The End of a Pack

Most people thought we were crazy! Why do you need four dogs? We didn't need four dogs they came into our lives at different times. It started with the two sisters Alex is at the bottom and Toni is at the top. We lost Alex after 2 years because she ran out in front of a car. She was my pick from the litter. We lost Max the terrier and Sam the black lab within a couple of months apart in 2010 of sickness They were both 12 years old. Toni was the last one left and man was it hard to let her go. She was 14 years old. Her hips had arthritis, she couldn't see or hear very well and worst of all her mind was starting to go. She would walk in a big circle all around the house over and over. We would let her out, make sure she had food and water but she just kept walking. We would take her in for cortisone shots in her hips to keep her comfortable. We thought maybe it just hurt to lay down but she just kept walking in circles until she was just so tired. We knew what had to be done but then it was Christmas time and we just couldn't do it.

Today was finally the day we had to let her go. Our wonderful "co-parent" as my husband called her. She was wonderful with our kids...

I have hundreds of photos I could share but I think you get the idea. And there you have it, the end of a pack.

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The Legacy of Inspiration

Dear Dennis,
Your family is ok. They all miss you but they are doing as well as can be expected. Emily and I made arrangements for our kids so we could be there for them. It's a very odd reality that you are gone. The stories that people are sharing all surround your love for swimming, cycling and fitness. You have touched so many people's lives that the stories will go on and on.

It's hard to believe that I have known you since I was five years old. I remember you being the swim coach. I remember you cycling to and from Dobie high school every day. I always thought you were cool because you were listening to the latest music while tinkering with the green van out in the garage. We were just in that garage today unloading your things that were in boxes.

Scott is doing a triathlon on Monday. I have no doubt that you will be with him. I was reading over all your stats again from all the records that you have held. When we do get together to celebrate your life it's going to be packed with people whose lives you have influenced and inspired. Who knows, maybe some of us will end up doing a triathlon in your memory.


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And Then There Was One...

She's all alone now without her puppy pals. When my husband and I first got together we took in two sister puppies Alex and Toni. They were our children before our children, that was back in January of 1998. As time past we accumulated two more puppies, Max and Sam. Yes, we had a total of four dogs at one time. Alex was hit by car when she was three years old. August 10th of this year we lost Sam to cancer.
Last night Max was looking at me, it was an awful feeling. I knew he was suffering. He could not sit or lay down. He kept walking around the house until he was so exhausted he couldn't move any more. It was about 1am when I woke my husband up to let him know this would be a situation he would be dealing with in a few hours.

As I got the kids ready this morning he was calling the vet and trying to get work done at the same time. He took off with the dog. After I got all my little people where they needed to be I went to the vet so my husband could go to work. When I arrived his car wasn't there. I finally reached him by phone and he told me that they put Max down. He told me how he had to hold Max while they did the procedure and how he fought it till the end. That was the most horrible piece of information but I guess he needed to share. Then he started talking about the cost of what had just happened. I couldn't help but be furious.
This is why my husband deals with this stuff, he's more logical about these things. Me, I'm very emotional. I don't think I would have been able to do what he did today. I would have brought the dog home to bury him here. I wouldn't have calculated the expense and that would have put us in a bad place financially. My whole family is suffering a loss today. He was a fantastic dog and so loyal. We picked him up off the streets of Pasadena. He loved kids, candy and good belly rub.

When I returned home the house was so quiet without him. He was the loud jumpy one of the bunch. He always made sure that you noticed him! Toni gave me this sad look. I'm not sure how to explain it. She knows he's not coming back. This is something we really didn't think about getting dogs all around the same age. We never really expected them to die so quickly one right after the other. If we lose Toni this year it's going to be really hard to handle. We haven't told our kids yet. I'm not looking forward to it. We are going to miss you Max! I'm just glad that you aren't suffering any more.

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Goodbye Old Friend - R.I.P.

This morning we had to make the decision to allow our dog Sam to be with God. Her diagnosis was cancer. She was going on 12 years old this November. She is one of three of our dogs. She was the most playful dog and even up to this morning she still had a lot of puppy left in her. She liked to dig in the water, fetch tennis balls and chase birds or squirrels. We are going to miss her so much.


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Patrick Swayze - Dirty Dancing Legend

 

photo courtesy of ScrapeTv.com 

Today we lost a dancing legend to pancreatic cancer at the young age of 57. When Dirty Dancing came out Em and I waited at the video store for 3 hours just to rent it. We were waiting for the person who rented it to return it to the video store. I can't believe we did that, we must have really want our Patrick Swayze fix. He was in The Outsiders and Ghost but really, who can forget Dirty Dancing? I'm so glad that his mom made him take dance lessons. We will miss that Texas southern charm!

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They Say It Comes In Threes

They say it comes in threes, what comes? Death. It's hard to believe that we have lost three different icons so quickly. It's even more scary when you have grown up with these stars. These deaths make you reflect on your own existence. How can they not?

photo courtesy of weblogs.newsday.com

Ed McMahon 3/6/23 - 6/23/09

"Here's Johnny!" Ed McMahon would say. I remember staying up as a little girl to watch Johnny Carson. Do you remember Star Search? I watched that too.

photo courtesy of ecanadanow.com

Farah Fawcett 2/2/47 - 6/25/09

What teenage guy didn't have this poster hanging in his room? I know my big brother did so I remember Farrah pretty well. I remember watching Charlie's Angels too. Female heroins were pretty new along with Linda Carter as Wonder Woman and Lindsey Wagner as The Bionic Woman.

Michael Jackson 8/29/58 - 6/25/09

And then there is "The King of Pop" Michael Jackson. This video is how I remember Michael Jackson. I remember when my mother and I first saw him do the moon walk, we were floored! It was so cool. Oh sure he was legendary with Jackson 5 but he really changed the world when he went solo. He put his stamp on the world and his death reminds me of when Elvis died. I remember very clearly as a little girl the world mourning Elvis. Children now will remember the world mourning Michael Jackson.

It's a strange feeling when many of your childhood pop icons begin dying. It makes you think about your own mortality. Are you doing everything you want to do? Are you getting rid of all those poisonous relationships? Are you at peace with yourself? Have you said everything you want to say to the people that you love? Life is truly short and unpredictable.

Maya's Mom closing on September 30, 2008

As much as I try to be in the loop it looks like I missed this one. Maya's Mom was really the first community that I enjoyed being a part of when I began networking. I was invited by Mama Saga aka Mamanista.com. It was a fine community to be part of. They are closing and moving on to Baby Center. I'm not sure who all will make the move but I'm going to find out. I was just going to add a Kiddism to my page too. I'm adding it here instead as sort of a last send off.




Son - "I can't wait to be a daddy!"
Me - "Why?"
Son - "Because then all I have to do is play on the computer and do math problems all day!"

Thanks for the good times Maya's Mom.

Bernie Mac - Thanks For The Laughs

Good-bye Bernie and thanks for the laughs. I was going to put part of his comedy act on my weekly playlist but after listening to it again I decided not to. Then I thought about putting a clip from You Tube but once again decided some of the material was just too much. If you want to hear some of his stand up routines go to You Tube - there is plenty there.

Raucous Comedian Bernie Mac Dead at 50 - from AOL

CHICAGO (Aug. 9) - A publicist says Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor and comedian Bernie Mac has died at age 50.

Publicist Danica Smith says Bernie Mac died early Saturday at a hospital in the Chicago area of complications due to pneumonia.

Getty Images

At the age of 50, comedian-actor Bernie Mac has died after being hospitalized with pneumonia for nearly a week. In the days before his death, publicists for Mac said he was responding well to his treatments.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but he had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently had been hospitalized and treated for pneumonia. Mac had starring roles in "Ocean's Eleven," "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.