Celebrating Chelsea!

15 years ago today, I became a mom.  Not to a human child, but to a tiny 3.25-pound puppy we named Chelsea.  There are so many things I love about this dog that if I attempted to list them all, I would never stop writing.  So here are a few:

From day one, she's had a mind of her own and is extremely choosy about who she deems worthy of her affection.  But once you make the cut, her loyalty is unparalleled.

She has survived seven pretty serious attacks from other dogs, the removal of many of her teeth as she has aged, and various minor surgical procedures like a trooper.  Don't let her size fool you - she is a tough chick.

She has only stayed in a kennel overnight twice in her life.  The first time she did fine, because she was pretty young and not yet stubborn and obstinate.  The second time, her "report card" declared her to be "feisty" - a big word for a little seven-pound dog.  Spot on.  She certainly rules the roost at our house and expresses her displeasure toward the other dogs with one sharp bark - her version of "Knock it off!" - when she is annoyed with them.

She is the best car traveler - she curls up in her little bed in the back seat and doesn't make a peep, whether is it a ten-minute or ten-hour drive.  Although if the other dogs are in the car, too, she'll give them the aforementioned bark because they walk around in the car, which irritates her.

She is comical!  For years, a neighbor's golden retriever came over to our house whenever we were outside because he so badly wanted to be friends with Chelsea.  Chelsea wouldn't even entertain the thought and would just shake uncontrollably and yelp pathetically until we took her inside.  One day, she'd had just about enough of his advances.  He lumbered over when he spotted us outside, and she high-tailed into the garage to avoid him.  He followed her in there, and that was it.  He'd gone too far.  The next thing we saw was this giant, furry dog being chased out of the garage by our tiny dog using her most ferocious bark.  Had I been videorecording the event, I have no doubt I would be much wealthier today thanks to AFV.

My favorite Chelsea story is from when we were living in Chicago.  There was a gas leak in our apartment and so we had no heat while repairs needed to be done (might I mention this was Chicago in January!).  I was teaching kindergarten at that time at a corporate child care center, so I called work and explained the situation.  I told my boss that either I was not coming to work that day, or I would have to bring Chelsea with me because I had no intention of leaving her alone in a freezing cold apartment while maintenance people traipsed in and out.  My boss didn't hesitate and told me to bring her in.  Twenty five-year olds and one very small dog made for an interesting day.  The kids were so sweet and crumpled up sheets of paper for her to play with and taped sheets of paper together to create blankets for her.  To this day, I smile when I think about that.  Chelsea was so well-behaved that day, despite being held and petted by small, clumsy, sticky hands for eight hours.

She is now our little old lady, with a lot of frosting on her face.  But still feisty as ever.  <3

Chelsea, 1999

Chelsea, 2014

Happy Tails to you!

Lovely Lyrics: You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!

You Can Fly!  You Can Fly!  You Can Fly!

from Peter Pan

Think of a wonderful thought,

Any merry little thought,

Think of Christmas, think of snow,
think of sleigh bells…off you go!

Like reindeer in the sky!

You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!

Think of the happiest things,

It's the same as having wings,

Take the path that moonbeams make,

If the moon is still awake,

You'll see him wink his eye!

You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!

Off you go with a heigh and ho

With the stars beyond the blue

There's a neverland waiting for you
Where all your happy dreams come true

Every dream that you dream will come true

When there's a smile in your heart

There's no better time to start

Think of all the joy you'll find

When you leave the world behind

And bid your fears good bye

You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!

Written by Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain

Happy Tails to you!

Lovely Lyrics: Gone, Gone, Gone

I have no doubt that others have experienced this same phenomenon…when you are in love, every song you hear seems to have been written just for you.  This is equally true when you’ve suffered a loss…every sad song resonates in a way that feels like your heart is breaking all over again.

This is definitely the case for me with this song, which has become inextricably linked with the passing of our beloved Gunni three months ago today.  It was a long, difficult battle as she aged and her health deteriorated, and I would have given anything and everything I had if it would have saved her.

I miss our little friend more than I let on…she is never far from my thoughts and I am acutely aware that there are four, not five dogs, in our house.  Reminders are everywhere…only four bowls to fill at breakfast and dinner, one less wiggly, happy body to greet me when I return home, and no warm, soft face snuggled across my neck in a peaceful sleep.

This song speaks to me in a way that few others ever have.  I’ve already written about how she came to be ours, and how we “rescued” her.  Given how I am reduced to a sobbing mess every time I hear this song, it is abundantly clear that she rescued me.

Gone, Gone, Gone

by Phillip Phillips

When life leaves you high and dry

I'll be at your door tonight

If you need help, if you need help.

I'll shut down the city lights,

I'll lie, cheat, I'll beg and bribe

To make you well, to make you well.

When enemies are at your door

I'll carry you away from war

If you need help, if you need help.

Your hope dangling by a string

I'll share in your suffering

To make you well, to make you well.

Give me reasons to believe

That you would do the same for me.

And I would do it for you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

When you fall like a statue

I'm gonna be there to catch you

Put you on your feet, you on your feet.

And if your well is empty

Not a thing will prevent me.

Tell me what you need, what do you need?

I surrender honestly.

You've always done the same for me.

So I would do it for you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on,

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

You're my backbone.

You're my cornerstone.

You're my crutch when my legs stop moving.

You're my head start.

You're my rugged heart.

You're the pulse that I've always needed.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum my heart never stops beating...

For you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on.

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

Baby, I'm not moving on,

I'll love you long after you're gone.

For you, for you.

You will never sleep alone.

I'll love you long, long after you're gone.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum, baby, don't stop beating.

Like a drum my heart never stops beating for you.

And long after you're gone, gone, gone.

I'll love you long after you're gone, gone, gone.

Happy Tails to you...

Lovely Lyrics: Lucky

In honor of Valentine's Day, here's one of my favorites: 

Lucky

by Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat

Do you hear me? I'm talking to you

Across the water, across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby, I'm trying

Boy, I hear you in my dreams

I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when the life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again

They don't know how long it takes,

Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you, I promise you, I will

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we're in love in every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea

To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair

Though the breezes through the trees

Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning 'round
You hold me, right here, right now

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we're in love in every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Happy Tails to you!

Snow Day!

There are many things I miss about being a teacher, and snow days are certainly one of those things!  My teacher friends have had numerous snow days this winter, while only one of my classes has been cancelled one time, meaning I've gone to campus in the cold, wind, and snow when I really would have preferred to stay home.

Today, though, is a different story because campus is closed (no class tonight - yay!) and C had the day off as well, so we are enjoying a snow day!

We live at the top of a hill with only four other houses and very lovely neighbors.  It is extremely quiet and we love it because we are surrounded by woods and there is no traffic whatsoever.  One thing that is not so great when there is a big snowfall is that it is a private road, which means it never gets plowed.  Every now and then, a plow will make its way up our hill, clearly unaware that they are under no obligation to do so, but we typically find ourselves stuck in our house until the snow melts enough to navigate the hill.  During “Snowmageddon” a few years ago, we had no choice…we lost power, so we packed up our five dogs and went to my mom’s house.  Those sixteen miles took us a nerve-wracking ninety minutes.

So when we saw all of the snow that had fallen overnight, we figured we weren’t going anywhere any time soon.  C and I headed outside to start the arduous task of shoveling our driveway.  We’d been out there about fifteen minutes when a pick-up truck with a plow on it came up our hill.  The driver stopped and got out to chat with us.  “Chat” is not really an appropriate word, since he was standing at the end of our driveway and we were right near our garage; “shout” really describes it more accurately.  He asked about our street and who was responsible for plowing it, and after telling him that no one plowed it, I asked how much he would charge us to clear our cul-de-sac and hill.  I almost did not care what the answer was – I would have paid him ten times what he asked for – but his price was extremely reasonable.  I got the money from inside, and ran down the driveway to hand it over.  Again, to say I “ran” doesn’t really capture the high-stepping and arm-flailing I was doing to get through the deep snow, but you get the idea.  I gave him more than we had agreed upon and asked if he would do a pass of our driveway.  He not only agreed, he offered to do everyone’s driveway.

His act of kindness not only means that C will be able to get down the hill to get to work if the federal government is open tomorrow, but our total time spent shoveling was reduced from easily four-plus hours to about an hour.  I am not sure why he happened to come up our road to check on us (although it turns out he lives nearby) or why we were so lucky to have been outside at that moment when he did appear.  But we are so very grateful and it is a reminder that there are so many wonderful, good people out in the world.

Here's a photo of a boat trailer that my brother parked in front of our house.  I'm not sure the trailer will be getting moved anytime soon, but it gives you a sense of the amount of snow cleared from the road.

Lastly, our dogs do NOT like the snow.  I like to think it’s because they are so low to the ground, but other Dachshunds like the snow, so apparently it's just them.  Whatever the reason, they want nothing to do with the white stuff.  So who did we play with while we were outside shoveling?  Our neighbor's dog, Mason.  Where were our dogs?  Inside, burrowed under fuzzy blankets, sleeping the day away.  Once we finished shoveling, we took Maddy out, hoping she'd play in a mostly clear driveway, but we were wrong...she could not high-tail it back to the house fast enough.  Oh well!  We tried!

Happy Tails to you!

Duchess Suffers a Seizure

I was working a pretty long day today, so my mom graciously offered to go over to check on the girls during the day.  Thank goodness she did, because Duchess had a seizure.  She couldn't stand on her own and had great difficulty breathing.

My mom called me at work and we frantically agreed to meet at the vet.  I couldn't get to my car fast enough and driving from campus to the vet felt like the longest trip of my life...I got every red light imaginable and they each seemingly lasted ten minutes.  Very frustrating, as I was imagining the worst possible outcome and sobbing uncontrollably the entire time.

I actually arrived at the vet a few minutes before my mom and Duchess did, so I am sure I looked liked a lunatic running towards my mom's car as she pulled into a parking space.  She had Duchess wrapped up in blankets and sitting in a laundry basket for safekeeping (Duchess despises going anywhere in the car).  I grabbed Duchess up into my arms and she had a very vacant look about her.  No wagging tail, no look of recognition, no kiss.  Not good signs.

We were taken into a room very quickly and thankfully Dr. T. was working.  She spent over two hours monitoring Duchess, examining her, taking an x-ray, and holding her in her arms.  Have I mentioned she is the most amazing vet on the planet?

My mom and I sat silently in the exam room together while the ticking clock marked the passing seconds at what seemed like a deafening volume.

At long last, Dr. T. and Duchess reappeared.  It seems as though she has an enlarged heart, but everything else looks pretty good.  So the unexpected outcome is that she got to come home!  She is on pain and anti-seizure medication and the next day or so will be telling...C and I will be sleeping in shifts and my mom will spend the day here tomorrow while we are at work so she will be with someone around the clock.

The good news she did give me a kiss when we got home, as if she was relieved to be back on her turf.  And despite me trying to snuggle her on the couch with me, she squirmed and wiggled to get down (she also hates being up on the couch), which I took as a great indication that she is feeling a little better.

When we adopted her in 2011 at age 15, we knew time was not on our side and we have treasured every day with her.  And we know we will never be ready - in any sense of the word - to say goodbye to her.  But coming so close to that reality today was terrifying.

So for the foreseeable future, we are going to be smothering her with as much love as possible, whether she likes it or not.  After all, who could not adore this face?

Happy Tails to you!

Lovely Lyrics: There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow
And tomorrow's just a dream away

Man has a dream and that's the start
He follows his dream with mind and heart

And when it becomes a reality
It's a dream come true for you and me

So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow
Just a dream away

Written by Richard and Robert Sherman

There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow was the original theme song for Carousel of Progress.  It was replaced by The Best Time of Your Life when the attraction was moved from Disneyland to Disney World in the early 1970's.  When the attraction was refurbished in the 1990's, There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow was reinstated as the theme song of the attraction.

Lovely Lyrics: The Best Time of Your Life

 The Best Time of Your Life

Now is the time.  Now is the best time.  

Now is the best time of your life.

Life is a prize, live every minute.

Open your eyes and watch how you win it!

Yesterday's memories may sparkle and gleam,

tomorrow is still but a dream.

Right here and now, you've got it made.

The world's forward marching and you're in the parade!

Now is the time. Now is the best time.

Be it a time of joy or strife.

There's so much to cheer for, be glad you're here.

For it's the best time of your life.

Written by Richard and Robert Sherman.

The Best Time of Your Life was used for the Carousel of Progress when it was moved from Disneyland to Disney World in the early 1970's, but was replaced by the original theme song when the attraction was refurbished in the 1990's.

Happy Tails to you!