Brooklyn!

Brooklyn is a very special girl. She was born in New York and had a very rough life before trucking across the USA and ending up in the Humane Society. Being abused and mistreated, her leg broken, roughed up and dumped off, she could be one of any of the millions of dogs who end up in our shelters everyday.
Brooklyn, however, has a happy story. A very wonderful lady spotted her, saw past her problems, the expenses of adoption and surgeries and wanted her. She fought to save her and now Brooklyn lives in a loving home.
That isn't where her story ends, and this post certainly won't be either. At some point, a mutual friend recommended that Brooklyn's Mom call me for some professional training assistance to help Brooklyn adjust to her new life. I get the priviledge of working with Brooklyn regularly and I've seen her grow and change.
Dog training is more than just "sit", "come", "stay" and "heel" - the more I've worked with Brooklyn, helping her overcome behaviors that should have been eliminated when she was a little puppy, the more I learn from her. She inspires me, challenges me and makes me grow. Most of all, she is a friend; always excited to see me, we have created a special bond: Trust. Trust isn't the easiest part of a friendship to develop, nor should it be, but it is by far the most valuable. THANK YOU, BROOKLYN! I LOVE YOU!!!

San Francisco

Kim and I drove down to San Fran where we picked up her daughter Janie who had just flown in from China. It is hard to say whether or not Kim was in much of a hurry, but I will say, we pretty much flew, too. It was a pretty drive, although it was foggy going over Mt. Shasta, which was a bummer as that is so beautiful. This was late January and we were setting records here in Seattle for the most consecutive days of rain and snow was piling up in the mountains, so everyone, except Kim & I were worried about our driving over them. I can't blame Kim for wanting to get there quickly. Janie had been in China for seven months and everyone was dying to see her again. Lucky for us, we had her all to ourselves for a few more days before the two of them headed home, leaving me in Sacramento. (more on that later)

We were so close to getting her when we got stuck at the toll to the Oakland Bridge because of an accident. What a zoo! 10 lanes going into 2? Something like that, ambulances, fire trucks, cops, craziness. Poor Janie, hanging out in the lobby of the hotel, waiting to be rescued. We finally arrived and reunited Mother & Daughter. Janie is an absolute delight, had so much to tell about her adventures through China and Tibet and is an amazing young lady. After grabbing her and getting a hotel room, we of course wanted to go eat somewhere we could look at the bridges. We ended up in some quaint little village past Sausalito at a hoity-toity Mexican joint. The water was beautiful! The shops were closed, but we walked all around and enjoyed them, found an antique car museum that also had antique games - like the one in the movie Big, starring Tom Hanks.

The next day, we tried to take in as much of San Francisco as possible! What a cool city! Living by the water here, I am reminded that we often forget to enjoy that which we have before us. We "did the bridge" and got some great souvenirs before heading off to Ghirardelli Square where we met up with my dear friend Bonnie, who lives in San Jose, whom I haven't seen in years and years! In fact, it has been so long, that Bonnie was afraid, with all that chocolate around, we might somehow miss each other, so she made this terrific sign! Needless to say, we had a lot of fun with THAT the entire trip! We wanted to ride the cable cars and Janie wanted to go to Chinatown before we left so we drove around for a long time trying to find parking. It took a long time of us following the tracks and meandering down side streets "hunting" until we found a little lot right at the end of the line where we could park. So we got to do it after all. The cable cars were very cool, standing on the side rails and just hanging on as the trucks and cars passed by was a bit intimidating at first and I have no doubt everyone knew we were tourists, but hey - who cares! The architecture is beautiful and wonderful to behold, we hit downtown and Janie and Kim hit China Town while I had a drink and French Onion Soup (YUM! It was grande!) in a quaint French Cafe. Unfortunately, we only had the one day; we'll have to leave Fisherman's Wharf, The Painted Ladies and Alcatraz for another trip. (Although we were close to them all!) We finally got out of there and made it to Sacramento about 1:30 AM. I had school in the morning....

It's there if you look...

Today I saw a beautiful thing. Sometimes I wonder how many of these beautiful little occurrences happen and never get noticed by anyone, how many happen in front of me that I miss, and how many we all miss because we are just too busy in the hustle & bustle of "getting to" the next destination or are frustrated by "all the traffic" or are simply not paying attention to anything except our own little world...
I was in "School Bus Traffic" today - you know what I mean... you creep along for a mile and a half in a single snake-like line of cars following those mammoth yellow-orange carraiges, obediently stopping for their flashing red lights at seemingly every other driveway as kids get delivered home after school...
As I was sitting there in line, another bus was approaching from the other direction; I watched a Mother come out to the end of their side street half riding, half pushing a scooter accompanied by an enormous German Shepherd. She and the Shepherd looked anxiously toward the oncoming bus. As it neared, the dog got up and began prancing. His anticipation of seeing his soon to be arriving playmate was great. I had the feeling that this was a daily ritual. The bus stopped down the road a bit from them; Dog and Mom watched intently. Suddenly his tail was wagging furiously and he emitted a deep, "WOOF!" A little girl in a pink jacket waved at them and picked up her pace as she headed toward her beloved friend who was awaiting her arrival eagerly.
Traffic moved just then, and as I passed them, I saw the beauty of this moment as the girl hugged them both, hopped on the scooter, grabbed the leash and together they headed home.

What Breed Are YOU?

Follow this link below to find out! This is a lot of fun! Can you guess what I am?

http://usanetwork.com/sports/westminsterdogshow/dogfun/profiler/

It's good to be home! Amber stood on the front porch and cussed me out for a good 5 minutes before letting me into the house. She is so funny! She was so excited; running up and down the stairs like a puppy again! You'd never believe she was 13. She's my good girl. She doesn't like it when I am gone. She's such a Mama's girl!

I started a new shrug project 3 times now and on the way down to San Francisco, I frogged it and started all over again! I am finally happy (I think) and it is so much simpler - which is why I didn't want to do it this way to begin with - but making increases and decreases for the sleeves in seed/stockinette block pattern and adjusting it all to grow in pattern as it widened (then eventually decreased on the other side) became more work than I was looking for in this project. I just want something fun I can wear with jeans that is casual, classy and has more to it than just St st or Garter. So I frogged it all and did a Seed stitch border and am doing the blocks across. As it grows, I am really liking it. I like the yarn (Sirdar Denim Chunky) better now that I have knit more rows, but it does like to tangle when you're half through a skein; which is quite annoying. Regardless, it has promiss for a very pretty shrug and I hope to enjoy it this summer! I didn't get a lot done in California as I was too busy, but I accomplished a lot on the plane and made a lot more progress last night during the Westminster and the Olympic Games, but the camera is off the Carribean on it's own little vacation, so this is all you get to see for now.

Speaking of the Westminster, I just have to say that while all the dogs are so wonderful and it is so hard to choose a winner, I was delighted to have a Golden as a finalist. Andy, Chuckanut Party Favour O Novel, is from Bellingham, WA and while I don't know him or his owner/handler, we were rooting for you all the way! Two Paws UP!

Did you take the profile quiz yet???

According to the test, I AM a Golden Retriever... "You are the most laidback, loyal friend anyone could ask for. Easygoing and reliable, we're as likely to find you outdoors with a Frisbee as spending a lazy Sunday on the couch. You're brainy and sporty, and your expressive eyes convey your sensitivity to other people's feelings. Just don't let anyone take advantage of your kindness and you'll be top dog." (quote from USA Network/Westminster Dog Show profiler, see link above.)

Blogging Backwards

I haven't had a great desire to post this year, mainly because George is gone and without his incredible antics, I have lost a lot of my drive. That isn't to say, however, that I don't absolutely LOVE and ADORE Art & Amber and at this very moment I am missing them terribly. I have been out of town for going on 3 weeks now and tomorrow I come home. While I wouldn't say "homesick" is the right word for how I feel, I miss them, and the rest of my family and friends and I am so looking forward to seeing you all again.
It has been quite a little adventure that I've been on and I think I'll use the next few posts to tell the tale, but for now, I will sign off by saying that I truly had a lot of fun, I learned a lot about myself and other people ...and I met many interesting people... and managed to overcome some pretty bizarre and scary moments during this little journey.
I think the thing I probably missed more than anything were... hugs.
(and puppy kisses, which I managed to find a few of; Thanks, Dejah!)

Boat Show

Is it really possible that I have now worked my 13th consecutive Seattle International Boat Show??? WOW! This year, I actually got to go and look around at all of the really cool boats! It is amazing... when you get to see them all, they are so beautiful! It is also great to see all of my friends and everyone I know. Getting to talk about Yacht Dogs and catch up on news, meet new people, it is so much fun! Best of all, my friend Kim, came with me one day - enabling me to really take a break and play in the boats - and we participated in the C.A.S.T. For Kids charity fishing game. We both did really well, making it on the final board; I beat my first score on my second try and with a little coaxing, Kim went again and beat my best score by 3 points! Way to go!!!!

Keep the Fight

It has been a few hard weeks. The house is quieter, but Amber is enjoying the extra attention and doing well, giving us both all of her love and affection. I understand why people rush out to get another dog (cat or pet) after losing one, as for a few days I felt the urge to do so. Although I did not take myself seriously and wouldn't do it, I do now understand it. While one can never replace a loved one that has gone, adding to the family distracts from the pain; we will face that pain, learn from it, grow and although hard, not walk away from it or the fight against cancer in our animals. The staggering numbers of people I talk to who have traveled this painful and devastating road astounds me. Every day I hear of more. It would be easier to walk away and put it behind me. I cannot do that. That does not make it go away. Perhaps I will never make it go away, but education and awareness is the only thing that will effect a change, by changing the way we treat out planet, our pets, our wildlife and ourselves. So, I will press on and learn as I go and perhaps someday, I can help someone else to not know the pain we feel now.

Today, my thoughts and prayers are with some very dear friends. Thank you for the laughter, security, friendship, companionship, silly antics and your abundant unconditional love. We love you, Cody, you big teddy bear! WOOF!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

'Twas the night before Christmas and all thru the house,
not a creature was stirring except for Art's mouse.
The computer was humming, the phone line was busy,
he was surfing the internet in a shopping frenzy.
That one last present he still had to buy,
for someone special he loved deep down inside.
www .net and www .com
were frantically searched, would he be there 'til dawn?
The puppies were sleeping, all snug in their beds,
while visions of dog cookies danced in their heads.
When up on the roof there arose such a clatter,
the dogs started barking saying, "Something's the matter!"
The fat little elf all dressed in red,
slid down the chimney and fell on his head.
Dizzy and dazed, he got to his feet,
"I've never seen so many dogs! All wanting treats!
Cookies for Amber, Star, Skippy and George,
Gosh, I hope I've brought a lot more!
Can't forget Hannah, Linus, Eddie, Porter or Max
They’re all good doggies, that's just the facts."
Then laying a finger by the side of his nose,
with a wink and a nod, up the chimney he rose.
Then we heard him call out, as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

- Gayle Ballinger 1997

Amber & George, Christmas Eve 2003

We sent this poem out on Christmas Day, 1997 to friends and family, when we had a houseful of dogs, when George was still a "Guest" and we were hoping to adopt him while his family tried to figure out what they were doing... We didn't do a tree that year, we simply lined our tiny living room with kennels and had a very merry and warm holiday with a lot of furry love. I'll close this now with how we closed our letter that Christmas day...

Hope you get more than a lump of coal in your stocking for Christmas!
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas & a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!
Love,
Art & Gayle

'Twas Heaven here with you...

...Grieve not,

Nor speak of me with tears,

But laugh and talkof me

As if I were beside you...

I loved you so ~

'Twas Heaven here with you...

- Isla Paschal Richardson

George loved to lay on the front porch and watch the neighborhood. We have wonderful neighbors who loved George or at least were tolerant of his visiting them; he didn't see doors as things to stop you from going in, merely a passageway to see a friend. Now, we don't just let the dogs run helter-skelter all over the 'hood, but if you were working in your garage, or on the way out to your car, you could bet that you'd get a visit from George... and usually Amber, too.Our neighbors often found that they had Georgie's help, asked for or not, on various projects.

As "The Welcoming Committee" he made sure everyone knew how glad he was to see them, going back for more, just to be sure. He loved the kids and one of his favorite spots was lying at the end of the driveway, watching them play ball up the street, longing for Zack or Luke to come by on their bikes or scooters. He would pester me in the afternoon to go out front for a walk, as he knew school had gotten out and it was time for his friends to come home. He touched the hearts of many and was blessed by Sandie who made very special dog cookies for George and Amber; Thank You - you are so special.

The love and outpouring of warm condolences, has served to remind us that we aren't the only ones who were blessed to have Georgeous in our lives and I thank you for it all. As people who love dogs immensely, know that the love is returned to you and we wish you, your family, dogs and other furfriends included a blessed a peaceful holiday and long, healthy lives... Please hug them all from us and give them little kisses on their little cold noses.

In Honor of George

Greet everyone with enthusiasm and make sure they know you are glad to see them. It doesn't matter what kind of shoes they wear or car they drive. Love doesn't ask if you can afford it.

Smart dogs can catch. SMARTER dogs, can't, as people will give you loads of treats trying to teach you how.

When Mom says, 'I will hug him and squeeze him and call him George!" You know you're in for a fun day!

Play in the snow, chase and eat sno-balls...

If your tummy tells you something's not right, listen to it, or it will grumble very loudly later.

Be gentle with children and little old ladies. They are delicate and give sweet hugs and kisses.

Don't miss the boat.Never bark when a simple woof will do.

Going shooting is fun!
Find the Clay Pigeons they miss and bring them back!Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.

Help clean up when there are Beer cans in someone's shop - you might get lucky and find one half-full!!! Never turn down an invitation for a cold one, or warm one, or sharing one with Dad...

Getting to go along is great, even if you don't like the ride part all that much; you get to have so many neat adventures.Only fart around Mom when Dad's nearby, she won't know who to blame.

Mind your manners; Grandma will make you scrambled eggs.

Love your Vet & Groomer, they care for you very much and going to see them is fun! They have very special treats and Mom always buys some for at home!

When snuggling with Mom on the bed and she tries to hide you under the blankets from Dad - don't wag your tail!

"The Earth is my towel and I shall dry myself upon it."

If you help Dad mow the lawn, your paws will turn green.

Wallow in thick mud and enjoy the Spa treatment; some women pay hundreds of dollars for this luxury.Pick the remote up and hand it to Dad before jumping up on the couch to watch TV with him.

Go boating every chance you get & always wear your lifejacket.Never skip a meal; eating is important!

Keep everyone's secrets and wag your tail a lot.

Go swimming whenever the chance arises.

Remind PaPa how much he likes Popcorn; he likes to share.

Hunting fish is fun!Goofiness is almost always appropriate.

Tummy Time is always good - who doesn't love a good tummy rub?

Go out with Dad to get the mail and carry in a letter to Mom - you'll get at least 3 cookies everytime.Wiggle when you walk.

Pick up skeins of yarn that roll off the couch and bring them to Mom; she has biscuits hiding in her knitting basket.

When you're a puppy, don't eat the siding off the house, Dad get's really pissed off.

If someone doesn't feel good, curl up with them for a nice long nap.Flirt with women, it will get you everything; respond enthusiastically to the adorable nicknames they call you -like Georgeous, Handsome, Mister, Georgie, Goofball...

Let everyone whom you love, know that you love them with all your heart.

George was born Beckwith's Bright Star, May 11, 1997 and came into our lives October 16, 1997. We were blessed by his presence immediately and although at that time he was not ours, he became very special to us and we loved him very much. I'll never forget that day. He was a stocky 5 month old Golden Retriever puppy; he made me think of a linebacker. He was so happy - jolly - to be precise and so easy going as he dragged my sofa half-way across the living room... When Art came home that evening and met George, his exact words were, "We're not getting another dog. ...But if he needs a home, we'll take him." It was a prophecy, but at the time, we had no idea what was in store for George or our little family, but on March 1, 1998, on a cold, rainy evening, we brought George home for the first time as our dog. We have had so many wonderful years, wonderful adventures and sweet times. On Monday, December 19, 2005 George passed on to Heaven, where he is free of cancer and pain and with his friends and brothers Skippy and Yukon who await us at Rainbow Bridge.

George, we love you.

My Amber

She's Beautiful!
and just loves getting dolled up and wearing pretty bows in her hair!

Over the River...To Grandmother's House We Go...

(To clarify, that is "To George's Grandmother's House"...I don't want to bring a lump of coal upon myself when I have tried so hard all year to be good and I am this close!! But the title did seem to fit...) Actually, George and I spent a few lovely days at Art's Mom's & PaPa's house playing decorators while they were off playing elsewhere. This is what we started with...
And after Christmas Eve, I'll be showing the final results. I had so much fun stringing lights, of which there are never enough, fixing that ever-needed last strand, opening boxes, discovering treasures, (no~ I didn't do any peeking or snooping, I promise!) hanging ornaments and spending some quiet time with my boy.

While we were there, George insisted that Gramma left them apples out, just for him...
What do you have when you get a Golden Retriever that cannot catch?

A comedian!
By, George, I think you've got it!

Merry and his friends at ACS have been working with him on his Catch skills, but they are still a bit off... As you see, his concept is something to the effect of "maybe if I close my eyes and open wide enough it will just magically land in my trap!"

His skills are improving - well, he get's luckier more often!!!

Thanks for the comment, Stephanie, please feel welcome to call him "our dear George." I don't think people can "own" animals anymore than they can "own" another person. His heart is his own and it is big enough to love everyone - and he does. I am just lucky that he lives with me!

While at Mom's I took a picture of a very weird plant that has been growing in her front garden bed. It is dying off now, but does anyone know what it is??

It's Peanut Butter Time!

What exactly is the Magic Ingredient in Peanut Butter?I'm not sure, but I am grateful for it; it makes pill time go so smoooooothly!
'Tis so very Exciting!Mmmmmm.... Tasty!Fun!
Gotta Have MORE!Don'tcha LOVE it?

George is feeling better!

It's been a tough weekend, but George is definitely feeling better today. How can you tell? He's a bit more frisky! He loves those Ice Cookies!!!! What a treat! They're keeping him hydrated and his tummy is feeling better, too! Today is a vast improvement over yesterday, which was not a good day, but not the worst. I was having my doubts, although his temp was acceptable yesterday; today his temp has lowered even further to and continues to be normal! No vomitting or the runs...Thank you, Lord!

I finished the Squiggle Scarf (pictures to post after Christmas) and started another present last night. There is so much to do! Ack! How does this happen when I started on Dec 26th? Well, Christmas is in full bloom around our house!At Thanksgiving Dinner Art's Mom gave us a poem by John Wesley which I thought was pretty special:

Do all the good you can;
By all the means you can;
In all the places you can;
At all the times you can;
To all the people you can;
As long as ever you can.

She also gave us table favors. Mine was a beautiful gold fabric box, filled with a lovely scented hand lotion and aromatherapy jar for relieving migraine headaches, which I have been battling for years. She not only finds the most beautiful gifts, but also ones that are special for the recipient. I have much love and admiration for my mother in law; she is an incredible lady. Thank you Jo.

George Updates, Line Dancing & Snoopy

Thanksgiving was indeed a wonderful day! We have a lot of great Art in our family and this year, we were especially blessed to have more Art than ever with us at the table. In fact, it could have been possible to have as many as five...We had some other special guests, like Richard, our good friend and brilliant creator and Commodore of the Yacht Dogs Yacht Club...

After dinner we played Texas Hold'em and made a beautiful puzzle...

It's been a busy week, trying to get ready for the holidays, making presents, many of which I cannot post as I'd like to surprise the recipients, so after Christmas I will have lots of knitting projects to tell about, and most importantly taking care of Amber and George, both of whom went to the vet this week...at least once... ahem...
Yes, the George update is that the last round of chemo didn't do much to reduce the internal organ problems. We changed protocols Thursday to something we had never tried before and he was feeling pretty punky that evening. By morning, the diarrhea was back, his temp was up and he would not eat, even when I tried to hand feed him little pieces of chicken. So, we went to the vet. I love our vet; I should say, I love our vets, we have several now. I called and they said to just come on in. We arrived and were seen within 5 minutes - and they were busy! They care so much. They put him on IV fluids and gave him Sucralfate to help his GI tract. My suspicion that he was becoming dehydrated was right; had we waited until he was truly dehydrated, it could have been a really bad situation. He's still feeling punky, but he ate a small breakfast and his temp has stayed in the normal range today. He wags his tail when we talk to him and we are giving him crushed ice "cookies" (cubes) as treats to keep water in him.

Oh, Amber is fine, she had the normal yearly checkup and is in great health, especially for being 13. However, as we have radically changed George's diet these past 6 months due to the cancer, I have failed her in her health on the weight issue. She has always been a 45 pound dog. Always, withing a pound one way or the other, never an issue. She has gained an enormous amount of weight these past months and I am to blame. Her mind set has gone from slow and never wanting to eat much (famine), only eating a full meal every few days, to constantly wanting to eat (feast) and always looking for more. Fortunately, she likes Ice Cookies too, as they contain no calories. So, other than my worrying about her teeth, she is getting lots of those and little else, other than her strict food diet now. Hopefully we can turn her metabolism around. I hope so, she's having arthritis worse than ever and I know this is a major factor in it all.

I sent a care package to a friend, Sheri in Arizona this week. I hope she has it before she sees this post. Sheri is an actress and was recently on CSI NY and West Wing, we've been friends for years through the Marine Lending industry. She's a Snoopy nut. Among a few other treasures, I sent her a piggy bank that I've had since I was a very little girl. I know that it will be highly cherished at her home among her other Snoopy memorabilia and that is where it truly belongs.
Last night I went dancing with my friend Kim. I haven't been country dancing in years. I used to be quite good and I knew all the line dances. I remembered most of the ones they did, but not well enough to go out there and do them. That was very frustrating. It was the first time I have ever come home from a night dancing without being completely exhausted. I did, however, have an absolute BLAST! As we left last night, it was snowing hard, again, but my dreams of a white weekend are not to be, it has all melted away. I'm looking forward to more dancing nights and wondering how long it will take for me to remember the steps. I think the last time I went was in 1993...