Living

I’m so glad I take lots of photos of my dogs. Last night I was scrolling through my iphoto file titled OUR DOGS. I laughed a lot – each photo stirring up a wonderful moment from the past. Memories I hold close to my heart.

I love this photo of Phoebe and Trudi. It was Phoebe’s first Christmas with our family. Like Trudi, she was willing to dress-up for the occasion – and keep the antlers on! Anything to please her family. Looking at the photo brings to mind what a special pair of dogs they were. They were inseparable – played together, slept together, and visited as Bright Spot Therapy Dogs together at a nursing home and a psychiatric facility. Everywhere they went, people stopped to pet them and talk to them. I miss them very much.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Enjoy your dogs – and take plenty of photos!

Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving Dear Family and Friends. Thanksgiving truly is my favorite holiday. It’s a time to pause and take stock of the many things in our lives to be thankful for.

So much: the love, support, and comfort of friends and family (both human and canine), the smile on a patient’s face when my therapy dog makes a visit, the beauty of nature, cycling, hiking, gardening, spotting a bald eagle along the banks of the Connecticut River while kayaking, a walk with the dogs, each day a new beginning. But, most of all, I give thanks for the dedicated medical researchers who tirelessly seek cures for those afflicted with deadly illness, giving them a chance to live life to the fullest.

Every day should be Thanksgiving Day. 

Annie kept a watchful eye on me while I spent the day cooking. She only left her post for short spurts of time outside. No interest in being outside today.

Pies made. Rolls made. Vegetables prepped. Cranberry sauce made. Table set. Done. Now, Annie can relax! Actually, this is her favorite position… English Setter style of comfort! What better way to keep an eye on me!

First things first… Yesterday was spent getting Annie, Lily and King all spruced up for Thanksgiving.  These kids love to look good, and they each love the undivided attention they get from me while they’re getting brushed, getting a bath, and getting trimmed. We had a fun time together.

Now, I need to  get ready for Thanksgiving. Time to shop for the turkey and the rest of our classic Thanksgiving feast. I’ll be cooking all day tomorrow and next. All the while, Annie, Lily and King will be lying in a circle around me watching as pies and rolls are prepared, vegetables chopped, and cranberry sauce and stuffing made .

Their excitement will mount on Thanksgiving morning as the smell of turkey cooking wafts through the house. All these preparations mean that family will be coming home to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with us. And that’s the best part of all for Annie, Lily and King – and, of course, the rest of us,too!

Many of you have been following Coco’s posts on Say Hello Spot that tell us about the meaningful work she does for students and staff at the Robert E. Melican Middle School in Northborough, Massachusetts, where her mom is the principal.  Well, we haven’t heard from Coco in a few weeks.  This remarkable rescue dog, turned therapy dog,  is now starting a new chapter in her life and she’s writing to tell us about it.  Read on…

It has been an interesting two weeks for me. On October 5^th, I went to the surgeon for an operation. I had no idea what was happening – I LOVE the vet! When I woke up, I only had three legs!

I had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September, and the treatment is amputation and then chemo. And so…I had my right front leg amputated. My thoughts: I have been diagnosed with mammary cancer and have had lumps and teats removed over the past three years. This is just another challenge for me. It will be what it will be.

Surprisingly, I have not been in too much pain. I was heavily medicated the first week, and I rested and slept a lot. I am beginning to resume my normal life, and I am hoping to get back to work at Mom’s school, helping the students and staff there. Of course, my “normal life” consists of lots of resting and sleeping, too…

I am also hoping to work at the Barnes and Noble Book Fair Fun Day with Dogs in Hadley, MA on November 14^th as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog. Of course, my mom will be there with me – we are a team.

I have been fortunate that my brother, Toby, and my sister, Sophie, have given me so much support. They have provided me with comfort, company, and lots of love, which all aid in recovery. Mom has been beginning to push me a bit, taking me for rides (which I love), and insisting I walk more. She says if I want to get back to work with her, I need to walk more than I have been.

I am worried that people at school will feel sorry for me, which I do not want. Sure…I do look different than I did. And, yes, it is harder for me to get around. But I am doing pretty well, and I want people to see me as a dog who helps others, not just as a dog with three legs. Animals adapt better and more quickly than humans. We do not experience the emotional and intellectual loss that humans do. Who knows? Maybe I will be an inspiration to people.

My goal is to go to school with Mom one day this week. Mom says the students and staff have been asking about me. I have an appointment with my surgeon on Tuesday, so we will see what he says. Mom keeps telling me to take things as they come, one day at a time. I wonder if she says this more for me or for her…  ~Coco

I call it Spa Day at our house.  Just like people enjoy a day at the Spa, my dogs love it!  Annie, King, and Lily each have their own Spa Day, just for them.  Yes, just like a person, each dog gets pampered.  For me, that kind of pampering comes in the form of a massage (incredibly relaxing), but for Annie, King, and Lily, Spa Day means spending undivided time with me. They even love having me clip their toenails!  Teeth-brushing is an extra-special treat… they LOVE the poultry flavored doggie toothpaste I use.  I save this as the finale to their Spa Day.  I used to brush, bath, and trim all three of the dogs on the same day in order to save time.  In doing so, I realized, the experience was in no way the same.  The Spa Day experience, for me, was exhausting, and for each dog, rushed and not at all relaxing.  That’s when I set up my rotation system, making it special, fun, and relaxing.

Spa Day is all about building the bond between me and my dogs.  Since the day each dog arrived at Bridgvale Farm, grooming has been treated as a special time with me.  I head into the dogs’ room with a bag of delicious treats (Usually chopped up tenderloin.  The butcher always laughs, saying, You really love your dogs! He knows I don’t eat red meat.).  The bag of treats held in my hand as I head to their room is the clue for what lies ahead.  If I don’t let the other two dogs outside first, I often end up with two of them on the grooming table vying for their turn.

Selfishly, I save Lily for the last dog in the rotation.  She truly is a dream to brush, bathe, and trim.  She adores all the hugs she gets from me, talking to her the entire time, telling her what a good girl she is.

I’ve written on this topic before, but every time I give one of the dogs their Spa Day, it’s such a delightful experience for both the dog and for me, that I want to share this with my readers and encourage them to do the same with their dog(s).  Give your dog – and yourself – a special Spa Day together.

Now that our gorgeous Labor Day Weekend is behind us, my summer-long vacation has officially ended.  Blog posts on Say Hello Spot will now be appearing on a regular basis.  I’ll be writing about all the fun things I do with my own sweet, gentle, lovable English Setters, King, Lily, and Annie, and about our many Bright Spot Therapy Dog teams out doing amazing things to help people of all ages wherever therapy dogs can be of help.

It’s been a great summer.  Our daughter’s wedding.  The grandkids visiting.  Time in Maine.  Kayaking and biking with friends.  Gardening.  Yes – I’m finally back gardening.  After contracting Lyme disease in the summer of 2013, much to my dismay, I couldn’t bring myself to head back into my beloved garden where I had so cavalierly picked off many a tick from my body once inside the house.  Lyme disease was no fun, and I certainly didn’t want to get it a second time.  This summer, fully clothed from head-to-toe (and dripping sweat), I’ve found great pleasure digging in the rich soil, adding new plants, moving things around, and creating a new 75′ daylily border.

All the while, King, Lily, and Annie have enjoyed being in vacation mode, as well.  They’ve taken the lazy, hazy days of summer in their laid-back English Setter manner.  Lily and Annie up on their hunting hill way back in the hayfield silently watching for woodland creatures; King lying down watching me garden.  As long as these dogs are with me, they’re happy doing whatever…

I’ve enjoyed hearing from many of our Bright Spot volunteers over the summer.  Those who visit in healthcare facilities have been busy making people happy.  Many involved in our school year Reading Buddy Program helped out with our summer reading program at The Eric Carle Museum.  Others wrote to me about their vacations with their dogs.  It’s great to hear from them.  They’re wonderful people with terrific dogs.  In addition, many new people have emailed me throughout the summer inquiring about our Bright Spot Therapy Dog training courses starting up this month and next.

There is always much to write about when it comes to therapy dogs.  The demand for our trained, certified Bright Spots continues to increase.  I enjoy writing about this meaningful work, hoping to inspire others with gentle, friendly dogs to become involved as a visiting Bright Spot Therapy Dog team.

Our gentle, little Annabelle turned eight years old today.  She still looks like the puppy in our pack of three.  Her brother and sister, King and Lily, at six years old, look to be much old than she.

In celebration of her Big Day, Annabelle posed wearing her Great, Great Grandma Trudy’s Princess tiara on her head.  Although she’s the shy one in the bunch, she takes her role as our household manager very seriously, keeping King and Lily in line when they get into things that are off-limits, a trait she inherited from Trudy.

We planned FaceTime with her cousin Moose, born too on July 14, 2007, who now lives quite a life for himself in San Francisco down by the Bay. His favorite pastime is walks with his parents down to the waterfront to see the seals and his pals at the dog park.  I love the above photo of the two young pups at the Thanksgiving Cluster Dog Shows at the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

In our house, canine family member’s birthdays tend to last all-week-long.  Annabelle’s treat this year is steak, small pieces served each day and shared with King and Lily.  Special walks (when the heat and humidity aren’t too oppressive) just for her, and playtime with her favorite toy, Chicky, that she’s had since puppyhood.  Chicky is kept safely hidden away in a closet so as not to be destroyed by King and Lily who make quick order of taking toys apart.

We hope Annabelle follows in Great, Great Grandma Trudy’s footsteps… living to the ripe old age of sixteen years, two months.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Annie!

Cheryl Young, one of our Bright Spot volunteers, contacted me earlier this spring asking to recruit some of our Bright Spot Teams to participate in a photo shoot her daughter, Raquel Anghilante, was doing for a photography course she was taking in college.  I love having photos taken of my dogs, so I immediately volunteered myself, and told her to go ahead and ask other Bright Spot teams if they were interested, as well.

The assignment was a black and white shoot using film.  Not an easy task, since developing  black and white film is nearly a lost art these days.  Raquel said it would take time for her to process the film and get back to us with the finished product.  I’m thrilled with the two photos of King and me.  I’ve volunteered myself to help out with future assignments.  Next time, Lily will get her photo taken.  Annie, too.  Thank you Raquel Anghilante!   The photos of the other dogs are terrific, as well.

Poison Ivy: internet photo

I wrote this post in July 2013 and decided to repost it today when I realized what I was scratching on my ankle was not a mosquito bite, but the beginning of an outbreak of Poison Ivy.  Oh, yes. The dogs have been up on their hunting hill!  My post received a great deal of attention from my readers back in 2013.  Here it is again, for new readers to the blog, and as a reminder to all poison ivy sufferers.

Poison Ivy:  Can dogs get it and break out in an angry, itchy red rash that can turn blistery with an acute case?  No, thankfully, dogs don’t get this dreaded summertime curse.  Yes, I call it a curse because I have been plagued by Poison Ivy since childhood.  I am always on the lookout for those pointy, shiny green leaves.  There are many look-alikes, but someone like me knows only too well what vine-like plants are and are not Poison Ivy.  Here, on the Farm, Poison Ivy is everywhere.  I’ve learned to avoid it as I did as a child when playing in the field behind our house.

So, dogs don’t get Poison Ivy, but people can get Poison Ivy from dogs.  The dog can carry the oil of the Poison Ivy leaf on his fur. When a person pets the dog’s fur, she can get the rash from the oil she has touched on the dog’s fur.  I learned this several years ago when I broke out in an acute case of blistery poison ivy on my legs.  I hadn’t been anywhere near any Poison Ivy, but the dogs’ favorite hunting hill grows a healthy crop of the stuff.  It flourishes on that wooded hill.  You would think I was fertilizing it.  Covered in Poison Ivy over my entire legs, I observed one of my dogs actually lying down in the shiny leaves on the hillside.  Evidently, a very cool, shady spot!

This was a dilemma.  What to do?  I couldn’t prevent the dogs from hanging out on their hunting hill.  Seeking a solution, I spoke with the man who cuts our lawn.  No, he said,  you can’t cut it down.  The person doing the cutting would surely come down with a severe case of poison ivy.  No, he said, you can’t burn it.  You can get Poison Ivy from the fumes.  What then? I asked.  His solution was to use a highly diluted Poison Ivy killer.  I resisted this solution.  I couldn’t, just couldn’t, use any type of poison where my dogs tread.  He assured me that it is used all the time and is perfectly safe around children and dogs.  Still I resisted.

The following summer, I changed my tune.  I spend a lot of time training, bathing, and grooming my dogs.  Thus, I’m handling their fur a lot.  Once again, I broke out in an acute case of unsightly, blistering Poison Ivy on the back of my legs.  This occurred just a few weeks before my daughter’s wedding!  Mind you, when the blisters heal, I’m left with scars that eventually fade over time.  This was enough!  I gave the lawn man the okay to go ahead with the Poison Ivy killer.  It killed off the plants over a period of several weeks.  But, what I wasn’t expecting was the plants growing back the following summer.  The crop seemed even more vigorous!  Not a permanent solution.

A forester friend gave me my solution!  This woman spends all day in the woods, and she, too, is plagued by acute cases of Poison Ivy that have hospitalized her.  She told me about a product called Tecnu.  It’s actually a wash.  After being exposed, you’re supposed to wash the exposed areas of skin with the Tecnu wash.  Her tip, however, was to apply the oily substance as a preventative.  She buys it in gallons and applies a thin coating before going to work each day.  I have followed suit.  I cover my arms and legs with Tecnu as a preventative.  If I feel a spot of the rash ready to erupt on my neck, or face, or other area I didn’t cover, I quickly apply it there and keep doing so each day.

Since following this regime, I have avoided acute cases of blistery Poison Ivy.  The dogs continue to lounge wherever they like on their hunting hill, and for me – so far so good.  Now, I’m not endorsing the use of this product for others in any way but as directed.  I’m sure using it as a wash immediately after exposure, as directed, would be highly effective for most people.  I’m an acute Poison Ivy sufferer, I’ll do the extreme!