"MAXDOG" is now available on Amazon.com!!
Click HERE for the 'Print-on-Demand' version
Click HERE for the Kindle (USA) version
Click HERE for the Kindle (UK) version
Caryl Moll's author page on Amazon, click HERE

Dear Readers and faithful friends,

After a number of years of wonderful blogging, this blog has effectively become dormant - except for occasional updates regarding my book, MAXDOG. I have left this blog as a legacy to my dog and a place of sanctuary where we can reflect upon his life. Take your time, peruse the pages spanning Max's 18 months in cyberspace. Feel refreshed and uplifted because his story is an amazing one of..."LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX!"
My activities have now moved on to my new blog entitled "LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX". Please join me there where you can read about my family and canine companions. I also invite you to visit MAXDOG's FANPAGE on FACEBOOK. You can follow the specific links by clicking below:

* 'LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX: click HERE
*MAXDOG'S FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: click HERE
* MAXDOG, the book: click HERE

If you would like to follow me on a deeper, spiritual level, then I invite you to visit my more personal blog:

May God bless you and thank you for following me!
MAXMOM IN SOUTH AFRICA

MAXDOG's CHRISTMAS TRIBUTE

Monday, December 21, 2009

SEASONS WISHES AND 'OUT OF OFFICE'

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM SUNNY SOUTH AFRICA!!!
MAXDOG here...

We have decided to take a short break from blogging for the next week or two. It is a hectic time in our household at the moment with Christmas festivities and friends.

We should be back during the second week of January.

In lieu of our absence we are putting up some of the photographs from the past year which have become the firm memories of our year.

We hope you will enjoy them and not forget us during our absence.

Dear furry-friends, please accept our warmest wishes for this Christmas and New Year season.
You have all become really special to us in so many, many ways!!!
We will be thinking of you all during this time.

So here are some of our most favourite photographs, from postings during the year, with their captions below.
Enjoy...

(Spot the MAXDOG...in Stuffie-land)


(Max with his Christmas stocking...waiting for Christmas.)


(Max and Tammy...sitting on the patio...waiting for supper and their walk)

(Remembering the time when the whole of bloggie land's hand was on us... in thoughts and prayer - as Max faced his surgery to remove his Mast cell tumour.)


(Sharing some of our friends with you.)


(Mom was 'under the table' playing silly photographer...Max wasn't impressed!)

(Max looking out from the study door - the evening we got the news about his tumour)

(Max supervising the "Christmas Cake Test")

(Max "rescuing" Toffee in the pool...and Toffee playing surf-board dude)


(King Toffee!)

(Tammy - Max's favourite girlfriend)


(THE MAXPACK: TAMMY, TOFFEE, TOMMY AND MAX(behind))

(The Maxpack...going for a walk together)

(Max ... in"chill-out" mode)

Max in "Traditional pose"

(Max sniffing "his" beautiful garden)

("I WILL fit into Toffee's bed!!!)


(Okay Mom...I'll be your Christmas tree!)


We hope you enjoyed our collection of favourite pictures.

Wishing all our readers a happy, wonderful, peaceful, fun-filled, uplifting, healthy, pain-free, joyous and beautiful Christmas.
We will see you all in:
2010


Lots of licks
MAXDOG AND FAMILY IN SOUTH AFRICA


Friday, December 18, 2009

THE WAITING GAME!

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
MAXDOG here...

Hello there to all my readers and furry buddies from across our beautiful planet! We hope you are all well (and warm!) as we continue into our Christmas season.

Here in JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, we are experiencing the most beautiful weather!!!:

... gorgeous, clear, blue skies, total sunshine (except for the regular afternoon thunderstorms), wonderful gardens and the sound of all the amazing birds which have invaded our city! Most folk have embarked on their annual excursion to the seasides of South Africa, so our city is kinda 'empty' of people, but we have elected to stay here, at home, and enjoy our truly exquisite weather!!!

I went out into the garden today and it seems that we have received an incredibly

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT!

Mom has never seen one of these in her life!!!

AN ORANGE SUNFLOWER!!!...

Isn't it truly amazing!?!
There is a kaleidoscope of floral wonders invading our garden at the moment, so I thought I'd make you a collage of some of them...


As for TAMMY....she is making full use of the sunshine!!!

"TAMMY!!!!!....COME!!!"

We all went into the lounge to see what was happening...


Our little friend...JEANNIE...had arrived... to come and spend some time with us!
It seems that Father Christmas has endowed her with the longest ears ever!...


Well, as we were sitting in the lounge, I looked at the Christmas tree.
Look at this....



Well, since it was addressed to ME- THE MAXDOG, I thought I'd take it!!!
Mom wasn't impressed!...


She removed it from my mouth and put it back on the Christmas tree!
I tell you...this is torture!!!
What is this waiting game anyway?!?
Oh well, I will simply sleep the time away.
...and guard the gifts!!!


Enjoy your waiting games too!
AND have a wonderful, happy and sunny weekend!!!
(Okay, I know some of you are snowed in, but stay with us to experience some of the sunshine!!!)
Lots of loving licks
MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

CHRISTMAS TREE PHOTO SHOOT

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!!
MAXDOG here...

(Our 'home-made' Christmas angel on top of our tree!)

Woof!...and hello to all my furry buddies across the globe!!!

Today Mom and I decided to do a Christmas Tree photo shoot. She knows that I like to 'pose' for photographs and since I am an old dog now, she feels that we need to document these occasions.

So we are calling it the "CHRISTMAS TREE PHOTO SHOOT". I'm not quite sure...

Am I supposed to be the Christmas tree?

Anyway here are the photos - for your Christmas pleasure.

PLEASE NOTE:

(The last photo did not, at any time, present any safety concerns for me!!! I was totally comfortable and supervised throughout the process.)







Sending you all our warmest and most loving Christmas wishes to you!!!
You are all incredibly special people (and doggies)!
We are constantly enriched by all our cyber-friends.
Thank you for being our buddies. We love you!
Lots of licks
MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA

Monday, December 14, 2009

I SUPERVISED THE BAKING!

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!
MAXDOG here...

Hello there all my furry friends from across the world!

Firstly, please allow me to apologise:

I have had to put in 'word verification' measures to the comments section of our blog. We have been receiving so much unwelcome spam, that we have had no choice but to do this.
I hope this is not going to inconvenience you all too much, because I so
enjoy all your wonderful comments. Please continue to comment freely.

Okay, now for my news!...

Do you remember the Christmas cake recipe and the explanation of our "Christmas Cake test" for prospective suitors (in our last post)?

Well, we had a wonderful weekend of baking and one of the suitors (we'll call him "Mr R") was put to the test.

Eish, it was such fun...!!!

MAXDOG: "Hey there guys, what are you doing?"

MAXDOG: "Mom, what's that?"



MAXDOG: "Okay you two lovebirds...throw in the ingredients!!!!"...




MAXDOG: Mr R, use those biceps! .... Would you stir a little faster please!....Eish, not SO fast!!! You should use a little more 'finesse' - we don't want to kill the cake!

MR R: "How many more packets do I have to stir in?"


MISS R: "As many as I say, Monkey!"

MAXDOG: "Hey guys!....I am here, you know! ....What are you two doing?!? ....You should be concentrating!...!!!"


MAXDOG: "mmmmmmMOM!!!!!"


Well, we are happy to report that the Christmas cakes turned out very well!...


"Mr R" passed his "Christmas Cake test" with flying colours...."A++" !!!...

Mom however got an "F" for her efforts - she left out an ingredient or two.Thankfully Mr R saved the day with his stirring skills!!!...

I can happily say that the Cake tastes delicious - or so says Mom.

We end off this post with a picture of one of our breathtaking sunsets. This was taken on Friday afternoon amidst one of our common evening thunderstorms.

Hope you all have an awesome, Christmassy day!
Lots of licks
MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA

Friday, December 11, 2009

THE CHRISTMAS CAKE "TEST"

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
MAXDOG here...


Yes Okay, my personal take is that Christmas time is really a time to chill!!!

I have taken up the task with my own special vigour!

Yes, dear fur-friends, are you practicing your 'chilling'?!?

(and I don't mean the cold kind!)


While I am practicing, Mom is getting on with her special Christmas preparations. I know this season...she's gonna be trapped in her kitchen - baking delicious delectables and spiking my olfactory sensors!


I know she has a special story around our family's Christmas cake routine, so I've included it today. This is meant as an inspiration to all our humans...
Hope you like it!




THE "CHRISTMAS CAKE TEST"....by Caryl Moll

Christmas on my childhood's farm meant "family" and "togetherness". The baking of our traditional Christmas cake was part of the season's task but it took many days to achieve. We lived a simple life and since money was tight, we were frugal with catering for our needs. My dad had also contributed by constructing a specially designed baking-box for our Christmas cake.


The varying ingredients for our cake were specially ordered from our local supplier. Spices too were specially gathered and selected for the event. We carefully lined Dad's baking 'box' with layers of brown paper and tin foil. When it came to the mixing and baking of the cake, the entire family congregated in the old farm kitchen to participate.


Some of us were responsible for the wood fire and others for the cake tin's lining. Some were charged with the mixing and some to ensure the correct ingredients and quantities were added. It was an enriching family affair, permeated with comforting aromas of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Later in my life I got married and carried the tradition into our new household. At first it was only the two of us. This meant really hard work since the recipe had plently of ingredients and without a large electric mixer, became quite a physical challenge. Nevertheless, the "togetherness" of the event was affirmed as a viable tradition.

It was a time of relationship building and when our children came along, it morphed into a time of communal fun, sharing and relaxing. Aromas in the kitchen - again of cloves, ginger, cinnamon and the like - became associated with happiness and goodwill.

As the years went by and friends were drawn into our household, the "Christmas Cake" occasion remained a highlight. Indeed when our daughters now bring any potential suitors into our household, they are encouraged to "Undergo the Christmas Cake Test!".

This "test" means that they will be responsible for the actual mixing of the cake (no electric mixers allowed!) while everyone else throws in the various ingredients. As onlookers we are entertained by watching their purposeful angst, their biceps bulging and the 'glow' on their faces. Their endeavours are usually punctuated with laughter and our light-hearted teasing. It isn't really a "Test", but rather an acknowledgement of the importance of them in our lives. And again... the aromas of the cake are always associated with goodwill.

I place high value on the "home" in our lives and my own life's mission has been to follow and encourage this cause. The Christmas Cake has become symbolic of this value to me and it echo's the importance of preserving the sanctity of our homes.

Today, I would very much like to share the recipe for our own 'traditional' Christmas cake with you. I will be buying the ingredients today and we will be baking this weekend - infusing our home with our own special tradition.


May I encourage you too to try this Christmas Cake occasion in your own home? Maybe it could also become a symbol of your togetherness and value of your loved ones.


Here is the recipe:

MOM'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

4 CUPS FLOUR
2 CUPS SUGAR
1 LB BUTTER
10 EGGS (SEPERATED)
1 TSP BICARBONATE OF SODA
1/2 TEASPOON EACH OF CINNAMON, NUTMEG, GINGER AND SALT
1/4 TEASPOON CLOVES
1 LB CURRANTS
1/2 LB DRIED PEEL
1 LB SULTANAS
1 LB RAISINS
1/2 LB CHERRIES
1/2 LB FLAKED ALMONDS
1/2 CUP BRANDY
1 TSP COCOA

Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the yolks one at a time, beating well all the time. Add flour gradually. Mix bicarb with a little milk and add this to all the spices, fruit, brandy and well beaten egg whites.

Line cake tin with foil and greased paper.
Bake about 3 hours (160-180C)
Enjoy the time together!!!

---xXx---


Hey thanks Mom...sounds delicious...but I want to play ball now!!!

To all my furry friends and their humans:

Have a happy, family filled weekend!!!
Lotsalicks

MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA