One Part Inspiration...

 I have been working on a Family Valentine's Celebration.  I invited all my family to come.  So far they have all said yes.  It remains to be seen whether they all turn up.  We have a strict time frame because there's other commitments to be attended to by certain members.  We have Only an hour.  So it all has to be ready to go, the minute they all arrive. Several weeks ago, I ran across a great deal on Ferrero Rocher - so I bought the whole 16-lot of three per package.  It's a good job that I bought 16 because 4 of them have evaporated since then.  I plan to put one set at each place.  Then I set out to buy what might amount to a wee stocking stuffer for each person.  They aren't big, but it is something for them to open up and enjoy - there's a CD,  a travel pack to use for packing travel-sized shampoo, soap and toothpaste, a frame, some Maple Syrup, some hairspray, a package of "Terry's Choc...

I usually greet him with "Hello Dawg".  He still thinks his name is "Hey!" or "Stop That!"  He alternately annoys me and delights me.  He is a willing companion, but also gets in my face when I want to be left alone.  On days when I have him inside, he rests his head on the lintel between the mud room and the kitchen (and his paws, if I let him) as if to tell me that he would gladly come and be with me where I am, if only he had my permission.  Every time I go to the mud room to get something from the freezer, or stack/unstack the dishwasher, or sweep, or load the wash, he gets up and wags his tail, hoping that I will give him some love. He is built like a linebacker.  Given the freedom to run, he could clock 30 -40 km/hour easily.  He has no stop button though, and often runs over Kola without noticing her tumbling.  He has very little insight and a truckload of hindsight - as in "oh right, I wasn't supposed to chew that", or "may...