Babette's birthday wish

In my experience, a birthday party for a 4 year old can get kind of crazy!  So, when Babette came over to celebrate her 4th birthday I was expecting it to get pretty rowdy.

Especially considering that Babette is a dog.

Babette, or “Babs”,  is a Boxer/AmStaf mix and was rescued by Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue in Cincinnati, OH.     Babs is an extremely well behaved, self-controlled, wiggly ball of adorableness.    Don’t get me wrong, Babs certainly was curious and wanted to explore everything.  Like the cake…

We really did not have to worry about her tearing up her birthday photo set, or devouring her birthday cupcake.   Babette’s most favorite thing in the whole wide world is to snuggle with her human friends. As her foster mom put it she is a “world class snuggler”.  If that happens to be a human male friend then that is the icing on the cake for Babs.  See, Babs is kind of a flirt and will make “googly” eyes at any man that provides attention to her.   She also loves to run and play, (she is a Boxer mix don’t you know).    She has the best time with her foster dog brothers and even enjoys the occasional foster puppy.    Babette would prefer dogs her own size, which is about 45 pounds, or larger.   Small dogs and cats are not really her cup of tea.   Did I mention she loves men??!!!   It’s almost a little embarrassing to her foster mom how brazen she is to get attention from men!

The only thing Babette would like for her birthday is to find her forever home.  We don’t know why that hasn’t happened in the almost 2 years Babs has been in foster care with the Rescue.   Her foster parents love her dearly, but want so much for Babs to have her very own family.  Babs would need an owner that can establish firm boundaries and introductions to any other dogs in the household (remember no small dogs or cats for Babs).   Ideally, her new family is very active and includes a man so Babs can get plenty of exercise and make googly eyes until the cows come home!!

Please join me in wishing Babette a “Happy Birthday” and spread the word that she is taking applications to meet potential adopters.   (www.louieslegacy.org)

Now blow out your candle Babs…I hope your birthday wish comes true soon!!

Project 52 - Family

After taking a break for the past two weeks due to travel and the Thanksgiving holiday, I was really itching to get back to the blog!

This week's theme is family.  If you are really lucky, like I am, you were able to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by family and loved ones.  This year was very different for me.  It's the first Thanksgiving without my mom, without our dogs and cats that perished in our fire, not living in our home and the very first Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant. 

But, I consider myself to be very blessed and I'm grateful for my family who has provided support, love and a home to live in these past 5 months.

This Thanksgiving is also different for my Lucy and Huck.  It's Lucy's first Thanksgiving without her sister (and brothers) and also not in her home.   For Huck, it's his first Thanksgiving ever.   And I'm so happy he is spending it with us, a family that loves him so much; instead of in a cold, scary shelter.

I thought it was fitting for the photo's in this week's blog to include the dog family that is no longer with us.   And to include Huck who makes our family complete again.  The composite I've included in the photo's was created and gifted to me by a very dear friend, Jen Powell, who is the Ohio Volunteer Foster Coordinator for Louie's Legacy Animal Rescue,  the rescue I work with and where we have adopted all of our dogs the past 4 years.  I will treasure this gift forever.

After much cajoling and handing out of treats, I finally was able to get a shot with Huck.   He looks like the typical kid in a family photo, who does not look happy at being made to sit still!

Please click on Khanya Photography of Poughkeepsie, NY and continue clicking through all the posts to meet everyone's family!

The Red Ball

After a self imposed break, I'm back.   The past almost 4 months have been the most difficult, sad, darkest and hopeful I've ever experienced.   The fire that tore through our house and our lives, on June 19th, changed me forever.  Some bad changes and some good changes.  I've been trying to focus on the good.

We are still displaced from our home while it is being rebuilt.  Living with our adult daughter has been good.   We all needed to lean on each other through this.   Having my son and daughter-in-law close by has also been instrumental in our healing.   At the end of September we all took a family vacation together and, for a brief moment in time, were able to laugh, play and relax.  And forget.

On October 12th we adopted little Huck.  A 7 month old Beagle mix who has brought innocence, trust, joy and light back into our lives.  We feel like a family that is going to be okay.

Huck and Lucy

Going back to the house today, we took Lucy and Huck with us so they could enjoy our backyard in the beautiful Autumn weather.   Sitting there, greeting us as usual since the fire, is a little red ball.   We received this in our first monthly shipment of the Barkbox subscription I had signed up for.   It is the only surviving dog toy we have since it was the only one Peanut Butter and Jethro took outside.    It's a sad reminder of sweet, innocent lives lost.

Today I was feeling especially sad and melancholy.  Even seeing how much fun Lucy and Huck were having chasing leaves, digging in wood piles and generally being happy dogs.  I couldn't help but think of Buttercup sitting on the bench and how she would be soaking up the warming rays of afternoon sun.   Or of Peanut Butter chasing Jethro through the tall weeds and being barely able to see either of them.  But being able to hear their racket.

We are having a beautiful water feature created in the backyard as a memorial to our lost pets.  I anticipate the sound of water gently cascading out of boulders specifically chosen to represent each of the dogs.   But more, I envision that the little red ball will always play a larger part of our remembrance of the pets that we still miss so much.