♥Happy Birthday to the United States of America♥ + ☺Frankie's Name Game☺

My dogs are PAWticipating in Frankie's Name Game today. But before they tell you how they were named I would like to say on this 4th of July that I feel immensely blessed because:

• my great-grandparents and grandparents decided to risk leaving all that they knew to come to America
• that my father, a World War II veteran, instilled in me a deep love and sense of loyalty for my country
• that one of my sons is a Federal officer serving his country with pride and honor
• that every time I see the American flag I have tears in my eyes
• when I recite the Pledge of Allegiance I mean each and every word
• when I hear songs about my country I get a lump in my throat
• that my country stands for FREEDOM. Not just for its citizens but for all mankind.

Today, on the birthday of the United States of America I stand proud. This country of mine is not perfect, but I know of no other that was born out of its citizens craving freedom with such desperation.

God Bless America!

God Bless her flag!

God Bless her military who protect our borders and shores and who are serving overseas

God Bless the mothers, fathers, sister, brothers, children, spouses and friends of all who have died protecting our country, our flag, our FREEDOM and our Constitution!

Today we is PAWticipatin' in Frankie Furter's Name Game over at Frankly Speaking. No rules to the game except to tell how you got your name - that's easy.

Scout had his name long before he joined the family 'cause momma loved the name Scout. She always said that one day she would have a dog with that name. One day momma was at the shelter doin' some volunteering and a lady walked in with a Golden Retriever. She said she was moving and couldn't take her dog with her (yeah, right). Momma took one look at the skinny, nearly bald dog at the end of her leash and in her head she said, "That's that." She told the lady that she would take the dog and give it a good home FURever and FURever. From that moment on Scout was Scout. Momma will not ever say the other name he had 'cause she said it just doesn't belong to him anymore.

Momma's best girl, Starr, died of acute pancreatitis and momma cried and cried and cried and cried and cried - you get the picture? A local breeder of German Shepherd Dogs heard about Starr leaving a big sorrow in momma's heart and he called momma one day. He told her that he had a puppy that wasn't a good show puppy but that he wanted it to have a good home for 'free'. Momma said she didn't know if she was ready for another pooch but she went to look and that was that. The little girl dog came home with momma that day but momma, totally unPAWpared didn't have a name for her.

It took nearly a week for the puppy to get it's name, Freyja. How did that happen? Momma did an Internet search for German names and up popped Freyja. Momma wasn't all that convinced that she liked the name until she read about it and what it was all about. Freyja was the Queen of the Valkyries who would ride through the sky in a chariot pulled by cats (we like that PAWt). She would ride over Viking battle grounds and would pick up the souls of the brave and dead warriors and would take them to Valhalla where they could spend eternity being waited on hand-and-foot (we like that PAWt) by lovely virgins (what in the world are those?). Momma said that right then and there she knew what she would name her new puppy.

So, that is how we got our names and how we came to live with our momma. We really like our names because when we hear them we come to momma right away and most of the time get some great foodables!

Have a great, safe and wonderful 4th of July. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!