Yours, Mine, and Ours

We did it.

I don't think it was totally irrational, but it sure was close.

Tilly has joined our family, and is our first adventure in co-parenting.

Jed is taking it all in stride.  Kind of.  He's always a gentleman, but at times he gets just a little anxious and reverts to his anxious behavior -- humping his bed.  Bless his heart.  But he's a gentle giant, and lets Tilly roll all over him.  And every now and then he even nudges her to play, too.  But mostly he just gets out of her way and waits for her to fall asleep.

Getting another dog is my admission to myself that Jed's not getting any younger.  He'll be 8 (how did THAT happen?!) in another month, and as my sweetie pointed out, it might be prudent to bring in another pup to soften the blow a bit when the inevitable happens.  NOT that I'm expecting it any time soon.  He's in good health.  But given his track record, I have to say that sometimes I feel like we're living on borrowed time. 

Tilly is a true sweetheart.  Still very much all puppy, with a joy for life that makes me happy.  I'm glad she's joined our little family.

Almost

It almost happened.

Two weeks ago the human love of my life tiptoed on the edge of that slippery slope to all places dark and definite.

She had a brain bleed.  Why?  We'll never know.

She's okay now, just enduring the residual low-grade headache that will be part of her life for the next weeks or maybe months. She doesn't seem as sharp to me, but not so much that others who don't know her would notice. Just little things. Hopefully that will disappear as her headaches will with time.

I've never been so absolutely terrified in my life. I've never known what it felt like to stare loss in the face like I did that Sunday afternoon when I had to tell her that her brain had bled and we were going to ICU.   At that moment I knew beyond a doubt that her presence in my life was more important than anything I'd ever experienced before. I couldn't lose her. And I couldn't lose us.

This was written almost 4 months ago.  She's still doing well, and we can chuckle about her mild memory lapses.  A visit to her doctor about a month ago simply confirmed what we'd already figured out -- that this will either go away, or it will be the new normal.  

I love her all the more.

A New Year

It's been a good year.  It's been a tough year, too.  Moving from my "home" school of 16 years (thanks, low enrollment) to a new school, new grade level, and new Principal.  But change is good, and I'm really believing it this year.   

I traveled to the East Coast (sorry, Jed) with the human love of my life.

We saw the sights of New England and even New York City.

Acadia National Park was gorgeous.  

Need I say more?

And then there was the food.  I liked the onion rings a whole lot better than the fried clams.  And give me a good ol' ribeye over lobster any day!

Going to the Twin Towers Memorial site was truly a highlight of the trip.  The hardest part of the visit was seeing how many dogs were used in the initial phases of rescue and recovery. It made me cry …

I even got to introduce A. to the Chelsea Market.  Lots of fun -- and sensory overload!

There was family to meet and a wedding to attend.  It was hot.  But I got to see fireflies.  And dance with my sweetheart.

Just before the heat and humidity finally got to me we went home.  But lots of memories of a wonderful non-trailer vacation.

The year didn't end there.  We took several trips in the trailer, enjoying time with friends.  But I realized that those I wanted to spend time with were already with me and I didn't need anyone else to have fun with.

And then there was -- and still is -- school.  Leaving my work home of 16 years was traumatic, to say the least.

And on to sixth grade!  Who knew how much I was going to enjoy them?  But I do, and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn with them.

We even had a couple of brush fires outside our back door.  I'm waiting for the cancellation notice on my homeowner's insurance now … sigh.

The home front has benefitted from some sprucing up, too.  New master bathroom, paint all over, and some improvements in the backyard.  Makes being home so enjoyable!

And throughout the year was my constant companion, Jed.  Apart from the trip back East, every other trip was taken with him.  I wouldn't want it any other way.

2014 promises to be full of adventure and new experiences.  But most of all ... Life with Jed.