TheBanyanTree: [External] Re: a real life adventure involving dogs

[Monique Colver]

Pam, you're my hero too.

On Wed, Aug 14, 2019, 7:35 AM LaLinda <twigllet at gmail.com> wrote:

> Pam. You're my hero. I'm so thankful you've uncovered your gifts.
>
> Steve and I were talking about this in the car the other day...I often feel
> good-for-nothing, anymore, and he scolded me and told me I've always done a
> lot for ppl, which I don't recall. I've always been a helper, and not
> necessarily a healthy one, due to codeoendent crud, alcoholic oarents,
> such, so, probably, the bottom line is, whatever good I may have done, I
> never felt was good enough, but, LOL! THAT MAY JUST COME FROM GROWING UP IN
> A FAMILY OF IRISH CULTURE!  OMG, I'm afraid it's true. Yikes. I made a
> promise to myself when I was a teenager and that was to be the opposite of
> most adults I knew.  That wasn't hard, my personality was so different,
> they'd ask me what was wrong with me! I was "too nice."
>
> You're a fighter, Pam, and when you lock onto something, you follow
> through. I'm so happy you are out there doing what needs to be done. I
> guess what *I* can do is send pursuers for you and your work. It's
> important, the most important, and I'm glad you have a sweet dog family.
>
> Linda
>
> On Wed, Aug 14, 2019, 8:40 AM Pam James <pamjamesagain at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I am finding in my more mature age, as I find out more about myself,
> that I
> > am a champion for underdog dogs, and kids!!  I don't know if this is
> > something new, or something that has been there all along, just tamped
> down
> > and hidden while I was busy growing up, and divorcing husbands, and
> raising
> > kids!
> >
> > My last husband and I had two Danes.  When we split, he took the puppy
> and
> > I kept the 4 year old.  We lived together and I left her whenever and
> > somewhere along the line, we seriously bonded.  And when she died, I was
> > devastated!!  I finally, and truly GOT IT!!  Before that, while I had
> owned
> > some part of some dogs, I hadn't had that bond, and when they died, I was
> > removed from the sadness.  But with Annie, I was THERE.  And I felt it in
> > my bones.  It was such an eye-opening moment!!  So then I got Axel, my
> > first rescue.  And he came with a whole barrel of issues and I loved that
> > dog from my soul!!  We went about everywhere together!  And if I couldn't
> > take him - he hated other dogs! - I wouldn't go!!  He would sit in my car
> > motionless, and focus on the door I went into, waiting for me to come
> back
> > out!!  I'd leave the car unlocked and the A/C on in the summer, but I'd
> > take him with me because he hated to be left alone!
> >
> > We had three amazing years together, and then he too died on me...  I
> lost
> > a part of myself when I lost him, but I had a hole to fill and I knew
> that
> > there was another dog out there needing a mom, so I immediately got my
> next
> > rescue!  Bo is a major pain in my ass!!  Totally undisciplined (only
> partly
> > my fault!), out of control hyper, he's on meds and still chews stuff -
> > going long periods in between until I let down my guard and leave
> something
> > unattended!!!  He is not graceful and he has no respect for anybody's
> > personal space!!  But this dog... <sigh>  because he can be so hard to
> > love, I love him more!!  We rescued another Dane - she's deaf! - but
> she's
> > company for him.  He can't go with  me because he will NOT sit still and
> > nothing is safe in my car, so!  They aren't necessarily close, but they
> > coexist and that's the most I can hope for at this point!!
> >
> > And the children...  Because of my own childhood, I made sure my kids
> > didn't have the same experiences.  Their parents divorced when they were
> > very young, but they never heard an argument regarding their custody or
> who
> > had who when!  We shared and adjusted according to what was best for the
> > kids!!  So yes, okay, I admit it!  I take a lot of pride in knowing that!
> > And now they are grown up and moving on with own lives - both productive
> > members of society taking their own roads to their futures!  (Neither
> > appears to have any intentions of gifting me with grandchildren, but
> those
> > are their choices and I can't question them.  I wouldn't ever have
> > tolerated anybody questioning mine!!!)
> >
> > And so I have taken to champion children thru our County's Guardian ad
> > Litem program.  A friend suggested it and I said 'yes'!  And I have never
> > looked back!  As it turns out, I"m kind of good at this!  I am not
> perfect
> > at this, but I feel like it's a real calling!  I've got seven cases and
> > thirteen kids right now who need a loud-mouthed old broad to speak for
> them
> > in court and protect them from crazy and/or addicted and/or negligent
> > parents!!!  I have a very low tolerance for bullshit, and I am more than
> > happy to call them on it.  Thank goodness those nice social workers
> balance
> > us out!!
> >
> > Anyway.... this started with dogs and the crazy love we have for the
> > creatures... but then it turned into all about ME!!  :-)
> >
> > p.s... for those wondering about Clifford, the little rat dog that I
> > inherited:  my neighbor's daughter and son-in-law basically took him out
> of
> > my arms when they found out that he hadn't gone to the home he was
> supposed
> > to go to before I inherited him!  They had fallen in love with his
> picture
> > and they had in-laws who had lost a little puppy and a father who was
> dying
> > and little children who loved him and they were beside themselves to
> > forgive any of his flaws so that they could take him home... and so they
> > did!!  He is happily spoiled and surrounded by many who love him.  And
> > nobody to step on him!!
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 13, 2019 at 4:28 PM Teague, Julie Anna <jateague at indiana.edu
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hahahahaaa.  I get your subtext.  I, too, was a cat-only person for 57
> > > years of my life.  I love cats.  I understand cats, as much as anyone
> CAN
> > > understand cats.  But life is funny that way.  Sometimes I make
> decisions
> > > that make no sense to my head, but total sense to my heart.   After my
> > > beloved Skittles passed away, and even though I've had a lifetime of
> > sweet
> > > cats, I felt like no other cat could ever replace her.  She was the cat
> > of
> > > all cats.  I cried for weeks after she passed.  And even though I
> missed
> > > having a fur baby, I couldn't look at other cats, not even many months
> > > later.  It hurt my heart. Then my mom started looking for a small dog,
> > and
> > > I started helping her look.  Not for me, you understand, because I'm a
> > cat
> > > person. I knew a dog would complicate my life.  I knew I didn't have
> any
> > > experience with house breaking or training a dog.  I knew they barked
> and
> > > slobbered and needed a hundred times more attention than the average
> cat.
> > > And then I met Tansy and my heart sproinge
> > >  d and I brought her home.  She is all of the above--an ill-trained (my
> > > fault), attention-seeking (again, probably my fault), pain in the
> tuckus
> > > (I'm not taking all the blame here), but the universe knew I needed
> this
> > > dog in my life.  I love her beyond reason.  I work from home more, just
> > so
> > > I can be home with my dog.  I have given up any possibility of having a
> > > lunch hour, except when the husband pitches in ever so occasionally.
> > I've
> > > passed on dinner invitations because I'd been away from my dog all day
> > and
> > > knew she missed me. I have less time and  less money, but I have so
> much
> > > more love.  I  still don't know if I'm gung-ho a dog person, although I
> > > have much more understanding of dogs and why people love them.  I'd
> say I
> > > like all other dogs more, now, than I ever did.  But I flat out love my
> > > dog.  Love her. Can't imagine my life without her.
> > >
> > > And poor Perkins, he is a pretty good little dog most of the time.  He
> > had
> > > a really bad day on Sunday, for sure.  He's had other really bad days.
> > He
> > > was six months old when my mom got him from his foster home where he'd
> > been
> > > kenneled for way too much of the time, because she had too many foster
> > > animals and Perkins had special needs.  We don't know what happened to
> > him
> > > when he was younger, but it couldn't have been good.  He is so fearful
> of
> > > so many things, especially men (how could I not understand THAT), small
> > > children, joggers, cyclists, and coming through doors.  But he's ever
> so
> > > slowly coming around.  He loves my mom, he loves me as a second mom,
> and
> > he
> > > loves Tansy most of all.  As obnoxious as he can be, I feel for him and
> > try
> > > to be kind and calm with him to help him through his fears a bit more
> > each
> > > time he's here.  I even talked to my mom about yelling at him.  She
> tends
> > > to get shrill sometimes, and I reminded her that I'd read that dogs
> > aren't
> > > not obeying because they don't
> > >  HEAR you.  They hear you loud and clear.  And it turns out that
> Perkins
> > > comes better now that I've convinced her to keep a calm, quiet voice
> with
> > > him.
> > >
> > > Anyway, that's how this cat person ended up with a dog.  Don't know yet
> > if
> > > I'd ever have another one, but I am one hundred percent nuts about THIS
> > > dog.
> > >
> > > Julie
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: TheBanyanTree <thebanyantree-bounces at lists.remsset.com> On
> Behalf
> > > Of tobie at shpilchas.net
> > > Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 12:46 PM
> > > To: A comfortable place to meet other people and exchange your own
> > > *original* writings. <thebanyantree at lists.remsset.com>
> > > Cc: thebanyantree at remsset.com
> > > Subject: [External] Re: TheBanyanTree: a real life adventure involving
> > dogs
> > >
> > > This message was sent from a non-IU address. Please exercise caution
> when
> > > clicking links or opening attachments from external sources.
> > > -------
> > >
> > > I like cats
> > >
> > > > On Aug 13, 2019, at 6:49 AM, Teague, Julie Anna <
> jateague at indiana.edu>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > A good friend of mine who blogs daily issued a blog challenge for
> > August
> > > to write on "Action and Adventure".  Rather bad timing for me in that
> the
> > > first half of my year, and especially July, was chock-a-block full of
> > > travel and adventures, and in August I really wanted to stay home,
> piddle
> > > around the house, work in the garden, go to the farmer's market.  I
> > craved
> > > a little domesticity.  So spending time with the dogs is pretty much
> all
> > > I've done so far in August, outside of the daily job, which is cranking
> > up
> > > in preparation for the 48K university students about to descend upon
> us.
> > > Fortunately, there is never a dull moment with mygoofy canines.  I have
> > one
> > > single, tiny, four and a half pound Yorkie named Tansy, but I often
> keep
> > > Perkins, my mom's rescued, half-priced, slightly emotionally damaged
> > Parti
> > > Yorkie. My mom can't resist a half price sale. (A Parti Yorkie is
> > basically
> > > a white Yorkie with strange fluffy, knotty hair.) I brought Perkins
> home
> > > with me last weekend. My f!
> > >  olk
> > > > s would
> > > > come on Sunday, spend the night, and take Perkins home with them
> Monday
> > > morning.  Most of the week was fine (no, really, it was FINE) except
> for
> > > Tansy's nearly-choking-to-death incident with the leashes. (I'm
> realizing
> > > I'm several story sharings behind in this venue.) So, the choking
> > incident
> > > and then Perkins was almost attacked by a mother deer because he kept
> > > approaching and barking and she was protecting her baby.  Mother deer
> was
> > > moving aggressively towards him, ready to kick some ass as I yanked him
> > in
> > > the other direction.  Even though I live in town in Bloomington, a few
> > > blocks from the city center, we have many, many deer in the
> neighborhood,
> > > most of them having produced fawns this Spring. We'd all lived through
> > > those adventures, but then there was Sunday.
> > > >
> > > > Sunday morning at 6:15 to be exact.  There I was lying in bed with
> the
> > > two dogs, trying desperately for a few more minutes of sleep.  Husband
> > was
> > > in Florida where he loves to go but I do not.  I'm sure he was
> > experiencing
> > > some really good sleep, though, which made me a little jealous. Perkins
> > > looked out the bedroom window at that wee hour and saw a large rabbit
> in
> > > the back yard.  He leapt off the bed and ran to the door.  I let him
> out,
> > > because he probably had to pee anyway, and he was never going to catch
> > the
> > > rabbit.  I'd recently blocked a rabbit hole under the fence with a rock
> > to
> > > keep rabbits out (not effective), so the rabbit ran to that spot to
> > escape,
> > > hit the rock instead, bounced off, and ran across the yard the other
> way,
> > > with Perkins in hot pursuit.
> > > >
> > > > Well, something snapped in Perkins' acorn-sized Yorkie brain.  He'd
> > seen
> > > rabbits before when we were out on the leash, but he'd never gotten
> very
> > > close.  It's as if he finally got the scent, and he went insane.  He
> > hunted
> > > and barked and howled and ran under all the plants in my gardens for 45
> > > minutes, getting mud-covered in the process.  I finally got hold of him
> > to
> > > try to calm him down, and I gave him a sink bath to clean him up.  But
> he
> > > was still insane, scratching at the doors and windows, whining and
> > barking
> > > to be let back out. An hour of that passed and I was about to pull my
> > hair
> > > out, so I let him out again.  The rabbit was long gone, but  he
> repeated
> > > the insanity for maybe another half an hour, until I once again chased
> > him
> > > down and repeated the sink bath.  I felt sorry for the neighbors with
> all
> > > the barking, and Perkins has a particularly shrill bark. It goes
> directly
> > > to the center of the inner ear like a sharp knife.   This time I took
> > both
> > > dogs out for a walk aft!
> > >  er
> > > > his bath
> > > > , thinking he'd get his mind off of the rabbit.  There usually aren't
> > > rabbits in the park, so we walked there.  It is normal for Perkins to
> pee
> > > 45 times on every walk.  Not this time.  Not once.  He just ran around
> > the
> > > park like a dog possessed, sniffing for rabbits.  I was agog at his
> > powers
> > > of concentration, since I'd never seen an inkling of concentrated
> effort
> > in
> > > him before.
> > > >
> > > > I took him home, listened to more shrill barking, piteous whining,
> and
> > > incessant scratching at the doors and windows.  I tried distracting him
> > > with treats.  I gave him a time out in the front bedroom where it's
> quiet
> > > and darkish.  I tried holding him.  He was not to be soothed.  He
> > couldn't
> > > let it go.  After the third hunt around the yard-yes, I let him out
> again
> > > because I knew he had to pee and poop at some point-and the third sink
> > > bath, and the third round of barking and howling at the door, I finally
> > > locked him in the front bedroom again for a bit.  He hadn't even
> stopped
> > > for food or water this whole time.  I'm telling you, the dog was off
> the
> > > deep end.  Finally, finally, SIX HOURS after this all began, I got him
> > calm
> > > enough to lie on the bed with Tansy and me. Tansy hadn't been able to
> get
> > > her morning nap because of all of this, and she was so tired she could
> > > hardly keep her eyes open.  She'd been growling at Perkins from her
> perch
> > > on the sofa while Perkins ran around !
> > >  los
> > > > ing his
> > > > shit for six hours.  But, we got on the bed, Tansy collapsed and
> closed
> > > her little eyes, and Perkins propped his chin on my leg so that he
> could
> > > still see out the window (even though I'd closed the blinds). As his
> eyes
> > > drooped he let out one last shrill bark, and Tansy's eyes popped back
> > open
> > > and locked with mine.  We were completely sympatico.  We were both over
> > > this barking maniac.   At last Perkins could fight it no longer and
> fell
> > > asleep for five or ten minutes. This seemed to reboot his pea brain and
> > he
> > > was very normal after that.  When I say reboot, it was literally as if
> > I'd
> > > unplugged him and plugged him back in. Sheesh.  By the time Perkins'
> > people
> > > came for him, I was pretty much a basket case.
> > > >
> > > > And this, in a nutshell, was Sunday.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Julie Anna Teague
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Want to change your name, email address, or password? Or have you
> > > forgotten your password? Go here:
> > > http://lists.remsset.com/listinfo.cgi/thebanyantree-remsset.com
> > >
> > > "Out of sight; out of mind."   old proverb
> > >
> > > "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."  Old proverb
> > >
> > > "Nothing to see here, folks! Keep moving!"   Anonymous to Anonymouses
> > >
> > >
> > > Tobie Shapiro
> > > mailto:tobie at shpilchas.net <mailto:tobie at shpilchas.net>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > >
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