Remembering Guiness

My friend Faith had to euthanize her dog this week, and I know exactly how she feels. Making that decision is never easy, and unless you are a pet owner, you cannot begin to even understand how it feels. It's heart breaking.

Guiness had been sick for a while, and even though Faith knew in her heart his days might be numbered, she persevered and continued to care for him as best she could. When the time came to make that decision, although hard, she knew it had to be done.

For those of you who have had to wrestle with making the decision to euthanize a pet, you might have wondered whether you did the right thing. I know after two of these heart wretching decisions, I had to think about it, and wonder myself. In the end, when you can finally catch your breathe, you do realize it was for the best. After talking to faith this week, I felt the pang of hurt all over again. I can see both their faces, Tyler and Brady, and still miss them. Pets are like kids (and I am not saying the loss is comparable), but it has to be very close.

Like me, Faith will meet up with her little guy one day, and I know that he is waiting for her on rainbow bridge...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

"Mother's Little Helper"

During the 1960’s, Valium was known as “Mother’s Little Helper”, getting many women through their hectic days...snowing them until they could not recognize one day from the next. Valium was the drug that revolutionized the treatment of anxiety and became a cultural icon. It was the drug in the book Valley of the Dolls, which made it such a great read. The "dolls" within the title is a slang term for downers, or the mood altering drugs. Apparently, the drug is making a comeback; taken with alcohol to help drug addicts get through their hectic days (which I have no idea what that might be considered 'hectic' when one is a drug addict... Where to score the next drug? Which provider is cheaper? How to avoid being caught?)

As a mother, I too need a little helper, but my pills come in the form of something called a Kong. A Kong is pictured so the reader does not get confused, or think I might be confusing a Kong with a bong. I have times when I am trying to get schoolwork done, and I found myself trying to entertain 3 Goldens who think it is time to play. Therefore, I fill each Kong with peanut butter, and viola! I have three happy and very busy dogs working tirelessly to get to the peanut butter, thus helping mother get things done. MY little helper!

Unfortunately, I still feel the effects of sedation as I read through some of the posts on the bulletin board where I go to school...

Cancer Sucks

Cancer sucks. It really does. It has affected so many of my family and friends. In fact, I am hard pressed to find anyone whose life has not been affected by it.

My dad died of it when he was only 66. A young 66 at that. He was initially diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and fought a three-year long battle to defeat it. Unfortunately it won. At the time of his death, he also was diagnosed with TWO other forms of cancer. It seems one kind was not enough.

Several years ago I was sitting in my doctor’s office when she found a mass on my thyroid. After many tests and a surgery to remove the right lobe of my thyroid, the cell was identified and although a rare cell, it was not malignant. The time between the initial finding and the final pathology report was rough. During this time, I thought of my dad on daily basis. If it was to be a malignant cancer, would I be as strong as my dad? Thankfully I was not to be tested. This time.

Then several months later, a lump was found on my husband’s thyroid. He was not it seemed, as lucky. His cancer was malignant, has since had his entire thyroid removed, and will be treated with radioactive iodine in the near future. Thyroid cancer is one the easiest cancers to treat so his prognosis, if you will, is good. Despite the good news, the whole ordeal did take its emotional toll on all of his. Cancer robs us physically and emotionally. It sucks.

Both my husband and I are proactive with our health. Thankfully. So we don’t sit waiting for nasty cells to invade us. We wait, watching for them. I only wish everyone would be as vigilant with their bodies.

Happy Birthday Kelly!

Happy Birthday to Kelly! She turns 21 today and I am sending her all the best in having a wonderful day!

Love ya Kelly!! (Daniel's 1.5) =)

Rhode Island!

I recently went to Rhode Island with my sister Sue to visit Daniel and Kelly. We had a great time visiting with the kids, and getting out and doing some exploring. Kelly was sweet enough to make sure we had fun, and she took us down to Newport. It is a quaint and historic little town on the water. The shopping was great and the grilled cheese sandwich even better.

We took in other food places and all had a ball. Kelly and Daniel seem very happy together, and that makes me happy. We also celebrated her birthday, which is this Friday. Daniel is a character, so spending time with him usually brings on a bunch of laughs, and this time was no exception. Sue was able to go to a BIG Christmas Shop, which might have been the highlight of her trip. I bought the kids a butcher-block table/storage thingie, and watching Daniel put it together was like watching Bob Vila in action! =)

I cannot wait to go again!

Thank You Dr. Clarence Manziano!

I read the obits every day. I know I am not alone in doing this daily ritual. Many people read them for the obvious reasons. I started reading them because my mom moved from one area of NJ to another and no longer got the local paper, so I made sure that if anyone died she might know, I could let her know. Now it is simply a part of my reading the morning paper routine.

The thing is I learn new things occasionally by reading them. For example, in today’s paper a well-known veterinarian, Dr. Clarence Manziano, passed away, who lived in the town where I grew up. I have no recollection of this man, but what is interesting is the fact that he did a great deal for Vet medicine. Returning to the United States, he testified before the New Jersey Legislature and was responsible for passage of the "Manziano Act”, which made it possible for veterinarians of Italian and Jewish descent to sit for the veterinary exam in New Jersey.
Before passage, only veterinarians educated in New Jersey could sit for the exam, and since no Italian or Jewish applicants were accepted during the 1940s, minorities were effectively precluded from practicing veterinary medicine in the state.

Among his many accomplishments, he worked as senior veterinarian for the Mexican American Foot and Mouth Commission to eliminate the deadly cattle disease, and was the U.S. delegate for the United Nations Commission on Foot and Mouth Disease.

Dr. Manziano worked as a field veterinarian for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Delaware and Maryland until 1952, when he took the post of veterinary epidemiologist for the New Jersey State Department of Health. It was during this period that he uncovered the transmission of the disease Psittacosis from an aviary of 5,000 birds to dairy cows and humans.

There is always something to learn somewhere.

Kristallnacht

“What I saw was hordes of people standing in front of a beautiful synagogue, and throwing stones through these magnificent, uh, colored windows. And, uh, as we arrived, of course we ran past the, the, the place itself, the noise, the shouting, the screaming. I suppose there was an, an aura of, of eeriness about it, because we still didn't know what was happening, but I suppose just the mere fact that so many people were there and were screaming and shouting and, and throwing stones into the, uh, stained glass windows was enough to make us run. We arrived in school and were immediately told that our parents would pick us up, we should remain calm but there would be no school that day. And indeed a few, uh, minutes later, or half an hour later, whatever the case may be, my mother did arrive and took me to my grandmother's home where my father already was. And here then unfolded slowly but surely the, uh, grim story of what happened during the night, that the synagogues all through Germany had been set on fire, destroyed. The, uh, Sifrei Torah [Torah scrolls] were burned in most cases. It is known that in Hamburg people sacrificed themselves to run into the synagogue to save some of the Sifrei Torah, hide them, and I believe were successful in doing so. Um, that the, uh, Jewish stores in the center of Hamburg, in the downtown area of Hamburg, had been demolished, windows had been, uh, broken, uh, the merchandise had been thrown into the streets, covered with water and with ink and--I mean it was a, a total chaos, a total destruction”.

This is a personal story from Johanna Gerechter Neumann, born in Hamburg, Germany in 1930.

Let us not forget her story, and the story of others who lived those two horrifying days....

Read more here: http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/years/detail.php?content=2008

A New Day..A New Country

I woke up today, like all of you, to a new president, Barack Obama. Despite my political views, I cannot help but pause to think that we have elected a president who’s middle name unnerves many of us, who is the son of an interracial couple, and who was raised by a couple who did not live within the America’s power and wealth. He is more like the average American, despite what you might think. (Let’s just put aside all the bad things that have been said about him, for a minute)

I cannot help but put myself in the shoes of all Black Americans today. The barrier has been broken. Imagine what might be going on in the mind of a young black boy who now knows he too could be a president someday. Imagine those who never thought Blacks could move forward, and let us face it, that mindset still, sadly, exists in this country.

I cannot help but think of Dr.Martin Luther King. His famous speech now echoes throughout this country.

I am not a Barack fan, although I am a Democrat. At this point, I just want a man who will redirect this country. I want a president that does not try to solve every problem but will do those things beyond the power of individual citizens to get things done. I want a president that will help to regulate the economy fairly. I want a president that will help keep the air clean and our food supplies safe. I want a president that helps to ensure that the sick will have access to health care. I want a president that will help to look past the walls of America to help ensure that children around the globe are educated and kept as healthy as possible.

The choice has been made. Now we have to stand behind this man and together as a nation reach goals that will benefit us all. This country cannot be redirected by one person; collectively, as a nation, we all have to reach for the goals together.

Vote, vote, vote...

Get out and vote...its your civic duty, it's your right and responsibilty as an American citizen!!

Our Very "me, me, me" Society

I have the belief that we live in a very “me” oriented society, in which many just think about themselves and not too many others, if any others. That said, as a labor and delivery nurse, I have noted that there are a great many women these days who are not happy being pregnant (even those who have planned the pregnancy), and that “glow of pregnancy” is viewed more as a scowl. As many of my readers know, I normally do not share work related topics, but I have to tonight.

I had a patient come into labor and delivery tonight who was 34 weeks pregnant contracting and when I assessed that she was indeed contracting, I told her my plan was to start an IV to hydrate her, and hope that it might stop the contractions. Her immediate reply, “I do not want another 8 pound baby, so if it is labor, then I do not want it to stop”. I immediately explained that at 34 weeks she was still considered premature and that the baby might have respiratory difficulties. I have plenty of friends who had premature babies and they did fine”.

When I run across people like this who have little regard for the baby they are carrying, I want to grab them and shake sense into them. BUT of course, that might not go over big with the patients or the hospital bigwigs. Why are people so selfish? What makes them have little regard for another little human being? Why can’t women accept the fact that pregnancy is not something to be rushed through? I seriously do not get it.

I can understand being frustrated. I can understand the desire to end the pregnancy when you feel huge and swollen and miserable, but when you are 34 weeks, and your little one is depending on your for a few more weeks, and you have that opportunity, and you throw in the towel...I simply do not understand that selfishness. Pregnancy does not come with a fast service option.

Thank you for reading.

Happy Birthday Daniel Boone

Yes, it is Daniel's birthday, and I thought I would take a minute and share this fact with you. I fondly remember watching that show with my siblings. I also remember my brothers running around with sticks, shooting us with raccoon hats on their heads. Silly little boys, but cute.

I also remember my brothers carrying around stinky a rabbit's foot in their pockets for good luck. What is it about boys and yucky things. Oh sure little girls can be yucky too, but not like little boys (my mother might disagree). My Daniel was always messy, and I fondly remember his infatuation with large bugs! He loved to carry them in the house and show me, usually dropping them along the way. He has never really outgrown his messy streak, although he has gotten better (right Kelly???) Please tell me he has.

Caitlin on the other hand was my neat child, but she tended to get messier as she aged. And there's always the stories about her trips home from playing with the heifers. OY, what a smell! But she loved being with them, so her smell was a happy smell.

So as long as they are happy, who cares about messy, and sticky, and gross.

Happy Birthday Daniel Boone!

November Obligations

According to Martha Stewart, who I rarely reference because she and I are no longer friends (long story), November is the month to do the following:

Vote. I’ll add it is your duty as an American, so do it!

Set the clocks back. Love that extra hour of sleep!

Turn down the heat. (I would have to turn on first, but ask anyone I know, and my house is NEVER over heated).

Make sure the house is draft free. It is, thank you, although if I didn’t have to let Madison in and out so many times...

Inspect you trees for those branches that with heavy snow might come crashing down. Well Martha, here’s the thing. I have been after Jim for about three years now to do that, and WE still have branches looming overhead, ready to wreck havoc...so I will defer him to you. Oh wait, he hates you. That will not work.

Clean gutters! DONE!!

Preserve pots. You mean I should not leave the dead plants in the pots sitting out all winter until spring?? That takes away the challenge of trying to remove dead old plants from pots come spring.

Check baking supplies for freshness. You are talking to the baker here...

Okay Martha, check and double check. Now I can move into November with a sense of accomplishment already!

Holiday Shopping

Yesterday while at the mall, while waiting for my eyeglasses to be made, and with an hour to kill, I found myself starting to Christmas Shop. It wasn't hard to do since the center of the mall is now decorated and ready for Santa. (Which is also weird, because the kids would be trick or treating there that same night). Talk about rushing things along...how does that work?

Child: Mom is Santa coming soon?

Mom: Not tonight.

Child: But where is he?

Mom: Sleeping.

Child: But why is his chair there?

Mom: He will be here soon.

Child: When"

Mom: Soon (thinking he is probably due in next week)

Child: Can we come back and see him tomorrow?

Mom: Let's just get some candy and go home.

Poor kids. They can hardly digest their Snicker Bars and popcorn balls before it is time to open their gifts from Santa. Oh, and while they are digesting the candy, we have to shove Turkey in there too.

I don't remember the holidays feeling so rushed as a kid. Which is good, because I might have gotten bored with Santa hanging around so long. Now a days, kids can hardly take a breath before the next holiday is upon them. Life is short. Why can't we just space things out a bit and not rush things. We are racing a society of kids who WANT and WANT it faster and faster.

Jack-O-Lanterns

It seems carving pumpkins is just not the same when you do not have little ones, or even the bigger version of children to help you. However, I still tackle the chore each year, so that I have Jack-O-Lanterns on my front porch for the trick-or-treaters who visit for Halloween, and a handful of roasted seeds to nibble on as well.

So this am, after two cups of coffee, I pulled out my sharpest knives (Thanks Daniel) and got to work. The first pumpkin was moldy inside, which was disappointing since I love to pull out the seeds and roast them. But I dug in, and scooped, and carved the typical face. Each pumpkin was given triangle eyes, a triangle nose, and a toothy grin. Cute, but nothing elaborate. Pumpkins two and three were carved out, and the faces, again, simple, but done using a similar face although io reversed the triangles. The seeds were scooped and put aside for roasting.

After the cleanup, I mixed the seeds with steak sauce (Yes, Lea and Perrins Traditional Steak sauce), threw on some salt, and in the oven they went for a slow baking. I am sitting here with the smell of the roasting seeds wafting through the air and my mouth is watering. I know, they are only seeds, but still...

The chore is done. My porch now ready for Halloween. The candy bowls are out and full. Now I can begin to think about Christmas...Oh wait, I have already started doing that!

Christmas in New York City

One of the things I love about the holidays is heading into New York City. The lights, the people, the crowds, the shopping...the Rockettes!

From the time I was little, I have always loved watching the Rockettes. There might even be a tiny piece of me that secretly wished she could be one, or at best, kick my legs as high as they can kick. So when time and money permits, I have gone into the city and gone to Radio City Music hall to see the Christmas show, which features the girls. Even Caitlin has also taken me for my birthday and there has been no better gift.

The tree at Rockefeller Center is also a stop we have to make. It is always so pretty and you cannot help but marvel at its size. Watching the skaters is also fun, and one year we took the kids, as I believe everyone should glide across that ice at least one in their lifetime. Personally, I have not; my ankles will not allow me to strap on those torture devices.

There is always so much to see in the city, especially during the holidays. The store windows are wonderful. Even the smell of roasted chestnuts pulls me in each year. (The taste even better!) Sidewalk vendors abound, and the shopping is more fun when you have to push your way through the crowds. I love it!

This year I will head into the city and this time Cait and I are taking my niece and nephew into see the Rockettes as they have never seen them in person. I cannot wait to see their faces! I love the holidays!

Holiday Memory of a Roasted Goose in Germany

It is this time of year; I tend to feel more nostalgic about living in Germany. Jim and I had such a great experience living there and I miss it terribly at times, especially with the holidays approaching.

We were members of the German-American Club, which brought together our two cultures once a month for an evening of dinner and conversation. We would all eat out together, a different restaurant each month, and then each couple would host dessert back at their house. We met new friends, and learned everything we could about the German way of life.

One of the things we did one December was to attend a gathering at one of the local castles to have our holiday dinner. The main course was a roasted goose with all the trimmings. I can still smell and taste that dinner. The whole evening was so memorable; new friends, good food, in gorgeous holiday decorated surroundings. Why are some memories so vivid? I am thankful they are for me.

Over the course of the next couple of months, I intend on sharing some of my memorable holiday experiences with you all; and for some, it will be your memory as well. I love the holidays, and all the memories that are made with each, and every one.

Thoughts of Pumpkins, Goblins, and Ghosts

We were talking at work the other day about our childhood adventures while Trick or Treating. Those of us who are older, remember fondly heading out, without parents in tow, to have the most incredible experience possible. The first stop was the police department in town (when were real little) to get our bags, with one apple in it. then it we were off and running (literally).

There was a method to just how we would tackle getting the most candy. We strategically mapped out our route (ahead of time) making sure that each house, on each street in our small town was visited. The town I grew up in was a mere 6 blocks by 6 blocks, but when you have to ensure each house is gotten to, by a certain time, it was a bit daunting. But we always managed to pull it off. And successfully!

There were those towns people who insisted on serving us apple cider and donuts, so that cut into our time a bit, but how could we say no? And we also had those people in town who had us choose between candy or a handful of loose change. Those decisions alone cost us minutes. And because everyone knew our parents (daddy was cop in town), they insisted we chat a bit with them. Precious minutes ticking by...

Then back home it was time to sort out the candy. Of course, we lived in times when you didn't have to worry about idiots poisoning the popcorn balls or putting razor blades in the apples, so we were somewhat safe, but I do remember my parents taking a quick account of what might be in each bag. Sorting the candy merely meant pulling it out and taking inventory of what we got. My parents had their favorites so there was some wheeling and dealing with each of us to share with them, and we did. And if I got something I didn't like (which at this point in time is hard to imagine, but there was), I was left to trade with a sibling for something I had to have! trading worked, usually.

I cannot remember ever having a bad Halloween as a kid in a small town. Even our mischief nights were allowed, and encouraged, and done without malicious intent to hurt or harm anyone or their property. The good old days...

Happy Birthday to my Baby!

Daniel turns 24 today and I hope he is having a wonderful day (I am sure Kelly will make it special!). I miss having the kids here for their birthdays, but rest assured I never forget.

Love ya Dan!

Sweet Sixteen...and other Happy Birthdays!

My niece Jillian turns 16 today and she is very sweet. Being sweet is not her only wonderful quality, but then what would her Aunt say bad about her? Nothing.

There's something about turning sweet sixteen...it's like the start of something special. I remember my own sweet sixteen birthday fondly as my dad bought me this pretty corsage made up of tiny pink roses and sugar cubes. I loved it. It was simple, pretty, and something i will never forget. I hope that Jillian remembers this special birthday as fondly as I remember mine. She also gets her driver's permit...now that's big!

My niece Christine and my nephew Michael also celebrate October birthdays and my wish for them is to have a special day as well.

Daniel has an October birthday, but he will get his own blog.

Look Mom...NO Holes! (For now)

In a few short weeks, THE BEAST will return to New Jersey. We have missed his sweet face. Okay, I have missed his sweet face (Jim is rolling his eyes). The one thing we have not missed, and I am being honest here, is the HOLES he digs at a speed that is comparable to the speed of an SST roaring through the air, and his knack for re-designing the bushes in the backyard. Also done at a rapid, yet enjoyable pace.

Jim and I have enjoyed the last couple of months as we sat on the deck over looking our pristine lawn in the backyard. We marveled at the growth the bushes have taken; their branches soaring upwards towards the sun. We wonder now HOW long it will take before THE BEAST is back to his old tricks. OR will he?

Perhaps the HOT and humid weather he has been subject to in Grenada has charred that part of his brain. Perhaps he will not be interested in digging. He didn't in Grenada, although it was too hot to stand, let alone dig. Maybe he will have outgrown this puppy behavior? He has aged in the last couple of months. Maybe digging will seem childish to him. Maybe bush redesign won't seem like fun anymore. Who knows?

I just know that between now and then I am enjoying every square inch of our backyard. Who knows what evil lurks in the mind...and do not let the picture fool you...he's only thinking...