First of Advent

We celebrated the First Sunday of Advent today. For us, this is not just the first day of the period waiting for the arrival of Christ at Christmas. The First of Advent is also the anniversary of the day when Paula and Daniel became an item, a couple. If it were not for this, we would probably not be here. This blog would probably not exist. Life is full of points in history before us, that must have happened for our lives to turn out as good as they did. I love that Paula and Daniel became a couple. 

New Tablet

Daniel has bought a new tablet. We will no longer use the old tablet. 

It is interesting to try a new device.  I have logged in to the blog on this new tablet now. It looks a little different, but mostly the same. 

I will still be able to use telephones or computers, as usual, but I have always used the old tablet the most. I believe this new tablet will become my new prefered device, but time will tell. There will be just as many daily blog entries as usual, regardless of which device I use. 

Crunchy Cheese Bites

Paula had bought something special today. Both Pepe and I loved it. This was crunchy cheese bites.

We have always liked cheese. We also like reasonably chewy, crunchy things. These cheese bits also had a nice size, just enough for us Chihuahuas. 

Pepe and I asked Paula to buy more of these crunchy cheese bites. We hope she does. 

Cats Came Late

Humans and dogs have forged a close relationship over many millenia. Perhaps it dates as far back as 40,000 years, but at least 30,000 years.

New research shows that cats joined us much later, just a few thousand years ago. This is further proof that dog is man’s best friend. Cats do not come close.

I asked our cats Totte and Malin about this. Neither one of them wanted to comment. 

I See Fire

Paula got up early and started a fire in the fire place in our living room. I always like to see the fire, it means it gets warmer indoors. 

Dogs do not need to be able to control fire. We have our humans who do this for us. There are theories that controlled fire and food were the things, beside love, that ancient humans offered, when our wolf ancestors became dogs. Our wolf ancestors offered hunting and guarding skills, beside love. It has always been an even trade, fire has always been one of the human contributions. 

I see fire, and I know my humans love me just as much as I love them. 

Spilled Drink

Paula had an open bottle on a table today. Her plan was to drink the contents, but she happened to spill the drink on the floor. 

Pepe and I could have helped, but we figured that Paula should clean up her own mess. As dogs, we help with a lot of things, but rarely cleaning. 

The good thing was that when Paula did clean up the drink, it became cleaner than it had been before. This was a positive side effect of the accident. 

There is no reason to cry over a spilled drink. 

A Visit to the Bank

Paula and Daniel had an errand to the bank today. I have never quite understood what humans do at the bank or why they do it. As far as I can understand, it has something to do with money. Money is the thing humans use to get food, includimg dog food. This means an errand to the bank might have something to do with buying dog food, even though dog food is bought at other places. If this is the case, banks are important places. 

We got our dog food today as well. We always do. Our humans are reliable. 

In the Lap

This afternoon, Daniel sat down to rest and read for a while. I would have wanted to lie down in his lap to rest, while he sat down. Totte was there before me, however, occupying the lap. Totte listens to me on important things, such as when I want to keep food that he would be interested in. When he occupies the lap of Daniel, however, I let him have the lap. It is nice to lie in the lap, but it is not so important that I feel like I would chase Totte away. Totte could stay in the lap this time. I allow such things. 

Minced Meat

Daniel cooked meat sauce today. Pepe and I got some of the minced meat to eat, whichis always a treat. Pepe did not eat much, but I did. Then Totte came along, when I was full, and finished it off. Malin got a little, too. 

Minced meat is tasty and healthy. I have lost track of the many times I have expressed my wishes to get it more often. This cannot be said often enough. 

Thaw

As was expected, thaw came along. We have had temperatures above the freezing point all day. There is hardly any snow left. 

Malin and Totte, our cats, spent the day outside. They came back inside in the evening. It had been more comfortable for them outside with the warmer temperatures, but they still prefered to be inside for the night. Pepe and I understand them. 

Still Snow

The snow is still on the ground.

We figured the snow would melt and disappear quickly, since it is still November. It was not quite as quickly as we thought, though. 

Nevertheless, we still believe the snow will disappear in a few days. 

Snow

Snow fell this morning.

At first, we figured the snow might thaw and disappear today. It didn’t. We had temperatures below the freezing point all day.

It is still just November. Chances are we will get thaw soon, and the snow will disappear. 

A good thing about the snow is that it does not feel as dark as November usually does. The white snow reflects so much light. This is a good thing about snow, while the cold weather that brings snow is a bad thing. 

We hope for a white Christmas, but Christmas is far away and we do not need snow all of the days until Christmas. 

Early Departure

Paula and Daniel went to the hospital really early this morning. Then they came back, only to go there again an hour later. 

The trouble is that Paula has an injuried shoulder that hurts. We wish it would heal and get well again. 

Meanwhile, Pepe and I watched the house. We did this well, if I may say so. Nothing bad happened to the house while Paula and Daniel were away. 

Barking

Pepe barks sometimes, when I believe there is no reason to bark. It is very rarely the other way around. It might be better if Pepe would not bark so much. 

Whenever I am barking, there is a legitimate cause to bark. There are occasions when Pepe is barking with no legitimate cause for it. 

Pepe claims he always have a cause to bark. This is true, he has, but it is not always a legitimate cause. Watch dogs bark to sound an alarm. This is what I do. 

Nevertheless, we love Pepe very much. 

Playoff

Sweden is at the bottom of its qualification group for the football World Cup. Still, the national team will get a spot in playoff games. This is thanks to a good result in Nations League earlier, and that all of the teams that did even better there are already qualified, either for the World Cup or for the playoffs through their result in the Qualification rounds. 

We hope Sweden will make it to the World Cup. If not, Pepe and I can still root for Mexico. Mexico is already qualified, as one of the host countries. 

Cleaning

We spent a lot of this Sunday cleaning.

Last week, a chest of drawers fell to the floor. While most of the effects had already been cleaned away, we found small items from the top of the chest lying on the floor. Sometimes, you will find remains from an accident for a very long time after the accident happened. We hope these were the final things to take care of. 

The vacuum cleaner is noisy, but it could be worse. It leaves a cleaner floor behind, which is good. 

Conference

The board of the Örebro County Kennel Club had a conference today. Daniel is a board member and attended the conference. 

Daniel was satisfied with the conference, when he returned home in the late afternoon. Pepe and I would like to have heard more about what had been discussed. Paula was not as interested as we were, so Daniel did not say so much. Paula and Daniel talked about other topics instead. I guess this is all right. Life has taught me that human discussions can take unexpected turns and start to concern completely different issues. This was probably what happened between Paula and Daniel. 

Frost

We had frost in the morning. We had frost in the evening.

Winter is here. Winter is a normal season for Sweden. We like winter in Sweden for this reason. Otherwise, we would prefer summer. 

No Smörgåstårta

Today is the special day for the Swedish dish smörgåstårta. You could call it sandwich cake, but this name would not do the dish justice.

Paula and Daniel considered having smörgåstårta today, but they ended up with a princess cake instead.

They could not find a good smörgåstårta, while princess cakes were on sale where they were buying groceries. 

Princess cake is as tasty as smörgåstårta, albeit quite different. Paula and Daniel were satisfied, though, which is the most important thing. 

Cheese

Paula served us cheese today.

It is not that cheese is good enough to be your whole source of nutrition, but it is so tasty you wished it were. 

Grated cheese is the best. It is really easy to eat. We like that. This is also what we got. 

Life is good, when you get cheese to eat. 

Armistice Day

The 11 November is Armistice Day. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 1918, the First World War came to an end. The Western Front was the last theatre of war, and this was where the guns finally fell silent.

The First World War was a war that should not have had to happen. It broke a whole generation of Europeans. After the war, people said this was ”the war to end all wars”, but just about twenty years later, the Second World War started. Even more people died in the Second World War. 

Sweden managed to stay out of the world wars. Mexico did, too. We still believe we must remember the wars. It is only if we remember the wars, we can make sure no such hardships will happen again. 

Strange Things

Some things are just so strange, it is easier to just forget them. 

Then, when we have forgotten about them, we do not know what it was that was strange. Then we do not know what it was we could have written a blog entry about. 

It is strange how the memory works. 

Mild Weather

It is quite mild for November. When we go out in the morning, it is dark, but no frost on the ground. This is the month that was called Winter month in Sweden in the past. We are yet far from winter. This is fine by me. 

Gustavus Adolphus

It is the Gustavus Adolphus day, when we celebrate the great Swedish King Gustavus II Adolphus. 

At least, Daniel tells us King Gustavus Adolphus was a great king. Apparently, he was not just a Swedish hero, but also a hero for all of Protestant Christianity. Pepe and I are decendants from the Catholic country Mexico. We are not so sure the Lutheran faith of Gustavus Adolphus and Daniel is the optimal Christian faith. 

We would love to try Gustavus Adolphus pastry, though. 

Bats, Agave, and Tequila

This is an interesting and concerning story from the Chihuahua area of Mexico. 

The production of Tequila in Mexico poses a threat to the agave plants used for the production, and the bats who feed upon them and are needed for the pollination of them. 

We hope Tequila will be around for generations. This must mean the farmers must take care of the plants and the pollinating bats. Tequila must be good for the economy in the future as well. What is good for the economy in the Chihuahua area, is good for the Chihuahua dog breed. We must never forget this. 

Popcorn

I found a package of un-popped popcorn today. Paula was happy to learn this, she loves popcorn. I asked her to wait until the evening, though, when Daniel would be back home from work. She obliged, she thought it was a good idea to wait. 

When Daniel was back home, he and Paula shared the popcorns. This was a nice evening snack for them. I am glad they were both happy for it. 

Some Cheese

We had an afternoon snack of cheese. 

One of the foods both Paula and Daniel love is cheese. They often treat themselves to good cheese. They also often treat us to the same good cheese. This happens especially when it is cheese with no mold, apparently, humans can digest some molds that dogs cannot. The cheese today was without mold and Pepe and I got a lot of it. We liked it. 

Remembrance

It is the annual day for everyone in Sweden to remeber the family members they have lost.

We think of the dogs who lived here before. They were part of our family. 

Daniel went away for a moment of remembrance in Stockholm. Paula did the same, but here in Örebro. 

Remembrance is part of life. As long as we remember, parts of our loved ones are still around in our hearts.