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Vickie posted this on the apsobreeders list. I’m breaking list etiquette by reposting without permission, but…somehow…I don’t think anyone will mind. For those who don’t know Vickie is West Central Rescue Coordinator for the American Lhasa Apso Club. The family below, assists ALAC’s rescue efforts by fostering Lhasa Apsos during the transition process from the dog’s former home to new home.

One of our own is in need of “rescue” …

Adrienne is a foster mom for us in the Atlanta area. She and her family has suffered a terrible tragedy right before Thanksgiving. Please read the article below and, if you can help in any way, it would be most appreciated …

ALAC Foster Volunteer Home Burns – Pets Perish in Fire

On Monday November 19, 2007, the home of Adrienne Herrell – an ALAC foster “mom” in the On Mond area, burned to the ground. Her four pets – a Lhasa Apso, a Cockatiel and two hamsters perished in the fire. Adrienne and her human family members were not at home at the time of the fire. However, after being notified of the fire by her alarm company, Adrienne rushed to the house to try to save her pets. She suffered burns in her attempt to rescue the pets.

The house was gutted by the fire – which was attributed to a faulty
refrigerator. She and her family not only lost their pets – all of which were adored and pampered by Adrienne – but all of their belongings as well. The house will have to be gutted and rebuilt, and the family will be in a transitional living situation for many, many months.

This is a terrible loss to have suffered, especially at this time of year.
A neighbor of Adrienne’s has established a fund at an A neigh area Wachovia branch to help the family with immediate expenses. Your contributions to the fund are greatly appreciated.

Please make your check out to: The Herrell Family Fire Fund and mail to:
Tracy Osborne 1915 Keswick Place Drive Lawrenceville, , <ST1>
Tracy (another ALAC volunteer) will ensure all funds are deposited to the Wachovia Fire Fund account. If you need to contact Tracy, you may email her at: Osborne777@bellsouth.net)

In addition to seeking donations to assist Adrienne and her family, ALAC rescue is prepared to assist Adrienne with adding a new Lhasa Apso to her family when they are ready to adopt.

Thank you for your generous assistance for a volunteer of ALAC Rescue.

Vickie, et al

Last night Rick, Nate and I saw the Blue Man Group perform. An experimental musical theatre troup, they bill themselves as a creative organization dedicated to creating exciting and innovative work in a wide variety of media. Founded in 1987 by a trio of friends, identical in their blue-painted skin, skullcaps and black clothing, the trio soon became a fixture of the New York underground performance art scene thanks to their regular appearances in Central Park, followed by shows at noted East Village spaces including Dixon Place, Performance Space 122 and the Wooster Group’s Performing Garage. Equal parts play, concert, and sketch routine, the Blue Man Group combines sight gags, physical stunts and audience participation. They don’t talk. They don’t sing. We saw the How To Be a Megastar Tour 2.0.  It was great fun, appropriate for all ages. If you’ve seen them on TV -pbs, I think - then you have an idea of what they’re about, from percussion to social commentary.

This is photo of drumming, accented by water from the drum top and lights.

 This show was backed by an eight piece rock band, including 3 drummer with different sets playing simultaneously. Maybe that’s usual or maybe it’s because the show spoofed rock bands. The Blue Men play….interesting instruments, like PVC pipes.

And this bizarre instrument..

Julie sent this photo of Avery’s puppies, born October 23.

See the pedigree.

 Today, the Cayenne/Seth puppies are one year old. Hey, Ginny what were you doing last Thanksgiving? Willis lives with Rose in New York. Ethan and Chloe remain with Ginny. Tango is with me. Ruby is with Ginny’s friend Christi; both are learning about the show ring. And Peanut - aka Goliath - is with another of Ginny’s friends. 

This is a photo of Ethan, Chloe and Goliath…

And Willis with his ball…

Here’s Ruby the day she went to her new home…

And my Tango…

I spent a good portion of today doing ‘mindless’ entries on the web site. A pile, a tall pile, has been sitting near my computer, waiting to be shared for months upon months. Stuff. All kinds of stuff. Interesting stuff. Heartwarming stuff. Informational stuff. Stuff I want to share. Stuff I want to catalog for future use. It’s not mindless stuff. It’s important - at least to me - stuff. The ‘mindless’ part simply describes what it takes to get it on the web site. No creativity involved. Simple data entry, so to speak. I did’t feel creative today, so data entry it was.

You’ll be able to find some of the stuff, some of the articles if you peruse the web site looking for new stuff. This, however, needs to be brought to your attention. This book. This book about A Good Dog. A Good Dog owned by Jon Katz. I loved this book. I devoured this book. Not being able to find words to describe this book, I’m stealing the words of a reviewer: “ A Good Dog is a book to savor. Just as Orson was the author’s lifetime dog, his story is a lifetime treasure–poignant, timeless, and powerful.”

It’s a book about commitment. It’s a book about love. It’s a book about being able to make the right choice, an extremely difficult choice. It’s a true story. Read it and weep.

Jack’s Cat Would Eat No Trout
His Dog Would Eat No Spam
by Rebecca Stringer Korpita

Alma brings up the issue of picky eating habits: “I just ordered some Ground tripe and liver treats from absolute K-9.  Roadie is getting picky again.  He will eat if I am  sitting there.  He eats a little and goes back off and on  to eat.”

Alma, please describe how you prepare Roadie’s meal, as well as the exact contents and his mealtime ritual. Do you feed him once or twice a day? How often, how many and under what circumstances does he get treats.? Knowing the answers may help me give you more specific advice.

Each dog is an individual, but in my experience picky eaters are usually created by concerned dog owners. A dog isn’t going to starve itself or go hungry, unless it is very sick. My feeding routine is used to monitor each dog’s daily well-being and doesn’t allow picky eaters. I feed a mixture of kibble, raw meat and ‘dog grog’, as Ginny calls it. Dog grog consists of leftovers, fresh vegetables, maybe a seasoning or three. Each morning I put a soup kettle on the stove - go Deb go; see Debby cook. I start by putting in enough water to adequately moisten the kibble, adding the other available ingredients and heating up the concoction. The dog grog that’s cooking right now contains fresh carrots, fresh potatoes, a turkey carcass, leftover rice and pepper. I will toss that into the kibble, add raw meat and mix thoroughly. I wait a few minutes before feeding, allowing the kibble to soak up the dog grog. Each dog is presented with a bowl of food. Any food not eaten is picked up in five minutes. That is the key, so let me repeat…any food not eaten in five minutes is picked up. I say nothing to the dog. There are no second chances. The dog waits until the next morning when, once again, breakfast is served. No big to-do, no pleading, no comment. The food simply goes away.   

On occasion, I have a dog that doesn’t dive in and gobble my tasty preparation. (One reason I like to cook for dogs is they all think I’m a GREAT cook! I can fool the dogs every time with my finesse in the kitchen!) I make a mental note and if the dog doesn’t eat the following morning, I know something is wrong. In my situation, the feeding ritual is extremely important for monitoring each dog’s health.

Puppies, of course, are feed more than once a day. Thateus and Wyatt (Sadie’s puppies) eat breakfast along with every one else. Up until last week, they ate a second meal in the late afternoon. Now, kibble is available to them throughout the day and taken away in the late afternoon.

The keys to overcoming an picky eater, I think, are to offer the food for five minutes and make sure the food is interesting. Dry kibble just doesn’t cut it!

Very early this morning, as I heard the clock chime 3AM, then 4AM, 5AM and finally 6AM, thoughts kept my mind entertained. Sleep came in bits and pieces, bizarre dreams. I finally gave up the sleep quest when I awoke with a start, awoke with little comprehension of where I actually was. Whew! Was I relieved to find myself in bed! In my dream, I was at a dog show, somewhere in eastern Nebraska, with lots of Lhasa Apso people. Not necessarily show exhibitors, although Melissa was there. I looked at my watch, in the midst of enjoying the dogs, the day, the company and the food to discover it was 4:30PM on Thanksgiving day. Two thoughts came to mind immediately. Rick wasn’t going to be very happy that I lost track of time. And, how was I going to eat Thanksgiving dinner after all the food I’d just eaten.

My most memorable Thanksgiving turkey was the one being roasted in the oven above. I have eaten many, many Thanksgiving dinners in that kitchen. My grandmother cooked in that kitchen. My mother cooked in that kitchen. Now the kitchen belonged to my sister Lori. Mom had been dead for 2 years, grandma much longer. The house, a farmhouse, sat empty for nearly 2 years after mom died. None of us willing to let go, none of us willing to move in.

In previous years Ron and Lori had actively looked for a farmhouse to renovate, even to the point of having contracts on two different places. For one reason or another, those deals fell through. One day, while visiting our farmhouse, Lori was overcome with sadness at how lonely it felt. It was then she realized the house was hers. I could have told her that right after mom died. But, being the oldest sister, I tread carefully with my words of advice.

After doing some very major work, including plumbing, electrical and an addition that looks like it was there since the house was built in 1880, the first room they renovated was the kitchen. Rick had been in Norfolk building new cabinets for Lori’s kitchen, using the workshop of a local cabinetmaker. On Thanksgiving day, work on the kitchen continued. Right in the midst of the construction dust and hubbub sat the stove, with a turkey cooking!

One day I’ll do a composite of the farmhouse, sharing with all of you it’s beauty. Ron and Lori kept true to the farmhouse spirit. It’s nice to go back to my hometown, back to a house I’ve known since I was a little girl, and see it being loved and lived in.

Today Vickie is having her knee repaired. Depending on your beliefs, please keep her in your thoughts or prayers.

Vickie originally introduced me to Jeff Leedy’s work; several can be found gracing information pages on the website. She shared his latest newsletter, which indicates his work will now be in a gallery in Breckenridge. Check it out to see several more pieces, along with more information.

ART ON A WHIM

featuring

ART THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH®.

“Teasing Medusa’s Hair”

Julie shared this:

Here is a picture of Edie’s sister, Sophie.  If I remember correctly, the husband works for Cargill developing dog food.