My sweet little girl. Zen’s sweet – and sassy – little sister. This munchkin is approaching her teenage months, bless her heart. I think she’s close to coming into her first season…she has a hard time getting comfortable, panting hard at times and then relaxing for a few minutes.
And for now she’s quietly resting – still here on the couch with me – while Zen sleeps at my feet. The perfect way to start a weekend…with my (fur) babies at my side or at least close by. 💚🐾💜🐾
In just two words … my dogs. I am passionate about their welfare, their health, and their happiness. I am passionate about giving them the best life I can afford.
I am passionate about giving them as much unconditional love as they give me. They are sweet, loving, goofy, fun, loyal, and sometimes frustrating teenagers. They are my best friends as well as my “fur-babies” and I am their “mama”.
They are both Heaven-sent, picked out for me by my canine soulmate who earned her angel wings and joined her older sisters and younger brothers in Heaven in February of last year.
These two current pups didn’t know their human “daddy” – hubby’s dementia had already mostly robbed me of the man I married by the time Zen came to live with us at 8 weeks of age. The shell of that man made my poor puppy nervous at times, so he spent a lot of time with his breeder. When hubby was admitted to the hospital, I spent time getting the house cleaned up – when I wasn’t at the hospital with hubby – and then I brought Zen home with me for good. Zoey was born less than a month before hubby passed (peacefully in his sleep at the hospital, thankfully). She came to live with Zen and me in mid-November. And life has been somewhat chaotic and exhausting at times ever since – but always filled with love.
I was just as passionate about my furry angels before they each got their own angel wings. At times it was exhausting dividing my time between them and their human “daddy”; but I always tried to do my best and was always rewarded with their unconditional love.
It devastated hubby and me each time we had to say good-bye to one of the pups. And that devastation – especially the loss of Bogie, an 11-month-old Golden Retriever who got his angel wings due to a traumatic accident – is what finally catapulted poor hubby into the final stages of his dementia. The last one to leave was my soulmate, Ducky, a Cardigan Corgi/Black Lab mix who I adopted from the shelter in 2012. It is Ducky who picked out these two for me, with help from her “baby brother”. Bogie is genetically related to both Zen and Zoey, so he was a natural helper. Ducky knew me better than I knew myself at the time. And she knew exactly what I needed insofar as my next furry earth angels. She visits me quite frequently with their help. (So does Bogie.)
Since this is Thursday – and I am thankful for all the pups I’ve had/now have in my life – I decided this daily prompt from WordPress was perfect for today’s blog hop post.
I’m not sure who’s happier, Zen or me!!
Zoey adores her Grandpa, and her older sister Skye. At first I wasn’t sure she wanted to leave! But once we got home, she could hardly wait to get out of the car and in the house where Zen was waiting for her. I wish I’d had my phone handy to video the greetings!
After the greetings, the three of us went outside to play for a while. Now it’s time for a nap.
And, now that they’ve had dinner and done their business, it’s time to get “down and dirty”.
Remember when I told you “Be Careful What You Wish For” last week? Well, if you’re interested in looking back, you can read (or re-read) it here.
The good news is all in the post title. I absolutely adore my GP/family doctor. Sam did, too, even when his dementia took over at times. I had my semi-annual checkup yesterday (delayed a couple of months due to scheduling difficulties). To make a long story short, all but one element of the pre-visit bloodwork came back much improved over each of the last three years‘ results. That element was my T4 thyroid level. The level that most affects the body’s metabolism. And that one element is the one that most likely caused my dizziness episode. So, Doc reduced my thyroid medication dosage and will re-check the T4 in October prior to my annual Medicare exam. She said at one point “I can tell you’ve been getting exercise because your cholesterol levels are perfect!” I told her that it’s impossible to not exercise when you have two young, super-active Golden Retrievers that own you. She smiled because she has one of her own.
Anyway, that having been said, my big boy is feeling much better now that he’s on Day 7 of his post-neuter healing period. Since the vet wants me to keep him as calm as possible to avoid injury to the incision, I’ve been giving him VetriScience’s Composure calming chews twice a day. They do a really good job of settling him down when nothing else works, so I’m glad I haven’t had to use the Gaba/Traz pills they gave me for “just in case” last week. Meanwhile, when he needs to go outside to relieve himself, I clip two leashes to his harness and use the handle on the harness itself as well if I have to hold on tight. I can’t risk him yanking the leashes out of my hand. So, before I take him outside now I make sure the one neighbor and his dog – and the neighborhood feral cat – are not outside and where Zen can see them. Then I pray they won’t show up while we are out. (Believe me I’ve tried numerous times to work something out with this neighbor in the past; all to no avail.)
While Zoey is at their Grandpa’s house, Zen is blessing me with some short snuggle times in the morning. ❤️🐾❤️ And, speaking of Zoey, she’s having a great time! Her older sister, Skye (same mama dog, different daddy), is her favorite playmate. They are best buddies. And she gets to sleep on Grandpa’s bed every. single. night. And Grandpa makes sure she gets kisses from Zen and me several times during the day. I don’t have to remind him…he does it automatically just as he does with his own five “babies”.
Today, among blessings too numerous to count, I’m thankful for …
Zen’s and Zoey’s vet – my friend and also Shadow’s, Ducky’s, and Bogie’s vet once upon a time – Dr. Tyler Simpson (and his wonderful staff) at Furwell Veterinary Hospital, literally right down the road from our house.
And Zen’s and Zoey’s “Grandpa” and “Aunt Joy” who are taking care of Zoey for us so Zen can recuperate and heal from his surgery in relative peace and quiet.
And last but certainly not least, my brother who is here visiting with us to – among other reasons – help me take care of Zen and Zoey and because he and I need to spend time together whenever we can.
Zen is scheduled for his neuter surgery (and a dental cleaning) on Wednesday, so Zoey will be spending his week-long recuperation period at their Grandpa’s house. I am sooooo going to miss seeing these snuggle sessions!! 🥲
I wasn’t going to write a blog post today, but then I caught a glimpse of how Zoey was positioned on the floor by my chair. And I decided I had to share the silliness….
Zen had a toy. And because he had it, Zoey wanted it. Now that I think of it, it goes both ways; but Zen is usually easier to appease with the offer of the duplicate toy laying six inches -or feet – away from him. Or even with a different toy altogether. Sometimes he just gives in, lets Zoey have the toy, and gets up to walk away.
Now they’ve both abandoned the toy in favor of trying to curry favor with their Uncle Doug. 😉
I’m sure you’ve all heard that warning before. But have you ever paid much attention to it? I know I didn’t, really. Until one morning at the end of last month …..
For most of March and April, I was burning out from being “Mom” to the Z Kids without the help of a “Daddy.” I was lamenting the days before Zoey joined Zen and me.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Zoey dearly and wouldn’t give her up for anything other than her own well-being. But her isolation anxiety was taking its toll on me, on Zen, and on our relationship. And it was – of course – taking its toll on Zoey herself and our relationship with each other. Even some stress on Zen’s and Zoey’s relationship with each other.
So back to my lamenting, my burning out. I was tired. I was frustrated. I was sad and scared. And I wasn’t eating enough of the right foods. TBH, I wasn’t eating enough, period. And I was constantly saying to Zen that “I love Zoey dearly, but I miss the days when it was just the two of us.”
On the morning of April 25th I woke up early, and as usual, started to sit up in bed. But I was so dizzy I had to lay back down. I waited a moment and tried again. Same thing. Then I started to panic. How would I take care of the puppies if I couldn’t even take care of myself. I called my friend, and the pups’ “Grandpa,” and left a message in his voicemail. Then I tried again to sit up. Same dizziness. I laid back down and checked my heart rate. Normal. Waited another ten minutes or so and checked again. Normal again. Still dizzy but not quite as bad. No nausea, sweats, or aches and pains, just dizzy.
Called my friend again. He said he’d get ready to come down to get Zen and Zoey, so the panic subsided. Still a little dizzy but not as bad. Almost an hour had passed. The dizziness was subsiding as well. Zen was on the bed with me, laying right next to me. Zoey was in her crate next to the bed, waiting patiently for me to let her out. Once the dizziness had passed, I got dressed and let Zoey out of her crate. We went into the kitchen, slowly, but I felt normal and steady on my feet. Then my friend’s daughter arrived and we sat and talked for a few minutes.
We took the pups out to the yard to relieve themselves and play some. My earthly guardian angel was on the way and his daughter had to leave for an appointment. But I was feeling 100% better and fully steady on my feet. And Zen continued to keep a watchful eye on me while he and Zoey played in the living room.
My friend arrived and we sat and talked for a bit while I ate the breakfast biscuit he had picked up for me on his way here. He was still willing to take both pups home with him; but I knew I’d go out of my mind if I stayed home completely alone. So he took Zoey home with him and Zen stayed with me.
Zoey stayed with her “Grandpa” and other doggie family for a few days while I pulled myself together. Zen watched me like a hawk. When I had to go to the store to get food, our regular pet sitter stayed with him. The rest of the time I spent here at home, making sure I ate three balanced meals a day and spending time with Zen. And texting with my friend, sending photos back and forth.
Those few days Zoey was with her Grandpa, I truly paid attention to that old line about being careful what you wish for. And I thanked God endlessly for giving me the warning that He had. And I thanked my friend, his daughter, and another dear friend (who had brought me some homemade comfort food later that day) for being there for me – once again – in my hours of need. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if I had had to fend for myself that day.
I’m very careful now about what I wish for; and I’m very careful about taking care of myself as well as the Z Kids. And I constantly thank God and all my guardian angels for watching over us all. the. time. I’m feeling much better now, exactly a month later. And Zen keeps a watchful eye on me still, enlisting Zoey’s aid when he needs a break. I am thankful for these two earth angels of mine, too. Our relationships – mine with each of them separately and theirs with each other – have improved tremendously.
With that all said, I’m linking to the Thankful Thursday blog hop. Thankful for ALL my blessings, especially the ones I tend to take for granted at times.
While I was watching the Z Kids sleep a few minutes ago, Englebert Humperdinck’s song “After the Lovin'” popped into my head. Probably because, as I said to my brother, these two have their very own mutual adoration society going on.
If these two photos don’t make you go “Awwwwww”, I’d have to think either you’re blind or you have a cold heart.
Just makes you say “awwwww” doesn’t it?! I love when my fur-kids snuggle like that – it warms my heart faster than the hottest mug of coffee ever could. They both look so. stinking. cute!! 💚🐾💜🐾🦮🦮😍😍
in my heart 4ever 