MeMo Day 2009

It's been kind of a stressful month for me.

I did something to my back/hip and have suffered through some pretty bad couch days the past few weeks.

Steve went on his work trip to Malaysia... TEN DAYS... and it rained the whole time he was gone. I was left here with 9 wet dogs and Census work to do.

Red... formerly Babs never got the whole poop outside thing, so I moved her and her litter to the back patio. That was ok for the first few days, but then she decided she would stress out when ever she thought I was leaving. For her last week or so here, I had to sneak out the front door and down the street if I had to go anywhere.

Last week, I separated the pups Dugan, Grady, Finn and Mei Li from their Mama. Weaning was no longer an option.... it HAD to be done.

This of course created an entirely new stress in our already stressed home. Crying puppies and a howling Mama don't do much for the Zen charm of country living. Then we lost Marquis to a horrific attack by that stray dog. I'm still a little off kilter from that one. Just one of my animals, that's all I ask.... just one die from old age.

Beth came out last thurs and got the pups. Fat and happy and not really missin Mama anymore, they were ready for a new foster home for their last two weeks before adoption.

This of course made Red a little more unbearable. She no longer had pups to hide behind, so her submissive behavior took on peeing when approached. Peeing while sweeping her excited tail back and forth equals dog urine all over your shoes and legs. We got beyond this behavior solely on the unfortunate knowledge that she had been an abused girl and needed only positive responses from us. No matter how gross it was to have dog urine on our feet... we just patted her head and told her it would all be OK. Red left here sat when Steve and I delivered her to the PETCO adoption event. I was pleasantly surprised to see her calm reaction to all the other dogs and especially the other foster/volunteers. She'll be OK.... it was nice to be able to hug her and assure her she'd no longer be abused. She was safe now.

Steve and I left the event, heading for Alden Farms Nursery. This is year 10 for us and we thought it would be nice to mark this event with a sculpture for the back yard. I had previously been to the nursery and scoped out what I thought were the coolest ones. I had also purchased a gift certificate which I knew wouldn't cover the entire cost, but would get us started. It took us twice as long to get there as it did to make our decision and David Therriault, the Owner/Sculptor surprisingly said, This one?.... just like that?" We told him yes without a doubt.... this one. His response to such a quick and positive decision was fresh. Apparently he's used to people who can't make up their minds or perhaps he felt we were unaware of the correct Chi alignment necessary to make such a decision. None-the-less, he was happy and that may have had something to do with it's price tag, but probably more so to do with seeing his creation leave in admiring and appreciative hands.

We talked all the way home about where we could put our new piece of artwork. From the top of the back yard we let our imagination work it's way down the hill. Picturing it with hedges as a backdrop or sitting solitary in the middle of the yard, or creating it's own secret garden where it could be the center of deep reflection. We finally decided it's location and upon doing so we also decided its meaning. David had created a work of art that to him meant a struggle between two forces being pushed apart.

Peace on one side, Shalom on the other. Two words meaning the same thing yet the world pushes them apart. We saw his art as a symbol of peace holding the world in place. To Steve and I it wasn't just a great gift for a 10 yr anniversary, but it was a fitting memorial for for our backyard. it would be a symbol for what we hoped would become our daily mantra. Peace and Harmony.

For now it sits on a little patch of mulch alongside the house. Once we get it's special spot in the yard ready, we'll move it to it's permanent home.

With just Dash and Roux here now it seems a little strange. Having just two dogs that listen and don't poop in the house almost seems like we have someone else's children. This is the relax time we've been waiting for though. Now comes the list of projects that have been building up. We started yesterday with the sanding of the deck railing, rocking chair and table outside. Then Steve stained it all a nice red oak. I, still recovering from back issues, stuck to the little projects like laundry and dismantling kennels and lunch. I did get the old Gods n Generals sign repaired.

Jon n Steph stopped by while out hiking the Ferry and had lunch with us. Overall it's been a nice MeMoDay weekend. Today we're going to get a new water softener. Our old one lasted a good 7 years, but alas it gave out and Saturday went to it's final resting place at the Jefferson County Dump.

The sun is shining, my pain killers are kicking in and the day has just begun. Happy Memorial Day Everyone!!!