Libby With a "Y"

BIG NEWS for "Libby With a Y!"

2014-04-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Like the Jeffersons, we're moving on up around here -- me, myself and I! After much consternation and brow-beating, this blog and my other website with various and sundry writing clips have merged! They are now together as one harmonious unit (I dare to hope) at...

www.LibbyMcNamee.com

Please check it out!

*** If you can't/don't wants to remember the new site address, no worries! This will be my final entry here. However, I'm going to leave this site up, so you can always come back here and click on over to the new digs. All previous archive entries back to 2007 are on the new site.

All this talk of a "final entry" reminds me of this hilarious video below, "Sad Cat Diary."

We've lost count of how many times we've watched it. It's worth seeing even if you hate cats. Perhaps their suffering becomes even more enjoyable that way! This chubby white cat is mighty upset that his food bowl is only half full. He is so convinced he is going to starve to death that he laments, "This may be my final entry."

Thanks for reading! See you at www.LibbyMcNamee.com!

LibbY

Is It Really Safe to Put the Scraper Away?

2014-04-04T09:54:00.001-07:00

It is downright glorious outside, but is it really safe to put the ice scraper away -- for good? Or as Sam would say, "for REAL?" Yesterday as I got into my car, I looked down and noticed two things. OK, make that three:

1. Even with open-toed shoes on, my feet were not cold at all, a good thing.

2. A pedicure is also a good thing (i.e.necessary) when you are teetering on the brink of spring.

(By the way I only wish these were my purdy feet!)

3. Lo and behold, there was an ice scraper on the floor of the passenger seat. Bleck! Rather incongruous to have one on hand when also talking about open-toes shoes, right? For some reason I am still reluctant to remove it from said vehicle. Believe me, it is not out of nostalgia for the wonderful winter of 2014, but fear! It was fear of needing that scraper in the near future and not having it nearby!! Are these fears based on reality? Yes, I dare to say they are since we have not yet gone a fortnight without some ice or snow. ("Fortnight" is such a cool word, don't you think? It's right up there with a "month of Sundays" in arcane measures of time.)

Well, the daffodils seem to be out there taking the plunge, springing up everywhere.

The lovely dogwoods have started to bloom as well.

So, I hereby resolve to take the scraper out of the front seat of my car. I'll move it to the trunk! Baby
steps, right? Slowly but surely I vow to have it in the garage by Memorial Day. Even then it may be at the front of the garage.

By August, I vow it will be packed away. Baby steps....

LibbY

Life Bee-yond the Screen

2014-03-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest -- Sam has too much screen time, and I'm always trying to whittle it down without him noticing. (It doesn't work, but I keep trying, a sure sign of insanity.) He'll do just about anything to have access to a screen even if it is a TV show showing an old Lawrence Welk Show. True story.

Well, this week Sam's BFF had been out of school for the second straight weeks. He's been recovering from having his tonsils out, the poor guy. It's been sweet how much Sam has missed him. On the flip side it's also been sad to hear about his lonely day at school when he gets off the bus.

So one day last week as we were about to head out the door, he became mysteriously ill. I kept asking, "Do you feel sick or do you just not want to go to school?" He said he felt achy and had a stomach ache, but I had one more test for him, the test of truth. "If you stay home, there will be no screen time. Do you still want to stay home?" He said yes, so I knew he really was sick.

With that I also knew that President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Sam McNamee Entertainment Committee for the day. So who was the one making the sacrifice? (I knew that Louise was going to sleep on any job assigned to her, so I decided not to even bother recruiting her.) But alas, I had to keep my word as much as I didn't want to. All day long? It was 9 am. What in the world were we going to do?

Just when you think you know your kid inside and out, you realize you don't at all. Within minutes I was nearly blown over -- in a good way. Mr. Un-Crafty was crafting away! He got out some paper and started industriously making these neat little origami guys. And then he voluntarily started to COLOR them! Wow, he must have been sick, but I was not about to stop him!

Then he had a great time learning how to take pictures with my phone. As the grand arbiter, I decided that didn't count as screen time. He was so proud of himself.

Then he inspired me to tap into my own inner craftiness. (It is way, way deep in there!)

Introducing "Bee" cupcakes!

It is interesting to note that I also became much more creative once I limited my own screen time. Hmmn... Do as I say, not as I do, right?

LibbY

PS I did not take the cool photo though! It was my budding beekeeper and birthday buddy, Lolo who is always buzzing with creativity. OK, enough of the bad bee jokes -- for now anyway.

Hail to SUPER MAILMAN!

2014-03-11T18:23:00.002-07:00

Today as I came careening home from Tar-jay to meet the bus, I saw two fire engines on our sleepy street with lots of hoses out! Immediately I started to pray that no one's house was on fire. Then I couldn't believe what was in front of me -- THIS!

Holy freaking cow! I had to start snapping pictures because it was just too shocking to describe with mere words. (A picture is worth a thousand words, you know!)

Oh my! The thing was absolutely torched!

So by now I bet you are wondering where the mailman was. Here he was -- hanging with the mail.

So as he was delivering mail to that box, the truck backfired and started smoking. Then he noticed it had caught on fire! He hopped out rather quickly AND THEN GOT ALL THE MAIL OUT before clearing out in case the dang thing blew up. Hey, the whole scenario was so bizarre that anything could have happened. Heck, that truck could have sprouted wings and flown off at that point, it was so surreal.

Our mailman Jim was joking around to the little group that assembled, awestruck by the whole thing. "Don't try, I'll get your bills to you!" And he did. He had the post office send him a new truck, and then he finished his route, still smiling.

Sam and his BFF were appropriately dumbfounded and thought he should get a Medal of Honor. They vowed that from now on his name is "SUPER MAILMAN!"

So today a new superpower was born on our very street. Pretty good for an average Tuesday, huh?

LibbY

So Who's Ready for Spring?

2014-03-10T19:18:00.001-07:00

Oh man, I sure am! In fact. I've never wanted winter to be over so badly. Out, out, brown snow!

We are up to ten snow days now (I think) and a bunch of two-hour delays. Oh, but who's counting? You could drive yourself insane; learn from my mistake. I don't think we even had ten days off after the legendary Blizzard of '76 in New England. But then again, up yonder in the Northeast they actually plow the side streets. That's quite a concept in Virginia.

As a kid I remember hearing the melodious scraping sound of the plow clearing ALL the snow off the roads. So its not that Northeasterners know how to drive in the snow, they don't have drive in snow. The plows clear the snow away before it gets packed down as ice, black ice, what have you.

(Exhibit A below.)

So enough of that! The first day of spring approacheth! It is coming up on March 20. Since today is March 10, that means a mere 10 days from now, folks. (As you can see, I'm quick on my feet with the math problems that life throws at you when your phone is recharging.)

This WILL happen soon. Really! We must believe. Maybe it won't be on March 20 exactly, but it's coming. Nature has a way of taking us down a notch when we try to schedule it to a T.

Yes, its almost time to spring into spring! BOING!

Let me be the first to wish you ----

LibbY

Perfect Day for a Getaway to BORA BORA!

2014-02-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

Ah, snowed in again!! Don't we all want to jump on a plane to somewhere warm? A perfect time to daydream of a tropical vacay. Here's how to do it on the cheap -- my piece from the February March issue of Robious Corridor Magazine hot off the presses! Link below --

Robious Corridor Magazine: Beat the Winter Blues!

Ahhhhhhhhh!

See you there?!

LibbY

Flannel Gridlock

2014-01-30T10:02:00.001-08:00

When the going gets cold, the tough break out the flannel. In my case I went hard core, pulling out the flannel pajamas AND sheets a la flannel. With the weather as cold as it has been lately, there cannot be too much flannel around here! However, after getting all excited to get into bed to be all warm 'n' stuff, i soon realized that was downright difficult to scoot down. It was nothing other than the scientific phenomenon known as "Flannel Gridlock." Two flannels placed together are not moving anywhere. Yes, it's a First World Problem for sure, but a problem nonetheless. I'd rather have this problem, though, than that scary 18-hour gridlock in Atlanta this week.

Flannel can be extremely good-looking on a guy. Just ask him! He's a flannel kind of guy.

OK, here's another example.

Let's face it, for ladies flannel just doesn't have the same allure, try as we might.

Although I do have to note that one of the Olsen twins pulls the flannel look off nicely in her own Bohemian chic way. Hats off to you, Mary-Kate or Ashley. Whichever one you happen to be, you wear flannel quite well.

So here is my remedy for cases of Flannel Gridlock! You sorta roll/lift yourself onto the bed right into place, so then there's no need to scoot down. How 'bout that? One thing is for sure -- seems like flannel is here to stay for a while. Don't worry, I won't try and wear a flannel bikini this summer!

Wait, just in! It's a photo of Katie Holmes shedding the flannel shirt she was wearing over her hot pink bikini!! She's lucky -- she is somewhere warm!! Plus, she doesn't have to worry about Flannel Gridlock!

LibbY

A Venthog Is Born

2014-01-28T20:42:00.002-08:00

Yes, we used to think the Sweathogs were bad! Now there is a much bigger force to be reckoned with those days in these parts! Watch out for the nefarious VENTHOG!

What exactly is a "venthog" you ask? Well, it is, quite simply, one who hogs a vent, such as this culprit below. Oh, she's parked there these days alrightee. It's her new 24/7 hang-out area. I wish I could say she's a genius for parking herself there, but let's face it. We've been in that house for over ten years, so it has taken her more than a decade to find that prime spot. She is definitely not a genius.

She is making the most if it, though. It has also been turned into her "bath-room."

Of course it's also her nap/bed room.

I wonder if we can pay the next heating bill in kitty treats, i.e. hit her where it hurts, dang it. In the meantime, move on over, you venthog! We are cold, too!!!

LibbY

Snowman Season!

2014-01-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas decorations and music are so incredibly beautiful during the month of December. Isn't it strange how they become so hideous and garish come January until the next December? No, that does not include Thanksgiving. Shopping is OK, decorations are not.

This pilgrim shares my sentiments.

Heck, I don't even like Christmas in July sales.

After all, even Santa needs a summer vacation from all things Christmas.

Alas, now everything looks so plain and barren with all the decorations put away, even though they are hideous. (Couldn't resist.) Valentine's Day is still pretty far off. That's why I call this time of year "Snowman Season." To make it seem fresh, I save all of the snowman-themed decorations until January. That way the house doesn't look quite so bleak -- or so uncluttered that it would freak anyone out. However, said decorations can't look Christmassy like this one below. Yuck, right?

This is one below is OK by me.

And there is always room for some good snowman humor!

Up until today, Snowman Season was a little lame around here because we hadn't had any snow. This cardboard Santa just doesn't cut it.

But as of today, we have snow -- at least for a while.

Now that Snowman Season is officially in full swing, maybe we'll even make a real "live" snowman after school!

In the meantime, off to make some snowman cookies!

Sorry, Frosty!

LibbY

A Thank You Note to Mom? Really?

2014-01-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

Don't know about you, but by the time Christmas is over, I'm exhausted, depleted, done. But there was still another chore to do.

So it was time, time for Sam to write some thank you notes. I was quite impressed when he announced that he had written one all on his own to me! Wow! Of course, I started feeling all appreciated 'n' stuff. It was nifty while it lasted.

He handed me the envelope addressed to "Libby." Kinda sweet, huh?

Then I opened it, God help me.

"Thank you for the yo-yo!" I read aloud. Once I picked up my jaw off the ground, I just looked at him, stupefied like I was under a Harry Potter spell. "You think all I got you for Christmas was a yo-yo?" Oh Lordy, there sure had been a pile of things under the tree from Mommy and Daddy Mac. The yo-yo happened to be the one thing that had just my name on it.

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, Santa was the one who got me most of the stuff." Oh, I was so ready to spill the beans on that jolly old man! I could see the headline now for the elementary school newspaper (if they had one) -- SANTA - EXPOSED BY SAM'S MEAN MOM!! But no, no, not right. Keep calm, carry on!

So then he wrote another note -- to Santa this time, the Great Provider.

Santa didn't get the same pink envelope. I guess he is too macho for that. Gotta love the stamp though!!

In the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, "Bah, humbug!" Rest assured there will be a more equal distribution of gifts next year. That Santa guy is not going to hog all the credit again!

LibbY

A Christmas Blunder for the Ages

2014-01-07T18:32:00.001-08:00

Some dear friends have an adorable eight-month-old daughter named Grace, so for Christmas I got her some multi-colored stacking toys and a couple of Christmas board books. It was all innocent, I swear, with no parental guidance necessary for the subject matter of the books! However, the parents/servants do need to be around to hold each book, read it aloud, flip the pages, and make sure no one chews on it. One of the books was this oh-so-sweet one:

However, in the frenzy of wrapping, somehow I accidentally kinda-sorta labeled the board book for Daddy Mac. Therefore, that means that I accidentally gave the gift intended for Daddy Mac to Baby Grace instead. No big deal, right? Well, it's not a big deal if that gift didn't happen to be "Animal House." Yes, THAT "Animal House." Oh my.

Needless to say, this was highly, highly inappropriate even if it is touted as an "educational film." (Not sure why is "educational" -- maybe because it happens to takes place ON a school campus.)

Grace may get a kick out of scenes like this one.

Oh, and this one. Perhaps this is the decadent fraternity version of swaddling. A thought to ponder….

The moral of the story - keep good track of those gift tags!

PS Did I neglect to mention that I happen to be Grace's godmother? Ah, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions!

LibbY

New Year, Day 2

2014-01-02T16:03:00.002-08:00

So how it is so far for you, this 2014 thing? Well, here's my first blog entry of the new year. Oh, the pressure of it all, to have something to say that is truly interesting for others to read! Well, one of my resolutions is to write on my blog a whole lot more, so here's hoping for some divine inspiration.

Of course another is to get organized, my eternal quest in life.

As we know, there is a fine line between order and chaos.

There's always a silver lining to everything! If boring women have clean houses, then I am far from boring! That's a good thing, right?

Perhaps it is better to pick more manageable and achievable goals.

The reality is that most new year's resolutions fail big-time. Here's a novel approach - focusing on the positive in yourself instead of beating yourself up about the things you coulda/shoulda/woulda been doing. How about…. (Drumroll please!)

Please join me in trying to be the most awesome "you" that you can be. What could be better than the best version of yourself?

Happy New Year -- plus one! It's never too late to be awesome in a way that only you can be.

LibbY

"Ride 'em, Christmas Cowboy" PLUS a Christmas Miracle

2013-12-25T07:05:00.002-08:00

The piece linked below is in the current issue of Robious Corridor Magazine. However, as many of you know, my main squeeze Cowboy is no longer living with us. Not longer after the submission date for this essay, sweet ole Cowboy started to nip (bite!) Sam several times. He never broke the skin, but he obviously couldn't stick around these parts anymore. It was a sad, sad time around here, the end of the doggy rodeo for us.

However, there is a very, very happy ending to this story -- I checked on Richmond Animal League's website yesterday, and Cowboy has found himself another home just in time for Christmas!!! So happy for him and his new owner -- and a tad jealous too! Louise remains ecstatic that he is never coming back to destroy the fabric of her life again.

"Cruising the Corridor - Ride 'em, Christmas Cowboy!"

Hope there is a Christmas miracle in your life!!

Merry Christmas!

LibbY

Merry Christmas from the "Real" Santa!

2013-12-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

Ah, what a relief! Time to write a blog entry again -- WOO HOO! That to me is the best gift of all! Christmas Day is here, and it all got done. Well, not really but hopefully most of it. There's nothing an emergency gift card can't correct, right? The annual Christmas Crush has been its usual blur/sprint to the finish line. Judging from Sam's reaction, though, Santa was a HUGE hit. As he opened up his 2DS, he whispered "YES!" to himself, which makes it all worthwhile. (Although for the record I wasn't a big fan of getting the 2DS in the least, this imposter/ "wanna be" Santa was worn down mercilessly by the "real" Santa himself.)

What can you do when your 85-pound (plus!) kiddo sits on the "real" Big Man's lap and asks point-blank for a 2DS? First, hope that Santa does not have osteoporosis or weak knees. Alternatively, pray that he has some good health insurance! Second, when Santa graciously says, "Yes, my dear boy," you refrain from screaming like a banshee, "NOOOOOO!" Instead you smile beatifically (or try to) and then also say, "Yes, my dear boy," of course! Thirdly, you haul yourself over to Target before they are sold out of this nefarious contraption. (Or you can send your handy-dandy house elf, Daddy Mac, with the Red Card in hand.)

Oh, but the Saminator was pumped! After all, Santa knows best on these matters! The rest of us are mere amateurs.

Santa sure earned his cookies and milk on this one, at least according to Sam. And that's what counts.

Merry Christmas to all!

LibbY

Sad News About Cowboy = Great News for Louise

2013-12-12T12:29:00.001-08:00

In the ongoing battle between sweet doggy Cowboy and Louise the outraged Queen Mother Kitty, we have a final winner. Much to her elation, Louise is the last man/animal/cat standing. To make a long painful story compact, Cowboy was super-duper attached to me 24/7. Unfortunately the poor guy had some abandonment issues from his previous home. Apparently he started to get jealous of the attention I was paying to Sam. Soooooo…. he started biting Sam last weekend. He didn't break the skin, but it was scary and unpredictable. Sam was terrified of him, but his feelings were also really hurt. He kept saying, "Why does he keep biting me? I am so nice to him!" It was awful and so hard to explain to Sam.

After crying myself a river, I brought Cowboy back to the Richmond Animal League. They were very supportive and helpful, an amazing organization. If you know anyone who may be interested in Cowboy, he is such an incredibly sweet dog. He would be great with a woman who doesn't have young kids. He does love kids, though. He loves being with other dogs, so he'd also love to be someone's second dog. There are some cute pictures of him on www.ral.org

For the first couple of days, Louise didn't even notice Cowboy was gone. She was too busy hunkered down in Daddy Mac's office, her precious Cowboy-free zone. It reminded me of the Japanese marooned on tiny islands in the Pacific, having no idea that World War II had been over for years. Eventually she figured it out and made her grand entrance to re-establish her regime.

Realizing that she is in the winner's corner, Louise is riding high -- literally. Her hatred for Cowboy seems to have rejuvenated her immensely. Who knew that a panting Springer Spaniel would be her Fountain of Youth? In her victory lap around the house, she is now up on counters, tables, and beds -- all places that she hasn't been able to access for years. Oh, and now she visits Sam in his room and hangs out with him for the first time ever. It is hilarious!! I guess she wants to fill the void so we aren't inspired to get another dog. No worries there -- we have all unanimously decided to be a dog-free family. I am glad we tried it, though. I did promise to get Sam a kitten after the reign of Louise is officially over AND Daddy Mac has recovered from the ordeal which may take about eight years or so.

Thanks for reading and thanks to all of you who have been so supportive. You know who you are, and I am so fortunate to have you in my life! :)

LibbY

Cowboy's Turkey-Time Tussle

2013-11-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

Cowboy has quite a thing going for this innocent stuffed animal turkey!! Not sure what about it makes him quite so CRAZY OBSESSED, but there's something special going on there all right! Look at the face on that poor turkey! Well, don't expect humane treatment from a dog.

Ah, but like the Carpenters, we've only just begun….

The torture continues…

Of course, Sam doesn't want to miss out on two good things -- torturing the turkey AND torturing the dog!

No worries -- the obsession is waning! Now he's getting into the Christmas spirit just like all those "Black Thursday Night" shoppers out there! Good luck getting that Santa stuffed animal away from him. Plus, this is even better real estate to guard -- it SQUEAKS!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

LibbY

"Head West to Durango and Mesa Verde National Park"

2013-11-27T17:40:00.001-08:00

From the November 2013 issue of Richmond Parents Monthly,

Head West to Durango and Mesa Verde National Park

It is definitely worth the trip!!

LibbY

My Boy Cowboy v. Cat Girl Louise

2013-11-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

So are you Team Cowboy or Team Louise?

Oh my! This dog really is like having a second child. Actually it's more like having a third, if you include Louise, which you definitely should. Let's just say she is not enjoying having her 13 year reign of being an "only pet" ended so unceremoniously with a drooling, stinky dog. Sorry, Louise, but he ain't going away any time soon as much as you (and perhaps Daddy Mac) might like that.

It's pretty hilarious. She hisses at him every chance she gets, and she spends a lot of time hanging out halfway up the stairs to make it very, very uncomfortable for Cowboy to get by. It works - he cowers. And every once in a while she lunges at him -- the 16-year-old cat with no claws going after a 45-pound dog. She's sure got some cahoonas! Don't ever try to steal her pocketbook!

She also makes sure to get a good vantage point of this scruffy new arrival.

After all he is really threatening.

That's why she needs this view:

In the meantime, Louise is going to start posting some NOT WANTED and GET LOST signs around the neighborhood with this mug on it.

Be careful! Although he may appear to be friendly and harmless, he is a HOMEWRECKER! Just ask my girl Louise.

LibbY

"Oh No" at Trader Joe

2013-11-07T17:14:00.001-08:00

Oh my. It started off so well, really it did. When he's not asleep, Cowboy loves being in the car and doesn't mind a bit while I'm in a store. It's just another great opportunity for a snooze. Sooooo I took him to the gym at Short Pump and then to Trader Joe's, cracking his window open a bit more than usual as a special treat to get some fresh air. (This is foreshadowing -- rookie mistake.) When I left him, he started barking like a banshee, very unlike him. I almost turned around and went back to the car, but then I thought I shouldn't let him know that barking like that get results. So I vowed to whip thru Trader Joe's. Yeah, right. That's gonna happen. After all, I had "CROSSED THE RIVER" to get there, so I had to stock up!

For those not familiar with Richmond, people here act like crossing the James River is like crossing the Suez Canal in a punctured raft. They'll drive twice as long within their own county without batting an eye, though. Anyway, before I knew it, "Cowboys"were just a football team in Dallas and I was busy scouring labels for excessive sodium content. Finally I got in the line to check out.

Then it happened. I overheard a lady asking the store manager to page whoever had a black car with a traumatized Springer Spaniel in it. He was barking incessantly and trying to jump out the window. I hightailed it out of there to some good Samaritan at my car who had been trying to calm him down. At this point he was practically half-in and half out of the car. Oh my. Of course I apologized profusely, and the extremely kind woman insisted she wait with Cowboy while I finished checking out since I had CROSSED THE RIVER and all. Even after all that drama, she was a big Cowboy fan, the dog, not the football team.

Ah, so today I got the Trader Joe's Special of the Day -- a big slice of humble pie with a couple of doggie treats on the side. Well, it could have been worse. At least he wasn't in this position, not today anyway.

LibbY

Doggie Drama, Film at 11

2013-11-06T19:31:00.004-08:00

There is no sweeter dog than my man Cowboy, but he sure has given us a run for our money already, figuratively and literally. We haven't even had him for a week yet, but it's been downright newborn-ish around here. And that's not in a good way. The poor guy must have been really damaged by being abandoned because he immediately became super-duper attached to me, following me everywhere, and howling when I went to the gym. (Going to the gym makes me want to howl sometimes, too!) Daddy Mac and Sam were feeling a little left out of the love fest.

The real problems started when he started having diarrhea in different places all over the house! GROSS!!!! I knew Cowboy was officially my dog when I was cleaning up the eighth mess at 5 AM. The poor guy, but it was definitely poor us, too. Ugh! After Sam's room was a target, he kept saying, "This was a big mistake!" Anybody have any good ideas how to get these kinds of stains out of rugs? Aieeeee!!!!

So after talking to the vet off and on for a day and a half, I finally just dropped him off there. I had no idea what to do after he ate boiled chicken and rice once but then wouldn't touch it again. Where to you go from there? There is only one answer! Sooooooo, Cowboy spent 24 hours at the vet, aka Hotel Cowboy. I've got to admit I really enjoyed the respite. It was a great chance to try out various stain removers. We picked him up tonight, though, and my heart sang as he ran over to us, his ears flopping away.

As for Louise, that's ANOTHER story. This 16-year-old cat with no claws walked over to Cowboy, touched noses, and hissed right in his face. Now Cowboy cowers when he sees her, hiding his face and behind anybody whose legs are handy. It's downright hilarious. Louise has been quarantined on one side of the house much to her displeasure. (See above.) "Supervised visitation"is the name of the game right now, more for Cowboy's protection than hers. She's a feisty one all right. When he was at the vet, she strutted around like she had chased that outlaw all the way to the state line. Now he's back. Ouch. She seems to be liking her "mother-in-law's apartment" over the garage more and more!

Stay tuned for more doggie-birth-control stories, but he is a great little guy with a huge heart. What's not to love?

LibbY

Hot Diggety Dog! A Dog!

2013-10-31T06:24:00.001-07:00

We are FINALLY getting a dog -- today!! Woo woo! Woof woof! Introducing Cowboy!

We are all excited, except for Louise of course who acts all aloof. She even pretends she doesn't understand what we are saying when we tell her about the new dog in town! This should be avery, very interesting Halloween, full of frights for everyone!

He is a such a sweet dog, so I am sure she will show him who's boss in no-time-flat. In fact, the woman at the pound said he "kinda cowers" when he walks through the cat area. Sooooo if there is ever going to be a dog who works with Louise, this is him!

Welcome, Cowboy! Rotsa ruck, boy!

Cowboy looks and acts just like our dog growing up, Barney, pronounced "Bahney." Cowboy has black spots instead of brown, but is just as sweet. Only now I am the mother and have to take care of him 24/7. (By the way, thanks for all that, Mom!) Payback is hell, but it's worth it. Right, Cowboy?

LibbY

Study for Spleing Test!

2013-10-25T15:15:00.003-07:00

That is what Sam had written down in his assignment notebook last week to study for his “spelling test.” Of course, I had to stifle the raucous guffaw deep within me dying to escape. Shoot, doesn’t the boy know that the word “spelling” has two l’s in it? This is second grade after all, snap to it, little man!

But what did I say? Nothing, not a word. Why? It was too dang cute. I’m probably doing him a disservice, but I can’t help myself. He’ll figure it out by middle school, right?

Off to help him study. Apparently we’ve got our work cut out for us. Just hoping that “spelling” is not one of the actual spelling words!

LibbY

"A Name - and A Lesson in Living"

2013-10-20T04:36:00.001-07:00

Joy to the World! Here is my piece on page 1 of today's Richmond Times-Dispatch's Sunday Flair Section "In My Shoes" Column.

A Name and a Lesson in Living

We miss you, Joy!

LibbY

"Confessions of a Non-Runner"

2013-10-17T08:46:00.004-07:00

Here is a “sneak peek” into Robious Corridor Magazine‘s upcoming issue. Don’t you feel special? If you are looking for some good rationalization why you don’t run, please click on the link below.

"Confessions of a Non-Runner"

Take your time, no need to sprint through it! OK, bad joke, my bad.

LibbY

OCT14

Hollywood Cemetery: Local (Historic) Haunt on the Hill

2013-10-14T08:08:00.003-07:00

There is no need to travel far to get spooked this Halloween!

Click the link below for the latest from “Traveling With Kids” in Richmond Parents Monthly‘s October issue.

Hollywood Cemetery – Local Haunt on the Hill

All photos by the lovely and talented Loretta Sherwood! :)

LibbY

Libby With a "Y"

BIG NEWS for "Libby With a Y!"

www.LibbyMcNamee.com

Thanks for reading! See you at www.LibbyMcNamee.com! LibbY

Is It Really Safe to Put the Scraper Away?

Life Bee-yond the Screen

Hail to SUPER MAILMAN!

So Who's Ready for Spring?

Perfect Day for a Getaway to BORA BORA!

Flannel Gridlock

A Venthog Is Born

Snowman Season!

A Thank You Note to Mom? Really?

A Christmas Blunder for the Ages

New Year, Day 2

"Ride 'em, Christmas Cowboy" PLUS a Christmas Miracle

Merry Christmas from the "Real" Santa!

Sad News About Cowboy = Great News for Louise

Cowboy's Turkey-Time Tussle

"Head West to Durango and Mesa Verde National Park"

My Boy Cowboy v. Cat Girl Louise

"Oh No" at Trader Joe

Doggie Drama, Film at 11

Hot Diggety Dog! A Dog!

Study for Spleing Test!

But what did I say? Nothing, not a word. Why? It was too dang cute. I’m probably doing him a disservice, but I can’t help myself. He’ll figure it out by middle school, right?

Off to help him study. Apparently we’ve got our work cut out for us. Just hoping that “spelling” is not one of the actual spelling words!

"A Name - and A Lesson in Living"

Joy to the World! Here is my piece on page 1 of today's Richmond Times-Dispatch's Sunday Flair Section "In My Shoes" Column.

A Name and a Lesson in Living

We miss you, Joy!

LibbY

"Confessions of a Non-Runner"

Hollywood Cemetery: Local (Historic) Haunt on the Hill

Thanks for reading! See you at www.LibbyMcNamee.com!

LibbY