blogging

Rough Times for My Dog Goldie

On Sunday afternoon Goldie and I were taking our usual walk on the campus of Occidental College, enjoying the warm, sunny weather, when she stopped to poop. She assumed her normal crouch position then suddenly started screaming with an intensity I’d never heard from her before. At first, I thought one of her dew claws…Read more Rough Times for My Dog Goldie

Pupdate: Goldie’s Progress, Newsletters and more…

          It's been almost 3 months since I adopted sweet, little Goldie, and I'm happy to report she's doing well. Initially she was afraid of Don, which concerned me, but I think it was because his new job was stressing him out, making him somewhat volatile and unpredictable. To be honest,…Read more Pupdate: Goldie’s Progress, Newsletters and more…

Gratitude

The first thing I do in the morning is feed my animals. This requires more time than you might think because my turtle, Ruby the Red-Eared Slider, has to be spoon fed. In 2002 I found her trying to cross a busy street. Before she got halfway across, she got run over by a car. Her…Read more Gratitude

My Plucky Pup

 Adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor originating in the glandular and epithelial tissue (the lining of the internal organs). This type of malignant tumor growth can take place in many parts of the body, including the gastrointestinal system of dogs. It may invade any part of the gastrointestinal system, including the stomach, the small and large…Read more My Plucky Pup

Healing Henry

Henry let out an anguished screech as I tried to move him into a good position on the couch. I was hoping he'd let me apply a warm compress to the bandaged surgery incision on his tummy. “I’m sorry Henry,” I said, gently scratching him behind the ear. His crying sent a shock of empathy pain through…Read more Healing Henry

Flight of Fancy

In my twenties and thirties, I loved flying. Going to the airport meant I was going on an adventure. It didn’t matter if I was headed to Appleton, Wisconsin or Konya, Turkey, I got the same rush of excitement. I loved the hubbub of the airports and was sure everyone else was feeling the same…Read more Flight of Fancy

Farewell to an Erratic Rodent

Every morning for the past three weeks I've woken up to find Steve's handiwork. Steve is a Norway rat(Rattus norvegicus), who got our attention a few weeks ago when he chewed through the rubber weather strip that lined the bottom of our front door. My husband and I thought he’d gotten in my accident and had chewed his way back out. We…Read more Farewell to an Erratic Rodent

A Chick Named Bob

  As I lay awake early this morning, thinking worrying about Henry’s appointment with the surgeon, I heard a little “chirp.” My radar is on high these days, listening for strange noises that Steve the Norway rat might make, but this little chirp didn’t sound like a rat. Steve is more likely to squeak, I…Read more A Chick Named Bob

I’ll be Henry’s Service Person

  Early this morning I took Henry in for his ultrasound. I had the privilege to be in the room the entire time. I even got to hold Henry in place as the doctor did the test. I’ll call him Dr. Kindheart, since he was very welcoming and  communicative. He explained everything as he explored…Read more I’ll be Henry’s Service Person