotting back for more.

Nine times in Kansas City!

Last night I saw Garth Brooks at the new Sprint Center. It was a GREAT event. It was the second of his nine scheduled KC concerts. You'd never know he had taken any time off from live performances. He was so energetic, and he sounded as great as ever. (He was even a little trimmer than I expected him to be.) Trisha Yearwood was a wonderful opening act. She has a beautiful and powerful voice. And she came back during Garth's segment to do a couple duets with him.

At the end of the concert Garth shared that his daughters were in the audience seeing him perform in an arena for their very first time. :)

One of my favorite moments was during "Shameless." Without missing a single lyric, he grabbed a camera from a front-row fan and took pictures of the band while he continued to belt out one of his most famous songs. Then he layed down on the stage so that his head was level with the fan's, and he held out the camera to take a picture of them together. No doubt, she was delighted!

The Sprint Center is beautiful! Thanks to a very spacious lobby, I never felt like I was in a crowd. It was the best concert experience I've ever had.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. So here are the top 10 things I love or appreciate about my mom.

10. She makes the best macaroni and cheese.

9. Her hairstyle is always more current than mine.

8. She wears the same shoe size I do.

7. She has great taste in clothes ... and everything else!

6. She's sensitive to others' feelings.

5. She still sends cards and letters the old fashioned way -- with a stamp!

4. She's a total pro when it comes to gift wrapping.

3. She's creative and makes everything special with her personal touches.

2. She always looks for the good in people.

1. She cherishes our family traditions and sees to it that we preserve them.

Let's hear it for the writers!

The Writers Guild of America is on strike against the Hollywood studios and production companies. And why shouldn't they be? Where would Hollywood's stars and starlets be without the faceless writers who craft the material that makes them famous? What if it were up to them to create their own scripts??? How many of today's stars would still have jobs?!

On the other hand, the strike leaves television viewers to choose between reruns or reality shows. I think I'll curl up with a good book!

My favorite month

October is my favorite month for two reasons: Oct. 30 is my birthday and Oct. 31 is Halloween.

My birthday this year was the best ever. I have never felt more blessed than I do at this stage of my life.

And Halloween was great fun! My longtime friend Diane Duckworth came over to spend the evening with us as she has been doing for several years now. We had our traditional chili dinner and drank spiced apple cider. She helped me answer the door and hand out candy while Mike took the kids trick or treating. She also helped me chase down Bingley, who apparently escaped while the front door was open. He saw to it that we got our exercise last night -- and plenty of it!

Bingley had the best costume this year. He was a lizard (until we had to put him in his kennel). Then I told the trick or treaters that the barking was coming from my werewolf, which was chained up in the basement. :)

And the fun continues even after Halloween this year ... Diane and I are going to see Garth Brooks Tuesday night at the Sprint Center. I can hardly wait to see my fellow OSU alum!