Nash Checks In

Hi. It's your old friend Nash again, checking in, as I like to do from time to time.

There's not too much new for me to tell. I still miss my dog-sister Dasha. Life just isn't the same without her. My dog-cousin, Lexie, came to visit at Thanksgiving, and we had a good time playing together. Here we are, both hoping for a bite of turkey (and yes, in the end, we both got some).

The family treats me well. Even the little guy isn't bad. He gets a little rough sometimes, but Mom and Dad always remind him to be gentle. Every now and then I have to growl a little to prompt them.

I feel like one of them for the most part, but sometimes I feel different, like when they all go someplace together and don't take me. We did all go for several nice walks over the Christmas holidays, while my dad was off of work. That was fun.

And speaking of Christmas, they didn't forget me. I found this dog in my stocking on Christmas morning. This picture was made that day. I have mostly destroyed it now.

I'm hoping for at least 1 good snow here before the winter is over. I always love playing in that.

Well, I guess I'll close. Happy New Year to everyone. I'll try to stop in again before too long.

Nash's Update

Hi, this is Nash, stepping in to give you an update on what is going on at our house, since my mom is busy all the time.

Things changed a lot starting a few months ago. We got a new pack member. He's a little person. We call him Cooper. As an older pack member, it is my responsibility to help take care of him. So I do what dogs are supposed to do: I lick his hands and face when he is crying, and I bark loudly to scare the birds and squirrels away that are in our yard, as well as people or dogs walking down the street. I get in trouble for both of these things. My mom and dad don't seem to understand that these things are my job, so I have to do them quickly, when they're not looking. It's worth the risk of getting in trouble to do what any good dog would do.

Then the people all went away for a long time. My dad came home at night, and my mom stopped in from time to time, and sometimes other people came over to let us out, but Dasha and I got really lonely. We didn't understand what was going on. People kept saying Cooper was sick, but I thought if he was, he needed to be here so I could take care of him. Finally, they all came home again and we were all happy, until a few weeks later. . .

Then my dog sister Dasha went away. I don't understand where she went, but I know my mommy was very sad. And I was sad too. I still am. I miss her. I've never been the only dog member of the pack before, but Mom and Dad say we can't get another dog right now. They're too busy.

So, I'm learning to accept this new way of life. Little Cooper is getting big and starting to do things like pull my hair (my mommy understands this problem because he does it to her too). The other day he rolled over. (I don't know why they think that's such a big deal; I do it all the time, and they don't cheer for me!) Dad says soon he will be big enough to play with me. They also say he will be throwing lots of food on the floor. I'm looking forward to that! And really, things aren't quite as crazy as they were when he first joined our pack, so I get a little more attention now. Sometimes we even go for walks, just mom and me, while Daddy stays home with Cooper, or sometimes the whole family goes together. I love walks!

So I'm adjusting. Things aren't like they used to be, but they are still good, just in different ways. We dogs are pretty resilient.

So that's what's going on. I'll try to stop in from time to time to keep you posted about any new developments.

Your friend,

Nash

A Time to Mourn

This past Wednesday marked the end of an era. My little dog Dasha left us.

The week started out pretty normal, other than the snow we had on Monday. Don and I took the dogs out, and Dasha romped and played and acted like a pup again. Later in the day Don kept Cooper while I took her for a walk, something else she loved doing. I noticed that she had developed a little infection, but it was something she had had before which was relatively minor. I called the vet to see if I could bring her in to have him take care of it, but he was closed because of the snow.

The next morning I called him again and took her in. He performed the routine procedure and gave her some antibiotics to kill the infection. Soon after we left, she began shaking and acting like she was in a great amount of pain. Back home she vomited several times, so I called the vet again. He said it was probably just stress, but to bring her back later in the day if it didn’t get any better. By that afternoon she was no better, so I took her back in after Don got home from work and was able to keep Cooper. The vet gave her some shots to help the infection, nausea and her pain, but that night she wouldn’t lay down and stood or paced around the house all night long.

Finally on Wednesday morning she wanted to get on the bed, so I lifted her up there. She lay down and barely moved for several hours, moaning pitifully when she did. I wanted to take her back to the vet, but it had snowed again, the roads were covered and I wasn’t anxious to get out in it, especially with Cooper. Finally, I knew she would need to go to the bathroom, so I picked her up and carried her downstairs. When I tried to set her down on the floor, she couldn’t even stand. I got really scared at this point and asked a neighbor to care for Cooper for me and rushed Dasha to the vet. By the time we got there, the vet said she was in shock and said he believed the infection had somehow spread throughout her body, which he had never seen happen before. He said he would try to treat her but didn’t offer me much hope. I had no real choice but to leave her with him, since I had to get back to Cooper. I got to love on her a bit and say something of a quick goodbye, knowing I may not see her again, but time was of the essence in getting her treatment started.

When I got home the vet called and told me that she had died just a few minutes after I left. I was not surprised, but I was heartbroken.

I could blame myself, the snow, the vet or any number of things, but in the days since this happened I have thought about the sovereignty of God. I believe her time was simply up. She had finished the job she came to do. I have recorded the story of how Dasha came to me here. I think God gave her to me as a gift to walk with me, to be my companion through what could have been a very lonely time in my life. And she did it well. Even after Don and I were married, there was still the sad emptiness of childlessness for several years, and Dasha, and later Nash, helped fill that void.

But now we have a child. And I am no longer lonely. Oh, I am sad – I miss that little dog desperately, but I have been able to see how God was merciful in the timing of her death. We had a fun day together on Monday. She only suffered for one day. I had feared as she aged that I would someday have to make a decision to have her put to sleep, and thankfully, I didn’t have to make that decision. She was growing increasingly incontinent and was difficult for me to care for with a baby too. I’m thankful God waited until I had Cooper to focus on, but it didn’t happen in the crazy early days when we first brought him home or when he was sick in the hospital.

I’ve been reminded of a quote I’ve heard before: “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” I can’t say I’ve adhered to this over the last few days; I’ve shed many tears as I mourn her loss, but I think as time goes on the pain will diminish, and the joy of my memories of the nearly thirteen years I had with her will outweigh the sadness. God was good to give her to me, and I will always be thankful for the time that she was a part of my life.

Nash's Update

Hi, it's me, Nash, again, just giving you an update on my previous post.

I'm doing a little better with scratching on doors. Well at least, sometimes I remember. When I don't, my mom makes me "sit" until she opens the door. It's just so exciting to think about what endless possibilities await me on the other side! My daddy is going to paint the doors I have scratched up soon, though, so they don't want me to mess them up again. I'm really going to try!

My mom has been working with me on heeling too, rather than yanking on my leash. I seem to get it, at least when she reminds me, but sometimes I see another dog or something else interesting and I forget all about heeling. It's hard; it really is!

As for my bunny-sister Heidi, I don't know what happened to her. One day she was there, and the next day she was gone! I keep looking around for her. I looked all over the downstairs. She just isn't there. I guess that will make it easier for me to keep my resolutions, at least the ones related to her. Poor Heidi. I should have been nicer to her. I hope that wherever she is, she is okay.

So that's my update. I'm going to keep trying to be a good boy. My parents know that I'm just a fun-loving sort of guy, and they don't want to squelch that completely, but they do want me to behave. They've just got to be patient with me while I try to remember all this stuff they want me to do.

Birthday Girl

Happy 12th birthday to my sweet dog, Dasha. Since she came into my life, she has truly been to me the meaning of her name -- a gift of God.

Poor Nash

My dog Nash is having a hard time.

Yesterday, he tripped over Dasha while trying to jump up on a bench and fell smack on the floor, against the bench. Then he walked across the room and peed all over the place, looking at me helplessly all the while. Later yesterday I noticed his urine had blood in it, so I took him in to the vet. The vet said it was probably just a bruise to his bladder that he got when he fell, but put him on an antibiotic, since it could possibly be a bladder infection.

This morning he was laying on the bed, and I noticed he was trying to get up and was having trouble. A similar thing happened a couple of weeks ago, but he was sort of in an awkward spot and finally did get up then, so we just kind of laughed it off. This time I tried to help him, and he still couldn't get up. I picked him up and tried to stand him on the floor, and he fell down. He kept trying to stand and walk. He would take a few clumsy steps and fall down or run into something.

I was panicked. I called a friend who lives down the street and asked her to come over, which she did right away. By the time she got there, he was doing better, but I wanted to take him to the vet anyway. My vet is closed on Fridays, so she called hers. She went with me to take him in. He didn't have any more of these episodes. After examining him thoroughly, the vet said she didn't think it was a neurological problem (I had thought it was a seizure), but rather that he had deformed kneecaps. She thought probably his kneecap had locked into place so he couldn't bend it, which is why he couldn't get up or walk. Still, she said to watch him, if it happens again, and make sure he isn't disoriented and that he is breathing okay.

He has given us a lot to worry about and cost us quite a bit of money in the past couple of days, but hopefully none of these things is too serious. Nash is our "boy," and I think we both realized anew what a big part of our lives he is when all this happened. We are thankful for him (and Dasha), and hope they both have many years of good health ahead of them.

Nash's New Year's Resolutions

I have decided to give my dog Nash a spot on my blog so he can share the resolutions that he plans to work on this year. Nash has come a long way in his behavior, but, like the rest of us, there are still a few rough edges that need to be smoothed out, so to provide him with some accountability, I encouraged him to get together a list and publish it here for all to see. Here is what he came up with:

I am going to stop jumping on doors and scratching them. I have not only scratched the paint off several doors in my own house; I also did it at my grandparents’ house in Iowa when my parents left me there for a couple of hours. This was when my mom and dad realized that this was a problem that needed to be corrected.

I am going to stop yanking on my leash. Several months ago I injured my mom’s shoulder (possibly a torn rotator cuff), and it still hasn’t healed. My mom may need to get me a choke collar or something similar to help me work on this problem.

I am going to stop trying to eat my bunny-sister, Heidi. Neither of my parents have really figured out how to help me with this, but they are working on it. I really wouldn’t want to eat Heidi. After all, she is my sister. I know rabbits are prey for dogs in the wild, but I get two square meals a day, so there’s no real need to supplement that. And while we’re on that topic, I am also going to stop yipping obnoxiously when I see her in her cage. My parents are working on a strategy to help me with that too. Nothing has really worked so far, except they have figured out that when they yell at me, I get more excited and yip louder.

I am going to stop eating paper. I like all sorts of paper: shredded phone book pages that I pull out of Heidi’s cage, and also tissues, napkins, and more. But that was the old Nash. That was before I found out that my cousin Lilly, a Bernese Mountain Dog, ate five potholders and had to have surgery. They, well you know, wouldn’t come out. It cost my Uncle David and Aunt Tricia a lot of money. And it couldn’t have been much fun for Lilly either. My mom says that while paper is probably not as bad as potholders, it could have the same effect on me. And that would be bad. So the new Nash is going to stop eating paper. My dog-sister Dasha shares my taste for it, so I’m hoping we can maybe hold each other mutually accountable or something.

This is my year. I really want to get it right. I want to be a good dog. I think I just need a better understanding of what’s expected of me. I’ll try to keep you updated on the progress I make if my mom will let me write on her blog again.

Fun in the Snow

While we didn't enjoy the drive to Iowa in the snow, we did have some fun times playing in it while we were there. Nash, our 3-1/2 year old dog, had never seen more than a dusting of snow, so this was a new experience for him (which he loved!), and Dasha, nearly 12, acted like a pup again! I guess Don and I sort of acted like kids too, sledding and romping with the dogs.

P.S. Happy birthday to my niece, Grace. Thanks for making me an aunt on that cold night nine years ago! ( :

The Aughts in Review

No one really seems to know what to call this decade that began with the year 2000 (remember Y2K?) and ends today. The first decade of the 1900’s was known to many as “The Aughts,” a term that has mostly fallen out of use now, but some use it to refer to this decade, for lack of a better term. I happen to like it, so, “The Aughts” it is.

I’ve been thinking back through the decade over the last few days, and I believe I can say it was my best one yet. Of course there have been a few bad times, but far more good ones.

Beginning on January 2, 2001, my nieces and nephew came into my life one by one. God hasn’t given me any children of my own so far, but I am so thankful for these children whose lives I can be a part of, watching them grow and learn and building relationships with each one of them.

Also in 2001, I joined Weight Watchers and lost 90 pounds, mostly during that year. I had come to the conclusion that I was destined to be a “fat” person, that nothing could change that, but thankfully, I was wrong. I do still struggle with my weight and have gained some of it back, though I have kept a substantial portion of it off and now know I am capable of losing the rest if I choose to.

I had been in Bible Study Fellowship since the late 90’s, and during the ‘00-’01 and ‘01-’02 years, I was asked to be treasurer, which required me to stand up in front of as many as 300 people every few weeks and give a brief report. At first I was terrified, but as time went on, I became more comfortable. During the ‘02-’03 and ‘03-’04 years I was a discussion group leader, a time of huge spiritual and personal growth. This experience was also where I met Ramelle, the friend who would ultimately introduce me to . . .

Don. We began dating in March of ’04, and in August of ’05, we were married. At nearly 39, I had pretty much given up on the idea of ever getting married, but God is faithful. His choice for a mate for me was far better than any I could have ever made, and though we may not fully understand His timing in this life, it is perfect. I am so thankful that I am going into this next decade with Don by my side.

Shortly after we were married, Don gave me a birthday gift that I had wanted for a long time: a flute. I took lessons, and while it has been a challenge for me (and I am not as dedicated as I should be), it has been a great experience to be able to play along with Don on our church’s worship team and also be a part of a community band.

I have had my dog Dasha since 1998, but in early 2007, Nash arrived and turned our world upside down. The first year with him was a huge challenge, but he has since turned out to be a really good dog who brings a lot of joy and laughter into our home.

In mid-2008 I started to blog. Though I only have a handful of faithful readers (and I appreciate every one of you!), it has been a great outlet for me to express myself in ways that I can’t always do verbally. Those who do read say they feel they know me much better now, and I have also enjoyed reading the blogs of others and getting to know them better.

This decade has also brought some sadness. I have lost several loved ones, including my grandmother, my friend Pam and her daughter Ashley. Even in my grief though, this makes me all the more thankful for my salvation, as I look forward to seeing each of them, as well as other loved ones, again in heaven.

So many other things have happened during this decade -- too many to mention, of course, but the changes have helped me grow in my faith, as well as bringing me joy, peace and confidence, not in them, but through them. God is good. He has brought me a long way, and I look forward to seeing what He will do in my life in The Teens!

Things I Love About Fall

While I always dread winter, I do enjoy fall. Here are some of my favorite things about it:

1) The view from my kitchen window: 2) It brings back memories of my high school band days, spending chilly Friday evenings at football games and sunny, crisp Saturdays at marching competitions.

3) Pumpkins.

-

4) Hayrides and bonfires, together or separately. I don't get to do either of these things too often, but it's always a treat when I do, and fall is the perfect time to do them.

5) Apples. This includes caramel apples, hot spiced cider, Southern Fried Apples, apple crisp, apple pie, and just plain ol' apples, maybe dipped in peanut butter.

-

6) Taking walks, especially with the whole family, especially in the woods or a park.

7) Watching Don wrap the dogs up in their "blankies" every night. He does this when the weather gets cooler, and they generally stay that way all night, sleeping between the two of us. They don't look rotten, do they?

A Funny Video

I don't post things like this too often, and it's only 42 seconds, but this is FUNNY. It made me laugh out loud at 6:30 in the morning, and that was before I'd even had my coffee!

The Lesser of the Two Evils

I'm a little psycho about using poisonous products: cleaning chemicals, bug killers, weed killers, etc. Anything that says something like "Caution: harmful or fatal if swallowed" can't be very good to breathe in, touch, etc. By the same token, I don't like putting flea treatment on my dogs. Anything that's designed to kill fleas can't be too good for dogs either, in my way of thinking. Even the external stuff soaks into their skin, working its way through their bodies, but it also gets on my hands when I pat them, and I put my hands in my mouth, etc.

Fortunately, for some reason, we haven't had much of a problem with fleas. Our dogs are mostly indoor dogs, though I do take them out several times a day, but they've never had enough fleas that I've bothered to use anything for it in recent years. Nash got tapeworms twice in the past year, though, which can be caused by fleas. The last time he did, the vet talked me into buying a dose of Frontline for each of them. It was $17 a pop, but I didn't use it because I didn't see any fleas on them.

Until recently, that is. I cut their hair last week, so I can see more skin, and Dasha has flea residue all over her. Occasionally I see one crawling on her. Nash's hair is much thicker and darker, so I haven't seen any on him, but he is scratching a lot. So, with strong encouragement from Don, I put the Frontline on both of them this morning. I am watching them carefully to make sure they don't have any adverse reaction to it. So far they haven't, thankfully.

Am I a nutcase? Doesn't it make sense that poisons are harmful to us and to our pets? Look at how the cancer rate is skyrocketing, and the medical community acts like they're clueless about what's causing it. I think there are a lot of things we use that are considered "safe," but we have no clue what their long-term effects may be. We don't put 2 and 2 together.

Anyway. I'm just sayin'. I'll use these products if I have to, if I think their benefits outweigh their potential harmful effects, but I will continue to try to avoid them as much as possible.

Playing by God's Rules

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

My dogs both love a good game of fetch. There’s just one problem. My dog Nash doesn’t know how to play. At least by my standards, he doesn’t. I throw the ball. He runs after it excitedly, grabs it and runs back to me. Sounds pretty good, huh? The problem is, it ends there. He will not give the ball back to me. He dodges me when I try to grab it, snarls at me (in a friendly way, of course) and tries to get me to chase him, but I won't; that's not how you play the game. So I just find something else to do until he finally gives up and drops it at my feet.

He was doing that today, and I was reminded of how I play games with God this way. I won’t give him the ball. He is waiting for me to so we can get on with things, but I simply won’t let go of it. Of course, He could tackle me and pry the ball out of my mouth, but He doesn’t. He lovingly waits for me to lay it at His feet. And then we can carry on. I know how frustrating it must be for Him sometimes when I dodge Him and snarl at Him, but He waits. Much more patiently than I wait for Nash.

Why do we do it? Why do we hold on to things, when we know that if we turn them over to God, He will take care of them for us? His plan is far greater than ours, but He is waiting for us to surrender to it. If you, like me, are holding on to any “balls” that God wants you to give to Him, I encourage you to lay them at His feet so He can get on with the wonderful plan He has for your life.

Sibling Rivalry

Our dog Nash is a stinker, no doubt; he’s not ashamed of it. Our dog Dasha, on the other hand is an undercover scoundrel. She tries to pretend to be a perfect angel, but she has a few dirty tricks up her sleeve.

I tend to come to her defense when Nash harasses her because he’s bigger and younger, but she has learned to use that to her advantage.

When I feed them, she will stand and watch him eat his food. Then as soon as he is done, she will casually wander over to her bowl and slowly eat her food while he gazes longingly at it. If he tries to bully her and eat even one bit of her food, she snarls at him loudly to be sure I hear. She knows he gets put in “time out” for this (in the bedroom with the baby gate up) until she’s done. She seems to enjoy seeing that happen.

The interesting thing about it is that she doesn’t pull this stunt when there is anything better than dry food in her bowl. Apparently it’s not worth the risk.

This whole scheme is annoying to me, because I have to supervise them while they’re eating, and the process gets very long and drawn out when she goes through this procedure. I’m trying to come up with a good solution. Any ideas?

Happy Birthday Nash

Our dog Nash is 3 today. After a wild first few months, Nash has become a good dog. He amuses us with his antics and is a great walking partner (except for having to stop at every mailbox, tree, etc. to well, you know).

Happy birthday, Nash. And many, many more.

Friends at Last

I have recently reached the conclusion that after 2½ years, our dogs, Dasha and Nash, are friends.

For about the first 7 years of Dasha’s life, it was just her and me. She handled it pretty well when Don came into the picture, and enjoyed being doted on by 2 people instead of 1. She was rarely around other dogs and seemed to think of herself as one of us.

But then came Nash. Not only was he a lowly dog to be looked down upon, who somehow managed to rival her lofty position, but he was also an energetic puppy who tormented her endlessly. Granted, we tried to restrain him from completely ruining her life, but she still couldn’t stand him.

When she finally realized he was here to stay, she tried to make the best of it. She pouted, but went on about her business as well as she could. In spite of her ignoring and avoiding him, Nash actually seemed to like her, but, well, the feeling just wasn’t mutual.

But in the last few months, something has happened. Nash has hit a new level in his maturity and isn’t quite so energetic anymore. He still plays, but not incessantly. He tries to pull Dasha into his games, and one day I noticed that she actually seemed to be enjoying it. She would snarl at him and chase him down the hallway, but it would all end amicably. Then I noticed she didn’t seem to mind him snuggling up next to her on the bed. We used to separate them when we left the house, but now if we take him downstairs, she follows us. Then one day I caught her kissing him. In a sisterly sort of way, of course.

Finally, it hit me: she liked him! After 2½ years, they had become friends. Kind of like my little brother and me. Only it took us about 30 years.

Iris Time in Tennessee (well, almost)

The Ellington Agricultural Center has an iris garden, which is beautiful when the irises are in full bloom. These pictures are taken from the top of the hill looking down on the garden.

They have an iris festival every year which they try to time for when the irises will be at their peak. It is this weekend. Unfortunately, everything seems to be running a little late this year, and the irises weren’t quite ready. We did get to see some of the early bloomers though.

We had a nice walk there with the dogs and took a few other pictures. Everything is so beautiful right now. We are hoping to go back in a week or two and maybe catch the irises at a better time.

Little Things

Well, I haven't blogged in a few days, because there is nothing major going on, just a few minor things:

1. My dog Nash has tapeworms. This isn't too serious and pretty easy to get rid of with medication, but this is the second time he has had them in 6 months.

2. I got elected treasurer for my church's WIC (Women in the Church) group. The funny thing about this is that I am not even involved in the group, but I did agree to be on the ballot, thinking surely no one would vote for me.

3. We got our taxes done and, because of some stupid laws, have to pay our entire federal refund and then some to IOWA. I'm sure you can guess how we feel about that, especially in light of my last blog.

4. It was snowing at my house this morning.

5. I'm cleaning my house to get ready for a big Easter egg hunt that has become an annual tradition for our family.

6. Last night I topped my own high score in Scramble (one of my Facebook-related addictions). I already had the highest score of any of my friends, even Laurie, who beats me at everything.

That's about it. I guess none of those things is really worth a blog on its own, but hopefully together they are interesting enough to read about.

A Good Belly-Laugh

It’s been a hard week for a variety of reasons. Things have been very serious around our house.

When Don gets home from work, our routine is to all pile on the bed (the dogs included) and talk about our day. Yesterday we were still lamenting all that has happened this week, some of which I have blogged about.

Our dog Nash likes to stand on Don (back paws on the bed, front paws on Don’s chest). I call it his "king of the mountain" pose. Last night he was standing in that position, and he suddenly leaned down right into Don’s face and coughed. Not just a light cough, but a big, juicy one! It was disgusting, but somehow Don saw the humor in it, and we both started laughing hysterically. Then Nash, wanting to join in the fun, started chewing on Don’s beard. He keeps his beard short, so this is also a pretty funny thing to watch. We both laughed and laughed. Nash was enjoying entertaining us, and even Dasha, who hasn’t been feeling well, livened up and joined in the fun.

I think we’re all feeling better now. Sometimes we just need a good belly-laugh. And I'm thankful for Nash, who provides us with them regularly.

Concert Night

The community band had our concert last night, and I think it went pretty well.

I had a rather stressful afternoon. I got home and my dog had been sick all over the house. I had to clean that up and take her to the vet. (Enough said, except please pray for Dasha -- I think she's on the road to recovery but I'm still a little concerned about her.) Then my dad called me when it was time to go and said he had had a car wreck on the way to my house. Thankfully he didn't get hurt. His car is pretty beat up, but it wasn't his fault, and hopefully he'll be able to get it fixed without any problem.

Needless to say, all of that added a little stress to my evening. I almost decided not to go, but in the end I went ahead. I played okay, though not as well as I was capable of playing. Fortunately with a band, one bad player doesn't ruin it all, so it wasn't a disaster.

I was very thankful for all my friends and family who came out to see me play (including my dad, who did actually make it there on time).

-

We'll be taking a week off, then starting over with all new music (just when I had finally mostly learned the old music -- oh well!). This band has been challenging for me, but a good experience, and I think my flute-playing skills have really improved through being in it.