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.

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.

A New Day

Emma is in Heaven now.  She told me yesterday afternoon that she was ready to go, and I promised that I would respect her wishes.  She left, with family around her, helped on her journey by our dear veterinarian.  (I love Dr. Jewett more than I can express!) 

I knew this morning would be very difficult ... it's my first morning in twelve years without Emma here, after all.  Surprisingly, I am at peace.  My biggest source of stress has been Emma's health and well-being.  Now I turn my attention to Daniel, as I help him learn to be an only dog. 

Our eldest daughter came to visit Emma yesterday afternoon, bringing Caleb with her, and Alice had her first opportunity to see a real baby.

Caleb was unimpressed.  At two weeks old, he has plenty of time to learn what cats are.  Alice was not sure what to make of this miniature person.  She sniffed him over and backed away.

I am humbled by the outpouring of love and support that I have received here in the past few days, and I am grateful from the bottom of my heart.  Knowing that we are not alone in our grief makes it easier to bear.

Emma

Emma has cancer ... her spleen and her liver.

We are probably in her final days.

I am heartbroken.

As Seen Through the Family Room Door

I came up from the basement yesterday afternoon, and this was the view I saw as I glanced through the door into our family room. 

Maggie, and Emma, and Daniel were sound asleep ... each on their own dog bed.  Alice and Dorothy were curled up on the couch.

What a peaceful scene.

With Emma's still-unknown illness weighing heavily on me, peace is in short supply right now.  My brain won't slow down, and I'm grinding my teeth more than usual. 

Emma's ultrasound is this afternoon.  I hope we get an answer ... no matter how bad the news may be.  If I know, I can manage.  Not knowing is torture.

Thanks for listening.  This blog will return to its regularly-scheduled upbeat and positive style soon.  Right now, I'm not feeling it.

Kitten Therapy Helps in Times of Stress

Alice and Dorothy are sitting here with me, on the couch in the family room.  I think they know that I need a bit of Kitten Therapy right now.

Emma is not feeling any better, and she's barely eating.  She and I were at the vet again yesterday morning, to talk to the doctor to see where we go from here.  Dr. Wood feels that this is liver related, and she is recommending that Emma have an abdominal ultrasound. 

We have an appointment for this tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, this will tell us if we are dealing with a condition that we can treat, or a mass that we cannot. Either way, I'm okay with it ... I just want to know what's going on. The 'not knowing' is stressing me beyond belief.

As I sat on the floor of the examination room with Emma relaxing on her Mexican blanket, I talked to her and stroked her fur, and I told her how much I love her.  All of the sudden I realized what day it was ... October 3 ... Emma's Gotcha Day!  It has been twelve years since she came to us as a spunky, black-faced fawn girl.  The black face has faded to silver, but her attitude certainly hasn't.

Please keep Emma in your prayers.  She and I could sure use them.

Heavy Heart

My dear friend, Gale, and her husband had to say goodbye to their big, sweet boy, Asher, yesterday.  He was sick on Thursday, and went downhill quickly Thursday night.  Radiographs Friday morning revealed a large mass in his chest, and Gale did the loving thing and let Asher go ... though it broke their heart to do it.

I love this photo that I took of Asher while all of us were on vacation in Gatlinburg earlier this year.

I was at the same vet yesterday morning with Emma.  (She has been off her feed, and I took her to see the doctor to make sure she isn't sick.  Bloodwork and x-rays are inconclusive, and she ate a little bit better yesterday, so perhaps she is on her way back to her old self ... prayers here will be appreciated.)

I am incredibly thankful that I was at the vet at the same time as Gale, because losing Asher so unexpectedly was a huge blow ... to her, to her husband, and to our veterinarian.  I hugged them all, and we cried, and I did my best to give comfort.  At times like this, there's really nothing to say ... tears and hugs can heal, and I offered all I had.

Was it a coincidence that we were at the vet's office together?  Perhaps not.  I think I was supposed to be there.

(If you're local and want something fun to do today, come see me at the Greyhounds Rock booth at the Downtown Dog Fair in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia.  I'll be there all day ... raising money for canine cancer research ... in memory of Asher, who is now another angel waiting at the Rainbow Bridge.)

I'm Walking for Jesse Marie

One thing about adopting retired racing greyhounds is that their pedigrees are very well documented.  Each dog is tattooed with unique identifying numbers, and racing and breeding records are very thorough.  Because of this, it is possible to trace my dogs' lineage back to the 18th Century, when records were first kept.  Considering what a history junkie I am, I think it's incredibly cool to have access to such detailed info on my dogs' family trees.

Emma was one of eight puppies born on January 21, 1997.  Her father was 'Aussie Iago' (an Australian import who may have made his appearance as imported frozen sperm, since I cannot find any trace of him actually being in the US) and her mother was 'Just Empty' (the worst dog name I have EVER heard).  Through various Internet searches, over the years I have found five of Emma's littermates.  One morning, out of the blue, I found her mom listed on a greyhound adoption site in Kansas City!

This is the photo that I saw on the adoption site, with her lounging on the sofa in her foster home.

'Just Empty' was now called Jesse, she was 12 years old, and she was being sent to her new family in Nashville, Tennessee.  I quickly got in touch with the adoption group, asking them to pass my contact information to her new owner, so Jesse's new mom could get to know some of Jesse's puppies.

Here are three of Jesse's puppies, getting reacquainted in Gettysburg, Pa, in 2003.

They are (1) Dude, (2) Aggie, and (3) Emma.

In September of 2004, I received an email from Jesse's new mom!  The adoption group hadn't passed along the info like I asked them to ... she found me on her own through an online search.  (Take this lesson ... if you're on a quest, leave a trail so others can find you.)  Jesse's new mom sent photos and we corresponded back and forth so she could get to know her 'grand-puppy' and I could learn about Emma's mom.

Jesse Marie.  She loved car rides.

I found out that most of Emma's special personality traits probably came from her mother.  Emma is happiest when she's greeting a group of people, and she's very quietly pushy and bossy.  Jesse was like that, too.

This photo of Jesse was taken the first week she was in her forever home.

Jesse's mom and I became quite close, bonded by our love of these amazing dogs.  Jesse was frail, like most dogs her age, but I was stunned to get a message in May 2004, just nine short months after her adoption, that Jesse had bone cancer and that she had to be put to sleep.  This is what it said: 

"I loved Jesse beyond belief. This winter as her personality emerged, it was so much fun to be with her. She would push to the front of the pack to get her share of petting, steal food from the others, do a little happy dance when I would talk to her, bark, carry on...she was a jewel. I had a growth removed from one of my small dogs a couple of months ago, Jesse licked it and kept it clean for her.

I am sorry that I had such a short time to spend with her. In Jesse I saw all of the qualities that make a grey such a wonderful animal. She would have made a wonderful therapy dog as your Emma Grace did.

In her old age, she got special treatment, especially in the form of food.  She always got part of what I was eating if she wanted it, tons of doggie treats and marshmallows! I tend not to do that with my dogs too much as it makes them "fat", but Jesse deserved it.

I saw her lameness was getting worse, the rimadyl was keeping her comfortable until this week. I did not know it was bone cancer, but of course that is always a good possibility with our greys. I could have brought her home with stronger pain meds and kept her a few more days, but that was not being kind to Jesse. She remained very interested in food, and as long as she did not have to move about, was content. I did not want the disease to progress to where she was no longer comfortable and wanting to eat.

Jesse will be coming home, likely the first of the week. Her collar and tags will adorn her urn.

I am so fortunate to have "found" you. Yes, let's stay in touch and some day I would love to meet you and if possible my beautiful granddog, Emma Grace."

My husband and I met Jesse's mom in person a few months later.  We were traveling to Memphis, Tennessee, and we made a stop in Nashville to see her.  It was sad that I never got to meet Jesse in person, but wonderful to see (and hug) the woman who loved her so much.

My favorite photo of Jesse.  It's the one we have on the Memorial Page of the Greyhounds Rock web site.

Next Saturday, October 1, I will be walking with Daniel in the Downtown Dog Fair's Masquerade Dog Parade to raise money for canine cancer research.  He and I will walk in memory of Jesse,  and all of the other dogs that I know who have been taken from us by cancer ... and for TJ, who is fighting the fight right now.

If you want to support us, you can do so by donating online.  Click HERE to go to the donation page, then click the green 'Donate to this Team' button underneath the photo of the four of us ladies and our dogs.

Emma says, "Thank you!"

In case you are curious, here are the links to my dogs' pedigree pages on my favorite greyhound info site.  Click HERE for Emma's, and HERE for Daniel's.

Emma Update

I am humbled by the support I have received here, both in the form of comments and personal emails, in response to Emma's painful neck injury.  We still don't know how she hurt herself, but she is improving ... slowly, with the aid of regular doses of Rimadyl and Tramadol. 

This afternoon, I took Emma to see Dr. Tran, her holistic veterinarian, for an acupuncture treatment.  When the dogs ride in the Jeep, I fold the seats flat and pad the floor with cushy blankets.  It makes for a very comfortable trip, and Emma seemed to enjoy herself.

(That's a freeze-dried liver treat on the blanket in front of Emma.)

Emma got a lot of extra needles today.  It's really weird that she doesn't flinch at all as the needles go in.  After Dr. Tran is finished, Emma looks a little bit like a pin cushion.

Once the needles are placed, I sit with Emma and she rests on a cushy dog bed and relaxes for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Both of us deserved treats on the way home, so we ran through the drive-through at McDonalds.  Emma got a plain hamburger ...  I broke it into little pieces and she ate every crumb!  I had a Mocha Frappe (yum!)

Life With a Old, Old Dog

Emma is 14 1/2 years old, and she is is incredibly good condition for her advanced age.  Even so, we are reminded that time with a dog this old is never to be taken for granted.

On Sunday evening, Emma was feeling great.  After her dinner, which she ate heartily, she went outside with Daniel to do her 'business'.  When she was finished, she trotted up the deck stairs, and she bounced into the house ... undeniable evidence that she was having a good day.

Monday morning, Emma was obviously in pain.  She yelped whenever she shifted position on her bed.  At times, she just stood with her head hanging, panting with her mouth open, clearly distressed.  My veterinarian told me to bring her right over, and they would look at her between appointments.  Over the course of three hours, they poked and prodded her, x-rayed just about everywhere, and determined that she had somehow injured her neck.

I brought Emma home, high on pain killers and a muscle relaxant, and she slept for most of the afternoon.  At dinnertime, she refused to eat.  I had to coax her to eat some stinky canned food so I could give her her pills (which cannot be taken on an empty stomach).  The pills made her loopy and confused, so I slept on the couch in the family room to be near her.

This morning, she again refused to eat.  No food + No pills = PAIN, so I cooked chicken and rice ... which she ate, thank goodness.  Right now, she is sleeping and she hasn't yelped in a couple of hours.

We have an acupuncture appointment for Emma on Thursday.  This should make her much more comfortable, but the one-hour car ride to get there sometimes stresses her.  It's a balancing act.  Is the stress worth the relief that the acupuncture provides?  I'm going to give it a shot because I think it's what she needs right now.

Whenever greyhounds limp or are in such pain, especially older greyhounds, we always fear bone cancer (osteosarcoma).  X-rays confirm that we have none of this with Emma, thank Heaven. She has two calcified disks in her lumbar spine, which we already knew about, and everything else on her x-rays shows a dog who is in much better condition than her number of birthdays would indicate. 

As I sat on the floor of the exam room with Emma, not knowing what was causing her pain, feeling helpless, I kept pushing thoughts from my head.  Would THIS be the trip when we have to say goodbye?   It wasn't.  (audible sigh of relief)

Such is life with an old, old dog.  Every day is a gift.  I make an effort to cherish the good days, I work through the bad ones, and I am thankful that there are more good days than bad right now ... and I try to make every day the best day it can be.

(all of the photos in this post were taken as Emma and I sat on the floor waiting to see the vet.  She was pretty drugged.)

Sunday Snapshot ... Cooking for the Dogs

Right now, there are two pots simmering on the stove and the house is filled with a delicious aroma.  Much to the disappointment of The Husband and our daughter, all this cooking isn't for the humans.  Every Sunday, I whip up a batch of what we call Dog Stew, and this supplements our dogs' meals for the next week.  I started doing this a few months ago, at the insistence of Emma's holistic veterinarian.  Dr. Tran wanted Emma to eat more 'real food' and less kibble. 

The pot on the left contains vegetables (peas, carrots, lima beans, green beans, kale, etc.), green beans, and kale.  The pot on the right contains ground turkey, lean ground beef, and brown rice.  This simmers for about an hour, until the rice is cooked ... then I stir it together, put it in the fridge, and I'm done until next month.

Meals for Emma now consist of a tiny bit of kibble, half a can of dog food (Kirkland brand from Costco), two generous scoops of Dog Stew ... stirred together and topped with either a blob of cottage cheese or canned pumpkin, with her Chinese herb tablets on top.  Daniel gets a bit more kibble, a spoonful of dog food, one scoop of Stew with cottage cheese or pumpkin, and no herbs.  Sometimes, if Emma has overdone herself or appears to be more painful than usual, I will add Rimadyl to the 'topping' for a period of time.

This new diet, along with monthly accupuncture treatments, has made a huge difference in Emma.  Her fur is shiny, her attitude is good, and she is obviously a lot more comfortable and mobile.  (Emma is 14 years old and she has two calcified discs in her lower back.)    This little bit of effort is really not too much to do for a valuable member of the family.

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Connie