Daisy, Bentley & Bella

Besides enjoying walking around Birch Mountain with the pups, I’m able to spend some much needed time with my family and friends before heading back over the pass to the west side again.

Susie was so generous.  She paid for our entire trip to Las Vegas.  We stayed at the Paris,

We went to Cirque du soleil and Menapause.

We sat on the terrace of the Paris and had dinner while watching the beautiful fountains of the Bellagio.

We had a wonderful champagne breakfast at the Rio

And then headed down to Fremont

Wild and crazy girls heading for Fremont

And Susie ran into a girl celebrating her 21st birthday!

This was the ending of a perfect celebration!  We were all totally exhausted by the time we went home.  After all, we’re not as young as we used to be but I think we still know how to have one heck of a birthday bash!

In today’s economy everyone is looking for ways to save money. For pet owners, saving money requires evaluating even more things, including pet food, grooming costs, boarding or pet sitting expenses, and veterinary care.

Unfortunately, for many pet owners, veterinary care is the biggest thing that digs into the family budget. While expected expenses such as yearly exams, vaccinations, monthly flea medications, and dental care can be easily factored into the budget, the unexpected expenses like major injuries and illnesses can cause a huge amount of financial strain and can lead to heart-breaking decisions.

Pet insurance is one way pet owners can help protect their finances in these difficult situations. When a major medical condition develops in their pet, pet owners with insurance can easily and immediately opt for the best medical treatment available without worry of cost.

When you are trying to be thrifty, it can seem counter-intuitive to pay an insurance company a premium every month on the chance that it will pay off in the end. However, pet owners who cherish their pets as part of the family and who may not be independently wealthy need the financial reassurance that if something catastrophic does happen with their pet, they will be covered.

It makes a lot of sense when you consider how veterinary treatment has advanced in recent years and the increase in expense that comes with those advances. Medical conditions that were once thought to be fatal in pets like cancer and diabetes are now curable with veterinary care that rivals that available to humans.

But if you don’t have the funds to pay for these advanced services, you only have two choices – max out as many credit cards as possible, plunging yourself into debt, or make the heart-wrenching decision to leave your pet untreated. With pet insurance, you don’t have to worry about making this decision – you are financially covered and in the end, you end up saving up to thousands of dollars.

Let the celebration begin!

We are once again staying at La Cas Que Ve Del Mar.  A beautiful complex on the hill up from La Ropa beach.

View from our room

Our favorite thing to do while we’re here is to head to La Ropa beach in the morning and spend the entire day at a friendly restaurant called Elviras.  We spend the day laying on lounges, walking along the beach and playing in the water.

A walk along the beach

The water's perfect!

Another beautiful day!

Enjoying the sun

Cervesa on ice, muy bien!

In the evenings we usually head out to one the the great restaurants for dinner.

On our way to catch the bus to Bandidos for drinks, dinner & dancing

We had dinner at El Suspiro’s one night.  It has great food and a wonderful view of Zihuatanejo and La Ropa beach.

Dinner at El Suspiro's

Enjoying the beautiful sunset from El Suspiro restaurant

View from El Suspiro

We spent one day in Ixtapa.  What a contrast from the little fishing town of Zihuatanejo.  Ixtapa is a big tourist town with huge all inclusive resorts with hundreds of people crowded around the pools.  We had lunch at one of these resorts called Barcelo’s while overlooking the white sand beach.

Lunch at Barcelo resort in Ixtapa

And of course our trip would not be complete without going to the Sunset bar at least once during our stay.

Three Amigas on the way to the Sunset Bar

View of La Ropa beach looking down from the Sunset Bar

Our time here in paradise has almost come to an end.  It’s just never long enough.  The good news is that the next stop is Las Vegas where we will continue celebrating Susies birthday!

and Jack a big cuddly cat who adores laying next to me to make sure he gets lots and lots of loving

but I get to do this on beautiful Lake Chelan where the sunrises have been spectacular!

I’ll be leaving for Mexico next Friday and I’m SO looking forward to the sun and warmth, but if there’s any place I’d rather be until then, it’s here watching the snow fall and enjoying these precious animals!

He’s trying to go after his toys.  I’m sure it won’t be long before he’ll be crawling.

His favorite toys are his “Jungle Gym” and his little Fish Merry Go round.   He’s sitting in his little chair playing with both here.

He’s such a big boy!  I’m not sure I can stand this much fun!  I’m such a lucky, lucky Grandma!

I spent New Year’s Eve with Luna and Reilly again this year.  It’s becoming a tradition.  This is my third year that I’ve come down to Portland to ring in the New Year with these sweet little Iggy’s.  It’s a tradition that I like a lot.  I guess I’m past needing to ring in the New Year out partying and celebrating.  I’ve had lots of those years.  These days I enjoy reflecting on the years past and looking forward to what’s ahead.  There are many New Years Eve’s that I will never forget, here are just a few.

When I was a young adult, several friends and family would gather up the kids and head to a place we called “the flats”.  It was a big field close to our house that had the perfect sledding hill.  Someone would build a huge bonfire and we would all go sledding, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate and giving rides on the four-wheelers until wee hours of the night.  What fun!

I will never forget the last time my dad “rang the bell” as the clock struck 12.  Dad had gone back to Minnesota years before and got the bell from his old school house.  He put it on the roof of his shop and every year we would all go out so he could literally ring in the New Year.  Dad had Alzheimer’s at the end so that last year was really special.  My son Ben now has the bell.  I know he remembers his Grandpa ringing that bell and hopefully he will give it a ring every now and then.

And how can I forget the year my daughter Heather and I went to New York City to welcome the New Year in Times Square.  Wow, was that an experience I’ll never forget!  We were corralled in the fenced in areas for hours with thousands of other people from all over the world waiting for the ball to drop.  It was an experience of a lifetime!

It’s nice to look back on all the years that I’ve had with friends and family.  And I’m looking forward to another wonderful year of adventure.  Who knows what is in store for me in 2012.  Bring it on!!!

For the first time in nine years my nephew and his family were here.  After several years of living in California he transferred back to Washington State.  We are SO happy to have them back so close!

My nephew Brad with L J

My daughter along with her husband and new son LJ joined us for the first time in several years.  They were living on the East Coast for several years and although they had moved back to Washington State last Christmas they spent the holidays with Joe’s family.  This year was L J’s first Christmas so needless to say I was ecstatic that we got to share it with him.

L J, Heather & Joe

L J with Grandma Willa

My cousin Bruce and wife Grace

L J meeting his new cousin Oliver

Happy mommy at "The Wok"

"Can't wait until I can eat that!"

Then off to my niece Christi’s house to celebrate Christmas Eve with snacks and a Chinese gift exchange.  What a fun night!

Christi with her little doggie Bogey, my grandson Christian and Becca

Having fun with the gift exchange

Oh Christmas tree

The next morning Heather, Joe, L J, Heathers dad, pups Jackson and Ava and I opened Christmas gifts before heading over to my son’s house.  Heather & Joe got me a photo book of Willapalooza, my 60^th birthday bash!  What a special gift!

You have your own gift Ava!

Oh a fun toy!

Jackson likes his toy!

This is also the first year in many that I’ve spent Christmas morning with both of my children.  What a special time!

L J's excited to go to Uncle Ben and Aunt Wendys!

Me with my kids, grandkids and great grandson

I hope all of you had a Christmas that made you as happy as mine made me!

Merry Christmas to all of you!!!

“Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!” My father yelled at me.. “Can’t you do anything right?”

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn’t prepared for another battle.

“I saw the car, Dad . Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving..”

My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts…. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon . He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn’t do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.

At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor’s orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone..

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.

Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue.

Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad ‘s troubled mind.

But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.

Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, “I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article..”

I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon.. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world’s aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed.

Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog. “Can you tell me about him?” The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. “He’s a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.” He gestured helplessly

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror.. “You mean you’re going to kill him?”

“Ma’am,” he said gently, “that’s our policy. We don’t have room for every unclaimed dog.”

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. “I’ll take him,” I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me.. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch… “Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad !” I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust “If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don’t want it” Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. “You’d better get used to him, Dad . He’s staying!”

Dad ignored me.. “Did you hear me, Dad ?” I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw..

Dad’s lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of
streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years.. Dad’s bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne ‘s cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night.. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father’s room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad ‘s bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad ‘s peace of mind.

Thanks so much Barb for sharing this great story with me!

Types of Child-Dog Interactions That are Appropriate

With all of these DON’Ts, it must seem like kids can’t interact with pets at all. In reality, they just need to be taught to be polite and kind to pets, instead of treating their companion like he’s stuffed animal. Parents should also teach their children to read the signs that Fido is fearful or anxious, so that the child knows to back-off.

Once the children understand that they should be kind to their pet, they can be taught appropriate games to play. For instance, fetch where the dog willingly gives the toy and remains polite before it’s tossed is fun for dogs who love to retrieve. Kids and pets love to learn tricks that result in rewards such as yummy treats or bits of the dog’s meal/kibble. All dogs need their exercise, and kids can be a part of this too if the dog is well-trained. Hide-n-seek is a great way for dogs to learn to have fun, and the dog is practicing his search and rescue skills.

Adults should ensure that the dog has lots of positive associations with the kids. The kids can regularly give food rewards for the dog’s calm, polite behavior, such as automatic sits.

Even if the child is generally well-behaved and the dog very tolerant, it’s essential for all interactions to be supervised. Accidents can happen in a split second.

A Final Take-Home Message

The key is to teach both the dog and the children to be polite. Make sure your children interact with your dog the same way you want them to interact with you. Follow these simple do’s and don’ts and everyone will be safer and happier.