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I have hardly had time to eat or visit the little girls' room today. Made the day fly by, but I sure could use a vacation.So, I think I'll take one! (very big grin) I'll get in the car tomorrow and start driving west, chasing the setting sun. I'll see lots of family in that great prairie state of Kansas, then I'll work my way back east -- hopefully more relaxed and ready for new challenges.
Everyone needs a break now and then. I've talked to a couple authors today who sounded really stressed by life's hectic pace.
I hope you can take some time to enjoy the summer months before they fade away. Even when deadlines and commitments loom over our heads, sometimes it helps just to take a short break to breathe and refresh the body and soul.
So, I'm unplugging from the office until I'm back on Thursday, July 26. Try not to miss me too much.
Blessings,
Becky
PS: Anyone have a suggestion for a wonderful breed of house dog? My Shih Tzu went to doggie heaven this week, and I can't image not having a dog for long. Goodbye, dear Mitzi.
19 comments:
Have a great vacation Becky, and so sorry to hear about your dog! I love my dogs, too, and hate when doggy heaven calls.
Rachel
Hi Becky,
Taking a break is a great idea. Hope your vacation will be restful and relaxing. So sorry to hear about the loss of your dear little dog. What a sweet picture. I hope you wil find a wonderful new dog soon.
Enjoy your time away!
Carrie
Enjoy your vacation Becky. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your sweet dog. I have a Shih Tzu/Poodle mix and I love her! If you have the room, labs make good pets, too.
Becky, I have the PERFECT solution. Sasha is about to have puppies! How does a miniature dachshund sound to you?! (Okay, okay, they're a TOUGH breed to train, but they're such great companions!) Think on it...
Becky,
So sorry to hear about your puppy. We lost ours in May and went a whole four days before we were at a shelter picking out a puppy. We had forgotten how much work a puppy is. Eight years 'll do that to memory.
Becky, have a wonderful vacation...and what a great state to visit! I happen to be rather fond of Kansas. So sorry to hear of your Mitzi. We have a long-haired Dachsund who trained easily, is not yappy, and has been a faithful companion now for 15 years. Long-haired Dachsies make wonderful pets, so there's my suggestion. Safe travel, and come back refreshed!
God bless, Kim S.
Have a wonderful, restful, refreshing time, Becky!
So sorry to hear about your doggie. My daughter, who lives in a condo in San Juan, has a mix of an Italian greyhound (miniature greyhound) and a chihuahua. Gia is the world's sweetest dog. She and I have a thing going. She sits with me on the sofa and I scratch her, and if I quit, she takes her little paw and gently touches my hand until I resume. She's small, so she's easy to take care of on the 22nd floor.
Becky,
I recommend you get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. These guys are sweet (bred to be lap dogs), playful (great with kids) and can be energetic (mine walk 1-2 miles with me every evening).
They are very trainable - I have one who is certified to be a therapy dog through Therapy Dogs Internation, and both of mine have been in the obedience ring in dog shows.
If you don't want a puppy, may I recommend a rescue? We adopted our Taylor at 18 months old and after six months of working with him and him getting used to us, he is the second doggy-love-of-my-life. He loves to cuddle on the couch and loves to go on walks.
You can find more info at luckystarcavalierrescue.org (this is the organization we adopted through). I could go on and on so let me know if you want more info on Cavaliers!
Becky, have a great vacation! I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.
:( Around here, pets are like family and each one is precious. I haven't had a dog in years. We've known some loveable mutts, though. And I nearly brought a Boston Terrier home from a pet adoption day at a pet store (but my cat would have never spoken to me again). He was small, and had a sweet face. :)
Shetland Sheepdog or "Sheltie". Sweetest, most gentle and TRAINABLE breed out there. Nice and compact, great travelers, campers, hikers, baby-herders all in one.
Enjoy your jaunt.
Sorry about your loss. Pets are family to many of us and their loss is hard.
Kansas is so close to me!!!
Well...five hour drive, not all THAT close. :) but still..... You're about the third person I know who has driven THROUGH or close to Nebraska on their way somewhere else this summer. I think Susan did it, too. And Cara??? Weren't you in Nebraskas???But does anyone drop in???
No-o-o-o-o-o-o
I just really hesitate to suggest a dog, Becky because, sure as you're born, you'll listen to me, then when the dog is eating your fifth pair of shoes, you'll be trying to read some manuscript I submitted and you'll get mad and
MARY'S BOOK BECOMES DOG LUNCH.
I'll say this, the newspapers often list dogs from private homes that are great breeds, but the dogs are about half-grown. They're through the cute puppy stage, but still acting like puppies and people want them to GO AWAY, but they still care about them. You can get a nice breed of dog, far below what a puppy costs and, they're about through the chewing yipping puppy stage...someone else has done all that hard work for you.
I have several friends who have found 8 or 14 month old dogs listed in the paper and been really happy with them.
One friend got a beagle and yes, he ate a small portion of her kitchen wall in those first 'honeymoon' months, but now he's calmed down and he's the nicest, calmest little dog. Looks nothing like Snoopy btw. :)
A beagle is a hound and hounds tend to be calm once they're grown up and he's small and gentle.
I'm so sorry about your dog. I hope you have a great vacation.
So sorry about your doggie! We had a Lhasa Apso for 12 years and highly recommend them. They don't shed. Have a nice vacation!
Hope your vacation is refreshing!
Ah,I'm so sorry for the loss of your adorable little dog. So sweet. Pets take such a place in our lives and hearts.
I love my little West Highland Terrier (Westie.) You might check that breed out. Lizzie sits at my feet as I type. She is so smart. She does all of her tricks to get a "cookie" before I even get the cookie out of the jar. Such a clown.
But you should listen to Mary C. That way if the dog you get does chew up all of your shoes and manuscripts, then you can blame her. By the way, beagles and the house--euww. Beagles are incredibly sweet, love everyone, follow their noses to Santa Fe, and are really hard to house train. Really. (Had one. She lived outside and no success with that potty training thing. Loved killing any animal that crossed the yard--raccoons, squirrels, moles, deer. So sweet(with people,)but deadly. A hound, you know.)
Whatever dog you get, it will be tough those first few weeks, but worth it. Love dogs. Let us know what you decide!
I recently lost a dog too, so I know how you feel. So sorry for your loss.
Shih Tzu's have great temperaments. I love mutts though!
Have you tried looking on Petfinder.com?
Uh...okay, go with Crystal's dog choice.
Or you can go with my choice and the rest of you can just pretend a grenade rolled into Becky's campsite and I through myself on it to save all of you.
When I told my husband how sweet the neighbor's new beagle was, he said, "A beagle's a hound. It's gonna bay at the moon. That'll get old."
I told Ivan once the temperment I wanted in a dog was the same as that hound on Beverly Hillbilly's, the huge sad looking dog that never moved and they'd pick up it's skin and the skin would stretch and the dog would just lie there.
Ivan said, "You want a bloodhound?"
Oh, that's a bloodhound? I it as a Beverly Hillbilly's dog. Guess that's not a breed.
So fine, forget the beagle. Now that I think of it, they even made Snoopy stay outside.
My daughter is a dog expert since she has a doggie wash in Goodyear AZ called See Spot Clean. Let me ask her for a recommendation. I assume you're wanting a small dog but if you didn't care, her Golden Retriever Parker is AWESOME. He was the first golden I've ever been around and now I see why Dean Koontz won't have any other kind of dog. So mellow, so smart, almost human in his smartness.
He's an indoor dog. Any dog can be an indoor dog and you didn't specify size. LOL My uncle has a mastiff that's an indoor dog (and so does Angie Hunt.)
Hi, Becky ~
I'm so sorry about your dear Mitzi. It sounds like Mitzi had a wonderful home with you.
When you're ready to open your heart and life to a new cuddly friend---consider a Maltese. They're living, breathing teddy bears. My Coconut is a joy!
I have an excellent resource book about Maltese that I'd be happy to loan you if you'd like to research the breed. Or if you prefer to buy your own copy I’ll send you the title. I also have several pictures of Coconut in action that I can e-mail. That way you can see the Maltese personality and temperament captured on film.
Maltese are sprightly, brilliant little creatures that take the job of companionship seriously. They give big time love, but expect an equal return on their investment.
Maltese are similar in size, stature and sweet nature to the popular Shih Tzu. Maltese are the beautiful white coated dogs that women in Victorian England carried through the park. Coconut has a “puppy cut” which makes his fur easier to manage. Best of all: No shedding.
Here's a link to an article I wrote about Handling Pet Illness/Death, published on CBN.com during the pet food recall this past spring.
PS. You’re probably wondering who I am. We’ve only met once---at Glorieta last fall.
http://www.cbn.com/health/overpeck_petillness.aspx
Jacqueline Overpeck (J.J.)
AuthorJackieO@msn.com
www.AuthorJackieO.com
Wow. Thanks for all the comments on this blog post. I really did take a vacation from everything and didn't even check the blog while away.
I just visited my sister who is trying to convince me that the Welsh Corgi is the best breed. They just got a male they hope to breed with their female. Cute dogs, but I'm not totally sold.
I am looking for a house dog and one that would travel well.
Oh, Laci, I've loved the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ever since watching dog shows on Animal Planet. I haven't been around a live one, though. I would prefer a low maintainance dog. How are they for taking care of?
No, Colleen, a golden retriever is more dog that I need. I'm also looking for no shed (or at least a shedder we can give the puppy cut).
I better get to posting a blog about my travels.
Thanks again.
Becky
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