Teva The Diva and Her Yellow Friend

Teva has many things she loves in her canine life. I would say food is numero uno but not far behind that, judging from the contemplative state I see in her eyes when having to decide between the two, is her yellow ball.

The yellow ball came into her life when she was a puppy and I was trying to find something to replace tennis balls. Tennis balls can often cause dental damage if they constantly chew the balls as Teva is known to do.  I came across these chewy, rubbery finds at a boutique pet store/veterinary office in Pasco, WA. They became such an obsession for Teva primarily because of  the loud squeakers inside them and squishy sounds they made when she chewed them that eventually we had no choice but to take them away.

At the recommendation of her trainer, Lisa Lucas, we tried to end this obsession going as far as purchasing over a dozen of them and giving her 24 hour access to all things yellow and round. The trial didn’t work in our favor at all, in fact we both lost much sleep from all the squeaking and squishing we heard throughout the night. The next attempt was to store them in the garage and only get them out for a game on rare occasions and them putting them ‘night night’ in the garage (a slightly embarrassing ritual when guests were over).  With this came the unfortunate turnout of every time we made a motion towards the garage she scrambled and slid across the newly laid hard wood floors to beat us out the door and the land of yellow balls. To save the floors we had to secretly sneak out to the garage when she was sleeping or avoid it all together.

Thumbs would be helpful

When Cancer came knocking at our door I decided that not only is some “people food” okay yellow balls are back and they are back as long as Teva wants them.  Those yellow balls are no longer annoying to us and we now make time every day to play catch in the yard or place them by her while she sleeps. Ironically, she has calmed down and can sleep with her ball in the other room or outside. She is quite content to know they are close by continually giving her great joy when she is just too tired from the chemo to do anything but lay in the grass and squish them between her rubbery black lips.

Teva’s ball travels with her wherever we go, including her chemo trips down to WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  As a regular patient, and the yellow ball her signature, I’m thankful that the veterinary students and oncologists make sure it’s with her at all times.

On our visit to WSU last week, yellow ball in Teva’s mouth, we were delivered news that made me wish I too had a yellow ball to squeeze and squish.  Teva is not responding to the chemo protocol as we had hoped. She was placed “out of remission”  which means we must now scramble to start  alternative treatment in hopes that we will find the right cocktail of drugs to put her right back where she belongs: In remission.

Teva Jo, as always, made friends in the waiting room of the hospital with her yellow ball by her side. No matter how she feels Teva is always grateful for the little things- like the cold concrete floors of the hospital that offered a great reprieve on a hot summer day in Washington and the greetings of strangers passing by.

The Wizards of Indian Trail Animal Clinic gave her "Courage"

I met some wonderful people who shared stories with me about their young and old dogs who were also at the hospital for chemo. Many of the people who stopped to say hello to Teva and ask why we were there would bend down and rub her head as we chatted. The large purple tag that hangs from her collar, next to her name tag, always grabbed their attention.  I would watch their faces as they read the tag and mouthed “For Courage”, the engraving on the tag.  They would look up at me and smile and give Teva another heart warming pat. This shiny tag was a  gift from two very dear people who selflessly act as animal guardians and veterinary technicians in a small animal practice in Spokane. Colette and Jill presented it to me on my most recent visit to their practice. So fitting was this gift from them as their clinic is filled with such big hearted people.

We needed that gentle reminder last week and will carry it with us.  With courage, love and amazing veterinary care Teva still has a chance.

Teva finds the cool granite hearth healing

One month down….five to go. 

After Teva’s fourth chemo treatment, a slow infusion of  Doxorubicin, she was feeling quite puny.  The most noticeable side affects were nausea, excessive drooling and belching. She had a sullen look on her face and carried her head low as if picking it up was too much to handle.   She lost some weight and her appetite was practically nil, unfathomable for a golden. The funny thing was she was very happy to eat her Cerenia wrapped in cheese and bananas and pumpkin continued to be a welcome treat.

My work schedule had taken me out of  town for the day so I put out an all points bulletin and  Teva’s Pet Advocate Dr. Janet came to the rescue (again). Janet arrived with a shopping bag full of goodies that would enhance her dining experience (uber healthy stuff of course) and on day two Teva finally began to eat and eat and eat.

The best thing about our visit to WSU for that treatment was the good news delivered by Dr. Choy, the oncologist on staff at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital: ”Teva is responding to the chemo therapy and the additional treatments should continue to bring her closer to remission.”  Now, we just need to get through the next five months. 

Until most recently, Mark and I have managed to accommodate Teva’s care and treatments ensuring one of us is always close to home. Concerns of her immune compromised system doesn’t really allow us to board her  because of the risk that other dogs  might unwillingly pass on something infectious to Teva. During her week off of chemo permission was granted to allow some socialization time for Teva and with a gap in our almost perfected schedule we actually needed her to be entertained for a day.  The Ranch seemed like the best thing for T and we were very excited that she could  be a dog of play and leisure. Of course only the best for Ms. Teva, and the BEST this place is.

Early days at The Ranch (Photo Patty S.)

The Ranch, called that by Mark and I,  is a private home of a dear couple Patty and Ted.  They let dogs stay and play at their beautiful farm abutting 80 acres of ponds, horse land and lots of open space while parental figures are vacationing or working. The guests of The Ranch are welcomed by Toby their black lab and  the keeper of all canines.  He greets every guest with enthusiasm and love and in his heartfelt dog way makes each one feel welcome.

The Ranch is an amazing place for dogs primarily because of the love that Patty and Ted have for animals giving special attention to each soul they have in their care. I never worry about Teva when we are away and often wish I too could stay and play for a weekend. With several walks a day, swimming, ball chasing and romping with the pack followed by lazy time in the grass it is a place that if dogs made lists it would most certainly be at the top.

When I returned to pick Teva up at The Ranch I was greeted in the same fashion I am after a week away from home: Full on body wags, leaning, whimpering and big huge canine smiles.  When she saw the leash in my hand she turned and walked over to Ted grunting and leaning into him as if to say thank you for the great day. As Ted leaned down and rubbed her yellow head he said ”Bye my Teva girl”. With tears blurring my vision I smiled knowing that they miss her visits as much as she misses visiting.

Ranch Buddies: Teva and Chili March 2010 (photo credit Patty S.)

There isn’t much more I can do for Teva to treat the cancer but I can give her one more thing. Visits to The Ranch. With some calendar changes again these will now be added to her treatment protocol. I didn’t realize how much she needed to be there, even if just for a short visit, but the smile in her eyes told all . She had her day again and I promised her that she will have many more.

Teva teaches Barney the Art of Anticipation: Pine cone style

Anticipation… ahhh, love that feeling.  It is what makes new love grand and new ventures worth pursuing.  I’d have to say that currently that isn’t necessarily how I  feel about that emotion. If given the choice I would pull anticipation from my bag of emotions and stick to facts and figures. My never ending hope is that Teva’s treatments are worth the struggle (for her) and in the end she comes out healthy and happy and around for a while.  I dream a lot about the outcome, sometimes good sometimes bad. An emotion I once thought created my sense of being alive became the bane of my existence in all things Teva.

What I do know is that if goosebumps cured cancer Teva would be healed.  The out pour of comments and love for Teva was overwhelming in the most positive of ways. Thank you everyone for your love and support.

The biggest question to date is “How did you know she had Lymphoma?”.  So, here is Teva’s story. How it all began and a little insight on what lie ahead.

Teva, an extremely active and healthy Golden Retriever had not a thing wrong with her. Most of her day consists of approximately 17 hours of slumber followed by a 3-7 mile hike, a little post meal football and a walk around the property. Hikes include but are not limited to chasing pine cones down the hillside at top speeds and relaxing swims in the Spokane River, Teva has always been in awesome physical shape.  Our ”discipline through exhaustion” plan when she was a puppy has actually made my husband and I more fit and her life more complete as our canine companion.

So, again, how did we know?  We didn’t. In an effort not to be too graphic I’ll attempt to make this kid friendly. Teva had a bout of diarrhea that lasted a day or two and the weeks to follow she spent a lot of time straining when doing her dog duties.  It was then that we noticed she was prolapsing with each strain which would resolve itself within a few hours post exercise. After phone consults with her vet team (yep, she has a team of peeps) we decided to just keep a watch on her and wait and see what happened.  Two weeks later no change so we opted for a surgical approach.  Dr. B would place a purse string suture (named that because of its similarity to how a round purse closure operates pulling both ends together to close) in her buttocks region, it sounded like a quick solution to something that we worried about more than Teva.

On an appointment the day before the procedure Dr. Coulson noted that Teva’s lymph nodes seemed a little enlarged.  Although peculiar we agreed we would wait to see what her pre-op surgical workup showed and go from there. Pre-op bloodwork came back clean as clean gets for a young pup.

Surgery Day: Dr. Janet observed the procedure as Teva’s Pet Advocate (one of her many titles) and took photographs for what we thought at the time was just an interesting case. During the surgical procedure the three veterinarians discussed and then decided to take a biopsy of her colon to see what they might find.  The following day Teva had some post-op complications that brought us back to the clinic to re-evaluate.  On this visit they took needle biopsies of her enlarged lymph nodes.

48 hours later the colon biopsy came back as cancer, followed 24 hrs later by the lymph node aspirate confirmation of the same.  So what now?

Well, as you read before we scrambled and Teva is now full on in chemo therapy. Currently in week four of Teva’s 24 week protocol (24 has always been my lucky number so I can only hope that at 6 months we are wild and clean of all things cancerous.)  her fourth visit will be back to WSU this Thursday. Due to the shortage of cancer drugs to most veterinary practices Teva’s therapy will land her in Pullman once monthly.   A blessing really as the Oncology department at WSU adds another pulse point of health checks to Teva’s team of excellent care in veterinary medicine.  We are lucky to be so close to such a fantastic resource.

There is a lot of information out there on the web about treating dogs with cancer.  Some good, some bad.  After this weeks treatment, week 4, I hope to have a better understanding of Teva’s prognosis.  Because of her age and how it was presented we are all a bit in the dark about what to expect, fingers and paws crossed.

Dr. V of pawcurious wrote some of the best stuff about her dog Emmet during their battle with cancer.  I read it when Teva was less then 6 months old and never did I imagine I would revisit it again for guidance before Teva reached ten years of age.  Dr. V makes me laugh and cry in all stories of her life as a vet and an owner of a golden retriever today and in the Emmet days.  I recommend it to all.

Janet said it best when she wrote her blog “When the News is Cancer”: Friends stick Together. That’s what has happened. All of Teva’s fans and friends have stuck together in words and in actions to help us get through.  We are so very blessed to have you all.  With Dr. Janet at the helm we plan another great adventure down to Pullman for treatment.  Dr. Choy, I’m sure,  is overly excited about our presence in his treatment room (ha!).

As for Teva and how she’s feeling: Well, currently she’s sleeping silently behind me with a belly full of chow and  my apple chicken sausage leftovers.  Yea, she’s not lacking much these days.  And to tell you the truth I think she may have even forgotten the most basic of commands.  Why bother? She gets whatever she wants and will continue to do so.

Thursday is our visit to WSU Vet Teaching hospital.  We promise to document our road trip, experience and hopefully good news of Teva’s visit.

Exactly two weeks after Teva’s 4th Birthday ‘TevaPalooza’ celebration I recieved the call from her veterinarian Dr. Greg Benoit.  “It’s Lymphoma”.  And then my world stood still.

Golden Retriever/lymphoma it seems to go hand in hand.  But not for a four year old, healthy, and happy Golden.

TevaJo is fortunate enough to have a team of  amazing veterinarians by her side.  Dr. Benoit, Dr. Suzanne Coulson, and Dr. Janet Crosby. They are all dear friends of mine and friends of Teva.

Teva started her treatment at WSU, with Dr. Kevin Choy- a kind and gentle Golden Retriever loving soul and a true professional.  She will continue her treatments at Southcare in Spokane.

In telling you the story of  Teva  I certainly don’t want you to feel sorry for us.  We all deal with cancer every day with people we love and  animals too.

Teva Jo brings joy to my life every day but I also know that she brings happiness to others with the photos I post and the stories of her seemingly perfect existence as a canine companion.

In the months to come I will  post here, on the Tail Wagging Muse site, about Teva’s battle with Lymphoma. With some of  the best veterinarians on her side taking care of her  I will do the best I can to keep her healthy and happy.

Facebook will continue to be her place of humor. Follow her on this blog if you would like to hear more a about her health. because I know many of you will ask.

Teva and I believe that laughter is the best medicine so we promise to keep it light and continue to post the humorous life of her whenever possible.  (Oh, and as for the mohawk in the picture above.  You can thank the wonderful, caring vet staff of  Inland Empire Vet imaging for what we call ‘Teva’s Sunroof’.   They saved us a ton on grooming! Thanks Dr. Seims and staff!).

Special thanks to friends like Janet.  We took the road trip down to WSU together. Her friendship and role as Teva Jo’s “Pet Advocate” (DVM credentials to boot) helped ease my mind in retaining all important data.  Thanks Dr. Janet- Teva and I are forever grateful.  (and to ‘Peach’ for consulting…love her too.)  And to Dr. Suzanne Coulson for responding to the my ‘worried mom texts’ while spending quality time with her family over the weekend.. love you…

On a personal note.  Mark and I are handling this the best we can.  With spells of sadness and tears we know that every day/moment with Teva is more special then the last.

We are spoiling her more then most days with extra treats and pets.  She essentially gets away with anything… but mostly we just enjoy her a little more then we ever did.  (That itself seems like a ridiculous statement because she is pretty much the head of the house).

Teva still loves all the things she always did: She wakes us the same with her grunting  for food, on hikes she still  requires us to kick pine cones and just before dusk a game of football is necessary.  Our hearts ache that she might not be here for  another 10 years like we’d hoped.  Every day is precious…and we celebrate them all.

So, let’s start with this hike of hers/ours…. and let’s just say it wasn’t MY idea.  I like a good long day on the trail don’t get me wrong but seriously, 40 miles?  14.5 hrs?    I’d rather meet a porcupine on a dark evening in an alley behind Safeway.  So….. as the story goes.

My parental figures were kind enough to plan the excursion along the Spokane River.  As I overheard, it would  keep me cooler throughout the day. Just a little side bar:  It  would have been nice if they would have so politely mentioned just  once  the extensive miles that would ensue when we began that early morning on 6.24.

Miles 1 to 15 were filled with much of the same: River, pine-cone fetching, stick throwing, swimming, horse poop rolling all things a golden loves and adores. The air was perfect and the water cool.  I really believed it was my most perfect day. Well it was the perfect day but then, to my great surprise, the starvation death march began. 

Nothing like a frend to lean on

At mile 18 some good friends including my buddy ‘Barney’ met us with a cooler and goodies-  “yippeeeee” I thought we’d reached our destination.  NOPE.   Mom and Dad’s camel backs were filled with ice water, they snacked on some fruit and chocolate and off we went again further away from where we began.  About 2 miles later we stopped did some photo op-ping and then…. like horses with barn fever we turned back south and headed towards home.

20 Mile Turn Around

Accurate and true but not dog frienldy

Mom’s obsession with the thing on her wrist appeared to be an important part of the day….. in fact the obsession of it actually became an annoyance.  My swims became shorter, breaks were non-existent and most of all there was no time for snacking. 

Mile 30:  I was done.  Me, the Muse, the athletic wonder dog… DONE.  I didn’t care about sticks or horse poop, water or pine cones.  I wanted to sleep.  I wanted my ottoman, my plush floor bed, anything soft and still.  Mom and Dad louring me up the mountain with stale treats and kind words.  I did eventually succumb but not with my normal joy and wonder.

Less then half a mile to go

Mile 37:   Mom is frantic because her GPS watch is dying.  She picks it up a notch (3.0 mph to 4.0 mph) trying to beat the battery death.  HELLO, what about the dog and husband death.  She proceeds at a fast pace above us in an almost psycotic state of mind.

Mile 39.99 and all I could do was politely pose for this picture.  Now, again, who’s idea was this?

Mile Marker 40:  As we return to the homestead with balloons and friends cheering all I can think about is removing my four from underneath my body and gracefully planting them skyward.  A great day it was filled with all things favorite of a golden retriever.  But note to all that read:  5 miles of hiking, a good swim, a pine cone and a good stick and I would be just as happy. 

Happy Birthday Momma- please don’t plan on 41 next year- I chose not to participate.

More Pics of the Epic Hike.

The Day Begins

The River Time for a little stick retrieval

 

This was written in late May….. I’m a little late on the blogging front but, with age comes excuses!!

As I stumble out of my 30 ’s and into my 40 th year of living I have decided to throw my selfishness to the way side and seek selflessness as my new mantra for the next 40.
After my experience at Blog Paws and the ever reverberating sound of their “Be the Change You Want to See ”message that I carry with me daily I finally decided to buck up and try to live the message instead of sitting around wondering what it meant to me.
So what does “Be the Change ”mean. Visit their site http://www.blogpaws.com for more information , but essentially it’s about making a difference, whether small or big. It ’s not about copious amounts of cash or large donations of product or time, no, it ’s about everyone doing something- anything to make a difference for animals across this beautiful globe.
On my Birthday, which is 6.24.2010, I plan to hike the miles of my age. I ’ve mentioned this in previous blogs but had yet to formulate an official plan. So, as it stands the plan has been formulated. I will be stepping out my back door and onto the Spokane trails that lead me to the river and far north for 40 miles . Joined by my husband and Queen La Teva we will take this hike in honor of all the dogs in the world that are without homes or loved ones… and to the cats, the millions of cats that wait to be adopted in shelters across the globe. It is my hope that you will all join me in spirit on our hike by doing something in your community to “Be the Change ”. Sorry folks, there ’s homework for you in my project but consider it a gift to me through ‘them ’. ( I still like gifts of some sort)
Instead of asking for donations I ask that you all post something on my FB page sharing with everyone what you did to “Be the Change ”. Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me .  And please, when we meet again, ignore the wrinkles, the gray hair and most of all the slight limp in my gait from walking a helluva long way.

Postmaster Delivers!

Teva returned from her weekend river hike a bit tired but certainly not unaware of her abode and it’s usual surroundings.   When she walked in the front door, per usual,  she checked the pile of mail on the bench where we accumulate all things postal. I  don’t think she’s cognizant of mail that she may or may  not have  received  but she does notice when there is something new in the area.  Always sniffing and grunting to warn us of impending danger. In that pile of bills, magazines and all things wasteful there was a special envelope for Teva Jo.

Mail for Dahlia and Teva is not foreign in this household; A secret I am now divulging to all… we sign up all club cards, mag subscriptions and the like under Teva Jo and Dahlia.  It’s a great way to weed out the junk and unsolicited stuff. Most recently Dahlia was invited to join the National Professional Women’s Society and Teva was offered  ”No closing costs on her first home purchase”  If only they knew.

A typical pampered dog who lacks  for nothing Teva will never understand that there are other dogs, cats and many other animals suffering in the world.  Teva, as my husband puts it so eloquently, could fall over at any given spot in the house and land comfortably on one of her many ‘buckets’ (fluffy, princess beds).  Teva is fed the best of foods, given snacks because she… well.. she looked at me.  Exercise and play happen every day. Swim sessions 3-4 times a week in HER river and she even receives assistance when she can’t reach an itch.  Ultimately, Teva IS the antithesis of a stray dog.

With the assistance of the family Teva opened her mail to find she was made an honorary member of World Vets.  Another good day in the  life of  Princess fussy pushy pants… yet another sign of adoration from her fans.

Honorary Member of World Vets

World Vets has a very special place in my heart.  Whether the Muse  acknowledges that I really don’t know.  I do know that World Vets is partially responsible for my overadoration of Teva.  The experiences I’ve had with this organization is why I pamper her, over-love her and  spoil her rotten.  Heartbroken by the stories we all share about animals in horrific situations with inadequate food, shelter and water I know at the end of the day I provide for my own but I want to do more for those I cannot take in.  Unfortunately, veterinary care isn’t always available in some of the developing countries around the world.  If it is available  most of the residence cannot afford the expense.

My involvement with World Vets, as I’ve said before, has given me an outlet to do something to help. Eventually we all find a cause, this one is mine, and I share it with many.

If you’re looking for a way to give back become a member or  join us on a World Vets Trip.   Visit the Stones & Waves Veterinary Clinic page, one of our affiliates, to see a great video on what ‘we do’.

So, what will Teva Jo do with her new member status with World Vets?  My hopes are that she’ll save a couple of her daily C.E.T Chews, a few treats and a bag of food and add it to my shipment of donations.  A mother can be hopeful, but I can’t make promises.  I suppose our hike at the end of June to honor all the animals that don’t have Teva’s life is a pretty good start.

A Face only a Mother could love

This morning my husband wanted to make us french toast to ‘carb up’  for the busy day ahead: Hiking, yard work and work prep for the week.  An unusual breakfast choice for us we realized that we didn’t have anything but the eggs, so off to the grocery I went anticipating a quiet shopping experience in the wee hours of this Sunday morning. 

To my surprise the parking lot was packed.  Entering the store I witnessed a flurry of men and young children hovering like bees around the flower and plant display.  A cacophony of  conversations of  her favorite flower and colors, deep grumbled tones from the father’s mouths complaining of the quality and high prices.  Mother’s Day emergency shopping at it’s finest.  (Valentine’s day a  similar and often worse episode, sans children.) 

Standing in line with my Maple syrup, vanilla extract and bread I studied the people around me and ogled at their purchases.  

 A 20 something year old young man in front of me with a multitude of cards, chocolate and a potted plant.  He looked as if he’d crawled out of bed and into the clothes he’d worn to the concert the night prior. Determination in his gait makes me believe he will make brunch on time and hug his mother tight telling her he is doing just fine. 

The 40 something year old gentleman behind me in line looked at me shyly as he placed his  basket on the counter.  The contents: A sad boquet that looked in dire need of water and  sunlight. Tucked below the flowers was a card that  I would venture to guess  wasn’t exactly what he wanted  but would do as the pickings get pretty slim this late in the game. 

When my time came to complete my purchase the cashier looked at me and my varied purchases and asked  ”Is it okay if I wish you a happy Mother’s Day?”.   I smiled at him.  I know I’m old enough to have kids and I’m sure most people would guess that I do.  Not really sure exactly how to respond I quickly blurted out “Well of course, I’m a mother you know. Thank you”.  

Teva Jo (the Muse) and Dahlia (the cat), they are my kids.  They require time, love, energy, lots of food, toys, beds- the list goes on! I did have to pay for Teva’s education when she was a pup, and I have dog-sitters when I’m away.  Occasionally I feel like a  soccer mom, driving Teva to play dates with her dog friends, taking Dahlia in for her nail trims and of course there are the vet visits for them both.  Being a pet parent isn’t a lifetime commitment like traditional child parenting but it is a commitment to love, nurture and care for them during their lifetime.  

A cats love is always questionable

Happy Mother’s Day to my momma, my friends and family who are mother’s of children and four-legged kids alike.  I hope your husbands have returned from the grocery store with your precious children whose sticky fingers are holding on tightly to the bouquet they picked just for you.   

 Teva gifted me with a running sock this morning and placed it next to my face as I slept.  Dahlia actually acknowledged me as I walked down the hall, a first for her.  They love me.

Balsamroot

 The joy of this trail we call ‘the missing link’ is that you can hike for 6 miles along the river on this perfect peaceful lightly travelled path.  Teva spends most of her time waiting by the shore side for the next stick throw. On most occasions we find the perfect stick to throw and that becomes THE STICK for the entire hike.  She will not leave it for later or let us hide it.  Nope, it’s carried from that point forward until her tired jaw cannot bare another grasping  step and she nudges us to carry it.  The problem with the BIG STICK find is that it’s usually way wider then the trail, which subsequently leads us to have to jump off the trail when she comes up behind us so we don’t get impaled, scratched or thrown off the cliff by impact.       

Big Stick Treasure

First and foremost Teva Jo only cares about Teva Jo….unless of course I fell down, she would come to my side and smother me with golden love until I got up.  But again, other than that, no care in the world of who is affected by her great find.      

So, the stick  and Teva’s determination made me think about many a random thing.  The BIG STICK  brings new challenges to the hike that might not have been there before and that is what I focused on.  There are many big sticks in the world today.  So many things we are faced with picking up and carrying in joy and stress and all things life.      

But then there’s Teva, she seems to know that there is joy in this challenge and eventually someone will throw it with great gusto into the water and she will proudly bring it back to shore. The carry was worth it.     

With my job I often find myself challenging  my clients to think outside their normal every day business function.  One challenge, as of late, is the suggestion of them exploring marketing via social media.  It’s been fun and often shocking  to see and hear the reactions of my customers at the mere mention of such a thing.  Ultimately, when it comes down to it, I truly believe it’s the challenge of the big stick that concerns them.  They can’t define it, don’t know who will carry it, can’t start it and then leave it behind…. it’s just too big of a challenge to take on.      

Blogpaws Vet Track may just be the perfect venue for them to learn how to utilize social media in their veterinary practice.  I look forward to the possibilities.

Let today be noted in my history as “My First Blog Day”.

When I opened my eyes this morning I saw what I always see first: My Tail Wagging Muse on her ottoman at the end of our bed.

In this household most dog or cat  beds are referred to as buckets but not this one.  This  is “the princess pea bed”.  This is where the Muse sleeps, dreams, kicks, drools and refreshes for the new day ahead.  As with mornings of days passed she had her head hanging over the edge, rubbery dark lips dangling down and one brown eye fixed on me.  Most mornings I close my eyes quickly and hope she didn’t see so that I could have just ten more minutes before the arrival of  “Teva Jo” on the bed.  Not so lucky. Maybe because I did say out loud, towards her ottoman, “Today, I blog!”  Within seconds the Muse is on the bed standing over me as if to say… “well, let’s get to it!”.

So, with my first post I’d like to forgo any great introductions of who I am or what I plan on writing about.  I want to just take a moment to document how I got here to Blog-town and why I think I might stay a while and get to know the townspeople.

There are three major influences that lead me on this blog’n journey:  AboutVetMed ‘s Dr. Janet Crosby, BlogPaws, and my Tail Wagging Muse-” Teva Jo”.  

Dr. Janet:  For those of you who know this  ambitious, artistically talented, extremely intelligent woman you can agree with me that she never ceases to amaze!  I was fortunate enough to have Janet’s friendship  fall in my lap when I was out doing my regular ’work thing’ one day last year. My admiration of her glass bead talents, veterinary work, animal rescuer saver of all things fuzzy or beaked, social media knowledge etc etc etcmade me long to be more interesting like Janet and strive to do more things for me and others (well, mostly animals).  I have also learned that my friendship with Janet has lead me to take challenges I might not, learn things that I might have never tried (note: Beads by Heather), and to laugh at myself as much as possible when I’m doing any of the above.

So, at lunch with Janet less then one month ago she mentioned that she was going to a BlogPaws conference in two weeks.  She told me all about the event, who was going to be there and what she hoped to gain from the experience.  She completely had me at the name,  BlogPaws… c’mon how mysterious is that?  Within an hour I was booking flights, hotels and planning my mini-vacation with Dr. Janet to figure out this BlogPaws thing.   Completely oblivious to what a fantastic weekend lay ahead.

BlogPaws: Created to bring the online pet community together to network, share information and create bonds that will help in the many efforts of those that fund raise for rescue/ shelter organizations across the country.  The speakers were incredible, inspiring and fun.  The energy in the room was contagious.  For me, a random stranger to most and riding on the coattails of Janet, I felt as welcome as all others present.  The take home message was simple.  Delivered in a heart thumping, tear jerking way it makes perfect sense.  Be the Change. 

Be the Change is best explained to you by some of the amazing creators and attendees and  of the BlogPaws.  I was fortunate to rub elbows with the likes of PawCurious, RomeoTheCat, K9Cuisine, AboutDogs and of course AboutVetMed, the list is endless…

With all of the connections we have in this world throughout the power of social media, family, friends, colleagues etc somehow we can all do a little something extra.  A little more  to help with all the fund raising efforts for organizations locally and globally that offer animal rescue/shelters/aid and more.

My Be the Change challenge has begun, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me.  So many of the attendees are knee deep in their contributions and are an inspiration for me as I seek out where I too can make more of a difference.

My Tail Wagging Muse:  Last but not least, and of course first in my heart (well, the heart area for animals) is “Teva Jo”.  You’ll hear more then enough about this Golden, fear you not.  She has built a community of her own, admirers and friends.

My Muse is why I get up early each day to hit the hiking trails for pine-cone kicking, stick fetching, river swimming reflections of what good things I’ll attempt to do that day.  Some of the many lessons I’ve re-learned from “Teva” are  gratitude, playfulness, good manners get you treats, look curious when confused, love is unconditional and of course give me a tennis ball and I will pay absolutely no attention to anyone. So, my Muse isn’t perfect.  But not a day goes by that she doesn’t offer me some type of inspiration to be a better human being.

My experience at this conference was the perfect challenge I needed to launch me into another chapter of my life.  Sometimes a little hand-holding to lead someone down a path they have peered at with one eye shut is all that’s needed.  BlogPaws pushed me down that path with Janet on the end of the lead coaching  (and taunting me at times)….and my Muse at my side giving me those wet nose nudges of inspiration.

It’s going to be  an amazing ride!
Disclaimer:  please forgive all that is wrong with my first blog,…. Laugh with me as I learn!

]]> http://tailwaggingmuse.com/2010/04/17/hello-world/feed/ 2