ELIZA'S SECOND BIRTHDAY PARTY

Despite the rain (which was very disappointing after spending a couple of months making yard improvements) we had a really nice time celebrating Eliza's second birthday with some great friends and loving family.  

Our theme was CUPCAKES!  We even had mini cupcakes that you could frost and decorate yourself.

This second year really flew by so we are hoping her third birthday takes it's time coming around.  She is growing up way too fast!

GOODBYE JOEY

From your first breath to your last

You were the guardian of my heart. 

From your first breath to my last

Forever in my heart. 

Joey Baloney

December 22, 1999 - June 1, 2013

Always loved, forever missed.

SAYING GOODBYE TO JOEY, PART 4

Remembering.  It's hard remembering when time erases memories you didn't protect.  I didn't even know I had to protect my memories.  It's been 14 years since my mom passed away and I don't think I can remember her voice or her laugh.  I do, however, remember the look she gave me when I was in trouble.  But to remember the sound of her voice, what comfort that would provide at times like this.  Knowing that time can heal the heart but also take away cherished memories I thought I would record things about Joey I don't want to forget like the scent of his fur.  

When thinking about how Joey smells I kept coming up with short phrases like old, worn leather chair.  A new book, an old  book.  Autumn, spring, summer and snow.  Ivy covering an old stone wall and stones at the bottom of a creek worn smooth by an almost undetectable current.  Vanilla and pipe tobacco.  A baseball mitt that had seen years of sunshine and sweat and home-runs.  Fresh cut grass and dead leaves.  The pavement after a spring rain.  A young child after playing all day in the sun.  A piece of sheet music sitting on a music stand ready to be performed for the first time.  A lace doilie passed down from generation to generation.  Sawdust from 100 year old wood floors being refinished.  An old house waiting for the right owners to give it new life and a new life.  A freshly made bed.  Opening the windows for the first time in spring and for the last time in the fall.  Sunflowers and lightning bugs.  Wet pennies.  Holding hands.  Paper drink umbrellas.  A new can of paint and a favorite paintbrush.  Reaching into your coat pocket and finding money and chocolate.  Watching a foreign film in an old theater eating popcorn out of a red and white striped box with a flap. 

Making the list was fun and I let myself continue until it felt right to stop.  I knew right away that most of the things on the list really weren't scents or smelled at all but were things that elicited feelings of comfort and joy, peace and tranquility, of hope and happiness.  And in the end I realized Joey doesn't smell like anything in particular. Joey smells like Joey.  Joey smells like memories.

SAYING GOODBYE TO JOEY, PART 3

I love this face. 

Joey 5.28.13

SAYING GOODBYE TO JOEY, PART 2

Joey, Joseph, Buddy, Baloney, Jojo.  These are all names that we call Joey throughout the day.  I used to call him Baloney almost all the time but now he is pretty much known as Jojo.  Joey was a challenge for Eliza to say but Jojo was easy and kind of fun.  I miss calling him Baloney.  I noticed that I started calling him Baloney again this week.  And yes, I named him Joey because he reminded me of a baby kangaroo.

I met Joey over 13 years ago.  It was December 22, 1999.  My father-in-law had passed away the day before from cancer.  My mom had been gone since March of that year and my heart was still healing.  I was about to experience my worst flu ever (still to date) and Y2K was days away (remember thinking the world was going to end?).  Oh, and the little dog that I had thrown my work meeting appetizers at while trying to rescue her from the side of the road just about 60 days earlier (who we decided to add to our canine family of Enjoue and Daisy) just had 10 puppies.

I knew I couldn't really keep any of the puppies.  We already had three dogs and that was a lot.  But I remember holding Joey later that evening of the day he was born and saying something along the lines of "You're staying with me.  Forever."  And that is exactly what happened.

The last 13 years have been tragic, amazing, depressing, exciting, thrilling, challenging, disappointing, adventurous.  They have been full of change, full of lessons learned, and full of love given and received.  I lost extraordinary people that I loved deeply.  Others left almost as soon as they came into our lives.  I gained special friends and an amazing family.  And Joey has been with me through it all.  There were days that I would have stayed in bed all day or for days but Joey and Daisy and Enjoue (until 2007) made me get out of bed, stop feeling sorry for myself and take a walk.  They helped me keep off the weight I had lost in 2003 with our daily walks.  They were there when I got home after a long day at work and there in the morning when I woke up.  Although I spent most of the last 13 years by myself, I was never truly alone.  And when I moved from Crown Point to Lowell to Muncie to Toledo to Sylvania to Indianapolis to Avon, they were there.  Never complaining, never making it hard, always there to help make our new house a home.

Some people don't understand how other people can treat their pets like people or in a way, children.  I know I've met many people along the way who have thought I was nuts for having so many dogs at one time (7!) or for feeding them quality dog food or for never boarding them but always finding a way to bring them along with me where ever I was going or to have a pet-sitter stay at my house with them.  But when a dog comes into your life and saves your heart and soul from being devoured by the tragedy that sometimes is life then you will do anything in your power to treat them the best way you can.  Especially when you fall in love with them from their very first breath.  

SAYING GOODBYE TO JOEY, PART 1

 

For those of you who you read this blog (it's been a while since I last posted) you are most likely a cherished family member or adored friend to me and/or Jason and Eliza.  So it also probably means you are very familiar with our dogs, Daisy, Joey and Deuce.  Whether you know them well or not you most certainly know how much we love all three of them and how much a part of our family they are.  So it is now fair to say that it wouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows us just how devastating it is to say goodbye to any one of them.

Joey (who turned 13 in December) has been struggling with myelopathy since last fall.  One rear leg started to drag but he was able to get around quite well.  Around Christmas he started to walk on his knuckles on his bad back leg almost all of the time.  He soon wore his fur and nails down but never really seemed to be in pain.  A few weeks back we noticed his other back leg was now dragging more than occasionally and his ability to get around was now much more of a struggle.  Over the last couple of weeks we have been moving him about from spot to spot by carrying him or using a sling specifically designed for dogs with myelopathy.  We knew our time with him was growing short but we were hopeful we still had plenty of time to enjoy with him.  The degeneration seemed to come on very slowly last fall and only gradually hamper his ability to get around.  However now it seems as if his body has shifted into a new gear, a much faster gear.  Before this new gear set in Jason and I both agreed he still had a pretty nice life, he was eating well and in general was still the same old Joey we knew and loved so the slight inconvenience of catering to him was really no big deal.  But this last week it has been especially difficult to watch him struggle to get up from his pillow or hold himself up, things he was able to do just last week.  As heartbreaking as it is we have decided it is time to help Joey end his journey with dignity and love.

The reason I am posting this is pretty simple.  I love Joey.  Many of you care for and adore him as well.  This moment in our journey together is too special and personal to post on Facebook and honestly, too painful to put out there for people who don't know us or Joey to comment about.  I also thought it would be therapeutic for me, too, and for those of you who are finding it hard to say goodbye to Joey I wanted to share this with you, as well.  I am going to try and post everyday this next week.  We have scheduled June 1st as our final day with Joey.  We are spending the next few days loving him, spoiling him (hence the trip to the store for steaks, pork chops, bacon, sausage and frozen peas) and giving him comfort and care.  If you would like to join us on this part of our journey, learn how I came to love Joey and reminisce with us about how great a dog Joey is,  please check back often.  We thank you for your thoughts and kindness during this difficult time.

We send our love to each and every one of you.  And if you have a special dog in your life...give them the biggest hug you've got in you.  They will repay it tenfold.  It's what dogs do.

Patty, Jason and Eliza
Daisy, Joey and Deuce (and Otter, too)

Go Eliza!