Farewell Dad

My Dad passed away yesterday morning - we were all with him and it was peaceful.

Dani

Mom Not Coming Back After All

Mom called us this morning with the sad news that they were told this morning by Grandpa's doctors that there is nothing more they can do to save his life. Grandpa is going to die in the next few days but he will be on morphine, with no pain, just deeply asleep.

Mom is of course very upset but she is also relieved because it has been torture watching her beloved Dad suffer through 5 surgeries in 3 weeks and go through so much. She has decided to stay with her family until July 15. Though I wish she was coming home as scheduled, I understand that she needs her family now, and I am okay with that.

I love my Grandpa so very much - it was only because of him that my name is Axel (Grandpa has a big Axel manufacturing company) and that Mom came to love wire fox terriers. Grandpa is a big fan of Johnny Walker Whiskey and I've spotted some on the shelf in the kitchen. I am going to ask Dad if we can have a wee nip tonite to salute Grandpa and his wonderful 85 years on earth.

AGC

Update on Grandpa

Axel's Mom here. I am still in South Africa. I wish I had good news for you, but the fact is that Dad is critically ill and has been for some time now. Since his heart surgery, he has had 4 additional surgeries and one setback after another. For the past 5 days he has been sleeping and unresponsive. Though I have been praying for his recovery, I believe in my heart that it probably is not to be. He is in a very weakened state now after almost 4 weeks in ICU and he is 85 after all.

On Tuesday I am planning to leave South Africa after a month and return to my life in Philadephia. Of course I leave with a very heavy heart and deep sadness because I do not expect to see my beloved father alive again. I have struggled with the decision to leave, but I knew Dad would be the first one to tell me its time to go, that I need to get back to my life and my work in Philadelphia.

I can't wait to hug Axel - I have so missed his little furry presence. I have no doubt I will be leaning on him when I get home.
Please keep Dad (and me) in your prayers. This is the hardest time in both our lives I expect.

Dani

PS Please note the NEW button on the top right of the blog - please click to find out more about Sweet Cecil and open your hearts and wallets to help this dear boy restore his vision.

Prayers for Grandpa

I haven't blogged for a while because my paws are being used for more important purposes - that of holding them together in prayer for my dear Grandpa - Mom's Dad who is very ill. He is 85 years old and last Thursday underwent triple bypass and valve replacement surgery. This is horrendous surgery at any age, but can you imagine at the age of 85 what a shock it must be to his body?

Mom tells me lots of stories about Grandpa and what a strong man he is mentally and physically even at his age. Grandpa is really responsible for my existence because it was he who fell for the wire fox terrier breed years ago and insisted on buying Mom her first wire when she was 12 and wanted a maltese poodle instead!

I miss Mom very much, she flew to South Africa to be with her family last Monday, 5 hours after getting the call that her Dad was so sick. I'm not sure when she will be back, but we are hoping this weekend or early next week. Mom doesn't want to leave until her Dad is conscious and on the road to recovery. Right now he is still ventilated and stable...

Please join me in praying for Grandpa's complete and rapid recovery!

AGC

Axel does Monet

I went swimming in the pond today. Mom got this lovely photo of me. It made us think of the impressionist artist Monet. We think he would have liked it.

Here is a long shot of the beautiful area around the pond:

AGC

More Summer Days...

Thank you to all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the US of A. Happy Memorial Day!

I have had a lovely summery weekend. Mom has taken me to the pond every morning to swim and roll in stink which is abundant around the pond. I love it! In fact, there was a porta-potty there last week that overturned, and I cleverly found where the stinky poop had leaked and rolled in it before Mother realized what I was doing. Now its our game every time we go to the pond...I run to the porta-potty poopie stuff and Mom tries to intercept me, and then I bark at her and run around in circles. Unfortunately, we have no pictorial evidence of this fun!!

Yesterday I hung out with dad in our miniscule backyard. I hate to admit this, but I am such a lapdog, I am only happy if I am on Mom or Dad's lap!

Then today Mom took me in the car to visit our cousins who live about 40 minutes away. I love the car and Mom lets me stick my head out the window...

I then helped do some gardening...

Then I saw something in the yard next door and I tried to get through a break in the fence, but darn it all...I couldn't squeeze through. Mom told me I was too fat! I was mad. I ran up and down the fence line, I even tried to dig under it...but to no avail. The stupid humans were amused and befuddled as they couldn't see anything on the other side...I am going to preserve the mystery by NOT revealing what was obsessing me over there....

I will tell you that when I got home - I ran to the groundhog den...I checked and checked, but the bugger wasn't home!



So tomorrow its back to work for the humans...boo. But its a short week cos Friday is another Jewish holiday, Shavuoth, so Mom has no work. Yippee!!!

AGC

Summer Days

My favorite Summer activities are swimming and ice cream!
Every time Mr Softee comes up our street in the evening, I go into a frenzy to alert the hard of hearing humans that there is ice cream on our doorstep! I am very convincing and most nights they go and buy a cone. Here I am on my birthday enjoying a few licks (yes, it is chocolate but I only got about 3 licks...I get more when the humans choose vanilla):

And yesterday Mom took me to our secret pond location. She brought a chair, towel for me, snacks and her book and we had a wonderful few hours by the pond. I waded in whenever I felt the need to cool off or have a drink.

Sure loving these summer days. Hope you are all enjoying Memorial Day Weekend.

AGC