It's been a long time coming

Funny how something like blogging can become addictive and yet life can get in the way and what was once fun falls by the wayside.

So much has happened since my last post in October. The holidays were different this year. Although my Aunt was greatly missed it was nice to have all her family over for Thanksgiving. My second cousin even gave us something really extra special to be thankful for - she told her Mom (and the rest of us) she is pregnant with their first child. Daddy-to-be-hubby was given rounds of handshakes, congrats and some good natured ribbing. She is due in April so we are in "waiting" mode.

Our immediate family also expanded at the end of the year. We added another dog to our family. Madison Nicole is a lovely, bouncy, floppy, fluffy, liver and white English Springer Spaniel pup. She joined us a day before New Year's Eve.



I had been trying to convince Jon for some time that Dani, our lab mix, would do better with a friend around. Dani loved playing with other dogs and I felt was feeling lonely when there wasn't any other dogs around. I kept equating it to being an only child (something I'm expert in) and how parents of multiple children say it's easier to raise more than 1 child because the kids play with each other instead of bugging you (which Dani was doing...bugging us).

On Christmas morning I pulled a few things out of my stocking when I came across a package addressed "To wife, boy and dog". Inside was a small stuffed dog toy. I looked at my husband with a puzzled look on my face ... "It's a token. You can trade it in for the real thing." I squealed with joy and hugged him. A puppy! We started looking on the Internet thinking we'd probably find one in a couple of months. Lo and behold I found a batch of lovely Springer pups in Pennsylvania. We called and arranged to come see the pups. The owners were a lovely Mennonite couple who ran not only a dairy farm but a bed and breakfast. They took us through the cow barn to the back where the puppies were kept. I changed my mind about 3 different times. They were all so cute I could have taken any one of them. At first my heart was set on cute little Cara-Lee. She had a paler brown right where her eyebrows were so she had a very expressive face. Then I thought maybe Courtney was the one. She was the runt of the litter was just too cute for words. Then I realized I was selecting a puppy in the wrong manner. So I watched all the pups together and realized that Christy was the most interactive, the most alert and the one we should pick.

We didn't take her right away as we had a family dinner the next day and I didn't think it would be fair to leave a new puppy home alone all day. So we arranged to pick her up on Sunday. What should have been a 2 hour trip up became an almost all day ordeal. I took Patrick with me but Jon had things to do at home. So we thought having a cell phone and a GPS would be enough. However, about 5 minutes away from the farm the GPS ran out of battery and I had to go on memory. Of course when we drove up it was pitch dark so things looked a lot different in the light. Luckily we found the farm and picked up our little girl.

Now the trip home. I asked the owners for directions back since the GPS had died on me. I also found that my cell phone had died so my hopes of calling Jon and having him give me directions were dashed. I tried the directions given to me but things again started to look unfamiliar. I drove for a bit and we finally decided to stop for lunch. We started back out again and after quite a bit of driving (in what turned out to be the exact opposite direction than I needed to go) I stopped at a gas station for a map. Once we had the map we were on our way. Madison (aka Maddie) was amazing. She didn't cry too much, loved climbing over Patrick (although we had brought a basket for her to ride in) and slept pretty much most of the trip.

I am still amazed to this day how well Maddie and Dani get along. We introduced them on neutral territory. Dani sniffed the new addition a bit and then proceeded to wonder off to sniff other smells (actually a good sign). Dani had to learn to be gentler with the puppy than she was with her other playmates. She learned pretty quickly that the puppy was for her. I feel that she has become a calmer, more obedient dog since we've gotten Maddie. Part of it is she has one of her kind now, part of it is her sitting by Maddie's side when I'm teaching Maddie her obedience lessons (so in turn it is reinforcing it for Dani). I'm sorry we didn't do this sooner.

Two dogs certainly can be challenge at times (like walking) but I'd never have just one dog again. Having two has actually made things easier because they entertain each other instead of demanding my attention all the time. 2 doggies twice as much joy.

Christmas in October

The house wasn't decorated in red and green or with twinkling lights. Instead appropriately done in pumpkins and fall colors. Carols weren't playing but soft classical music did provide a little background noise. Snow had not fallen and neither had the temperatures - high 80's was out of place this Columbus day. So what on earth would make one think it was Christmas in October? The gifts.

Many gifts were given and received that day. The plus side of it all was no messy wrapping paper or ribbons to clean up afterwards. Instead they were the gifts of time, spirit, love, and ease.

Time - This gift was given to me. I can not express my thanks enough for this gift. Especially because I expected to be robbed of it instead I was given it. I am highly allergic to cats. So much so that more than one cat in a house (no matter how immaculately kept) will send me sneezing, wheezing and blowing from any house which in they reside. This past Monday was not the case. I was given the gift of time and not a single allergy symptom (during or after my visit) during my time spent with my Aunt, Mother and cousins. I had prayed that I might last 20 minutes (my usual length of time before symptoms make me so miserable no one wants to be around me) or a little longer -- I never dreamt that I'd last more than 6 hours. I had maybe one little sniffle the whole time. I was able to spend time with my Aunt and Mother in the same room. I was able to just sit alone with my Aunt and send her all of my positive energy so that she could use it to ease her journey a little. I was able to spend time going through pictures of the family with my cousins and I was even able to hopefully comfort my one cousin a bit when had too much liquid love to hold in anymore. I don't think another gift could have meant more to me that day than the gift of time.

I was also given the gift of time the following day. My boss and co-workers gave me the peace of mind that my absence would not effect them especially since we were rolling out a new software system that very day (a major undertaking and one that never goes 100% smoothly). I thank them too for this gift as I needed to be with my family of birth more than my family of work at that moment.


Spirit - This gift was given to all of us in the house. The giver was Rainer, my Aunt's Hospice nurse. Her calm spirit, her kindness, her caring mirrored my Aunt and was the perfect match for her. But Rainer not only gave this and her attention to my Aunt but to all of us. Some might say she was doing her job but I would argue that yes, she was but she put so much of her spirit into it I felt she was a gift. She was the one that first used the word gift to me that day. Little did I know that it would be an underlying theme.

She also gave my cousin the gift of being a daughter that day. My cousin who is also part of Hospice had been taking care of her Mother but she also needed to be a daughter. Having Rainer there to give my cousin the gift of being a daughter when my Aunt (and my cousin) needed it most was just what the doctor ordered.


Love - This gift was given by all to all. I've never felt a house so full of love. It was literally palpable. My Aunt was surrounded by many that loved her - her 2 daughters, 2 granddaughters, son, dear sister, niece and close family friend. Whether or not we were in the same room at any given time you could feel the love for my Aunt emanate from every corner - inside or out. I am convinced that all this love made my Aunt journey a little easier for her. I can't vouch for others but feeling the love in the house [watching each person talk to my Aunt, stroke her hand, give her a kiss or a small hug] just made it a little easier for me too.

Ease - This gift was given to my Aunt. She assured us that she felt no pain during her final journey. I did not expect this and was more than surprised to hear her several times tell us she didn't have any pain. I never imagined that the process would be painless but if there is one gift I could have given my Aunt at this time it would have been that - ease.


As with all Christmas mornings, the fun must come to an end and usually does when the first new toy is suddenly broken. My Aunt passed away before the clock could strike the first hour of a new day.

Suddenly the bright lights of Christmas in October seem a bit less bright. The soft music has stopped playing and weather has even turned a more appropriate October temperature. The world seems to recognize that my Aunt is no longer in it and it too is mourning her passing.

Lessons are to be learned from every moment in our lives. The lesson I have learned from what to many may seem like a rather sad experience is to be more like my Aunt. She saw the good in everyone and everything. (Which was truly amazing since she wasn't always afforded the same luxury - she was on the receiving end of not always the good in life. She definitely made lemonade from the lemons life gave her. ) I've also learned that a great sense of humor will take you far. My Aunt had that and still managed to chuckle and crack a joke during her final journey. If I've learned anything from this experience it is to give more gifts in my life. Give the gifts of humor, love, kindness and caring. And also to look at the good in things in bad situations (although I lost my Aunt I received many gifts that day). The gifts will never take her place but if I know my Aunt she would have enjoyed the gifts too.

Of course the greatest gift was given by my Aunt. Ever the nurse she decided to give her body to cancer research so that a cure maybe found. "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." -John Wooden. Then my Aunt in her death lived a perfect day.