Done and a Funny Story

Yesterday I finally made myself clean and organize the book shelves in the family room. Talk about a mess and pretty much a catch all. It was just one of those chores that I kept telling myself I'd get to it. In all honesty it didn't take as long as I thought to do it.

Now if it would only stay this way!!

Last night my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and I were talking about Jake ( the Boxer pictured here). We lost Jake to cancer about three years ago.

Anyway, Jake was really a great dog. He went everywhere with me. But he was neurotic. Really, he was downright a spazz case over certain things. We knew what would upset him so we would be careful not to get him into an anxious state. The vacuum would always get him upset. Or the ceiling fan when it was on. It wasn't like the fan would just suddenly appear, but when he looked up and saw it, well, he would just get so upset. Balloons also got him nervous. We got him when he was eight weeks old, so it wasn't like he had baggage with him.

Some years ago Jennifer and Jake were outside playing. The next thing I see is Jennifer running and screaming past the big window carrying Jake ( he was full grown when this happened). I ran out the door just knowing something bad had happened. We laid Jake on the couch, started looking for a wound, or some indication as to what was wrong with him. Couldn't find anything other than him being all upset and shaking.

Jennifer finally calmed down enough to tell me what had happened. They were outside playing when it began to snow pretty hard. She said Jake looked up, saw the big flakes of snow falling down and his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted!! Not kidding! That dog passed out cold!!

To make sure it wasn't anything serious I rushed him to the vet. Explained to the vet what had happened and after a few tests and xrays the vet told me what he had found. Absolutely nothing was wrong with him. Nothing. Then the vet looked at me and informed me that Jake was a neurotic dog and anything could set him off into 'anxious land'. By this time I am laughing hysterically and so was the vet. I asked him if he had ever met a dog that passed out just by looking at something that upset him. He said in all his years of practice that Jake was the first dog he had ever encountered was that neurotic.

He gave me a prescription for anxiety and whenever I knew something was going to upset that goofball, he got a pill! There were still times when I didn't notice what might upset him and he would get all weirded out.

Have to say, Jake gave us a lifetime of stories to reminisce about.

So everytime it snows, we all bring up that day when Jake passed out.

Until next time...............