January 2009

It's been over two months since I posted and I could give a dozen excuses as to why, but I wont go into everything right now. I wont tell you about running around going crazy trying to finish the decorating and the baking. I wont tell you about having company the week before Christmas. (Wonderful company, even though it was not a happy reason for a visit.) My sister and her hubby and her youngest daughter and her hubby and their dog Scooter. Or the week of Christmas when the Mother-in-law was here. Or the first week of January when Dad had a mini stroke then came here for a few days with his dog to recover bringing with him the flu from hell. I wont go into the fact Gerry and I then caught the flu. (We only had to throw away one mattress.) Or when last weekend I was snow blowing the driveway and tripped on the edge of the cement walk and fell into the blower, twisting my ankle, bruising my shoulder and my cheek, twisting my glasses and losing a lens in 10" of snow. Then the virus that has all the hospitals full and the one I thought I got a flu shot to prevent, hit me like a tons of bricks. Finally today the fever broke and I sat down at my computer to check e-mail that has been piling up for the last month. No, I wont go into all my troubles that brought in this New Year. Nope, not gonna do it.

Time out while I blow my nose.

I wanted to share with you my favorite Christmas gift. I have this dog groomer that not only is fantastic at her job but happens to live right across the street from us. Tracy has been taking care of my dogs for the last couple of years and the dogs and I just love her. Tuesday before Christmas Gerry and I grabbed the mail on the run and he opened an envelope from Tracy. The first thing I said was, "Oh darn, I didn't send her a Christmas card!" From this envelope Gerry pulled out the following photos.

Can you believe she did these? I was ecstatic when I saw the pictures. I was showing them to everyone, even people I had never met before. People talk about how a Grand parent can go over board showing off pictures of the latest diaper filler but they have nothing on this mother of 5 dogs. This was the best Christmas gift I could have gotten. Thank you Tracy!!!

This following poem was sent to me and I think it is very fitting to post here. Please enjoy the things that make me happy. :)

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair. When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there. I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several furry bodies would need to get comfortable. I would have money.....and no guilt to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers. My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere. My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside. I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog ties them down too much. I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

If I Didn't Have Dogs...

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!

DOGGIES AT PLAY

A couple of videos for your enjoyment.

We had a costume party at the dog school and I was taking Winston so I got him a Mickey Mouse costume. Big Surprise! :) Here he is right after I tried it on him showing it off to his big sister Kelsey. You can see she has some reservations about the outfit. Then Cooper came in to add his two cents.

Here's Winston and Cooper playing nicely when Brewster decides he wants a piece of the action. Pun intended

Cooper seems very happy in his new home with his new furry friends but he still is afraid of Gerry and I. He follows me around and he wags his tail when I talk to him and he jumps on me to get my attention but if he thinks I am going to touch him he runs to the dog door and dashes outside. He has never shown any aggression. No growing, no biting, but he does show fear.....of us. It is so sad cause he is so cute and when you look at him you just want to pick him up and cuddle him. I am trying to gain his trust and I think it is slowly working. Baby steps. After living in a cage for all those years I know he is happier here...with new friends....freedom to play....good food....and two people who will love him when he realizes we are safe.

Here is a picture of him after he was groomed.

And one more that I thought was cute. You all know what a Mini Cooper is...a small cute car. Take a look at our Winnie-Cooper. They lay together by the door often. They might go out the door more often if Sundance would move her big butt. Notice how she sits it right in the door? What a brat. :)Sorry it has been so long since I have updated my blog but nothing exciting has happened. Other then the Presidential election and that was pretty exciting. I am looking forward to a new rule. Lets all hope a better year will be right around the corner. I am counting down the days till Jan 20.

Oh....one more thing....check out this link. I thought it was very cute.
http://www.yourchoiceforchange08.com/?d=RGlhbmFeIFNhbGxh
Please remember this name for 2012. ;)

Dee :)

UPDATE ON EVERYTHING

Update on Cooper:
Cooper is still with us, much to his chagrin. We had him neutered and his teeth cleaned on Monday and while the doctor had him under he also found he had a nasty ear infection. We have had Cooper two and a half weeks and he still wont let us touch him. This is going to be a long trust earning process. He will take food from my hand, in fact he is very food orientated and will take food from anyone…then quickly run away. He is following me but never getting too close. He likes being in the pack of dogs and follows them around the house and outside. His housebreaking is coming, slowly. Being we can’t catch him to take him outside is a real challenge. Because of his ear infection we have to put drops in his ears every day so we end up cornering him till he gives up and lets us pick him up. He has not shown any aggression, he just resigns himself to what we are going to do to him, along with peeing on us when we pick him up. All in all this situation is heartbreaking because I want to hold him and pet him and let him know he is in a good place now. I know, be patient, but that is easier said then done.

Update on Grandpa:
Grandpa had an accident last weekend with his truck. He was not injured, just shook up and scared. He was sighted for pulling out in front of an oncoming car and has to go to court this coming Thursday. We got word yesterday his truck needs more work then it is worth so they have totaled it. He told me last night he has someone looking for another truck for him already. I told him to stop that process because #1 his insurance may cancel him being this is the 3rd or 4th accident he has had within the last 4 years. Even though this is the only serious one, the others were little scrapes or a fender bump that he should never have submitted. #2 When the Judge sees him on Thursday and sees this 90 year old man who walks with a cane and slurs when he talks do to the ongoing no teeth issue, he may decide it is time to take his license away. In the mean time I will be his chauffer starting today by taking him to the dentist and then on Thursday taking him to court. Dad likes to tell me how badly I drive, in his opinion, or which way I should be going so this is going to be a lot of fun for me…NOT.

Update on me:
The test the throat doctor did on me showed Barretts Esophagus. I have another appointment on the 8th of September with another new doctor, a Gastrologist who will stick another probe down my throat to see how bad the situation is and to take a biopsy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this getting old sucks ducks!

Update on Gerry:
He is doing great! He likes to rub that in too!
We went to two, count-em two Polish dances this summer. Gerry loves to Polka and my job was to find good dancing women to dance with him. The first dance I found three. The second dance his cousins were there and he danced all day with them. You would never know this man ever had a heart attack. :)

We both totally enjoyed watching the Olympics and recorded daily anything we could not see during our work times. We just now got caught up on all the recorded showings and already miss the excitement. I wish we didn’t have to wait so long to see more of these sports. The winter Olympics are a year and a half away and we are already counting the days. We loves the Olympics. J

Update on the upcoming presidential election:


Well that is all the news at our house for this week. I will try to update more often now that the Olympics are over. You all have a great Labor Day holiday.

A new addition, or proof that we are NUTS!

Hi family & friends,

Life is never dull at our house. Since losing Bailey Gerry had talked about adopting another rescue. I guess when you get used to having a house with 5 dogs 4 is not enough. I on the other hand was not really ready to take on the work of training another dog. Also our current kids are so good, I can leave the house without worry and never deal with clean-ups unless someone has a belly ache.

Last weekend a friend of mine gave me a link to a posting on Craig's list for a Havanese. Gerry and I have seen a couple Havanese at the school and we both thought they were beautiful. So when I saw the add posting about Havanese looking for a home I called the number. What a mess I got us into. The gal told me on the phone she had rescued these dogs from a puppy mill and was trying to find them homes. She had three Havanese, two female, one male. I was interested in the male, so Gerry and I went to see it Monday afternoon. We were in a not very nice area, not far from the pound. The steps up to the front door looked so unsafe I was afraid to climb them. The noise from inside the house boomed through the open windows. Kids.....lots of em. I thought maybe they were running a day care. When the gal came outside with this little dog that was scared to death, had never been on a leash and stunk to high heaven I was ready to turn and run. I told Gerry and the girl this dog needed some very special care and I didn't know if I was up to the task. The gal was so sad because she said after talking to me she thought I would be perfect to give this guy a chance. She said she had taken 14 dogs from this woman who wanted out of the pet breeding and was going to put the dogs down. This girl was young and thought she could help the dogs find a home. As I discovered the next day she also thought she could get some money by doing this (questionable) good deed.

Gerry and I talked very little about the dog when we left, other then Gerry saying no one would ever adopt him. The next morning we talked again with Gerry still singing the same tune. "We are his only hope". So, I gave in but I refused to bring the dog here until he was checked over by the vet. I called and made a vet appointment, then called this Nicole back and told her my plans and to have the dog bathed and ready for us to pick up at 2:30. If he checked out with the vet we would talk more then. When we picked him up he was not bathed. Nichole said he fought her so hard she could not keep him in the sink. So now we picked up a Wet/Stinky dog. He still would not let us touch him but he did ride in the back seat of my car without a problem.

Off to the vet's office. Nichole said he was 2 - 3 years old. The vet said he was 5 - 7 years old. He said his heart sounded good, lungs were clear, his bones felt in good shape. He tested for heart worm, which we will hear about that by Tuesday. The stool checked out clean. Then we had the vet give him his rabies and distemper shot. $100. later I am still not sure I want to take on this much work and especially with the dog being this age.

Back to Nichole's house we drove. I showed her the bill and discussed the age and the fear issues in the dog. Then I asked her how much she was asking for this dog. She had the nerve to tell me $300. I replied, You have got to be kidding! Nicole had a friend there and this friend said they would take $250. Nicole did tell her friend we had already put out $100 and she agreed this guy might not ever have another chance. We settled on $150 whereas she should have given him to me free if she was really looking to help these dogs. She then told me she had originally taken 14 dogs from this old breeder and had nine left. I told her since she was in the city she better find homes for them quickly cause she is not allowed to have more then 5 dogs or she is breaking the law. The other gal then told me one of the female Havanese just had puppies that morning and they were watching her close cause she was trying to eat the puppies. I looked at Gerry with terror in my eyes, what the hell had I gotten us into?

Gerry said, pay the girl, and lets try to give this fella a better life.

So now I have a new dog in our house that wont come near us. He runs if I get within 10 feet of him. I finally got him to take a chicken/liver brownie from my fingers this morning, but as soon as he took it he stepped back away to eat it. He is not house broken, although the first day he watched Kelsey going in and out the dog door and in his rush to get away from us he went through the door. He now uses it all day long. He prefers being in the house but hides in a corner. This morning was the first I awoke to not find any gifts left inside the house. I am hoping he is housebreaking himself cause Gerry and I are afraid to do or say anything that will scare him even more. If anyone has any suggestions on how we can earn his trust I would greatly appreciate them.

I guess God knows Gerry and I are easy marks. I will go off and lick my wounds now :)

Let me introduce, Cooper. And Tammi, no I did not steal your beloved Cooper's name from you. Just think of this Cooper being a sweet little cousin to your beautiful black lab. :)



It is hard to work with one when you have a pack of dogs that loves Mommy's chicken/liver brownies. But see how close he came this morning to get a bite of the treats. My kids have let him into the pack. ;)

Balloons, Balloons, Everywhere!

Most of you know that I have this thing for Hot Air Balloons. NO, I have never been up in one and have no desire to go up in one, but I love watching the beautiful colors floating in the blue sky. There is something serene and peaceful and lovely about them that has a calming effect on me. Maybe because I have been told more then once I am full of hot air that I can relate to them. (No comments from anyone please.) Anyway, every year a week before the Hall of Fame festivities we have the Balloon races. Approximately 70 balloons come from far and near to be part of this event. The love of the sport is growing, not only for spectators but for the participants themselves. The last two years has been a bit of a bust. Balloons can only fly when the weather, winds and the nearby airport cooperate so because of that last year they could not take off and the year before that they were rained out. But this year, THIS YEAR, OMG, was the BEST ever!

Saturday morning Gerry and I awoke to the 5:30 a.m. alarm and after doing the necessary getting up tasks headed to the college grounds where the first drop spot for the race begins, around 6:30. Imagine the early morning cool temperatures, the gentle fog rising, the sun slowing climbing into the sky and the rainbow colors of balloons everywhere you look against the blue sky background. Just sitting here thinking about the show we saw this weekend still amazes me and brings a feeling of tranquility to my heart and mind. Saturday was amazing but Sunday we arose again to see the second race and this had to be the best show EVER!

We took Winston with us this year and even he enjoyed the outing, sitting on our laps watching the balloons coming closer, dipping to the ground to throw their bean bag markers at the targets. Even with all the people there the quiet was formidable. We were all amazed at the beauty. Needless to say we took some great pictures that I have posted here for you all to enjoy. I invite everyone to try and make the trip here to see this event next year and we will all hope the weather is as good as it was this year. Tammi, I am not the photographer you are, but I think a couple of these turned out pretty good. I hope you can make it here someday and take some whopper photos for your old aunt. ;)

Notice how the colors are getting brighter as the sun rises higher in the sky? We could not have asked for a better day. Aren't these photos beautiful?

My Balloon loving buddies. Winston, don't look at me, look behind you! :) Gerry has a folding lounge chair but he never once dozed off. :)

I could have posted another 20 or so photos but I tried to show you the best of the lot. These were all taken on Sunday. Saturday was wonderful too, but a little more over cast and cloudy. Come visit me and I'll bore you with photos of balloons taken over the years. :)

49 As a 1930s wife, I am Average Take the test!

Hey Tammi....seems the older the woman the better the score. ;)

Rainbow Bridge

Bailey and I around 14 years ago.Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown...

Goodbye my beloved little baby girl....wait for me.