ANN GIVES THE FUNNIEST PRESENTS!

We love Ann! She and Sir Dom, the Italian Greyhound, came to visit us
recently and we hope they return soon! Ann's a hoot and gave mom the
blue shirt about guinea pig zombies along with lots of loot that makes us
laugh.

A few days ago, the two of them formed a pact to help each other improve the
challenges they both face living with incurable, chronic, debilitating illnesses. Ann lives in Seattle, so we got to hear their phone conversation and the first area they chose to improve in their lives is "sleep hygiene" so they made careful plans then said they'd get back to one another with a
progress report.

Mom likes to start getting us ready for bed by 7 p.m. (lots of work, we are!) and then be in bed by 9 p.m. to read spiritual books, meditate, then sleep as peacefully as possible.

YumYum and Bear don't know what got into me because it's a known fact that I am the best behaved pig in the herd, not to mention the most erudite, literary, humble...

Yeah, so, back to the story. As recently posted, mom thought I should get a haircut for spring. And last night she was in a good mood, letting me run around the house while she cleaned my cage. She never does that because she's always afraid I'll run under the trundle bed and she won't be able to get me back out. Last time
I did that it took her over two hours because she's afraid of moving the trundle for fear of hurting me (I know just where to hide to keep her from finding and capturing me.)

My bad: ran under the trundle bed and on her second night of "Sleep Hygiene" practice with Ann, mom didn't get to bed until 2 a.m. All because of PandaTheGeniusPig's "JUST SAY NO TO HAIRCUTS" campaign.

Today Mom wore Ann's blue "guinea pig zombies" t-shirt and gave me quite a haircut, trimmed my toenails, then naively asked me never, never to do that AGAIN!

"O.K. PandaPig? Please? Promise?" I just gave her my sweetest guinea pig smile...(heh, heh, heh)

"And what do you expect me to tell Ann?" she asked. "PandaPig, I think YOU should tell her!" Yeah, whatever.

One thing is for sure. Given the opportunity, I'm going to run as fast as my little piggie feet will take me right back to that bed.

Ann, looks like you're gonna win the "Sleep Hygiene" part of your little plan. Happy to help.

PANDA PROUD. PANDA OUT!

WE'RE GOOD LITTLE ZOMBIES!

OBOE, OUR FRIEND NEXT DOOR!

Gentle Readers,
We would be remiss not to introduce you to one of the most special neighbors in our world: Oboe (aka "Meowl" or "Arctic Fox" and other meaningful names too numerous to mention.) She is am's cat and since am is mom's art/spiritual friend, that makes
Oboe OUR art/spiritual friend! When am calls mom and leaves messages, (this is true) Oboe says hello by making a sound like "Chana" (mom's name) or "Hello" and she seems to know to whom her mom is speaking. It's a laugh-riot!

Oboe has many moods and can be mystical, zen-like, meditative, playful, artistic, but mainly she is her mom's muse, best friend, and always-companion. She helps am with everything from playing the piano to working on her computer keyboard to gardening. And she has her very own special paisley pillow, just like we have our own secret hidey-holes or, in Bear's case, he has a "platform" upon which he enjoys lounging: a box covered with thick fleece covered by flannel to cushion his "soft parts." We all enjoy our own, unique special places and we think, from this photograph, that Oboe's "special place" is in the arms of her beloved mom, am.

We love Oboe and know you will, too! This is She!

BEAR PLAYS "I SPY"

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE PIG'S EYE

RAYS OF LIGHT

PASSING THROUGH THE SKY:

THEY SHINE ON ME

THEY SHINE ON YOU

WE BASK IN SUNSHINE

WE THREE AND MOM, TOO!
-Bear's first Poem composed upon his special "platform."