Weather Button

H E L P Can Anyone Help Me??

My post is a HELP. I have tried to change my blog. No matter what template I use, it doesn't come out looking like what I choose. All of my personal information that is supposed to be on the right, goes to the right and then to the very bottom instead of beside where it's supposed to be. Does anyone know how I can fix that?

A Trip To Ecuador

My husband is thinking about going on a short term mission trip to Ecuador this year. Our church supports the idea of people making this trip to go and share their lives and testimonies, and to take bibles & things for the children when they go. They have also help found a church over there and come to know a number of the people in the same area. Some of the people who are on the mission team have been over there a number of times and have really enjoyed the opportunity to go and be part of this trip and time of helping and sharing with these people.

Even though it's a short term trip of only 10 days, it means making a big committment, and coming up with the funding of $2200. along with some spending money. Along with that it means making arrangements with work, getting the proper time off, and committing to one night a week of meeting with the group and learning more about this trip, forming bonds, praying for one another, and working out all of the details of things. They all have to pay extra money on top of this cost to get the proper vaccinations and medicals that they need. Airline tickets need to be purchased, and a variety of other things arranged.

There are a few personal things that he needs to check into and to see about. A few of these things could mean the difference of whether he's allowed to go or not. It would not be nice to get to the airport, with luggage packed and to be turned away, so I hope anyone reading this will keep him in your prayers.

The cost is something that may seem minor to many, but when I look at those figures I look and think it might as well be a thousand, as it's going to be very difficult to come up with.It's not something that is easy for us to do, especially when you live from paycheck to paycheck. It's going to mean giving up some things in order to try and come up with any of the money, and trusting that God will provide. It means having Faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to, and the way that he is trusting for.

It's a trip that I would love to be able to go on. An experience of a lifetime. One that I can only imagine just like any other form of travel and going places, because it's something I've never in my life been able to do. Just a dream, and an impossibility unless God saw fit to heal me and to change a lot of circumstances. But if I can't go on this trip, then perhaps I will be able to experience thro' others, which is what I've been doing these past few years. Keeping in touch with those who are going, praying for them, helping out when I might possibly be able to, listening to their stories, and viewing their pictures, picking people up at the airport.... There are certainly ways to experience things without actually doing it physically so I'm hoping that's what I'm able to do. For now I will have to be content to help my husband reach his goals and actually be able to go on this trip.

Another experience in his life, and his memories. Hopefully one that will be a rewarding experience both for him and all the others who are going on this trip.

May 30th...Just another ordinary day...?

It's May 30, 2006
Just another ordinary day...?
Well, it was my dog Priscilla's 1st birthday, and no I didn't do anything to celebrate. I was babysitting my two youngest grandchildren today. I was also very thankful that J. was at home and available to help out with them. It was also the hottest day of the year so far. The temperature on the thermometer got up to 34oCelcius today. It was HOT. I don't know how people in some of those warmer climates manage to stand the extreme temperatures that they get. I suppose their bodies grow accustomed to the heat when they live with it for so long. Trouble is, here in Canada, we have basically four season's to our climate. Winter, spring, summer & autumn(fall). Right now we are still supposed to be in spring. Only a week ago it was so cold here we were getting snow and having to wear out winter coats once again. Now it's so hot you can hardly stand it. Our bodies don't even have a chance to adapt to the changes properly. Our blood doesn't know if it should welcome the cold or the heat. Seems summer is coming earlier each year, and our season's are all mixed up.
This week seems to be a rather busy one, with so many things scheduled and going on. J is home all week as she chose not to go on her year end class trip. Last night I had a meeting, tonight I had a meeting, and tomorrow I have a meeting...not to mention the various things going on during the days.
This evening E. came home and went off hunting for wild turkey right away and came home some time during the evening while I was still out. He plans to do the same tomorrow evening, and when he comes home, he's off to bed. So seems we are ending this month off with a busy schedule, much like how many other days & weeks end up.
I don't like to be out so much, especially in the evenings when the girls are home, but they too seem to be developing their own schedules as well. It is surprising how many others live their lives this way, but somehow seem to find or make time together for family events.

Today is almost over....in 37 minutes from this moment. Twenty five years ago today, E & I were married. Yes, it is, or was our 25th wedding anniversary. I suppose a big event for some.... but even our wedding day didn't go as we had planned twenty five years ago. We had planned on going off on a honeymoon in Niagara Falls. We had been told it was the honeymoon capital. We never did make that trip.

My mom suffered her first major heart attack that day, and ended up in the hospital. I couldn't leave town not knowing what was happening. Apparently it was quite severe and she had damaged her heart extensively, because she had been experiencing the chest pain since the night before and didn't say anything as she didn't want to spoil my wedding. That was the beginning of many hospital stays for my mom. That same year she also went through a triple by-pass with open heart surgery. After her surgery she seemed to be better for awhile, although she ended up in and out of hospital with various other problems with her arthritis, her back, her hips...etc. My folks went thro' a period where they felt they wanted to follow their hearts dream and move to Manitoulin Island. They lived up there for several years, but there were also a few scares with mom's heart and they were lonely and too far away to visit very often. They missed their children, and their grandchildren, so another move was made back to live with my brother. It was nice to have them back living closer, and being able to visit with them. I know they were a lot happier being nearby their family. My son was much older by this time and out on his own, so we began making plans for a honeymoon/trip. We were going to take the motorcycle and go out to the east coast. A few months before we were actually thinking of going, I found out I was pregnant. If I could manage to carry this child to full term it would be a real miracle after all my previous disappointments. For this reason, we also cancelled our motorcycle trip, and announced to our family that I was actually pregnant, and the doctor's were using some higher doseages of progesterone to help me maintain my pregnancy. It was a miracle and we were blessed with a beautiful, healthy daughter. My parents offered to help me out when I eventually would return to work and said they wanted to babysit. That helped me out a lot for the first little while, but it was not to be. My mom suffered a really bad bout of congestive heart failure. Her health was failing ,and she just wouldn't be up to looking after her grandaughter any longer, and it would be too much for my father to manage. Thankfully I was able to find a lovely Christian lady who was willing to look after our daughter, so I could continue working. I also ended up spending a little more time running back and forth from the hospital as the congestive heart failure worstened. Sometimes there were longer periods between the bouts, but it was often a great concern and worry for me. When I found out I was pregnant again, we were both so happy. Unfortunately I suffered yet another miscarriage, so life continued on. Then I discovered once again that I was pregnant. I started back on the special treatments, and once again we were blessed with another pregnancy, and a beautiful little girl. This time the delivery was very difficult , and I hemhorraged so badly they almost lost me. I couldn't even get out of bed or sit up because of the horrible pain I was experiencing. I grew very weak and couldn't even get out of bed to change my newborn's diaper. I was stuck in the hospital unable to look after my two year old, and my newborn. After several proceedures, and a number of blood transfusions, they managed to save me, and after 8 days in bed, I was finally able to get up and move around. It was a very slow process, but I continued to get better. While my parents loved spending time with their two grandaughters, my mom's health was getting worse. Her back was bad, her hips not too good, and her heart was failing. Thankfully she was able to witness her newest grandaughter take her first few steps and then eventually begin walking all over. The trips to the hospital were becoming more urgent and more frequent, and her recovery taking longer and longer.
Only a short time before my parents anniversary, my mom was once again rushed into the hospital with congestive heart failure. This time it really took it's tole on her. Her hospital stay was not a pleasant one, and something I won't get into now. Once night she fell, and from then on, she was in a lot of pain, and gradually going downhill. That Sunday morning I decided not to attend church, but felt compelled to go and visit her. I'm glad I did, as I found her all alone, sitting shivering with no one helping her. Anyway, after I got her cleaned up and dressed and into bed. While I was sitting there talking to her she died. The whole situation was not a good one, but I was thankful that I had at least been there with her.
A lot has happened in my life since that day that she died, both with my children, my marriage, job situations, etc. My dad's health eventually got bad and he ended up having to be put on dialysis. Now his vision is failing. He had to quit driving last summer after he had celebrated his 80th birthday. It really is sad to think about what many senior's experience in their supposed 'golden' years. That's another story for later. Life goes on.
So we didn't end up doing anything special for our anniversary, nor did anyone really even remember it was our anniversary much less our 25th. That's ok...we will survive, and once again, life does go on.

Priscilla approx. 5 weeks old

Happy Birthday Priscilla.
You are 1 year old on May 30, 2006.

Love in the Little Things

Love in the Little Things.
(Just a little poem I tried to write)



We don't have a great big mansion

our house needs a lot of repairs,



We don't drive a fancy limo

Just some old ones in need of some care



We rarely go out to the restaurants,

But we do get enough to eat



We don't get to go on the airplanes

Or off to some fancy resort.



We're lucky to find time for vacation

Or a place we can go to relax.



We don't wear expensive clothing

Or worry about things being in style.



We go off to the stores & the outlets

And look for cheap prices & sales



Our TV has the minimal channels,

But at least we can turn it on.



We still have some basic conveniences

Like a microwave, washer & dryer.



We still have a toaster & kettle, & also a coffee machine.

And we still have a fridge and a stove.



We don't have a house that is spotless,

But at least we have a place to live.



Our bills aren't always caught up,

But we do the best that we can.



We don't have a great deal to offer,

But we will learn to survive.



Our Father in Heaven is watching o'er us

And He will be there to provide.



For it's all in the little things around us,

And His love that we can always find.

Blogging, writing, reading....

Have you ever wondered why people blog? Do they blog for the fun of it, for the chance to put their thoughts down in writing, for the audience...or for other reasons? When I first started blogging, I did it for my own benefit. For the chance to put some of my thoughts down in writing, and after awhile, I started doing it as much for myself as I was perhaps doing it with the realization that others might be reading it. Do the comments of others really matter? I used to think no, but there are times I looked to see if there were any comments and found myself a little disappointed. I'm not really sure why either, because as I say, my original plan when I started this was for my own benefit.

Blogging is a way of making contact with others...that is if they happen to read your blog. It is a way of keeping in touch with friends, and family to let them know what's happening in your life. It is a way to write down your feelings and express your self. It is a way to find release in writing down your innermost feelings. I wonder how many strangers and people read the blogs who don't know us; who don't know anything about our lives until they read the things we write.

It's been awhile since I checked my blog, or wrote anything here. I'm not really sure why. I haven't particularly felt up to blogging recently, nor have I felt up to doing a whole lot of things as my pain as increased, and my allergies and sinus have acted up. I've also been feeling really stressed out financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually..... I'm not really sure why. It seems to often happen at this time of year. For many it's the winter months that bring on the emotional stress; the darkness, and short days of sun, not getting out amongst people in the same way, and often a difficult time financially after the crunch of Christmas.
I used to enjoy mother's day, but since my mother is no longer alive, and I have no mother in law, or grandmothers, and I've allowed myself to grow apart from soem certain people, there is no one for me to really concern myself about. It was also on mother's day last year when we lost our precious Sheltie of 10 years. I still miss him, although we now have another Sheltie to take his place.

Finances are really tight...and that's a big issue and problem around here. I am not able to work, and yet have been unable to qualify for any sort of pension, and disability plan. I live in constant pain. I hurt all over some days and can't hardly move. My legs are painful most of the time, and the worst is in my knees with bone rubbing against bone because the cartiledge is all worn away. I'm not really sure where it goes to but apparently it's all gone. My energy levels are minimal at the best of times, and I am finding my life pretty stressful at the moment. There are a lot of things I just cannot talk about or share on here because it's not the thing to do.

I've also been spending time on a site called "Gather". I go to gather to write stories, poems, interesting things about me, and I'm able to read what others have written about themself, or the various stories that they have written. It seems to be a rather friendly group of people who share some common ground in the interest of reading and writing. I think it's a great site, and I just wish I had more stamina and ability for writing and for doing the work that is needed to become a writer. It is something I do enjoy doing. Better yet, it would also be a perfect answer to my prayers, as it is something I would actually be able to do here at home, without worrying if I'm able to get out and work at a regular job.


Gather= http://www.gather.com/my.jsp?memberId=23518


If anyone enjoys writing, be it short stories, poetry, real life stories. etc. then Gather is an interesting place to be. I know I enjoy it. As for blogging here, I do the best I am able to, which lately hasn't been much writing on here.

Perhaps another day ....

Counters

The Start of March Break

It's March Break! Today I watched my lovely 14 year old daughter go off with a local group on a coach bus. She was so excited to be going on this trip. Her first opportunity, and visit to Florida. So amazing! I am so proud of her too. She saved up for this trip for a long time, and she paid for most of it all on her own. She is very fortunate to have this opportunity to go there, and to have some special friends in which to share it with. I've never been there in my lifetime, and somehow I suspect it's a place that I never will have the chance to see. I'm just glad that she has been able to go, and I pray that it will be a wonderful & happy experience that she will never forget.
It's a long trip down there on the bus. They were going to be travelling for at least 25 hours. They won't even arrive at the camp until sometime tomorrow afternoon. The kids who were going seemed so excited. They have lots of activities planned for them to enjoy this week, and I'm looking forward to hearing all about her trip.
Whatever am I going to do to keep my 11 year old busy? Today we decided to venture out on this bright, spring like day, and went to visit my friend with the Irish Wolfhound pups. She has three litters of pups at the moment, 20 puppies in total. One litter is already 6 1/2 weeks old. One is three weeks, and the other litter is only two weeks old. They are all so adorable. I love the tiniest little one, all the way up to the biggest ones. The older ones are now getting more playful, and starting to show their colours & personalities more. As they grow, they are starting to look more and more like little visions of their parents. We were able to take them outside in the sunshine and let them play and run about. I took turns picking them all up and cuddling them, and getting them to run around the yard. I know my daughter was certainly enjoying the time with them as well. One they were tuckered out, we went in and went for a swim in the warm, indoor pool. Great for easing the pain in my legs. I wouldn't have minded staying in there all day, as it was certainly helping with the pain. Once out, we spent some time with the other pups, and got to hold the youngest ones, and help get them out and settled to be nursed by their mommy, while our friend took care of the other pups & mom. The middle aged ones are also starting to drink from a bowl, and are getting an added milk supplement, and they seemed to be doing really well. We stayed as long as we could, and enjoyed a nice dinner with them then had to head home finally. I thought it was a pretty good start to March Break. They also lent us their newest movie, Harry Potter, and the Goblet of Fire. That took care of our evening and put an end to a pretty good day.

Spiritual Gifts

These are a few different sites you can visit for tests on searching for your spiritual gifts. Have you ever checked them out or discovered what your spiritual gifts happen to be? do you find they actually reveal something that you feel comes close to what you feel is right?
Have fun and check them out!


http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/

http://www.christianet.com/bible/spiritualgiftstest.htm#114182505711082


http://mintools.com/discovergifts.htm

Found this picture that says exactly what my site is about.
Just taking things "One Day at A Time".

Writing

I keep thinking that I want to start writing more on my blog, or on another site I've joined, but I seem to have this block. I don't know what to write about or how to get started on anything these days. When I do get started on something, I tend to lose track of my thoughts, or get interupted. Some people seem to write something regularly, and have such a natural ability and gift with their words. I'm afraid I tend to stick to the much simpler words. I wonder if it's too late to start learning how to do new things? I've often thought how nice it would be to just have the time & the creative mind to start writing a book or even some short stories.

I've been told that it's a good idea to write something everyday, no matter what one writes. It's supposed to be the exercise of writing daily that is important. Learning how to use words that are both creative and descriptive, and that will allow the readers to hear, smell & feel what the writer is talking about; deleting excess words, and adverbs; using verbs and short, concise paragraphs, along with words that communicate. Don't use a lot of cliches, or little words, like also,and, that...; and try to put some order into your thoughts. Sometimes that's a challenge too, along with trying not to put in a lot of words and thoughts that don't support your story line. These are only a few simple suggestions that have been shared with me. I'm sure from the many books & articles out there that it would take years to even begin to read them all and learn the things that need to be learned. I suppose all one can do is to take some courses, or find a good book that gives advise, and do the best you can. For those with a natural, God given ability, I'm sure all they need is some simple instructions on "how to" and they are off. It's obviously not the type of thing that everyone is able to do. I think perhaps I fall into this category. It's just something that I enjoy doing, and think would be nice to be able to do. When I see what others put into writing, I feel so inadequate.

I wonder if I had taken some courses when I was younger if I could have learned and acquired the ability to write! I know I certainly had a much easier time putting things into writing, and keeping my thoughts on track and doing a lot more than I seem to be able to do now. I wonder if this is because of my age, or perhaps the fibro fog and pain that I live with that clouds my thinking? Is it perhaps that I never really seem to have a lot of time to just sit quietly, without interuptions, or perhaps that I just have too many things on my plate to keep my thoughts focused?
Is it perhaps that I've forgotten a lot of things that I once used to know? Perhaps it's just that I really don't have a lot of real knowledge on one certain thing that I can write about!

Having the gift and ability to be able to write and perhaps write something that could actually turn into a form of income would be nice, but I'm certainly not going to hold my breath. Then again, who really knows what the future holds. Miracles do happen!

Dialysis

Several weeks ago, I raced out of here one morning, anxious to have enough time to warm the car up and clean it off before I left to go pick up my father. We had received some heavy, wet snow that had covered everything. When the snow ended, freezing rain started up. There was a layer of snow on the car, along with some ice that had built up. Thankfully, I was able to clean off the car without too much effort. As I drove along, I discovered that the freezing rain was staying on the window, so I had to keep the defroster on high to try and keep it clean. The road was slippery in some places, but I didn't actually find it all that bad for driving, at least at that point. I picked my dad up to take him to dialysis, something I need to do 3 days a week, rain or shine, sleet or snow. There have been a few trips when the driving was pretty scary, esp. with all of the other traffic, but so far we've managed. Thankfully we don't have to travel too far.

Dialysis is a life saving treatment for patients whose kidneys have failed and no longer clean off the impurities & waste from the human body. It is a treatment that needs to be done regularly, and cannot be missed. It is something that once started, will continue for the rest of the person's life. In some cases, if the person is younger and a good candidate, transplant surgery can be an option. The only thing with this is that they need to find another good kidney that is a match. In most cases it is a close family member who donates one of their kidney's.. Anti-rejection medication has to be taken for the rest of the person's life, and hopefully they are able to handle it all and live normally. Our body has two kidneys, so we can actually survive with just one good functioning kidney. The problem is when we develop kidney disease and they end up quitting, or the level of function is reduced so much that it is not filtering the waste from our body. If our kidneys aren't functioning enough to get rid of the waste, then we either have to find something that will clean the waste, or be prepared to become quite sick and eventually having all of our organ's shutting down.

Dialysis is a huge commitment on the patient, and on the person who ends up driving them in the case of either younger children, or elderly patients. Some are fortunate enough to be able to drive themselves after a treatment, but because there is a higher percentage of people who are elderly ones, they often don't drive anymore and are in need of regular transportation. Treatment usually means going three times a week, for a period of approx. 3-4 hours, plus the time that is involved in hooking them up and taking them off of the treatment.

There are several different types of dialysis treatment, and the most common one used is done at the hospital or a special clinic which is hemodialysis. There are however a few treatment types that can be done at home and known as peritoneal dialysis. All are time consuming, and require commitment. About 90 percent of dialysis patients receive hemodialysis, in which the blood is circulated outside the body and cleaned inside a machine before returning to the patient.

My dad is going for the hemodialysis at the hospital, and needs to be driven to the hospital & picked up, 3 days a week. Thankfully the hospital in our town has a dialysis unit, which was started up approx. 3 or 4 years ago. If it didn't we would have to make the drive to another hospital approx. 1 hour's drive away. We did that for the first couple of months after he started treatment 2 ½ years ago, and it was really hard having to drive that distance, fill in the time waiting, and then driving back home thro' rush hour traffic, and miserable weather as we started just before winter. It was a long day for us both, and my dad found the added time in the car traveling, along with the stress of dealing with the traffic and weather conditions was just too much.

Before treatment can start they have to make several incisions in the chest & neck area, and this serves as the access area, going into an artery & a vein. Another way is to start an access place in the arm where an artery & vein are joined and allowed several months for it to heal before it can be used. This required some surgical time and tests at another hospital. Because of the type of access my dad has, he must go back down there every so often to get the line in his chest changed. The type of line that he has in his chest has a higher risk of infection, but is the easiest to access, and the least painful once it's been put in. It was the type that he chose, and has refused to have the one done in the arm. Perhaps because of his age since he's 80 years old, and he figures if he has to go for dialysis, then he's going to do it the most comfortable way he can.

One of the things with hemodialysis is the fact that the blood pressure can be affected by the treatment esp. if the patient has problems with their pressure. It's also an evasive treatment with the blood, and can be very tiring for the patient.

It is not a cure, but only a treatment. The only thing that can end the treatment, is a kidney transplant, and only if the body does not reject it. Patients must learn to watch their diets with great care, and their various levels will need to be monitored regularly.

The leading causes of end-stage renal (kidney) disease are diabetes and high blood pressure. The only way to avoid ending up with renal/kidney failure, is to start taking care of your kidneys when you are younger, and watching your diet.

If your kidneys are normal, they don't need special care. A healthy, balanced diet and enough water to quench thirst are adequate to keep kidneys working fine. Fad diets, such as those very high in protein, however, can hurt your kidneys. Drinking very little water, or an overabundance of water (more than 8 quarts a day), may also damage these organs.

Other than illnesses, the real kidney killers are drugs--they must pass through the kidney to be filtered out of the bloodstream. Some antibiotics, anesthesia medications, and antipsychotic drugs may damage kidneys. Even over-the-counter painkillers, if taken in large doses, may lead to kidney failure. In the same way, even common household chemicals can also harm your kidneys if ingested of inhaled so be careful.

For now, my dad seems to be doing well on dialysis, and we try to plan a lot of the days around his treatments and then do the other things that he needs to do. Thankfully dialysis is available as a life saving treatment for all who need it.

Winter Virus

It's been one of those weeks. The flu seems to be running rampant all thro' the schools and there are so many kids off sick. At the moment, one of those is my youngest daughter. She's had a fever on and off all week long, along with swollen glands and an upset stomach. It's been 5 days now. From what I here this is not unusual from what a lot of the students are coming down with at school.
This morning I woke up with some of the same symptoms, and it was all I could do to crawl out of bed. I just felt so sick. To top that off, I woke with a terrible cramp or charlie-horse in the calf of my leg. Even now many hours later it is still quite painful. Thankfully my hubby was here and able to take care of a few of my responsibilities and I was able to crawl shivering, back under the bed covers and sleep till noon. Both of my dogs curled up beside me and helped keep me warmed. I joined my daughter on the couch for the afternoon, and haven't been able to get anything done around here. I sure hope that this is one of those 24 hour, passing flu's at least with me. I just have too much going on that needs to be done, and company coming on Saturday. Right now, I'm going to crawl back into bed. Hope no one else comes down with this nasty virus! It's not very nice at all.

Butterfly

If anyone is interested in reading some fun facts about butterflies, check out the following sites.

http://www.thebutterflysite.com/facts.shtml#funfacts

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Butterflies/english/faq/index.html

http://members.aol.com/YESbutrfly/facts.html


I really love the beauty of a butterfly, and the many colours that they seem to come in. I love the way a butterfly comes to life from the caterpillar stage, to the cocoon that hibernates for a time, then an amazing, beautiful butterfly eventually comes out of it's cocoon, and after it's wings dry, it soars off in flight and into it's own. Free at last to show off it's delicate, and intricate beauty, and to display it's irridescent colours, and amazing abilities. Did you know they have special taste buds in their feet, or that they like to feed from rotting fruit, nectar from flowers, fruit juices, and other things. If you've never been to a Buttefly Conservatory, I would suggest you check one out. My favorite one is the one in Niagara Falls. It was amazing to walk thro' there and see so many different varieties of butterflies & moths, and to see them eating and flying about.
I love them, and look to find various things with butterfly's on them!

Another picture of the pups!

This is a friends Irish Wolfhound & 8 day old pups! Adorable.

Great Writing Site

For anyone interested in the exercise of writing, sharing your stories or poems, having fun writing and getting to know some new people, please check this site out.
Gather is a great community of people who are interested in writing.

http://www.gather.com/index.jsp

Our New Pup

I can't believe how much time has passed by since the holidays. It's already almost the middle of February and I haven't even shared anything about our new pup. In December we decided to start checking around for another dog. We were finally able to accept another one into our home after the loss of our beloved Casey. I did a lot of checking around, both for pups and adult dogs. My husband had decided he only wanted another Sheltie, and it had to be the same colour as Casey had been and oversized...not the typical small size Sheltie. He had also specified that he wanted another male, but at least was willing to be flexible on that one. Good thing too, as the dog that we happened to find was a female, that met all of his criteria, and was already 7 months old. The breeder was looking for a home for her, because she got too big for the standard sizes, and was not able to be bred or put into the show ring. We met with her and checked out the dog and decided we liked her. Just before we went to see her we were informed that she had been de-barked. Not something I would ever submit any dog to, but what is done is done, and we've been told that it really doesn't do any harm to the dog. That of course was one more concern for my husband, as he wanted to make sure the dog could bark. Turn's out there was never any fear of that. We went to see her once more in her home environment, and at this point found out she could indeed bark, and that it was just a softer pitch of sound rather than the sharp pitch it would normally be. While we found her to be a little timid & shy, she seemed to be a nice dog, so we decided to bring her home. Once we put her in the van, she curled up with my daughter and seemed to settle down right away. It was an hour's drive home, and she just sat there looking around, and seemed quite calm in the van.
Once home was another story. She was quite timid and just kept hiding and running away from us all, but was certainly happy to see our other dog. It didn't take long till she warmed up to me, probably because her first human mom was a single lady. We've had her now for about a month and a half now. She loves to bounce around and play with both Honey & Greta. Greta likes to hide on the stairs and tease the dogs to see if they'll play. Then she's off running, and hiding under the couch or chair. While she has their attention she'll paw their feet and then sneak out another way, and stand around the corner watching to see if they notice she's gone.
Priscilla is very much my dog at the moment, much to my husband's dismay, but she is slowly warming up to everyone. She was not used to fast moving, active children, so she is still taking a wide path around the girls when they are up and moving around, but getting better. She really is a lovely dog, but just needs to get past her timidness. Hopefully she does not remain like this, as I've always been very wary of dogs that are timid.
When I sit at the computer, she is always right down here with her head resting on my feet, unles everyone has gone to bed. That's the time when she seems to gain an extra spurt of energy and becomes really active & playful, both with Honey & with the box of toys.
If I'm on the couch she is usually at my feet, beside me or still back under the computer. It seems to be her favorite spot, and will even come over here when either of the girls are sitting here.
She will go to my husband if he's sitting still, and often when he comes in at night now, but she is still taking her time in trusting everyone. He often lets her out of her bed in the early morning before he goes to work and she will now come up to my bed, and start licking my face & neck and stepping all over me. I think she's forgotten that she isn't a little puppy any longer. lol
No matter what, we love her and she's certainly a keeper. Who am I kidding, any of them are a keeper once I bring them into my home. I'd love to have a lot more, but the town has restrictions on the dogs, and then you have to worry about the vet costs. Guess we'll have to be happy with the ones we have, and give them all of our love.

www.HelpRebekah.com

PLEASE PRAY FOR REBEKAH!