How Do Dogs Grieve the Death of Another Dog?

We have a new old dog. Her name is Star and she has lived with us for four years. She is now a new dog.

Have you witnessed a dog going through a time of grieving the loss of another furry friend? When we adopted two rescues four years ago, they came as a package. We wanted one long-haired Doxie but the adoption center would not allow these two to be separated.

The male, Gunner, was ten years old and had been Star's protector for her entire life of six years. She was a show dog. They both lived in cages and were abused. They rarely saw the light of day. Gunner took the brunt of the abuse because he protected his little 'wife' and consequently got kicked, pushed, and thrown by their owner. 

How to Know When It Is Time to Say Good-bye

November is my birthday month but celebrating it has never been a priority. My mom was very ill my entire childhood and spent most of her life in bed fighting a debilitating disease. Birthday parties were out of the question. I often hoped my mom would forget my birthday so she would not have to feel guilty if she was not well enough to bake a cake or buy me a present.

Consequently, I often forget my birthday if I am busy or forget to check the calendar. Yet, I love birthday celebrations and try not to forget those special days for family and friends. And even if I may forget... my family always remembers.

I often wondered:  Why don't we celebrate our mothers on our birthdays?  After all, they did all the work!

Fall is here

Surviving the Loss of a Partner - Life Changing on Every Level

“I have breast cancer.”  Tears were welling up in Sandy’s eyes as she shared the doctor’s diagnosis.  I felt the warmth of tears as well but with it came an instant firm resolve that we would beat this monster. 

This journey is never one we take alone.  It affects our loved ones deeply.  As we began our five-year journey of surgery, chemo, radiation, and severe pain, Sandy never complained. 

Our journey was one of hope, followed by disappointments.  An emotional roller coaster each time cancer raised its ugly head, each time more aggressively than the last.  I tried to be strong but felt helpless.  Alone, I cried and prayed that God would show me a way to help Sandy, to allow me to bear some of her burdens.  All I was able to manage was to make her as comfortable as possible and to be there for her. I watched her brave battle as cancer slowly and radically gained the upper hand.  I never lost hope; praying and believing for a miracle.

And then.....she was Gone

And then…. she was gone.  Gone.  The battle was lost encountering a new one of extreme pain from that loss.  It seemed even more unbearable.  In a trance-like state, I progressed through the arrangements finding some comfort in fulfilling her last wishes.

If Only You Had Not Made That Mistake, Then What?

This is a Secret Subject Swap blogging challenge.  Each month a group of bloggers is given a secret challenge to interpret in their own way.  The challenges are just that -- to make you step out of your comfort zone and share your thoughts about that subject in a new way.

My challenge this month gripped my heart.  It would take a book to be able to answer it but then again, that is why I wrote my memoir.  Battered Hope was written about so many traumas in my own life so other people would be able to relate to me on a variety of levels.   

Here is the question posed to me this month and my answer is in the form of other questions:

Has there ever been a time in your life where, in the heat of the moment, you would have literally sold your soul for a different outcome if it was an actual possibility and not just a phrase?

You Are Going to Die - Now What?

When we hear the word 'cancer' something happens to us. It may feel like we got kicked in the stomach or our heart skips a beat. We react in fear whenever someone we care about receives that diagnosis.

That happened to me decades ago.  The doctor told me that the only possibility I would have of living more than a year would be to have a total hysterectomy.  Although I was very sick and struggling with a lot of pain and discomfort, I knew in my heart that I was born to be a mom and that couldn't happen if I didn't have the working parts.

As a young woman who had zero knowledge about cancer and no idea what I could possibly do to win this battle, I told my doctor "No, I won't accept that.  I am going to walk in here pregnant one day."

At that point, the doctor got extremely angry and almost spit at me when he shouted, "Then, lady, go home.....suffer....and die!"

Birth, Death and Stupid Criminals

If you enjoy puppy stories, you will love last week's post about the life and death situation of our Bernese Mountain dog giving birth.  It was 'touch and go' for both the puppies and Mama Charlie for two days.  The quest for survival was incredible to watch and the joy that comes from hearing that first cry of birth will be long remembered. For that sweet, intriguing story, click here.






We live in the North West and for the past few years have not seen a drop of snow.  We were warned that this year was going to be different but didn't believe it. Were we wrong!  The snow started a couple weeks ago.  The dusting on the trees was so beautiful and everyone thought that was the end of it. WRONG again.  It has continued to snow and now looks like we will have a white Christmas -- almost unheard of in these here parts!

Grandbaby Aubrie is a force to be reckoned with.  You can see it on her face.  She is a thinker and a planner.  She is pretty determined so it was no surprise when she started walking at nine months old.

Her mom, Rochelle, was telling me how Aubrie doesn't take any grief from her big boy cousins.  Recently, when they were playing together she took one of the big boy's toys. He grabbed it back and she pushed him over (he is a year older) and then she pulled his hair.

Rochelle's comment:  "Aubrie is going to be having a lot of sessions in the 'time out corner.'"

Birth Is Not For the Weak

All of us have days we will never forget.  Sometimes these memories are worth remembering and other times we wish we could forget them.  Last Sunday was a day that will be etched into my memory bank forever.  Not only for the course of events that day but the observations I made regarding human behavior, especially of young children.

I have been forever proud of my daughter, Rochelle, and that pride grows the more I observe her as a mother of two small children and caregiver to her many pets.

Rochelle's husband works in the arctic north and is gone weeks at a stretch.  They live on a hobby farm that includes livestock and five dogs.  She has rescued animals from abusive situations since she was a young girl and has become educated in the art of nurturing these creatures back to health through sheer hands-on experiences.

Two years ago, Rochelle rescued a Bernese Mountain dog who had been living in a kennel too small for her 80-pound body.  The dog had zero knowledge of boundaries, boundless energy and was not the sharpest tool in the shed.  But she was one of the happiest dogs you could ever meet.  She loved everyone and showed it with kisses that were not necessarily welcomed.  My grandson adopted her as 'his' dog and named her "Charrrrrrlie."

Although she weighed 80 pounds, she was still a puppy and had 'accidents.'  One time she had to pee and not making it to the front door in time,  she peed in the kitchen while shaking her large frame shooting pee across the room and spraying everyone and everything within close vicinity.

At the time she was also in heat and couldn't be left outside without supervision. Because she was in heat, Rochelle put a pair of men's underwear on her. She tied Charlie up to the bedpost while cleaning the mess only to turn around to find her standing there with her leash in her mouth.  She had gnawed through it in the course of a few minutes.  The underwear was twisted around her ankles.  You couldn't help but love this hilarious dog.  She's the one in diapers below:

Is Your Hand Sanitizer Killing You? #7

We often use the phrase, "what you don't know won't hurt you" but when it comes to your health, the opposite is true.  

No one wants to believe that the food supplements/vitamins they are taking could harm them, especially if they have been recommended by a health care professional. But, unfortunately, there are more supplements on the market that can harm you, then there are those that can help you.

When I lecture on building immunity or how to realize optimum health, people are shocked to learn of the harmful and sometimes even life-threatening side effects resulting from taking OTC synthetic or natural-altered vitamin supplements.

All of us want to be healthy.  We take all the necessary precautions.  We try to eat healthy, exercise, maintain a good attitude and yet will consume vitamins laden with chemicals and petroleum (the base used for synthetic and natural altered supplements.)

3 Life Lessons You'll Never Forget

Biting my tongue, I tried not to cry. The man on the other end of the telephone was breathing heavily and sporadically. When the seconds between each breath lasted too long, terror ran through my veins.

I needed more time. I needed him to breathe normally. I needed HIM. But the time had come. It was his time to leave.

I could tell by his breathing pattern how my words were affecting him. When the breaths came rapidly, I knew he was becoming emotional. When they were slower, it meant he was calmer.

I told him how much I loved him; how much I appreciated my heritage and the ethics he instilled in me. I thanked him for putting up with my incessant babbling when I got excited.  I reminded him how he would offer me 25 cents to be quiet for five minutes when I was a little girl. I felt him smile inside.

I'm the little one

And the Winner is....

Big brother told his mom
If you don't give me a sister
Put it back!

Aubrie Jeanne born February 13, 2016, 8 pounds, 14 ounces is a little miracle addition to our family. Aubrie's grandma (yours truly) was a miracle baby, Aubrie's mommy was a miracle baby and now little Aubrie is a miracle as well. Every life born is a miracle in the truest sense of the word, but when doctors say it cannot happen and everything goes wrong......what a miracle indeed.  

 Less than an hour old -- yet with ATTITUDE

And the winner is..........

Have You Watched Your Best Friend Die? RIP Mercedez

I crawled under the examining table in the veterinarian's office to be closer to Mercedez.  The clinic had provided a blanket for her to lie on.  Any other time I would have been repulsed by the germs and filth that was lingering on the floor but not this time.

I wanted to be close to her - one last time.  I wanted to rub her velvety ears - one last time.  I wanted to kiss her soft furry face - one last time.

She was too little to climb the stairs - 15 years ago

 "I love you Sades" I whispered into her ear. "Go to sleep, my precious little girl."

Missing A Birth And A Brush With Death

My monthly Fly On The Wall post is part of a group of bloggers that allow you access into their homes to see what exciting and hilarious things happened on the home front during the past month. This month I was away from home. The beginning of the month I spent house/dog/cat/livestock sitting for my daughter who was enjoying the shores of Hawaii.

What I did not realize until I got there was that two of the sheep were pregnant.  The instructions she gave me in response to my wide eyes were "Don't worry Mom, there shouldn't be any problems.  If you see the mama is struggling and there is a little leg sticking out of her, just give it a gentle tug."

Every evening I heard a noise at the front door.  It was the goats.  They jumped their fence regularly to visit the house alerting me that it was feeding time.  They walked extremely close to my side to the fields and enjoyed the game of 'Let's See If We Can Trip The Old Lady.'  I wrote about their funny and sometimes painful antics in Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone.

There Is No Warning Rattle At The Door

There is no warning rattle at the door.  I am not sure why.  I was convinced there would be as I approached it.  The closer I came didn't seem to matter.  I had been prepared for it and expected it but here I am and....nothing.

Staring out my window as the sun came up over the horizon, I had no idea what the prognosis would be.  My appointment was only three hours away and somehow I knew what they were going to say.  Call it premonition or whatever you want, I just knew.  I had already prepared how I was going to tell my children and every time I thought about it I had to choke back the tears.

My Daddy - Hero, Friend, Confidant, Teacher

In a small German village on New Year's Eve 1903, my father, William Frederick was born. He was the oldest of thirteen children. Life was challenging and after his brother was born, my grandfather traveled to the New World.  Grandpa worked hard to save enough money to bring his family to America.

Came to America as a Stow-Away

The day came when my Grandma and her two little boys could travel across the seas to unite with Grandpa and have a better life.   There was not enough money for the three of them to travel as passengers so my dad and his brother were stow-aways in the hull of the ship.  It was a three week journey with little food for the boys to share.  My father was four years old and would go the kitchen and beg for the table scraps that had been thrown away. Often, he was reprimanded for being there and given nothing to eat.