Category Archives: Zoe

The Sun Will Come Up

Posted on July 26, 2016 | Leave a comment

today, bet your bottom dollar it’s 4:30, come what may. I need my beauty sleep, so have gone UBD for early morning, come what may. Tomorrow is only a day away.

UBD is our code for under bed dog. She goes under my side of the bed to stay out of the sun (the shades are down) and assure that I cannot go anywhere without her knowledge. I’m in the den now and expect her to be at my feet at any moment. She’s a herder. We’re her pack. Yes, but I’m the morning gal with food and a walk. When he’s in town my husband takes her for long walks and plays ball with her in the house. He’s the fun guy and takes her out at night. I’m the food wench and disciplinarian. And you wonder why we don’t have kids.

We had folks here for spring cleaning yesterday and I was really pleased with the results. Give them high fives, Zoe! 20 minutes after they left I’d brushed out Zoe on a towel and placed the bag with dog fur in the trash and she ambled out to sleep on the living room rug (her beds are still outside) and there was dog fur all along the hallway.

My husband agrees that no matter what I do I cannot win the war against fur, no matter how many times I bathe or brush her out. That’s the way it is,said Walter Cronkite, my favorite news personality. Good morning. She’s not here yet, must be tired as she needs at least 20 hours of sleep per day to look as gorgeous as she is. Dee

Leave a comment

Posted in editorial pets, Zoe

He Sleeps

Posted on July 23, 2016 | Leave a comment

Julia Roberts said that in Pretty Woman.

My husband works all week, an 18 hour or longer trip from us, and we expect delays.

He sleeps, hangs out, eats my homemade breakfasts and dinners, relaxes and walks our dog Zoe. I thought he was nuts at first with the travel but he knows what I do in a hotel room. First I unpack and put everything in closet or drawers. Yes, I do. He goes and gets ice and a Dr. Pepper.

Now he packs his own bags. I packed for him for nearly 14 years (12 minutes for both our bags for a weekend jaunt) but now I don’t know “the system.” He shuts the blackout shades. I want to know when the sun comes up so only close the sheers. Also, I usually like the hotel view.

We’re about to spend an entire week together celebrating an important birthday. Let’s see how it goes.

This morning we’re past breakfast and into lunch. He and Zoe are sound asleep. I don’t know that I’ll get in a couple of “honey-do’s” that will take about ten minutes total, this weekend. Cheers and cherish your significant others, Dee

Leave a comment

Posted in Editorial, Zoe

Tagged ,

Replacement & Renewal

Posted on July 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

There is no way I can replace my husband or renew him with another. He is it. Once I’m gone you should be smart, dear. And perhaps be a good cook. You can be buddies that go to the local brew pub together for a burger. First date.

As to dogs, I’m also with Zoe until the end. She’s healthy at 12.5 years. Hopefully both of us will be with her in her final moments.

Some people replace, I make sure our dog is renewed so we stay in each others’ lives. We may renew, but can never replace our Zoe. She came from a shelter with bad hips we had to work on (excised, FHNO) as a bad case but we saw her through it over the years and stopped helping when she stole a pound of steak off our counter! No, not cured but 80% , top scores for total hip removals when she had to grow her own. Yes, hips. From cartilage. No titanium hips for 25 lb. dogs then.

Zoe has the best personality in the thousands of animals I’ve met. She’s kind of a mascot here and gets along with everyone. I don’t know if I could pick up from another shelter a dog that is anyone like her. Yes,  all of mine, all four over nearly 3o years have been rescues.

It is about renewal, not replacement. Our Zoe is fine. I would never try to replace her and want Jake to know that Max is here now, for you, for us. Thanks for your friendship. I miss you, Jake, you let Max meet Aunt Dee and as it is your family, Max knows me and Zoe and I watered your tree in the park to let you know we care and miss you.

Sometimes I wish that the people who treated me badly over life were punished. I choose the positive of wisdom, family, friends, colleagues, lots of neighbors, and to treat them wisely. A positive attitude is always a plus. I have one, as our “Greek for Life” dog herds me/stands by me 24/7 and takes care of everyone here. Here’s to a “peach.”  Dee

 

Leave a comment

Posted in dogs, Editorial, Recipe Ideas, Zoe

Appointments

Posted on May 19, 2016 | 1 comment

I have a great view, not so great weather. Live in a building overlooking a lake. Don’t worry, I’ve boots and shoes and coats for everything because we lived in the Rockies and are ready for even Mud Season (called Spring everywhere else but the Rockies).

Our dog, who we got as a rescue from the Pound and had to have two hips taken out and grow her own, has appointments. She’s about 86 in “people years.”

I’m running into Grandmothers who want to schedule to see our Zoe with their grandkids this summer. Should I ask her real grandma for approval?

If I’m pleased you must know our Zoe (Greek for “life”) is as well. She loves the attention and I must keep her bathed and combed out. Yes, she loves the bath/massage, has to air dry, no hair dryers, and hates being combed with Dee’s Torture Chamber of combs and brushes.

As she is the Queen, or Grande Dame here she will do her part and I’ll make it happen. Please tell her it’s OK to let the younger dogs keep ears out (one is blind) and she can snoopervise and take appointments from loving grandmas. All the best, Dee

p.s. Zoe’s Grandma M is far away. I will not place Z on a plane. For a farm family who once wanted to mow a goat pen for Zoe, I said no, she sleeps on our bed. Now Grandma M laments the holiday times we do not bring her, because of two things. Zoe cleans up anything we drop or spill in our 3-5 day cooking extravaganza, and she watches out for my father-in-law to come home from feeding the cows. On his portion of the sofa where he reads Civil War books.

I tried to take him up to New York, Vermont to see Revolutionary War sites and have a great photo of him framed, with my mother-in-law’s shadow taking the photo, at the Saratoga Battlefield. I also took them to the women’s suffragette location. No photos will be disclosed but I did get one. I’m keeping it under wraps for now.

Still the daughter of an ancient battle, the War of Northern Aggression as he calls it, we get along well but my dog is a Texas dog, born in the only state that was ever a nation. Proud of it.

If my father-in-law knew how much Texas kindness his son, daughter-in-law and adopted dog were bringing up here, he’d be proud and still miss us when miles away, our dog picks up that farm road dust and knows the ranch is nearby. Thank you sir, ma’am for everything. Dee

1 Comment

Posted in Editorial, loving life, Zoe

Tagged

California Dreaming

Posted on May 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

Hello, dear, stop and read it as this is about you.

It was nearing 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday. I poked you and said I’d taken Zoe out and fed her around 6:30 and it was your turn. You weren’t there.

I got up and went to use the restroom, checked the kitchen clock and it was 5:30 a.m. on a Wednesday and Zoe was sound asleep on the bed.

She was taken out in fog and rain anyway, and fed, now we’re going back to bed. Time to shake things up (rain off) around here! Love you, dear. D and Z

Leave a comment

Posted in dogs, Editorial, Family, Zoe

GPS

Posted on May 5, 2016 | Leave a comment

For dogs?

I felt so bad last week. My new/old neighbors were moving in next door, so since I’d taken care of their dog before I offered (with Zoe’s approval, of course) to take him in for a few hours.

B is blind. He gets around great but he knows where he lives now (they used to be our neighbors a few years ago in the other tower) and hung out by our front door for the first hour. I know he likes Zoe’s bed so brought it out to the living room so we could all hang out together. I didn’t really think about where I placed it, closest to us.

He got onto the bed, inserted his big head into the side of the tv cabinet, jerked upwards and hit his noggin. Then he ran back to the front door to await his parents’ return. That lasted another 20 minutes, I moved Zoe’s bed a foot away so there were no impediments and he came back and settled in.

Ran into his folks on the elevator yesterday and they said there’s a new gadget, something for blind dogs that is a sort of GPS that keeps them from hurting themselves by running into things. I hope it works!

 

* * *

Tit for Tat

My old, sane dog had a basket of about 25 toys and tennis balls in a basket by the front door. She knew by car sound who was visiting and worryingly nosed through the basket to find the exact stuffed animal with which to greet our guest. Diesel Mercedes, sounds like a sewing machine, my sister, must be Clifford The Big Red Dog!

Well, Zoe has been through that basket and eviscerated every stuffed animal in it. In moments, batting and squeaker all over the floors. Because it is at the top of the closet with a felt heart lined with lace and tiny beads from a lovely friend, the teddy bear Chani’s ashes are in is away from Zoe’s awful relationship to stuffed toys.

Zoe has one toy we call Precious. It is an indestructible mesh toy with a latex toy with squeaker stuffed inside. The first one had to be thrown away not because she got through it, but because after ten years it began to deteriorate. We got another, now there’s a latex gorilla inside and she squeaks it incessantly when I let her have it, which is seldom. It’s a treat.

Her friend was not interested in Precious and no amount of Zoe showing off worked, but Zoe doesn’t know B is blind. He acts like a normal dog.

When folks were finished with the move, they returned and got B. Zoe went in right after him. He got a plush large faux lamb “bone” and took it around his new home. He kept it from Zoe and pranced around as if he never needed a GPS. He was home and has had plenty of time to reconnoiter our place as well. Zoe never got to tear his toy to shreds. Serves her right! Their folks have been so kind to me. I hope B will be our guest often. They don’t play, but like to be near each other.

Cheers! Dee

 

Leave a comment

Posted in dogs, Editorial, Zoe

Tagged ,

She Sleeps

Posted on April 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

Probably 20 hours per day which is why she is so gorgeous at 84 in “people years.” People think she’s a pup because she’s so happy and energetic.

Zoe’s worried about me so will probably be a foot away from me any moment now in my office. She never stays this close. Worries about the food wench leaving earth must be there.

All I want is proof of health insurance we paid for, they haven’t cashed the check or given the broker a number or temporary cards. My husband leaves overseas tomorrow and he has a scan of a temporary international insurance policy that we purchased outside of health insurance. I asked him to print it and take it with him because he cannot use his new iPhone for anything over there.

We went through this health insurance debacle last month where we talked to the folks, submitted the information and we had to cancel the check because this employer would not answer our phone calls or cash our check or give us the insurance we agreed on.

I’m getting tired of trying to get COBRA or private insurance. The broker says they’re working on it but it’s too late to even FedEx my husband a temporary insurance card.

Zoe jumped off the bed (her front quarters are good, I have to “Otis”her back up in a moment.) She is a foot away from me again. Husband’s gone so she has to herd someone. That would be me.

This new ACA health insurance deal is being manipulated by insurance companies to gain health insurance for people who need federal assistance with payments, not for the private market. I couldn’t get anyone at a major company we’ve been with to answer the phone. It’s not surprising as that’s what they always do. Profits, no service. Par for the course. Hey, I worked insurance law back in the day. “Will Increase Premiums” was all they said. But we did get Well Baby Care done even with that caveat and it has helped families, and insurance companies, over many years.

Let’s fix it, not let things lie. Let Zoe go back and get her beauty sleep. I’m worried about things. She’s worried about me and we both care about my husband, the fun guy. I’m only the disciplinarian and food wench. Dee

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Editorial, Family, Zoe

Being “By”

Posted on April 6, 2016 | Leave a comment

Aunt L used those words but now after many years I know what they mean. No dictionary over the downstairs “loo” taught me this. Yes, when I emerged I had to define a word, spell it and use it in a sentence.

When my husband is home he’s always by, and when our Zoe knows I’m in danger she’s a foot away. She’s by.

Husband is away. Zoe’s “by” right behind my desk chair. She’s worried about me.

She is such an intuitive dog that should have been allowed as a therapy dog. She is so great with adults, kids, other dogs, even cats. Why dis-allowed? She eats raw food. She can’t even work in a hospice because she eats raw food. It’s the only thing she’ll eat. I won’t change it.

She’s taking care of me now. I love her and so do our neighbors’ grandkids. When they visit they knock on the door and tire this  84  (people years) year old pup out. I love them for their interest and enthusiasm. And they each got a trophy in soccer this year. Yea!

We love each other and love life, whatever comes our way. As I “Otis” Zoe to the bed each night, we’re by, always. Cheers from D&Z my hipless wonder dog

Leave a comment

Posted in Editorial, Zoe

What She Brings

Posted on March 28, 2016 | 1 comment

is way more than we ever could have expected.  Of course Zoe is a herder. She is so kind with adults, kids, other dogs and in her lifetime has always liked cats as well. Sorry, two mice digging out from winter snow out west.

She’s getting old but is healthy. I’m calling her vet to ask if she needs more that the kennel cough vaccine as to a postcard reminder.  Another senior blood panel may not be warranted as yet.

I’ll check my Dallas vet. She’s my husband’s cousin, who excised Zoe’s hips as a pup. Yes, our Zoe had the worst hip dysplasia in a 24 lb. pup she’d ever seen on an x-ray. She grew her own hips and at age 12 is 32 lbs. They never made hips for dogs under 6o lbs. back then so we had to give our girl a chance. I don’t know what she could do today but back then when she recovered she could corner around a tree, get a ball, bring it back to me and the Retriever or Lab would be looking around clueless. Who got the ball?

Hips from one’s own cartilage. It took a while to heal. When she stole a pound of prime steak off our counter I thanked my husband for putting it away because he doesn’t go into my kitchen except to get ice or Dr. Pepper and he said “I didn’t do it” then we looked at Zoe and she was licking her paws. We laughed.

Zoe brings joy to our days, life to our years. Everyone in the neighborhood knows her name (not usually mine) and they introduce their kids and dogs to her, knowing that she is cute and friendly.

In olden days she, at age 84 in “people years” may be called the Grand Dame, the highest status, but she is a dog. I prefer to call her my, our, Zoe and leave it at that. She herds us in the house and makes friends with everyone out on a walk. She brings love to our home and life and is family. Please adopt and spay/neuter. Cheers from D and Z

ps Thanks to Nathan, Chani and Mick Dundee (Mickey) as well. They were also my rescues over the past years I worked in shelters and spay/neuter clinics.

pps Someone asked me while I was volunteering at a community services event for a shelter showing a pup years ago why I was so mean that I couldn’t adopt this cute puppy. I told her if adopt all of the unwanted and strays that would be an untenable situation. I’ve had four wonderful pets over 30 years.

1 Comment

Posted in animals, Editorial, editorial pets, Family, loving life, Zoe

Tagged

Here Comes The Sun

Posted on March 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

As the Beatles sang, I never imagined my life as it is. When my husband is home and we’ve our old dog Zoe I lift her up to the bed at night, all 32 lbs. of her. If the shades are up when the sun starts coming up (in summer before 5 a.m.) she jumps down and becomes UBD.

UBD is under bed dog. She comes to my side so I can’t get away as I am the morning person and food wench, and she crawls underneath our sleigh bed to get her beauty sleep. I don’t know anything that 20 hours of sleep per day wouldn’t cure as she’s gorgeous. In “people years” she’s got nearly 20 on me.

This morning at 6:45 a.m. I felt a paw holding onto my arm. Lo and behold, it’s guest dog L. Zoe was sound asleep on my husband’s pillow. Yes, shades were down halfway so they can see and I protect the art. “Hey, Aunt Dee, get up, I want to go out and have my dinner!”

I got up and took them for a nice walk and fed them then they played and went to separate rooms to soak up the sun (they heard you, Sheryl Crow). Zoe asleep, no sun. Zoe awake, all sun until noon when there is no direct source, only reflected.

Husband will be back this weekend, so will L’s mom to take her home. I was wondering how we would all sleep together but there’s no need. They return on the same day. How’s that for planning?

Our guest, I looked up the breed, is a mix of Borzoi and Whippet. When Zoe and I are alone on a walk everyone pets her and says this Aussie mutt is cute. When we’re with L everyone says “She’s beautiful, what kind of dog is she?” I’m expecting a rush for purebred dogs like L in our neighborhood shortly. Perhaps I’ll stop saying exactly what breed she is.

Now, if a magic elf (not the funny, enigmatic Will Ferrell) could somehow do our taxes all would be well. Cheers from Dee, Z and L

Leave a comment

Posted in editorial pets, Family, food, job description, loving life, Recipe Ideas, Zoe

Tagged , ,