So they asked if my rescue dog had impacted my life....

Life with Joey

Once upon a time (don’t all good stories start that way?) I had recently lost my older Cairn and thought I wasn’t ready for another dog – much less a puppy.  My heart was sore with the loss of my buddy and needed time to heal.

Then Cairn Rescue started sending me videos of this cute little 9-month-old Cairn/Yorkie mix who was being fostered in Kentucky (in retrospect by a very brave lady!) He needed his own home, some training and lots of socialization.  Foster mom sent me pictures and videos and all sorts of innocent information about what a great little dog Brucie was until I caved under the pressure and adopted him.  I do not remember the word “whirlwind” ever being mentioned at this stage.

It should have been a message that this was a “different” pup when his delivery system (thank you Bill Schumacher) had to take several planes and a couple of stops to get him to Portland, Maine from Kentucky – and that at 1 am!  Nothing seemed to go all that smoothly but we hung in there. Traveled to Portland, took the handoff and headed back to NH.

It was indeed the beginning of an entirely new chapter in my life.  I had been owned by several dogs though my life but this pup was the wildest ever!  Not a mean bone in his body but you simply could not leave him alone for a second – he would be on the table, running across the window sills or just bouncing from chair to couch back to the chair at warp speed.  At that point his one redeeming grace was that he was crate trained and by 7:30 at night he collapsed in exhaustion (his and mine) and went to sleep for the night.

What to do?  I would walk him up the road every morning early enough so we’d be alone because everything was new.  New meant a good reason to spin around on the leash and howl and yell at the top of his not inconsequential voice.  The flag at the Town Hall – yikes!   Someone jogging – good grief!  Bicycle riders – the end of the world!  I’m sure the neighbors with the new baby really appreciated the wake up call just in case the baby was sleeping in.

Short answer?  Off to obedience training to socialize and help him get used to his new world.  The former owners had tied him and his Yorkie mommy to a tree and moved away – so he knew nothing of regular doggy life.

Long answer?  Not so easy:  first night at basic obedience he was fine until another dog arrived in the waiting room.  That was his cue to start screaming, yelling and barking – not in fear, and not in anger, just letting everyone know something new was going on.

Our classes are in a basketball court and the echoes are incredible – that first class I don’t think anyone could even hear the instructor.  She finally put us behind a visual
barrier (folding screen) hoping that he would calm down – nope – not having any of that.  He still yelled and hollered and just generally raised enough hell for 3 dogs.

Before the next week’s class, I talked to Staci (the instructor) and told her it wasn’t fair to the other students and certainly wasn’t getting Joey (by the way, by then he had told me his name was not Brucie, but Joey) socialized.  That if we couldn’t get this sorted then I would have to drop out. 

Next week when he started in again in the waiting room she walked in and without any fan fair just squirted him in the back of his head from a water bottle!  Well!  Don’t you think that didn’t break the cycle!  It has to be up there with walking on water for a water miracle.  I became the custodian of the water bottle and actually only had to use it a couple of times.  Soon just showing it to him would stop him in his verbal tracks and get him back on earth.

Cut to the chase:  continued walking him every morning and just exposing him to whatever was out there in the world. By the end of that winter nothing phased him – runners?  Ho hum   Flag whipping in the wind?  Same old/same old.  20 bicycles flying by when he was sitting by the side of the road?  Barely interesting!

It was a miracle – nothing short.

And visitors at my house which used to be the occasion for reverting to flying around the room became a reason to just present the ball and wait for someone to throw it for him.

Back to the classes – amazingly he somehow managed to sit still long enough to be awarded his Canine Good Citizen certificate and then we started Rally Obedience.

Rally is a competition with a course of numbered stations where the dog and handler do whatever the sign at that stations says to do – sit or down or come front etc. – and then they progress to the next sign.  All of this at the basic level is performed on leash.  A team (dog and handler) start with 100 points and lose points for every mistake either of them make – you have to get at least a score of 70 to qualify.

One of my fondest memories was the class where we tried him off leash (cause he was doing so well).  Things were going great until he went over the jump, took a hard right across the court and lunged up the instructor’s gear.  He grabbed her big green toy and took off around the room at warp speed – long and low and close to the ground with that ridiculous toy covering most of his face.  And every time he came around, he went over the jump.  Even the instructor was screaming with laughter and then it was up to me to get him to stop and release the toy.  Eventually a piece of Staci’s (she was still our instructor) special treats did the trick and he was back on the leash.  To stay there for a long time!

In order to compete in AKC trials I needed a registered name so Wild Child Joey he became.

Over the next 3 years we progressed from Novice Rally through Intermediate Rally and up to Advanced where we are now.  In the process we went to competitions (they are called trials) around the area and had to get at least three qualifying scores for each title – these were all with Joey on leash.

I met wonderful friends in class and at the trials. Faced up to the scary part where you and the dog are out there on the course with an eagle-eyed judge following you around watching every move you and the dog make and became incredibly proud of my little guy for all he’d accomplished. 

We now compete at the Advanced (off leash) level and I have a faint hope that someday we’ll get a qualifying score.  At our first trial this spring at least the judge had the decency to walk over to me as I was putting the leash back on and whisper “I’m sorry, I can’t qualify you” rather than standing in the middle of the ring shouting “Does this dog have ANY training at all?”  Joey had done the stations pretty well (he can ace them when he so chooses) but in between he was what at the very kindest could be called out of position. 

I suppose it’s indicative of the general attitude that the woman next to me at the crate area said she would NEVER try to train a terrier – that while standing next to her Golden Retriever who was gazing lovingly at her and begging for a command – dog had “I live to serve” written all over its face!  Joey is more like “later, dude, I’ll probably be back if nothing interests me”.

So, yes, my Cairn Rescue dog has impacted my life.  Changed it in some ways and definitely made it richer in many ways. 

Wouldn't change it for a Golden any day of the week - we've got this!

A tiny step

I thought that shopping with my own produce bags was as close to a walk on the wild side as I was apt to get in this life.

That said, I'm sticking just a bit of my toe into the vegan cooking/eating scene.  Not the whole toe right now, just the tip!

I have a friend who is heavy into research (on everything) that she considers undertaking.  I, on the other hand, usually go with my gut - no pun intended - and haven't ever really paid much attention to the concept of vegan eating.

I

Love

Steak

and

Chicken

and

Butter

Again, that being said, I've run into way too much information lately both from friends who eat the plant based diet (sigh:  no steak among other things) and from research documentaries on Netflix among other sites and it has forced me to put my "gut" aside and consider some cold hard facts.  I could go on and on about the information that is out there if you only take a look for it. 

Who is funding the American  Diabetes Foundation's information?  Who supports the FDA?  Why doe they keep changing our food pyramid around - up and down and back and forth.

What happens to all the antibiotics that are fed to the animals that we eventually slap on the grill and consume in enormous quantities?

When is the last time a doctor tried to address the root cause of an issue rather than just layering on more meds to address the symptoms?

Under what conditions are most of the animal products we eat actually raised and slaughtered (yeah, that's how they get to us:  they are slaughtered)?

I realize that one approach is it must be the plant lobby who would like us to think that all animal products are bad bad bad....er, on the other hand, IS there a plant lobby?  💁  Beats me.

As usual my blog post is pretty short and sometimes even sweet - come on, I must have done at least one sweet one! 

This is a new adventure for me - even just a toe tip is a sort of a commitment to what I hope will be a better, more healthy way of eating.  There are a ton of resources out there - apps and sites and organizations on Facebook - actually a somewhat overwhelming bunch once you start looking.

So I will make a few vegan meals (surprisingly easy actually) and do some taste tests and continue to eat up what "other" food I have because I'm from New England and I can't throw food away.  But I won't be replacing it unless I prove to myself that vegan eating is a crock - of vegetables and grains!  😛

 My first "stew" and I have to say it's looking pretty tasty!

You might care to try something just so you can say

You've got this!

One day it will be us

I shamelessly stole this from a Facebook post it made me sad to think it happens way too much.  The  ignoring of someone who could use a hand or the foot tapping in line behind someone struggling to make change to pay for their groceries while the rest of us prefer debit cards.

Even someone obviously confused who really needs someone to help them find something or figure out some (to us) simple thing of everyday living.

How about we notice and offer help and curb our impatience because if we are lucky enough to live to a ripe old age:

One Day It Will Be Us

Twice this week, I have watched an elderly individual, fade into the busy life in which we all live. One man just needed Panadol for his wife but the shop assistant simply said it’s in aisle ‘6’. But he struggled to navigate the supermarket and as I watched him go in the wrong direction, I left all my groceries and took him where he needed to go.

Today, I watched an elderly man struggle in the heat, who had obviously had a fall with a huge scrape and blood on his leg. He walked past people in the cafe, while he slowly made his way to his car. Not one person stopped. Or looked. Or acknowledged him. I took him to his car and checked he was ok. He told me he had a fall and wasn’t sure how the air con worked in his car so he just didn’t use it. I sat with him, until his air con kicked in and heard him talk about the old frail body that he is in, that fails him now, every single day.

When you see an elderly person walking down the street, searching in the supermarket or struggling to their car, take a minute out of your busy schedule and ask them if they need a hand. Think about your grand parents and your parents and how pissed you would be if someone didn’t stop to help them. But more, think of them as you.

Once upon a time they were you. They were busy, they had work, they had children, they were able. Today, they are just in an older body that is not going as fast as it used to and this busy life is confusing. They deserve our utmost respect and consideration. One day it will be you, it will be us. I wish more people gave a shit about them and acknowledged them for their admirable existence and geez I hope someday, not that far away, someone does it for me.

Be the one to offer help

Be the one to say

Don't worry, I've got this!

Something that makes you smile?

I bet you have something that makes you smile.

It's such a small thing that you never even really think about it.  Sort of a subliminal happy feeling you get whenever you see it or hear it or mention it.

I realized the other day that my old partial set of plates always cheer me up whenever I look at them...yup - had them for many years, have bought other complete sets and still find myself reaching for these when I can.

I even went on eBay and found someone selling a couple more of the plates!  What a score!

The pattern detail has gotten scratched over the years and there are a couple of pieces that have chips on the edges.

But without fail, every time I look at one of these plates it makes me smile.  Not sure if it's the colors (so bright and sunny) or the pattern -  who knows?

Anyhow, just thought I would mention to you that somewhere in your life is probably a small thing that makes you smile and feel happy.

Look for it cause I will bet (yup, here is comes)

You've got it!

So it's a little extra work

I took a quantum leap the other day - well, perhaps better described as a baby step, into the world of less plastic.

Bought a set of reusable, washable, long lasting not plastic produce bags.  Not the bags you can get (which usually are also plastic) to store the product in your refrigerator, but the ones you can bring to the supermarket and carry home fresh veggies in.

Reusable as opposed to all those little plastic bagsonaroller that abound in the produce aisles.

You know....the ones you take home and empty out because you have to wash the produce before you can eat it?  Ok,  you put the stuff back in the bags so you are "reusing" them.  How many times?  Maybe once?  After all, the inside gets damp and yucky (technical term for interior of produce bags after 2 days)

So then what?

Yup!  Into the trash/landfill/endless ocean of plastic!

Now realistically I'm probably not going to single handedly save the world from excess plastic -  however, neither do I want to be part of the problem even if I can't be the whole solution!

So I went to dear old Amazon Prime and ordered a set of cotton, washable, reusable produce bags in a variety of sizes.  Admittedly inspired by a blog item I saw in my niece's blog (Sunshine Guerrilla - there is a link to her blog on mine) but the decision to DO IT was all mine!

The next step was to test drive the process at the local grocery store.  I was fearful that other shoppers would move away from me in the produce isles while whispering among themselves about my political affiliations,  I was fully prepared for the checkout clerk to recoil in horror at this unexpected packaging and to - shudder - maybe even remove the zucchini (my test item) from it's bag! 

Wonder of wonders none of the bad scary things happened!  No one whispered and pointed at me near the broccoli or even when I was using the bag to - er - bag my zucchini.

Checkout lady never batted an eye but continued to carry on the private conversation she was having with the bagger (another subject for another time).

Coming home flushed with victory I posted a picture on Facebook and, lo and behold, within a couple of minutes some friends of mine had ordered their bags.

I would love to think this particular infection would spread - it's easy to catch and then

Yup!

You've got it!

I don't tweet but.....

NWS Tweet


Been a long time since I tried to put a link in one of my posts but here goes.

Looks as if we might actually get a storm - although I believe I have mentioned that previously.

So lay in the milk and bread for those sandwiches or, if you prefer, some real food, prescriptions you are going to run out of Saturday and perhaps a snow shovel or two?

Believe me, if you prepare then (you know what):  you've got this!

Personally I'm not waiting

Alrighty....we all see the weather forecast unless we live under a rock.

It's going to snow - finally....no kidding....really snow!

And of course the real question is always when and where and how much.  Yes, I realize that is actually three questions.

But the actual answer is it's going to snow and it's going to snow soon.

Honest, it really is!

So, here I am again up on the soap box banging that same old long suffering drum:  Please do not wait until Friday morning or, worse yet, this coming Saturday to decide that you need 5 gallons of milk along with the several loaves of bread for those milk sandwiches!

Actually when I went looking for a visual for this post I found that there are several YouTube videos with recipes for milk sandwiches. Personally I thought most of them looked pretty ugly, but it's up to you what you choose to buy/eat/prepare with as long as you DO prepare.

Gas up the car, find the window scrapers and, for pity's sake, have a way to clear off the top of your vehicle when the storm is over.  Make sure you have plenty of easy to prepare food in case of a power outage and don't be doing all that shopping at the last minute.

Not only is the selection lousy in most of the grocery stores

but everyone inside is grumpy and harried and the parking lots can be a death defying experience assuming that you do defy it.

So, since I already went to the store this morning and will gas up the car Thursday morning - yeah, sometimes I plan too far ahead -  it's a curse I've learned to live with -   better too soon than too late.

Think of this as a friendly reminder to do yourself a favor and be ahead of the curve - I still think milk sandwiches look disgusting so you should at least give  yourself a choice.

Be proud that you can sit back, relax and reflect that you got this!

So I made hats

As you may have noticed I've been doing a lot of whining about being sick in the last month or so.

One of the things about being sick (once you are past the point of wanting to die and then being afraid you aren't going to) is boredom.

Serious

Nothing

To

Do

Boredom.

A person can only eat so much chicken soup - although for a few days I did go for a record - and a person can only open so many new boxes of kleenex (and I had a lot cause I STORE STUFF!) and, on top of that, Netflix and Amazon Prime can only hold my attention for so long and not a second longer.  And daytime TV rots your brain even if you aren't sick!

So I made hats.

I had a bunch of yarn kicking around the house - not even sure where it came from cause I haven't made an afghan in a long time and I don't knit but I remembered keeping Jack company when he was sick by watching videos on making scarves.

So off in search of videos on crocheting hats...simple hats....VERY simple hats (hey, I was sick, you know?)

With varying degrees of success I managed to turn out several beanie type hats -

Even sent one to a friend who's hair had been the victim of cancer treatments - she said it was just the thing for a chick with a lack of hair!

So I made more of that sort.  About 5 or 6 if I remember.

And then I made other hats -

   Some looked pretty good - others?  Not so much

A lot of them were the same pattern

And some only had one good side!  And, believe me, this IS the good side!

Others could either be worn on a head or used as perhaps a tea cozy or bun warmer.

And one fell into a category of "what the hell did that woman on the video mean anyhow?"  And went to the hat graveyard!

The bottom line on all of this is I found things to do over a 2 week period that were interesting and in the long run useful.

The beanie sorts went to the Cancer Treatment Center at a local hospital - a friend took them in for me and claimed they were received with great enthusiasm and appreciation.  Considering my skill level, they must have been desperate to cover those heads!

Now I have a stash that will either end up on homeless heads or, perhaps, at a local shelter.  Either way it kept me busy, staved off boredom and when I wasn't paying attention, I even seem to have gotten well!

I did discover also that not all instructional videos are created equal - some don't even seem to have been created - more like just happened and the camera was on.  

But I have a few more skeins of yarn and a couple more ideas for hats so.... 

Next time you feel like crap why not try something like this to take your mind off things.

With any luck?

You got this!