A Pet Lovin' Medley

Hey ya'll and Happy Hump Day!

So how did it get to be Wednesday again so soon?
I know that time flies when you're having fun and we had a great time in Tennessee.
The weather was cold and rainy most of the time but it didn't matter one bit.
I got to walk across the bridge and into the meadow where the farmhouse is going to be.
I have to believe that this will happen.
I've got to keep the dream alive or it feels as though I'm giving up.
I won't do that...I can't do that.



On Sunday, Parker's 12th birthday began with a birthday doughnut.

I was blessed to be able to witness this precious boy's entrance into the world
and just can't believe that in another year, he'll be a teenager!
Please.....make it stop!!!



We ate lunch at his favorite Thai restaurant but I missed getting a photo of his birthday cake pie...
...Key Lime, to be precise...complete with twelve candles!
Our visit to see the kids in Tennessee was just what I needed.
~
So by the time many of you may be reading this, I will be undergoing my third biopsy.
I was impressed by the doctor I met last week...he was very kind and answered all my questions.
He said that it's not uncommon to do a third, fourth or even more biopsies in cases like mine.
He told me that too many times a doctor will send the patient away to return in six months
or so to get re-scanned after an inconclusive biopsy.
Many times it's too late because a tumor could grow drastically during that time.
Dr. Allen plans to do all he can to keep that from happening.
I am prepared to do whatever it takes to get a correct diagnosis so I can get on with
whatever treatment is needed...and get on with my life!
Let's do this!!
~
So let's get on with the Wednesday Medley, shall we?

Terri, our friend from Florida asks the questions on her blog and we answer them on ours.
Just copy and paste the questions, put in your answers and link up to her blog.

FEBRUARY 20th IS NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY

On February 20th, pet lovers everywhere observe National Love Your Pet Day. This holiday is a day set aside to give extra attention to and pamper your pets. This is a good day to focus on the special relationship that you have with your pets.

Did you know that most households in the United States have at least one pet? While there are more cats than dogs in the US, more households have dogs than cats, but not by much. Pets are not limited to the canine and feline categories. There are quite a few who prefer the companionship of birds, reptiles, fish or rats. Whoever your pet companion is, we are sure you will enjoy spending a little extra time with them on National Love Your Pet Day and reap the benefits, as well such as stress relief and lower blood pressure. So on February 20 (and every day) show your appreciation to your pets!

HOW TO OBSERVE

Bring your pet a special treat, take an extra long walk or give them more attention on National Love Your Pet Day.  Whatever you decide to do, spoil and appreciate your pets!  Use #NationalLoveYourPetDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to identify the creator of National Love Your Pet Day.

1.  Have you ever had a special pet in your life?  Will you tell us about it?

Okay...you asked for it, Terri! My first reply to this question would be more like "When did I NOT have a special pet in my life?" The first pet in my life was our dog, Tippy. He was a Heinz 57 mix and basically a very sweet boy. I remember he had this very fluffy tail that curled over his back. 

There were several other dogs and a few cats as well but none of the cat's names come to mind. My mom didn't like cats much and they stayed outside, away from the humans much of the time. If I had to pick a favorite pet over another, Hunter would share the top of the list. Adam brought him to us when he was just weaned and what a smart dog he was! He was mostly Jack Russell with a little Feist mixed in. 

When Oscar joined the family as a wee pup, Hunter dominated but they got along well. Later on, they became best buds.

Hunter lived to be almost 13 and died suddenly and quite unexpectedly in 2015. We think he must have had a stroke and in a very short period of time, he took his last breath in my arms. So for a year, it was this guy who demanded all of the attention...

And then along came Tasha, very unexpectedly when we rescued her from the shelter. This is the day I picked her up. I'll never forget how timid and shy she was.

In a matter of minutes, they bonded....and the rest is history. 

2.  Did you grow up with pets in your home?  What did it teach you?

As I mentioned before, we always had pets but Mom never allowed them in the house. Occasionally one of the cats would slip in the door and she would quickly shoo them out. What did it teach me? It taught me that whenever I got big enough to have my own home, I wanted my pets to live inside with the rest of the family.

3.  Do you ever wonder what animals are thinking?

Yes, but most of the time I think I know. If you've ever had a dachshund, then you probably know that they have a way of being quite transparent.

4. Sometimes a pet gets out and doesn't return for a few days. What do you think happens to them when they go on a walkabout?

This happened when we had Hunter although he never ran away for that long. He was gone one time for almost 24 hours and I was absolutely beside myself as every scenario imaginable was playing in my head. I can't even tell you how many trips up and down the road I made as I was looking for him and calling his name, thinking at any moment I would see something white lying in the ditch along side of the road. That night, I slept on the couch in the living room with the blind pulled up enough at the bottom that I could see him if he came to the door, wanting in. He finally did show up in the wee hours of the morning to my great relief. There is usually another animal (or more) involved when they wonder away but all that really matters is that they do come home.

5.  With cats and dogs being the most popular pets, what is the most exotic pet you have personal experience with (didn't have to be yours)?

When I was a young teen, I had a chameleon named Cam. He would turn whatever color he was placed on and I remember him jumping on the living room curtains and blended in so well that we had a difficult time finding him. I also had a hamster who got lost outside during a photo shoot in my mom's flower bed. I never did find him, sorry to say.😞

6.  Please tell us something random about your week so far...

I went to the grocery store yesterday when we returned home and I noticed that I parked next to an identical black Honda CR-V as mine. At the time, I remember thinking that whoever owned the car would most likely come out of the store before me and be gone by the time I came out. Well, wouldn't you know that as I was exiting the store, a lady walking quite a distance ahead of me was heading in the same general direction as I was. I went ahead and clicked my remote a couple of times to unlock my car (of course the lights would flash too) and I noticed she was heading directly towards my car and she actually opened my door! I then hollered a friendly "Uhhh......you've got the wrong car!" and totally confused, she looked back at me and realized she had opened the door to my car instead of hers. Apparently she had clicked her remote at the same time as I did and when she saw my car (which was the closest one) she thought she was unlocking hers! We both got a good little chuckle out of it. How's that for random?

So I'll keep you posted...and I continue to thank you for your prayers.

I am just so grateful to all of you!

Much love,

A Sweet Surprise

Blessings can come in all shapes and sizes.

The best ones come when you least expect them...

...sometimes from the people you least expect.

~

Mike is the physical therapist that I have worked with for the past five years.

He's really a great guy and a fantastic therapist.

I manage the office and it's just the two of us there most of the time.

He's the kind of guy who never seems to have a bad day...

...always upbeat, talking non-stop, laughing, joking...

...and he makes every patient feel like they are the most important person in the world.

~

I could tell that he was feeling my pain...

...the day I came to work after Hunter died a couple of weeks ago.

He's a dog lover like me and about a year ago, had to have his Min Pin, Joey put down.

Okay...I lied...he did have a bad day that day and I'll never forget it.

He had told me that his wife was taking Joey to the vet that morning.

Around lunchtime, he was nowhere to be found...I looked all around for him.

Then I heard it.

Sobbing.

His wife had texted him with the news...his beloved pet of 15 years was gone.

Here was this big, fun loving, always-on-top-of-the-world guy reduced to a blubbering mess.

So much so that he needed me to cancel the afternoon patients so he could go home.

~

So I say all of that to tell you the rest of the story.

Last Friday morning, I came into the office and found a bag on my desk.

Thinking that it was Easter candy, I sat it aside for a few moments while I got settled.

He soon popped his head in to see if I had opened it yet.

So as he watched, I opened the bag and to my utter amazement found this...

I was speechless.

He had this portrait painted from a photo of Hunter from my Facebook page.

His wife was acquainted with a local artist who specialized in pet portraits...

...and she had her paint one of Joey after Mike had lost him the year before. 

I think it is a wonderful likeness...especially the eyes.

The eyes are perfect.

Like I said, I was speechless...
...and it takes a lot to make that happen ;)
~
 It blesses my heart every time I think of his sweet gesture of kindness.

Sharing at:
Roses of Inspiration

A Little Florida Sunshine and a Few Good Fences

Good afternoon, friends!
I want to start out by thanking each of you for your kind words
and uplifting thoughts regarding the loss of Hunter...
...they mean more to me than you will ever know.
~
So our trip south didn't start out the way we had planned...
...life is just like that sometimes.

To add to that, Delta lost our luggage (along with about a dozen other's on our flight)...

...you know, that one suitcase with everything important in it.
They were finally able to track it down.
It went all the way back to Raleigh then to Atlanta...again...
...and then finally made it back to Panama City...again!



It arrived by courier late the next day...
...and I must say, getting a shower and some fresh clothes never felt so good!
Really, Delta??
~
But one look at these beauties and all was right with the world.
 



 

They bordered everyone's home in the neighborhood where Jim's sister lives in Sandestin.
Each bloom was about the size of a tennis ball!

Throughout their lovely neighborhood, the redbuds were also in full glory.



Some of you may remember that redbuds are my most favorite sign of spring...

 

...and around every corner, I had to get a few more shots.

 

 

Please bear with me...

 

 

OK...I'm finished now :)

~

We went to visit Jim's younger sister, Theresa and her husband, Steve,

and to surprise his older sister, Dianne for her 75th birthday, also visiting from Ohio.

She frequently visits Theresa, and we had kept it a secret from her that we were coming.

She was beyond surprised to see us and tears of joy flowed freely.

 

Happy 75th Birthday, Dianne!

Here are some other photos from our visit.
There are a few Good Fences in some of them :)



Here's the sun setting over the bay at Sandestin...

 

...and a fisheye view of the same...

...and sunrise the next morning over the gulf on Miramar Beach...

 

 

...the morning fog lifting off the water.



It was still kind of dark for great photos but I liked the reflection of the little guy below.



Someone from the day before left some very unique sand sculptures.
Can you name this familiar object from the 70's??

 

And of course, most everyone recognizes Sponge Bob...
...as unfortunate as that is :(

 

Still, a very talented individual...

 ...leaving their mark that they were here for Spring Break 2015!

~
The next day we made a short trip down the coast to the Seaside Community.
It had been nearly 25 years since I had first been here and couldn't believe it was the same place!
Back then, a few pastel colored homes and a cute little post office were the only buildings here,
along with a breathtaking, wide open, unspoiled coastline.
I couldn't believe how much this community had grown and it kind of made me a little sad...
...way too many houses, restaurants, shops and wall-to-wall people for my liking.
But it must be Mike Huckabee's cup of tea.
This is his permanent residence, just a few miles down the road.

 

We literally were within a few hundred feet of his front door.
Not much security for someone who may be running for President of the United States! :o
~
But I was able to get a little peek of the beach by standing on the deck of a restaurant.

 

The sand looks like granulated sugar...

 

...and even though we had overcast skies, the water was still that lovely aquamarine hue.

 

Ah...now there's a good fence!
~
And here we all are, in all of our glory..haha!

 

So our time in Florida came to an end and it was time to return to reality.

 

It was a great day for flying and Dianne and I were seat buddies as far as Atlanta...
...and here's a lovely shot of the back of Jim's head, a few rows up :)

We said our goodbyes to Dianne in Atlanta as she headed back to Dayton.
~
We were very glad to see our little buddy, Oscar when we returned,
and he was certainly glad to see us!
Not only had he never been to the kennel alone without Hunter,
he had never known life...period...without him for almost six years.
Anyone who has ever had a dachshund must know that they are all about themselves.
I can't really tell yet how much Oscar misses him...or not.
I have caught myself calling out to Hunter a few times since we returned home.
~
And by the way, it's the little stinker's birthday today...he's six :)

Happy Birthday, Oscar!
~
I hope I didn't bore you you enjoyed your little trip to Florida :)