My Guy Is Getting Older

No, not my husband.  (Well, he is getting older, but this post isn't about him).  My dog Brodie is nearly 11 1/2 and in Westie years that is definitely a senior citizen.

Our Shellie died a couple of years ago at age 16, but she was a larger (and really old) terrier.  It was tough.  Our first indication that she was starting to decline was when we realized she lost her hearing. We had to learn to use hand commands, although she was quick to pick it up.  We also had to walk up and touch her whenever we wanted her attention.  There were a lot of other things that happened physically to Shellie before she died, but losing her hearing was the first big step.

I just realized tonight that our Brodie has also largely lost his hearing.  At first I thought (just like with Shellie) that he was being a stubborn terrier at times because he was ignoring me when I called.  We did a little test tonight and really the only thing he hears is when I whistle.  He is getting hand commands already which is good.

This guy was a surprise birthday gift to me on a "big" birthday and he's very special.  Don't ask my husband how special he is, because you will probably get a very mixed response at best.

He sleeps a lot too which isn't all bad because we know he's not getting into trouble in the next room.  But turn on that barbecue grill and he dances around like a puppy.

I think Brodie may still have several good years before his run is over, but for tonight, its a little sad knowing we are beginning the last stage of his life.

Cindy

No Good Doggone Deed Goes Unpunished

I have a soft spot for dogs.  I especially have a thing for dogs who are in the wrong places.   When I was 4, I spotted the neighbor's puppy in our backyard.  I bolted for the back door and ran my entire left forearm through the glass door.  Twenty five stitches later, I think the puppy found its way back to its yard.

On Tuesday my kids and I noticed a dog in the street in front of our house as we left for the day.  I opened the car door and an English setter jumped in on my lap.  We went door to door on our block looking for the dog's owners.  Leaving one of the houses, I missed the single step off their porch.  My right foot twisted and I went down hard on my left knee.  OUCH!

7 hours and a lot of crazy limping later, I went to urgent care.  I came home with crutches, a short boot, and hydrocodone.  The diagnosis was an acute sprain and a fracture of my fifth metatarsal, although it was not clear that the broken bone was caused by the fall.

On the drive back home, I found good news - fliers all over the neighborhood looking for our furry house guest.  I called the number on the flyer and SURPRISE!  The dog belonged to our new neighbors ACROSS THE STREET.  The dog, Beau, jumped the fence minutes before we found him.  They were frantically looking for Beau all day, and he was enjoying a play date with my dogs in the backyard pool.  I felt bad for them worrying, and they felt bad about my foot.

After visiting the orthopedic surgeon the next day, I had a revised diagnosis - ligament tearing but no broken bones, just a bone spur.  I also had a bigger boot to wear with my crutches.

{SIGH}

Here's what I learned:

1.  Watch where you step
2.  Introduce yourself to new neighbors
3.  Leave the dog in the street.

cindy

Lu Lu

This Christmas brought a new addition to our family - Lulu

Lulu is an adult domestic shorthair (at least that's what the Humane Society called her).  

She's just a sweetie cat to us.

It took us a long time to get a cat that Mackenzie REALLY wanted.  We have two dogs, both terriers, and one is a Westie.  I was so nervous about a kitten which is why we adopted a cat - with claws - and no fear of dogs.  Lulu slapped Brodie the Westie a couple of times and now everyone understands who's the new sheriff in town.

While all is well in Animalville, we are still trying to get Lulu to give us humans the time of day.  She's been happy to follow me around talking up a storm while I'm getting her food (never fast enough, mind you).  But try to pet her?  Forget about it.  

In the last day or so, I think she's decided to let us live in her world.

And now we know who's the new diva in the house.

cindy

(If you were looking for the next installment of Scarf Week, it's coming after a bit of a detour.  Let's just say I had a "craft fail."  I'll show off my "creativity" when I'm ready with a regular scarf, which should be in the next day or so.  Stay tuned.)

  

Puppy Love

Last weekend Mackenzie and I finally made it to "As You Wish," a place where you paint your own ceramics.  I love these places.  There are so many things to choose from.  We both chose dog dishes with double sides - one for Shellie and one for Brodie.

You paint three coats of paint, but it's not easy to tell the ultimate color because at this stage it all looks pastel.

We had an awesome time.  Here's what our designs looked like when we finished.

Once you finish painting, you have to leave it for a few days so they can coat it with glaze and fire it in the kiln.  Here's the completed products. Mackenzie's

If the dishes look a little spotty or dusty, it's because the dishes were filled with dog food before I could get a picture.  I had to wait until they were almost empty.

Our dogs like them too:

Success!

cindy

Constant Computer?

I have this little problem in my house.  It looks a little like this:

No, Brodie doesn't really use the computer, but everyone else in the house does.  There are two kids and two adults living here.  There are 3 laptops, 1 tablet, 1 I-Touch and 2 smart phones.  Yep, we're pretty wired.  While it's a great convenience, it's become a real problem.  The kids spend too much time on the computer and we parents aren't much better.  I do feel pretty comfortable about what we're *not* looking at - we have Covenant Eyes installed on our computers and it's a pretty good filter.  However, I'm still pretty concerned about things like YouTube, even with the filters.

About now you are thinking - just turn it off, and you're right.  However, computers are to my kids what TV was to me.  It's going to be a bit of a challenge now that school is out.  We're trying to keep them busy, but I definitely think we will have to set specific time limits on computer time.

If anyone has any similar experiences, suggestions or alternatives, I'd love to hear from you!

cindy

The Joys of Online Shopping

This has been a banner year for online shopping and I have certainly done my part.  But now it's December 21 and my shopping (online and offline) is DONE!!  Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of my family.

This is Brodie:

He was caught in the act of online shopping, probably shopping for a new bone.  His big sister Shellie couldn't keep her nose out of unwrapped Christmas gifts.  Now the bones are gone and this sad tale has taken an unexpected twist.

Time is running short for last minute shopping.

cindy