Day of the Dead

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, in English) is a Mexican celebration of one's ancestors on November 1 and 2.  It is believed "that the gates of Heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours.  On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities..."  source

I bought this little figure at Target last month.

I take time during Day of the Dead to remember and celebrate the critters that have been part of our family and have passed on.  Each is precious.

Murphy, the gentle giant who taught me to love dogs.

Cindy.  Still my best Christmas present ever.

Amy.  Barn cat, turned house cat, born deaf ... and she never knew that that was supposed to be a handicap.

Emma.  The precious soul who started my journey into the wonderful world of Greyhounds.

Maggie.  My miracle survivor cat.  The friendliest cat ever.

Daniel.  The dog who picked me.  

Kimba.  The Queen of Hartwood.

... and Winnie.  What can I say about this wonderful little dog ... I adored her.

I gathered these photos of some of my precious critters, and each of them made me smile.  Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.  I remember each of them with love, and joy, and I am grateful for their presence in our family.

On this final day of Dia de los Muertos, take a moment to remember your precious loved ones, whether they're human or otherwise.  Be still, and I'll bet you can feel them nearby.
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If you'd like to read a lovely, short article about Day of the Dead, click HERE.

"Roses, Wines, and Canines"

If you've been around here for any time at all, you already know that I am one of the core members of Greyhounds Rock Fredericksburg, a nonprofit fundraising charity.  We raise money for, and educate the public about, canine cancer.  We staff the GRF booth at local events (pet fairs and wine and beer fests, mostly.), selling our hand-made collars, leashes, jewelry, wine glass holders, etc., talking pretty much nonstop, and soliciting donations.  We also organize an annual event in the fall.  Since 2010, Greyhounds Rock has donated over $40,000 for canine cancer research, support, and treatment.

Emma and Daniel, with their friend TJ.  All three of these sweet dogs died of cancer.

In the past, our fall event has been a two-day conference that we called "Take a Bite Out of Canine Cancer".  This year, we are doing something a bit different.  On Sunday, September 27, from 11am to 6pm, here at Hartwood Manor and next door at Hartwood Winery, we are hosting "Roses, Wines, and Canines" ... a fun family and dog-friendly day in the country.

Emma, our first greyhound, adopted in 1999.  She loved squeaky toys ...

... and laying in the sun watching the world go by.

She enjoyed children ...

... and she was a superb Therapy Dog.

(Now you know what's been taking up so much of my time and why I haven't been here very often.  I have been doing what I can to tidy up this place and whip it into shape to receive guests ... hopefully LOTS of guests.)

Then, there were two.

This pic was taken at the greyhound gathering in Dewey Beach, Delaware.

Emma was mostly people oriented ... she tolerated Daniel ...

... and I like to think that she came to enjoy having a little brother, after we adopted him in 2005.

As of today, five days in advance of the event, plans are in place, the gardens look as good as they're gonna get, and we are VERY excited.  We will have food, Blessing of the Hounds, a scavenger hunt through Hartwood Roses' gardens and Hartwood Winery's vineyard, wine tasting, a vendor market, photo booth, raffle, auction, door prizes, and more.

I love this photo of Daniel and me.  It was taken at the GRF conference in 2011, four short weeks after Emma died.

Daniel was such a sweet boy!

I knew from the first time I met him, while transporting him and another dog from NC to a foster home in VA, that he was intended to be my dog.

His sweet, smiling face got even more beautiful with time.  He left us way too soon, in 2013, just shy of his 12th birthday.  This is the last photo that I took of him.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under.  We will accept walk-in registrations, but we prefer that folks register in advance (so we have the most accurate guest count for food and chairs and such.)  Register at the Greyhounds Rock web site, www.GreyhoundsRock.org.  Our beneficiary this year is the Greyhound Health Initiative.

There is still time to plan to attend "Roses, Wines, and Canines", and we will be honored to have you.  If you can't attend, and you want to support our efforts, donations are always welcome.  (we make this easy, with a donation page on our web site.  Click HERE.)

Ruby and Winnie are excited to welcome everyone on Sunday.  Okay ... Ruby is excited ... Winnie will probably just bark.

All of us who have dogs have probably lost at least one of them to cancer.  It's a heart-breaking fact, but I accept this as part of the bargain.  The joy that dogs bring to my life is worth the pain of their passing.  My work with Greyhounds Rock makes me feel like I'm fighting back ... paying it forward ... so future dogs can have the benefit of the programs that we support.

Happy Easter

I took this photo of Daniel for Easter 2013.  He's been gone for almost two years now, and I long ago reached the point where I smile when I see photos of him ... remembering circumstances or events with him makes me happy.

I hope a silly photo of his sweet self wearing bunny ears makes you happy, too.

There's Never Enough Time

Yesterday, I had to let my dear Daniel go.  Everything happened so fast.

 

 

On Monday, I took him to the vet because he just wasn't right.  She found that he had a kidney infection, prescribed an antibiotic, and he should have been better within a day or two.

 

He wasn't.  I called the vet on Thursday morning, and she told me to bring him in right away.

 

 

 

As soon as she put her hands on him, the look on her face changed.  His abdomen felt normal on Monday, but Thursday it was full of a very large spleen.  Ultrasound confirmed this.  His lymphoma was something different now, extremely aggressive ... and it wasn't something that we could fix.

 

 

 

I don't remember much about how I drove home through rush hour northern Virginia traffic that afternoon.  It took forever, my mind was racing, and my heart was breaking. 

 

 

 

Friday morning, it was obvious what had to be done that day.  I called my vet, made the appointment, and spent the rest of the day spoiling Daniel with attention and treats.

 

 

Daniel left this life, cradled in my arms, as I whispered in his ear.  I promised when I adopted him that I would be with him forever ... and I was.

 

 

 

 

Godspeed, my sweet boy.

 

Forbes Nakdaniel (6/12/2001 - 5/17/2013)

 

Forgive me if I am unable to reply to what I am sure will be very kind, caring comments.  I don't know if I can do it right now.  Please accept my sincere gratitude in advance.

 

 

In the Company of Dogs

From the time that I was nine years old, I have always had at least one cat, but I didn't get my first dog until I was 29.  His name was Murphy, and he was a rescued English Yellow Labrador.  (His trim-and-fit weight was 80 lbs.)  Murphy and I were inseparable.  My husband traveled a lot for his job at the time(in the days before cell phones and easy access to other communication), my full-time job was stay-at-home mom of three young daughters (3, 4, and 6 at the time), and I could always count on Murphy for company and good conversation.

Murphy was 12 when I took this photo in 1996.  That's baby Amy with him.

After Murphy died in 1997, I was so heartbroken that I couldn't even think of getting another dog.  About a year and a half later, I could feel a change ... and I knew that it was time to bring another dog into our family.  That was Emma.

Ancient, grainy digital photo ... taken shortly after we adopted Emma.

Emma was quite content to be an only dog.  Greyhound adoption folks will tell you that greyhounds are happier in groups (and this is generally the case), but not with Emma.  She was a very independent dog, very people oriented, and a superb Therapy Dog.  I'm not sure she ever really forgave me for bringing Daniel into the family.  After six years of being the lone dog, having a little brother must have been quite a shock for her.

Unlike Emma, Daniel has always really enjoyed the company of other dogs.

Look how brown he used to be!

Daniel was the dog who chose me.  I wasn't looking to add another dog to the family, but I couldn't ignore how perfect he was for us.  Emma would just have to understand and deal with it.  We were a two-hound family, until Emma died in 2011.

This is Daniel and me in the fall of 2011.  See the connection between us?

Now we have Ruby, too, adopting her in February 2012.  She is a little black bundle of happiness ... probably half Labrador and half Border Collie, picked up as a stray in Abingdon, Virginia, and turned over to Border Collie Rescue.  She is definitely not the greyhound personality that I am used to, but she fits into our family perfectly.

Sweet, smiling Ruby.

There you have it.  As large a part as dogs have played in my adult life, I have only had four of them.  This is because we have been blessed to have each of them in our family for a long, long time ... even though they were all adopted as adults. (Murphy was 5, Emma was 3, Daniel was 4 1/2, and Ruby was the baby at 1 1/2.)  No matter how long we have them, it's never really long enough, is it.

One day, I will have to tell you about the cats in my life.  That's a story for another time.

Happy Easter!

I bought these bunny ears last week at Target for $1.   It was a simple matter to shorten the plastic headband, and thread a piece of elastic through the fuzzy fabric band to make them fit the dogs.  (Those of you who follow Greyhounds Rock on FB have already seen these pictures ... they're so cute that I have to post them here, too, for everyone to enjoy.)

First up, we have my sweet boy Daniel.  He finished his chemotherapy treatments last month, and he had a great check-up last week!  (To see his story of successful treatment for Lymphoma, click HERE.)

"I'll wear the ears, but I don't have to like it."

 

Our friends Kim and Andy adopted a new dog in November ... meet Anu, a beautiful, loving-but-skittish, work-in-progress Saluki.  (We were shocked that he let us put the ears on him.)

 

Anu can melt people with those eyes!

 

 

Our final model for the bunny ears is TJ ... Kim and Andy's other dog.  Next week, TJ will celebrate the 33-month anniversary of his osteosarcoma diagnosis and amputation. In that time, TJ has been an inspiration ... showing everyone he meets that there is life after amputation (especially for a dog) and that a physical challenge doesn't have to be a handicap.

 

 

 

I tried repeated to get a photo of Ruby wearing the ears, but she kept shaking them off before I could get the picture.  You'll have to take my word for it ... they were really cute on her.

 

Happy Easter, Everybody!

 

Hey, Connie, How is Daniel Doing?

It has been almost exactly six months since our eleven-year-old greyhound, Daniel, was diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma of the spleen.  You would never know by looking at him now that he was anything but a happy older gentleman dog.  I am thankful for the expert care he has received from his oncologist.  Look at that sweet face!

"Mom, is that cheeseburger for me?"

 

 

Daniel has received six doses of CCNU.  It is an oral chemotherapy drug, which is powerful against his cancer, but usually has minimal side effects.  (liver toxicity and low white blood cell and/or platelets are the most common.)  Only once did he feel even the least bit puny after one of his treatments.  Other than that, you would never know by his behavior that he was receiving treatment of any kind.

 

He has been steadily regaining the weight he lost earlier in the year before his diagnosis and treatment.  My normally 70-pound dog bottomed out at 58 pounds.  He is up to 65 pounds, as of his last vet visit on Christmas Eve. (that's why he's wearing his red velved holiday collar.)

 

"Yes, Daniel, it is.  Here you go, Sweetheart.  You were such a good boy for the doctor."

 

 

Daniel is the dog that picked me seven years ago.  I remember that day so well ... the little voice in my gut was screaming, pleading, begging me understand that this precious boy was meant to be mine ... what a wise little voice! 

 

Cat safe?  Yes, he is!  

 

 

As far as Daniel's lymphoma goes, we are making his treatment decisions one vet visit at a time.  He has a less-common low-level type of lymphoma, and we are taking our cues from him about how to proceed.  So far, he continues to be in remission ... eating well, gaining weight ... with a cheery attitude and a great quality of life. 

Thankful for Family, and Friends, and Pot Luck

The Husband and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner here, with a house full of family and friends.  All of our guests brought food to share, which is always my favorite way to have a party.  Everyone contributes to the feast, and no one is stressed out by the preparations.  Believe it or not, I only took one photo all day ... a picture of one of my pumpkin pies.

This is from my grandmother's recipe.  I know I'm biased, but this really IS the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten.  (Recipe at the end of this post)

 

 

Pot Luck parties are the best!  I am pretty adventurous when it comes to food, and I love the variety of choices at a Pot Luck party ... especially since most of our friends are just as adventurous as I am. 

 

Our menu included:

 

Cheese, crackers, chips, and other finger food

an assortment of WONDERFUL tropical fruit from 'Robert is Here' in Homestead, Fl.

Traditional turkey and dressing, with mashed potatoes and gravy

Collard greens, cranberry apple relish,

Orange rice,

Bread pudding with bourbon sauce and ice cream

Cupcakes

Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream

(I know I'm forgetting some things)

 

Among the crush of people, we also had four dogs ... our two, and two that belong to friends.  The two guest dogs fell right into line with ours, following people around, sitting and staring longingly,  and hoping for treats or randomly (or purposefully) dropped morsels.  Our cats made themselves scarce upstairs while guests were here.

 

I just remembered ... I did take one other photo ... this one, of our friend Kim and her entourage.  TJ and Daniel and Ruby were REALLY trying to encourage her to share the chips.  (I'm glad I had my iPad sitting on the counter so I could capture the moment.)

 

 

 

To add to the lovely day yesterday, the afternoon football game was a good one ... the Redskins beat the Cowboys in a really exciting game, which is always a good thing for this 'Skins fan.  (I send my condolences to those of you who are Dallas fans.)

 

Today is supposed to be a lovely, sunny day ... with cold temperatures due to return for the weekend.  I hope to take advantage of the warm weather and get our outdoor Christmas decorations put up.  If you drive by and find me sitting on the roof of the porch, be sure to wave.

 

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Nonnie's Pumpkin Pie

 

1 small can of Pumpkin

3 Eggs

1 1/2 cups Sugar

1 teaspoon each Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, and Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ginger

1 1/2 to 2 cups Milk (I use skim, because that's all we have in our house)

 

Pour this mixture into two unbaked 9" pie shells.  (sometimes I make my own crust, sometimes I use the store-brand rolled pie dough, and sometimes I totally punt and use Marie Callender's frozen shells.)  Bake at 350 degrees until center of pie is set ... this usually takes over an hour, and it's hard to give an exact time.  I set my timer for an hour, check the status of the pies, then reset the timer in 15 minute intervals.  It's practically impossible to overbake this, unless you forget and the pie is incinerated.  Err on the side of a little more done, rather than underdone.

  

A Story Without Words

... except one.

Busted!

He seems to have an instinct for which of my shoes are the 'good' ones.

 

 

Daniel was once a world champion shoe stealer.  That waned, and eventually stopped all together, as his health deteriorated.  Now that he feels better, he's up to his old tricks.  Time to stash my shoes again whenever I take them off (instead of leaving them wherever when I kick them off.)

Ruby's Perspective ... Going to the Doctor with Daniel

Hi, Everybody.  Ruby here.

Daniel had an appointment with his cancer doctor today.  Mom took me with them because no one else was at home to watch me, and she didn't want me to be in my crate for such a long time.  (She's a really good Mom and she loves me very much ... I'm glad I picked her.)

 

 

I like Daniel's doctor.  She hugged with me and scratched my ears and told me that I will be a wonderful therapy dog.  Then she told Mom that Daniel is doing even better than he was when she saw him three weeks ago.  That made Mom happy.  I like it when Mom is happy.

 

Daniel had to go to the "back" (wherever that is) so he could get his special medicine.  The doctor said that he was getting a meatball ... I like meatballs, but I don't need the special medicine so I can't have one.  While Daniel was gone, Mom and I sat on the floor and waited.

 

 

 

When we left the doctor, Mom told us that she was going to have lunch with her friend Deborah, and that she was going to leave us in the car for a little while.  She also told us that she would take us to get a special treat when she got back.  (Daniel gets treats whenever he goes to the doctor ... he tries to hide it, but I can tell because I can smell it on his breath when he comes home.)

 

Our next stop was a place called The Drive Through.  Mom told the man in the little box that she wanted "a double cheeseburger plain, please".  Mom broke the cheeseburger into little pieces and she took turns giving some to Daniel and some to me.  This was the first time I ever tasted cheeseburger, and I really like it!

 

 

 

It was a long day for us.  There was a lot of traffic on the highway, and it took us longer than it normally would to get home.  I didn't mind, though, because Mom and Daniel and I got to spend more time together riding in the car on a beautiful sunny day.  I like riding in the car.

 

Another Daniel Update

I won't make you wait ... I'll just come right out and say it ... shout it, actually ...

Daniel is doing AWESOME!

 

 

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here's a quick summary.  Daniel is our eleven-year-old greyhound.  In late July, he was diagnosed with low-level T-cell lymphoma of the spleen.  (Click HERE to read my first post about this).  He is being treated with chemotherapy (CCNU) and prednisone, and he has responded perfectly.  (The update I wrote after his first chemotherapy dose is HERE.)

  

Along with his cancer, a big concern for me has been his loss of weight while he's been sick.  He is so thin.  Since his first chemo treatment, I run him across the scale at my vet's office once a week to keep a close eye on it  ... my normally 70-pound dog bottomed out at 58.2 pounds when I weighed him on August 15.  (That's three pounds less than he weighed when he had his first chemotherapy treatment.)  He has a great appetite, and will eat anything I put in front of him, but he was still not regaining any of his weight.

 

 

"Is breakfast ready, Mom?"

 

 

August 20 was our appointment for a follow up with his oncologist and his second chemotherapy treatment.  Upon examination, Dr. Sheafor pronounced that Daniel's spleen is now "dramatically and palpably smaller" (her words) than it was when she saw him three weeks before.  She reassured me about his weight loss ... she theorizes that it was probably the reduction in the volume of the cancer in his spleen that accounts for most of it.  I was over-the-moon excited when she told me this.

 

 

"What's that?"

 

 

Our weight check this week revealed that Daniel now weighs 62.2 pounds ... that's a four pound gain within two weeks!  He is still really thin, but that's okay because he is going the right direction and he should soon be back to a better weight.

 

 

"Yum!"

 

 

Our happy, active Daniel is back.  He has a spring in his step, a boyish twinkle in his eyes, and he has the energy to run and play again. 

 

Thank you for all of the wonderful messages that so many of you have sent asking about Daniel.  It is wonderful to report that he is fantastic, and I can't hardly stop smiling about it.