Eat the Frog???

 Eat the frog? Yep...something I have been telling myself for the past 5 days as I have been thinking about what to include in this blog.

"Eat the frog" is a saying that comes from Mark Twain, who said that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you can make it through the rest of the day knowing the worst is behind you!

The "frog" is the task you dread doing. The idea is that you get it out of the way, off your to-do list first thing. Then the rest of your day is easy.

For some reason this blog post was my "frog" for the past few days. It has been on my to-do list and ignored. I procrastinated, thinking of all kinds of other tasks to do instead. That was unusual for me because I am usually eager to write the blog and share photos with my readers.

I don't know about you, but I find myself tired and just "not with it" lately. Like most others, I am just tired of the restrictions COVID19 has put on us and tired of the constant worry. I would not call the feeling "depression." It is more of a "blah" feeling. I made a list the other night of things I am sick of. You may have a similar list. Here is mine (sorry it is long .. skip it if you want to! I will never know!)

Bad news 

People dying/the daily tally of the dead

Everything associated with COVID19

Fox News, CNN, Morning Joe

Politics and politicians

Peaceful protests that turn ugly. Looters turning peaceful protests into chaos

Cops shooting people 

People who thrive on inciting fear

People who think it is fun/funny to name call and disrespect others whose lifestyle and opinions are different from theirs

People who lie

People who bully

People who have never read the Constitution but think they know all about what is says

People who have read the Constitution but ignore it

People giving up on themselves and others

People who won't help others when given opportunities to do so

People who won't wear a mask when around others

Staying home -- people were not meant to be isolated

Zoom meetings...endless Zoom meetings

Missing family and friends

Feeling helpless in the face of the pandemic

Just "running in place" and getting nowhere

Cooking! (but then, this one is nothing new!)

Puppy Buyers

One of the situations that I dread is having to tell people who call or email asking if I have puppies that I have nothing available. Most of the callers have recently lost an elderly Lhasa whom they have loved for many years. Their stories touch me, and I so much want to help them. But I cannot snap my fingers and suddenly have puppies. Instead, I try to give them names of people I know who might have puppies on the way. I ask if they want to be added to our waiting list. I also recommend going to the website of the American Lhasa Apso club, selecting the Resources tab, and clicking the "Find a Breeder" link. I encourage them to get on multiple waiting lists. Even so, it is heartbreaking to turn people away. At heart, I am a person who wants/needs to be helpful. As you know, Lhasas are my passion. Not being able to help someone looking for a puppy is upsetting.

Meeting the families who purchased the puppies from our summer litters has been such a positive, uplifting experience. I've enjoyed getting to know those who will be loving and caring for our puppies. They always ask, "How can you part with them?" It is easy when I see what loving homes the puppies will have.

This summer, we have also found wonderful "retirement" homes for four of our adult Lhasas. Three of them have already left for their new homes and have settled in nicely. The 4th is leaving in a couple weeks. Chance, Kimmi, and Greta have adapted well and seem to be loving their new homes and new people. Greta was the latest one to leave, and here are some excerpts from emails her new owner has sent.

Jane wrote, "She’s doing great! She’s playing like crazy! Has a great appetite! Is making a nest in Joe's clothes while he's in Chicago(so sweet when I saw what she was doing) loves to go outside! Getting used to noises! Slept with me on the bed last night! On the outside corner looking out the door-she's a ferocious guard dog! We LOVE her!...she is running around the house having a blast. Getting used to playing tag. I scared her the first time… today she came up to me and tagged me! We ran around after each other laughing. She is a puppy!"

Here is Greta, exhausted after all her antics.

Life really is better when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Puppy Pictures

Little Joey and Buddy are 10 weeks old now and will be leaving this weekend. Here are their most recent photos.

Buddy

Joey

We will be keeping Aspen from Greta and Chance's litter. We are still debating over an AKC name. It took us two months to decide on one for Archie!

Aspen

Speaking of Archie, his AKC registered name is Joyslyn Mon Ami Derecho. Yes there is a story behind that!

I hope you can watch this video. It is of Archie after I groomed him, put a part in his head, and added some gel to train it to stay in place.

Derecho??

Just so you know, according to Wikipedia, "A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system and potentially rivaling hurricanic and tornadic forces. Derechos can cause hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, heavy rains, and flash floods." 

And, if you are from the midwest you are probably aware of  the derecho that hit Cedar Rapids, IA, on August 10. We heard nothing on the news about it, so were oblivious until our son who lives there called to tell us he and our granddaughter were okay! It is a catastrophe that has mostly been ignored by the national news. That is disturbing because those impacted need help!

The straight line winds exceeded 100 mph with gusts up to 180 mph. Over 23,000 publicly-owned trees were lost or damaged so badly they will have to be cut down. That count does not include the trees in people's yards. People were without power for days. Homes and businesses were destroyed. Thousands of acres of corn were demolished. Just imagine: summer heat, no power, no air conditioning, few grocery stores open, your food in your fridge and freezer spoiling. 

Photos and videos are available on line if you are interested in seeing the damage a derecho can cause. You can google "derecho in Iowa" to see more.

On the day of the Iowa derecho, the sky in Macomb took on an awesome and scary semblance. I was coming home from grocery shopping and happened to glance at the sky. Below are some photos I took of it. I kept expecting to see a tornado drop from those clouds. Interestingly, I drove under it and on the other side, the sky was a bright, happy blue.

Other Stuff

We are in the preparation stage of getting our living and dining room areas ready for some new flooring. That area looks chaotic! We had to move furniture into other rooms so we could take up the carpeting, pad, and plywood. I can deal with a renovation mess for about 2 weeks, so we'll see how it goes. Three items for the flooring were back ordered (of course!) so now we wait...

One thing I am looking forward to is getting Millie, Archie, and Aspen to a 4-week training class that starts next week in Peoria. It is a long drive there and back, around 4 hours round trip, but it will be worth it for the dogs to have the "show ring" experiences that class offers.

Rumor has it that the midwest will soon have a few dog shows again. That would be great! I miss the shows and seeing all my Lhasa friends.

Some good news I received yesterday: Winter is being shown this weekend in Elk City, OK. Her handler is Sue Cannimore. Sue messaged me that on Thursday Winter took Reserve Winners Bitch to the 3-point major. That was good news but it still meant she lost! On Friday the news was more to my liking. Winter won the 3point major. Now she needs only 3 single points or another major to have her championship. I am, of course, hoping she wins again this weekend and finishes!

Winter went to Sue at the end of January, was on a winning streak through February and March. Then COVID19 hit and she has been in MS with Sue, just waiting for an opportunity to show again. 

I have not seen her since January but here are some photos taken in March.

Notes and Photos from Others

Denise sent this photo of Colonel, a Greta and Breaker son after he had his summer clip.

Kathleen wrote about Beau, "Beau is thriving.  He eats well, is doing well with potty training and is as lovable and agreeable as ever.  I am sending a few new photos... He is so sweet and loving and I love him more everyday.  Thank you."

Jim sent photos of Daisy. I know I always say this, but she really is photogenic. Her expressions and poses say it all.

Sharon sent a photo and update on Gemma, "The vet said her structure was beautiful, coloring gorgeous, & bite perfect. In fact, and I quote, “one of the best bites I’ve seen”. I hope this all doesn’t go to Gemma’s head! Gemma seems to be adjusting nicely. She is such a sweet little girl and I look forward to many adventures.Thank you for my precious Gemma!"

Sally wrote this about Ginger, "Sunday is her second birthday already! She really is the sweetest thing! So smart and happy. She is the boss and I am happy to do her bidding. I am thankful every day to have her."

Ginger is the daughter of Luna and Breaker.

I'm just throwing in a photo of Jenna for fun. This is CH Joyslyn MLS Dakota Je-Na Sais Quoi.

Here is a photo of Judy with her three Joyslyn's Lhasas, Whisper, Gus, and Raven.

Ted sent a photo of Lucky.

Violet sent photos of Shadow, a litter brother to Chance. Does he look a bit sad? Look at the second photo to see why.

Betsy wrote about Willow. "Hi Joyce! Willow was great on the ride home! She is doing so well and we all just love her!!

She did pretty good thru the night, is eating well and loves prancing around in the grass! Thank you again for everything!"

This is a picture of Willow taken the day she left for her new home in Nebraska.

Judy wrote about Zoie, "I just wanted to update you on Zoie. She is doing really well. She loves to eat and is growing like a weed. She had a lot of firsts this week. She went to meet her groomer. She just trimmed her hair around her eyes and trimmed her nails a little to get her use to it. She has been wearing a collar for two days and is doing really well with it. She has received presents from Milwaukee, Arizona and Tomahawk. Not too spoiled! We have had so many firsts around here.  Zoie barked for real on Monday.  We have a step between the kitchen and living room and on Tuesday she went up and down that step with no problem.  She is a wonder!"

Finally, I want to thank all who sent me birthday wishes via card or email. Birthdays are great .. considering the alternative!

Here is one of the cute dog-related cards I received.

Until next time! Stay safe. Stay well. Wear a mask!

Joyce

Happy Birthday to Me - And Photos of Puppies and Lhasas from Friends

 

    Yes! August 15 is my birthday! My family always made it a special day for me and that feeling has extended well into adulthood. I'm not saying how old I am but my age is now equal to the last two numbers of the year I graduated. The #1 song was "In The Year 2525!"

    Work has been crazy because we hired a new employee and I have been spending extra hours at the office to help her become acclimated. Home has been crazy with puppies leaving, so I have put off writing the blog. However, now there are a lot of photos and notes to share from others, so we're going to get to it!

    First, here are pictures of the Chance and Greta litter, at age 9 weeks. (They are now 10 weeks, but we haven't had time to take photos yet this week.) You will note some names have changed from the call names we gave them to the names the new owners chose for them.

This is Aspen - I think we have decided to keep her.

This is Beau. He has left for his new home.

This is Jetta - now Daisy - She has left for her new home.

This is Lia - now Zoie - she has left for her new home.

This is Willow, who is leaving for her new home next weekend.

        Yes! Things are getting a lot quieter and less hectic around here! I love the puppies and watching them through all their stages of growth, but there comes a time when they need to get away from their siblings and join a new family.

The Josh and Jenna puppy, Solo (new name Gemma), leaves this weekend.

        The two Breaker and Onyx males are now 7 weeks old. Here are photos taken at age 6 weeks.

This is Buddy.

This is Little Joey

Notes and Photos from Others

The first is from Kathy about Jampa, who had been suffering from a skin problem. She wrote, "He is acting much more like himself. He's playing more, barking more, and trying to "push us around" more!  When he wants to play, and wants me to join in, he will poke my leg with his nose.  If I don't respond, he pokes harder!   We have not been back to obedience classes for about 3 weeks, but, if he's still feeling good next week, I may take him.  He really likes class!  When we get out of the car, he's quick to potty and then tries to drag me to the door to go inside. :-)... Jampa's coat is still silvering out, but looks more "bronze" than silver in certain light.  The vet staff all adore him...and at my regular vets office the staff "sings" to him.  They said he is very well behaved!  Now that he's feeling better, I tend to be late for work - playing with my dog! :-)"

Rebecca wrote about Carso: "Carso has been keeping us busy in the most delightful way.  I’m sending along some photos of his adventures below - Carso goes with us wherever we go. He loves to snuggle on the couch or next to us while on car rides, and is such a sweet and gentle boy that we’ve never had an issue with him biting hands or playing too rough.  He is a little cautious with new people and dogs (as I know is normal for a Lhasa) but he goes to puppy day camp two to three times a week to socialize and that has made him more confident.  He is part of the small and floofy puppy gang at camp that includes a shih tzu and bichon bolognese (the “training” videos of that are hilarious) and he is also the camp’s social media mascot (he has many pics on their Instagram/Facebook - posted by the camp, not me :)...He also gets LOTS of attention from people who always ask what kind of dog he is. So, if you start seeing a huge demand for Lhasas from Maine and/or Georgia you’ll know you have Carso to thank for it.  We also met a woman last night who asked to pet Carso and told us that the mascot for her high school field hockey team was a Lhasa!  I wouldn’t be surprised if that is the only instance of a Lhasa sports team mascot."

  

Michelle sent pictures of Sunny. She wrote, "We bought Sunny a Kong wobbler and he loves it! He has to get his food out of it, keeps him busy for awhile and he eats much better! He was worn out Saturday night after a busy day of boating and camping, he loves to snuggle and sleep with all his toys in the motor home!"

Like so many of the puppy buyers tell me, Sunny still likes to use the going-to-a-new-home blanket I send home with the puppies.

Here is a photo of Judy's Gus, as the desert wind blows through his hair.

This is a photo of Joy's Lucy. Such a pretty face!

Debra sent a photo of Seng Kye on the occasion of his second birthday.

And Shannon sent photos of and wrote about Minnie: "I hope you are doing well! I wanted to reach out and share some photos of miss Minnie! She has grown SO much and keeps us laughing everyday! She loves chewing on people’s hair, giving kisses, and playing with ice cubes! And she hates vacuums, garage doors, and when I leave for work everyday! She has truly been such a joy and we love her to pieces! I can’t thank you enough for matching me with my sweet girl! "

    Judy sent an update to tell us how Zoie was doing in her new home. "I am attaching the AKC registration certificate.  Also, we took Zoie to the vet yesterday.  Everything is fine.  Everyone thinks she is the cutest ever...We have had so many firsts around here.  Zoie barked for real on Monday.  We have a step between the kitchen and living room and on Tuesday she went up and down that step with no problem.  She is a wonder!  If you need anything else from us right now, let us know.  She's snoozing right now.  She played so long that she had to relax.  Thanks again for everything."  

    Kathleen wrote about Beau: "We drove to our summer place and he was a great traveler.  He slept from 10 pm. last night until 6 am, a first.  He is the easiest pup I’ve ever had and doing well with potty training. I adore him and seems to feel the same about me. I will sent more photo of him at Madeline.  He has adapted to both homes easily. You can be very proud of him." 

Julie wrote, "Hi Joyce,Thank you! We had a very pleasant ride home. Daisy is a joy!  She runs and plays and is very lovable. Peaches is still pretty much ignoring her, although we have caught a few brief periods of them running and chasing each other in the yard.

Daisy had her Vet check up yesterday and all was well. She took to our Vet immediately. She has met our neighbors and our son and she was loving and acceptable to all of them. She comes when calls. She has a little difficulty with bed time.  She cries for about a minute or two, but then settles herself.  She wakes up usually around 12-1 AM and again around 4.  She starts to cry, so we take her out to go to the bathroom, give her a treat, love her up a little and then put her back to bed, where she cries again for a couple minutes and then goes quiet. She has been very quiet, very little barking." 

    Thanks to all our puppy buyers who send photos and updates of their Joyslyn's Lhasas through various stages of their lives. I love hearing about the dogs and their activities and really enjoy sharing their photos.

    Thanks also to all of you who take time to read the blog and keep up with all that is going on around here -- not much lately--COVID19 had made life rather dull. 

    I miss going to dog shows and can tell that the time away from shows and training classes has had a negative effect on my two show prospects, Millie and Archie. Both seem very noise sensitive and more wary of strange people and situations than they should be. It is so disappointing because Millie especially started out loving classes, and she was so ready to compete at the shows. Training classes have begun again, so I am hoping that they help the dogs prepare for going to shows in 2021.

Until next time! Stay safe, be well, wear a mask!!

Joyce