Search Results for: blog the three dog circus

The Family Behind the “Family Circus” Comic

Bil Keane, creator of the popular, and family friendly comic called “Family Circus” has passed away. He was 89 years old. His comic incorporated many situations that happened to him and his family in real life. Some of the characters were based on members of his actual family. Bil Keane started producing his comic, “Family Circus”, in 1960. Today, his comic strip has been featured in around 1,500 newspapers all across the United States. I cannot think of another comic that is so wholesome, heartwarming, and family friendly. “Family Circus” gave readers a mix of traditional family values, and humor. … Continue reading →

American Eskimo Dog

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The American Eskimo dog is a Nordic breed that shares ancestry with the Keeshond, the Pomeranian, and various Spitzes. Until 1917, it was called the American Spitz; these days, you can call it the Eskie. Why the name change from American Spitz to American Eskimo dog? Experts aren’t really sure. Some believe that the name “Eskimo” was included to emphasize the dog’s cold-weather origins. “Spitz” doesn’t quite evoke the same image of thickly-furred dogs. The breed rose to popularity during the 19th century, when the small white dogs were used in circus acts. The Eskie excelled at performing thanks to … Continue reading →

A Dog’s Social Life (or Lack Thereof)

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I read an article recently in Prevention magazine about how dogs need friends. Not just human friends, but dog friends, too! You may have seen it before: your dog has a special canine buddy. They get SO excited to see them! They act differently (in a good way) around them. Looking at my dogs, I’m hard-pressed to think of really good dog friends they’ve had. For Lally, I think the last dog she really loved was an ex-boyfriend’s terrier mix named Jester. Jester (AKA “Pest”) was the dog who showed Lally how to fetch: after watching him do it, she … Continue reading →

The Three Dog Circus

This week, I’m dog-sitting for the wonderful wiggle-pup Casey. Okay, I can’t really call her a puppy anymore — she’ll be two this year! But in my mind, she’ll always be the little puppy who I could carry around in one arm. Casey’s human parents headed off to Florida on Monday, and will be back on Saturday… so I’m in the home stretch of the Three Dog Circus. It hasn’t been too bad — lucky for all of us, it’s only rained one day this week, and that was yesterday. The other days have been warm and sunny and perfect … Continue reading →

5 Ways to Spend Less Eating Out on Vacation

Traveling costs can add up. And one of the biggest expenses after air fare is the cost of food on vacation. Here are five ways that you can be frugal when it comes to the cost of dining out when you are out and about. Cook at “home” Depending on where you are staying, you may be able to get away with cooking at home. Most hotels offer a refrigerator free of charge, and you can use it to store lunch meats, milk and other items to feed you your lunch and breakfast. Bread, peanut butter and jelly can be … Continue reading →

Homecoming: Casey

I was home in New Jersey for a few days, and had the opportunity to visit some friends. One stop I couldn’t miss was the home of my friends M. and L. and their dog Casey. Casey has appeared in the Pets Blog before. I used to be the first choice pet sitter when M. and L. went away for a weekend — she would happily romp in the yard with my dogs Moose and Lally. I’ve known her since she was just a puppy, and was with L. when she picked Casey out at a pet adoption event. When … Continue reading →

Comic Strip Mom Prepares to Say Good-Bye

When I was a girl I adored reading The Family Circus comic strip. Each Sunday I would run outside to get the newspaper and eagerly flip to the comic section to see what Billy, Dolly, Jeffy and PJ were up to (my favorite was when creator Bil Keane would use thick dotted lines showing the characters’ paths through the neighborhood or house). The Family Circus family was much like my own. I could relate to Dolly being the only girl in a family with three pesky brothers. And like the cartoon clan my brothers and I would pile into our … Continue reading →

Pets and Pregnancy

One of my best friends in the world is pregnant, and I’m just delighted. You might remember her dog Casey, who’s appeared in a few stories here and there. Now that my friend has entered her second trimester, Casey has started to act differently. She’s been having accidents in the house — specifically in the kitchen and the bathroom — both while her owners are home and while they’re out at work. I turned to one of my favorite online dog communities to see if anyone else had experienced something similar during their pregnancies. They had! Several ladies wrote in … Continue reading →

Car Rides: Love Them Or Hate Them?

In the Amodio family, we LOVE car rides. That doesn’t just go for my Moose and Lally — my parents’ dog Becca and my brother’s dogs Kuma and Lily Biscuits love going for a ride. Becca was the first dog in the family (after a long pet absence thanks to allergies). We used to sing her a “Bye Bye Song” that my mother made up when it was time to go for a ride. Becca would get so excited; she would bring us her favorite toy and dance around in circles. She always insisted on riding in the front seat … Continue reading →

Calendar of Strange Holidays and Other Events to Scrapbook In June

Imagine the strange and jazzy layouts you can make celebrating some of these wild, wacky and unusual holidays. These have been collected and compiled from various sources over the years of my teaching and we celebrated many of them in the classroom. Celebrate them with your children and family and create fun and wacky layouts! The Month of June Adopt A Shelter Cat Month Cancer From The Sun Month Celibacy Awareness Month Child Vision Awareness Month Children’s Awareness Month Dairy Alternative Month Effective Communications Month Entrepreneurs Do It Yourself Marketing Month Fireworks Safety Month Gay and Lesbian Pride Month International … Continue reading →