Happy New Year!

A beautiful little clip to put things back into perspective - it's a wonderful world if we only stop and look, listen and hear!

Bless you all, my dear friends, and Happy New Year from me, Weezie and the Romeow (whose growing as a weed)

They play every morning

Romeow always ambushes his poor Nana Weezie

His newest hiding place

As if I didn't have enough stuff in my desk drawer...

Weezie looks punished modeling one of my crocheted doggy coats

Nana Weezie and her pesky Romeow

Romeow wearing a doggy coat his Aunti Sandi gave him because her little Shi-Tzu, Sophie, outgrew it...it's still kind of big on him, but he didn't keep it on very long. He looks cute in pink even though he's a boy!  

He's growing like a weed. He'll be 13 weeks in just a couple of days.

Last, but not least a couple pictures of my boy Gizzy, whom I miss every single day:

(Gizzy loved walking around the lake leisurely and stopping to look along the way)

(Gizzy is standing on our table where we stopped to bond with each other and nature)

(Gizzy bottom left, visiting with friends around the lake)

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering" (a quote from Winnie the Pooh)... that's what Gizzy taught me when we were by the lake together! He really soaked up life and cherished being outside!

I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year, love and joy to you and your furbies! 

Prosit Neujahr!!!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and apologize for not blogging. My heart is not into many things these days. I'm surprised I got my Christmas tree up this year, but I have not sent any cards, nor done much to celebrate. I love Christmas, but I suppose I miss Gizzy more right now.

This is my Christmas tree. Romeow learned "NO" with the help of a water spray bottle.

If it weren't for Weezie and Romow, I'd probably sleep through Christmas and hibernate for the winter.

Romeo makes me laugh with his crazy kitten antics, even though he's taken to pouncing and biting, but I'm hoping he'll outgrow that soon...he's now almost 12 weeks old and is growing very quickly.

I hope to be able to resume my blog some time next year and catch up with everyone. Meantime, here are a few funny photos so you can see what poor Weezie (and I) have to endure, but at least she has thick fur:

Ride 'em, cowboy!

Oh, really?

Weezie, beware of the headless kitten from out of space...

Mauling Nana Weezie!

Little monkey kitty reaching for trouble...

Weezie's got him on his back!

Hanging on to the suspended red lobster toy

Pouncing the tail

Poor Nana Weezie is exhausted!

And here's a You Tube video of them both playing (I sound stupid, just turn off the volume!)

Weezie and Romeow playing

Happy 84th Birthday, Papa!

My dad during an outing in the Frankonian Alps in September of this year. Not bad for a guy his age! I'm very blessed to have such a healthy dad and he sounds wonderful over the phone, not at all his age. Here's a photo of his Birthday Torte that his wife baked for him:

When I called they were having a Birthday party with coffe, cake and playing cards. It's a long standing family tradition to play cards with my dad on his Birthday. Happy 84th and many, many more!

All I want for Christmas...

I miss you so much, Gizzy!

Romeow is 9 weeks old

Hope you enjoyed this little video of my kitty boy playing!

Meet Romeow

I think I found something for Weezie to do...apparently she loves kittens.



The manager said it's a boy and that's why I call him Romeow!



Enjoy the videos. If you can't play them on blogger, you can use these links:

Weezie's kitten and

Weezie is kitty sitting

Ashes to ashes!

I'm glad now Gizzy's here with me instead of in the ground:

Today I was awakened by the sound of Gizzy's voice...he had this special yawn/whine when he wanted me to wake up to go outside...well, that's exactly what I heard with such loudness and clarity, that for a second I thought it was really him. When my eyes popped open, I saw Weezie soundly sleeping on Gizzy's Orthopedic mattress... and I remembered that today was the day I had to pick up Gizzy's cremains from the Vet.

When I returned from picking up Gizzy's urn, I found a package on my front porch that a Facebook friend sent me to help console me with some German goodies from Aldi's. 

Best of all was the card that she made for me with Gizzy faces all over...inside and out!

I realized that in a way, Gizzy is taking care of his mommy indirectly because the gift was sent because of his passing.

Thank you, Elaine, and thank you Gizzy. I do not feel that I am worthy, but I accept with gratitude and humility for if it weren't for my boy, I would not be eating rum cake and cookies right now.

I'd rather have Gizzy back instead of the gifts, but since that's not possible, I am so thankful for the blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for many things in my life, but today, I am celebrating my memories of my Gizzy and I am thankful to have had 11 wonderful years with him. I will be even more thankful, when  remembering our time together won't hurt so much.

I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. May you be surrounded by loved ones, no matter what shape or size...live in the moment and soak up being together for life is short and often cruel.

I know it's difficult to do sometimes, but make yourself be still and sit, listen, hear and allow yourself to just be...that's what Gizzy taught me!

I was truly blessed!

Our last Christmas

I never intended to share this video when I took it because I sound so stupid, but now I'm glad I have it to share with you to bring a smile to your face. I love to remember our tug-o-war games that he loved to play and I always let him win!

For those of you that can't watch it, here is the link for you to click on:

Gizzy playing tug-o-war

Enjoy!

Thank you!

Thank you everyone for your condolences and kind words. It will take some time to recuperate for it was a quite sudden loss. By the time Gizzy was diagnosed with kidney failure on Nov. 4th, just 3 days after his 14th Birthday, he went downhill really quickly.... in a way it's good he didn't linger for too long, but it all seems like a nightmare to me. I am very comforted by having Weezie and I'm amazed at all the kindness and support of my friends in cyberland. You are so caring and kind. God bless you all for being so sweet to me.

Someone on Facebook made a couple of Gizzy graphics that I wanted to share with you:

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." (Author Unknown)

Gizzy is gone!

It still feels unreal to me and the house is so empty (even with Weezie here) yet the silence seems so overwhelmingly loud, screaming at me - where is my boy?

The photo is of Gizzy sleeping his last night with me last night and he let me know in no uncertain terms that he was too tired to go on. I had the Vet check him over and he agreed as did a couple of my friends who helped me cope this morning. I know that I did the right thing and prolonging his life would have been cruel. This boy was a good dog and he deserved to leave with some dignity. He was very proud and wanted to be clean and handsome - even to the very end. Gizzy, you have left a hole in my heart the size of a crater and I will never ever forget my big little boy with the fly-away ears. Thank you for giving me such wonderful times and please, wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge! I love you and miss you so much!

Gizzy not doing so good

(Gizzy and Weezie yesterday morning)

I've not been online very much, except to obtain some advice and information on kidney failure in dogs. I spoke with the Vet yesterday and he says I'm doing all I can do for him. I have been pureeing Gizzy's food and feeding him in a dropper for almost two weeks. He hates it, but I do it anyway, even though I know he doesn't like me for it. He loves being clean, so I clean him up and brush him when we sit outside by the lake and tell him how handsome he looks. He is a very proud boy and will be to the end.

(Gizzy yesterday morning)

He loves just sitting by the lake and watch - so I made him a little head rest from the towel because he's so tired that he has trouble holding up his head.

This morning, he was bright-eyed and bushy tailed, wanting to go outside when it was still dark, so I took them both outside and had my coffee on the back porch. But now, at 1 pm, he's tired and not eating or drinking his water. I gave him some pureed sweet potato (to help him go potty) and he vomited it all up, so I gave him a little Pepto Bismol, but I know that the end is near.

(Gizzy last night after a drink of water)

(He still looks cute, but I know he feels bad)

I won't let him suffer much longer because it's not fair to him. I will wait a day or two in case he makes a recovery, but if by the week's end he's not any better and continues to refuse food/water and vomiting, then I know I will have to help him along.

(Gizzy this morning)

It's incredible for me to realize how sick he is when he still looks so good, but it happens with people just the same. They can look healthy all the way to the end and many people (or animals) don't look sick when they indeed are very sick. 

I've been in a perpetual state of heart ache and crying off and on like a psycho....I know I gave him a good life, but I wanted him to live longer, but I realize, no matter how long a pet or loved one lives, saying good-bye is just as difficult and I would be just as upset if he were 20 instead of 14. 

I'm sorry, this is sad news, but I thought that in all fairness, Gizzy's blogging buddies should know what's going on with him. I've lost animals before, but I'm especially attached to this little guy for so many reasons and I am breaking out in rashes all over my body - probably from stress and anguish. Please, pray for my boy  and for me so that I know when it's time for him to go...I do not want him to be in pain.

Gizzy's blood test results

What a day we have had. Without going into too much detail, I'm wiped out...physically and emotionally. Between my noisy neighbor not letting me sleep last night, having night mares and Gizzy having the smelly sqirts on top of everything else that's wrong with him, I got hardly any sleep last night. I had to get up at 5:30 am to be at the Vet's at 7:30 am for Gizzy's X-ray and blood work. I took Weezie for company, only she needed another immunization and her anal glands extracted (which she didn't enjoy.) While Gizzy waited in his holding cell, I drove to McDonald's for coffee and a breakfast muffin, then stopped at the city park with Weezie to walk around since we had so much time to kill and it was too far for me to drive home and back again  - what a depressing place that park was (after seeing all that pretty nature right here.) It didn't help me walking Weezie without Gizzy, giving me a taste of what life will be like when he's gone...I wondered if I'll ever be able to feel that big love for another dog that I have for my little boy. He's been my constant companion for 11 years. He moved from CA to GA with me and has been there for me like no other. I will miss him deeply.

After the Vet did Gizzy's chest x-ray, he showed me how much his heart has increased in size since February which is why he's wheezing and coughing...he told me to call him back in the evening for the blood test results.

We didn't get back home till 1 pm and then had to wait for the test results. The Vet called me an hour ago informing me that Gizzy has kidney disease. His kidney functions are 2 1/2 times higher than they should be, which explains him drinking so much water. He decided to not change Gizzy's heart medication, but instead concentrate on the kidneys for now. He is putting him on K/D Science Diet (food for kidney failure) and a supplement called Epakitin, a powder I mix in with his food. I'll have to pick that up tomorrow morning at his Nashville clinic, which is just 22 miles from here, not 47.

Of course, the Vet didn't tell me how much time we have left, but he did say that Gizzy is 14 and there's just so much we can expect. I hope that the special food and medication will help him feel better and that we can enjoy each other for as long as we are given. My life will be empty without him, that's for sure, no matter how many other pets I get. He is and always will be my special boy and of course, there will never, ever be another Gizzy with the fly-away ears!

Gizzy Update

Instead of going to the Vet in the morning, we went in the afternoon. In the morning, we visited a friend and her two dogs, so Gizzy and Weezie did some exploring and investigating in her yard - how fun! No leashes!

Yes, he CAN walk!

While Weezie is looking at the little fishies in the Koi Pond, Gizzy's strolling along the fence sniffing out Luke, the big, friendly yellow lab next door!

I had to photograph this beautiful Passion flower growing on the vine covering the chain link fence.

They've still not actually touched, but at least manage to get close to each other without grumbling.

After that, we all shared a snack and later, I stopped at Roquemore Park on the way home, only Gizzy wasn't much in the mood for walking...but Weezie was all charged up!

(Weezie off and running over the bridge)

Gizzy sitting near his favorite rock, the Rocky's Bridge boulder

He didn't want to walk, but he didn't want to go home either!

In the afternoon, we went to the Vet who checked his temp and listened to his heart and gave him a Vitamin B12 injection and some canned food that is supposed to be appealing to the sick doggies in the hospital...along with a tongue suppressor so I can smear it on the roof of his mouth LOL! He also watched him walk around the examination room and found nothing wrong with him and we came to the conclusion that he might be a bit on the spoiled side and trying to play on my sympathies for having a Weezie!

I'm going back to his other office in Tifton where he has an X-ray machine, so we can take another picture of Gizzy's chest to see his heart. Dr. Branch will also do some blood work to rule out a few things since Gizzy has been thirsty for the past 4-5 days and can't seem to get enough water. He's also coughing more and all that is probably linked to his congestive heart failure, so the Vet will probably add some Lasix to his prescription of Vasotec. But - for now, he's going to live and I'm on my way out to give them their evening walk/ride and feed the kitty-cats!

I'll let you know what happens on Thursday after I find out the test results. Thanks everyone for caring about my boy. I know I've been a flake lately, but it's not Gizzy's fault that he has a dead-beat mom!