2005 - Out with a Bang!

Well - I guess you can say that 2005 went out with a BANG! This is Jim & Julie's van - after our collision in Champaign. We were on our way to go out to dinner and then go to an Illini Basketball game. Julie and I had this great idea to go to this new restaurant for dinner (on Duncan and Windsor) and take their shuttle to the game so we wouldn't have to walk from the parking lot. It was a really good idea - especially since it was pooring down rain. (Yeah - not rain in the picture - I'm getting to that)

So, Julie and I were then talking about how we hated to have to walk in the rain - you get so wet - it's better if it were snow.....you guessed it - it turned to snow....by the time we got to Savoy - a whiteout. So there we were going 25 mph and someone else ran their stop sign and we just hit them really hard. Actually - we were lucky it was so slick - cause we ended up just pushing them along and out of the way - instead of having a horrible impact. No injuries - thankfully. But we had to wait a long time for everything to be taken care of....and we were cold....and hungry. So....the cell phones all started ringing - everyone having a different plan for coming to get us. But we finally just called Enterprise! And they really did come get us - in the snowstorm in the middle of the country. But the tow truck driver got their first - but we talked him into waiting - we didn't want to have to just stand on the roadside and wait. We actually got to ride for a short distance while they towed us off the road!

Well - we debated - for about a minute - then decided -what the heck - if we'd been through all of this - we're going to the game!

So - no nice dinner - but we got hot dogs and popcorn and ice cream at the game - and had an absolutely wonderful time. Well - we did after the guy behind us had a seizure and had to be removed by paramedics.....after that it was all fun.

Welcome to the world Ava Lyn

Can you even believe it?! A post that isn't about a dog? Well let me introduce you to my new great-niece....Ava Lyn. She came into this world on Tuesday December 27, 2005. (one day after Moody came into my life.....it was a busy week). She is the 2nd daughter of my niece Lindsay and her husband Mark. She of course is just absolutely beautiful and equally as sweet. I don't know much about her personality yet - just that she has big eyes...and seems to be able to sleep through the chaos of great grandma donna's house.

One cool thing is that her name was picked out by her older sister Alyssa - at 18 months. When people started asking her if she was going to have a new baby sister and what should we call her...she said "Ava". We have no idea where that came from - we know no one named Ava. Well Lindsay and Mark just joked around awhile and called her "Ava"...but after several months of trying to compromise on a name....they just stuck with Ava and added the middle name of Lyn.

Moody Blues

Well - I'm back again....finally with another dog tale. Moody Blues is ......you guessed it....another dog. He is living in my garage right now...hopefully a temporary situation. On the day after Christmas I found him and two other comrades at Casey's Convenient Store. Moody is approx 100 lb whitish/yellow Great Pyrrenes/Yellow Lab Mix....and he had planted himself in front of the door and all the customers were having to step over him to get in the store. They had shown up a couple hours earlier - either vagabonds or dumped....guess we'll never know. His two companions were shy and skittish and didn't want any thing to do with me....but I opened my car door...and that's all it took...Moody jumped in without a look back.....like "See ya, ya'll are on your own now" So what could I do? but take him home.

But our house is on the market with new carpet and all....so a big hairy dirty dog didn't fit in the "In House Dog" category (much to my dismay)....so I'm making him his own little bachelor pad in the garage.

His first visit to the vet...though he was a perfect gentleman....didn't go so well....the bad news is that he is heartworm positive...and needs eye surgery....his bottom lids are curling in and rubbing on his corneas. Ouch! And despite how uncomfortable he must be - he is an absolute sweetheart!

So - I'm now going to try to see if Genesis Rescue will take him on....he can stay with me and I will care for him....and hopefully we will find him a perfect home.

This and That

If you are here reading this....Thanks! for having faith that I would eventually write on this blog again. It was much easier the first week - when I was in a hotel room for a week with nothing better to do. But back in the real world - it's hard to find time to do laundry and pay bills...let alone something fun and trivial like this....

Here is another pic of new Jovie. We have determined that she is a year and a half and she is allergic to any Iam's dog food. And fleas. Yes - Hannah has fleas - in December. They say they come in to keep warm just like mouse. Guess it's hard to set traps for fleas....well - guess Hannah was the trap.

Jovie and Hannah just LOVE each other. They play and play and play. Then they both climb up in the recliner with me and take a nap. I couldn't have picked a better addition to our family. Just fits perfectly.

Jovie

This is Jovie and she is the newest addition to the McDevitt family. She is 14 lbs (don't tell her I made her weight public) and is about a year old we guess. She is happy! happy! happy! to be in her new home. She was a stray - running wild at Pana Lake. People were leaving food out but not able to catch her. Angela from Genesis was able to catch her last week - using an intact Coonhound as bait. Seems that her prior reputation was less than stellar - kind of a little hussy - running with the big boys.


For playing hard to get for so long - she is pretty happy just being a lap dog. Her hardest decision is whose lap. When she first enters a room - she makes the rounds - leaping from lap to lap.

So she has been de-fleaed, de-ticked, spayed (didn't want any coonhound pups) and is getting healthier by the day.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Standerfer Boys 2nd Annual Halloween Party

I dressed up as Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter movies for Amanda's Halloween party this year. The idea started with a discussion I had with Jonas this summer. At 6 he had just discovered Harry Potter and LOVED it. He is so intelligent beyond his years that is unbelievable the discussions we have. He was going to be Harry Potter for Halloween so I told him I would be Hermione. He made a very good Harry Potter. Here is a breakdown of the rest of the family:

Amanda - Princess Leia
JJ - Yoda
Wes - Chewbawca
Mom & Dad - Motorcycle Gang riders
Jenna & John - Illini Fans
Jim & Julie - Cows
Mac - Darth Vader
Olivia - Snow White
Lindsay, Mark & Alyssa - 50s family

Gage

Meet Gage.....my new foster dog. My biggest question is "Where in the heck is the off button?"

He came to my house last night - and after 12 hours...he has peed outside 3 times and INSIDE 5 times! Sigh. Put he has pooped outside both times - so that is a bright spot.

He is happy happy happy and wants to be everybody's friend - he doesn't play favorities...he believes he has enough love to go around for everyone! And he is a LAP dog. He really wants you to sit on the floor and he climbs in then licks your entire face and neck and anything else he can reach.

And Hannah is not amused.


Obviously you see that I haven't done very well at keeping up my new blog. It's been a week since my last post. I think it was much easier when I was traveling and staying in the hotel. Since I didn't have a lot else to do - it was easy to post every night. Now I need to be doing a million different things with my time in the evenings.

I'll send updates as my week progresses with Gage.

Godspeed Teddy

Well it's official now - I saw it in print on the Genesis Web Site. Teddy - my first foster that I wrote about last week - he had to be euthanized this week. At 4 months he had severe hip dysplasia and was in a lot of pain. It was a gut wrenching decision for the Genesis Board - I'm glad I didn't have to make that decision. The vet said he would be crippled before he was a year old and surgery recovery would be very painful - and a long shot at best from what I understand.

It's just so so sad. He was such a wonderful dog - my big fuzzy lap dog. I choose to picture him now in a better place - playing with Hoover.

Godspeed Teddy

Odds & Ends

Having my blog was easy for the first few days....but it's becoming a challenge after a week. I think I've realized that I don't have a lot of relevant thoughts to share.....

John & I are in the midst of lots of change this and a flurry of activity:

• Ian - youngest son graduated high school
• Morgan - oldest daughter was on Survivor Guatemala
• sold our day spa business and 6000 sq ft building
• as part of above deal - now are owners of a 3 bedroom house in Mattoon
• getting house in Mattoon ready to go up for sale
• moved Ian and middle child Miles into college
• lost our 11 year old dog to cancer
• re-arranged house so Morgan could have a bedroom
• preparing our Sullivan house to go up for sale
• had our first foster puppy
• attended my 25 year high school class reunion (do the math)
• I had a two week back to back business trip
• need to go to Six Flags in Gurnee to see Morgan in Love at First Fright - before 10/31

So I guess looking at that - we have reason to have our thoughts all scattered this way and that. We hope after all of the house sales - if all goes right - then we hope to buy my sister's house next May. We'll go from a less than 1000 sq ft house with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath to a really big house - 2 story, 5 bedroom, 2 baths. I am sooo excited. I love that house.

Oh - and I'm currently "shopping" the rescue groups for adding a small lap dog to our family! More on that process soon

40 Hours

Just a quick post tonight. Last week I was in Texas for a business trip. Got back home on Friday night at 9:30 - and have to leave again on Sunday at 11:30. I'm thinking that's just a 40 hour break - not near long enough to really call it a weekend....but I'm back to Texas tomorrow.

I've made my one full day count as much as possible. Went to "coffee" at my parents - and got to see several family members - including my twin great-nephews and great niece. Went to Mattoon - lunch with my parents, checked on progress on our house we are renovating there. And went to meet Cooper.

Cooper is just a doll. I really do like him a lot - and is just beautiful to look at. But after thinking it over - and talking with John - I just don't think I can adopt him at this point in my life. I just don't have the time or space to commit to an adolescent hound. With two house going on the market - and hopefully moving next spring - and may sell the house we are living in and have to rent....I just can't commit to him. Maybe if it was next year and we were settled into our new house....

So that's sad....and I had sad news today about Teddy - my first foster - but that's a story for another day.

Cooper

As you can figure out.....and as I said in my profile description....it's a dog thing. My husband would say that it's a sickness......I would better describe it as a gift. Not meaning that I have a gift - I do happen to have a way with dogs, Well most dogs - my nephew had this Bearded Collie Mix named Stan that wanted to bite me every time he saw me - but other than that they all like me. But back to "the gift" discussion.....what I refer to is that it is a gift I receive from dogs - they give so much to me in the way of friendship and fun and frivolity.....it's just a connection that it very hard to describe.

Anyway - you may ask - who in the heck is this dog in the picture? Well let me introduce Cooper. He is not my dog. Well not yet. He may never be my dog - but I'm going to meet him on Saturday. He is a dog that we have in the rescue organization that I work with - and he is available. He is a goofy one year old coonhound. And so far they have had very little interest in him - now how could anyone NOT be interested in him? I've heard that my taste in dogs is a little off.....my friend Jonell asked me "Whatever do you see in Coon hounds??" which my response of course was "Whatever do you see in Huskies?" (her dog of choice). So luckily that is how the world works - there is a dog breed for everyone. Unfortunately that can't be said that there is a home for all dogs. There are so many dogs out there that need saved and loved....and there just isn't enough people, homes or times to save them all. But maybe...just maybe.....I can find the love and the room for this one.

Teddy - my first foster puppy

Isn't he absolutely adorable? A big gangly bundle of fluff. This is my first ever foster dog. Over the years I have often thought that I would like to be a foster home for rescue dogs - but never felt I could do it with Hoover around. Hoov was dog aggressive against some dogs - esp on his home turf - so I just never was able to bring other dogs in to the house. As a part of my healing process after Hoover's death - I became a foster mom. I kinda just fell into it - one of those things of being in the right place at the right time....

Teddy was chosen to come to my foster home because of his special needs. He has very little human contact and was malnourished. He needed to learn how to trust and love people - he already loved other dogs. I got to keep him in my house for 2 1/2 weeks - and he was so much fun.....and so much work! I had forgotten how much work a puppy was...the midnight potty trips and those awful crocodile teeth! He was like a pirrhana! It sure was fun to watch him and Hannah play - you certainly couldn't tell she was 8 years old. She has never had the opportunity to play with another dog like that - one that really wanted to play and roughhouse - playing with her was beneath Hoover. But man was she tired after her "babysitting" time.

Since I had to leave for 2 weeks of business trips - Teddy has moved to another foster home - where he is continuing to flourish. (I turned him into a lap dog while I had him). I'm hoping a really good home will come for him soon.

1 Month Ago Today

I month ago today....was the day I buried Hoover. In some ways it feels like yesterday - in others it feels like it's been a year. I think most people that have lived through grief of any kind say the same thing. He was diagnosed in June that he had thyroid cancer - though just a formality of what I had suspected for several months. In February he suddenly began gagging while he was eating. John rushed him to the er vet - she thought she might have seen something in the x-ray that hinted of a mass in his neck - but not sure...my vet didn't concur - and the symptoms weren't really acute. So wanting to ignore any possiblity of bad news - I choose to believe my vet - because that was the only thing I could deal with at the time. But deep down I knew....

You know - the time of pretending he was fine, and the dread once the diagnosis was made, and watching him slowly die.....that was worse than anything. There was a sense of relief in a way when he was gone - easier for him to be out of his suffering - and easier for me that I didn't have to watch it.

Before he died I prayed every night as I lay down to go to sleep. I prayed for Hoover to die in his sleep (so I didn't have to make the decision to euthanize him - a desperate prayer for my own sanity), and I prayed for a peaceful journey for him, I prayed for courage for me to help him on that journey, and I prayed that my other dog Hannah would handle his death easy. And I now have proof in my life that prayer works (I was a skeptic) - though he didn't die in his sleep...he did die very peacefully, Hannah is fine....and I got courgage that I never dreamed that I could have. Not only did I hold him while he passed from this life.....I was able to work with my wonderful husband to bury him out on family land overlooking the woods and pond. I would have bet anyone any amount of money that I would never be able to do it. But the courage came and I felt peace and a sense of purpose. And I buried my best friend.

This song called "Into The West" by Annie Lennox was played and I sang to him in his final minutes on this earth. It is from the Lord of the Rings movie "Return of the King" - it is so very appropriate....

Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms You're only sleeping

[Chorus]
What can you see On the horizon? Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
And all will turn To silver glass
A light on the water All souls pass

Hope fades Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say: "We have come now to the end"
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again

And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping

And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass Into the West

Welcome To My Blog

I've decided that I'm going to try to join the new technology age and start my very own blog! I've been thinking about it for quite awhile and think it might solve several of my new year resolutions in one fell swoop:

• Start & faithfully write in a journal. So this can be a journal - just a little more public of one.
• Keep in better contact with my friends. I can send them links and they can come read about what's going on in my life if the mood strikes them - and maybe even communicate back via a comment
• Write Down my dog stories. I am always telling Hoover stories to friends and family and several people have told me that I need to write them down and share them with others. So - though I have no published author aspirations - I would like to share my stories.

So....stay tuned....in the coming days, weeks, months I will be writing about what has been going on in my life - and remembering stories of Hoover.