The final Twig story

Twig's last day June 12, 2012

 Twig was born November 14, 1994, parents Charlies Boot Scootin Boogie and Valentina Jezebel. She was six weeks old when she arrived at our house and a Christmas gift for Mary Beth. She lived a long and amazing life and was the funniest dog that loved eating hot Mexican dip and potato chips stolen off the patio table. She was stubborn and that served her well, a fighter to the end, never giving up as she tried to walk and move about as normal as possible even though she was unable to see or hear and many times each day  became confused and disoriented. She was a dog that always had a smile and one day after recovering from a short illness, we noticed her sweet smile was slanted and crooked.

 In her final days, her legs became so weak it was difficult for her to stand making eating a chore and walking even more difficult. She cried when she needed help finding familiar territory when totally lost and confused. Navigating the yard, back porch and stairs became a challenge those last few weeks and she would loose her balance daily missing a step and tumbling down one or two stairs to the patio. She would jump up, look around and then continue walking her favorite path around the yard as if nothing happened. Although it seemed she loved her life, it was a struggle for her to live and too sad to watch. 

We will remember Twig as a sweet, mischievous, bouncy, joyful dog with an inimitable personality. Mary Beth misses Twig as I do but Steve misses her the most as she was his constant companion for years especially as he worked outside.  We are sad for our loss but realize that Twig is whole, healthy, happy and is once again Smiling......

Beating the odds....yet another Twig story

Twig, a miniature cocker spaniel acquired at birth, raised as an outside dog, is adventurous and sharp. Her petite statue is deceiving as she bounces on her hind legs to steal food, avoid obstacles, and entertain. Along with awesome ability came annoying behaviors as digging craters in the yard, catching birds, playing with moles, and an ability to grab a moving target, as she once bit the tail off a squirrel!

One afternoon the door bell rang with no one at the door. A few minutes later “ding dong” once again, no one there. Mary Beth attentively watching at the door waiting to apprehend the trickster and saw Twig hanging around. She watched and waited for the door bell to ring and instead watched Twig bounce up and down by the front door. She watched as Twig bounced and each time jumping a little higher until  finally raising her left front paw flailing it in the air, she rang the doorbell. We could only guess that she saw visitors come, ring the door bell and she watched as we opened the door and let them in. It worked for them, why not for her!

At her routine check this year, she weighed 7 lbs less than the previous year. At 23 lbs, she was healthy, considered fat at 33lbs, but to weigh 16 lbs is daunting. Twig is 16 years old, 112 human years, but retains the same mischievous spirit with her loss of hearing and limited vision. We looked on as our veterinarian expressed surprise to see her at yet, another yearly check, weight down but healthy. It was three years ago, she was diagnosed with pyometra, and the vet explained she would die without surgery. I’ll admit, six weeks she was profoundly ill. We washed her bed and towels multiple times a day trying to stay ahead of the draining infection while administering antibiotics and pain meds for comfort so to avoid surgery. This year, after her exam, the vet offered to give her a “one year rabies vaccine rather than the usual three year….Oops, I did not mean to say that” as she apologized.

We opted for the three year vaccine.

Even if unrealistic to assume Twig will live three additional years, I exude confidence in predicting she will certainly beat the odds….at least time enough for us to enjoy yet another Twig story

Once in a blue moon....

January 2010, only days after New Years Eve, I met a man with 21 hit songs to his credit. A country music personality that I did not recognize however, his sweet spirit and lovely personality was unaffected by my ignorance. This past New Year's Eve sported a full moon that only happens once every 19 years and touted as Once in a Blue Moon. Amazing meeting singer, songwriter Earl Thomas Conley so serendipitously January of 2010, and how more fitting could it get to ring in the New Year with an encounter that could only happen to me....Once in a Blue Moon

A gift attached...

Each day has a gift attached, as a small parcel, maybe a thought, idea, person, or event. A tidbit of something when analyzed is marked as coincidence and is obscure enough that usually is missed. However, it provides hope, moves us forward, or makes us laugh.
In the course of my life, many such gifts were delivered which I failed to recognize. I received one such parcel when meeting a newly published author, a woman that expressed her struggles of 14 years to take an idea from conception to publication. Her challenge in raising a family as a single mom, financial struggles, and her triumph over breast cancer was inspiring. Over a year after her first book published, her second book is scheduled for release fall of 2011 with a third already in the works.
This day was a peek into one persons' struggle and a story about a woman that met the challenges head on, transforming her struggles and ideas into success, again reminding me that each day...has a gift attached!