Allergies, back again. Grrr!

Its only been 2 weeks and Lucy moved into position last night. In my arms she went for reiki. She’s such a smart dog. If she’s feeling fine,  she’s with Daddy 24/7 playing, following him around everywhere. However I have now noticed, if she’s feeling not so well, she’s right up next to me. In fact, last night my arm was her cradle. The reiki calms her and puts her to sleep. What I’d like the reiki to do is to get rid of those allergies altogether! So we’ll keep working on that.  Her Vet gave us clemastine to take to Big Bear which I used for her which kept her feeling good there. I started her back on it. I found a great review of the medication here . http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1454&articleid=1390 Keeping my pharmacist hat on as well, have to check for any possible side effects.  Since the last bout we had with her was so bad, I started her on the prednisone today. I hope to slam these allergies every which way I can.  Sammy and Mochi seem to be fine. Poor Lucy. She’s saying Mom, help me!!

Refresh-Revive-Renew

Yes, even Reiki practitioners need a break from the stresses of their daily lives. Ming and I took a food journey to one of our favorite cities, San Francisco. It was bliss for four days. The weather gods were working over time to keep the temperatures in the high 70’s for our visit. We stayed at a favorite hotel, Campton Place (a Taj Hotel Resort) in Union Square. It was great to see that the hotel allowed dogs. We saw a beautiful black lab getting off the elevator. We did see a few dogs in the city but nothing like Venice. A pug in Neiman Marcus did excite the crowd. Ming did say “if I had Lucy here, I’d have everyone on their knees saying how cute she is.” Lucy does command a crowd.Well we were also up there to celebrate Ming’s birthday. We always try to go somewhere great to celebrate her birthday. We did some shopping which was fun. We had some fabulous dinners. Ming’s birthday was celebrated at the Farralon. Isn’t her birthday cake cute?  Mainly delicious seafood. We always eat lots of appetizers and then surprised us with a cake for Ming. Waddled back to the hotel and watched some goofy movie, don’t bother even knowing, fell asleep. Ready for another day. 

Another day of the same, fun, fun, fun! Weather was beautiful. Shopping was great. Everything went well.  These hearts were all over the city. The heart in the photo make us think of our dogs and how much we miss them. 

We decided to partake in the Chef’s 9 course tasting menu that evening. It was actually 12 courses if you counted the “free” courses.  By Chef Srijith Gopinatham:

Porcini Mushroom and Konbu Broth with Summer Truffles and Crispy Seaweed

Roasted Chiogga Beets, Beet Curd and Andante Dairy Minuet Cheese Snow

Artisan Foie Gras, Cocoa Nib Crust With Port Pebbles and Grape Gastrique

Barely Seared Scallops, Almond Soup Fig Compote and Prosciutto Ham Chips

Halibut en Papillotte, Carrot Hazelnut Puree Fresh Pound Herbs and Lemon Emulsion

Liberty Farms Duck Breast Artisan Foie Gras Slow Baked Peach and Charred Pedron Peppers

Roast Angus Beef Tenderloin Served with Truffled Potatoes Chanterelle, Haricots Verts and Veal Jus

Textures of Grapefruitj Lime Milk, Mango Sorbet, Blackberry Paper

Pure Chocolate Bergamot, Chocolate Toffee and Devil’s Food

If you animal lovers need a break, check into the Campton, even if you don’t need 9 courses, one will do. This is one of the best meals I have ever had in the world. Including Vietnam, Paris, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, London. This Chef can cook. Presentation was gorgeous.

Now, what does this have to do with reiki? A happy pet owner is a good pet owner. You can see how happy we are. Smiles all around.

Scoop your Poop

I have a real pain in my butt from all the lazy dog owners out there who don’t pick up after their dogs. They treat the world like it’s their personal toilet, and they don’t bother to flush. On the weekends Ming, and I walk through different neighborhoods with our dogs, and cannot believe the amount of dog poop that is littering the landscape. People who walk their dogs, and don’t have the courtesy,or respect for their neighbors to pick up the messes their pooches are leaving in everybody’s yard are just rude, idiots. That is not to say that we all haven’t been out with out pups, and reached for a bag, and came up empty handed. I’m complaining about the guy who does this ALL the time. He/She gives all dog owners a bad rap in the neighborhoods because of their swine ways. 

These are the same people who decided that their dogs do not need to be on leashes. It makes it easier for them to come running at you and your leashed pet. That exact thing happen again this morning to Ming, and I on a walk. We were walking Star, and Kc when a very large (huge) ridge-back dog came charging at us. The dog was barking, growling, with his fangs out ready to pounce on the boxers. Ming froze in fear. Kc, and Star stopped, and were still. I just kept still also, but was prepared to kill some dog ass if I had to. Finally after the barking, and charging, the unleashed dog sauntered back home.. Ming started to breath again, and both of my sweet puppies just put one foot in front of another, and never looked back.

We run into a lot of dogs off leash at the beach because the owners like the freedom for them and their dogs. Free to crap, and no one picks it up. Feel to jump on all passing people, and dogs. Feel to annoy any/everyone passing by. Those signs “No Dogs on the Beach” are not for them, just for the rest of us. Of course it’s because of them that the signs were ever posted in the first place.

If you hear someone yelling to pick up after your dog, chances are it’s me. I don’t mind picking up after my dogs, and even sometimes yours, but not All the time.

Let’s all do our share to keep the neighborhoods clean for ALL of the dogs passing through.

Sammy Diva in Big Bear, CA

Sammy Diva loves vacations. Why? She gets to be with her family 24/7. What joy, her Mama didn’t leave her side for 4 straight days. Can you just see the smiles? I have food, I have toys. I have with me the people I love and for some reason they don’t have to work. I love Big Bear!!  My Mama is always around petting me, playing with me and talking to me. I wish we could go on more vacations!

There is one thing I have learned, if we bring Sammy’s bed, it doesn’t matter where we are. She knows that is her bed and she is safe.

One thing that wasn’t so fun though, is that I was so afraid of the fleas and ticks because of the previous week, I was very careful to not let them outside too long or too much. They were already out more than I had planned. But after all, we’re in the wilderness, they have to get out some. The morning the boys were out fishing I took the girls out and about. Sammy came home chewing on her paw frantically. I grabbed her paw and found thorns stuck in it along with some sap! It was difficult but Sammy was good in letting me help her pull the thorns out of her paw.  Back in the cabin!!

Big Bear, here we come!

Lucy’s first family vacation! Sammy had gone with us on a houseboat last year but this year was Lucy’s turn. She had never left home before.  She always been good in the car. Candy and I had taken her to Arizona before, and not a peep out of her for 5 hours.  Our drive up to Big Bear was fine until we got closer into the windy roads. Lucy was not happy and was saying, are we there yet?!

But once we got to our cabin, there was lots of time for exploring. Lucy was unsure of why were here. Did we move? Why did we bring so much stuff? I see that Sammy’s bed is here, our bowls are here. Even some of my toys are here! I’m not so sure of this!

The first night was pretty easy, unpack, grill some burgers for dinner and relax. Lucy was still on her antibiotics from last week, but all was good.  Lucy stayed close to Daddy. Unsure of why Daddy brought her here but if Daddy left the cabin, Lucy was not happy if she could not go too. Just in unloading the car, Lucy stood at the door and cried! I was shocked. She had not cried like that since she was under one years old and it was being separated from Candy.  Mark was sure to bring Lucy almost everywhere he could (except when they left for the day to go fishing)

But all in all, it was a great trip. Daddy was only gone one long morning and was at the cabin the rest of the time. Lots of running back and forth from the cabin to the dock, the dock to the cabin.  Chasing flashlights at night, trying to lick the fish that were caught to see what the hubbub was about… Standing guard at the door.. and hanging with Sammy and Mommy.  Was just starting to adjust by the 4th day, but then all of a sudden, Mama said, Lucy, want to go home?! Forgetting about Daddy, Lucy SHOT like a bullet up the hill and to the car!! We are CITY GIRLS!!!!

Allergies- itching and scratching. Misery!

Poor Lucy. Well, the day after the flea bath at Petco, we thought things would get better.  But that evening, Lucy was even worse. Almost screaming out at night with no relief from us.  Getting just about no sleep all night.  As I laid there trying to comfort Lucy, what to do was running through my head. I had to make sure Lucy was ok before I could take her to the cabin. I had already told my husband and everyone at work, Lucy was staying in the cabin with me. Didn’t want to expose her to any of the little buggers out there.  I sent Candy a text message before 5am. Are you up? TM came back, yes.  I told her my predicament and said I was going to beg the Vet to see her.  I wanted to call in sick to work to take care of my little Lucy.  At 6am I brought Lucy to see her mommy Candy.  What misery she said Lucy was in. She had some Lidocaine spray and was able to rub some of it on her tummy, pelvic region where it was so “warm” and “red”.  We stayed till 7am discussing our plan of action. Since Mark didn’t have to leave for work later, I thought best for Lucy to stay with Daddy as long as she could before being dropped off for a long day at the Vet. If no appt, your pet gets seen in between visits. Thank God they still get seen. Pick up would be around 2pm. Long day ahead for Lucy.

Candy picked up Lucy for us, brought her home, fed her lunch and gave her some much needed TLC.

The Vet then called me. She said it was POLLEN! Not so much the fleas really. She said maybe some component but mainly pollen.  She got a shot, antibiotics and some antihistamines. Ok, another $120 but I was just so happy she got some relief.  And I must admit I am relieved it wasn’t so much fleas.

Last night was the first night Lucy did not need reiki in the middle of the night. How do I know that? She slept at the foot of the bed again. Not next to me.  We’re all set for the cabin!

Our dear 95 year old friend

Every Sunday morning Candy and I visit a dear dear friend about 40 minutes away from home.  She’s like a mother, a grandmother, a big sister, a close girl friend. She too has had dogs her whole life. At the age of 93 she raised a puppy that was only a few weeks old. She couldn’t walk fast enough to get the door open for her little dog to run out to pee but she rigged the door with her cane so that when the puppy came over, the door slid open for him. She trained this little toy poodle herself. Taught it to sit, fetch. She lived an amazing life, she saw and lived through the Depression. She told us of stories of sadly how people jumping out of windows because of finances. She worked for the census bureau and went to places that a white woman should not go.  But she said the people were always friendly. She worked as a nurse. She told me she has seen every war our country has ever been through and yet tells me this is the worst one. She has lived in New York, Boston, Mississippi, Seattle, California. I always wanted to write a book about this dear friend, her life fascinated me. Candy and I would visit her in Arizona at least once a month. It was a great time. It wasn’t like going to your parents, though,  sometimes she chided us but all in fun. We drank together, we did our hair together, we laughed, we watched movies. She loved Cantonese duck. We would bring her some almost every visit. She told us our visits were like Christmas. I told Candy, never in my life time would I ever hear a human being say to me I bring her Christmas. How precious and touching is that.  We would do all the things you do with your girlfriend except she was in her 90s. Candy called her “Ma” everywhere we went.

One visit, we decided to bring Lucy to visit her and the new puppy. Lucy was still a baby too and she loved car rides. 5 hours from LA to AZ, Lucy was a trooper. When Lucy and Rascal (the puppy) met they ran around the house chasing each other till their tongues hung out from pure exhaustion. The toy poodle was jet black so all you see is this black furry thing. Candy even carted the dogs around with the walker.

When she at 95 , unable to walk and care for herself, her son moved her to the Los Angeles area so we all could be closer to her. The most amazing thing about her is that whenever I was down, sad, bothered by something, I could call and tell her about it. She ALWAYS had a positive attitude on everything. Even when she was in the hospital with a broken hip, she would ask us how are you girls doing? One thing I have learned in life is to surround yourself with loving and positive people, you derive so much energy from that. Even though she cannot reiki me, I can reiki her and she gives back SO much more. It has never been a chore to visit her or to see her. I don’t want to write about her when she is no longer here, she still to this day gives back to Candy and I. We always get something positive from her. She still makes us laugh everytime we see her. She still makes us feel good about ourselves. She still compliments our hair, and boy, is that a biggee! We love you Phyllis forever!

A Full Moon

I find out a few nights ago that it was a full moon out. That totally makes sense. I mean, It had to be something, at 3am, Sammy Diva wakes up and walks around the room. Part of me awakes listening to see if she has to go out. She walks to the water bowl and takes a drink. I hear her then just pace around the room a bit. She doesn’t come to my side of the bed or Daddy’s. If she needs to go out, she’ll wake us up. But nope, not a sound. I say to myself, please, go back to sleep, go back to sleep. Few minutes later, I hear her snoring again.  Almost around the exact time, Mochi decides to throw a furball. How lovely is that. I’m too groggy to

care.  However, Lucy then wakes up and starts to bite her paws as if being attacked by the Allergy monster. I flip her over put my arms around giving her reiki and we both fall back to sleep…….

This is an odd week, just balance seems to be knocked off a bit. My closest friends having surgery.. lots of reiki being sent out to family and friends. My very dear friend said to me that I was her “energy” hub and because of that she felt strength going into her surgery. That really made me smile.  I liked that. Very sweet. I think we’ll all be back in balance in no time.

Knowing When To Let Go

This is to all my faithful readers. I’m sure you have followed my many puppy sagas. The death, the loss, the arrivals and the moving of puppies. Whenever anyone meets Star, the new puppy, they say, oh you have replaced Lucy with Star. Alright, back up, back up. Now, I am setting the record straight once and for all. 

I love Lucy, I have always loved Lucy. I have always put my dogs needs- financially and emotionally above my own. 

Lucy was rescued by me as you know.

But she also spent time such as weekends, sleep overs with my BFF Ming, her husband Mark, Sammy Diva and Mochi. Lucy was part of their extended family. But not for Mark. For Mark, this was his little girl. Because he spent a lot of time during the rescue process with her. He took care of her when she was a puppy. He became very attached to her. Ming had Sammy Diva before they were married and they had a very close bond. Mochi seemed to love everyone, you know cats, they do what they need to survive. The one thing Ming and I both noticed was this amazing thing that Lucy did. She had two routines in two different houses which included her eating habits, her walking habits even sleeping habits. The moment she walked in the Brown house, she knew what routine she would be in. At my house, she lived another. What a smart dog, we had never seen this. This must be because she is a rescue dog. 

After Ry’s passing I noticed a decline in Lucy’s behavior. She played a little with KC but didn’t come out of her shell much. Again, down the street (which is only a few doors down) she goes. She seems to find peace there. Its a calming house. Sammy is an older Lab, spends evening time w/ Mom and Dad on the couch watching movies and drinking wine. (not the dog) Also, at night, they pull Lucy into bed since she was so small. Sammy always sleeps on her bed. Mochi also slept at the foot of the bed as well. At this time, I developed my lung condition.  Lucy sleeping in my bed exacerbated my condition. My pulmonologist said no dogs on my bed at all. Another bummer for Lucy. Now, this is a dog that I carried around, held in my arms. Lucy is not a dog-dog . Lucy is a dog-person. So her personality starts to change. Also KC is slowly coming out of his coma and looking for someone to play with. Guess who, Lucy. Lucy enjoys it somewhat. Though Lucy is a Corgi and KC is a Boxer. Imagine what that is like from Lucy’s point of view. KC would sit on Lucy, use her as a ball, drag her around by the collar to play with her. Lucy is a small Corgi. It began to take its toll on her. More nights at the Brown’s. Lucy began to snap a lot more at KC. I began to see her feeling more miserable. During reiki with Lucy, both Ming and I felt what was going on. But we had no solution at the time. Ming was pretty happy with her life, but Lucy wormed her way into Ming’s heart. Ming didn’t know she had room in her heart for one more dog. She was surprised at how attached she was becoming to Lucy. It became harder for her to just pick up Sammy Diva after work and leave Lucy behind. 

I searched my heart. I needed to do the right thing for Lucy. Not for KC or anyone else. I walked down to talk to Ming and Mark. Lucy’s well being was the most important. That was when the decision was made for Lucy to become a member of the Brown household.Well, I think her puppy prayers were answered. She is very happy. We had a great puppy shower to celebrate her move. It was a wonderful time. I don’t think anyone will ever comprehend the sacrifice of giving up someone you love because it’s better for them. 

I am lucky because I see Lucy almost every day and she spends the afternoons with me. So its not a HUGE sacrifice, so please, I never replaced Lucy. I gave Lucy the best most loving home she could have. Because I put a furbaby first. Win, win!

What is it about puppies and parties?

We start with puppy pound cake.  Then we move onto the games, pin the tail on the “kitty” and bobbing for bones. I don’t know about your fur babies, but mine love them. That is why we have so many of them. These photos are from Sammy Diva’s birthday party. Her Mom and Dad were at work. So Sammy spends most of their work days hanging out with us. I take photos all the fur babies and email them throughout the day so Ming isn’t so lonely. Can you tell they like having their hats on and their pictures taken? Probably because I’m laughing my pants off the whole event. I’m usually busy in my office working, in comes one, then another, now the number is up to 4 and they want to just hang out. They’re like kids that way, they sit for awhile and then they want to play. I thought I’d share fun party pictures. I hope everyone has as much fun as we do. Celebrate every chance you can. They bring out the joy and laughter in all of us every day.