Texas Lady

Daisy playing with her friend, Toby, at the sanctuary

We received new photos and an update on Daisy’s stay at the sanctuary.  It looks like she’s having fun playing with the toys we sent and one of her playmates named Toby.  They sent 7 photos and we were happy to get them; we’d been wondering how she was and if anyone had developed more than a passing interest in her yet.  No one has, unfortunately, but the director at the sanctuary has been great about sending us updates and pictures.

Thanksgiving is over for 2014.  We only had 3 visitors due to family illness but the food was good and plentiful and everyone seemed to have a good time as long as it lasted.  The dogs loved having the attention.  Only Mimi had to be ferreted away into the bedroom since people upset her so much that she wants to bark and bite.  We put a crate in our room with a blanket and she quieted down.  The rest of the day she actually played with Bandit and Zoe in the backyard without getting snippy like she usually does.  It was a beautiful day in our part of the world but I’m glad the holiday is over.  Only one more to survive this year and I can breathe a sigh of relief once more….and my sun will come back out again.

I also survived my podiatrist appointment last week.  He did a little minor surgery on my toe and will be doing some not-quite-as-minor surgery on my heel in the coming weeks.  As it was the first visit I was surprised at him taking action quickly to get me out of pain, and I really liked him personally as well.  I told Ronnie we’d found our new foot doctor, so he will go once I’m done with my bit.  No need for both of us to be limping any more than necessary through the holidays.  LOL  I took my last antibiotic pill tonight and am glad to be over that phase.  We actually had a few rum drinks with family today since it was the last of the meds.  I’d been religious about staying off the sauce while I was on the pills.  I wanted to do the maximum amount of healing while I had the chance.  Now that that is over I can see myself tucking into a Margarita soon.  Been missing my Tex-Mex and margs.

On another positive note, Winkie may have an adopter.  There was someone who had lost her own dog to old age who volunteered for foster-to-adopt, so Mr. Winkie may get his furever home very soon.  Most things have begun to look up.  The only negative thing with our canines was that Jolie’s blood values are continuing to go downhill.  Even after increasing her sub-cutaneous fluids (doubled), her kidney values continue to rise which indicates that the rate of her renal failure is rising and her life is coming to an end sooner than we hoped.  Her white cell count has begun to also rise again so we’re doing more antibiotics to see if it will turn again.  Poor baby!  I hate to see this happen to such a sweet little dog but we’ve had her 3 years longer than we thought we would and she’s about 13 years old now, so she’s had a good, long life.  We can see a slower step with her now, and she doesn’t wake up as quickly as the rest of the dogs, or as quickly as she did just a few weeks ago.  She sleeps a lot and is more lethargic with passing time, but she’s not experiencing pain yet like Buffy did before her kidneys failed.  When we get to that point with Jolie it will be time to say goodbye.  Not something I’m looking forward to at all.

Wanting to end this post on a positive note: I love my new Babylock Ovation serger!  I’ve had 2 classes one-on-one and have learned so much already.  The final class is next week and I’m already packing what I want to learn in that class.  Since I’m the lone student I have been picking out the things I specifically want to learn and she has been great with it.  I had already bought her book last year but when I looked for it last week couldn’t find it anywhere.  After a couple of days I ordered another copy online so I’d have a chance to read it again before the last class.  Of course, the day after I paid Amazon for the second book I found the original one on the bookcase right where it was supposed to be and where I’d already looked multiple times.  Well, this way I’ll have 2 copies, can get them both autographed and share one with my daughter-in-law who also sews.  Things always seem to work out in the end.

Daisy’s 1st night at the sanctuary

She’s warm and dry and with people who really care.  What more can we ask?  She has her crate inside and an outside play space that’s warm and dry, too, where she’ll be taken several times per day.  They are going to let her get used to her surroundings and then pair her with other dogs to see if she can bond into an established pack so that she has playmates and friends.  There are a couple of people already who may be interested in adopting her.  I hope she doesn’t have to stay in the sanctuary for long.  As sweet as she is and as friendly as she is I don’t see it taking long before somebody falls in love with her.  We did, even with all the problems with our pack.

As for those of us left behind in her wake, it is quiet.  The weather has turned cold and the doggie blanket stash has been tapped.  They’re 4 inches deep on the couch.  Diego has hidden his yellow tennis balls in the folds and the play is on.  As with every change in the pack in the past, the remaining pack is quiet and peaceful.  All the crates have been cleaned and rearranged, blankets washed, floor cleaned and disinfected.  Since the little dogs no longer have to be crated except for sleep or when workmen are in the house we’ve been able to downsize from 9 crates to 5 (Daisy took her crate with her, of course, which was the 9th).  The little ones have enjoyed getting more attention and have been pretty much glued to either mine or Ronnie’s laps all weekend.  We’ve been more lenient with them getting in the bed, too, so I’ve been able to catch up on missed sleep since the dogs don’t wake me to go potty now.  Over all it is more peaceful here and I’m getting my life back.

I woke today to cuddles and Chihuahuas changing position beneath the covers.  I tried to go back to sleep but they heard something upsetting and ran for the living room howling.  No more sleep for me!  Dusty is still in the bed.  He refused to get up when I offered so I’ll hear him scratching to get out some time soon.  I don’t even have any plans for the day; I purposely didn’t plan anything because I want to get back to living again without the stress of always running here or there, or of tending to someone (or some dog or other).  I have a new Babylock Ovation serger I want to play with.  I am still doing the Technical Preview of Windows 10 and I have a new Windows 8.1 laptop for my sewing room to play with.  On top of my toys, I have my sweet puppies who deserve the attention after enduring 4 months of spending entirely too much time crated for no reasons of their own.

I still have a To Do list to contend with, however.  And I have a doctor’s appointment for myself and have to take Jolie in for more blood work toward the end of the week.  I’m not on vacation all week.  LOL  Today I will probably soak in the tub, go to Starbucks for a coffee and play with my Ovation.  I have BBQ in the crockpot so supper is done already.  Hoping for peace and quiet before life intrudes and brings me back to Earth.

Daisy’s Photo Op

I took Daisy on Monday to have her photos professionally done to help her get adopted.  Her picture is plastered on Facebook and on the Internet site of our rescue.   She has been accepted by a sanctuary and should go into their custody on Saturday.  We’re going to miss her; I’ve already had one cry over losing her but all we can do is utilize the best source we have right now of getting her a home.  We can no longer deal with the stress on us and our pack; something has to change.  We just hope she gets adopted soon and finds a loving home at last.  We love you, Miss Daisy!  After Daisy finds her home we will work on getting Mimi out on her own.  I can’t imagine having peace in the house again.

Winter has arrived in Texas.  It’s supposed to be just barely above freezing for the next three nights.  All the dogs wanted to do all day today was cuddle and sleep.  I don’t blame them; it was that kind of weather.  I spent the day working on my daughter’s laptop and snuggling with the canine coalition.  I had intended to do laundry and work on the laptop while the machines ran, but couldn’t get my own motor running today.

I ordered 3 more serger books from Amazon this morning since the local class I wanted to take didn’t have enough interest to make a class…then they called me about 2 P.M. and asked if I still wanted to attend the 3-part class starting tonight at 6 P.M.  I jumped at the chance.  It was fun, the teacher is good and it got me out of the house without taking a dog with me.  Can’t beat that with a stick.

Got home and finished the computer, got the dogs all situated and sleeping, hubby in bed snoring, so now I’m having my time of day…just me, myself and the computer with a couple of Chihuahuas snoring in my lap…an awful lot of snoring going on in this house today!!!!!!  I guess that just goes to show how peaceful it is right now.  Not complaining at all…