I live in Spark, Nevada. I've lived here for about 30 years. I'm a retired teacher. My furbabies are my biggest hobby. I love spending time with them and I get to do that even more since I retired a year ago. I'm dabbling with jewelry as a hobby but am not very good at it yet.

I have two sons. My oldest, Aaron lives in Colorado. And my youngest, Adam lives at home with me going to college and working.

I always thought yorkies were cute and when my aunt and uncle were looking to get another dog, I suggested a yorkie. Well they were in their 70's and purchased a purebred puppy! And named her my namesake, Annie. When they both passed, I inherited her. That was my first yorkie.

After Annie went to the rainbow bridge, I was looking on YTNR website and submitted an application but neglected to specify a particular dog. Carla York called me and suggested I become a foster mom, so here I am. I believe I've been involved now for four years.

I have two yorkies I've adopted through YTNR. Luigi is almost 14 years old. He talks to me by nodding his head and blowing out air when asked a question! His legs are so short, it makes it hard to go for a walk. He gets to ride in the stroller and loves it! Brandi is almost 4 years old. She loves to be brushed, wear dresses and be the boss of everybody!

I love being involved with YTNR because I get to find the just right family for each yorkie I foster. It's so much fun opening up my home to a foster and watching him/her begin to bloom. Putting together the right foster with the right family is truly rewarding.

I've always had pets since I was a child. I once had a duck when I was 4 y/o that used to follow me around and swim in a wading pool with me. Currently I have a poodle Puff (16y/o), a Chihuahua Littl' Bit (9 y/o), a maltese/silkie Cindy Lou (4y/o), 5 cats Snowy, Smudgee, Jordi, Paxton and Baby, a box turtle and fish. There's always room for one more!

My very good friend, Jennifer (who was our assistant), has moved to Arkansas.  I have a new friend, Jessica (who is now our assistant), who has THREE Yorkies.  I think I remember their names as being Pumpkin, Peaches and Tyson (like the chicken nuggets,  not the fighter).  Jessica takes really good care of me.  She brings me chewies and crunchies and knows exactly what I'm saying when I hop up and down and keep looking at the door.  It didn't take me very long to train her.  Nope.  I'm good at that.

Anyway.   Here I am still at the office and it's after 7:00PM.  My dinner time is 5:00PM so you know how I'm feeling.  We're getting a lot of work in which is good in some ways, not-so-good in others.  Like having to eat late, or only getting a few minutes to check out the perimeter of my yard before someone (who shall not be named) starts saying "Bed time, Mary-Margaret".  

About that "Bedtime" stuff.   I'm learning to read my mom's body language.   When she straightens up in her big brown overstuffed leather chair (which is also my chair except I sit on the back instead of the seat), I know she's going to get up and close my slider door.  So I race, lickety-split, and dart out just before she puts her hand on the handle.   "Darn you, Mary-Margaret!", she grumbles and I just laugh and take off like a shot.  "Make it snappy", she says, which means hurry-up-don't dawdle.

She sits back down and picks up the remote which is NOT what she had in mind.  She waits and waits, and if I don't come back in when SHE thinks I should, she turns on the outside light and starts looking for me.   Now you gotta know that I sort of blend in with the shrubbery if I sit really still and don't move a muscle.    I don't even blink.   This is fun.  So then she starts walking around the back yard looking for me.  "Where are you?", she says, but I don't say a word.  One time she almost grabbed a gazania plant instead of me.  That's hysterical fun in my book and really hard to keep from laughing.   Next swoop she caught me and kissed my belly.  "You little stinkweed", she mutters as she carries me into the house.  I know that "stinkweed" is one of her pet names for me so it doesn't bother me at all.

About pet names, though, the only one that kinda gets me is "Chub-a-lubs".  Yes....Imagine!! "Chub-a-lubs!".  Me?  OK...I admit that I might need a velcro extender on some of my dresses, but that's practically an insult.   As if she should talk.   Not everyone has a stomach I can use as a spring board to get from the chair to the couch.   I think I shall have to come up with a name for her, too.

Meanwhile....just so you understand.  Me and Mom have a really tight love relationship and we kid each other or play games but we'd never EVER do anything mean to each other.  Never.  My Grandpa even calls us "The Odd Couple".

Have a safe and happy Labor Day.  See you in Nashville!!

Love.

Notice his little hot pink halter, I know, he is a boy, but I just love that color. Just can't help myself. patti

"I just want to thank you again for introducing us to Wally and bringing him into our home.  We will take really good care of him; he's such a special guy. Yesterday right after you left, Wally was pretty distressed and kept running to all the windows to see where you had gone.  It was a heartbreaking moment, but it was also good to see how much he had bonded with you in a relatively short period of time.  Ziggy was also distressed to have another animal around, but the two of them calmed down by the end of the evening.  Ziggy slept with Benson and me, and Wally slept in Beatrice's bed.  Wally was up bright and early and ready to play!  

Here's a picture of the boys this morning after their walk.  Now they are hanging out here on the back deck lying at my feet. We are so happy to have him a part of our family."