Soooo.....behind!

I'm am way behind on my blogging days; so I'll call this Finally Caught Up Friday. :-)

First, there's the Fudge Fan Club, of which I am proud to say I"m a member. Thanks to our club president, we now have a blog badge.

GMarieSews started a new Thursday theme; Thankful Thursday. She actually started this a few years ago on our Dog Walkers Of America thread but just brought it here. It's a great idea to at least one day a week take the time to think about what we are truly thankful for.

I must say that in this long stretch of cold weather I am thankful for a warm house, warm coat and blankets. Every night when I watch the news and see the record breaking cold weather, I say a little prayer that folks who can't afford heat or have no shelter will have way to stay warm tonight. We donate our glut of extra socks, coats and blankets to our local rescue mission to help.

G also wanted us to post a picture of something that makes us smile. Part of the focus of the redesign of our kitchen was to give me a pleasant place to birdwatch. Our bluebirds have been frequenting the feeder, along with many other species. I always love watching them. We try to do what we can to specifically attract them in hopes they will nest in our bluebird house. These two have been frequenting our bluebird feeder. They make me smile every day.

Lastly, today, I am finally posting the picture of my latest addition to my clog collection. I love love love to wear clogs. I became hooked when I was working in the hospital. Sanita, a Danish company, makes some of the most comfortable clogs you can put on your feet. They make all colors of clogs. Each year there are limited editions which I have coveted but never acquired. This year, I have scored a limited edition pair! Now don't think I've lost my mind. They look great with jeans! I love them and could live in them....Hmmmm.....ya think I could get away with wearing them to the symphony Saturday night?

On the knitting front; I am working on my "Cashmere Scarf for Her" that my mom gave me for Christmas. Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere is the most luxurious fiber I ever held in my hands.

What a joy to knit! I'm 3/4 finished. This is one project I'll be sad when it is complete. It truly makes me happy to knit with it. Oh well, at least when it's finished I can wrap it around my neck.

Getting back on track

I am not going to make this blog about weight loss, since my weight issues are a big part of my life, I feel I do need to make mention. I have been a member of Weight Watchers for several years. I made Lifetime but fell off the wagon, so to speak. Seems that the more out of control I feel, the more out of control I get. I have decided there's no time like the present to get back on track. I'm not going to try to be perfect; it will only frustrate me. I have to start somewhere, so I got back onto WeightWatcher E-tools and started tracking again. That is a big start.

Since he has been off work for the holidays, my husband has been walking the dogs. We used to all walk together but being so tall, he leaves me in his dust. As Beau got older, I would walk him by ourselves, rather than feel like I was dragging him to keep up with them. Now that Beau is gone, I have no walking partner until my husband goes back to work. I can't stand the thought of walking without a dog. One person has to take both goldens. If not, the one walking with me pulls to catch up with the one with him. No fun for anyone. So until he goes back to work, my exercise level will suffer. That's sad, isn't it? We used to all enjoy walking together. Makes me miss Beau.

Everybody Loves a Winner

Anyone who knows me well, knows I bleed Carolina Blue. Roy Williams does no wrong. For the past few years, we Tarheel fans have been riding the Hansbrough wave.....winning, winning, winning. This year, we have new talent and our fate is more uncertain. But let me set the record straight....I still bleed Carolina Blue.

I have recently been accused of being an "everybody loves a winner" fan because I have a Kentucky Wildcat sweatshirt that I wear proudly. Let me set this record straight. I am a Tarheel fan first and a Kentucky fan second. My husband grew up in Lexington, Ky.; went to UK, where he played football and where he stayed until he got his PhD. Nearly twelve years ago, when I met him, Tubby Smith was the basketball coach. I knew Tubby when he was in college; hence a point of conversation on our first date. Steve decided that if I knew the UK coach and loved basketball, (and really despise Duke) I might warrant a second date....and so it goes. I'm still here.

Kentucky picked up John Wall (from NC) and John Calapari is now coach; so, yes, UK is likely to be at the top of the NCAA rankings this year and likely that will be ahead of UNC; but I will still bleed Carolina Blue. As long as they are not playing UNC, that blue gets a bit darker on game day if UK is playing. I know where my bread is buttered.

Sunny doesn't appreciate my enthusiasm for college basketball. She hasn't figured out that my comments are not directed at her. She won't sit in my lap during a basketball game. Steve is just as die-hard as I am but a bit quieter about it, so Sunny moves to his lap......it's where she watches EPL soccer too.

Head hanging down is her preferred position. Go figure.

What to wear???????

I promise I will at least try to be a more consistent blogger this year.

Finally got around to unloading pictures from my camera to share.

Mom's sweater I knit her for Christmas was a hit. After a serious blocking, it fit her nicely. She was very happy with it.....I think.

Sunny got her stitches from her biopsy out on Christmas Eve. The biopsy report shows only tissue changes consistent with drug reaction; the best Christmas present I received, by far (and Santa was very good to me). Unfortunately, she had developed more sores in the same spots, so they simply removed the scabs and stitches together. The one on her elbow was pretty raw and being the licker that she is, Sunny wouldn't

leave it alone.

We resorted to the e-collar to try to keep the sore dry enough to heal. Sunny didn't mind the e-collar so much, but I did. It was preventing her from

tusselling with Jackson and from snuggling up to me. Yesterday, I decided to try

something else; a t-shirt.

She quickly figured out how to push the sleeve up on the short sleeved one, so I found a long sleeved one and just rolled the sleeves up enough to avoid tripping.......much better now. She will have to decide what to wear every day but is able to be her normal self.

The vet took her off Sporanox and put her on fluconazole. It may not be quite as effective against the fungal infection but has not caused any ill effects thus far.

According to the literature, at much lower doses than Sunny was taking, the Sporanox takes as much as 4 weeks to clear the skin. That being said, we should be rid of the effects of the Sporanox soon. I'm not too concerned (at this point) about giving her a

less effective drug as what research Steve has done, appears that the initial surgery is

what does the most good for the phaeohyphomycosis. The drugs are to prevent recurrence. It took at least 2.5 years for the initial problem to develop.....we will cross that bridge if we get there.

Steve brought Beau home Christmas Eve. His ashes were at the vet's office. He didn't give them to me until after Christmas.

They are in a very nice urn. I decided they should be placed along with his pictures on the table above Beau's bed.

His loss still has left a huge hole in our household, but each day gets a little better (also read as 'fewer tears').

Having only 2 dogs seems a bit strange to us. Admittedly, easier to manage, but strange. We have enough hands and enough laps to accommodate everyone. Jackson has changed. There is now no question that he is the alpha, so he is much more secure. Goofball dog acted like a middle child that was starved for attention much of the time, though he never got less than his share and then some. Surprisingly, there has been little noticeable canine grieving though. I think they all knew what was happening and accepted it sooner than Steve and I did.

It is unseasonably cold here and very windy. Wind chills are in the single digits.

We are planning to stay inside, stay warm and watch Kentucky hopefully destroy Louisville and watch ECU in the Liberty Bowl. UNC isn't playing today.

Resolutions???? I think not....

So, this morning, I looked back at my 2009 resolutions. Here they were and here's how I did

In 2009 (in no particular order) I will.....

~ increase my walking miles to regain my 2005 daily averages

WAAAYYYY bad. I could list the thousand excuses, but I won't

~ get back to my Weight Watchers goal

got a little closer, but not there

~ finish my UFO's (and part of that means to frog the Irish Diamond Shawl and restash the yarn)

50:50 on that one. I did get some things finished. Decided to bail on some. and did frog and restash the Irish Diamond (what was I thinking when I chose that pattern????)

~ take Sunny tracking once in a while; but not stress out by competing

didn't get there either. If I can get her fungal issues under control I may try that again this year. Being on antifungals may make that not possible. Medicine can really mess up their scenting capabilities. She gets so focused and becomes frustrated if she can't "find it" so we'll see how that goes

~ start my Christmas knitting projects by March....NO LATER!

I did get that done and finally completed my Christmas knitting in time to give the gifts off the needles

~ bust more stash yarn than I acquire.

I did get that one right. I did acquire some new fiber but I did a big destash, so success on this one

~spend more family time

I spent more time with David and Emily, but not as much time with my parents (thanks to the remodel, we had to stay home more)

~verbalize my needs to my family

getting better here...but still needs work

~maintain a bird sighting journal using the Bird Watching software Santa brought me

got off to a good start on that one. unfortunately the latest version of Snow Leopard is not compatible with the birding software. They plan an updated version but it will not be free....Hmmm.....don't know if I'll buy it or not.

So for 2010, I won't make resolutions. I will simply say that I am glad 2009 is gone and hope 2010 will be a better year. I will wish for you, my friends, the same thing I wish for myself:

That you will take the time to see to good health for yourself and your pets

that you will challenge your mind by learning something (I may try entrelac and double knitting) I'm planning some 'selfish knitting' here.

that you will enjoy the time you have with your beloved pets and spouses. They deserve it!

....and most of all that you will find happiness

.....May You Always Find A Warm Place In The Sun

Beau came first; before my husband or the goldens. Beau found me one day. Having been on his own for who knows how long; he was pitiful! He was probably one or two years old;a young little guy. I had never seen a living creature that thin. He had been shot full of birdshot and one hip was completely dislocated. I took one look at his golden eyes and knew I had no choice but to take him in.

(This photo dosen't truly demonstrate how golden those eyes were. They were the color of yellow tourmaline)

Off to the vet we went. Hundreds of dollars later, Beau got well. It has proven to be money well spent. How do you put a price on a friend?

There's no telling what Beau experienced before he found me. He was quite shy, but has 'come into his own' over the years. Beagles aren't the easiest dogs to train but he learned a few 'tricks'. Beagles will do anything.....anything for food. Their biggest problem is understanding just what you want them to do. My husband does a bit of obedience training with the goldens each morning. By observation....and a bit of jealousy for treats, Beau learned to spin and roll, in addition to the basic 'down' and 'sit'. He's a funny little guy with a great howl that always brings a smile.

Beau deserves much credit for good things that have happened in my life.

Before I was married, Beau was the one to 'interview' any possible candidates. Love me, love my dog! A few good men were sent packing because they didn't love my dog. On the other hand, Beau pulled Steve right in. Shortly after we met, I had plans to be out of town and had reserved kennel space for Beau. Steve wouldn't hear of it. He offered to keep Beau at his house while I was away. Today, we laugh that Beau was scoping out the territory and spent the weekend convincing Steve that he needed a beagle.

Beau gets much of the credit for raising Jackson. I was still working at the hospital when we got him; so that left Beau to puppy sit during the day. Jackson could be hell on wheels. Often, we would come home and find Beau's collar stretched out and just barely hanging on him. We couldn't figure that one out until one day, I came home to witness the 'slinging of the Beau'. The two of them would chase each other all over the back yard.

Jackson would grab Beau's collar and sling him around....so that's how the collar would get stretched!

Beau never once passed up the opportunity to bake his body in the sun.

We finally had to put a gate at the deck stairs to keep him off the deck during the hot part of the day. He would lie on the bench in the sun, fall asleep and forget to move when he got too hot. Sometimes he would literally look like a prune; but OH how he loved the warm sun.

He always sought out a little patch of sun somewhere in the house.

There were always funny little things he did, and another 'Beau tale' to tell. Though the goldens push their way to the front and demand lots of attention, Beau was always there, making sure he got his share. He went to dog training and shows, tracking tests, and vacations. He was never left at home.

Beau was always there.

But, sadly, today Beau just couldn't do it any more. His old bones just wouldn't let him walk anymore and he didn't feel like eating anything. He was in a lot of pain. I had to keep him loaded with hydrocodone to keep him from hurting. So to today, I had to say goodbye to my trusted old friend.

He wagged his tail to the very last

And he smiles in his last, long sleep;

The troubles of life, for him, are past!

A shrine in my heart I'll keep.

His soul---for I feel that he had a soul

And he thought real thoughts, I know---

Has found the ultimate end, life's goal,

In the heaven where good dogs go.

He has lived with me and suffered with me

Shed tears, in his dog like way;

He has placed his paw at times on my knee,

In a vain attempt to say;

"God never gave us that wondrous power,

To tell all the things we feel,

But, I want to say, in my canine way,

That my sympathy is real."

So I loved my dog to the very end,

And he in our daily walk,

Was never just dog, but a constant friend

And we had no need to talk.

And I hope, when the summons comes, for me

To embark on the unknown tide,

I shall find his eyes in the Paradise

They say is the other side.

--James Clarence Harvey

Beau, you were there when there wasn't anyone else. You always provided me with companionship and a good laugh. I tried to provide you with everything you ever needed; but this time, I just couldn't fix it. I'm sorry, Buddy.

I will forever miss you, my friend.

May you always have a warm place in the sun.

Beau

sometime before December 19, 1996 - December 21, 2009

Dogs ON THURSDAY~ Sunny's favorite spot

This is Sunny's favorite place to relax. Can't say I'd argue with her about it. It's my favorite too. She is seldom without her baby hedgehog in her mouth. I don't know how she can stand holding it in her mouth for hours, but she does. When Steve took this picture, she had been in my lap for about 90 minutes (thru Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and into NCIS.)

The update on her Phaeohyphomycosis- the wounds on her paw have healed nicely. The ulcer on the metatarsal pad is closed so I have started walking her without her boots. Unfortunately, Sunny's appetite is waning. This dog that once attacked every meal is now eating quite slowly. She picks her vitamins out of her food, so we have stopped putting them in her bowl. We have started putting homemade gravy on her food. It seems to help some. Yesterday, for the first time, she left about 25% of her dinner. She went to the door and asked to go outside (an after meal ritual for her). When she came back in, she still refused her food. She did the same thing with her breakfast, but Steve got her to finish her food when she came back in.

Sunny no longer will take her pills in peanut butter, pill pockets, American cheese or squeeze cheese. I got them down her in liverwurst this morning. I am running out of ideas.

We have supplemented her diet with peanut butter as the Sporanox has to be taken with a fatty meal. Sunny has always loved peanut butter. Now she refuses it. She will still eat Mini-Wheats and will take them with peanut butter on them. Since I gave her the meds with liverwurst I didn't have to give her as much peanut butter.

Sunny's waning appetite really worries me. It makes me sad to watch a dog that always attacked her food (so much that I was actually considering ways to slow her down to avoid bloat) start to pick at it. Her ALT was WNL last week. According to the literature, any change in liver function typically occurs during the second month. The first sign of liver failure is loss of appetite. Her current appetite level could be from simple nausea or change in sense of smell. I taught her to distinguish subtle scents when we were tracking. Subsequently, she has always used her nose as her first source of information; much more so than any other dog I have ever had, but she is the first tracking dog I have trained. As long as her appetite stays as it is currently, I'll continue with her treatment plan as is. If it continues to decline, I'll get Dr. Mike to draw another liver panel before the 2 1/2 month mark in January.

I have been so worried about her, I spent most of my day, yesterday, pouring thru the internet for information on this disease. I heard a news report about Google reporting searches done in 2009 that have never been searched before. Phaeohyphomycosis was one of them! I have found that I am able to get more results each time I search it.

Sunny is extremely sensitive to my emotions. I fear that my worry and sadness is affecting her negatively. No matter how I try to seem 'up' for her, I can't hide it. She is my best friend and that's what best friends do; they have a sixth sense for your feelings.

As if Sunny wasn't enough to worry about, there has still been Beau's issues with chronic bladder infections. We pushed it to get six weeks of Cipro in him and had to stop it. He became seriously anorexic. He stopped eating my chicken and rice mixture completely, won't eat his Science Diet CD (that he has eaten for the past 9 years) and stopped eating his homemade liver pate. We are now forced to simply put his pills down his throat.

After one week off his Cipro, I took him in for a urine culture. We then immediately started him on Nitrofurodantin (aka Macrodantin) to keep his urine sterile. Ultimately, this should prevent future bladder infections.

Thanksgiving night, he had an episode of screaming in pain with lameness of his front leg; the same thing we treated him for last winter. Fortunately, it appears to be an isolated incident. Dr. Mike gave me a bottle of Metacam to use along with hydrocodone, if it returns. Dr. Mike and I had a serious talk about this problem and just how far we go with treatment. He feels we are doing the right thing right now and have a very broad window of pain control still available to us. As long as we have a howl for his treats or a little trot to the gate for his walk, we will continue to treat him.
We have had some pretty days lately that have allowed Beau to be outside in the warm sunshine on his palette. I think the sun feels good on his bones. He has always loved being outside.

Poor Jackon! the middle child.......

Thank heaven he is healthy! He doesn't quite understand all this attention that Beau and Sunny are getting. We are trying hard to give him equal attention, but he simply doesn't understand. Steve takes him for 'private walks' and I give him a little taste of whatever the treat du jour for hiding pills is.

This year, all I want for Christmas is a healthy pack! Is that too much to ask for?