sometimes life throws some curve balls

I realized today that it has been two weeks since my last post...and an eventful two weeks at that. On March 13th, my Dad had a ski accident which entailed falling 800 vertical feet, breaking two ankles, and tearing three ligaments in his right knee. After some surgery putting six screws and a few plates in each ankle he is now wheelchair bound for a few months. I flew to Montana and spent a week with him. We had a nice week together, albeit not under the ideal circumstances. He is motoring around now in his chair, working from home, and growing in his appreciation for people who have to spend their lives confined to a chair. And much thanks go to Jason, TErry & Cathy (who were in town for the week) for holding down the fort here in Portland!

Then, after arriving home late monday night from Montana, I had to bid farewell to my dear dog Jake yesterday. It has been a rough twenty-four hours. Yesterday we were having a quiet morning at the house. I was reading on the sofa with Jake cuddling next to me with his head in my lap. Eleanor crawled up to cuddle with us and pet Jake. We're not sure if he was surprised, spooked, or what was really going on in his little doggie mind, but he whipped around and snapped at Eleanor leaving two teeth marks and a grazed eyelid. That afternoon the girls and I drove him down to Corvallis to return him to his foster family. I cried the whole way home and much of the night. The dear folks at Oregon Weimeraner Rescue are doing what they can to figure out what made Jake, who has no history and is an AWESOME dog, do this (the vet is checking him, his legs, his hips, his blood for a thyroid problem). Eleanor is not phased, and she cried when we had to leave Jake. She said, "I love my Jakie, mommy, let's go back and get him." So, we're all sad. Today Eleanor made up an elaborate story about her "EE-OO" (her special lamb she sleeps with), and how E-O had a friend that died and made him sad. I think it was her four year old way of processing all the emotions of the last day. We miss Jake and his wiggles. I was suprised at myself and how much the whole experience hurt. Even Rynn said, "Why did Jake have to bite Eleanor?." We're not sure, but we miss him and even more we are thankful that Eleanor is fine with just a scrape on her eyelid and nothing more.