'The Long and Short of it All' Turns Six Years Old

Your hosts 'Bette' and 'Rowdy'

 

It's not the most exciting Dachshund news in the world at the moment - nothing you should go and shout from the mountaintops - but 'The Long and Short of it All' turns a whopping 6-years-old today!  That's an eternity in the world of the world wide web. 

We just got back from an extended vacation, and we're still catching up with everything that has happened while we've been off sunning ourselves.  Thanks for all the emails and comments about some pretty exciting Dachshund news events that occurred while we were away.  We'll get to those later this week.  In the meantime, it's our anniversary - so we're gonna relax and work on our tummy tans just one more day.  We gotta look hot for speedo and bikini season.

 

 

 

This concludes post number 3,147. 

Thank You

Thank you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for the kind words and notes of encouragement after the passing of your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey.'  It's been a tough month or so for so many good folks.  Thank you so much for just everything, we're having trouble putting into words, for all the wonderful comments and personal notes, cards, tributes on other sites, and also the many donations in Joey's name, from MWDR all the way to Rolling Dog Ranch.  It's wonderful that his memory can live on by helping out more of his long brethren.
We apologize for the lack of posts as of late - we've never been so idle in nearly six years.  We're probably looking at retiring the site, as it was always Joey and Maggie's work.  Rowdy sure helped out over the last year or so, but his insistence on writing on the subtle variations of chicken vs beef vs peanut butter rawhides didn't garner much attention.  We kid.  He's such a great little guy.  He looked for Joey for several weeks after he passed - he would be laying in his bed and suddenly dart up and run to a strange corner of the house, wagging his tail and sniffing - thinking that he heard Joey.  Maybe Joey's ghost was visiting us - who knows?
Thanks to all the wonderful Dachshundists who have stood by us over the years, thank you.  There may be an odd post from us every so often, but it won't be a day to day affair - unless we completely change our minds and start up 'The Long and Short of it All version 2.0'. 
In the meantime - Carry On, and Love Your Dachshunds.


Yours in Dachshund Love.

Beloved Joey - December 23, 2000 - February 7, 2013

Dad's Little Hero

 

It's with great reluctance, sadness, and pain, that we report that we laid our beloved 12-year-old Dachshund 'Joey' to rest on Thursday.  My boy.  My sweet, wonderful, handsome, tail-wagging, perfect little spotted boy. Joey was your Long and Short of it All host for nearly 6 years, along with his littermate sister, sweet Miss 'Maggie,' who passed away on September 13, 2011.  He loved me more than anything else in the world, to the point where it was actually a little strange - eyes on my eyes, always watching my every single move, doing whatever was the right thing to do without ever being asked to do so, and so, so brave and stoic to the very end. I loved him just as much as he loved me. 

Something has been up with Joey for the last several weeks.  He was losing weight even though he was still eating the same. He was refusing a little jump over a 1/2 inch high piece of wood through the little door in the doggy gate, and refusing stairs.  I took him to the vet to examine his back, but there were no apparent issues.  We ran a series of tests, including a new one which looks at the overall stress of his heart, as sometimes the heart works so hard that it can cause muscle wastage.  This test came back as "medium," and we know Joey does have a murmur, but doesn't exhibit any signs such as coughing after exercise.  X-rays showed the heart was more enlarged than last fall, but there was no fluid build-up we could see. 

On Tuesday, I came home from work, and there was that cough.  It was very bad, and Joey seemed in some distress when breathing, as his abdomen would reflex when he would take a breath.  He was hungry for dinner though, so I decided to take him to the vet the next day.  He continued to cough all night long, and couldn't get comfortable in the big bed.  He couldn't lay on either side, but was able to lay on his stomach and find some rest.  I didn't sleep at all that night, but watched him closely, crying, and stroked and hugged him tight, as I suspected in the back of my mind that this could be it for Joey.

My veterinarian is closed on Wednesdays, but he is such a wonderful and caring person that he gave me his cell phone if I ever needed him.  I needed him that day.  He met me in the office and didn't have any techs with him, so I gowned up in the lead vest to help hold Joey in various positions while he took x-rays.  He ran a series of blood tests and other tests for over an hour, but nothing was jumping out at him.

And so, it was off to the veterinary referral center.  Cardiologists and radiologists finally determined that he had either a cyst or clot on the left side of his heart.  This was causing the right side of his heart to become extremely enlarged, as it was over-compensating, and the lungs and liver to become sluggish.  It was decided that they would treat it as a clot, and he would hopefully have some improvement after a day's worth of treatment and stay in an oxygen tent.  I went with a friend to visit him that night, and he did not seem much better.  I got the call in the morning from his internist that he had not improved over night, and they could run more tests if they took him to another specialty center, but his prospects were not good.  I opted to not perform any more tests.  It was time.  Lord knows he had been through enough in his life.  I called my good friend, and we headed to the center for his euthanization. 

Throughout all of this, surprisingly, Joey didn't lose his appetite.  That's what made this even harder, as usually dogs will lose their appetite when they are quite ill.  Must be the Dachshund in him.  I stopped at Burger King on the way and picked him up a Whopper with cheese, plain, and a small fry.  This would be his last meal.

We spent about an hour with him before the procedure.  Unfortunately he had an oxygen tube stapled down the front of his head and into his nose, and this was bothering him.  But he was able to work around it to gladly eat up whatever we offered him of the Whopper and fries.  We had some good quality time and talked with him about all the things that he loved.  He got lots of kisses, hugs, and strokes.  Joey continued to struggle to breathe when the doctor and the technician came in the room and asked us if it was time.  It was.

As he lay in my lap, his most favorite place on the planet, looking into the eyes of one of my dearest friends, the good doctor began to push in the propofol to relieve him of his suffering. Tired as he was, and struggling to breathe, he sat up from his laying position, as if to say "No, I can't go, No, I have to take care of my Dad and my little brother Rowdy. No, I am Joey, I am Dachshund, and I won't leave this world lying down." We soothed him with sweet words and caresses to relax, and in just three seconds as the drug began to take effect, he cradled his warm little head into my hand and rested peacefully, knowing that everything is gonna be alright. Faithful and true to the last beat of his loving heart.  Good Gosh I'll miss you Joey.
Thank you to all of Joey's friends here for your love and support over the years - I know a lot of folks here are gonna miss him too. And I know that his littermate sister Maggie was the first to greet him on the other side.

 

In the sky above Chicago, the world headquarters of The Long and Short of it All

Thank you to our dear friend Liz Kearley, who made this amazing image of Joey and Maggie, Together Again. They truly are. I can't wait til the day I can snuggle with them once more. 




I Am Weary (Let Me Rest) 
by The Cox Family

Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'
Lay my head upon your breast
Throw your loving arms around me
I am weary let me rest

Seems the light is swiftly fading
Brighter scenes they do now show
I am standing by the river
Angels wait to take me home

Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'
See the pain upon my brow
While I'll soon be with the angels
Fate has doomed my future now

Through the years you've always loved me
And my life you've tried to save
But now I shall slumber sweetly
In a deep and lonely grave

Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'
Lay my head upon your breast
Throw your loving arms around me
I am weary let me rest
I am weary let me rest

A Note From The J-Meister: It's My Birthday!

Go Ahead:  Poke My Belly

Oh, look - Dad's dragged out the embarrassing naked puppy photos again in honor of my 12th birthday.  How original Dad!  I gotta admit though, I was a real cute guy at just 10 weeks old.  Not that I'm not real cute today - but I'm just more sophisticated, debonair, confident, and you know I'm gonna say it - Handsome.  I'm a real wiener in fact.
We also pause to remember my beautiful littermate sister 'Maggie,' also born on this day 12 short years ago.  We were supposed to sail through this thing called life together as a team, but often things don't go as planned, huh? 
My new wingman 'Rowdy' keeps me young at heart though.  Thanks for that little bro. 

Deep Thoughts With Joey

Joey Finds Solace in the Bathtub

Me and Rowdy wait all day for Dad to come home.  Boy, is that an exciting time.  We've been busy all day barking at intruders at the back door, telling it like it is to the squirrel eating at the feeder outside the window, and of course keeping tabs on anyone who might possibly think of ringing our buzzer.  We play for awhile, we sun for awhile, we chew on that leftover treat he left us for awhile, then the time comes....he's home.....he pulled into the driveway, that was the beep of the car alarm...He's HOME!  That means FOOD!  That means a WALK!  He greets us with an equal air of enthusiasm - this is the best time of the day!
He grabs some treats and a poop bag and a leash for my little brother Rowdy.   I'm such a good boy that I don't need no stinkin' leash - really.  We go for a 25 minute walk to greet everyone in the neighborhood coming home from work and to brighten their otherwise mundane day.
Finally back at the house, I know that soon it will be dinnertime.  I've waited 12 hours since the last "feeding."  But instead of pulling our frozen raw meat out of the freezer, he stops to fill a glass with ice for his tea.  Then he invites us to step outside on the porch so he can survey our estate.  I don't want to go on the porch with him, this is just a delay tactic to get my dinner.  With much reluctance, I finally agree to go with him and Rowdy after his incessant prodding. 
Back inside once more, he finally steps toward the freezer and pulls out the frozen meat.  Oh, yes.  What will it be tonight?  Lamb, chicken, beef, fish, venison, goat, tripe?  I don't care what it is, just make it quick.
He pulls a frozen patty from the bag - looks like duck!  What a nice surprise.  I wag my tail enthusiastically.  He sets the frozen patty on a plate and prepares to thaw it in the microwave.  Alas - this waiting is killing me.  Kibble would be so much more efficient and quicker. 
The new microwave takes six minutes and twenty seven seconds on the defrost setting to thaw our food.   The old microwave took only two minutes and thirty nine seconds.  That's progress for you.
I'm getting impatient.  I've stopped wagging my tail because this is taking so long.  I stare at him coldly with disgust.  I look at Rowdy and roll my eyes.  The microwave finally beeps.  YES!  But I'm tired of waiting.
He pulls the thawed meat patty out of the microwave and asks us if we're hungry with a big smile on his face.  You think?  I can't stand his patronizing. 
I'm so excited at this point knowing that dinner is just a few moments away I think I'll just explode.  For reasons known only to me, I go into what he refers to as "the zone."  I'm so excited that I can't even watch him take the meat patty and split it up for me and Rowdy.  I leave the kitchen and walk to the end of the hallway and I just stand there, frozen, in the greatest anticipation.  A little drool escapes my jowls.  I can't even wag my tail I'm so serious in the fact that dinner is almost ready.  My head is going to pop off my long agile body.  Will I get more tonight than I did last night?  Will I get a bigger portion than Rowdy?  Will he add yogurt?  Will he top it off with salmon oil? 
I hear him humming calmly as he mixes the food in the plates.  What do I do now?  Logically, I know that only seconds have gone by since I've waited at the end of the hall, but it must be an eternity and it's just too nerve-wracking so I head into the bathroom.  I whip back the shower curtain with my large schnoz and jump inside the tub.  Surely I will find solace here until the next few seconds when I hear him call me, finally, for dinner.
Then I hear him walk down the hall...Nooooo!  Keep working on that dinner.  He eyes me in the bathtub, my eyes filled with utter apprehension.  He smiles, and get this - he actually takes precious time to grab a camera, and takes the above photo of me!  Are you freaking kidding me?  You're going to share my insecurities with the world?  It's not funny in the slightest.  He laughs at my anguish but I know in the back of my head that I am Joey and victory will soon be mine.
He steps back into the kitchen and then I hear it:  that final clinking of the fork against the plate.  Clink Clink Clink!  He calls it "Pavlov's clink."  I rush out of the bathtub knowing that my sustenance is finally at hand.  It's really just seconds now. 
He asks me to sit.  I oblige him.  It's finally here.  Oh yes, oh yes, oh YES!  My dinner!  My beloved dinner.  9 seconds...8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....and it's all gone, just like that. I lick my lips.  I keep licking the plate in hopes that more will miraculously appear.  He asks me if it was good.  I wag my tail.  All is right with the world.
And now I wait.  Just 12 hours to the next feeding.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy

Hey wait, that's not a Dachshund photo bomb

 

Please pardon our absence as our Dad's Dad, our Dachshund Grandpaw so to speak, has passed away, and was laid to rest this past week.  This really puts a damper on our Dachtober 2012 festivities.  We searched and searched for some photos of him with us to post here, or with Maggie, and nothing was to be found.  So make sure you get those cameras out right now because you never know when it's all going to be over.  It's been a trying week or so.  We loved him very much and miss him every single waking moment.  He was a wonderful man, husband, and father.

Here he is in 1956 when he was about 18 or 19 with his mom in St. Louis, Missouri.   We really love this crazy old photo. The doggie photo bomb is courtesy of a handsome guy named 'Inky' - apparently doggie photobombing is not a new phenomenon! 

Dad always got along well with Joey and Maggie, although they were a little afraid of him when he would come marching through the house, clunking those heavy cowboy boots that made such a racket.  Rowdy on the other hand, who lives for chaos, worshipped those noisy cowboy boots.

We'll be back in a few days.

 

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey and Rowdy....

Remembering Maggie

Dad's Little Goddess

One year ago today, our beautiful beloved 'Maggie' left this earth.  The pain of losing this little girl, your original Long and Short of it All hostess, and Joey's littermate sister, has never really subsided.  We still miss her and her gentle presence every single waking hour.
In honor of Maggie, and all of the dogs who have left us, we hope that every one reading this will stop and take some time to remember all the joy and happiness that these little guys bring us.  Take some extra minutes today and take your Dachshund for a nice relaxing walk, maybe a car ride to the drive-thru, give them an extra special treat, an ear massage, a belly rub, and tell them how much they are loved. 
We have posted some special reader remembrances of beloved furry friends who have been lost immediately below this post.  Thanks so much to those authors for their kind words and loving thoughts.  We will always remember.
We wrote these next words a few years ago when both Joey and Maggie were gravely ill.  The fumbling sentences still ring true today, perhaps even more so:

Love Your Dachshund

I love his beautiful eyes. I love her long soft hair. I love his fleshy nose. I love her silky smooth belly. I love his leathery ears. I love her crooked tail. I love his penchant for long walks. I love her beautiful smile when she bares all her teeth. I love his wicked laughs. I love how she can hear other dog's tags from blocks away.
I love his never-ending desire for food. I love her desire to protect us. I love his spots. I love her furry muzzle. I love the long deep stares from his big brown eyes. I love her too-quick glances with that gleam in her eye. I love his short stubby paws. I love her little shaggy toes. I love how he knocks things over with his nose just to watch them fall. I love her muted colors.
I love his playful moods. I love her kisses. I love the way his skin shivers when I caress his side. I love how she has to scratch her back on the sidewalk every time we go outside. I love his yearning for car rides. I love her shy ways. I love his wagging tail. I love how she sometimes lifts her leg to pee. I love how he stretches out to pee. I love it when she bucks like a pony when she's excited.
I love how he cocks his head when he hears a Luna carpet commercial. I love her velvet bump where her dew claw would be. I love his wayward whiskers. I love her propensity to drudge through a puddle on walks. I love his crooked legs. I love her hatred of fireworks. I love his hatred of rain. I love her sharp little teeth. I love the smooth brown spot on the side of his face. I love her when she chews the bands of some underwear she's found.
I love the well-defined muscles on his hind legs. I love her ear when it won't stay down. I love his desire for laps. I love her swaying paws when she sits up so pretty. I love the wrinkles on the top of his head. I love her clicking nails. I love his warmth on a cold winter's night. I love her long soft neck. I love his whimpers. I love her gentle expressions.

What do you love about your Dachshund?

Joey's Hardware

Click images to enlarge

We're always fascinated with the inner workings of a Dachshund, and have featured x-rays of Joey and our dear departed Maggie several times over the years.  We recently went to the vet to have a look at Joey's heart.  With all the medical conditions that he has, he also has had a heart murmur his entire life, and it has progressed to about a grade 3.  Heart murmurs are common in small dogs such as Dachshunds, and they worsen as the dogs get older, eventually leading to CHF, or congestive heart failure.  If Joey were to start showing signs of exercise intolerance or "coughing," it will be time to start him on some cardiac meds.  Thankfully, he's not showing any of these symptoms yet, but with the long-standing condition, it was prudent to have a look inside.
We were happy to find that things look pretty good.  You can see his heart in the above photo, center left, and it does not appear to be enlarged.  That's his lungs to the right of the heart, and there doesn't appear to be any fluid buildup, so that's positive as well. 
Our wonderful veterinarian and hero, Dr. Cohen at Wicker Park Veterinary Clinic, had a good laugh when he noticed all of Joey's "hardware."  If you look in the upper right, you can see all the surgical staples inside him from his previous bi-lateral adrenalectomy and spleenectomy, and it took a minute to realize what all the foreign bodies were!  Hopefully Joey won't have to go through any metal detectors any time soon.  You can see another staple in the belly-view photo below near one of his ribs.

The Heart of The Long and Short of it All

'The Long and Short of it All' Turns Five Years Old

A Note From Rowdy and Joey

With little fanfare, yesterday we celebrated the 5th Anniversary of 'The Long and Short of it All.'  Dad forgot the party hats, but won this Dachshund sign in a raffle basket at last week's MWDR fundraiser, so he put it around Joey's head and said "Now it's a party!  Smile!"  Do we look amused?  Shouldn't Rowdy be wearing a lampshade?  We weren't impressed in the slightest until Dad broke out the fresh strawberry shortcake topped with whipped cream and blueberries.  Now THAT's a party! 
Every year Dad says that our anniversary is going to be the end of the blog.  It happened the first year, the second year, the third year, and so on, and when he kept going, he kept saying that five was the magic number - the fifth anniversary of the blog is going to be the very last post we will ever do.  Well, too bad he missed yesterday's deadline announcement because we're still here today and we're still blogging.  So stay tuned.
And so we wrap up Long and Short of it All post number 2,855.  Danke schön to all our loyal readers and commentors for sticking with us over the years - it's been a fun ride.  Thank you from the heart of our bottoms.


Yours in Dachshund Love,
Joey and Rowdy....

A Note From Joey and Rowdy: Please Stand By

Your Long and Short of it All hosts, 'Joey,' and 'Rowdy'

Dear Gentle Readers,

We're going on vacation for a few days to visit our Grandma and Grandpa, but we'll be back in about a week.   We can't wait to play with our Dachshund cousin 'Rudy,' and his new brother 'Baxter,' who is not a Dachshund, but a young pup who will play with Rowdy the way he wishes Joey would play and wrestle with him - for hours and hours on end until their tongues are dragging the floor and they finally pass out cold from exhaustion. 

Enjoy the Long and Short of it All archives while we're gone, and make sure and give your Mommas a BIG WET SLURPY KISS for Mother's Day.  They deserve it.

Yours in Dachshund Love,
Joey and Rowdy.....

Joey and Maggie Featured in Local Paper for MWDR Fundraiser

Memory Lane

We're so proud of our crew (and we miss our Miss Maggie very much).  Regular readers of The Long and Short of it All may remember this photo we took at last year's “Cross Town Bark Around,” a fundraiser and social presented by Midwest Dachshund Rescue (MWDR).  Well, it was selected in a local edition of the Chicago Tribune to promote this year's event!   We couldn't be happier!

If you live in the Midwest, you do NOT want to miss this year's event which is taking place on Saturday, May 19th, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, Illinois.  You will be shocked and amazed at the amazing raffles, prizes, and activities.  Via Trib Local:

The event will be inside Buildings 2 and 3 and will be held, rain or shine. The “Doxie Dash Wiener Races” will begin at 2 p.m. All activities, except for the races, will be inside the buildings. Dachshunds, dachshund mixes and their families and friends are invited. Dachshund lovers without dogs are also welcome.
Activities in addition to the Doxie Dash include raffles and silent auctions, featuring Cubs and White Sox tickets, theme park passes, dining gift cards and overnight hotel stays. The event also will feature a Doxie “Kiss-Off,” Doxie Cake Walk, Best Costume and Best “Peanut Butter Licker” Contests and Paw Painting on Canvas for the little Pawcassos. The Doxie General Store will feature one-of-a-kind dog-related items. There also will be “Ask The Trainer” and “Teach A Dog A Trick” booths, a bake sale, nail trims, wiener games and photos with the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Pedal Car.
All proceeds benefit rescued dachshunds whose veterinary care, spaying and neutering, food, medication and other needs prior to adoption are funded by MWDR.
Admission is $5 for adults, which includes one free hot dog. Registration is not required for admission but advance registration is necessary for Doxie Dash Wiener Race participants.

Read more at Trib Local.

What The........Where In The Heck Are Joey And Rowdy?

IS ANYONE THERE?

We apologize for the lack of posting over the last week.  All is fine with Joey and Rowdy, but all has not been fine with our home phone and DSL/magical interweb!  It has been down for a whole week!  AT&T finally came to fix it just now - it seems they were doing maintenance last week and they "mis-assigned" our line.  Ahem.

So stay tuned for more Dachshund News, fun, and hijinx - we'll be back in the groove real soon.

Vintage mid-century Wirephoto source unknown.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy: Dachshund Vacation Photos

While Dad was off gallivanting around in Hong Kong (where?), we had a great time staying with our pals Sampson, Tommy Lee, and Gina Marie.  One afternoon, three of their friends came over, and boy was it a party.....a Dachshund Party!  All that was needed was a Border Collie to round us all up.  Here we are waiting for Ms. Human to give us a taste of whipped cream straight out of the can - let's repeat that:  whipped cream straight out of the can.  Joy, oh Joy.  Dad can stay in Hong Kong as long as he likes as far as we're concerned. 
Dad noted that he saw mostly poodles on the streets of Hong Kong, but he did see one Long Dog at a pet supply store - a pretty little red long-haired gal with hip problems who had trouble walking - but she didn't have back issues. 
Dad was going to bring us back some treats....maybe something that we haven't had before, something regional, exotic, and tasty - but the pet supply store owner quickly reminded him with her response: "I don't sell anything from China."  Yes.  And so.....the Kangaroo treats from Australia were awesome.  We love you Dad.

A Note From Joey And Rowdy

'Rowdy' and 'Joey,' your Long and Short of it All hosts

Dear Gentle Readers,

We are officially on vacation while Dad is off gallivanting around.  This is probably the longest time we will have ever been away from the blog - possibly up to two long weeks!   We're going to miss the Westminster Dog Show and all the fun that comes with Valentine's Day, but there's always next year, right?  If you get really bored, maybe have a look through the archives - there's lots of fun stuff to read!

Keep warm and snuggle up to your human.  We'll be back soon.

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey and Rowdy....

Piebald Thoughts

"If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if I was a Dalmation, I'd have about eighty-five dollars."  ~ Joey, your loving co-host at The Long and Short of it All.

Vintage Little Dot comic cover, circa 1969.

A Note From Joey and Rowdy: Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By

The computer at the World Headquarters of The Long And Short of it All in Chicago, Illinois, has crashed, and is getting a new hard drive installed.  Sigh.  And we had such a good Wirehair Wednesday planned for yesterday!   But hang in there - we'll be back real soon with more Dachshund news, photos, videos, history, and tales of Dachshund Love.

A Note From The J-Man

Joey, Autumn 2008 

Dear Gentle Readers,

We'll be on vacation for a few days, but we'll be back later in the week.  Have fun in the archives while we're gone. 

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey.....

Fond Remembrances: Itty Bitty Paintings for Joey and Maggie

'Joey' and 'Maggie' on canvas in front of Frankenmuth Dachshund

Continuing on with yesterday's theme of being taken back by the kindness of people, one day last April we got a package in the mail from our good pals 'Turbo' and 'Lily,' two long dogs who work closely with and volunteer a lot of their time for MidWest Dachshund Rescue.  We had no idea a package was coming from them, and when we opened it, we were absolutely shocked at the beauty inside:  itty bitty paintings of your 'Long and Short of it All' hosts 'Joey' and 'Maggie,' complete with itty bitty easels to display them on.  Apparently Turbo and Lily had a relative (we apologize that we can't read the artist's name on the back), paint several small paintings to be sold at MWDR's big "Cross Town Bark Around" Fundraiser in May.  In the process, two special paintings were created for Joey and Maggie, and they are just beautiful.  Joey's is great, and Maggie's is just awesome - the artist really captured Maggie's "look" - that wonderful "glare" that she gave Dad when she was tired of getting her photo taken, or any time her dinner was a few minutes late.  Again, these will be something we will treasure for the rest of our lives.  Thank you so much Turbo and Lily! 

The Whirr of the Tail

Anxiety - Maggie giving Dad that glaring look

Fond Remembrances: The Wiener Wagon for Maggie and Joey

Sometimes we're a bit taken back by the kindness of people.  Take for example this awesome "Wiener Wagon."  We got a note in January from a reader of the blog, Grace Liesa, who asked us for our address and said she had something special to send us.  And boy, did she!  It was Maggie and Joey's very own Wiener Wagon!   Grace hand-crafted and sent this to us solely out of the kindness of her heart, in honor of Joey making it through his surgery last year, and Maggie and Joey's birthday, which was last December 23rd.  We tried to get photos of Maggie and Joey beside it to post on the blog, but we could never get a good photo of both of them that also detailed this wonderful sculpture.  As time moves along so quickly, we never got the chance to post it to the blog, even after several more photo session attempts with Maggie and Joey.

We would like to rectify that situation, as something so special, especially after Maggie's passing, must be shared with everyone.  It means more now than it ever did, and will be something we will treasure for the rest of our lives.  Thank you so much Grace.

Grace noted to us:  I know you all had a rough one in 2010 (I realize that was an understatement), so I hope this cheery sculpture will bring smile to your face. May Joey and Maggie have a much smoother ride in their Wiener Wagon in 2011.  Take care, and send our doxie kisses to Joey and Maggie, and tell them although we've never met in person, we surely love them in our hearts, and think loving thoughts of them all the time. That was how this special sculpture was created.

Get your very own Wiener Wagon in Grace Liesa's etsy shop:  CJ Doxie Custom Sculptures.

Thank You

Living the High Life with a Good Looking Man About Town

Thank you for all the wonderful comments, emails, photos, cards and remembrances in the loss of our beloved Maggie, your Long and Short of it All hostess.  Each was read, appreciated, and loved.  Such kind words mean more than you could know.  It's been two weeks now since we lost her, the house is incredibly lonely, but each day gets better, at least that is what they say.  And it does...somewhat. 

Maggie had such an extraordinary presence - when she walked into a room, heads would turn - and it was no different than the large yet calming presence she had in her own home.  So it's a bit empty, and you think that you keep seeing her here and there (and everywhere!).

Having Joey, Maggie's littermate brother, around has provided great comfort.  He's doing OK.  He seems to sniff around for Maggie sometimes, but he's mostly adjusted.   For several days after Maggie was gone, Joey would come to the head of the big bed (which he hates, he'd rather be at the foot or in the center), and would just stand there while staring at the wall while dad would pet and talk to him.  He seemed to want and need the consolation, standing there still in silence for a good ten minutes or so each night for several nights.

Joey did get to go out for lunch with friends at a local restaurant a few days after Maggie's passing (see photo above) and provided great comic relief with his sly smile and clever ways.  He was such a good boy sitting in his own chair and waiting patiently for little bites of BBQ and sweet potato fries.   He also got to have a playdate with 8 of his Dachshund friends which he greatly enjoyed. 

There's a message on the answering machine we haven't checked yet, but coming from the vet's office, it most likely means that Maggie's ashes are back.  We still have to order her permanent urn, which will come from atpeace.com and will be similar to Louie's, which we got there some 11 years ago.  They provided the urn, and the beautiful white Dachshund statue came from a little antique shop in Amsterdam.  We were happy to find that the website was still in business after all these years.  A fine vintage bronze longhair Dachshund will sit proudly atop Maggie's urn. 

There are rumors that another Dachshund may soon come into our lives.  We weren't searching for another, but there he was, we fell in love with his eyes, he can help fill this hole in our heart, and we can give him a great home.  It seems incredibly soon after Maggie's passing, which we are really struggling with.  When is too soon?  Days, weeks, months, years?  How soon is now?  We've learned after Louie's passing that it can take many years to fully come to terms with the passing of a beloved furry friend.  But that furry friend will never leave your heart, and would never want you to be sad, crying, and moping around the house.  Dogs live in the present as they say, and they want you to as well.  So, as you never know what life is going to send your way, there may be a new Dachshund in our lives in the next few weeks.  Joey needs another buddy.  So does Dad.

As far as the "state of the blog," Dad has always said that if anything ever happened to Joey or Maggie, that the blog would cease to exist - it's their blog after all.  We're not so sure of that at the moment, maybe we'll be back soon - there have been some great Dachshund stories recently that we felt an urgent need to post.  Whatever would we do without this site and our wonderful friends here?

Thanks so much again.

Yours in Dachshund Love,

Joey and his Dad......