Motivational Posters

(I take no credit for these clever little things!) (I stole this from my email!)

Remembering

I guess you never forget those four legged friends that leave this life . Am I ever going to stop missing him? His name was Tonka. He was our first Boerboel. I confess I was nervous about getting him. I grew up in a home that never allowed any pets in the house. I was excited to have my own dog in my own house, however, when the day came to pick him up I was nervous. What was it like to have a pet of your own? We researched and pondered the perfect breed for us. We knew we wanted a large breed that was great with kids, but also a great guard dog. My husband brought him home and placed him in my arms. I was right to be nervous. It was scary to love a creature so much.

We were newly married. I found myself alone quite a bit as my husband began his quest in becoming a firefighter for his dream station. Tonka sat while I put on my makeup in the morning watching me in the mirror. He followed me from room to room never leaving my side. He would have these moments of energy where he would run and run around our tiny little condo and make us laugh. We couldn't wait to give him a bigger house with a yard to really run in. The husband took him to work with him at the wood shop every day and the two became inseparable. He was our first dog together. He was my friend and my guardian when the husband was away. On our walks if someone shared the same sidewalk he would move in front of me placing himself as a barrier between me and the stranger and sat until they moved on.

Then one day we couldn't go on walks together and there were no more bursts of energy around the condo. He started with falling down a lot and then progressed to barely being able to move. He was the pick of the litter. He gathered crowds around when we took him out because of his size and looks. Suddenly we were helping this 130 pound dog walk. We got the diagnoses that he had Wobbler's disease. We knew it would only get worse and there wasn't a cure, but we couldn't imagine not having that sweet big face every where we went.

One sad afternoon we knew he didn't want to be around anymore. There is something so humbling and awful watching my husband a stereotypical firefighter lifting his best friend into the car for the last time. With tears in our eyes we silently drove him to the vet. I am the emotional one and yet I had the be the strong one. I signed the paperwork and watched as the two came to an understanding of what was necessary.


I thought it was supposed to be peaceful. We knew it was necessary, but it didn't seem right lifting this large dog to the table and having him look at us with such trust and love. We did make the right decision for him, but it wasn't peaceful. My husband, still dressed in his firefighting uniform was eye to eye with him, whispering" you are such a good dog, you are such a good boy, it's OK......." Then the tears really started to fall. This sight was new to me. Never had I loved a pet so much and never had I seen my husband so sad and not ashamed to show it.

"He is gone now, take your time to say goodbye" said the vet.

That was it. No more Tonka. At only 18 months old and larger than life he instantly became just a memory. He left a permanent paw print on our hearts, but he just barely tasted life. We have the bigger house now with the large yard and often I think of him and wonder what it would be like for him to experience this with us. I feel bad comparing Africa to him, but it is hard not to sometimes. All dogs have different personalities and his was pretty awesome. I guess we never forget. If I had to pick just one thing about him that I really do miss is the image of him sitting in the front seat of the car with the husband tall like a human as they drove off to work. It was like they were two men carpooling to work together. He would often look over at Josh and then forward again like they were having a conversation. If he could talk to us now, I think he would say

"I can run now, don't be sad."

What is your favorite memory of your first pet?

Dinner For Two plus mud

There is nothing more enjoyable to be then dinner with my husband. I love to research, plan , and prepare a meal all day. He comes home after being gone for 36 hours and what a treat it is.

Husband: "How was your day?"

Me: "Good! How was the fire station?" "Anything crazy happen?"

Husband:" Yes, we got this one call for difficulty breathing........."

(In rushes Africa behind me and under the table)

Husband:" Holy crap!" (As he rushes towards Africa)

Me: "What's wrong!?"

Husband: " Look at her!"

Me: "Oh, I'll get the hose..."(As I shovel in my food)

Yes, dinner with my husband is my favorite part of the day.

Happy Halloween!

I can't wait to see your crazy costumes!

LOVIE

Lovie- noun 1. an object or thing used to give one comfort. Usually a teddy bear, small blanket, or something soft that creates an attachment and aides in sleeping or sad times.



The baby has had a LOVIE for quite some time. He takes it wherever he can, but especially must have it when sleeping.

There are only so many times I can watch the nasty crate blankets so I recently purchased some new soft blankets at a local Goodwill store. Africa made best friends with this blanket and has turned it into her own LOVIE. She drags it out of her crate when she can. We didn't pose her either. She really seems to be hugging it as she should.

Don't we all just need a LOVIE?

Neighborhood Dog Killer?

I thought that might get your attention. It sure has mine! Remember my post about the mysterious death of Lola the next door neighbor's dog and the near death of dearest Bruce? Well I thought it was strange that my great neighbor's would neglect their dogs in such a way and it turns out it wasn't them. I know we all decided it must of been the heat, but according to Africa's lover they might have been poisoned.

My husband had a conversation recently with them recently and is happy to report that Bruce is starting to get better. He has won himself a permanent position inside the house so that is great news.Poor Africa no longer has friends to share a fence with, but she will get over it I think. Here is where it gets creepy.

In the house across the street lives the suspects. I have never met these folks, but I thought they were OK because they had a sweet German Shepard and seemed like really devoted owners. Well it turns out the dog has passed away from old age which is very sad. It is even more sad because I guess the wife of the household has gone crazy. I mean off her rocker crazy, cuckoo, nutty as a fruitcake, just got out of the loony bin crazy. Am I missing any more synonyms?

She is apparently extremely distraught over the death of her dog and has become jealous of other people that still have dogs. So when our neighbor's left for a little vacation she threw a poisoned piece of meat over the fence. Lola ate most of it, and Bruce must of eaten a small part of it. They said that she has seemed very strange before, so once the vet confirmed that the cause of death was poison they became concerned that it was in fact the crazy neighbor.

There is no proof and it is hard to believe that anyone would want to do such a thing, but now I am concerned for our Africa. Do I bake a cake for the crazy lady and try to become friends so she doesn't go after Africa? Do we keep Africa from going outside? We have decided to check the yard every morning to check for poisoned meat and what not, but this is concerning to say the least. Please don't kill my dog.

Update: I should make it clear that this could just be a rumor, but we will treat it like it is true and watch over Africa. Thank you for your great advice and concern. We sure appreciate all of you.

Why I Don't Like to Watch the News

Photo Detail - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com click on the link for 3 pictures.

A woman walking walking her dog in the Encanto Park in Phoenix,Arizona found this poor creature abandoned under a picnic table. Upon examination under the shirt she discovered that the dog's legs had been hogtied. The dog was starved and very scared. It kind of makes you sick doesn't it?