Wednesday with Mom!

8/26/09 Today I was really hungry (I ate two whole helpings!)...maybe that's why I am so restless sometimes before bedtime. I suppose I'd best finish my dinner before I get so excited about my bedtime cookie because Mom puts the food away then. Gotta remember that.

Our walk was great today but when I see those shapes that must be people or dogs across the street from us, I get really skiddish. I know Mom begins to get impatient when I keep turning around as if they are going to come up behind me or something. It sucks to not see very well even though my sense of smell also helps get me through. We met a neighbor today who always labels me arthritic. Today she said, "looks like we have arthritis" and Mom replied, "oh, I'm so sorry" which took her by surprise. It seems to make Mom sad when people point out that I don't walk quite as well as I used to. I'm just happy I can go for my walks at all, but we do remember the good ole days, too.

Then Mom went out for a while again. Darn, I'd have been okay with that, but I woke up after she left. I got so lonely again that I was crying loudly when she came back. After she comforted me and gave me a treat I settled right back in for my long nap.

Yummy smelling freshly blended food, even with some sweet potato mixed in (I love sweet potatoes!) and I tipped the whole thing over, box and fancy dish included! I was so afraid I would go hungry since Mom took it away then. But she was just cleaning up the mess...whew! Sometimes I get so disoriented especially if there isn't enough light that Mom has to put my face in the dish not to mention pulling me out of dark corners. She sure works hard for me sometimes...

Tuesday with Mom!

8/25/09 I thought I might need to go out very early this morning, but found a comfortable position and was able to let Mom sleep for another few hours. Today I just felt like eating instead of walking. This was sort of a good thing so Mom could get her walk in during the best time of the morning for a change.

This afternoon she spent a lot of time at the little box on the table. Think she was doing more reminiscing by sharing pictures with friends.

It was really heartwarming to hear Mom say that she not only loves me but respects me when Day tried to explain that we have a very special bond. It's not like a mother & child but something even more comforting. Difficult to explain. They also must appreciate my qualities because they both agreed that the world would be well served if I come back over and over in human male form.

Once again it's about bedtime and I'm ready for my bedtime snack. Mom gives me a 'chewy'. I used to love my fresh beef bones and rawhide--the bigger the better, but now I can't get my teeth into those so well. So she gives me pressed meat sticks (think they have some supplements for my old bones) with natural toothpaste on them. She really is trying to keep my mouth healthy even though we both know my teeth aren't very good anymore. Sure don't want to have tests and be 'put under' for the cleaning so I'm really happy this is working so far.

Monday with Mom!

8/24/09 All is well again. Not quite so hot these days so Mom doesn't have such a challenge to get both of our walks in early enough to 'beat the heat'.

No real mishaps eating.

Then the day turned exciting. My other friend Day visited. She comes once a month to give Mom a long massage. Since she also loves me lots, she always takes the time to give me some of her healing love energy, putting her warm gentle hands on me right where it feels best. I really like that. And she also takes the time to talk and listen to me just like she does between visits from afar. Mom knows that she checks in with me which gives her lots of comfort. Day made sure Mom knew that through this blogging I'm helping her reminisce along with me. That's how I spend all the very quiet or asleep time I'm getting these days--enjoying the good times. I also told Day that I'm going to be lucky enough to choose the time I finally get to go be with Katie and the other dogs. I made sure Mom knows that I don't really want to continue getting more and more feeble so I'm finding myself looking forward to putting on my young body and mind again in the not too distant future now. I believe that Mom and I have shared and learned almost all we can from one another and it’s about time for both of us to begin new adventures.

To end the day perfectly Mom got to enjoy another conversation by phone with our buddy Andrea who also sensed these same loving things.

Very beautiful white/silver/gold angel light filled our house today!

Week end with Mom!

8/22/09 Mom did it again, took me for my walk first and then had to walk when it was a bit too warm for her. Afterward she had to run a quick errand. She thought since I was eating so I'd not miss her so much, but when I noticed she was gone, that sick 'separation anxiety' feeling overcame me again. I was crying when she got back. I just don't like not having her here!

But then I finished my breakfast and managed to knock over my fancy dish for the second time. Today's food isn't my favorite--that's why I didn't just 'dig right in'. I just wonder what's wrong with serving me the same food over and over? Seems to me if I am eating one kind then maybe it's a human thing to want variety when I'd be happy as a clam to simply eat what I LIKE.

And Mom might have to buy me a dog dish afterall, but in the meantime she has put the dish in a box that she 'fancied up' with a colorful plastic bag. Think the bag might also be to help keep the box clean... It worked for my final feast today.

8/23/09 Today my friend/neighbor Susan showed up after my morning nap to let me out, chat a bit and be sure I had plenty to eat, so I knew Mom must have been out having some "away time" again. In fact Susan was here and Mom startled her when she returned. I really am glad that Mom has such a good neighbor who can help her take some breaks from the quiet fun we have. The evening and night time sleep was one of the best in a long time. So just goes to show that some R&R is a very good thing, eh?!

Friday with Mom!

8/21/09 We just had to sleep in today after the long night last night--so sadly no walks. Mom does her inside exercise on days like this since it gets too hot to walk later. She finally woke me at 7:30 and boy, I needed to go! Sure enjoyed breakfast from my fancy new dish, but Mom is just feeding me about 1/2 a dish at a time--guess she's not sure yet that I won't spill it.

As I watched Judy work with her plants this morning it brought to mind how I used to root in the dirt of the plants on the floor. That made quite a mess, so she put rocks in them that are still there even though I don't do that anymore. I used to really like eating the 'droppings' in the back yard, too and Mom is pretty glad I outgrew that, too.

Spilled my first 'fancy dish' of food, but just tipped and not much in it, so I could tell Mom wasn't too upset--especially since I didn't walk in it, too. Turns out maybe Moms are smart afterall.

A big wind came up this afternoon...going to try to keep it from affecting me. When I was still just a pup, my playfulness seemed to change into fearfulness especially of noises of various kinds, and they didn't even have to be loud noises. Really can't remember what might have happened to cause this... Even the 'click' when the furnace came on, for example drove me up the walls. My hearing seemed to be maybe a bit too good! I would even be 'clingy' sometimes and if Mom wasn't available I'd try to get to as high a place as I could find. When I was just inconsolable, Mom would give me 'potions' to help keep me calm, like Calms, Rescue Remedy and sometimes a bit of Kava Kava. Now that I can't hear at all or see very well those noises aren't a problem but I can sense lots of what's happening. Unsettling but definitely more peaceful.

Thursday with Judy!

8/20/09 Had a great walk again this morning early enough that it was nice and cool. I sure do appreciate Mom's being willing to put her walk off for me. I also know that means sometimes she is the one who has to endure more heat or even forego her walk entirely. The things she does for me!

This morning my right ear made me shake my head so Mom got out the cleaning stuff again. We have to do this every few days since gunk seems to build up and is very irritating. While I really appreciate her getting it out of there and it feels good when she is cleaning it, I'm not crazy about her messing with my ears which doesn't really make sense, does it?!

Rested well even though I didn't feel like eating too much before. In the late afternoon when it WAS time to eat I made up for it again. On my last helping my 'genius' Mom figured out how to elevate my food without buying expensive pet dishes. I am now eating from a stemmed dish like some high class aristocrat or something. It really worked, too--didn't spill a drop or knock it over and was able to just step right over it. Sure hope it keeps working since it makes me feel special.

Oops! Right at bedtime Mom wasn't paying close enough attention to get me outside before I "puddled" on the floor. Thank goodness the big rugs she worked so hard to finally put down were on the 'dry side' of my barricades. Then she had to put me in my bed 5 or 6 times before I got the idea it was bedtime. Then an hour later I popped out of bed until she took me outside twice watching me do nothing for about an hour offering me water because she knew I wasn't hungry. Eventually after her waves of frustration passed, she simply petted me to sleep.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day--hopefully filled with prettier colors!

Wednesday with Judy!

8/19/09 While I love my days of leisure like yesterday, I forget just how much I enjoy being outside for my morning walks, sniffing all the new smells like today. When I was a kid, besides doing my tricks & eating, going for my walks was my favorite thing! Mom loved that I could keep up or even get ahead of her and that I would have walked to the end of the earth with her. One time, I remember, I wanted to keep going even when I got way too hot--so Mom took me home to cool off. Now I wear Hawaiian shirts when I'm outside during the summer and of course coats for winter. I have quite a wardrobe. My friend Susan bought the colorful shirts for me. I think this has something to do with how my coat suddenly thinned a few years ago. It isn't itchy, but my skin is awful. Mom was really sad that I lost my glossy, silky black coat. She tried everything from getting me tested to extra vitamins and lotion, even puts fish oil in my food, but nothing seemed to help. Before she always said my hair barely needed any combing it was so manageable, now it doesn't really even need combing! Guess now she's afraid without hair I might sunburn or something without my snazzy shirts.

And as for the walking, I think all of my cousins and I had a 'leg up' on other puppies. When we began walking Mom made sure it was on pieces of carpeting so our legs developed properly. Surely that's one of the reasons I could enjoy all my long, brisk walks throughout my life and why I'm still able to get around as well as I do--even though I'm a bit wobbly now.

Had a really, really long nap this morning/afternoon. Think Mom went out during that time, but no sweat! I see she has tried to block all the places I find myself stuck in now that my new 'roaming area' is smaller, but I still found myself wedged between two big flower pots after I ate. I'm not exactly sure how & why that happens: might have something to do with my not seeing too well. I'll bet she'll take care of it for me though...

Was a bit antsy last night until Mom made it clear that I needed to stay in bed, then I just seemed to melt into the softness of my bed.

Tuesday with Judy!

8/18/09 Well, Mom just plain 'tuckered herself out' today going away with one of her friends. I thought I heard her talking to someone about that yesterday. I don't like to have my Mom away and especially don't like being here all alone, but it also makes me happy to see her get away from the work and worry of me sometimes. I was sleeping when she left which was good. In a way look forward to these days, though since my good buddy Susan gets to visit me. She comes several times and always seems to have the time to pet me and chat--AND feed me cookies as well as food! So I like her visits a lot. She lives right across the street and even loved Katie! I hope Mom tells her that she can come and visit me even when she's not away...

I was pretty good--only had a small accident near my bowl. Also wanted Mom to know that Susan held my bowl up for me so I didn't have to bend down so far to eat and that made it easier for me--maybe Mom can do that, too or even get me a little 'dining table' or something. Not that I want to be pampered but would like to be able to eat easier which makes Mom happier, too. Boy, seems like my focus is on food lately, but then that's one of my favorite things these days.

Sometimes I simply amaze myself! Mom put me to bed around 8:30 last night since she was so tired after playing and coming back to all the work I make for her. She actually woke me up about 12:30 when she thought I must need to go potty. I tried SO hard, since I figured she wouldn't sleep well unless I did, but after about 1/2 hour I just couldn't go for her. So she put me back to bed and I slept until she woke me again about 6:30 a.m.! Don't know how I possibly do this, especially with all the extra moisture in my food--think it's from trying so hard to be good for my Momma!

Monday with Judy!

8/17/09 Boy! did I ever feel like "truckin'" on our walk today. I think not only the cooler air helps but also Mom's happier attitude seems to just spill over to me--fun seeing the pretty colors again. Didn't feel like eating much before my morning nap (not too crazy about this brand of food, so waiting for the next kind). I think Judy is learning not to worry about that, remembering I'll eat when I'm hungry.

This morning I did some running in my dreams...think I saw Katie who was willing to play with me which was nice. Great food when I got up--even with the supplements. I think Mom's hit on my favorite--and I think she likes it, too, since it looks and smells like 'people' chicken stew. She seems so pleased with herself when she serves it to me. It tasted so good I sorta pigged out; think I may have eaten a whole can!

This was a day filled with happy, calm colors even though I noticed that Judy enclosed my 'wandering' area with a long pillow. Now it looks like I only get to roam the kitchen and dining/office room when I'm not napping or eating--until bedtime. But, you know, Mom is almost always right here in the office part of the dining room sitting at her little table looking at the box on top of it, so I might get used to it. And I could just grow to like not having to figure out where I am in the whole house.

Life is good!

Judy's AUGUST Art Sharing!

Judy’s
Art of the Month Newsletter

August 2009 Vol. 5, Edition 49

If at the end of the day you feel dog tired maybe it’s because you growled all day.

Church sign in New Brunswick, Canada

Greetings!

http://www.judysartadventures.com/

Thank you for your continued interest in my artistic gifts and passion for animals, travel and nature (it’s my honor to share my photographs, drawings, egg carvings, urns and more)!

Black Jack here: by now most of you know that Judy began blogging about our life together. It was all about how discouraging all my extra care is now that I’m old. So she turned it over to me and we’re both enjoying both the blog AND living together much more now.

Take a look at the pencil drawing that she did of me in 1992 just after I turned one year old—and the photo she used to draw it.

Please feel free to pass my blog and website info on to others like yourself who enjoy my creations.

As always, if you would like your Judith K. Nelson artwork spotlighted, please let me know and I will do a “special edition newsletter” just for you!

If you ever have any questions or might want to ‘brainstorm’, let me know.

Artist Extraordinaire

Judith K. Nelson, aka “Judy”

www.JudysArtAdventures.com

If would like to get a copy of this Newsletter emailed to you in the future,

please let me know so I can put you on the mailing list! Thanks!

Then if you change your email address, please let me know so I can keep you on my list!

Sunday with JUDY!

8/16/09 Today I realized that "Mom" Judy has been having a really hard time with things lately. It makes me sad to see her so discouraged. Maybe if she sees it all through my eyes it will free her up to remember some of the many fun, loving, happy times we've had over all these 18+ years. Maybe I'll get to see the beautiful colors of her happier self come back!

When I was a puppy I loved to eat (and still do!). Why, I even ate so much one time while still nursing from my birth mother Sassi that I blew up like a balloon and was pretty miserable for a while. Today I got a bit confused on our walk, since all I wanted to do was go back and eat! (Seems when I hesitated to eat my food with the 'stuff' in it, Mom thought I was ready to go walking.) I'm going to try hard to eat my food with all the stuff in it since it must be good for me. I sure am happy Mom makes my food into soup. Something is going on with my tongue or mouth that I just can't seem to keep the harder food in my mouth very well anymore--but soup works. Judy is the best!

The days begin better when I am able to sleep quietly most of the night so Mom does, too... I just can't figure out why I don't feel like staying in my very comfy bed sometimes which seems to make Mom a bit restless. So I did better this night. I'm doing all I can to help Mom feel better like she does for me.

$$ Deposit for today!

GOOD MORNING “GZILLIONAIRES”!!

Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.

Unknown

From: The Universal Bank of Infinite Abundance (UBIA)

Officially approved by the CEO of the Universe

Administrator: Angel of Abundance

August 16, 2009

Deposit into YOUR account: $132,000 - One hundred thirty-two thousand Dollars

We all know our thinking influences all areas of our lives including our finances. Don’t we all also know by now that money is NOT evil nor is it a virtue to be poor!? Instead the Universe is conspiring in every moment for our greater good!

Some live, however, only with the illusion of prosperity and not the true spiritual freedom that is the heart of this law. Perhaps we are not financially free because we are carrying a lot of debt. If the major portion of our money is going toward our bills we aren’t living a financially free life.

Buying more stuff won’t make us prosperous. Having all the money we need when we need it makes us prosperous! Wealth means ’well-being’ and that takes financial freedom. Credit in America can give anyone the short-term appearance of wealth with the long-term effect of great financial burden—not freedom.

SO WHAT DO WE DO?? Trust the God of our being. Trust the spiritual principles of goodness to lift us into a new experience of wealth and opportunities as we develop the mind-set to accept that wealth. Then (and this is most important) wait upon the law of life to deliver. Don’t charge and pray, pray and expect the money to flow. Don’t spend until you have the money to do so. This is a true demonstration of spiritual prosperity.

Let’s shift our concepts of wealth and watch our lives shift in response!

From “True Prosperity” by Kathianne Lewis

SUGGESTED AFFIRMATIONS:

I FEEL/KNOW/AM spiritually RICH, moment-to-moment, day-by-day!

The Universal Laws have no choice but to produce what I am passionately feeling and focusing on—I choose wisely!

I EXPECT the money to FLOW!!

With COMPLETE TRUST let’s spend ALL of our $132,000 deposit!

Saturday with Black Jack!

8/15/09 This a.m. I decided to put Black Jack's vitamins back into his food. Suddenly a few months ago he decided no longer to eat his usual food so I took him off of it and put him on the canned which he devoured with no problem. At that point I wasn't quite sure if it was his dry dog food or all the 'stuff' I added. Well, today he readily lapped up the food with the supplements added, so 'Mom' feels better.

Then we both got our walks in--boy, the days feel better when that happens... and it's easier to get him nested in for his long afternoon nap, today so I could go to another movie.

So happy my attitude was 'refreshed' from a better night's sleep since after being gone only 3 hours to another movie I had quite a mess to clean up. Apparently Jack didn't get all his 'duties' done before I left, hard as I tried to see to it! Once again I must say I could use a 'twin' to help keep up with all the work as well as to commiserate with sometimes. He has been ravenous all day--don't know whether to keep on feeding him until he refuses since the ramifications of that aren't too good (getting up lots of times tonight)... LOVE that he's enjoying his food again, but...

Sad to say that this was one of those frustrating days when I felt as if all I accomplished was blending & serving food then cleaning up after! And after another stop-&-go night, even this self-professed cheerleader is finding it tough to see the silver lining day after day... And of course this brings on a myriad of emotions knowing what a HUGE hole there will be in my life when it's all over, feeling guilty for not realizing that joy and love in every moment. Hopefully Sunday will be a brighter day.

Friday with Black Jack!

8/14/09 Up at 5 a.m. to be ready to go out to breakfast with a girlfriend at 7:30 or 8...and that's just about how much time needed (withOUT our daily walks!) to get my boy watered, fed, duties done and settled in for his morning nap. Wish I could clearly describe what it's like to blend a nice juicy bowl of food for him and have him dance a joyful jig around it commencing with prancing right into it!

My respite out with the girls sure did help with the attitude and restored some vigor to my life. However, I returned to Black Jack wandering the house. He developed 'separation anxiety' even when Katie Lou was his constant companion. So, as soundly as he sleeps, it usually works now that I can get him into one of his naps and he never knows I'm gone. But it's pretty heart breaking on those occasions when I return to his mournful howl, not knowing how long he's been in distress before my arrival.

Wasn't quite diligent enough this evening during Jack's 'feeding frenzy' to get him outside quite soon enough. Scrubbed the floor realizing there is no way I'm keeping up with the cleaning sufficiently! Think I'll hire a whole cleaning crew first thing when Jack decides he's ready to go...

Calming sleep interrupted a few times, but no fault to be assigned after the heaping helpings of food my boy consumed mixed with water!

Thursday with Black Jack!

8/14/09 Heavenly clouds and cooler weather emancipated us from the rush to avoid mandatory exile from the punishing Arizona sun this time of year. Also relaxing was watching Black Jack eat several breakfasts as well as lunches, making up for lost meals yesterday. So for now I guess he's just doing as I should, too--eating when he's hungry! Pretty quiet day again, just some necessary foot scrubbing...

To explain the sometimes night time experience...Jack acts like the proverbial "jack-in-the-box" in that he doesn't seem to want to stay in his memory foam padded bed at bedtime. I would so like to get into his head and know just what he needs since he's always been fed, watered, and toilet duties taken care of at that point. It's particularly frustrating when I have to jump out of bed numerous times in the couple of hours when my sleep should be the most sound! I need to keep him in his bed overnight, otherwise he wanders, bumping into things and sometimes even gets himself under the bed which needless to say is very difficult to correct. I am SO blessed though, that mostly he sleeps up to 10 hours overnight without even having to go outside to relieve himself.
...and it turned out to be one of those restful nights...

Wednesday with Black Jack!

8/13/09

With the mixed blessing of sleeping in, we had time to go for Jack's walk. Judy will do 'plan B' inside for my daily exercise to avoid the rising heat. I'm wondering if the aroma therapy I tried the last two nights has helped with some more peaceful sleep...maybe for Jack, too. Will continue to 'monitor' that!

Today was less 'adventuresome' than others in that there was a lot of sleeping going on (just him...not me) after Jack's walk. Seemed he didn't care to eat as much as I'd like to have him eat, so I grilled him some chicken breast and blended that with sweet potato along with his food. He's working on it for the third time now, only having stepped in it a few times.

It was a restless night with not much sleep on my part again, but then we dozed off to pretty wicked thunderstorms. It was tough to send my little '90 yr old' Black Jack out in the rain to do his 'business' but eventually things let up so he could relax into it. The thunder & lightening brought back vivid memories of the difficult problem we had with Jack's fearfulness during the early part of his life. Loud or unusual sounds used to leave him quaking to the point that I needed to give him Calms and Rescue Remedy--and he seemed to have too-acute hearing! Last night I observed him not even flinch while outside during a deafening clap of thunder followed by blinding lightening. But I believe his other senses were telling him the energy in the air was different and so he was on edge most of the night.