The Extraordinary Life of CoCo - From Puppy Mill to Paris Part 2

A number of years ago I read an article about rescue dogs that said dogs think of their adopters as their saviors. I really do believe that to be true for CoCo. She adored me and wanted only me in her life. She had no desire to form relationships with anyone else and only accepted the dogs in her "pack". This was obvious in her being aggresive towards others. In order for her to not bite or go after someone who was in our house or walking towards our car I would have to hold her. Then she would settle down. But I had to warn people not to try to pet her. She was such a cute little white fluffy dog that everyone commented on how sweet she looked - and I had to tell them the truth. "Unfortunately, she is not as sweet as she looks. She will bite." But she did anything I asked of her. After I retired from teaching I moved all of us - CoCo, Huck and my 20 year old frog Whiskers - to Liberal, KS to help care for my aging mom. I rented out my house in the Springs and, with Andy's expert moving skills, moved everything to Kansas to a lttle rental there. I continued to learn a lot about CoCo and mill dogs in those two years. She was great in the car, but then she was great as long as she could be with me and near me. Huck, being part Husky, loved to run so I would let him and CoCo out in the alley about once a week. It was so funny watching CoCo's little legs try to keep up with Huck. She, of course, had never run before - not much chance to do that when you live in a tiny cage. Her body would get more momentum going than her legs could keep up with and she would do sommersaults! She had more courage and tenacity than any dog I've ever had! I started doing some traveling during those years and found someone to come over and take care of the dogs and the frog while I was gone. I made sure they came to meet the dogs first. Huck was always happy to see someone come. CoCo wanted to get rid of them! I told the sitters that the best thing they could do would be to not try to engage CoCo in any way. I had treats available and told the sitters to toss treats to her - she would not take them out of anyone's hand but mine. And I told them that she would not jump up on the bed to sleep with her (it had to be a female sitter) so to put CoCo's bed on the floor next to where Huck slept. Eventually, she got used to my being gone and would tolerate having a sitter around. She also tolerated the move back to the Springs when I moved my mom to live with me here. That was also an adjustment. She wasn't sure what to think of Mom's walker! But she was tolerant (I seem to use that word a lot with CoCo) of my mom and her presence in our home. Mom was with us for 2 1/2 years before she passed away and she really enjoyed having the dogs around.

One thing that stayed persistant in CoCo's life was her love of sunshine. She loved to find a ray of sun coming through the window and she would lie there and preen, like a cat. It was so cute to watch her. She started her life never seeing the sun and so she wanted to absorb as much as possible. If we were outside she would start in my lap, but if the sun shifted so did she!

CoCo and Huck were best friends. In the next post I will write about our move to France. What a grand adventure we had! Thank you so much for reading my blog. I always appreciate your comments.

The Extraordinary Life of CoCo: From Puppy Mill to Paris - Part 1

    Almost twelve years ago I decided to adopt a little white fluffy dog from our local humane society.  I had always had big dogs, but I was looking to "downsize" my life in many ways having just retired.  This little white fluffy dog was about to teach me many things about life and resilience and overcoming a rough beginning.

   I had seen a report on our local news station about a puppy mill raid in Missouri.  The report said that 30 of those small breed dogs would be taken in by our local humane society and once they had passed quarantine they would be available for adoption. I had two large, older dogs at the time, both rescues.  Asha was a shepherd mix who was about 14 and Huck was a husky/lab mix and was about 6.  

   When I first saw CoCo, she was lying in a ball on a rug in her kennel at the humane society.  She was a pitiful looking tiny little filthy miniature poodle and something tugged at my heart.  I asked if I could meet her and they had me go into a little room where, in just a few minutes, they brought in this little dog.  She immediately became really interested in the room and was exploring everything in it - except me!  I was sitting on the floor and she would come to my arms' length, but no closer.  I'd reach out and she would back up.  (That reaction would continue off and on for her entire life.)  I will never forget the volunteer's words: "Her interest in things around her shows that she is not defeated."  I was to learn many things about puppy mills from that day on.

 

CoCo when I first brought her home

   She let me pick her up and I held her against my heart and talked softly to her.  She allowed this from me, but I could tell she would rather be on the floor so I put her back down and watched her continue to explore the room.  After about 15 minutes the volunteer put her back in her kennel and said I had one hour to decide before they would start showing her to other people.  I watched her put CoCo back in that kennel and she immediately went back into a little ball and just laid there.  I decided then and there that she would never spend another night in a cage and she came home with me at that moment!

   They had spayed her a few days earlier and she had a slight infection so they gave me an antibiotic ointment to use on her and said to limit her activity until the stitches were fully healed.  I remember asking them if they were sure she was a WHITE miniature poodle as she was so discolored that she looked like champagne or ivory with splotches of yellow.  They assured me that with a few groomings she would be white.  Puppy mill dogs live in their own filth for years.

   I had prepared my house to introduce my larger dogs to a little one.  I had an area of my bedroom blocked off with a dog arena pen.  There were towels and puppy pads covering the carpet and she had a bed and food and water.  Of course the older dogs were fascinated with this little one, and CoCo showed no fear of them.  That first day I just held her on my lap and massaged her little skinny body with some lavender essential oils.  She smelled as bad as she looked, poor little thing!  She seemed to enjoy the touch and was quite content to just lay on my lap and let me do that.  

   That night I put her in her arena where she settled into her little bed without any encouragement from me.  The big dogs settled down on their beds on the floor of my bedroom and all was well that first night.  The next morning CoCo was ready to get out of the pen and do some exploring.  Since I wasn't sure yet how my big dogs would react to her being in their "territory" (although neither of them had ever shown any aggression towards any dogs) I wanted to take things slowly.  I opened the arena gate just enough that CoCo could get out, but the big dogs couldn't go in.  That way, if she was overwhelmed with them she could retreat to the safety of the arena.  But once she was out, there was no going back!  She was ready for freedom and all the dogs got along great. 

Asha, Huck and CoCo after a few weeks (and a grooming!)

 

   CoCo had never learned to play (and never had any interest in playing).  She had no problem "telling" the big dogs to back off.  In fact, she quickly became the alpha of the pack.  At 8 pounds she could put Asha and Huck in their places!  She never showed any fear of anyone of anything or other dogs.  She was spunky!!  And I loved it!  It didn't take long for all the dogs to be fine all together.  

   This was the end of February in 2009.  We had some really nice sunny days and I took CoCo into the backyard to explore the outdoors.  This was all new to her!  As a puppy mill breeder for the first 2+ years of her life, she had never been outside.  She had never seen the sun (she came to be quite the sun goddess!), or felt grass or dirt.  She had never seen birds or squirrels or heard any of the outdoors sounds.  I was amazed watching her.  She would lie in the grass for hours and just take it all in.  She eventually realized that dirt was a really fun thing to dig!

   That first week with her was an eye-opener for me.  I had heard of puppy mills and knew they were bad, but I really didn't know that much about the horrors that these dogs experience.  Watching CoCo and seeing how different she was from other rescues that I had adopted over the years, I could see the scars - some of which stayed with her for the rest of her life.  Also, physical scars.  Her front legs showed signs of having been dislocated at some point in her life.  This probably happened when she was being pulled out of her cage.  Her front shoulders were much lower than her back hips.

She didn't look much like a poodle when I brought her home

    The second night she was home was a completely different story from the first.  I mentioned that the first night she stayed in her little bed in the arena in my bedroom all night.  I never heard a peep out of her and I assumed that would be her little "home" every night.  Nope!!  The next night started out the same way as the first.  I put her in her little area.  Asha and Huck settled into their beds and I thought all was well - until CoCo started jumping up and down trying to get out of her arena.  I was afraid she would tear the stitches from her spay so I opened up the gate to let her out into the rest of the bedroom.  I thought she'd be happy with that.  Nope!!

   She tried to jump up on the bed with me!  I had never let my big dogs get on the furniture or sleep on my bed.  I had a waterbed for years which was not the best place for 100+ pound dogs to be!  So I had no dogs sleeping in bed with me.  Or so I thought!  I really was worried that she would do herself some harm by the continuous jumping so I finally picked her up and placed her on the side of my bed.  At which point she settled in as though she had been waiting for that spot her entire life!  She kept scooting closer and closer to me and I kept scooting over further and before I knew it she was in the very middle of the bed and I had a small corner!  I put her little bed on top of my bed next to me and she was perfectly happy to sleep there!  A win for both of us.

   Our little family got along so well.  CoCo was a great addition.  Throughout the month of March CoCo taught me many more things about life in a puppy mill.  When I took her to my vet for her surgery follow-up he said the stitches were healing well, the infection was gone and she seemed very healthy other than being underweight which is a definite puppy-mill thing as they are fed the least amount of the cheapest food possible.  I said she seemed pretty small for a miniature poodle and he said she was a "tweener"!  Meaning she was between the size of a miniature and a toy.  The most likely reason for this is that the puppy mill started breeding her before she was full grown.  And so all of the hormones that should have been going to her to help her grow were now going to her pups.  So her growth was stunted at the time of her first pregnancy.

   Another thing I learned about her is that she had no depth perception.  She would try to jump up on the couch or chair where I was sitting and she would miss it by about 6 inches.  At first I thought maybe she was just a klutz, but then I realized she had never jumped up on anything in her life and so had no idea how she was supposed to do that.  She just knew that she wanted to be wherever I was and so she was willing to try.  She figured it out within a dozen tries, but those first few were rather comical if not heartbreaking.  

   And, she had never been groomed!  Once her stitches were completely healed I decided to take her to get her bathed and clipped.  I had never had a dog who needed to be groomed so I didn't have groomer that I knew.  There was a grooming facility not far from my house so I called them and made an appointment.  I explained that she was a puppy mill rescue and had spent all of her life in a cage so I was concerned about them caging her before and after her grooming.  I'm sure they were good with her, but I had to drop her off for almost the entire day!  I was so happy when a few months later I found Trish!!  She works out of her home and was always so loving - and quick!- with getting CoCo beautiful.  And  now she grooms Max, too. It did take about 4 grooming sessions for her to be completely white and silky.  I always told her that she must have had beautiful babies!  

Now she looks like an actual poodle!

 

   The next lesson, for her and for me, was signing her up for some training.  I knew she was smart and I probably could have done the training myself, but I also knew that the socialization for her being in a group of other dogs and around other people would be good for her.  So I signed her up for puppy classes at a nearby PetSmart.  She was not amused!  She did not like being with other dogs or other people.  She tolerated the classes for my sake (she tolerated a lot of things during her life to please me!).  She surprised us all by her lack of interest in treats.  She responded to the commands by my praising her.  The trainer had never had a dog who refused treats.  She started bringing all kids of wonderful treats to try on her, but nothing worked.  CoCo just wanted me to tell her how good she was.  (She eventually realized that treats were a wonderful thing!)

   There were many things that she was able to overcome as she lived with me.  But some things remained with her for most of her life.  She saw it as her duty to protect me, our house, our car, our yard.  She did not let anyone but me touch her.  She hated men and especially men who wore ball caps.  She finally got to where she would tolerate Andy, but she would not let him near her.  At least she stopped trying to bite his ankles!  That was big step! ha!  

   If I was sitting outside in the sunshine she wanted to be in my lap.  That continued her entire life.  Although if I wasn't sitting in the sunshine she would go lie where the sunshine was.  If I was on the couch she would lie next to me.  She just needed to know where I was at all times.

   Asha died in her sleep a few months after I adopted CoCo.  At that point she and Huck started enjoying each other's company.  They would even try to play which was rather comical since Huck was abut 100 pounds and CoCo was 8.  She did gain some weight after a few months of being on good dog food.  She and Huck remained close for the rest of his life.

Huck and CoCo the Couch Princess

 

   In my next installment of "CoCo Goes to Paris", I'll talk about the changes in my own life, moving to Kansas to care for my mom and then moving Mom back to Colorado where she lived with me and the 2 dogs.  I hope you don't mind reading about my sweet CoCo.  I find that it is really helping me with my grief to be able to write about her.  She may have been only 8 pounds, but she took up a Great Dane sized place in my heart.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Vive le Tour de France and the French Open

    I can't tell you how wonderful it was to watch these two international sporting events this year!  So many sports competitions have been and continue to be cancelled due to the pandemic and for some of you this may not be a big deal.  I have many friends who take no particular interest in following professional sports. But for me, I have always loved watching the Tour de France and the Grand Slam tennis championships.

   I have been a fan of the Tour since the days of Greg LeMonde, the first American to ever win this international competition.  I have always enjoyed watching the cyclists racing through the villages and towns of France, past gothic cathedrals and churches, past medieval castles and abbeys, through the lovely countryside with its vineyards and fields of lavender and sunflowers.  And finally, racing down the Champs-Elysees in Paris on the final day of the 21 day competition.  

 

   This year it was especially important for me since I can't travel to France.  I could, at least, enjoy "visiting" the country every day for those 3 weeks on my television.  It was a bitter-sweet experience and often involved a few tears.  As most of you know, if you've been reading my blog since the beginning, I have had a long running love affair with France and right now I miss it like I miss a lost loved one!

   It was uncertain earlier on in the pandemic whether any of the cycling or tennis competitions would take place this year.  There were (and still are) many questions surrounding the safety of traveling between countries.  Both the T de F and the French Open were held at a later time with many of the competitions leading up to both of these having been cancelled.  There was no Wimbledon this year and the French Open, usually held in the summer, was changed to October.  And the T de F, usually held in July, was postponed to September.

   But, oh how grateful I am that they took place at all!  The French Open is held at the Roland Garros stadium complex on the outskirts of Paris and every telecast included views of the city, often of the Eiffel Tower and its glittering lights every evening.

 

    So, I am thankful for what did take place and for the cyclists and players who were willing to go through all the extra precautions in order to be able to participate.  Unlike American sports, these athletes come from all over the world and so have to "jump through hoops" to be able to travel between countries.  It has been a challenge for everyone to figure out how to make it as safe as possible for them.

   On those days when I feel the depression taking hold (and it does from time to time) I try to think about the things I love and can look forward to.  We have babies at the zoo!  Our siamang couple had a baby last month.  Surprise!  No one knew she was pregnant!  And we have a 2 week old giraffe.  Not a surprise, but certainly a blessing.  We have newly arrived pelicans - a mated pair - who are living with our penguins.  That in itself brings some comic relief!

Eve with her baby

Baby giraffe - tiny and cute

A gift for Penelope

 

   And I look forward to December when I will be going to Universal Studios Orlando for the fifth year in a row to enjoy the parks with my "magical" friend, Renae.  We can pretend we are visiting Scotland while at Hogsmeade and London while at Diagon Alley.  Then we are in Costa Rica when we visit Jurassic Park and San Diego when we are on the wharf.  And New York City and New Orleans and Hollywood and ET's planet . . . 

Hogwarts Castle at Hogsmeade

Gringott's Wizarding Bank in Diagon Alley

 

   I hope you are all finding ways to cope with the craziness that is 2020.  AND, it's an election year!!!  What else can go wrong?  No, don't answer that!!  Let's try to keep our chins up and do what we can to bring happiness and joy to others.  As bad as I feel on some days I know there are others whose circumstances are much worse than mine.  I still have much to be thankful for.  For example, I'm thankful that there are still people reading my blogs! :-)

Beginnings and Endings

 It has been a long time since I've written a blog post.  To be honest, I've been dealing with some depression off and on over the past few months.  It's hard being isolated from all my friends and being unable to do the things I normally enjoy like lunches with friends, movies, vacations . . . 

It was wonderful when the zoo reopened and that has become my place of relaxation and renewal!  And we have an adorable baby moose!!  Atka came to us at about 10 weeks old having been orphaned in Alaska.  He is now almost 5 months and still gets a couple of bottles a day - big moose-sized bottles.  He is quite the cute little guy and enjoys "zooming" around his enclosure.  His keepers have had to baby-proof his outdoor area as it is quite large with some obstacles that are fine for a full-grown moose, but could be tricky for a little guy.  It will be so fun watching him grow and eventually get his antlers.  We lost our older moose about 10 weeks before Atka came to us and that enclosure just seemed so empty.  What a wonderful thing that we now have a new baby to enjoy and love.

 

This morning was the funeral service of a friend and former student, Don Ward.  The family invited me to come but I'm still not comfortable being indoors for long periods of time and so I told his sister, Cindy, that I would be there in spirit.  Don was a very important person to our entire community as he was one of the evening newscasters for KKTV here in the Springs.  So the entire city, and beyond, are mourning his passing.  It was very unexpected.  He was hiking Mount Cameron with friends over the weekend and collapsed just below the summit.  They think it was a heart attack.  He was only 55.  

I had just seen and visited with him a couple of weeks ago at the newsroom.  I was interviewed regarding my participation in the Phase 3 Covid vaccine trial.  When I finished with the interview Don had a few minutes and we sat down and chatted - about everything!  He was a student of mine in the late 70s at Sabin Junior High.  I really enjoyed having him in my French and Drama classes.  He was quite gifted as a student and as a performer.  In fact, he went on to study drama at CU and then found his true calling as a TV reporter. Our paths have crossed numerous times over the many years that we have known each other.  He was funny, bright, talented, generous and a loving son, brother and uncle to his family.  So I have been a little weepy the past few days. 

 Towards the end of the live stream broadcast of Don's service this morning, I received a text and photo from France of Hélène and Giuseppe's grandson, Raphael.  It seemed so fitting that I would be saying goodbye to one friend who just left this world and then say hello to a tiny soul who had just entered this world.  This was the first time since Covid that H and G have been able to see their only grandchild!  His parents live in England and travel between there and France has been on hold for many months.  But finally it worked out for their daughter to bring little R to see his grandparents.  What a special gift!  I loved seeing the photo of Hélène holding her grandson.  What joy!  I hate that I can not make it to France this year.  I have made and canceled reservation 3 times now.  Will look forward to 2021! Won't we all!!

I was going to entitle this "The Lingering Virus, The Vaccine Trial and the Lost Vacation", but then decided on a different approach.  However, I do want to let you know that I will be getting the second vaccine shot on Tuesday.  They say that if anyone has any side effects that it will happen after the second shot.  So I have nothing on my calendar for Wednesday or Thursday just in case.  But I do have reservations for the zoo on Friday.  I need something to look forward to!

We have 100 dogs coming in on a rescue later today and will do intake on them Monday afternoon.  That is something I always enjoy - welcoming all those precious pups to freedom.  For most of them, this is the first time they have ever been handled with kind, loving hands.  The ending of a horrible life and the beginning of a wonderful life.  

If you would like to know more about Don, you can google him on facebook.  He loved travel, music, writing, and photography - and his family! You can see what a talented and caring man he was.  Our community will miss his presence for many years to come.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.  I felt like I needed (for my own sake) to write about Don.  But I also wanted to show that life is precious and we all must enjoy what we can and cherish those moments that bring us happiness.  May you all find joy in this difficult time.  I send my love and hugs to all. 

I Went to the ZOO!!!

I am so excited that after more than 2 months of being closed, our zoo reopened to zoo members only
last week.  I had to go onto their website and reserve a day and time as they are limiting the number of visitors.  Masks are highly recommended but not required and I was pleased to see that most people were wearing them.  The hardest part is maintaining social distancing, especially when everyone wants to see the same animals up close!  The indoor exhibits had signs telling of the capacity limit and most people were abiding by that - except at the grizzly exhibit.  The sign said limit of 8 inside the small area where you can watch the bears in their pool.  Digger was entertaining everyone in the pool and so everyone was trying to pack inside to see him.  You will notice from my photo that I was unable to get very close.  I stood quite a ways outside the enclosure and stood on my tippytoes!  But Emmet was happy to pose from me outside.  When Digger is in the pool he doesn't usually let Emmet come in!

I woke up that morning, Tuesday, to wind, cold and rain!  My timed entry was for 1 pm and it was starting to clear up by then.  By 2 it was sunny and I was beginning to regret wearing my coat!  The grill restaurant was open, but the self-service cup refill was unavailable.  That was part of the info on the website so I took my own water bottle filled with iced tea.  Had I wanted or needed to, there are hands-free water bottle refill stations.  There were hand sanitizer stations at almost every exhibit and there were even a few portable hand washing stations scattered about.

The best part of the visit was seeing the new Water's Edge Africa exhibit which houses our hippo girls (back from St Louis!) and our new penguin colony.  I don't think the photos do it justice!  It is really wonderful!  So without further ado, here are the photos from my first day back!!!

The Entrance to Water's Edge Africa

The Penguin Beach

Entrance to the Penguin Exhibit

It must have been too cold to swim!

I love this statue in the area outside the hippo exhibit

The outdoor hippo pool

Welcome back girls!!

The indoor hippo pool

Lemur island is partly inside and partly outside

The indoor hippo enrichment area

One of Asha's silly poses

2 year old Kera is quite agile and quite active

2 year old giraffe, Viv, loves Bahati the okapi!

One of our zebra brothers

I was impressed with how high this peacock could fly!

Can you find Bhutan, our snow leopard?

Emmet was not happy that Digger got in the pool before he did

Digger, enjoying an audience!

Regal Ouray

Kale, our female porcupine, sunbathing

Our female beaver, Ginger, having a swim

Roxie, our oldest gorilla at 43, was enjoying her time outside

Aslan and his 2 siblings will be 5 in 2 weeks

I hope you enjoyed the photos.  I have 2 reservations for visits next week!  Trying to make up for lost time.  It was so good to be back!  Almost like a normal day! 

The ABCs of Pandemic Isolation

A - Anxiety is real.  I am not one to be anxious, usually, but even I am getting antsy at this point and
       wondering when we will be able to resume "normal" activities.  I worry about my friends and
       family who do suffer from anxiety and panic issues.  I hope you are finding help and hope where
       it is offered.
B - Boredom is setting in.  I do love to read and sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and watch reruns
       of favorite TV shows and rewatch favorite movies.  But . . .  I need more!!
C - Cooking at home has provided a small break from boredom and I have found some new favorite
       recipes like "one-pot mac n cheese" and "non yeast rolls".  And I have enjoyed watching old
       Julia Child cooking shows!  And chocolate starts with C!
D - Dogs are my constant companions and source of entertainment.  I am so thankful for them!
E - Entertainment is very limited.  I really miss going to the movies - well actually, I really miss
       movie popcorn!  I saw (too late to order any) that a local cinema was offering drive-up popcorn
      concessions last Saturday, but you had to have already ordered it and paid for it online.  Sorry I
       missed that!
F - Friends are missing from me.  That's how the French express missing someone or something.
       "Mes amis me manque".  I am really missing my lovely friends and family with  whom I go to        lunch or to the zoo or to the movies.
G - Grocery pick-up is my new best friend!  I love that I can place an order, pay for it and arrange a
       pick-up day/time all from the safety of my home.  Then when I arrive, they bring it out to my car
       all free of charge!
H - Harry Potter Wizarding World website has offered some wonderful ways to spend our time at
       home.  You can ask Alexa to read the first book and the audio version of The Sorcerer's Stone
       magically begins, read by the amazing Jim Dale.  Also, JK Rowling has been able to get well-
       known performers (many of them were in the HP movies) to read chapters of the first book on   the website.  Chapter 1 was read by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter himself!)  All 17 chapters will be   read from the homes of these actors.
I - Idiotic posts on social media seem to be more than usual.
J - Jigsaw puzzles are a new past time.
K - Kindle reading is still one of my favorite things to do.  The dogs know that when I grab the
       Kindle and my ice tea that I'm headed outside to read in the fresh air.
L - Loneliness is creeping in for most of us.  Stay strong, my friends as "This too shall pass."
M - Meeting on zoom for church every Sunday morning has been a great way to stay in touch with
       my church family.  And I know that many others are using this same app for work and play.
N - No one to hug makes me very sad!
O - Outside in my yard is a great place to be.  I feel very fortunate that I have an outdoor space.  I
       know that in large cities all over the world there are people without anyway to be outdoors.  I
       love that I can be out there anytime I want.
P - Planting time is here!  I started some seeds a few weeks ago.  They were packages left by the
      former owner of my house.  How long are seeds good for? The peas and basil are coming up,
       but I haven't seen any "movement" in the cups of beans and carrots.  I am ready to get my
       garden going!  My herb garden is perennials so they are looking good.  Purple seems to be the
       most prominent color in the garden right now.

On of my beautiful Colorado columbines

One of my lilac bushes

An iris in my rock garden

The chives are so pretty when they blossom

One of my lavender plants

Q - Queso from Fuzzy's Taco Shop is a new guilty pleasure.  I order on the app and go pick up food
       from them, always with queso!!
R - Required to wear a mask?  I'm all for it!
S - Spring makes me so happy!  Glad this isn't happening in the dead of winter.
T - Take out!!!  Need I say more?
U - Understanding that this virus is universal.  It isn't just the US who is suffering.  Almost every
       country in the world has been affected by this deadly novel virus.
V - Vacation planning is on hold and that makes me sad!!
W - Will I get to go to France in September?? Or Orlando in December??
X - Extremely thankful for my health, home, pension and ability to stay in touch with loved ones
Y - Yearning for normalcy as we all are right now.
Z - Zoo visits are missing from me!!!  I have enjoyed watching the zoos "Abnormally Normal"
       videos and have learned a lot from them.  Now I know the names of the zebras and the
       colobus monkeys! But it's not the same as being there!!  These are photos from my last zoo visit
       at the end of March.

My beautiful Elsa

Handsome Abuto

Loulou and Missy enjoying a day in the sunshine. 

Silly Asha!  She has the best poses.  I love her!!

Sumagu and daughter, Kera.

Boma is almost as handsome as his father, Abuto.

Stay well everyone.  Love and hugs to all of you.

The LIttle Girl Who Refused to Die, Then Filled the World with Love

     Little was known about the disease called "rheumatic fever" in the 1930s.  In the 1920s RF was the leading cause of death in individuals between 5 and 20 years of age and was second only to tuberculosis in those between 20 and 30.  The only treatment was salicylates and bed rest.  The majority remained at home, often for months, with a terrible illness which caused painful swelling of all joints and extreme damage to the heart.  Undernutrition and lack of access to healthcare played a role in the persistence of this disease which was usually a complication of strepp throat.
    As the use of penicillin was limited during the Great Depression, this disease was fairly common and usually led to death.  It was not known whether the disease was contagious or if it were, how it was spread and it was not until 1944 that criteria for the disease were established.
    Today, with the prevalence of antibiotics and the scientific/medical testing of symptoms there are very few cases of RF in first world countries.  But in 1937, a little girl named Jane, was very sick and diagnosed with RF.  Her parents had five other children to take care of and very little money.  Her dad worked for the WPA driving his truck to supply building materials for the work that was going on in their little town in Kansas.

Not long after her second recovery. Jane is second from right

     The doctors believed that there was very little hope for Jane to survive.  Her symptoms were serious - high fever which left her exhausted, unable to eat and required constant attention which her parents were unable to give her due to the demands of a large family.  She also had extreme pain in all of her swollen joints to the extent that she screamed if anyone touched her or tried to move her.
     The doctor told her parents that there was very little that could be done for her and recommended that they move her into a woman's home in town who was renting out rooms to make some money during the depression.  So, this little 14 year old girl, was moved out of her home and into the home of a woman named Gertie Farmer to live out the last few months of her life without putting a further strain on her family.
     This sounds harsh, but her mom knew she couldn't devote the time to Jane that was needed to keep her comfortable and the doctor told the family that she would not live much longer than a couple of months.
     As we are all staying in our houses and keeping a distance from the people that we enjoy being with and the places where we want to go, I've been thinking a lot about this little girl who was separated from her family and sent away to die in a stranger's house with people she did not know.  Her family was discouraged from visiting her until her symptoms abated as she could still be contagious.  So, there she was all alone in physical pain and exhaustion and emotional pain being apart from all those that she loved.  And waited to die.
     She adored school and missed all of her friends there and the classes and teachers that she loved.  There was nothing for her to do at this new home except to think about dying - away from all that she held dear.  She was confined to her bed as it was believed that any movement would exacerbate the disease and anyway, she was in such pain that any movement was unbearable.
     There was a young man who was also sent to Gertie's house to die from RF - and he did, within a few weeks of arriving there.  But Gertie, whom Jane came to call "Aunt Gertie" told Jane that she was not going to allow her to die!  Aunt Gertie went to the library and found books about RF.  She read everything she could find - which at that time was pretty limited.  And while she had once been quite wealthy and in earlier times would have had the money to hire the best doctors and find the best cure, she now had very little other than her house due to the depression.  But she found some research that indicated a few helpful treatments that she could do for Jane.
     Aunt Gertie fed her raw liver and raw eggs.  These were supposed to boost the blood and therefore strengthen the heart.  Aunt Gertie made her a drink similar to eggnog that she ended up really enjoying.  On the days when Jane's pain was not as intense she would wheel her out to the big front porch and sit her, bare chested, in the sunlight.  Jane spent her days reading, writing and drawing - 3 things she really enjoyed.
     When the doctors believed that she was no longer contagious, they told her family that they could come for short visits.  She really looked forward to those days!  And slowly, she regained her strength and the pain became much less and after about 6 months with Aunt Gertie she was able to go home.  She had to learn to walk again as her legs had lost their muscle strength and it was a slow recovery which never did bring her back to full health.  At least she could attend school half days - that was all she could manage before total exhaustion set in and she would have to go to bed for a couple of hours.  Never again would she be able to run and play like normal teenagers.  But she was alive, thanks to the determination of Aunt Gertie, the Grace of God - and her own refusal to just give up.
      And wouldn't it be nice if that were the happy ending of the story.  But there's so much more.  Within a year Jane had a relapse!  Once again she was sent to Aunt Gertie's and once again the former treatments began and became a routine - for another 6 months.  This time after her recovery, the doctor told her that she could not ever hope to lead a normal life.  She would require constant heart medications and limited physical activities.  She was warned that marriage and babies were probably not in her future as anything that would cause an acceleration of her heartbeat or any stress on her heart could be potentially fatal.

Taken in 1941 before her Senior Year

With her brother, Gale, and sister, Carolee in 1943

     But, she was alive and felt so extremely thankful to Aunt Gertie - who remained a close friend for years to follow - and to God who had seen her through this ordeal that had robbed her of a year of her life.  She started high school that year after her second recovery and her principal was determined to take good care of her.  Since some of her classes were on the second floor of the building and there was no way she could climb the stairs, he got some of the football players to meet her at the bottom (or top) of the stairs where they made a chair with their arms and carried her to her next class.  Her schedule was shortened compared to other students, but she was determined to graduate with the kids she had started school with as a child.  Her teachers would bring materials to her on those days and times that she was unable to be in class.  Everyone was routing for Jane!!
     Jane's most endearing quality was the love and joy that she brought to everyone.  Here was a little girl who had every right to be angry at the world for the illness that had taken a year of her life - had taken her away from everyone and everything that she loved.  But Jane had even more love to give than anyone else and spent the rest of her life sharing that love.
     In 1944, Jane fell in love with a soldier she met at a USO party.  She shared with him all the concerns of the doctors and the fact that she should never have any children.  Did he really want to be involved with someone who could not give him a family?  Yes!  He said he was fine with adoption if that is what would insure her health.  He loved her tremendously and promised to do all he could to keep her healthy.  4 months after they met, they were married in her parent's home in Kansas.

Wedding photo September 1944

     The story continues!  He took Jane to meet his parents and shared with them their desire to adopt since Jane had been told that having a baby would put too much of a strain on her heart.  His dad stated that he could never accept an adopted child as his grandchild!  So now, what should they do.
Jane had been feeling so well for the previous 5 years and doctors were quite amazed at her recovery although her heart was damaged and 2 of the 4 valves had significant leaks.  She and her dear husband decided to visit as many doctors as they could and get as many opinions as possible regarding her health and hoped and prayed that there would be a doctor who felt that her heart was strong enough to survive labor and delivery.  And, they found one!
     Eight years after they were married they had a healthy baby girl.  It was a difficult labor for Jane and probably caused more damage to her heart valves, but they were so overwhelmed with love and joy for their new baby girl that Jane never had any doubts that they had done the right thing and was willing to live with the extra damage.  Her love and joy would see her through.

Our little family in 1955

     She saw a cardiologist on a regular basis and while medical science learned more about the workings of the heart there was still very little that could be done for weak and failing valves other than trying different medications to keep the heart beating regularly.  Jane continued her daily naps which had begun as a teenager.  Her body required that time every day to rest.  She limited her physical activities and anything that would cause a change in her heart beats - which sounded more and more like water flowing through a seashell.
     In 1980 the newest advancement in heart valve science was valve replacement surgery.  It was recommended that Jane have 2 of her valves replaced.  The doctor told her that if she did not have this surgery she would probably not live another 5 years.  In those early days of valve replacement they were using pig valves and the average patient lived about 5 years longer with the pig valves.  Not very hopeful for having to undergo such an invasive surgery.  Jane decided to not have the surgery done saying that she had more trust in God's power than the limited knowledge of cardiology.
     By now you have probably guessed that the little girl who refused to die was my mom, Jane Ooley Manchester.  Mom lived to be almost 91.  It is still a mystery as to how such a damaged heart gave her so many years.  All of her valves were leaking and her heart was enlarged due to scar tissue around the valves.  The heart is an amazing organ.  The body is an amazing machine!  In some people it seems that the body can compensate for injury and illness which in other people would take their lives.  I believe that Mom lived because she was filled with joy and love for life and for others.
     Everyone who knew my mom was, over the years, a recipient of cards and letters from my mom that were filled with words of love and joy and encouragement.  I have never known anyone else who was so prolific in sending out these messages of love.  I can't imagine how much money she spent on paper, cards and stamps over her 75 years of passing on her love.  I know she began sending out messages of love back in her days at Aunt Gertie's.  Everyone she knew got birthday cards, anniversary cards, Christmas cards and always with a letter attached.  Kids got dimes and gum and balloons in their cards!  She never let any event in anyone's life go by without a card or gift - weddings, deaths, births, graduations.  She wanted everyone to know that she loved them and cared about their lives.
     I was so blessed to have this little girl grow up to become my mom.  And I guess I have to thank my Grandpa Manchester for being so stubborn and vocal about not wanting an adopted child.  Maybe he just said that to encourage my parents to find a way to have their own biological child as I'm sure he could tell how much they wanted a baby.  I'll cling to that thought!

My precious parents - photos taken in 1947 and 2002

     I guess the reason I'm writing about Mom is to show that none of us is promised tomorrow.  We can either look at the world with anger and bitterness and blame - or we can look at everyday as an opportunity to do something to brighten someone else's day by spreading some love and joy.  Kindness is never out of fashion!  We should all aspire to be like the little girl who refused to die.