Sad...

I've been in a fog...

for most of the day. A dear friend of ours, Mima was diagnosed with 7 brain tumors yesterday. He's been struggling with lung cancer for the last 2 years and as soon as 6 weeks ago was given a clean bill of health. We met Mima and Paul *many* years ago (at least 15 yrs) through Lesley and became fast friends. He is the one who dubbed me "the Martha Steward of Medford". Please take and few minutes to keep him in your thoughts and prayers for me. You can keep up with his blog mimaknits.blogspot.com

It's been awhile...

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't posted since May. Well, now for the update. We had a wonderful summer spending weekends RVing in NH and a week up in Perth. It was great to see my grand mother surounded by her grand children and great grand children. Kids are back in school and as happy as clams. Both are doing great. Dogs, Cats, Rats and Guinea Pig all happy and healthy.
Sarah and Max started hockey again this year and Sarah is in gymnastics. Randy continues to cycle. I'm waiting to hear if I've got a stress fracture in my left heal...Stay tuned.
Hopefully I will start to make it a habit of posting more regularly. Take care everyone...

Meet Lacy....

Heartbroken and suffering from insomnia, I found myself surfing the web at 1 am one morning in the week after we lost Violet. Of course I end up at Petfinder. I type in Pug...and lo and behold Lacy pops up.
She was found in a shelter by Pug Rescue of New England. She had ear and eye infections, she was dirty, smelly, and was "a bag of bones" according to her foster mom Karen, who didn't think Lacy would every be adopted out to a "forever home" because Lacy is already 8 years old and she is "visually" challenged. In other words, our new little puglet is blind.
The minute I saw her picture online I knew that *we* were her family. We met Lacy and took her home that day...She has intergrated beautifully into our busy household. She loves to snuggle and keep me company on the couch. She has pretty much memorized the entire first floor and rarely bumps into anything (unless of course we move the furniture around).
So as I write this, I am smilling and my heart is happy and full of love for this little pug who brings a smile to my face every time I look at her. She is lying next to me, snoring and snuffling contentedly as I type away. Welcome home Lacy...

Sad News

Yesterday at about 10:30 our beautiful pug Violet passed away quietly in my arms. The day before she woke up with the right side of her face very swollen and weeping. We took her to see Meg who gave her some pain meds and fluids and referred us to specialist in the same building as her oncologists. We were hopeful that it was an infection that could be treated but by early the next morning she was having breathing and as they intebated her they discovered a huge mass up over her palate and behing her eye. There was nothing more to do...
Randy and I were both with her as she slipped away. We told her what a good dog she had been to us, how much we loved her and how much we would all miss her.
The house seems very empty without her. The kids are sad, and poor Flint keeps looking for his playmate.
We are all so heartbroken...

Introducing Aphrodite...

Let me introduce you to Sarah's newest friend. She is a Dumbo Rat (notice the ears). Really very sweet. She spends most of her time perched on Sarah's shoulder, nuzlling her ears and hiding under her hair. Her sister peanut spends her time on my shoulder, nuzzling my ears and riding in the hood of my sweatshirt as I go about my daily household chores. Pictures of Peanut to follow soon...

Daisy

This is Daisy. As you can see, she has a hard life. When she isn't knocking over vases full of water, drinking water from the kitchen faucet or antagonizing Flint (the yorkie). She is napping. She is Max's cat. She sleeps with him, follows him around the house, and *helps* him with his homework...Apparently there is "something" about cats and boys with Asperger's. Tony Attwood spoke about it at the AANE (Asperger's Association of New England) conference last fall. After the conference I started noticing just how much time Daisy and Max spent together and they do have this incredible bond.