Starting at 1:00 am Pacific Standard Time, Hound and Handbag Gift Company will launch our Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sale.

Everything in the store is marked down an extra 20% off. Plus our first  12 customers will receive a wiener dog pin with Austrian Crystals,at $ 12.00 value.

Ready,set,shop!

On Wednesday, November 11, Canada will honour Remeberance Day, a day to remember our vets and soldiers who continue to fight in the name of freedom.

Two minutes of silence is the very least we can offer in respect. The following video tells a tale of a father who was in a store and demanded service when everyone,including the staff, was honouring the two minutes of silence. Terry Kelly was in that store and this song is the result.

Thank you; to our vets and our troops.

A Bit of Trivia: There is a photo that shows the soldiers marching off and a little boy who is running up to his father. That was taken on Columbia Street, which is about  five blocks away from where I  live in New Westminster, B.C. Canada.

In honour of our lovable long-bodied friends, an ingenious pumpkin carver carved not one, but FOUR pumpkins each bearing a dachshund. Take a look at her artistry, but hang on through the video, as she’s walking out to the porch in the dark.

Great work, I thought.

Today marked the one year anniversary of my dog leaving for the Rainbow Bridge. Kato,my dachshund, was an integral part of my life for 16 years (see Kato’s Story).

I put a small vase of flowers by his little urn today;red roses. He always got into flowers when I pulled a late nighter when I did wedding work for my day job. Thank goodness they were always de-thorned.

My little sausage dog; he’s very sorely missed. I take comfort in that he was with us so long. Sixteen years is a very good run for a dachshund. But sometimes I hear people that lose their dogs too early, and I cannot imagine what that would be like.

Some people wonder how one can get so emotionally caught up in the death of an animal. “It wasn’t a person. It was only a dog.”

I can’t explain it. The only way you can ever really know is when it happens to you. My dog saw me through things that were ugly,emotional and nerve shattering. People are funny;they may or may not be there for you or they would like to point out all the mistakes you made (even though you know). But the prescence of someone there who is an emotional support who does not judge, does not condemn, but loves you anyway…that is so rare in humans. Because (women especially) we may be there, but we will remember the mistake and bring it up at a terrible time.

Dogs are there for you and know when you are at your lowest.

Someone once asked me how did I handle it when Kato died. I answered I cried so much my heart hurt. There was a void that was left after he was gone. Even today if there is something that reminds me of him, I can still get teary eyed.

If you are going through this, that is the first thing you must allow yourself to do, unapologetically. And that is to grieve,cry and let the tears come. You have every right, and no one should tell you otherwise.

The next thing you have to do is talk about it. Not to everyone, but those that are closest, and worry about you. If this is something they don’t understand, let them know how much the dog meant to you and why you hurt so much.

Don’t feel pressured to get another pet,if you don’t want to. If it is important to honour your dog’s memory or if you feel you aren’t ready, then you’re not. No matter what happens a dog has got to come into a place where they are welcome, and loved for themselves and all the quirky things that they do. I don’t want to have my next dachshund hear, ” You’re not as (fill in the blank) as Kato!” He won’t be,because every dog is different.

I was able to stay with Kato up until the end. Our first dog, however, I wasn’t able to do that,since I was still a teenager and he was overnight at the vet. He passed away in the middle of the night.  If this happens to you, you may feel guilty if you cannot be there. Never beat yourself up ( I had to learn this the hard way). Ask your vet for the ashes to be placed in an urn and then have a proper burial (if you are able). Or light a candle and say a prayer.

Kato as apuppy sleeping in a newly destroyed bag of pillow stuffing.

If your loss was particularly traumatic, or you know that your life is affected for the worse, then counselling may be needed.  Again, never be ashamed or embarrassed about the grief you are feeling. Don’t think that you’re being silly or foolish.

There will be a time when you feel as though the right amount of time has passed, and that you can let go to a degree;when you think of your dog and you smile rather than shed tears. Then and only then will another canine steal your heart for all the right reasons.

Am I there yet? Yes and no. Memories of Kato make me smile, and I miss him very much. I’d love to honestly say I am ready for another dog. But I’m not. Perhaps in another year.

Over the long weekend (Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October), my husband and I went to see the Toy Story Double Feature in 3-D.

If you’ve ever seen the originals, you will notice how much the digital 3-D brings out myriads of little things overlooked in the movie. Simple details like raindrops that show Buzz Lightyear’s and Woody’s reflections or the wear on Slinky Dog’s leather ears.

And yes, of course,because I’m a dachshund lover, Toy Story 2 is my  favourite because there are two dachshunds in it! Slinky has a live counterpart in the second movie with Buster, the dachshund puppy. Woody enlists Buster to save a toy taken to a yard sale.

Woody Enlists Buster to Save Wheezy in Toy Story 2

There is a break in between the movies that showcase Toy Story trivia. The Double Feature is a great treat for any Pixar movie fan. But hurry! It’s a limited time engagement.

Slinky Dog from Toy Story 1 and 2

With the festivities of Hallowe’en stretching a little longer this year (since it falls on a weekend) there is bound to be ghoulish fun a-plenty for everyone. But this is a time of year where a little caution needs to be practiced, especially in the case of our four legged friends.

Treats: Keep the loot away from animals. Chocolate is harmful to dogs and cats alike. So once you’ve made sure the treats are safe for your kids to eat, place them safely away from Fido and Fifi in an airtight container in the fridge.

Fireworks: Some dogs aren’t bothered by it. But most are. Try to isolate your dog the best you can by keeping him inside in a bedroom or room that’s as far away from the noise as you can get. The garage isn’t the best place for your dog as people can light them on your property (another thing to be careful of) outside your door.

Safety: This is a little morbid, but it bears mentioning. Hallowe’en can bring out the worst in people, and animals suffer for it. There are sometimes cases of missing and hurt animals that come into the SPCA at this time of year.

Keep your animals inside and try not to let them out by themselves. Walk them if you can. Cats are harder, since they’d rather be out, but perhaps for this small span of two days it’s worth it just to make sure nothing happens.

If you are bound for a party,arrange someone to look after your pets while you are out. Do your best not to leave them alone in the house if you can. If that isn’t possible, have someone you trust house sit or check on them.

Parties:If your dog is a social animal, dress ‘em up and let them in on the fun!

Cats can pretty much go anywhere whether they care to socialize or not, but if your dog is a little skittish, have them comfortable and settled in a room away from the noise and frolic if you can. While you are a hst at your party, pop in once in awile to make sure your buddy is taken care of too,just so they know you’re still thinking of them.

On that note…

Happy Halloweenie!

I so want a sign like this!

Underneath our townhouse complex, we have a veterinarian and doggy supply store. This is their window sign.  I love this;it’s too adorable!

Apparently the lights are programmable.  they can be static, or blink in different intervals.

That is their mascot budgie behind the sign.

I wonder if they would notice if it went missing…

Bento boxes have been around for a long time , and there are several types,ranging from formal to the bento boxes made for children. Living in a part of the country where there is a heavy Asian concentration, I see all kinds. But lately, I’ve been happily collecting and selling the informal or o-bento boxes.

Once again, I have to really thank Swap-bot for this  (www.swapbot.com). That site is sigle handedly responsible for my growing collections of Mikan Bouya and Kogepan ( two characters by San-x that I would have had no clue about otherwise). And now, bento boxes.

A single layer bento box with a French quote.

Bento lunchboxes are either one tier or two tier. The two tier boxes can be held together by side clasps or elastic belts. In some cases, bento lunchboxes have the compartment to hold untesils. In many cases, the boxes are microwavable,as long as you remove the lids. If there are rubber seals along the inside, then you can carry sauces and liquids.Depending on who is using them, they range from children’s size about (220m) to a larger “man-size” bento. Typically the two tier bento carries a capacity of 220 ml on the bottom and 300ml on top. And you can even have removable dividers to customize how you wish to arrange your food.

There are even specialized boxes for carrying the rice balls or onigiri which are usually triangular in shape with stuffing in the middle. These bento boxes are typically domed or trangle in shape to make sure the onigiri doesn’t get squashed.

But why should one care to delve into this Eastern way of thinking when there are perfectly logical Western alternatives out there?

As with so many things mundane and boring, the Japanese have raised the mere lunch container to an art. Bento lunch boxes are never dull, even the masculine looking ones. There is a simple philosophy in Eastern thinking that the container itself is as important as the contents. This is not only true in gift-wrapping, commercial goods packaging, but bento as well.

With people wanting to cut back on their disposable packaging, bento boxes are a very green solution. It is actually a self contained meal system that includes reusable elements from cups,sauce bottles, fruit containers and even utensils. There are even lunch bags, or lunch cloths, if you’d like to be really traditional. Everything you would need for your meal is here, and you would not be throwing anything out, or bringing anything bulky or regular size from home (your fork, knife and ketchup  for example). Even cups and utensils have their own cases and can be placed inside there until you get home to do your own washing. No more washing dishes in the lunchroom (or bathroom) sink and risk missing anything. Also, if you are shopping for a bento, you will have all the accessories you need in one place, one store.

There are wonderful websites out there that have recipes for bento. And the ratio for proteins, carbohydrates and fats make for much healthier eating. But it isn’t for the rushed. But even if you only have minutes to spare, having mere sandwich thrown into a bento would also save money and time from dashing to the food court every day.

And what better way to liven up a Monday lunchbreak than with a colourful box that has cheery dots or stylish checks decorating the lid?

Bento lucnchboxes are a self contained system that even includes utensils.

For more information about bento recipes, please visit: Just Bento

I was in a Hallmark store today, and already I saw Hallowe’en stuff on the shelves.

Is it time for that already? As a retailer, I don’t see any Halloween stuff by my suppliers until September! Time to get a move on!

But if you would like to find an outfit for your dachshund before October 31, may I recommend some of my fellow Twitterers:

Short Order Dogs: A family business that also owns three lovable dachshunds. Wiener dogs can be tricky to fit when it comes to costumes, so these folks know what they are talking about when it comes to sizes!

Stuck Up Dog: Glitz and glam it up with all the gear from this site. Check out the biker outfits too.

Houndz in the Hood: While on the subject of clothing,check out this site for something a little more practical. Cold weather will be here soon, and no one is more subjected to cold weather than a dachshund! A full line of dachshund friendly garments is available here.

The 2009 Wiener Walk will be held next Sunday August 9, in Winskill Park, in Tsawassen, B.C.,Canada.This will be the 17th year for this event, which originally started in Surrey, B.C. with  but a handful of owners.

Starting at 11:00, owners can register their dogs.  There is a  small $5.00 fee to attend. All proceeds from the event and the silent auction are used to help promote dachshund health and awareness through the Dachshund Rescue Club and the Western Dachshund Club. The park has a lot of area for the dogs to roam, and the trail around the park serves as a the Wiener Walk route.  Competitions will include best costume, tricks, longest dog, and oldest dog.

This is a dachshund only event, but no dogs under 5 months are allowed. If you are bringing a puppy,have all the papers on hand to prove that he or she has had their full compliment of immunization shots.

Visit www.wienerdogs.org for the map to the park.