Through The Barn Door

Frito and Rugs

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sooooo.....the bathroom rugs have been put back in place and the toys have all been put away. The toilet paper is back on the hanger, the waste basket has been brought back out, my shoes are just where I took them off, not hiding behind a closet door.

But boy it's boring around here without Frito!!

I probably won't hear anything about how she's doing until next Friday when I get my next foster dog.

In the meantime, I've had more time for rug hooking.

Here's where I'm at so far.

This is the first time I've ever done a custom order for someone and I'm a bit nervous about it. Will I get the colors just right? Will the customer like the finished product? Oh me, oh my!

Gotcha Day!

2012-01-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a special day for Frito....it was her 'Gotcha Day'.

What is a 'Gotcha Day' you ask?

It is the day a Rescue dog is adopted by a forever home.

Kinda like a birthday.

So this was our last car ride together as I took her to her adoption at the Arizona Adopt A Greyhound, Inc office. Even though I only had Frito for a week, we had a lot of fun together. It had been a long time since I'd had a 'juvenile' in the house and her mischievous nature kept dad and I laughing. And...sometimes, on my toes !!

Have a GREYT life Frito!!!

Frito Settles In

2012-01-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's been five days and Frito is settling in nicely.

She got along well over the weekend with Spike, my boarder. Although she did seem to think the toys he came with were hers!

She enjoys going for walks, rides in the car and being outside. In other words, she's pretty normal. She has not had one accident in the house since she's been here (knock on wood). Though I must say, typically I find Greyhounds to be fairly easy to house train. On the farms and race tracks, they are used to being crated and let outside to go so it kind of comes easy for them to make the transition to a home setting.

She can be goofy too!

And quite the stinker! Frito is barely two years old and still very much a youngster. I've forgotten what it's like to have a toddler in the house!! She likes to drag everything she can get her teeth around into the dining room by my computer. I've also forgotten what it's like to have one that partakes of the cool and fresh water available in my bathroom.

I am reminded every time I sit down to a wet seat!

A Superior Outing!

2012-01-21T17:19:00.001-07:00

Dad will be 84 this coming June. He is diabetic, has Parkinson's and had a 6-way heart by-pass several years ago. It gets increasingly more difficult to get him to walk, move around, exercise and his short-term memory is fading. He would rather eat, nap on the couch and watch westerns.   I'm sure he is doing exactly what he wants but it frustrates me because I see him slowly declining and he won't listen to me. In other words.....he isn't doing exactly what I want!!!

We just finished with some physical and occupational therapy several weeks ago and already I see the improvements he made, slipping away because he won't do the exercises. Walking is a challenge, he shuffles because of the Parkinson's and loss of feeling below the knees due to diabetes. He can't use a cane, the logic part of the brain and the function of moving the cane at the right time don't work together. He can push a grocery cart but doesn't like to go to the grocery. Dad could use a walker, but his pride won't let him.

I am constantly bugging him about getting off the couch, trying to encourage him to do something but he worked all his life and has no hobbies. The arthritis in his hands make it difficult to hold onto utensils and tools so 'fixing' something is out of the question. He used to be an avid reader but now tends to forget what he read or where he was in a book. I try to buy magazines with short articles to keep him engaged but he is only interested in westerns and there aren't many magazines in that genre.

So why did I bore you with all his medical issues? Well, about the only thing dad wants to do that gets him off the couch and moving around is going out to eat. So we do.   He HAS to walk from the car to the restaurant if he wants to eat, so we go out at least once a day. And yes, eating out that much is heck on my weight! And it can get boring too. Dad won't eat chicken nor does he eat Chinese, Mexican or Italian food. Lunchtime is a circuit of the local fast food places around here for hamburgers and fries but it's easy because I don't have to 'think' about what he will eat. Suppertime is more of a challenge. There are only about three different eating establishments that he likes and the menus are overwhelming to him and he never knows what to order.

After being in Arizona for nearly 4 months, I'm getting pretty tired of going to the same old places. Last weekend I remembered a tiny, out-of-the-way cafe that I had been to several years back but without dad....Hark the Herald.....Angels are singing!! A new place to go and just the kind of place he likes!

So...we tested his blood sugar, packed his insulin, piled into the car and off we went. Destination.....20 minutes northeast, up in the mountains to the, blink-and-you-miss-it, sleepy little town of Superior, Arizona. It was a beautiful day with a brilliant blue sky and a couple of puffy white clouds. Superior is an old mining town established in 1902 built up near the Silver Queen Mine that had been successfully mining copper, silver and gold since 1875.

So smug and proud of myself that I remembered the old Buckboard Cafe, I could hardly wait to get dad's approval! That is.....until I pulled into the parking lot. CLOSED......not one single car. I didn't know that the cafe was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and since it was Tuesday, well....we weren't going to eat there! The only other place in town that I knew of was a Mexican Restaurant and that was out. By now I was a bit nervous because I didn't want dad's sugar to drop since I had no food with me and it was another 20 minutes down the Mountain. So I headed back but took the turn that leads through main street Superior where most buildings are empty, some even falling down. We were just about out of the downtown area (only two cross streets I think!) when, lo and behold, I spotted a cafe on a corner! Was it open? YES!!! Fa la, la, la, la....the Angels are singing again.

Porter's Cafe

Well....it was a bar too but I like little 'hole in the wall' places like that even though they can be really good or really bad! The question is, would dad like it? In we went. It was so cool....and old...and we were both fascinated with some of the antiques in the place!

The bar itself was almost as long as the building and sported an old, hazy mirror behind it.

I love the Sepia tone of this photo.

The food came....we ordered hamburgers.....and they were GREAT!!!

The most interesting and ironic thing in the place was this tattered and very yellowed newspaper laying on the bar for anyone to look at and touch. Printed on April 12, 1945, the ironic thing about the paper was that it is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fort Wayne is only a few hours north of where we live in Indiana! And there it was in the middle of the desert. If only that paper could talk, I would love to know how it got there.

As we headed back home, we decided it was a successful trip, a beautiful day, a great lunch and something different.

All in all, it was truly a Superior outing!

Chips Anyone?

2012-01-20T17:50:00.001-07:00

Meet Frito, my new foster Greyhound!

I just got home from picking her up and the first place she went to was where Lissa would sleep in my bedroom! She must have smelled her scent.

Stay tuned for more!!

A Lissa Update

2012-01-17T19:02:00.002-07:00

Got a picture today of Lissa in her new foster home.

That's her with her brother Ian and her new foster dad Michael. She still has a bit of a fearful look in her eyes but Michael says she is relaxing more each day. Lissa is still afraid to go outside but it is easier on her when the other Greyhounds she is living with go out too.

I'm glad she's doing better!

Mixed Emotions

2012-01-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

I am foster-less.

I got word on Thursday that Lissa was going to a new foster home. I was immediately worried. Did I fail? Did I not do enough for her, did I share her problems too much which maybe sounded like complaining? How would this affect her, would she feel abandoned again?

Not to mention in the last two weeks we had started to bond and Lissa had been making some improvements. In fact, at night she would lay at my chair with my bare feet resting on her back!

Arrangements were made for her to be picked up by Michael yesterday morning. I learned that he has three Greyhounds, one of which was Lissa's brother who came to him in the same condition Lissa was and that he has come out of his shell under Michael's tutelage. I felt better, but still worried about her. Especially after the Animal Communicator's reading telling me that Lissa felt abandoned.

On Friday night before bed I told her about the changes that would be happening. That she would be with her brother and this would be a good thing and that it will most likely turn out to be her 'forever' home. But I still felt sad and concerned for her.

Saturday morning when I got her breakfast she was shaking which made me feel even worse. "She know's", I thought, "and she's scared". Then something really odd happened. She started playing. Jumping in the air and galloping toward me AND.....bumping my cheek with her nose! Not just once, but half a dozen times she did this!!! And I felt even worse. She likes me and she's leaving me and it's really going to upset her world all over again. It felt awful. Good, but awful.

My feelings however, all changed at 10am Saturday when Michael knocked on my door. He brought with him Alli, one of his Greyhound girls that is an extremely nurturing dog and had helped bring Ian, Lissa's brother out of his shell. Alli walked in the door like she owned the place, Michael stood back and Alli and I headed to the living room where Lissa was.

OH MY GOODNESS! Lissa took one look at Alli, jumped up toward her wagging her tail in greeting. She was so happy to see one of her kind! So happy and focused on Alli, that Lissa barely paid any attention to Michael as he sat down on the couch.

Alli and dad

We sat and talked for about a half hour, discussing Lissa's problems, her routine and so forth. Then, Michael suggested we go for a walk with the girls! A walk....I can barely get Lissa out the door to the yard to go to the bathroom much less a walk.

I leashed up both girls however, and headed out the door. As usual, Lissa didn't want to go but Alli was out the door right away. Finally Lissa decided it must be ok since Alli and I were on the other side of the door waiting for her. Off we went with Michael behind. Lo and behold, we ended up walking around several blocks before heading back to the house. We stopped at Michaels minivan to do a training exercise. He slid the side door open and Alli hopped in. After a few seconds, Lissa hopped in. I went around to the other door, opened it, out came Alli and out came Lissa. Back into the house we went and packed up Lissa's things.

And there she is in the back of Michael's van ready to go on to the next step in her journey.

It's always sad when any foster leaves me. It leaves a hole, an empty place and the house seems different, quiet. And even though I had a whole realm of mixed emotions on this one......Lissa is without a doubt....in the right place at the right time, for her.

Lissa has Company

2012-01-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

When Lissa came to me to stay for awhile she had been in a previous foster home for nine months. The hope was that Lissa might come out of her shell more in a different surrounding and eventually be adoptable.

As you all know, it's been difficult for Lissa and she is a scared little girl. She quakes in the presence of strangers so when I got a call from her former foster mother who wanted to come and visit her, I was anxious to see how Lissa would react.

Debbie brought her two kids who barreled into the house anxious to see Lissa. I was immediately 'on alert' fully expecting her to bolt through the house and hide. Boy did I get a surprise!

Lissa never moved, she heard and recognized the kids voices as they came in the house. That is Debbie, the former foster mom in pink and her son. Believe it or not, her daughter is scrunched in there too next to mom and brother!! The look on Lissa's face was priceless, she actually looked relaxed!!! It was all I could do not to cry.

I think the visit helped Lissa to know or understand that her former people were still 'out there'. She seems even more relaxed in the last few days since they were here. I 'think' she may have been very distressed by their disappearance even though it was she that left them!

And, oh by the way.....do you remember the 'reading' the Animal Communicator did on Lissa? (a couple of post's back) Lissa had given the name 'Frank' to the AC and told her she loved 'Frank'. I thought perhaps Debbie's husbands name was Frank, but no. However, guess what.....Debbie found out that there IS a Frank at the farm where Lissa was raised!!!

Hmmmmmm! You just never know!

One Resolution Under Way!

2012-01-04T12:03:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've done any rug hooking. In fact, not since last winter have I picked up a hook and pulled. One of my New Years resolution was to 'get hooking' again!

And so....today I pulled out some linen backing and decided to draw something to hook. I've always used purchased patterns and kits so drawing this design myself is something quite new!

I started drawing the border making sure to keep the lines straight on the grain. I think I did ok but we shall see when I start hooking.

I drew this cute primitive sheep in the middle. Mostly freehand but traced the main part of the body. Not too bad I guess.

I stopped there for now but will most likely add a beauty line, a vine or something like that to soften the edges. Was feeling pretty good that I got this far and didn't mess up!!

Phew....one resolution I haven't broken yet!!

The Holidays are Over

2012-01-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Christmas lights that my brother hung on the house at Thanksgiving have been taken down and stored away.

Lissa's Christmas coat I made has been packed and put away too.

Resolutions have been made.....and broken already!

Hope my readers are doing better in that department than me!!

My Christmas Decorations

2011-12-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Howlidays everyone!!

This is pretty much the extent of my Christmas decorating.

I made this snazzy red and green plaid coat for Lissa to wear outside on cold mornings! And yes, it gets cold here in Phoenix. This morning it was only 33 degrees so she needs her coat!

Merry Fur Christmas everyone!!

Karen

Lissa Update Part Two

2011-12-21T12:47:00.002-07:00

It's been several days since Lissa's 'reading' by the animal communicator.

After the initial reading I asked the communicator to let Lissa know that it is not alright to do her 'thing' in the house and I got the response below.

I suggested to her that doing her business outside is something that is fun but she keeps telling me that it hurts, no not like an infection…. More like “eeewwwww I don’t like this”. I still get that she likes her privacy and she doesn’t feel protected out there….coyotes? Alerts… too open… snake! Wow… she’s going ADHD on me.

Unfortunately we've had two more accidents in the house and I still have to drag her to the door to get her outside. But, I can say she does seem a little bit calmer. Maybe that is because of what the communicator told me next?

One thing that she tells me is she loves to have her eyes rubbed with the heal of your hands. It’s almost like “mom” is caring for her. I feel she has a level of trust with you and is easing into it. I get that her ears picked up with the mention of forever home and that she was in the process of getting one. I get the sense that she’s glad to know that there is at least a destination at the end of this journey.

So....maybe not the end result I had hoped for but there are rarely any easy answers in life! At least I have learned that she does like hotdogs and they will motivate her a tiny bit. I have managed to get her to walk halfway down the hall to the front door by dropping hot dog pieces on the floor in front of her.

Baby steps....baby steps!

Lissa Update

2011-12-18T15:20:00.001-07:00

Several of you have asked about my newest foster, Lissa and how we are getting along.

This is what she does most of the time!

Snoozing away on the living room floor.

The rest of the time......not so good! She constantly challenges me and if we manage to take one step forward, she steps back three! Sometimes I catch myself thinking that the dog is going to get the best of me and I've never had that happen.

She is scared to death to go outside and I have to pull her down the hall and out the front door! Often when we get to her bathroom spot, she spins, whirls and pulls me to get back inside. Needless to say, she has fooled me quite a few times thinking she was 'done' with her business when she was not. The problem with this is, whenever I am not looking.....she finishes her business inside on the dining room carpet. She is smart like that, knowing just when to do it so I can't catch her in the act. Now, I've house-trained lots of dogs before but always use a crate. I don't have a crate for her nor would she go in one if I did. I tried putting her inside of an exercise pen (a metal portable folding fence) and that was a disaster because she freaked out so badly.

I bought a great little Bissell Green Machine and every time I am down on the carpet scrubbing away, she is laying comfortably on the living room floor giving me the 'eye'. Like she is saying, "See what you made me do because you forced me to go outside"! She knows exactly what she's done and that it is wrong, wrong, wrong! She knows that I won't correct her if she isn't seen doing it. Have I mentioned that she is one smart cookie?

So, in frustration and talking about this problem with my foster coordinator, she decided it was time to try an Animal Communicator to talk some sense into Lissa. A what?! Ok......I am open to anything if it will help. So, the Communicator was contacted and pictures of Lissa emailed to her. She is in Georgia, I'm in Arizona and this reading is all done telepathically. Nothing to do now but wait.

Then, out of the blue yesterday, I received the following email:

She tells me that when she’s outside it gives her a prickly feeling, like being electrically charged, static snapping, everything is sharp and her feet are tender. I get the feeling there might be a crack in her one or more of her pads? I also get that she’s feeling pretty stressed about what is hers, if she’s wanted and where she’s going from here. She’s afraid of abandonment, and a “revolving door”. She’s not getting anything that she’s used to so her comfort zone has been destroyed. She’s used to being in control and now she’s not. She’s trying her best to control you to make herself feel more comfortable as she isn’t aware that there is a clear alpha in the pack since she’s not allowing herself to be open to the rules.

The front door is facing the wrong direction, I get that there is a huge brightness when the door is opened which she is not used to. She tells me that it is huge… the door, and the light is shockingly bright.

I get that she will continue to try and control the situation by acting out the only way she knows gets her results until she relaxes enough into a role/slot she belongs in. But right now she does not trust what is going on around her is in her best interest and she doesn’t have the personality of going with the flow.

She shows me a picture of a hotdog… I think she really liked or likes hotdogs. This might work to your advantage ;-)

Well to say I was surprised by some of what she wrote is an understatement! First, Gail the Animal Communicator, doesn't know where we live. She doesn't know that Lissa goes outside to the bathroom on rocky dirt ground because I can't get her to go to the dog park where the grass is. I did check her feet completely but found no cracks in her pads.

What really blew me away though was the comment about the door. There is no way in the world for Gail to have known anything about my front door. The door, faces east/southeast but is only slightly larger than a normal door, but the porch it opens onto is big! And there is the light situation, the shockingly bright light. Ok are you ready for this photo?

This picture was taken today. The hallway leading to the door is dark, but....need I say more about the "shockingly bright light"!!!!

Stay tuned for part II of the reading!

The Ghost of Thanksgiving Past

2011-12-16T17:37:00.002-07:00

My post today is a bit overdue. I've gotten behind lately!

My baby brother came out to visit dad and I for ten days over the turkey day Holiday.

Here he is on a ladder....in shorts....with a beautiful blue Arizona sky in the background. Wonder what he's up to......besides the roof!

AHAAA....he's hanging Christmas lights with dad supervising! In six years of coming to Arizona for the winters, I've never had lights on the house, or inside for that matter! He even hung cup hooks on the rafter so that I will be able to put up lights every Christmas now. He is such a good brother and was determined that dad and I have some Christmas spirit since none of our family will be visiting then.

Have I mentioned how great I think my baby brother is? I'm so proud of him because he lost 90lbs this year! He is able to do things he's never done before.

Like climb Silly Mountain. I had so much fun exploring this little foothill of the Superstition Mountains with him.

We hiked at least a mile or more up hill and down. He loved it!

Horseback riding is something else he hasn't been able to do in a long time. He debated about going with me but decided that he should wait a few more months due to his back surgery this past summer.

So.....he stayed with dad and a friend and I got to go!

Yippee Kaiyay!!

That's me in the big hat with my friend Lorraine doing one of our most favorite things....riding in the Mountains. It just doesn't get much better than this. I even got to ride one of my favorite horses at the stable, Mouse. He is extremely sure-footed going up and down all those rocky climbs.

So maybe when baby brother comes back to visit in March, he will get to ride too!

Happy Friday everyone and have a great weekend!

Karen

Lissa has a Visitor

2011-12-13T16:54:00.001-07:00

My foster Greyhound has proved to be anything but boring! She challenges me everyday. Most days it's like taking one step forward and three steps back.

I had a day boarder last week and just had to share a couple of photos of Spike and Lissa. They look like twins, short and tall, Mutt and Jeff!!

Me: Spike, meet Lissa. Lissa, meet Spike.

Lissa: What is that thing? Did his legs forget to grow??

Spike: EXCUSE me! My legs are just fine. What are you doing wearing that sissy pink coat anyway!

Lissa: Well for your information buddy, I'm a greyhound and it's cold out.

Spike: For your information, it's Spike not buddy and you look like a girly dog

Me: Ok, you two that's enough.

And that.....was the end of that!

Dottie Update

2011-12-11T17:41:00.001-07:00

I got to see Dottie today!!

She was the foster English Cocker Spaniel I had last spring. Actually she was who I was walking to the dog park when I fell and broke my ankle, but I didn't hold it against her!!

Here she is with her adopted fur parents, Barb and Bob.

Dottie was staying with my English Cocker friends at Barking Dog Ranch while her mom and dad were on vacation. I think she looks pretty happy to see them. And they were over the moon to see her!!

Look at all of Dottie's travel luggage....and that's not even all of it!!!

Here she is in the car all ready to go home with her mom and dad. She looks like a queen! What a life she has.

My Christmas wish is to find homes like Dottie's for all dogs!

Rescue Newsletter

2011-12-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

I know that most of my readers aren't English Cocker Spaniel owners but many of you have followed my foster dog Dottie's story from last spring. You all know about my passion for dogs and that I recently accepted the position of interim Rescue Chair for English Cocker Spaniel Rescue, so thought I'd share our first ever Rescue Newsletter.

http://www.ecsca.org/ECSCArescuenewsletter.pdf

And besides....there are several wonderful dogs there looking for their 'furever' homes and one of them might be right for you!!!

Like this one....Archie who is in Pennsylvania!

You can read about him in the newsletter!!!

OH....and I have an English Cocker Spaniel in the Chicago Heights Animal Shelter (Chicago, IL) that we are trying to 'spring' out but I need a foster home for him.

This is Spider!

If you live nearby, or a bit farther,(we can always work out transportation) and can open your home to Spider, fostering is a wonderfully rewarding thing to do! Just let me know and I can set you up!!

Happy Tails and hope you enjoy our newsletter!

It Ain't Pretty

2011-12-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Warning.....Warning......Warning!!!!!

If you are squeamish about eyeballs and blood then this post is not for you!!

Don't scroll down and don't look.

Cuz I guarantee it's not pretty.

Not to worry though, I'm ok.

It's just a bursted blood vessel, no harm, no foul.

It doesn't hurt now, but was a tiny bit painful the first two days.

It is scary looking though and it kinda freaks me out when I happen by a mirror. And....people do look at me weird too.

I went to the doctor, just to be sure I didn't have a problem with my blood pressure. It was a little high but not enough to cause this. Instead it is likely stress and eyestrain due to the fact that I was on the computer Sunday for five hours straight handling things that an Interim Rescue Chair has to handle.

At least I am decorated in Red for the Holiday season!!!

Craft Fair

2011-12-04T15:40:00.001-07:00

Our annual craft fair was yesterday.

I was all set up and ready to go when the doors opened at eight. My collars were laid out with care in hopes that St. buyers soon would be there!

They came.......and they went. An hour and a half passed with only one sale of my homemade dog biscuits you see in the middle of the photo and not one collar. Mind you, the biscuits are yummy and healthy for the dogs made with peanut butter, pumpkin, oatmeal and a bit of cinnamon and they sure smell good!

By the end of the fair I had sold all but one of my biscuits and only 4 collars. I was pleased the dog treats sold but I really thought I would sell quite a few collars. I don't get it. They are not expensive, in fact I've been told I don't charge enough. I've been sewing for months, now what do I do with all of them!!

Bummer...I am seeing an end to my dog collar career! Dog treats anyone?

Absent but not Absent-minded

2011-12-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been far away from blogging these days. I haven't even had time to read many of my favorite blogs either and I love to stay on top of what's going on in those worlds!

There is a reason though, I can explain. I certainly haven't been absent-minded, more like I've been overwhelmed-minded! You see, about a month and a half ago I took on a new challenge. I stepped up to become the Interim Rescue Chairman for the National English Cocker Spaniel Club Rescue. It could be worse, English Cocker Spaniels are still fairly uncommon in the USA so thankfully, when I took over we only had about 14 dogs under our care. But still.....it has been difficult because these dogs are spread out all over the US. Sometimes there just aren't enough resources to help a specific dog in need. The most challenging job seems to be finding foster homes.   A foster home is someone who takes in the dog and cares for it like one of their own until the dog is adopted.

Not only are foster homes in short supply so is our funding. It doesn't take long to run through our money when many of the dogs we take in have significant medical issues. One dog had 26 teeth pulled, several others came in heartworm positive. All need to be vaccinated and/or spayed or neutered.

Recently we took in this adorable young boy from the San Bernardino, CA shelter.

He was found wandering the streets, emaciated, scared and weighing only 15 lbs when he should weigh at least 25. Thankfully a foster parent was found here in Phoenix, AZ and he is doing better but he was seriously ill due to stress and being so hungry. He required a visit to the emergency dog hospital where ECSCA (English Cocker Spaniel Club of America) incurred a bill for over $400. We will still have additional costs as he, Westley, must be neutered and vaccinated once he is feeling better.

My role as Chair is volunteer and challenging without a doubt, but the rewards are awesome. I am excited to share that some of Westley's medical bills are being 'sponsored' by a fourth and fifth grade class in Knoxville, TN. Their teacher is a member of our National Club and her class is selling school supplies to other students and donating 40% of the proceeds to Rescue in Westley's honor! WOW!! The students will be receiving pictures of Westley and communications from his foster mom as well.

Of course, you don't have to be a club member to sponsor one of our Rescue furkids. If you are interested in coordinating a project like this for your students, friends or group, please let me know and I can set you up. Or should you just feel inclined to make a donation that can be done at:
http://www.ecsca.org/store.html#donate Scroll down the page to 'Rescue' and make a Paypal donation.

You can also go to this page, http://www.ecsca.org/rescuehome.html to see some of the other dogs we have in Rescue that are ready to be adopted by a 'furever' home, could that be you???

So, now you know....that's why I have been absent lately!

A Greyhound Sew an Sew Sunday!

2011-11-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

For my Greyhound friends and readers!

I had to do it!!!!

This one is cute, it has Christmas Poinsetta's, buttons and Holly leaves. And...the D ring part of the collar is polka dot! So Christmasy!

See the polka dots!

A Houndstooth Christmas!!

And....thinking down the road.....

I was on a roll and wanted to make more but since my foster Lissa is the only Greyhound around here, I don't think I'll sell too many Greyhound martingale collars at the Craft fair!

Have a GREYT week!!

A Friday Photo

2011-11-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite things....horses and the Superstition Mountain Range in the background. Now....only if I could be riding one of them in the mountains!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Karen

Caught 'cha!!!

2011-11-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Lissa....is that you in the kitchen!!!!!

Oh my gosh...this is a HUGE improvement for her to set foot in the kitchen! It's a good thing I 'caught' it on camera or I probably wouldn't believe it.

Lissa - 1 Foster Home - 1

Now we're even!!!

A Sew an Sew Sunday!

2011-11-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Yes I've been at it again! I'm trying to get ready for our community Art's & Craft Fair on Dec. 3rd.

Fa La La La La

Ho Ho Ho

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I Don't Think I'm Winning!

2011-11-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

It's very slow going with my new foster Greyhound Lissa. I see teeny tiny improvements each day. But then other times....not so much. Like last night.

All she wants to do is lay on her blanket in the middle of the living room and it's not a big room and I don't want dad to fall over her. Before I went to bed last night, I tried to talk her into moving in the office. I put her blanket down, fluffed it up and went to bed. I could hear her pacing in the living room, then the whining started and just as I was about to drop off to sleep, woof woof.

Now....Greyhounds don't very often bark so I knew when she did, that she had just told me off for trying to mess with her routine. I lumbered out of bed into the office, retrieved the blanket, returned it to the living room, fluffed it up, put it down and went back to my bed. I swear I heard a 'harumppfff' out of her as she flopped down on her relocated blankie!

Foster dog - 1 Me - 0

Foster Dog Updates

2011-11-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

If you remember Pebbles, my last foster dog, she got adopted to a 'furever' home. I don't have a picture of her with her new family but below is the message I got about her adoption.

Miss Pebbles went on her forever home visit and found the perfect family. She has a big pit bull brother named Petey (who was a rescue), 3 cats (all rescues), chickens, a rooster and a goose! At first, Petey & Pebbles weren't sure of each other, but by the end of the time we were there, they were chasing each other and having a blast in her new family's backyard! Her fenced in backyard is over an acre big! She also has a garage area with a doggy door incase she wants to take a break while outside playing. Her parents are a middle-aged couple with two older teenage daughters (one is 15 and one is 17, I believe).

I miss the little bugger, she was so adorable but I can't be happier that she has a wonderful home!

In other news, I have a new foster out here in Arizona. A Greyhound.

This is Melissa or, Lissa.

She is what's known in the Greyhound world as a, 'spook'. Afraid of EVERYTHING. We have lots of work to do! Fortunately, she likes my dad and isn't too afraid of him. Me on the other hand.....not so fond of me yet!

She has been with another foster mom since January and the thought was perhaps a change in environment could bring her out to the next level. I am pretty sure it has set her back a bit but not as bad as when she first came off the track. According to her first foster mom, it took months to get her to come out of her bathroom.

She didn't eat the first day, but that's not unusual. She wouldn't take any treats, again, not unusual. She wouldn't pottie so we had an accident the first two nights but success last night and no accidents. YAY for baby steps! And she is now taking treats from me though she still jumps up to run when I enter the room she is in. I am working on all kinds of fearful dog techniques, have a calming collar on her, and have her wrapped in an ace bandage for comfort. Am probably going to buy a thundershirt for her too.

Please don't think she has been abused as several people have asked me. Unfortunately, some Greyhounds are like this, though thank goodness it is not the norm. Racing Greyhounds are not socialized like your domestic pets are. The only thing they know is their life at the track and kennel. They only have interaction with their trainers and kennel help. It is a very small world for them until they retire from racing. Each dog has it's own personality just like humans so each Greyhound reacts differently to 'life outside the track'.

So, I am looking for baby steps and taking it one day at a time with her.

Thar She Blows!!

2011-11-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

We had a dust storm warning today!

This is what the view normally looks like from the front yard.

You can see the Superstition Mountains in the background of this older photo.

And.....the same view today!

Hmmm.....just where did that mountain go!?!

Trim a Tree Time!

2011-11-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

No I'm not decorating a tree for Christmas yet, though I've heard it's like 50 some days away!! Yee Gads!

But I was busy today trimming the trees in the back yard.

Those two trees at the back left hand side of the photo were my victims.

These trees are quite messy and grow very quickly. Seems I've made an even bigger mess though.

And tomorrow.....I get to clean it all up and haul it off!! Yipee, lucky me!

A Sew an Sew Sunday!

2011-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

I did it again!!

Only this time I made some really small dog/cat size collars and a leash.

A Friday Photo

2011-10-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

I think this is an awesome photo of the Elvis Chapel at the Superstition Mountain Museum.

My brother captured them on his cell phone!

Have a great weekend!
Karen

A Sew an Sew Sunday!

2011-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've been busy today!

A Friday Funny!

2011-10-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that dad wants to go to the grocery with me.

Hmmm....could this be the reason why?

Pebbles Gets Dressed Up

2011-10-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

You may remember my foster pup, Pebbles. She had to go to a new foster home before I left for Arizona and Jaimie, her new foster mom, is so good to send me updates and photos!

Just love the Halloween Costume Jaimie dressed her up in!!

Doesn't she make the cutest little lady bug ever!

Finding Gold

2011-10-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well not really though I wish!!

Before my little brother and his wife went back to Indiana, I took them to visit the Goldfield Ghost Town nearby.

A great location for tourists, Goldfields was an actual town that in it's day, almost got bigger than Mesa, Arizona. Boasting around 1,500 residents before the gold played out, it became a ghost town on November 2, 1898 when the US Post Office closed it's doors and the last of the town miners moved on.

In it's heyday, Goldfield residents could avail themselves of a general store, brewery, blacksmith, a school and at least three saloons. All of which flourished in the short five years before the gold rich vein gave out.

The fancy building at the back of the photo is the Bordello, which I suppose, some might find interesting but I prefer all the old stuff sitting around outside everywhere. If only it could all talk, what history we would learn!

Of course, shopping was important back in 'the day' so I had to make sure that my visitors checked out the general store.

Baby brother is SUCH a good sport!!!

Aren't they cute! We had such a great time being tourists!!

This is one of my favorite photos that I took that day.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the sights here and getting a tiny history lesson as well!

Karen

A Busy Week

2011-10-15T15:37:00.002-07:00

This first full week back in Arizona has flown by. Baby brother and his wife left last Sunday and I've been busy ever since settling in and unpacking.

Of course, folks have figured out I'm back, maybe because of the vehicle in the driveway but whatever! At any rate, I am back to grooming and boarding this week with a total of three groom jobs and one day boarder!

Yes, I had to venture into the dog grooming shed where I knew that baby rattler could be hiding. Thankfully, I've not seen hide nor skin of him since and that's fine with me.   Hoping it was too noisy around here for him and he has slithered on. Trust me though.....I am VERY cautious and constantly looking around!

I must say it is very, very nice to have my 'regulars' come back to see me and see them get so excited. Well.....mostly excited. Tigger hates grooming and he knew right where he was this morning when his hu'mom dropped him off! Dogs DO remember things!

This is Nellie. She came to board for the day and was SOOOO excited to be here though she's looks pretty relaxed in this photo!

When she came in the door she wiggled and groaned and carried on to get my attention. Sure makes me feel good!

A Hint of Fall

2011-10-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is like the energizer bunny times five. She doesn't slow down and when she gets something in her head there's no stopping her.

She was determined I have a touch of fall out here in the arid Arizona desert. I acquiesced and bought a pumpkin, to her delight! However, I told her we couldn't carve it because that would more readily attract the Javelina.

Photo is of a mom and baby. I have yet to see a Javelina in person though many residents of our community see them on a fairly regular basis.

Sister-in-law was not about to be gotten the better of by a giant rodent/pig like animal.

That should scare anything off don't you think?

Anything but Uneventful!

2011-10-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

Dad and I landed in Phoenix last Tuesday and things have been, crazy, unusual, scary, messy and stressful, ever since......almost from the time we took off!

I 'thought' it was going well because when we left, Indianapolis was sunny, warm and the plane took off on time. Clear skies till we got about half way to Phoenix.

The first sign of trouble was when dad decided he needed to go to the bathroom on the plane! He never does that. But guess what....it was my fault because I forgot to remind him before we boarded. I knew this wasn't going to go well and it didn't. After about 60 seconds or less in the bathroom he came out with the front of his pants wet down to the hem. Can't say it was pleasant for the next two or three hours in a tightly packed and slightly warm plane! (Before anyone suggests Depends, he already wears them. However, with his diabetes and Parkinson's, he doesn't always know he has to go till it's almost too late.)

I missed another sign too......we always leave Indy with cold, and clouded over weather and arrive in warm, bright, sunny Phoenix. I should have guessed something would be different this year, especially when we left beautiful weather behind. Sure enough, about 200 miles from our destination, things got turbulent. And we couldn't see the ground till we were nearly landed. We had arrived in the middle of a dust storm! Bad enough that any turbulence freaks me out but we circled and were buffeted round and round. There was a young lady seated next to me who was five months pregnant and I glanced over at her to see her eyes squeezed shut and desperately fanning herself. It could have been worse, she didn't toss her cookies but, oh my, it was touch and go for awhile. I felt so bad for her.

My youngest brother and his wife had driven dad's vehicle out for us and they picked us up on time from the airport. Life was now looking better....well....pretty good. We arrived home to find the toilet in my bathroom not working. How did that happen in only four months of being gone and it was fine when I left? Not good when you have four people needing the bathroom and only one works. My sister-in-law and I promptly headed for the nearest Wal-mart to buy groceries and a new TV for dad. We were also pro-active and bought a new toilet flapper assembly so baby brother could fix it the next morning.

Here is baby brother and SIL putting together a stand for the new TV. Not sure he is paying as much attention to construction as his wife would like him to be!

And there is the new TV and stand with, of course, a Western on!! Have I mentioned, dad doesn't like to watch much else????

Baby brother managed to fix the toilet a few days later when SIL nagged him to do it. It wasn't the flapper assembly, it was a corroded flange. Then my utensils drawer in the kitchen fell apart when someone opened it. Got that fixed and after that, the top of my curtain fell off the back door due to a broken plastic holder thingy. But it's all good, these are small things and not worth sweating over.

Unfortunately though, it got worse when baby brother went to take the trash out to the curb. There it was, right underneath the trash receptacle.....an Arizona rattlesnake. I've always been lucky and never found one in my yard though neighbors across the street have.

There it is in the center of the pictures kind of coiled up and really hard to see in the rocks.

As if it knew, said snake decided to take off before the fire department could get here to take it away. (See middle of photo) It was a baby, only about 12"s long, but deadly. They say the babies are the most dangerous as they don't know how to control their venom. Really? If any of them knew how to control their venom, nobody would get bit right??

I watched in horror as it slithered toward that pipe at the back of my shed assuming it was headed inside it. Oh no.....nope, didn't happen. Instead......it went directly for the wall and disappeared up under that lip at the bottom of the shed. That's right, it went right up through the ledge into the wall inside my shed. And that's where I groom dogs all winter!

So now, the thing is in the wall of my grooming room. The firemen got their after it disappeared and suggested we put out sticky glue traps like ones used for mice. They didn't think we should silicone the ledge closed because that might force it to come out somewhere inside the shed!!! Oh freakin great!!!

It's been five days now and no sign of the snake. My monthly bug man came this morning and put down some 'Snake Away' pellets but where o where is the snake! Someone else came and moved things inside the grooming room and pronounced it 'safe', however, I get really nervous everytime I go in there. I have two grooming jobs this weekend so hoping for the best!

More soon!

Season's Change

2011-10-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that summer has passed and tomorrow dad and I will wing our way to Phoenix for the winter. Another season has come and gone.

Dad decided to spend some time on the deck and soak up some beautiful fall weather. Today, the farmer ran beans in the field behind the house and I caught dad looking out across the newly combined acres and reminiscing. Fall on the farm was always busy for dad and my brothers getting the harvest done but they loved farming.

After supper I took a walk next to a nearby cornfield.

The smells and sights of fall where overwhelming to me. In a flood of memories I was reminded of other fall days. Days when I couldn't wait to get home from school, saddle up my horse and take off across harvested fields. Days when I collected brilliantly colored fall leaves and watched fuzzy black and brown caterpillars scurry on their way somewhere. Days when I collected acorns by the edge of a field and watched as a dust bowl swirled around a combine eating away and collecting the bounty of the summer season just past.

All too quickly, it was over. Not just fall.....but that season of my life. I wonder if dad was ruminating similar memories this afternoon as he observed the field behind our deck that is now devoid of bounty.

Seasons change.

A Rolling Stone

2011-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Pebbles is letting no moss grow under her pads. She is off to a new foster home today.

I am of course, sad. I got quite attached to the little ragamuffin. I was hoping to be with her when she got adopted and 'approve' of a furever home, but it was not to be. Dad I and leave for the winter on Tuesday and we can't take her with us.

She will be happy with her new foster mom, Jaimie. And.....she will have a full-time playmate because Jaimie adopted Pebbles' brother, Finn.

Jaimie has promised to keep me posted and send photos. I will keep you all posted too!

Have a great 'fur' day!
Karen

Time's A Flyin'!

2011-09-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

In less than two weeks, dad and I will land in Phoenix for the winter season. I do not know where the summer went. We've been home for four months and it seems as if we've only been here for a few weeks.

Tuesday night some of my family got together to see us before we leave. We went to a really out of the way, but well known and historic eating establishment where my nephew works as a sous chef.

Located in the tiny rural burg of Perkinsville, IN, Bonge's has been around since 1934. Actually, it was built in 1837 as a Hardware store and became a Restaurant in '34!

It's the tiniest eatery I think I've ever been too, with maybe only 12 tables. Most nights, people are tailgating in the parking lot waiting to get a table. Apparently, diners enjoy the parking lot party almost as much as the wonderful upscale food served inside. Folks, this is NOT a hamburger joint!! The menu can offer such delicacies as Quail, Salmon and Duck.

Here we are after an incredible meal prepared by my nephew Colin, seated on the left. Next to him is my brother Kurt, my two beautiful nieces, Kaitlin and Elise, then dad. Standing behind dad is my brother Kevin, me, my daughter Kathryn and my sister-in-law Genan. Thank you Genan for putting this wonderful evening together!!

I can't believe it is almost time to head back to Arizona. If only Indiana didn't have winters. I'm already missing my wonderful family!

A Stitch in Time

2011-09-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Still busy at the sewing machine!

Cranked out three martingale collars yesterday.

These will fit Greyhounds with a 16 or 17 inch neck.

Martingales are awesome collars for dogs whose necks are bigger than or same size as their heads. This type of collar doesn't have snap/buckles, only slides and will not slip off over the dogs head when pulling.

Have several more designs planned!

Remind Me Never

2011-09-18T11:45:00.001-07:00

.....to go to the grocery on a Saturday morning. I don't know what I was thinking, I truly had a brain fade by going as I knew better!!

You see, I have personal space issues. I've written about it before here, http://through-the-barn-door.blogspot.com/search?q=personal+space

And I openly admit my idiosyncrasy regarding people in my personal space. Most times I just deal with it but this trip to the grocery pushed me over my limit!

It should have been my first clue as I headed into the store and the local senior citizen bus was parked at the door. "No matter", I thought, "I can handle it." NOT!

I headed over to the pre-packaged lettuce and it was as if there was a fire sale going on there! I mean, people were swarming like bees!! "Calm, remain calm", I said. "You can do this". As I patiently waited my turn at the back of the aisle, I waited beside one of those carts they bring all the produce out to re-stock shelves. Of course, it was stacked higher than my head. All was good until the cart moved and ran into me, nearly knocking me down! WHAT!
The stock boy peeped around to see what had impeded his process as I was staring at him with the most incredulous look ever! He apologized profusely but still....!

From there I made my way to the deli which was also teaming with customers. I was able to stand in the front next to a gentleman to wait my turn. All was good there until a little old lady, no doubt from the senior citizen bus parked out front, wheeled up with her shopping cart behind me. Now....I know this doesn't sound like much, but she blocked me in with her cart and with LITTLE room for me to move. Why, why, why do you stroll up to a busy counter like that and try to force in your grocery cart? If that wasn't enough, the front of her cart was so close to the behind of the man beside me that I thought she was trying to take him for a ride! I must have glanced at her 4 or 5 times trying to let her politely know that she was in my personal space and it was starting to get to me, but amazingly, she just smiled. Finally, I said to the man standing next to me who was almost finished with his order, "Don't step back sir or your going to fall over the cart behind you". I mean it was inches from his derriere!! And still.....pushy senior citizen didn't get it, only laughed and wouldn't move her cart!!!

That was it....my personal space alarm bells were going off all over the place. I had to get out and quick before I had a melt down, however, I must have gotten behind every slow shopper in the place trying to get to the checkout. They were EVERYWHERE!!!

As if all that wasn't enough, a mother and child got in line to check out behind me and she was pushing one of those stupid carts that look like cars the kids can drive. Well mom's I hate to tell you, but your driving perceptions must be off because those things are longer than regular carts and when you bump the person in front of you, you are tempting an explosion! It was all I could do not to lose it.

Ok, so please remind me the next time I think I can handle ANY shopping on a Saturday.................................................DON'T DO IT!!!!

A Hooking We Will go!

2011-09-16T11:40:00.001-07:00

Woo Hoo!!! I got a night out last night and guess what I did!?! I went hooking! Of course, Mr. Fix It had to be a smarty pants and ask me what corner I was going to be on, hmpffff!

My sister-in-law, Jeanine, came and picked me up and off we went! Here she is checking out wool possibilities for the background of her newest project. Look at that beautiful rug she is standing on. It was made by her BF of thirty some years, Lori. Lori got Jeanine into hooking and Jeanine got me into hooking!

This is Lori and the Hook-in was at her lovely home in the country. Look at all that gorgeous wool for sale behind her!

More yummy goodies. Lori dyes as well as teaches.

Isn't this prim doll adorable!

I'm a horse lover and I LOVE this rug that Lori did!! Each horse is different. I don't think I could ever take on a challenge like that!

I don't know this lady's name but the rug she was working on is beautiful!

I think I saved the best picture for last! Look at that Bundt cake! I was good and didn't blow my diet though. What I loved the best is the Happy Kitchen rug framed in barnwood!! If only I could have figured how to sneak it out of the house under my jacket!! Thanks Jeanine for getting me out, your the best.

Busy as a Dog

2011-09-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

I've been busy sewing.

This one has a matching key keep for the human.

Think I will call this one jungle paw prints.

Pretty pink triangles and flowers.

One for a boy dog!

Orange and flowers.

I think this would look smart on a dark, black or brown dog.

Very fashionable houndstooth layered with pink argyle.

Blue gingham check overlayed on black and blue diamond shape.

And my favorite for the day! Colorful, colorful, colorful!!

Will be listing them in my Etsy and Ebay stores, though honestly, they really don't sell there. People want to see and feel them I think.

However, I did just sent fifteen collars to a fashionable consignment shop in a tourist type town and am hoping some will sell.

Need to keep sewing as I will have a booth at a craft show in December.

Hugs and Kisses

2011-09-10T22:26:00.001-07:00

Today was a big day for Miss Pebbles! She got to spend the afternoon at University Park in Indianapolis at a 'Carni-bull' a fun-fest for Bully lovers!

She wasn't just hanging around though, she was working. Yep that's right, this 10 week-old puppy doll was busy manning the 'Kissing Booth'!!!!

I didn't get to go, had to stay home with my dad, but it looks to me that she is having a blast. I'm absolutely certain she was the star of the show!

She must have been because she came home one tired pup!!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

2011-09-07T10:30:00.001-07:00

We had a 'meet n greet' on the street yesterday!

Pebbles and her brother Max got into a tug of war over a tiny ball.

Mr. Fix It's grandaughter Lacie was here and she got to meet one of Max's human's, Anna.

That evening we got to 'fur sit' Max for a few hours. He and Pebbles played so hard that they wore each other out. Isn't that an adorable picture?!

Pebbles Enjoying Life

2011-09-05T12:09:00.001-07:00

Little Miss Pebbles loves laying in the grass!

She was recently spayed and feeling better now.

Really don't think she will be here much longer. There are two different individuals interested in adopting her!

She'll just roll around in the grass here till that happens!

Lacie Meets Pebbles

2011-08-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

My faux granddaughter came to visit yesterday and got to meet my new foster, Miss Pebbles. I knew Lacie was coming and positioned myself on the floor next to Pebbles pen so I could catch her expression. She so loves all animals!

I LOVE the expression on her face as she spies the puppy.

What a face!!!

Not sure what Pebbles thinks about this two-legged baby!

I am helplessly enraptured with this child!!

Templeton gets a Furever Home!

2011-08-28T14:23:00.001-07:00

I knew he wouldn't be here long because he's just so darn cute!

And he wasn't! Templeton now re-named Max has a 'FurEver Home'!

One week to the day since he came to me, Max will now live right across the street!! I'm so excited that I will get to keep an eye on him and watch him grow. And wow...I bet he grows alot this winter while I am in Phoenix!

I'm not sad to see him go since he is so close AND.....I have a new foster!

Meet Pebbles, his sister!

She is way to cute also!!! Wonder how long she will last!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, NO it's......

2011-08-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

a Jimmy Buffet concert!!!

Or.....it's a beach party?

One thing for sure, I've never seen anything like it. I'm a country music fan and go to country concerts. Never having been to a Jimmy Buffet concert I had no clue what to expect!

It was wall to wall people.....errrr, I mean parrotheads!

I saw people (including guys!) in bikini tops, hula skirts, all kind of hats and tossing beach balls. Fins to the left, fins to the right.

So how did I end up going to see Buffet when I'm a tried and true country gal? Well I have a wonderful sister-in-law that got tickets and a VIP parking pass for Mr. Fix-it and me so we could get out of the house and do something different. And...it didn't stop there, she even came and stayed with dad while we were gone!

Awesome is all I can say! Don't get me wrong, am still a country music fan, but I would definitely go to another Parrothead concert again.

My New Foster!

2011-08-22T07:07:00.002-07:00

Meet 'Templeton', my new foster pup!!

He is only 8 weeks old!! His mommy was pregnant and suffering at Indianapolis Animal Control when rescued by a local group called,

Mended Hearts Indy.

http://mendedheartsindy.org/

Shortly after her rescue, momma gave birth to a litter of mixed Boxer/Pittbull pups. Some have been adopted, one is off to puppy school for some work and Templeton is with me!

My best buddy next door, Bella, is checking out Templeton playing on my new deck. She doesn't think I need a dog as she thinks I am all hers!!

Here he is chilling out in the kitchen with his new toys and blankie.

And now he's learning how to text with Mr. Fix It.

I don't think I will be fostering Templeton very long. He was the 'hit' of the neighborhood last night and even had a serious inquiry about adoption!

Will keep you all posted!!

Mr. Fix It Makes It

2011-08-19T11:09:00.001-07:00

Mr. Fix It has a project!

It started like this.

Then....the sawhorses appeared

Then his granddaughter, Miss Lacie, found some great sand and pebbles in Mr. Fix It's work space.

Then.....I got roped into helping!

Mr. Fix It added some extra details for architectural detail.

And then....we ended up with this!!!

And a wonderful deck to sit on!

Mr. Fix It is just awesome!!!

College Bound!

2011-08-18T11:30:00.001-07:00

My beautiful niece is College bound today but she took time to come over and visit with her grandpa and aunt today! So thoughtful!!

Good luck Kaitlin! Have fun and we love you!!!

The Denture Debacle

2011-08-13T11:51:00.003-07:00

I shouldn't write this post. I've told myself all afternoon not to do it but obviously I'm not listening.

I'm sorry to all my blogging friends who read this one! Going to get that out of the way right now, first and up front!!

My dad is 83 and has quite a few physical/medical issues. I live with him 24/7 so he doesn't have to go into a facility. I have three younger brothers, two of whom do nothing to help me with dad. The third does what he can which I appreciate though I wish for more help. Now....having said all that, it was my decision to take care of dad in his senior years. He doesn't want to go to a home, nor do my brothers or I want him to go to one. Again....I remind myself, this was my decision to do this for dad. No one pushed me or held a gun to my head. Still, there are some days I question the sanity of that decision and today happens to be one of those days.

Now, I also want to say, I don't write much about dad and my life with him because frankly, it's personal and not always a pretty picture.   I don't believe he would want me telling stories about his private life that would be embarrassing. Old age has a way of demoralizing one's confidence and abilities enough as it is. He doesn't need me sharing it with perfect strangers.

Somehow though after this little incident I can't seem to stop myself. I just need to tell someone, anyone. That or....cry!!

You see, dad has needed new dentures for at least the last three or four years. He has the money to get them but he refuses, getting downright mad at me for even suggesting it. He doesn't like to spend a dime. I don't even like taking him to the grocery, one because it's hard for him to walk, but two, he is always shocked at how expensive things are. I end up buying just a few things on the list and go back latter for the rest when he is napping.   So obviously, dentures are out of the question as far as he is concerned.

However, the last few years have been wearing roughly on me with his old dentures. The top one falls out when he is eating or talking to people which embarrasses me greatly. The noise he makes when eating is unbearable, food falls out of his mouth and he can't chew anything...there I've said it. When you sit across the supper table from him sometimes it's all I can do to get through the meal. Believe me I've tried to alleviate this pain! I turn the television up really loudly but sometimes even that doesn't help. I try to not look, I try to not get upset when he can't chew what I have fixed even though I can cut it with a fork.    GRRRRR!

So, I went behind his back and made an appointment for new ones and didn't tell him until right before it was time to go. I know that was a bad thing to do but it made my discomfort so much easier. And besides, even if I had told him well in advance he would have forgotten by the next day anyway and I would have to go through the whole experience the next time I told him!

We made it through all the impressions and finally the day came for the new teeth. Mr. Fix-it had to take him to the dentist for me as I had a physical therapy appointment and of course there were no brothers around that could help. When I got home I was so excited to see his pretty new teeth. Not once did they come out during supper, and even though he was eating soft foods, nor were there any horrible noises. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

At least until the next morning. I was going about my business getting dad's breakfast, coffee and meds when he came storming out of his room. Not really storming, he can't move that fast, however, out he came proclaiming angrily, "Well we've got to find that dentist"!   What!! Why???   Apparently, he'd had to sleep in his uppers all night because he couldn't get them out.   Personally I don't see that as much of a problem. I'm thrilled they are fitting tightly.

He then proceeds to slam a small capped plastic bottle filled with water and his lower denture on the kitchen table stating that it doesn't fit because he can't get them in. With all the patience I can muster I remind him he wore them all day yesterday and how can they not fit today? In fact, I assured him I had seen him take the lowers out and put them back in last night after supper to which he was sure he hadn't.

When his shower aide arrived, he immediately tells her he spent two hours the night before trying to unsuccessfully get his upper plate out and that we had to leave right now to go to the dentist to get them fixed!! (Of course, two hours was actually more like fifteen minutes!) I explained to him that I would have to call first that we couldn't just walk in because they had other patients and he became indignant and couldn't understand why not. Oh my gosh, I don't want to get old and lose my sense of logic.

Finally we go to the dentist and as I am carrying the little plastic jar with his denture into the office, the cute little receptionist says, "What's that your bringing me?" Now...I thought that was an odd comment, she knew what we were coming in for and surely she would recognize the little container the Dr. must send home with all denture customers, right? I proudly held it up displaying the non-conforming plate in the little container saying sardonically in a low voice, "See, he's not wearing them!"

Cute little receptionist lets out a giggle and says, "Well I thought it looked like a urine sample!"   A urine sample?!?!? Who would bring a urine sample to a dentist!! Why would she think that, wouldn't she see these little bottles go in and out of the office all the time?

OMG!!!!

And that's when it hit me!

It IS a urine sample container!! Omg I am mortified!!! Since Mr. Fix-it was the one to take him to get his new dentures, I had wrongly assumed the container was sent home with him from the Dentist. Well we all know what happens when we 'assume' something, right! I had totally forgotten that a month ago dad was at the Dr.'s and a urine sample was needed but he couldn't do it and the nurse sent the bottle home with him. To make matters worse, (so sorry for this information!!) he had tried at home but......couldn't hit the bottle! Getting the sample was promptly forgotten....until this incident!

When we left the office with his new dentures in his mouth but the old denture in the little container I told him this was his urine sample bottle to which he replied as seriously as he possibly could, "Well about time we found a use for the thing."

OMG, I wanted to cry! Now that a few days have passed I am able to laugh about it with Mr. Fix-it............barely.

When Life Turns Out Right

2011-08-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

When I woke up this morning I never imagined the day turning out the way it did.

At 7:00am I made my way to the kitchen to find that 'She', the stray Springer Spaniel I had taken in had made a huge pee mess on the floor. No worries, cleaned it up, cleaned her up, threw her new blankie in the wash and took her out for a walk. Well not a real walk because she is old and doesn't walk well.

As I am getting breakfast for her and my dad, my mind wandered to worrying about what is in store for this sweet lost girl with no name. Springer Spaniel Rescue would be picking her up from me tomorrow taking her farther and farther away from whatever life she had known before becoming a stray. Was she scared, sad and wanting her family?

What I didn't mention in my original post about her was that there was a darn good chance that Springer Rescue would likely have to make the decision to put her to sleep. It's hard enough to find fosters and adopters for young, healthy dogs which is far from what 'she' is. The longer she is with me the more I realize just how advanced in age she is. The incontinence, the circling which often indicates senior dementia. Life was not looking so good.

On the bright side of the morning, Mr. Fix-it's granddaughter Lacie, came to spend the day with me and was excited to find a dog at gramma K's house.

I found it interesting that Lacie kept calling her 'Alfie'. Lacie lives with Alfie who is my last surviving English Cocker. She obviously recognized the similarity of the spaniel breeds! Pretty smart for a less than two year old!

And then it happened. My cell phone rang and on the other end was my friend Susan who had been the one to pick the dog up on the south side of town and transport her to me. "I found her owner", Susan said!!

It was almost surreal, it almost never happens! But it was true and instead of 'she', her name is Lily and Lily is almost 18 years old!!!! Unbelievable.

It seems Lily's owner is Andrea. Andrea is 21 years old and has been with Lily since the dog was about 3 years old. Lily is her best friend and Andrea had been devastated for a little more than a week since her mother told her Lily was missing. Andrea was convinced that her mother had taken Lily to be put to sleep and was not telling her the truth. Even so, Andrea launched flyers all over her neighborhood hoping that she really was lost and not gone forever. Andrea told me that just yesterday she had decided that Lily was never going to be found and she was going to have to accept that.

What is so amazing about this whole situation is that Lily, who could barely walk, managed to wander away from home a whole 30 city blocks!! She had to cross dangerous roads and in fact was found standing in the middle of one of the busiest streets on that side of Indianapolis. What is even more amazing is that Springer Rescue did a drive through of the neighborhoods she was found near but of course, there were no posters there because no one, including her owner could have imagined Lily could get that far. To add even more amazement, Susan had been calling random vets and made the connection at a clinic that was more than 50 blocks away from Lily's home! Turns out that one of Andrea's friends works at this clinic and had just randomly posted a flyer.

And here is the incredibly happy ending.

Don't they both just look soooo happy!

I don't know how much longer Andrea is going to have Lily due to her age and Andrea will go through all that grieving again. But I know one thing, I am so grateful that life turned out right this time and Lily will spend her remaining time with her 'girl'.

Wow....it's been an emotional day.

When Life is Not Fair

2011-08-08T22:27:00.002-07:00

Life would be so much easier if every situation we had to deal with was black and white.

And so it goes in the world of dog rescue sometimes, or at least in my breed, the English Cocker Spaniel.

This picture is a purebred English Cocker Spaniel.

This picture is a purebred American Cocker Spaniel.

This picture features a purebred Springer Spaniel.

As a point of reference here, a short history lesson is probably appropriate. In merry Olde England over 200 years ago, the Spaniel breed was not defined by American Cocker, English Cocker or the Springer Spaniel as it is today. Basically, back then, they were all one breed and born in the same litter. We Americans imported the cocker and bred it smaller with shorter noses and more heavily coated. Springers were bred larger with less coat, while the English Cocker remained the mid-size Spaniel. Eventually each breed became distinct and recognized as a separate breed by AKC.

The pictures I've shared with you make it look as if breed identification would be easy, however......the lines blur from there.

Each of the three breeds, American, English and Springer have field bred dogs or bench bred dogs. Bench bred or 'conformation' dogs are bred to closely meet the AKC written standard for looks, but field bred dogs are bred to hunt and their breeders are not as concerned with the dogs looks as according to AKC.

This photo shows field bred Spaniels

Anyway....the reason I have shared (or bored) you all with this is.........

This dog!

She came into English Cocker Rescue yesterday and is now at my house. 'She' is supposed to have been an English Cocker, but it turns out once we got her transported here and could see her in person rather than photos, 'She' is a Springer Spaniel. But can you tell from the photo? We couldn't!

The reason I am calling her 'She' is because this sweet old lady was found wandering in the middle of a busy street and some kind person picked her up, tried to find her owner and ultimately got her into an American Cocker Rescue group. So no one knows her name or anything about her. No tags on her collar and no micro-chip.

American Cocker Rescue thought she was English and contacted us which is how she ended up with me. Today, I've been in touch with the local English Springer Rescue person and they are going to take her into their program, evaluate her and get her the vet care she needs.

This girl is old but soooo sweet. She most likely is deaf and doesn't see well either. Her teeth are in awful condition, has a cyst/tumor the size of a golf ball on her back and is bone thin.

I feel so bad for her. Where is her family, how did she get away from them, what is her name. I'm sure she has been someone's loved pet and now in her twilight years she is lost from all that she knew. Are they missing her or did she just get turned out because someone couldn't deal with her anymore.

I can hear my mom telling us kids when we were growing up, "Life is never fair", and she was right.

This is just not fair.

A Great Blog Post

2011-08-05T16:55:00.004-07:00

I have several readers who raise chickens and love them like pets.

I also follow a blog that I really enjoy. It's written by Susan Branch and is just delightful.

So, when Susan posted a story that involved chickens and the woman who loved them very much, I had to share it here.

http://www.susanbranch.com/nancy-luce

I don't have chickens though have had in the past. I can't say that any of them were considered pets, I guess I didn't realize the potential a chicken had to be a pet!

This is a true story that I hope you will enjoy. Oh....and I learned something too. Bullying is not a new thing, it existed in the early 1800's!!

Have a great weekend,
Karen

There Was A Crooked Girl...

2011-08-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

........who had a crooked nose and a very crooked tail.

Her name was HiLite and she was a very good girl. She was shy, loving and patient and a blonde.   Or...better known in the Greyhound color world as a 'fawn'. She truly did have a crooked nose with a big black hairless scar on the side of her crooked nose. She was a racer in her day and we believe the crooked nose was probably due to an accident on the race track. Her crooked tail was broken maybe when she was a puppy but no one knows.

I remember clearly when she came to us. My friend Sherry from LongNeck Deco Greyhound Collars and I drove all the way to Kansas in my extended kennel van to pick up 8 Greyhounds just off the racing track or farm from being brood mamas. We were bringing them back for Greyt Rescues of Lafayette to be adopted out to 'furever' homes. Normally we would have had crates to transport dogs but since we had to bring back so many dogs, enough crates wouldn't fit. We took all the back seats out of the van, muzzled the dogs (with a special Greyhound muzzle, not what you are thinking if you are not a Greyhound person!) and everyone rode behind us.

The trip was uneventful even though the dogs were packed in and we were driving all night to get back to Indiana. We were amazed there was not one grumble or growl. Maybe they knew they were off to a different life? Somehow, even pottie breaks went off without a hitch. Something not very easy to accomplish with only 2 humans and 8 loose dogs in the back of a van!!

No matter, we made it back to our kennel at FenceRow Farms safe, sound and happy. There the gang of eight stayed until each one went to a foster home.
HiLite though, never left. Imagine that!!! We were foster failures!

We were blessed to have HiLite in our home for 9 of her 14 years of life. She endeared herself in such a gentle way to all the human inhabitants at the farm in such a gentle way. Her body started giving out on her a few months ago. I wrote about it a few posts back. On Monday we had to make the hardest of all decisions and realize that it was time to let her go. This decision is one that no loving pet owner ever wants to make.   It is often so hard for pet owners to recognize the line between quality of life and not wanting to let go.

She may have been a crooked girl on the outside, but inside....she was filled with dignity and spirit. We loved her but her dignity and spirit were suffering. It was time.

We miss you HiLite girl.