Just keep knitting, just keep knitting...

Goodbye to a Very Dear Puppy

I'm not going to lie to you; these have been two hard weeks.   I have Dory the fish singing in my head again, but instead of "Just Keep Swimming," I've changed the words to, "Just keep knitting, just keep knitting, What do we do? We knit!"  If work weren't so busy, I think I would have just stayed home and knitted the entire week.  Maybe while drinking gin and tonics.

We had to say goodbye to one of our dachshunds on Monday.  Libby, my red-haired tweener, was having a very hard time with the onset of kidney failure.  I never had dogs as a kid, and never had to make the decision to put one down before.  SO sad.  My kind brother, Geoff, drove us to the vet and helped me through the hard day.  Nathan was very sad and wished I could have postponed it longer. We all just spent the past week just trying to get used to her not being here, but it is going to take some time, I think, for us to grow used to being a one-dog family.  I think Madeline will like the extra attention, but she has been confused and is having trouble sleeping, missing her sis.

Libby was a rescue dog; a friend of mine at work who got both of her dogs at a rescue shelter up in Mora, Minnesota, told me that they had a dachshund up there that nobody wanted.  Mora is in farming country, and dachshunds aren't seen as very useful on a farm (which surprises me a bit; they are every bit as good at taking care of mice as cats!)  Anyway, we had had Madeline for about a year, and I was worried that she might be lonely during the day, so we drove up to meet Libby thinking we'd just meet her and come home and consider having two dogs; but of course we bought her and brought her right home that very day.

She had been abused, apparently, and was very afraid of men.  Although she was 3 years old, she wasn't potty trained yet.  She hadn't ever been walked on a leash, and wasn't familiar with the world outside; and she had been fed only human food, with the result that she weighed almost 30 pounds, instead of her natural weight of 18.  So, we slimmed her down, took her on lots of walks, gave her love and tried to make her feel less anxious and afraid.  Madeline tried to teach her dog things, like how to sniff at stuff outside, and chase after squirrels and rabbits.  The two of them were very adept hunters (or, rather, Madeline was a very adept hunter, and Libby was willing to eat whatever she killed!)

Libby eventually grew a bit more trusting of men; I accomplished this by giving all the dads on my street pocketfuls of dog treats to tempt her with as we walked by each evening.  Although it took over a year, eventually she got up the courage to approach them.

Food is a big temptation for all dogs, but Libby always ate anything she could find as if it might be her last meal ever!  She even managed to jump high enough to get bags of potatoes or bread off the kitchen counter sometimes when I wasn't paying attention; I swear, that dog knew how to levitate! 

I think her happiest day occurred when one of us accidentally left the door ajar on the freezer I keep for storage in my laundry room (this might have involved someone getting a popsicle; I'm not naming names!)  Anyway, I couldn't find her anywhere one morning when I got out of the shower, and then I heard some scrabbling behind the laundry room door - and there was Libby, surrounded by torn-open orange Stouffer's boxes and empty black trays; I think she ate her body weight in mac and cheese, swedish meatballs and lasagna!  She looked up at me so dolefully, her tail wagging as if to say, "I know, I know, I'm a bad, bad girl -- but that was SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!"

She had a sort of skin rash on her belly, under her arms, and in her ears, that would flare up whenever she was anxious about something (well, her steady state was anxiousness; but things like company, fireworks, loud noises, other dogs in the house, any change in the routine would really escalate her fretfulness).  She would scratch and scratch to the point where she was scarred; tears in the skin would be come infected, which would itch worse, and then she'd just take skin off in patches, fur and all.  We tried everything we could think of to treat it, keeping the infections at bay with antibiotics.  I would sometimes rub cortisone cream onto her and wrap her tightly in a blanket so she couldn't lick it off, and just hold her for an hour while she snoozed and it soaked in a bit.  The only drug that kept it to a manageable level, where she wouldn't actually wound herself, was cortisone.  The vet warned me that it would eventually lead to kidney failure, but we decided that it would be better to have a short and happy life without the constant frustration of scratching and infections.

It was a joy to take care of Libby and watch her blossom from a fearful, unhappy and misunderstood little creature into a loving, happy, affectionate ball of joy.  She gave us almost 6 very happy years, and gave her sister Madeline someone with whom she could alternately squabble and cuddle.  She pushed Madeline out of the way when she wanted petting or thought food might be at hand, but dutifully licked Madeline's ears each night to recognize her authority as first dog of the household.  Libby followed me around the house like a little shadow whenever I was home, and managed to take very good care of me indeed.  It was a gift and an honor to be the human she loved and trusted most in the whole world, and I will miss her like crazy. 

Other People's Knitting Progress!

Well, in addition to everything else that was going on in the past week, work just went bonkers.  All of my deals started coming to a head at once, a bunch of new matters had to be opened, and I was filling in for a partner spending the week in St. Thomas.  For the first time EVER, I missed my monthly knitting night (I know; no photos or nuthin.  So sorry; I needed to come home and be with Nathan and Madeline this week.)

To top it all off, I have a huge looming work deadline for a project at the end of February, all of which means, other than catching a few rows of black stockinette stitch on the Senorita's Floral Pullover, I don't have much to show you in the way of KOTOTW knitting progress!

However, my sister Susan is nearly finished with her Catkin shawl:

I think she is blocking it this weekend; I'm looking forward to photos of her modelling it!  (I think mine will unfortunately have to wait until after Feb. 25 when life resumes its normal contours...)

I am also part of a new monthly knitting group at my friend Wendy Ethen's title company, Guaranty Commercial Title!  One of her employees and a brand-new knitter, Michelle, just finished her first sock!

Isn't that great?  A lot of people's first socks don't even resemble socks, but hers is perfect!  (Totally cool jacket, too, by the way...)

Well, our winter continues strangely non-winterish.  Our snow mountain in the center of the cul de sac isn't even 5 feet tall yet!  We are all at the stage where we are wondering if this is all she wrote, or if March is going to end up being one constant snowfall...

Whatever your winter is doing, stay warm, don't slip on the snow, and take some time out to knit!

XOXOXO, Mar.

Comments

[Linda]

Mary,
I'm so sorry to hear about Libby. Hang in there.

[twinsetellen]

It is a hard call to make, but you had Libby's best interests at heart when you made it. I enjoyed reading about her - I hope the good memories quickly ease the pain.

[Chloe]

Libby was so dear judging by your words and her picture. It must be very hard. At least you know you made her life happy while she was in your care. I hope you and Nathan can find a new sister or brother for Madelyn.

[Ana]

So sorry to hear about Libby. I'm sure she's wherever the good dogs go.

Wish I'd've had your reminders this morning - I not only slipped on the ice but also forgot my scarf, brrr! I'm taking some time to knit though!

[Charlotte]

My sympathy in your loss of Libby. Take comfort in the fact that you made her life much better than it had been and she left it knowing she was loved.

[Batb]

Oh Mary, my heart is aching for you and Nathan and Madeline over your loss of Libby. I know how much we love our furry members of our family - my deepest sympathy to all of you. She will always be a part of your family and you know that you gave her a wonderful life.

[RebeccaED]

My deepest sympathy and empathy in your loss, a dear and valued family member is gone. Having been through it, tears came to my eyes as I read your post. Those funny little furry personalities worm their way into our hearts, and in our hearts they stay!

[Lynnine]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm a dog person and I know how hard it is to lose those sweet, happy little loves.

I have an adopted dog who was abused. Every day I thank God that I've had the opportunity to give her the happiness every dog deserves and that she was denied the first few years of her life. Liby was SO lucky to have you make most of her life doggie heaven!

[Cynthia]

So sorry about your loss. It's always difficult to lose a loved one. XOXOXO

[danielle]

I'm so sorry for your loss. We had to euthanize our Jack in December. Altho it was not the first dog we lost, each one is just as hard. I think tho, the fact that we chose that over suffering, does show our humanity and respect we have for this species who brings so very very much to our lives!

[Tiffanie]

Mary, so so sorry to hear about Libby. She was so lucky to have you taking care of her for all of these years. XXOO to you.

[Steph]

I'm so sorry to hear about Libby. While her life may have ended too soon, she was lucky to have you, Nathan and Madeline to care for her despite the obstacles you faced together.

[Steph T.]

That's my sister with the sock! (She has alot of cute clothes btw...;0) Her learning to knit has helped her on her grief journey as well, I think...my daughter learned to knit a hat in 6th grade as part of "enrichment" courses you can take part in before school starts..so us gals are going to have a knitting sleepover/movies/beer/wine/lemonade night. All the best..love looking at your fun projects.