In 1995, I was in a Hamilton psychiatric hospital to receive treatment and I met this really great woman. We shared a common bond with what we were going through, and we became close friends. She is native and, after being released back into the world, I visited her home on the reserve many times. I got to know her wonderful husband and their 3 great kids: 2 girls and a boy.
A few years later, I moved to Toronto and we lost touch. After 15 years, I returned to Hamilton and I looked for Sharon. Every time I met a native person from the Six Nations reserve I would ask if they knew Sharon and Shane, but no one did. When I moved to Brantford and, while volunteering at the hospital, I met 3 native women and I asked them if they knew her but they didn’t, but they suggested I put an ad in their local newspaper, which I did. I asked if anyone knew Sharon and Shane and their 3 kids, and left my email. The day the newspaper issue came out, I got an email from Hayley saying, “I think you’re looking for my mom,” and she gave me Sharon’s phone number. So, after 22 years, we are friends again, and the reserve is only a 20 minute drive from where I live. I have some great news. The sequel to That Truthful Place is finished. I have sent the novel to my proofreader and will get it back by the end of November. I’ll then make the corrections and read it over a couple of times before I publish it. The sequel, Season of Days, takes place on a moon in a far away galaxy. The children meet species from other galaxies and communicate through telepathy. Their telepathic abilities improve over time, and they are able to accomplish almost any task by using their minds. The children are challenged by a dangerous space creature and aggressive aliens who try to enslave the children. Also, one species develops an illness prevalent on their planet that threatens to destroy them. Together, with the other species, they fight to withstand these disasters. Season of Days is my homage to Star Trek. I always wanted to write a Star Trek episode so this is my offering to the genre. I’ll let you know when it’s available on Amazon. Have fun, Patty
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As you may remember, I lost my poor Kira in June. It was tough losing your first dog, but she was dying and I didn’t want her to suffer. I have grown up with dogs (first a Schnauzer, then a yellow Lab, and finally two Golden Retrievers); I worked in a private kennel for a year (and, yes, I cleaned up after lots of dogs); Years ago, I volunteered with the Hamilton SPCA and now I volunteer with the Brantford SPCA, taking the dogs for a walk. My new volunteer opportunity is fostering Golden Retrievers through Golden Rescue. Golden Rescue is a wonderful organization run solely by volunteers. The ones I’ve dealt with so far have been fantastic as we conquered the many stages I need to get through to foster the dogs. They all obviously love dogs, and especially Goldens. And I need my dog fix, but I’m not yet ready for commitment. I still need to be free so adopting a new dog is not yet right for me, which is the reason why I contacted Golden Rescue. After a representative came and checked out my house and fenced-in backyard, my application has been accepted. I will get my first dog soon and I can’t wait! Goldens are my favourite breed because they best match my personality: I’m bubbly and happy most of the time and, if I had a tail, it would be up and wagging all the time, too. Goldens need one good, long walk every day, and I need to walk more so it will be good for me to get back into walking when I have a dog. Goldens are sweet, calm and good natured dogs. They are smart and easy to train compared to other breeds. Goldens just want to be loved and they give lots of love in return. The dogs I’ll be getting will be housetrained and probably trained to do most things. Goldens aren’t the type of dog to bark much or destroy property. The dog may have some behavioural problems but with love, patience and discipline, you can easily train a Golden. I will only have each dog for a few weeks or so at a time, and then it will be adopted. The dog is brought to my house by a volunteer. The new parent comes to my house to pick up the dog. I will be keeping a diary of the dog’s behaviours to help place the dog and to find good new owners to match the dog. You don’t have to worry about me becoming attached to these foster dogs because they will all be mature dogs. My next dog will be a Golden puppy, actually two puppies. (I think animals are better in pairs.) And they have to be puppies. But I have to be ready for at least a three year commitment to train and discipline them. (Once dogs are three, most puppy problems are gone.) I’m not ready for puppies; maybe in a year or two. (I won’t be fostering any puppies because I wouldn’t be able to give them up.) In the meantime, I’ll foster adult dogs and enjoy my time with them. Winter is coming which is my least favourite season, but watching a dog roll and play in the snow makes winter worth it. I’ll write about my first foster soon and I hope you are interested. I’m so excited. Have fun, Patty Have you ever been conned? Ever believed that fake email that your computer has a problem that only they can fix? What about a phone call for cleaning ducts or a problem with your furnace? Or that email or phone call from Income Tax demanding money that you owe?
A friend’s husband received a phone call that he owed money to income tax and, if he didn’t pay it immediately, they would put a hold on his bank account. Unfortunately, he didn’t discuss this with his wife and removed $7,000 (they’re whole savings) from the bank. He sent the money to the con artists through bitcoin. They had to borrow funds just to pay the rent. I hope you know never to give out personal information over the phone or in an email. Never reveal your visa number or banking information. I got conned. Ever heard of Slimband? Gastric banding? There was a commercial for it on television 3-4 years ago. When speaking with the “doctors” there, they bestowed all the miracle advantages for gastric banding. There were no side effects and no limits for consumption. They guaranteed that if you ate properly, you would lose weight. These “doctors” (were they truly doctors? I don’t know) took advantage of fat, vulnerable, depressed women. W5 (a Canadian TV investigative program) reported on this clinic, proving it was a scam. The band doesn’t work. The diet they put you on is so severe anyone would lose weight on it even without the lap band. In March of 2015, I traveled to Toronto to have the gastric banding operation. I attended at a medical clinic near St. George and Bloor Street. (The clinic is now closed and boarded up.) I lost weight before the operation because they put me on a strict liquid diet before and after the operation. But the minute I had a regular meal, I gained weight. Since I realized the band doesn’t work (and had confirmation of that), I had it removed on July 24th. I needed 6 small incisions all over my stomach. I recovered well from the operation with only the incisions hurting until they healed. And they healed great. I’m all better now. Now I can eat without it getting stuck. I can drink after eating. (With the band, you had to wait 10 minutes until you could drink or the liquid would get stuck behind the food.) I also could feel a foreign substance in my stomach and I’m so glad now that feeling has gone. I’m now involved with a class action lawsuit, but it’s just in the beginning stages. New news: After hiring someone to help with my novels, we decided to start with A Discerning Heart. It has a new cover (in the works), a new title: Sail to my Heart, a new subtitle: An Adult Folktale about a Fisherman, a Mermaid, and an Unexpected Life’s Lesson. And a new back cover blurb which is: ‘No friends. No family. No respect. As the worst fisherman in his village, lonely “Dim Jim” is an easy target and the butt of every joke. One day, the thought strikes him: “If I can do something truly extraordinary, I’m sure to be accepted!” So, Jim sets his sights on capturing the elusive green tail fish - a feat that locals have only fantasized about. Soon after setting sail, Jim encounters wicked storms, threatening a quick end to his plan - and quite possibly his life. Yet as luck would have it, Jim not only escapes a brush with death but also stumbles upon an amazing discovery that gives him the key to reinventing his life, allowing him to return home a local hero. Now catapulted to a position of power and fame, women and wealth were Jim’s for the taking, and he is finally happy … at first. But he can’t shake the anger and resentment buried deep inside himself. And as the fame and fortune wane, Jim’s vengeful nature and behaviors start to resurface, and people begin to wonder who he really is. But Jim will stop at nothing to prevent detection, while exacting unbridled revenge on anyone who crosses him. Enter a world of adventure, romance, and suspense in this gripping tale, with page-turning twists and a truly unexpected conclusion.’ It will be re-published in a couple of months. I’ll let you know when. Have fun, Patty On Thursday, June 14th, 2018, I flew home from London, England, after spending 5 days in Essex, 5 days in Ireland (Dublin and Cork) and 5 days in north London. I have 2 close friends in England. I met them in Israel in the early 1980s and we have remained friends ever since. I do telephone them every couple of months (it’s cheaper for me to call them) and we meet every 5 years or so but, when we meet, it’s like we were just together the week before. I’m very lucky to have them as friends. You may not believe this, but the weather was amazing. It was hot (25-27 Celsius) and sunny with blue skies every day. No one could believe the beautiful weather. I even got a good tan! I guess the highlight of the trip was visiting Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney stone. It was so busy that it took 2 hours waiting in line from outside the castle up to the stone, but luckily behind me was a lovely, young Belgium couple who chatted with me the whole time. Do you know how you have to kiss the stone? You have to sit down, lean back, hold onto 2 long poles, bend over and kiss the stone upside down. That was a lot of fun. Kissing the stone gives you the gift of eloquence. In Ireland, I spent my time between Dublin and Cork. I took the 2½ hour train ride between them and viewed some fabulous countryside. Saw lots of cows. The train is very comfortable with 4 seats on each side, facing each other with a table in between. There was a socket for plugging in anything and wifi on the train. Also a cart comes by with sandwiches, donuts, coffee, pop, etc. I had a delicious egg sandwich on a multi-grain bread and a fantastic cup of strong coffee. I enjoyed Dublin and Cork. Spent much time walking around the city centres. Dublin is very clean and huge with interesting modern homes with ancient churches and buildings. There were lots of trash containers with a place to put out a cigarette. It was very beautiful. While in Dublin, I went to the Guinness factory. You take the tour at your own pace, while reading plaques all over the 4 floors, all about making the Guinness beer. The 5th floor was a 360 degree window, highlighting Dublin. You also received a free pint of Guinness, which I loved. People here told me I wouldn’t like Guinness because it’s so dark and a stout, but I loved it. It’s so delicious. But, while in Cork, you drink a variety of Guinness called Murphy’s which is similar to Guinness but a little sweeter. Had a few pints of that at pubs in Cork. My last day in England was spent at the Globe theatre to watch the Shakespearean play: As You Like It. It was well acted and very funny. My seat was on the 3rd/top level right in front, but a family of parents and two young kids sat beside me and talked during the whole performance, driving me nuts. I gave them dirty looks but they didn’t stop.
At intermission, I spoke with the usher and asked if she could please tell them to not talk during the performance. I spent the intermission looking out a window at the crowd below. A few minutes later, the usher came up to me and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t tell them to stop talking but I will speak to the manager.” I thanked her and returned to my window. Then the manager came up to me and asked, “Would you like to move?” I said, “I’d love to,” and she pointed to a seat right in the front. She escorted me there and even gave me a free pillow. (The seats are all hard wood and you butt does get a little sore so was so nice to have a pillow to sit on.) The seat was fantastic in first row level with the stage. Pays to complain eh? All in all, it was a marvelous trip. I have learned to eat better after eating at my friends’ home because they both eat very healthy. I have also changed some other facets of my life because of the trip; like not drinking Glucerna every morning or listening to a movie before I go to bed. I didn’t do either of these things while away so got used to go without them. There’s nothing better than travelling somewhere and hearing new things, seeing new things and feeling new things. It’s always an experience and I always grow more as a person. Have fun, Patty I’m free for the first time in 22 years, and I couldn’t be happier. My poor Kira was put to sleep on Monday, April 9th, just shy of her 17th birthday. She was sick and might have died on her own in a few days, but I couldn’t let her suffer. I had the weekend with her and I gave her as much love as possible. I also took loads of pictures of her. She was so photogenic. That Monday morning, I woke up to 3 piles of shit on the floor, one I stepped in. I put her out in the backyard and she just walked around in circles. I had to go outside and carry her in, and she was shivering. I was with her when she died and it was very sad but damn it, I’m free. I just can’t believe it. It feels so weird to be here alone. I keep looking for Kira or in a panic that I have to put her out. She was a lot of work this past year, and I don’t think she ever truly acclimatized to this new home. I made a long list over the last few months of all the things I wanted to do after Kira dies. I’ve been planning trips for years, and now I can book them. I can’t believe I’m finally free to follow my dreams. First dream is to travel to England in June to visit two close friends. One friend and I are going to Ireland for 6 days. We’re landing in Dublin, where we’ll spend a few days, then renting a car and driving south to Cork where we’ll fly back to England. Another dream is to play in a poker tournament in Las Vegas. Through my poker site, I met a guy who lives in Kingston, Ontario. He’s been to Vegas over 30 times so he’s going to show me around Vegas; to all the poker tournaments and cheap places to eat. I’d love to spend a week just playing poker. And now we can plan that trip probably in October or November. In September, a friend and I are going to Ottawa for a few days. I haven’t been there since I was a kid and it’s such a great city. Lots of great restaurants and museums. I’d like to go through the parliament buildings because I haven’t done that yet. It’s very beautiful inside. In January, I’m going to an all inclusive resort in Jamaica for 9 days. I’m just going to sit in the sun with a book and a margarita. It will be so great having no responsibilities, and I won’t have to worry about anything but relaxing. So, my life has changed 100% and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a new chapter in my life and I look forward to living it. Have fun, Patty You probably don’t know this about me, but I love playing poker. I’ve been playing on a poker website called Pokerstars since 2005. I started out playing tournaments on free chips, but a few years later, I became brave enough to play for real money. Usually, the buy-in for the tourney was $1 or $2 so that was the most I could lose. As I did better, I began to play tourneys for more money. The tourney buy-ins now were from $3.50 to $8. I prefer playing in a tournament because you pay one fee and that’s all you can lose. If you play in a cash game, you could lose all your money in one hand, and that was too dangerous a possibility for me. So, I only play tournaments.
But playing online has many disadvantages. You don’t see anyone’s face so hard to tell if they are bluffing. And people play the worst hands just for fun but then they win. (I was just playing in an online tourney and I had Ace/Queen. The other guy had 7/6. The flop came up Ace, 4, 7. He went all in. Turn card was a 6 and river a 7 so where I had a pair of Aces, he had pulled out a full house. Bad beat.) A number of years ago, I played in some live tournaments hosted by a bar in East Hamilton. The buy-in was $60 and about 40 people played. I played in 3 tournaments and came second twice. Won $340 each time. Not bad eh? Tells are a big thing in poker. I’ve got a pretty good poker face, and I practice putting on my Spock. But while playing at that bar, the guys told me to wear sunglasses while I play poker because my eyes sparkle when I’ve got a good hand. For the past few years, I’ve been playing only online, but it does get old fast especially with those bad beats. I had to play live again. When I moved to Brantford, I knew there was a casino here and found out they held poker tournaments once a month. I scoped out the casino and found out where it was situated. But the problem was I didn’t know how long I would last in the tournament and I had Kira here at home. I couldn’t leave her all day. Luckily, I found a woman who works part-time at my vet and she could come for the day. So with that settled, I called the Poker Room to find out how to register for a poker tournament. I was told to come to the casino to get a membership, which I finally did. The place is only a 10 minute drive from my house. The Brantford Casino isn’t very big as far as casinos go. There’s only one restaurant (and it’s not buffet) and everything is on the second floor. There are about 10 blackjack tables. I saw lots of slots in another room and a couple of craps tables. There’s a large signing saying Poker Room, leading into another room in the back. It was quite quiet in there though a few tables were playing a cash poker game. I registered to play in the Sunday, March 11th, tournament, and I played in it yesterday. I was very excited but yet terrified as well. I had never played in a casino nor played for such large stakes. I didn’t know what kind of people would be playing or even how to manage the chips. I had no idea what kind of bets to make. But it was a challenge and I love taking on new and different challenges. I arrived 30 minutes early to the Poker Room. I signed in and received my table and seat number. Of course, I had troubles finding my way around but the dealers were already sitting at the tables and they helped me. When I sat down, I admitted to the dealer that this was my first time and could she help me out with a few things. She was very kind and I felt better after talking to her. The tournament began with 80 people at 11:00 a.m. There were 10 to a table. I noticed only two other women playing. When the play started, I was glad to receive some bad hands so I could watch the others play. I had to see what people bet and how they handled their cards. I was very nervous. But over time and after winning a couple of hands, I felt better. It was so much fun. I really enjoyed playing poker and I didn’t want it to end. I know this is something I want to continue with because it brought me so much joy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many good hands and the blinds go up quite high so when I received a pair 6s, I went all in. I lost out in 38th place. Only the top 11 are paid. First place was $3,800. So, not bad for my first time. I made a few mistakes so I look forward to redeeming myself. I feel much more confident to play now. I’m arranging it with my dog sitter when she would be able to come over again. I want to play in another tourney tomorrow but will have to wait until next month. I had come alive for the first time in months. I really needed this opportunity when I could just live for myself, and not have to worry about the dog. My dream is to play in Vegas. Never been there and dying to go. It would be fun playing poker every day for a week. One day. My publisher is making the final proofread of my new novel, Where True Beauty Lies: A Modernization of the Book of Esther, from the Bible. A modern spin on a biblical tale… In the country of Baltia, jealousy, deceit, and murderous intention simmer beneath the surface. What will it take to keep the peace, and bring the citizens of Baltia together? I’m meeting with the publisher on Thursday to see the book. So excited. Hopefully, it will be published and available on Amazon by the end of March. Have fun, Patty I had an incredible experience last week. I woke up Tuesday morning around 4 a.m. and I couldn’t breathe. It took me a few moments to catch my breath. Also, I had sharp pains in my back. I thought I had a heart attack, but then I fell back to sleep. When I woke up, I was worried about my health. My mother picked me up and drove me to the Brantford General Hospital. Since everyone knows me there (I volunteer in the emergency department every Wednesday), I was seen very quickly. A bed was found for me and I was immediately sent for blood tests, EKG and x-rays.
We didn’t have to wait too long for the doctor to tell me that I had a collapsed right lung. He asked if I had fallen? No. Was I hit in the chest? No. Have I been on an airplane? No. He then concluded that it was a spontaneous pneumothorax. These things can just happen for no reason. He immediately took me into a ward and operated on me by sticking a tube in my chest. While under the effects of anaesthesia, I just couldn’t believe there was something wrong with me. It was quite a shock. As I woke up, they asked me if I was okay. I replied, “I’m just pissed there’s something wrong with me.” The doctor patched me up well and sent me home, but every time I took a breath, I received a sharp pain in my chest. It was agonizing. I was put on Tylenol 3 with codeine but because I hadn’t been eating, I had terrible stomach pains so I didn’t sleep at all Tuesday night. Mom and I returned to the hospital the next afternoon. It took me a long time to be seen, about two hours until I was put into a treatment room. I had another x-ray. Then I sent my mother home because the doctor said I would have a clamp placed on the tube and I had to wait 2 hours to be x-rayed again to make sure the lung expanded. I waited 2-3 hours to be x-rayed again. Luckily, a young woman shared my space and we talked the whole time. She was sweet but suffering from terrible asthma. She kept me entertained. Then I had an x-ray with the clamp and it seems everything was good so the doctor took the tube out. She was excellent and it didn’t hurt. But by this time, it was around 12:30 a.m. She wanted me to have another x-ray before I went home but there was only one x-ray technician on duty at that hour and she was busy in the wards. After about 30 minutes, she finally took me in. Now, it’s 1:30 a.m. and I had been at the hospital since 2:30 p.m. I waited around for the doctor to tell me the results of the x-ray. I decided to go looking for a nurse and I told her I had to go home. I was exhausted. Finally saw the doctor and he said the lung was perfect so I dragged myself to the phone and called a taxi who had me home by 2 a.m. When I got home, I filled my mom in with everything that had happened then I went to bed sleeping for 12 hours and I woke up at 2 p.m. the next day. Everything went so fast that the few days are a blur. The doctors, nurses, volunteers and staff were excellent. Everyone was joking that I was on the wrong side and I just said, “I had to see how the other half lives.” If you get sick, I recommend the Brantford General. I was treated extremely well and had a very positive experience for such a serious nature. Here’s a link to the cover of my latest novel. Check it out and let me know what you think. onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21APBa8TaBKdVeI48&cid=784E93CB33C341EF&id=784E93CB33C341EF%211229&parId=784E93CB33C341EF%211168&o=OneUp Have fun, Patty You might never expect to hear this, but there’s lots of love in the waiting room of the emergency department at the Brantford General Hospital. Every Wednesday from noon to 3:00 p.m., I volunteer there. I sit on a chair with my back to a wall facing the waiting room, while I watch people and wait for the nurses to send me on errands.
All types of people enter the waiting room and make their way over to Triage window to get help with a problem. Every ethnicity, sexual orientation, and age group is represented. Many adults bring in a sick parent, or parents with sick children, or friends, and many couples. Everyone has someone to support them through this difficult time. Many parents come in carrying their sick child. They balance them in their arms while they retrieve their health card for the nurse. Constantly cuddling their child, they often take their temperature with a hand to the forehead. The children must feel love with all the kisses on their head and cheek. Some carry their baby or young child around the waiting room hoping to make them comfortable and to keep them from making any noise. Or the mother takes out any amount of toys from their Mary Poppin’s size bag. It’s amazing how well behaved these children are and it’s wonderful to see how much they are loved. The couples are very tender with each other. I often see a quick kiss or a tight hug. The sick women always rest their heads on their partner’s shoulder, and the sick men often have their wife’s arms around them. They are constantly worrying about their partner and they often solicit my help for a warm blanket or a glass of water. No one likes to get sick, but it’s wonderful when you have someone in your corner, caring for you; and so much so, they spend 2-4 hours sitting with you in a hospital’s waiting room. To have someone who will watch and look out for you is special. People often come up to me to ask when the nurse will get to them. I just smile and hope the triage nurse calls their names soon. One thing about all these people is they are always touching each other. Whether it be a hand to the back or on an arm or a leg. It’s lovely to see some adults take their parent’s hand to lead them to Triage while concern rests on their faces. I’ve witnessed many acts of love and kindness. In a place of such misery, it’s so life-affirming to see that people are truly loved, and it warms my heart. The big news is that I’ve finished my 6th novel, entitled Where True Beauty Lies: Based on the Book of Esther (from the Bible). It is now with the publisher for proofreading. After the president divorces his wife, he marries a young woman who not only changes his life but the lives of the people of Baltia. The story celebrates many galas, banquets and parties, and originated the Jewish festival of Purim. We still have to decide on a cover, but I’ll let you know when it’s published and made available on Amazon. Have fun, Patty I don’t know about you, but I love volunteering. My mother started me off when I was a kid at the local Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). I ended up volunteering at the CNIB for many years. It was a treatment centre and residence for children in their teens or 20s who were blind and developmentally handicapped. I did many different jobs at the CNIB, such as, the pet corner where I would teach the children how to look after animals. A few wanted to get a cat and I’d help them with that. For a year, I travelled from one guy’s house to the SPCA (animal shelter) where he played with the cats while I supervised. I also was involved with some fund raising events.
No matter where I was, I would find somewhere to volunteer. While in university, I helped a blind woman with her classes mostly by reading her books and lessons so she could type them in Braille. I kept in touch with her for many years and was there when she received her guide dog. She never stopped smiling and it was beautiful to see her walk with her head held high. When I moved to Brantford, and since I knew no one here, I thought it would be best for me to find some volunteer jobs. I signed up first with the Brantford General Hospital. I work in the emergency waiting room which is a lot of fun because it always changes. You’ll never know who you are going to meet and what will happen that day. I also joined the volunteer team at the Grand River Community Health Centre. My first job was to interview all the volunteers and write their profiles. I enjoyed that so much and it also encouraged me to write. When I finished the 45 profiles, my new job became taking pictures of events and programs at the centre. I love taking photos so I’m loving this job. I also recently spent 7 hours compiling surveys for a staff member. When I have a free afternoon, I go to the SPCA to hug the cats. I don’t want another cat (had to put down my 20 year old cat last year) but I do enjoy them so it’s fun to play with them. I definitely don’t look at the dogs. I don’t want any reason to get another. When Kira dies, I want to be free for a few years. Volunteering is very important to me because it gets me out of the house. An author’s life is a lonely one since you work at home alone. I need a reason to be around people. Also, since I’m still new to Brantford, I need to meet the community. But, of course, that satisfaction you receive when you’ve done something positive with your day is always a great feeling. My work is appreciated and many people say ‘thank you’ when I’ve helped them, which is always nice to hear. We have to give more of ourselves to our community, making it a better place to live. What’s great about volunteering is you can volunteer anywhere and do anything that interests you. Also for young people, volunteering is essential to learn new skills and improve their abilities. I volunteered many places when I was without a job and sometimes those opportunities turned into paid work. So, I encourage you to volunteer, if it’s possible. I know many people are very busy with their lives but, if you have the time, you should try it. I love dogs. My parents adopted a Miniature Schnauzer when I was about 4 years old. I named him Muffin after my favourite character in my favourite show: Mr. Dressup. After Muffin, my parents adopted Hutch (a yellow lab), Maddie and then Christie (both golden retrievers). They were all great dogs. For a year, I volunteered with the SPCA until it got too hard to leave the dogs in those little cages. Considered buying a farm and adopting all the dogs, but that was, of course, unrealistic. I have also worked at a kennel for a year, cleaning up lots of doggie poo, but I learned so much about the breeds. In 2005, I decided to adopt my first dog, and I wanted a big one. One day, I was reading the classifieds and saw an ad giving away a puppy. I called the owner and she said Sheba was half lab and half poodle so I’m thinking a large dog. When I got to her house, the owner was sitting on her front porch with little Sheba (what a terrible name for a dog) on a rope. I asked the woman about the dog and she told me she had never been taken on a walk, never in a car, never anywhere but the backyard. At a year old, she still wasn’t even house broken. I looked at her and her ribs were showing. I realized I couldn’t leave her with this woman so I took her home and immediately changed her name to Kira. The rope around Kira’s neck was so worn that it took 10 minutes to cut it off. I took her for a walk at Churchill Park, Westdale, Hamilton, Ontario. The park has a path through the woods with hills on either side so I thought this would be a good place to take Kira. When we got there, I let Kira off the leash. Poor thing thought she had died and gone to heaven. She has never strayed from me. Kira is now 16½. She will be 17 in May. She is deaf and blind so can’t be taken for walks anymore. She loves to eat but is still trim at about 25 pounds. Because of her white and tan colouring, she doesn’t look her age, but she is a lot of work now. I have to stay up until at least 11 p.m. to let Kira out. I have to wait that long because she usually will poo by then. I have to get up at 7 a.m. to put her out before she messes in the house, which, unfortunately, happens often. I love Kira more than life itself, but I need to get away on a vacation. The first place I’d like to go is to an all inclusive somewhere in the Caribbean; I don’t care where. I just want to sit on a beach with a good book and a margarita, but I can’t go until Kira dies. She’s just too much work for my mother or anyone else. When Kira dies, I’m going to take a break from pets to travel for a few years. If I miss having a dog, I can foster one for a few weeks, then give it back and travel. After I’ve been everywhere I want to go, I will get another dog, probably a golden retriever from Golden Rescue.
So, in the meantime, I’m looking after my sweet old dog, giving her as much love as possible. |
Patty Lesser
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