Jolache's Jibberish

Going home

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:50:50 GMT

What exactly is home anyway? Is it where you live? Is it where you put your stuff? Is it your 'hometown', parents' house? Or is it that place that speaks to your soul and where you feel like you can breathe? Or is it a state of mind and not really a place at all?

Here is what dictionary.com says home is, but I'm not sure I agree...
home
–noun 1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
3. an institution for the homeless, sick, etc.: a nursing home.
4. the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
5. the place or region where something is native or most common.
6. any place of residence or refuge: a heavenly home.
7. a person's native place or own country.
8. (in games) the destination or goal.
9. a principal base of operations or activities: The new stadium will be the home of the local football team.
10. Baseball. home plate.
11. Lacrosse. one of three attack positions nearest the opposing goal.

I'm not really sure what 'home' means, but I am ready to find out. For the first time in 15 years, I feeling like I am finally going home. I am so ready, I need this very badly. I may never be able to define home in words, but I hope I get there.

I never post here anymore.... Random ramblings

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:09:36 GMT

While I have been expecting the snow for a while, I can't say that I am fully ready for it. Oh well, I guess its too late to worry about that now, lol. I do love this time of year. All of the trees are changing, life seems to be slowing down a bit. The pups love this weather, especially Penny. She loves the snow, as does our former foster girl, Misty Mae, I can't think of the snow and not think of her. The first time I saw her try to run, it was in the snow. The dog walking gets to be more fun somehow. Maybe because the ritual of the walk becomes more intense and more involved, no skipping steps this time of year... my shirt, my sweater, my jacket, my scarf, my gloves... Gretchen's sweater, her collar, her leash...

This time of the year is such a reflective time for me. The changes that have come over the past year are much more obvious, reminders of past events more clear. Some good, some fun, some painful, and some still as breathtaking as ever.

Right now we are fosterless, and not ready for another right now. Its time to focus on our girls and live in their lives. (I know most people think we already focus too closely on our pups, but they are such a huge part of our lives, how could you not?) Our dogs are now done with their heat cycles and will be spayed in November, YAY!!! This will make life easier on several levels. The girls are becoming more adultish everyday, they are more settled and are losing some of the random puppish impulses. They are coming into their own.

Next week would have been my mother's 50th birthday. That one can still be a hard pill to swallow. I miss who she was, not who she became. I wish I hadn't lost her, I wish she had never lost herself. I truly hope I will never lose myself that way. I never want my daughter to face that. It scares me to think about Kiddo now being the age I was when my mom really started taking that turn for the worse. To be put in that position to be the barrier between your mother and the world is so much to ask a child. Trying to keep her together and to keep everyone else from knowing that there might be anything wrong. Having no one to talk to about it, because you know you can't trust 'them'. Ten years old is so young. Its way too young to try to really understand evil. This scares the hell out of me. I want her to stay innocent as long as possible. I want her to be a child. There are times I regret not having her here with me, but in so many ways, to shield her from me is to shield her from them. If that's what it takes to help her stay a child, I will do it. She is too young to know, as was I at her age. I am not my mother and I will not burden her with that bit of inheritance.

This is also the time I really become a homebody and 'hibernate with the bears and squirrels'. Its when I really get focused on unfinished projects (my scarf, our blanket, etc) as well as starting new ones. I am definitely more domestic this time of the year, if that's even possible. My cupboards are definitely fuller in the spirit of 'just in case'. More breads and pies are made, the house bares the aromas of homemade stocks, soups and stews. I am more prone to 'feeding people'. I love to feed people good food. I love to nourish them. Occasionally, I am indulged. During the warmer seasons, I am full of the "don't touch me's". Cooler seasons were made for hugs. I am definitely more affectionate in the winterish time of year. I have more urges to share with people than any other time. I am more prone to letting new people get a little closer. I also miss people a lot more this time of the year. I often wonder if its just me that gets this way, this time of the year.

Not only do I miss people, I miss the connection with the gods. I feel very disconnected spiritually and have an overwhelming urge to sit and commune with the Ancient Ones. To feel their energy and to be reminded that we are all a part of the web. I need that. I need to dance, even if its in my living room, I need it. I HAVE to stop fighting my needs and relax and go with it. Maybe today is the day that I remember how to do it.

Advise needed

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:08:46 GMT

I am in need of some advise. We just took in two young feral kittens, they are probably about 6 weeks old or so. Anyway, they aren't too thrilled with people and less thrilled with the pups. That in itself is no big deal. We are working on socializing them and I have no doubt they will come around.

However, our foster girl, Misty, is VERY focused on them, her previous owner said that she was good with kitties, but I am doubting that. My two pups are curious too, but they aren't fixated like Misty is. Granted, Misty isn't quite as fast or agile as my other two pups, but she can move pretty quickly when she wants, especially when it comes to 'food' or the spray bottle. We have been keeping everyone separated so there hasn't been too much of an issue as of yet, but the kittens will get bigger and will need more space to roam. I just transitioned them into the bathroom from an extra large dog crate, next will be our bedroom. Misty is not allowed in these places, she is allowed to roam everywhere else. I would like to try to get this fixed before its a major problem. Right now she tries to stand outside the bathroom door and she just stares, thank goodness for her massive dislike of the spray bottle.

I know that stare well, my weim stares at my border collie like that just before she pounces, and with her its a playful thing, and you can break her stare. With Misty, you cannot, she is more focused on the kitties than she is on me at food time, and she LOVES to eat. So if anyone has any advise, I would greatly appreciate it.

I think I'm gonna survive this cold

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:34:06 GMT

I think I may have finally lived through the worst of this, knock on wood, I don't need a relapse. Even though I am out sick again today, I think I am starting to feel better. I haven't slept the entire day away, so that's a good sign I think. Gretchen has been the sweet and loving weim I know and love, not the terror she had become for the past couple of days. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I hate being sick!

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:54:00 GMT

So yeah, I'm home from work sick today. This totally sucks, not just because I need the money, but because the last four days I have either been the nurse or the patient. I don't mind being the 'nurse' but I sure do hate being the patient. Ugg!

I stealed it!!

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:21:42 GMT

1,WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My Mother

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
last week

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
yeah, I can read it and so can every other literate person I know

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Applewood Smoked Ham

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
yep, I have one that will be 10 in a week!! eek!!!!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
yeah

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
I would NEVER do that, hehe (its actually my favorite form of expression)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yep

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
nope

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
blueberry flax granola with vanilla yogurt

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
depends on the shoe, if I can remove them without untying them, I do

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
are they a boy or a girl?

15. RED OR PINK?
red

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I haven't been successful in quitting smoking yet

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my Grace

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
why not, if they want to

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
light green pajama bottoms, and my green, blue and white striped slippers

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
puppy snores

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
brown, orange or yellow

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Mechanic shops, puppy breath, clean babies, butter and garlic

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Brian

25. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
livejournal

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
hehe, your funny

27. HAIR COLOR?
brown

28. EYE COLOR?
brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
no

30. FAVORITE FOODS?
fry it or good it in lots of butter and it sounds good to me

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
happy stuff

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
the last movie I attempted to watch was Quest for Fire, but the last one I actaully watched all of was Romance and Cigarettes

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm not wearing a shirt, I'm wearing my fuzzy gray robe

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
I want winter in the summertime and summer in the wintertime, I love them both

35. HUGS OR KISSES?..
both!!

37. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP....
its a black metal mesh cup thingy

38. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
Salvador Dali

39. WHAT BOOK(s) ARE YOU READING NOW?
eek! none, shameful, I know

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD
a very cute and young Labrador puppy

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
I actually don't watch TV, but we have recently joined the land of Netflix, and I attempted to watch Quest for Fire last night, but as usual, I fell asleep.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
puppy snores, tired puppies are good puppies!

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
the Stones!!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Taos, NM (But I am not sure how much that counts, because every time we go on vacation or a road trip to some really cool far off place, we move there, lol.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
cooking, dog training, needle crafts

46 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Dallas, TX

47. FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY?
my wedding band

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
It was a SET UP!!! It's all Cover's fault. (and that is one of the many reasons we love him)

We finally did it

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:47:56 GMT

We joined Netflix. I guess we will find out how this all works. Everybody has been telling us to do it since we don't watch TV. I do have to say, I am very impressed with the variety of odd movies. I can't wait to watch them.

I can still be nerdy and watch documentaries and subtitled movies!!! (AND WITHOUT COMMERCIALS!!) To be fair to all of the people that have continually recommended us to join up, two of the three movies on the way are other people's recommendations. The other is one that sounded weird enough to keep my interest.

I told Brian that we should get one subtitled movie, one documentary and one random fiction type movie, and keep with that rotation. He told me that was a bit too nerdy, hehe. So I am going to attempt to let go of some of my anal-ness and embrace the Aquarian that is me and stop holding on to the tree branches of security and float on the winds of change.

Let's see how that works out, as optimistic as I am trying to be, I do know myself fairly well. And my inner geek says YEAH RIGHT!! THERE MUST BE ORDER!! (My rising is Virgo... go figure!)

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:51:28 GMT

Nevermind, it does work!!! I figured it out!!

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:28:17 GMT

Yeah, so from what I can tell, it doesn't work... Oh well.

hmm

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:55:28 GMT

Well, I linked my journal to my newly created facebook account, I'm not sure how it all works, so we shall see.

My lovely escape artist

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:43:26 GMT

I have an escape artist on my hands. We keep the pups confined to the kitchen and dining area when we are gone. We literally barricade it so they can't get out. My Perfect Penny and the Gretchenator make an excellent team of deconstructionists when left to their own devices. So like I said, we barricade them in, we use our dining room table, two chairs, a child gate, and last but not least, a large dog crate. Why you ask, don't we just crate them? Because the Gretchenator BROKE it the last time we put her in it. It was not a cheap crate either, it is one of the metal ones and have used it for three other dogs. She actually BROKE THE ONE OF THE BARS and bent some of the others, and then escaped... So I am at a loss, because now, and I don't know how she is getting out of the barricade. However, Misty and Penny don't get out. I wouldn't be surprised if she was jumping it, but I really hope she isn't. Training here we come! I am so super excited.

Puppy love

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:20:29 GMT

He's back!

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:28:33 GMT

Guess who remembered his lj login? Yep, its a rasta cowdog! Please join me in smackin him when he gets too lippy!

Misty Update!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:28:22 GMT

So we took the Misty Mae to the vet last week, and he is very happy with her progress. She has lost 14 lbs!! Granted she could stand to lose another 25, but progress is progress.

Her skin is getting better, which is very good. That means no more rhino hide!! When we first got her, that's kinda what she felt like...

She is walking correctly most of the time now, before, she walked on the tops of her feet more often than not. She can get up and down the 4 stairs we have BY HERSELF!!! We no longer have to use the sling I made for her, that's really good stuff!

I took her to a meet-n-greet a couple of weeks ago and she was the star of the show! A huge difference in her, she was the self appointed greeting committee for everyone, it was awesome! Apparently the last one she was at, she sat off to herself and growled at everyone.

We were contemplating getting her into some physical therapy, but the vet told me 'she's not training for the superbowl' and wearing her out a couple days a week isn't going to help her. And to basically keep doing what we are doing, so we are. We have been taking them to the dog park and they have a blast! Misty loves the attention and she gets to romp and play with all the other dogs there. Penny and Gretchen RUN everywhere they are going. Hopefully we will get to go today, that would be great, we can all use some fresh air and exercise.

I have finally found a way to get her to eat raw chicken!! She likes it frozen, Penny and Gretchen prefer it thawed, so I am of the opinion, whatever works. (note to self: start the newbies off with the frozen stuff and go from there) We were having to buy roasts and stuff at first because she wouldn't eat the MUCH CHEAPER chicken. And of course, we had to get her right at the end of hunting season, so the wild game processors are out of scrap meat for the pups, ugg!

Anyway, that's about it on the Misty. Gretchen will be starting her formal training soon, then it will be time for the Canine Good Citizen certification and then on to Therapy dog. Then she can go anywhere I go, lol. Of course, Penny will get her stuff too, but the Gretchenator needs to most work. And even though I love them both and don't know what I would do without either of them, Gretchen is my dog and Penny is the hubby's buddy. Although I do have to say, I am looking forward to the warmer weather for the pups, agility trials are lots of fun for them too.

I will try update more often, so we shall see what happens with that!

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:56:22 GMT

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack .Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.

(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it fur-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they (1) eat less, (2) don't ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4)normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don't hangout with drug-using people; (7) don't smoke or drink, (8) don't want to wear your clothes, (9) don't have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

How strange...

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:53:23 GMT

So here's the deal, I live in the MOUNTAINS at a relatively high elevation of about 8600 ft. Why is snowing everywhere but here? Denver got dumped on last week, I think it was 10 inches in 4 hours, it was something like that. What did we get? NOTHING!!!

Call me weird, I moved to the mountains so that I could live in a winter wonderland for most of the year. That is what I wanted, I would love to be snowed in for a few days with my hubby. What's wrong with that?!!

Don't get me wrong, I love nice 70 degree weather too. I just don't think its a good idea to have that in January in the MOUNTAINS!!! WHERE'S THE SNOW?

Anyway I think I have ranted enough this morning. I hope everyone has a lovely day.

Another pet food recall

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:02:26 GMT

Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 9:43 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- PHOENIX, AZ, January 20, 2009 -- PetSmart is
voluntarily recalling seven of its Great Choice® Dog Biscuit products
that contain peanut paste made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).
PCA is the focus of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter
and paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility.

Although PetSmart is not aware of any reported cases of illness
related to these products, it has removed these products from its
store shelves and website and is conducting the recall as a
precautionary measure.

The recalled products include only the following types of Grreat
Choice Dog Biscuits sold between Aug. 21, 2008 and Jan. 19, 2009:

* Small Assorted 32 oz., UPC 73725702900
* Small/Medium Assorted 4 lb., UPC 73725700601
* Small/Medium Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700605
* Small/Medium Assorted 10 lb., UPC 73725702755
* Large Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700638
* Extra Large Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700779
* Peanut Butter 4 lb., UPC 73725700766

Customers who purchased the recalled dog biscuit products should
discontinue use immediately and can return the product to any PetSmart
store for a complete refund or exchange. Customers can visit
www.petsmartfacts. com for more information or contact PetSmart
Customer Service at 1-888-839-9638.

No other products or flavors are included in this recall.

Source, FDA: http://tinyurl.com/7aenfj

PetSmart also has info on their website at http://tinyurl.com/a5cchx

Old Hen's Party

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:36:41 GMT

Shamelessly stolen from nadalia!!

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:54:05 GMT

The Life Experience Test

Overall, you have partaken in 98 out of 169 possible life experiences.
Your average life experience score is therefore 58%.

The average score is 51%, making your experiences more than 70% of the people who have taken this test.
The average for your age group (26-35) is 53%.

Broken down by category:
Art: 7/17 (41%)
Career & Work: 8/13 (62%)
Civics & Technology: 4/7 (57%)
Crime & Disarray: 6/11 (55%)
Education: 11/18 (61%)
Fashion: 7/10 (70%)
Fitness, Health and Sports: 0/7 (0%)
Life in General: 8/14 (57%)
Relationships: 14/14 (100%)
Religion & Politics: 2/4 (50%)
Social: 15/22 (68%)
Travel: 5/20 (25%)
Vices: 11/12 (92%)

Take the test and see how YOU compare

Misty update

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:41:05 GMT

Here is latest on our foster girl, Misty Mae.

Her blood test came back and she does have thyroid disease. She is now on meds and will be for the rest of her life, but at least its manageable.

I put her on a raw diet and her coat is getting much smoother and softer. I have to say that I love being able to feed my dogs the way Mother Nature designed them to. The pups love it and they are super healthy, so thats all that matters to me.

She has been losing some weight, and she has been getting around a little easier. She won't ever be a jogging partner, but hopefully she will be able to get where she wants to go on her own.

She has been playing with Penny and Gretchen more. She is gaining the confidence to assert her authority, lol. Its really cute seeing her make them chill out when they get too wild.

We have found out that she likes to suck on her blankets that she likes to be covered up with. Can you say spoiled? That's okay, she needs to be spoiled a bit.

Until next time, pet your babies!!

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:05:56 GMT

A Poem To My Foster Dog
by Diane Morgan/Copyright 1999

I am the bridge
Between what was and what can be.
I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush,
Because my heart melted when I saw you,
Matted and sore, limping, depressed,
Lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For one little time you are mine.
I will feed you with my own hand
I will love you with my whole heart
I will make you whole.

I am made of steel.
Because when the time comes,
When you are well, and sleek,
When your eyes shine,
And your tail wags with joy
Then comes the hard part.
I will let you go -- not without a tear,
But without a regret.
For you are safe forever --
A new dog needs me now.

Writer's Block: Traditional Pursuits

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:47:12 GMT

There are a lot of things we see most often in December, like caroling, potato latkes, mistletoe, mulled wine, eggnog, and returning gifts. What's your favorite holiday tradition?

View 500 Answers

Sipping apple cider sitting in front of the fire.

Check out the pups!

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:49:58 GMT

Here is a link to the pups' gallery, its far from finished, so keep checking back.

http://pics.livejournal.com/jolache/gallery/00003hy6

Its been a while

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:05:10 GMT

Well lets see...

Since the last time I posted, lots has gone on. I'm not sure when the last time I made a real post, and I'm too tired to look it up. I'll just start at our move to Colorado.

In August of '06, Brian and I made the move to lovely Colorado Springs, Colorado with our beloved cow dog, Gracie. In September, we went and adopted a 4 month old puppy, lab/pit mix. I named him Lord Doofus Periwinkle. Unfortunately, even at his young age, he had been badly abused. We thought we could train it out of him, but I still believe that someone beat him so badly that it permanently damaged not only his sight, but his brain as well. More about that later...

In November, Brian and I finally made it official and were married in the eyes of the State of Colorado, yay! I still love him to pieces!!

During all of this time, we spent lots of time taking the dogs hiking and trying to socialize Doofus. With us, as long as you didn't change clothes where he couldn't see you, he was the sweetest dog you would ever see. With all others, forget it, he wanted to rip their throats out, especially women in their late twenties to early thirties, hmm, you take a wild guess.

The winter of '06 was the worst in Colorado in 50 years, with lots of blizzards and arctic storms and such. It is an experience I will never forget. It was a bit scary at times, but is was one of the most beautiful and amazing displays of Mother Nature's power I have ever seen. I'm glad I was there to see it. The first of several snow storms we had shut both major interstates in Colorado, border to border for 2 days. It was an adventure!

Anyway, we survived it and became wiser for it. Keep water, trail mix, and extra blankets in your car.

In May, I started feeling very sickly and run down all of the time. So much to my displeasure, off to the doctor I go. After a good month and a half of pokes and prods, the docs decide to do a laparoscopy to see what they can find. Very unfun, might I add. I was supposed to be able to go back to work in 4 days, yeah right, 7 WEEKS later, I managed to start back part time and gradually worked my way back up to full time. In all of their 'practicing' they did, they couldn't figure it out...

After all that, I thought life would go back to normal, hehe. In late October, I get a call from my idiot cousin. The one with 4 kids, that got busted for smoking dope while when was pregnant, not once, but twice. Anyway, CPS is knocking on her door again and of course she is worried they are going to take her kids. Well if I were CPS, I would have taken them. The two oldest girls were being 'homeschooled', aka learning about origami and astrology. The oldest at the time was 8 and didn't know the ABC song much less how to write her name. So Brian and I are off to go down and pick up the three girls for an indefinite period of time. The baby boy stayed in Texas. We had planned on keeping them as long as possible and putting them in school. Needless to say, idiot cousin didn’t want them in school, and so there was nothing I could do. We ended up being free babysitters for a month and a half. At the beginning of December, we forced her to make arrangements for them to go back to Texas and for her to start taking care of them again. It really sucked that there was nothing we could do to make her educate her children and it still pisses me off. They are still not in school by the way. Though it doesn’t make me feel better, I know that I tried everything in my power to help them.

At the end of that ordeal, Brian and I and Gracie and Doofus moved to Lakewood, CO. It’s a suburb west of Denver. Brian got the position of Seafood Team Leader and I got a job working as a team member in the Meat Department in the same store. The meat thing was supposed to be temporary, lol. I’m still in meat, but the people I work with are great. My boss at the time, he has since transferred stores, has 2 wolf hybrids that are his world. He is very much a dog lover, so we get along great. He’s a great guy if not a bit eccentric. He was very encouraging when it came to Doofus and all of his problems, he had some suggestions we tried, but nothing really seemed to work.

At the end of March, it all came to a head. While Brian and I were at work, Doofus attacked Gracie. We had seen them get into fights before, but it wasn’t ever really serious, but this time blood was drawn. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to know that we had to make a hard decision. Doofus was now almost 2 and full grown. He was very strong and I no longer walked him for fear that if he were to lunge at someone, I couldn’t stop him. We had to have him put down. It was awful, with me, he was the sweetest, most loving dog in the world, but with anyone else, he was a totally different dog. He was unable to ‘get used to’ new people and would not calm down. He was definitely unadoptable. He wanted nothing more than to attack them. We couldn't take the chance of him getting out and attacking someone, so, about a week later, we had him put down.

We thought Gracie would be okay, but she seemed depressed. We figured that she was used to having a buddy around and was lonely. She and Doofus got along most of the time and liked to cuddle together on their pillows. So we did some research and found the most beautiful, sweetest pup you would ever find. Enter little miss Penny Lou, a 10 week old ball of red and white fur with the most intense green eyes ever! She is 75% border collie and 25% Australian shepherd. She came from a family owned pig farm in Ft. Lupton, CO. Her mother was half border and half aussie, her father was a pure bred border from Sweden, both were beautiful, smart and had great temperaments. Talk about sweet and smart. Gracie, my beloved bitchy girl, even shared toys with her. We thought all would be well.

We thought Gracie was getting better, but then she started getting really sick and wouldn’t eat. We started her on antibiotics, but it wasn’t soon enough. While I was at work, Brian made her an appointment at the vet’s. He got her in the car and she seemed excited to go, it always was her favorite place to be. But there in the back seat of the car, she took her last breath and left this world. We will always miss her. I don’t know if I will ever totally be over it. Every once in a while, I find something of hers and the pain of losing her is a raw as ever.

The more I think back on how she was right before she died, I think she knew it was her time to go. Before she left us, she taught Penny some valuable life long lessons, like how to walk up and down stairs and that the couch was the best place to sleep.

Of course, during all of this, my boss Dale, was great. He knew how much our dogs meant to us. He also knew that Penny needed a buddy. He didn’t say anything for a couple of months, but then he started making hints. Slowly but surely, he convinced me and in turn, I convinced Brian that Penny needed a buddy. After more research and decision making, enter Gretchen Marie, an 8 week old registered weimaraner from Nebraska. The prettiest silver pup with vivid blue eyes that seemed to peer straight into your soul. There is something about seeing a very young hunting breed pup stalking your slightly older herding breed pup. Its great to watch.

At first, Penny seemed to be the one to be in charge, but over time, that has changed. Penny is far too sweet to be in charge of much of anything other than the welcoming committee of all people entering the house. Gretchen definitely takes the cake there. That’s probably why their nicknames are Penny Love and Gretchenater the Terrorist.

The first of September, we had an opportunity to move to the mountains, so we jumped on it. We currently live in a cabin on the side of a mountain with about an acre and a half yard that we share with deer, foxes, coyotes, chipmunks, bears and occasional mountain lion. Our current elevation is about 8600 feet above sea level. We are loving it, it snowed yesterday and we got about 14 inches on our deck and more than that on the ground.

Since moving up here, I only work 3 days a week now. I’m loving it, I get to stay home with my dogs and make blankets, curtains, scarves or whatever and cook dinner when Brian gets home. It may be a simple life, but I love it. Now that I have extra time, I foster weimaraners for Mile High Weimaraner Rescue. Hunter was my first foster dog, he was 11 years old that had been dumped at a shelter for no other reason than his age. At some point he had been taught commands, but had not been taken care of for quite some time. His nails were so long that he walked like a duck, his teeth were very worn and in serious need of cleaning, he was overweight and his spirit had been badly hurt. We immediately put him on the prey model raw food diet that mine are on, got him to lose some weight, gave him lots of love and took him to the vet to get fixed up there. Within a month, he was running and jumping like a dog half his age. He was healthy and his coat was puppy soft, shiny and smooth. And he was adopted on Black Friday by a lovely lady lives about 3 hours from here that has a 6 year old weim and he is doing great. We miss him and his sweet nose nibbles (he didn't give kisses) but its great that he has a forever home.

This past Sunday, we received another foster dog. Her name is Misty, she is 4 years old and is a beautiful sweet girl. Unfortunately, she has not lived in a good situation for a very long time, if ever. She is fearful of men, about 40 lbs overweight, has nerve damage in her back legs, and has a really bad skin condition. Brian is working on the fear of men, he actually got a kiss this morning! We got her out playing in the snow today, I don’t think she has ever been outside for any length of time, much less experienced snow. With her back legs not working properly, she has difficulty getting around, but does surprisingly well. She was able to kind of trot today in the snow, I think it supported her legs enough that she was able to do more. She was so happy and I am happy for her. She got a bath today, and loved it. She tried to play with the pups when she got out. To think that just Sunday, they were trying to get her to play, but she didn’t act like she could to today where she was instigating the play! The more she moves, the better she gets around, its like she is learning to use her legs. Watching her move, I think she was kept in a crate that was too small for her to stand in for most of her life on top of the fact that her back legs don’t work right. People infuriate me sometimes. I can’t understand how people can do that to animals. The more involved I become with the rescue, the more sickened I become with some people and the more I appreciate the one that are trying to fix the others leavings.

Anyway that’s pretty much it for now. I will try to post more often so its not so long next time.

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:00:13 GMT

34.5 miles per gallon

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