Puppies At Last!

Breaker and Dancer's puppies were born Saturday night/Sunday morning. Once the first puppy was born (it seemed to take forever and I was getting worried), things went more smoothly. The first puppy was born about 10:30 PM and the last at 1:15 AM. The litter of two boys and two girls is pictured above. The photo was taken this AM, so they are "not quite" two days old. So far, all is well with both Dancer and the babies.

As you can see, we have one female that -- for us -- is a very unusual color! Most of our puppies are born brown and then lighten up to some shade of gold or cream as they reach adulthood. This little gal started life as a cream! I'll be interested to watch what happens with her color.

I'll be posting weekly pictures on this blog so you can follow the puppies as they grow.

The next posting will probably have news about Mira's litter. When it rains, it pours! But after not having puppies since last November, I'm ready for the challenge.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

More About the Puppies Available

When I last wrote, I mentioned to contact me if you or someone you know is looking for a Lhasa.

A recent serious illness of an American Lhasa Apso Club member resulted in the necessity of finding new homes for the majority of her adult dogs and all of her puppies.

Two of the available dogs are pictured. The one getting a bath is Mimmi and the other is Tonya.

The dogs are not with me but with friends in WI. If you are interested in finding out more about these dogs, please email me and I will give you the contact information of the people who are caring for the dogs and making efforts to find them loving homes. Males and females are available.

My email address is lhasas@joyslynslhasaapsos.com

Show Results and Some Other Things

In my last post I mentioned that we were headed to the Waukesha shows. We had a great time seeing Lhasa people and their dogs! The weather had been raining the days before the show so the ground was soggy and slippery and muddy and just generally yucky. Some people were walking around in very fashionable show clothes and rain boots. Those of us without boots either lost our shoes in the ring or sported muddy legs either from spatters or from, in my case, kneeling on the ground to pose the dogs. It was a toss up…muddy legs or bend over the dog hoping the skirt I was wearing was long enough for bending over modestly. Taking no chances, I opted for muddy legs.

Both my dogs showed better on Saturday than on Sunday. Belle took 2nd in her class of four on Saturday but by golly she walked in that grass and straw–covered mud. Walker took Best of Opposite Sex Saturday. On Sunday he took Select Dog. On Sunday Belle ended up 4th out of four, and rightly so. She just didn't care for trudging through the turf. Walker didn't either. I was more disappointed with their performances than with their placements.

After his Select Dog placement on Sunday, Walker had earned enough points to get his Grand Champion title. The Grand Champion title is a new (as of mid-May 2010) AKC title. Only champions of record can compete for the title. A dog has to earn 25 points under four different judges, defeating at least one other champion at three shows. Three of his wins have to be major wins of 3, 4, or 5 points. As with a championship, the points are determined by the number of dogs entered. Anyway, Walker met all of the qualifications in 6 shows, winning three 5 point majors, two 4 point majors, and one 3 point major. He won 4 Best of Breeds, one Best Opposite Sex, and one Select Dog on his way to the title. So, as you have assumed from reading this, I am quite pleased! At the top of the page is a photo of Walker taken in August last year at the Burlington, IA show.

Next weekend we are in Burlington, IA for three shows. We'll be inside in air conditioning and back on mats for showing. I've entered Zach, Desi, Belle, and Walker all three days. I'll have a lot of juggling to do. My husband said he'd go with me on Friday to help so that will be an adventure since he has not been in a show ring for years and years.

Oh...and I have finally joined the rest of the world and now am on Facebook.

If you or someone you know is looking for a Lhasa puppy, let me know. A recent serious illness of an American Lhasa Apso Club member resulted in the necessity of finding new homes for the majority of her adult dogs and all of her puppies. If you are interested in finding out more about these dogs, please email me and I will give you the contact information of the people who are caring for her dogs and making efforts to find them loving homes. My email address is lhasas@joyslynslhasaapsos.com

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Flame and Her Foster Babies

No, those are not Lhasa puppies you see at the top of this page! I have to share this story!

You've all heard me talk about Belle. Her mother is Ch. Joyslyn Winds of Fire (or Flame as she is more commonly known). Like Belle, Flame is a small Lhasa, about 12 pounds – a little more red than Belle is. A picture of her in show coat is at the top of the page. Unlike Belle, she loved to show. She finished her championship very fast, winning back to back majors when she was just 12 months old. (Belle, you should be following in your mom's footsteps!)

I had a great opportunity to place Flame in a pet home. The decision was difficult, never doubt that, but some things are meant to be. Flame went to Courtney, the daughter of a longtime friend I met because of our Lhasas back in the mid '70's. This family has always been very animal-oriented. For many years, they have been involved in rescuing Great Pyrenees, adopting strays, and volunteering at the local shelter.

This background leads me to Flame's most recent role. A few weeks ago, three 2-week old puppies were found near a country road. Their mother had been killed by a passing car. The family of the young girl who found them took them to the animal shelter where my friend was volunteering that day. She took them home to bottle raise them. Flame became their foster mother who taught them how to be dogs. I am not sure what breed or mix of breeds they are, but Flame did not care. She loved them and cared for them and played with them. Now they have a bit of the Lhasa stamped into their personalities!

The other picture of is Flame with her three foster puppies: Peter, Paul, and Peony.

My friend is hoping that soon all three will be placed in loving homes. As for Flame, her reward is a Florida vacation with her owner Courtney, where she will get to play with Bea, another Joyslyn's Lhasa owned by Courtney's sister Rebecca.

So hats off to Courtney, Shari, and Flame. You know as well as I do that…

"Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!"

Joyce

More Updates

In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony. ~ Eva Burrows

What a wonderful month April was – especially the week of April 21- 28 for that was the week we welcomed my mom who drove here from Nebraska, our daughter who flew in from Miami, and our son who drove home from college. They came to celebrate our granddaughter's 4th birthday.

Family is so important. As I go through the routines of each day, and get caught up in the tasks and frenzy of deadlines and to-do lists, it is easy sometimes to forget that simple fact. Then there is sort of a loneliness that creeps in and a wish to be able to just hug my mom or one of the kids who live away from "home." With two of them away now, I understand how Mom felt when we left Nebraska and moved to Illinois.

Anyway, being apart makes coming back together even more special. We had a great time. Now that our children are all "grown," they feel a little freer to expound on some of the secrets of their childhoods and deeds that, at the time they were committed, I am certainly glad that I was unaware of what was going on! The stories, the reminiscing, the laughter, the traditions, the making and sharing of meals, the celebrations—these are the heart of family.

On another topic – Some news that people have been waiting for: we may be having puppies in late June! It's way too early to tell yet, of course, but the breeding has been done. Now we wait.

Mira's beautiful coat was clipped over the weekend. Lynn had to do it. I couldn't face the task. I'll get a picture of her and post it one of these days. I think she is enjoying the freedom a short coat brings.

Belle and I are leaving for a dog show in Wisconsin this coming Friday. The entry is low, but we are looking forward to the trip and seeing some of our favorite Wisconsin Lhasa people and meeting some people I've been corresponding with about a puppy. At the end of May, Zach and Desi will be old enough to go to the four Bloomington, IL shows over Memorial Day weekend. I have the entries for them, Belle, and Walker made out and ready to mail…but when I calculated the cost, I couldn't bear to write the check last night. Yikes! (All I could think of was "I sure hope they'll all walk or this is so going to be a waste!") So I'll face that task this evening!

I'll give you an update on Belle and the Wisconsin shows the next time!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa – and family – to love you!

Joyce

Puppy Pictures

Hi! Not much new is going on here. I traveled to and from Madison, WI yesterday to meet Karen and to bring Alvin home with me. We are hoping that Dancer comes in season soon, as expected. When she does, she will be bred to Alvin. Every time I see that dog I am so impressed. He is beautiful -- and has a personality to match!

The most recent puppy pictures are posted at the top of the page. They were taken last Monday. The one I am holding with his leg hanging over my arm is Zeke. The other one whose legs are over my hands is Zach. Desi is the one sitting on the table looking camera shy.

Zeke will soon be going to his new home in Oklahoma. Zach and Desi are staying here. Their debut will be at the Bloomington, IL shows at the end of May if all goes as planned.

Have a good week!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Pictures and Miscellaneous Thoughts

Hi! The purpose of today's entry is mainly to show you some new pictures. We had quite an exciting weekend when Katina, Breaker's new owner, and her daughters make a long drive in frigid weather to come to Macomb to pick him up.

Naturally, Lynn and I had show pictures of Breaker, but we also wanted to get other photos of him. We set up our "studio," which consists of a black sheet duct-taped to the back side of the flat screen TV, draped over the front of the TV and then over a grooming table that is placed beneath the TV. It makes a nice background for the light colored dogs. (We'll have to come up with a different color sheet when it's Mira's turn!) We took about 35 pictures of Breaker, some much better than others. Here are a couple of them.

One thing I love about Breaker (besides his appearance, structure, movement....) is his great attitude. He has an amazing zest for life. He is a clown. He is always happy, and his cheerful attitude and love of life always make me smile. Dogs like Breaker can teach us a lot about how our attitudes affect our lives.

One of my favorite "Food for Thought" quotations comes from Charles R. Swindoll, who said: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

It's not always easy to maintain a positive attitude, to see the cup as half full, or to see the silver lining, but you have to admit that things go better when you do!

P.S. I'll post the new puppy pictures tomorrow.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Happy New Year!

Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You'll look ten years younger. Don't be afraid to say, 'I love you'. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world. ~ Ann Landers

Happy New Year, Everyone! My hope for each of you who take time to read this post is that you will find peace, happiness, and prosperity in 2010. (Actually I hope that for everyone I know, whether they read this post or not!)

I've posted the latest pictures of the puppies and find it hard to believe they are already 7 weeks old! On Christmas Day our 3 year old granddaughter decided to name the small puppy, "Cutie." (She is pictured by herself.) So far, she is the only one with a name. Since I am not sure which puppy I want to keep, I have been hesitant about naming them. Names have a way of sticking and generally it takes me a long time to decide what to call a puppy I plan to keep, so I don't want him/her to get stuck with some random name! It's easy to have "nameless" puppies now that the kids are away from home. When they were young and lived at home, the puppies always had names – and not necessarily clever ones. Trevor especially came up with some odd names for the pups and I had to quickly come up with something else so his odd name would not "stick!"

One of our black dogs, Bert, was born when we lived in Nebraska and the kids were 10, 5, and 2. Bert was a chubby little guy, definitely adorable but I certainly had no plans to keep him. The kids started calling him "Fat Albert," after one of the characters on the Bill Cosby cartoons they frequently watched. Fate intervened and "Bert" became a keeper. His registered name became Ch. Joyslyn's Masquerade, but we all knew and loved him for many many years as plain ol' "Bert!"

Last year when we had Christmas puppies, the names came easily (Holly, Spirit, Bell, Decker, and Nick). This year we are back to referring to the pups as the "little puppy (now Cutie)" or the "light girl" etc. Of the 4 boys, we had so much trouble telling 3 apart that one got red nail polish on his right ear, another got it on his left, and the third remains unmarked! The fourth male is darker than the others so he is easy to spot!

I thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas break. One really nice thing about working at the university is the lengthy Christmas break we get. The weather was cold and snowy so it was nice to have time to stay inside, play with the dogs and puppies, watch some TV, and curl up with a blanket and good book. I admit to being ready for it to end though. I was becoming a slug!

One interesting thing that happened was visitors from Mexico! I received a phone call late one afternoon from someone in Macomb who told me he had relatives visiting from Mexico who owned a Lhasa and who had seen my website and wanted to come to visit and see the puppies. We ended up with 11 people in our family room and had a great time talking about Lhasas and playing with puppies!

A memorable moment came early New Year's Eve morning when I happened to look out a bedroom window and see four deer curled up sleeping in our backyard! I watched them bed down in the same spots that night and on New Year's Day watched them walk leisurely across our lawn, across the street, into the neighbor's yard and disappear behind the neighbor's house. We have not seen them since. I guess they found a better place to sleep. Not being a person who is fond of deer, mostly because the tend to jump in front of cars around here, I was still a little awed by the sight of them in the backyard. They are pretty when they are not standing on the shoulder of the road threatening to bound across the highway!

If you don't already have a Lhasa to love, may you find one in the New Year! Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Merry Christmas

"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
~ Bob Hope

As Christmas draws near, I want to wish all those who read my blog a wonderful day, no matter where or how you spend it. At our house, we'll have nearly all our family (which isn't that large to begin with). We'll be missing Erikka and Chris who live in Miami and were unable to make the trip back to Illinois this year. Our youngest is coming home from college. Our oldest, his wife, and daughter live here in Macomb but will be staying overnight on Christmas Eve. Our granddaughter is 3 years old, so Christmas morning will be especially joyful for her when she FINALLY gets to open all those presents she has been patiently eying for the past couple weeks. To be honest, I have admired her restraint.

The puppies will be 6 weeks old on Christmas Day. Puppy pictures (taken at age 5 weeks and 3 days) are posted with this narrative. The single puppy is the tiny female. She is the light of our granddaughter's heart because she is so tiny and obviously easy to tell apart from her littermates. Too bad her parents won't let her have a dog! Imagine, my son being raised with dogs his whole life and now preferring a cat! She has to get her "dog fix" when she visits our house.

The picture of the two puppies is of the other females. The one of 4 puppies is of the males. Everyone is happy and active. Their mom has decided that if I'm going to feed them that I should also have the privilege of cleaning up after them! Oh boy…

Merry Christmas to you all, and in the words of Charles Dickens' Tiny Tim, "God Bless Us, Every One."

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you … and the warmth and love of family and friends at Christmas.

Joyce

Puppy Update and Other Things

Christmas has definitely "hit" our house. The tree finally managed to get up and decorated. The presents made it from shopping bags and delivery boxes into "piles by person" on the bed and floor of one of the bedrooms, then into wrapping paper or gift bags and finally under the tree. The office Christmas party—complete with white elephant gift exchange, an annual event that all of us at my office look forward to, is now a fond memory. We have a bunch of great cooks around here who outdid themselves again this year.

Boris, our Russian Blue cat, is confused by all the changes in our routine and in his house. He dislikes change to his environment and routine so he is upset a lot lately. Being a cat, he is interested in the tree and packages and evidently fancies himself a present because we often see him nestled among the gifts napping. He leaves the tree and ornaments alone, thank goodness. He leaves the majority of gifts alone except for the ones in gift bags. He is fascinated by the tissue paper and has managed to "fringe" the edges of all the tissue paper he can sink his teeth into. I decided it was a losing battle, so wrapped most gifts instead of going the easy route and sticking them in gift bags. As a friend at the office is fond of saying, "That ain't the hill I'm dyin' on."

So, this has been a crazy week. Getting information about puppies posted kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list! The most recent pictures are posted at the top of this narrative. The puppies were 4 weeks and 3 days when the picture was taken on Monday.

So here is what's new with the babies: First, they've been moved from the 3x3 puppy pen into a 3x6 puppy pen. Now those of you who know about such things might be raising eyebrows and asking, "3x6?? Never heard of it." Well, I had not either until I had a wild idea in the middle of the night. (That happens to me frequently as my subconscious ponders a problem). Anyway, I decided to see if I could put two 3x3's together into a 3x6 by removing a side panel from each 3x3 then attaching the two pens back together. Note that I say "I" but really it was a "we" thing as my husband did the heavy work while I mostly watched and directed!

Cutting lumber as center reinforcements for the floor grates was necessary, as was a bag of large zip ties.

Now the puppies have a large area to play in. Their piddle pads are at one end and blankets for sleeping at the other. Best of all, they are off the floor, which in spite of the efforts of our furnace, seemed way too cold for puppies, no matter how many layers of newspapers and blankets we used. If anyone who reads this wants to try it with a couple of 3x3's, let me know and I'll send a picture and a description of what we did.

I started weaning the puppies today. It's sooner than I generally begin weaning, but Secret is getting tired of them. They are getting curious about the food in her bowl, and she is getting protective of her food and not wanting to share, so... today she got a break and the pups got some mushy looking stuff that evidently tasted great because they dug in and ate with a passion! They were still excited to see mom when she came back to spend the day with them! They mauled poor Secret and she gave me a look that said, "And this will be over when???"

As Christmas approaches, so does Belle's first birthday! She and her litter mates were born on Christmas morning last year. Oh my, what a mess that was as we prepared for company and took turns delivering puppies. What beautiful little gifts Flame gave us that day. The girls: Holly, Spirit, and Belle. The boys: Nicky and Decker. Holly and Belle are the only two whose owners kept their Christmas-y names. I know all 5 of these puppies continue to be blessings to their people.

As 2009 nears its end and we get ready to greet 2010, I wish you all the best. In case I don't get back to you until after Christmas (in spite of my good intentions), I'll share a New Year sentiment that a friend sent me this morning in an email message:
"May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts. 

 


May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. 

 


May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!

 


May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be those of joy.

 


May the problems you had forget your home address.
May 2010 be the best year ever!"

And if I don't get back to you next week, have a joyous Christmas with friends and family!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Show Results, Puppy Update

Mira and I attended the shows in Belleville, IL this past weekend and came home with no points. She took a third and a fourth place in her class. It was disappointing of course. I was hoping to come home with a new champion, but then, so were a lot of other Lhasa owners. The competition was keen. Many lovely Lhasas were entered.

We had a great time though, for a number of reasons. First, it was the first time Mira has ever gotten to go to a show with me by herself and she enjoyed having all my attention. When Mira started showing last January, I was still trying to show Dancer (who was so scared on the table that I finally had to give up on her. Showing her was just not worth her going into panic.) Then, of course, Breaker was ready to show, and then I was taking Breaker, Mira, and Belle in May. This was a nice change for Mira who loved being the center of my attention for the entire weekend. I liked it too. She is a neat little dog!

Secondly, I was thrilled to see so many Lhasa friends. People came from MO, OH, WI, TN, KY, and IL (I may even be missing some states). We had our own impromptu "specialty." This was the second year for a great turnout at the Belleville shows, so it may become a habit. I hope so. We had a lot of fun. Ronnie Crowder finished his male, taking majors on both Friday and Saturday. Sandy Copeland's bitch finished, taking majors on Saturday and Sunday. It was a wonderful early present for Sandy, whose birthday is this week. Jeannie Cleary's puppy bitch took a major on Friday and Jeannie's male won the major on Sunday.

Third, my Shiba Inu friend Jane showed Mira. I am still in the surgical shoe and limping around so thought it best that I not go into the ring and be a klutz. Jane agreed to show Mira -- as long as I groomed her! Jane did a fantastic job showing her and Mira looked great with and responded well to Jane. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch Mira from ringside and evaluate her performance. She looked great and showed well.

Speaking of Jane, I have to add that we had a thrilling time on Sunday first when her male Shiba puppy took WD for 2 points, and then a few minutes later when he won Best of Breed over five Shiba specials for a 5 point major! He'd also won 2 points on Saturday. Not bad for it being only his second weekend of showing.

We also managed to squeeze in a couple hours of Christmas shopping Saturday night. It needed to be done! The holiday is sneaking up on me. Our tree is not even up yet!

On the subject of puppies, the "kids" are growing and looking great. The most recent photos are at the top of this post. The picture with 4 puppies is of the boys; the one with three is of the girls. They get cuter each week! The little girl is growing. The supplemental feedings are doing the trick. When I pick her up now, she immediately starts sucking. Talk about "conditioned response!" LOL! One of my friends at the show recommended Tomlyn's Puppy Vitamins for the puppy, saying she had had great luck using them when she had a situation similar to mine. The vitamins must be tasty because the puppy was smacking her lips after the first dose!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

Puppy Update

My website has an article on it that refers to Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and applies his list to showing and breeding dogs. Since the puppies were born I've especially been aware of the item "Be Aware of Wonder."

Here is what my article says under that item: "As a breeder, you are a god -- your decisions on which dog and bitch to breed affect not only one particular litter of puppies but also the lives of the people who purchase your puppies, not to mention the future of the breed itself. Be conscious of the wonder of it all. Too many breeders see puppies as little dollar signs, rather than as individuals that may have a profound effect on the future. Who's to say that that tiny 5 oz. puppy won't someday become the breed's top winner or top-producing champion? Be aware of the possibilities and the wonder of life."

On November 13, I helped Secret bring seven new lives into the world and since that time I have worried over them as I watched each new step in their development. I have been in awe of the miracle of it all, from removing each puppy from its sac and cleaning it to making sure it was nursing and now to watching as they grow and take on individual personalities.

I've especially been amazed by the "runt" puppy, a little girl that I have come to respect and admire a great deal. She is as cute as can be, quite small compared to all her siblings and a few days behind in her development compared to them (e.g., her eyes opened three days later than everyone else's). She is also very determined! I started supplementing her with puppy formula and a bottle when she was three days old. She loves her bottle and goes after it with a passion. She also nurses when the bigger puppies are not pushing her out of their way and off the nipple. The big lugs! She is not above pushing back, not realizing her pushing has absolutely no effect. She does not give up.

The most recent pictures are posted at the top of this post. The picture with 4 puppies is of the boys. The picture with 3 is of the girls. The tiny one is on the right.

With each litter I am aware that not only will these dogs impact my life but also the lives of the families with whom they will live for the next 10-15 years. It's a huge responsibility and one that hits me at the oddest times. You'd think after 36 years it would be like second nature. I do each breeding for myself, hoping of course that the result will be at least one dog I can keep to show and later add to the breeding program, yet also knowing that I cannot keep them all and I am raising puppies for others to love and care for.

The puppies are now nearly 3 weeks old. They are cute, cute, cute and so much fun to watch as they grow. Most are now trying to get up on their feet and walk rather than crawl. They are an active, yet quiet litter (thank goodness). Secret is a good mom, but I'm sure she is counting the days until I start weaning them so her duties will be over. Seven is a lot to take care of and the bigger they get, the more "mobbed" she'll be feeling at dinner time!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce

They Have Arrived!

The puppies are here!

Yesterday morning Secret's temp was 98.3, a sure sign that puppies should arrive within the next 24 hours. She was quiet all day yesterday so I assumed I'd be up all night as she whelped her puppies. I was up all night with her, as she was very restless and did not want me out of her sight, but no puppies arrived.

I watched a lot of movies on STARZ!

Finally, the first puppy was born at 8AM. The last came at 10:45, so once Secret started, things went rapidly. We have 7 gold puppies, 4 males and 3 females. So far everyone seems to be doing well. I pray that continues.

Which of those little girls will be my next show girl?? Time will tell!

I'll be posting pictures on the website as the puppies grow.

As for me, I am exhausted. It's time for a nap!

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you! Seven little bundles of love are going to make seven families feel very special in a few months!

Joyce

Disappointment

As you know, we have not had puppies since the Christmas litter last year when Belle was born. Dancer went to the vet for an x-ray today, and I found out what I've been suspecting for a few weeks – Dancer is NOT PREGNANT. Now all my eggs are indeed in one basket: Secret was bred in mid September. I'm hoping she will have puppies so I will have something to show next year. They'll be due around November 16.

In the meantime, tomorrow AM my ND Lhasa friend Marsha and I are taking off to travel to PA to the national specialty. As a person who tries to find a silver lining to every cloud (it's hard sometimes!), I'm thinking that at least I don't have to worry about puppies being born while I am gone. Lynn is extremely good at assisting our girls, but I like to be there.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you!

Joyce