Happy birthday Leopold!

Look who's having a birthday!

Mr. Leopold turned 2 today!  Happy birthday to Leo!  I wanted to buy him a birthday hat but George isn't a fan of dogs in hats so we settled for a birthday bandana.  He's a handsome guy.

For a special treat we gave him this all natural doggie cupcake on a stick.  Do you think he looks interested?

Yes he was and it was gone quite quickly!  He'd like everyday to be his birthday.  I think he thought wearing the birthday bandana was ok, if he got a treat afterwards!

A 'Dog Day' on Saturday

We attended the graduation at Guide Dogs for the Blind because our sweet girl Vashon graduated!  #19 Has Stolen Our Hearts! Can you tell how in-tune she is with her grad?  Definitely focused!

 

Sweet Vashon is never going to lack love and attention.  This very nice lady is a volunteer coordinator at a Senior Center.  She said that all the seniors are so excited that there is going to be a dog around full time!

This picture makes me smile and gives you a good idea of the 'norm' at any Guide Dogs function!

Some of these dogs are puppies in the puppy raising program.  Others are part of the Portland area Therapy Dog teams.  Many of these dogs are 'career changed' at Guide Dogs but go on to be therapy dogs who perform a variety of community service. Some go to grade schools to listen to children read aloud.  Other go to care facilities or ICU waiting rooms to give a little love and petting therapy!  This program gives clear meaning to the term 'career changed'!

And most exciting of all we came home with Guide Dog #21.  Leopold, commonly called Leo in our house!  He's a two year old bundle of energy.  Let's see if two 60+ year olds can keep up with him!

So far so good!!!  And as I always say, "Got to love this face!"

Mother's Day Evening

I'm a bit late but I did want to post a couple of things about Mother's Day.

I remember when I was probably 9 or 10 years old and bought my mother a pillowcase for Mother's Day.  The bright shiny floral material was probably a bit gaudy but the sentiment was heart felt.

As a little girl I was so excited to give it to her.  A few years later I was embarrassed by the cheap material and the overly sweet sentiment.  I'm sure my reaction was a typical teenaged one!  I never thought more about the pillowcase and as far as I knew it had been thrown away.  When my mother died in 2009 and I was cleaning things out of her closet.  Guess what I found, tucked away in a box with scarves?  Yes, you guessed it!  The pillowcase! For more than 45 years she had kept that sweet memory of her little girl.  The poem no longer seems overly sentimental.  Truer words were never spoken....."for there's no other who takes the place of my Dear Mother."

I have been a lucky girl all my life to be loved not only by my own 'dear mother' but also by my dear Aunt Mary. To many of us she seemed like a second mother.  No one can take her place either!

I'm the little girl hiding behind all the fish!  I was 5 years old and Aunt Mary had come to Maryland to visit us.  She wrote on the back of this photo.  "Here are some fish we caught on our last weekend at Bessie's.  You would love this place.  Everyone fishes from the bank."  I remember going to the river and playing while they fished.  Daddy, Moma and Aunt Mary loved fishing!

This dishwashing one made me think of all the years of doing dishes with Moma and Mary.  Neither of them ever had a dishwasher.  I feel so blessed to have been loved and cared for by these two remarkable women for 56 years!  Like the poem on the pillowcase said....no other can take the place of my dear mother....and my dear Aunt Mary!

Cancer Anniversary

Two years ago today I was diagnosed with Medullary Thyroid Cancer.  So far I've been lucky that   regularly scheduled blood draws and neck ultrasounds are the only impact on my life.  I feel absolutely fine.  Let's just hope this continues for many, many more years!

I don't remember anyone ever telling me to check my neck area for lumps.   Two and a half years ago, while talking to someone about their thyroid issues, I just happened to touch my neck and discover a funny little bump right in the center.  That led to an early diagnosis and a much better prognosis.  So check your neck!

More importantly April 23 is the day of the wonderful St. Jordi's festival in Barcelona.....I blogged about it way back in 2009.   http://bondia2000.blogspot.com/2009/04/happy-st-jordis-day.html.

Today the streets of Barcelona are lined with stands selling books

And flowers.

And Las Ramblas, the famous pedestrian street of Barcelona looks like this!

Oh how I wish I were there to celebrate once more - the day of the book and the rose!

A Repeat Visitor

Foster Guide Dog #20 is actually a repeat visitor.  He was originally Guide Dog #8 - Armando!

http://bondia2000.blogspot.com/2013/09/8-armando.html

Now he is a retired guide dog just waiting to be adopted by some lucky family.  He's 78 pounds of love and pure joy!  Obedient, super smart and lots of fun!

Here's an illustration of his obedience and 'smarts'.  When we had him in the summer of 2012 we decided to have him go in his crate while we ate our dinner.  Guide Dogs are not supposed to be beggars and we wanted to discourage any interest in our food.  Tonight when we sat down to eat, before we said a word, he went right in the crate and stayed there until we were finished eating and invited him to come out!  I can hardly believe he remembered that after a year and a half!

Going for walks is one of his great joys!  Here are my two favorite old guys!

And in case you were wondering, he did remember us and greeted us like his long lost family!!

You can just call me GRANDMA!

Happy day!   George's Dad said those exact words every time we called to let Grandma and Grandpa Lewis know that we were having another baby!  So I'll repeat them here as I share the news that Johnny and Monica are expecting a baby!  The due date is October 30th, which just happens to be Grandpa Lewis's birthday!  Now that would be a happy day....of course whatever day he or she is born is going to be a happy day!

  

#19 Has Stolen Our Hearts!

It is difficult for me to believe that we have had 19 foster dogs from Guide Dogs for the Blind in our home . I have loved every one of them but #19 is special!  Vashon, #19, is just waiting to be matched with a blind person.  Her house manners are impeccable!  She is easy to walk, full of love and always willing to play.  George says that she is a perfect dog!  I think one reason he likes her so much is that she is the first of our dogs to prefer him to me!  She likes me but she LOVES him!

And she loves her bones in all their varieties!  Last week she even snitched a bone from Guide Dogs.  I walked out to the car to take her home and she had a bone in her mouth.  It has become a favorite.  I hope her kleptomaniac tendencies won't cause her to be career changed!  Is she now on the path to a life of crime????

 I recently learned that an empty water or pop bottle is her absolute favorite!  She thinks they are the best! Squishy, squeaky and the right size to fit in her mouth and carry around!

Vashon also discovered that George's I-pad pillow is perfect for catching a little nap!

But the best place of all for a nap is on top of the clothes I lay out to wear the next day!  Jeans? No problem.  The white shirt? Well I am glad I have a lint roller and believe that 'no outfit is complete without dog hair."

We will miss her when she leaves us!