What the heck is that?

Mom asked me to thank you all for your warm wishes of sympathy on the sad occasion of Aunty Jo's death. Mom is still sad, but the whole thing is still so unreal as she couldn't go to the funeral or be with her family in South Africa during the shiva. She told me that maybe it will hit her when she goes home in October and Aunty Jo is not at the airport to welcome her. Aunty Jo was ALWAYS at the airport to meet every family member whether in transit or visiting for a while.

If Jo's sudden loss wasn't traumatic enough for Mom, 4 days later, her vision went haywire (heh heh, good word...hay + wire) in her left eye! She saw colors and flashes, and she said I looked I was ringed in silver lights when she looked at me. After seeing many doctors, they told her she had had a retina bleed but as yet, they cannot find the cause. Since the bleed, Mom's vision in her left eye is somewhat blurred.

When all this happened, I got scared too, as I thought I might be forcibly enrolled in "Seeing Eye Dog School" so that I could help Mom navigate the world. I have the utmost respect for those seeing eye dogs - but let's be honest, Wires are not very well suited to this work. I would likely lead Mom, accidently of course, into a tree!

Anyway, thank God Mom can see well enough to drive and work and walk me about - the doctors hope it will heal in time, but they aren't sure what the future holds. Mom could use your prayers please.

Last week we visited Dad's parents. I have to admit, I never noticed a big glass box in their living room before. I was just minding my own business, sitting on top of the couch, when I heard a shuffling sound to my left!! I immediately jumped up and looked into the glass box....and there my friends, was the oddest looking creature I've ever seen. So odd in fact, that I let loose a high pitched barking fit so as to warn everyone in the neighborhood, that we'd been invaded by a scaly looking 4-legged creature with something akin to a hard pigs ear on his back which he kept on ducking into!

I ran to Dad and he explained that the creature was known as a turtle, her name is Mister Turtle (yeah, don't ask me to explain that...) and she was rescued from the side of a road when Dad was just a wee boy. So she is about 25 years old and lives in that box under a light and mostly eats worms and salad. Yuch!

Mr. Turtle was quite fascinating to watch creeping about, but after a while everyone tired of my barking and carrying on and they forcibly evicted me from the couch!

AGC