Spring Is In The Air

...........................................................................................Beach in Hamptons NY

Spring is here and I have to admit, the fever has tickled me. My son brought home plantings today, I am afraid that it is too dangerous to leave them out in the night, because of frost, so I placed them all on the counter in front of the kitchen window.

Spring does get my blood flowing and the mind going, I have so many ideas going through my mind, hmm I wonder if I should tell my son that some of those ideas involve his plants. I think it is a good idea that he is planting tomatoes, a few herbs and some peppers. I already picked a place for them to be put in the ground…right near my kitchen door.

Grapes would be a good thing to start this year; I think I’ll have him put in a few around the one section of the patio. It would make a nice privacy fence and a tasty snack on the summer days that we are sitting out there. In fact many years ago the house I lived in had a grape arbor, it was beautiful, many summer days I sat out under it on a blanket eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with my two year old. The house was located in Babylon New York, it has been since taken down and Condos have replaced it.

My brain is just bubbling over with ideas, I want to get back and add some chapters to my book, and my mind is already designing new jewelry pieces that I can’t wait to get started on. There are cards waiting to get done and scrapbook pages waiting to get made. Spring wonderful Spring, I just hope these ideas roll into summer with me and don’t melt away somewhere in my mind. The older I get, there is a feeling that time goes by faster, the seasons just don’t last as long, or it could be that I am truly getting slower…just a thought.

I will plant something in memory of Buddy, not sure what yet, but it will be special.

Dedicated To Buddy - Passed Away March 23, 2008

"This Is Dedicated To Buddy"
_____________________________________________________________Picture of Buddy and Missy 2005

Buddy passed away on Easter, he was a loyal companion and was about fifteen years old when he died. Buddy was found in Northport, Long Island by my daughter and her boyfriend and has been a part of our family since, that was fifteen years ago.

Buddy was a Dalmatian, he was half starved when we first found him and you could tell he was beaten, his body was bruised and he was very frightened and scared. We put signs up and called pounds to see if someone had lost him, and perhaps he fell into bad hands. No one claimed him, he became my daughter’s dog.

He went through many trails and tribulations with her, he shared our home and her home during the first few years of his life. He was always welcomed at our home, and felt safe and comfortable when he was here. His true comfort was my daughter, he loved her and would follow her around when she was home. He went through two relationships in my daughters life, and it took some patience because Buddy had a habit of whining.

When my daughter was married they decided they would get Buddy a puppy to keep him company. They purchased a Jack Russell Terrier and called him Freddie. Well Buddy was a very good big brother, Freddie on the other hand was tiny compared to Buddy, and he wasn’t to nice to him. He never gave Buddy a moment of peace, but Buddy was very good with him and never hurt the puppy. It got to be to much with the puppy, he would bite Buddy and never leave him alone. Freddie was very good at my house when he was here, so I adopted him.

My daughter was going through a divorce when Buddy became very sick. He was around twelve at the time and contacted a virus that most animals do not survive. Buddy was in a hospital and in very bad shape, this was during the Christmas Holidays, we went to see him, and was told to keep the visit short, things did not look good for him. When we saw him, he looked very bad, but he perked up when he saw us. The staff was surprised to see such a sudden change in him, and they allowed us to stay as long as we wanted. Even my daughters future ex went to visit Buddy when he was in the hospital.

We visited him every day and sat with him, and we could see him improve day by day. The doctor told us he would make it, she was surprised because he was an older dog, and he survived what most dogs did not. His will to live was great, and his love for my daughter kept him going.

We thought we were out of the woods when a few months later he was sick again throwing up, he could barely eat and he was having a hard time. An ex-ray showed that he had swallowed something and there was a blockage, surgery was required, whatever he swallowed was trapped in his intestines. After the surgery we were informed that Buddy had swallowed a small rock, the reason it didn’t pass through his system was because it was stopped by a tumor. Had he not swallowed the rock the tumor would have been undetected. They removed the tumor but the prognoses wasn’t good. The tumor was cancerous and it was the kind that would be elsewhere in his body.

Buddy came home and recuperated, and the decision for chemo therapy was given up for herbal medicine, since it would at least give him a quality of life. Buddy went on and did very well, with this therapy for three years he is cancer free. My daughter met someone, and her wedding was set for March 29th. Buddy died on Easter with his family around him, we went to spend Easter with them. His death was sudden, he had been to the doctor just the day before, and they told my daughter he was doing fine that he just needed more exercise. On Easter, suddenly Buddy wasn't fine, he seemed to be in pain, we had to call the Vet, and Buddy was put down in the comfort of his home with the ones who loved him at his side.

Buddy had many people who cared about him, and many will miss him. He will always remain in our hearts, he was a good boy and a loyal companion, no one could ever take his place...Buddy, may you run free in Gods Heaven.



Sometime ago I wrote a poem about Buddy, it is on Helium along with a story about Freddie and a story about my daughter. I hope you will take the time to read them, they will leave your heart a tad lighter.


http://www.helium.com/items/574562-buddy-puppy-tortured-hours (Buddy's Poem)

http://www.helium.com/items/606957-story-other-phone-friend (Freddie's Story)

http://www.helium.com/items/575932-brighter-daughter-around-seven (Daughter's Story)