My Loyal Companions

Let me introduce you to Meeko, my loyal companion. We brought Meeko, an Alaskan malamute into our family in November 2000. He has been a big part of our lives ever since.

Meeko has been taught good manners. Though he was a bit stubborn as a pup, we worked with him and have raised him to be a well-mannered pet. He would like to chase cats, squirrels and other animals, but when he reacts to their presence, I make him sit until they are safely out of reach. Over the years he has come to know that this behavior is unacceptable.

Meeko's predecesor was Snowball, an American Eskimo. We had the privledge of having Snowball as part of our family for 13 years. He was a faithful companion and the hardest thing we ever had to do was put him down. Snowball had renal kidney disease and was self-mutilating. We had to put our feelings aside and do him the honor of relieving his pain and suffering. He will live in our hearts forever.

At the same time we had Meeko, we had another dog, Cheyenne. She was half dog, half wolf. Her mother was a timber wolf that had been brought south from the Yukon. When I first saw Cheyenne, she was a fat little ball of fur. My husband fell in love with her. At first, I didn't, but she soon captured my heart. Cheyenne lived to be 12 years old and lived out her last years on a farm where she was able to run free. The farmer made a sled for her to pull his small children. Cheyenne was a beauty and was very protective of her "Pack." The only photo that I have of her on my computer is one that a friend of mine made into a background for a webpage. To learn more about Cheyenne, read her story here: http://www.geocities.com/marysnewplace/cheyenne.html?200726

Dogs are faithful companions. They make us laugh with their antics. They comfort us when we shed tears. The protect our property and keep us safe from harm. Dogs have been a big part of my life. We had a dog when I was a child. My grandparents kept several dogs on their farm.

I miss everyone of my canine companions and hope to always have at least one dog in my life. Life just isn't the same without a loyal companion by your side.

My Grandsons

This is a photo of myself and my grandsons. The oldest, and taller than me is Brandon, aged 12. The younger one is Jordan. The boys and I have a terrific time together doing all types of things. We mini golf, bicycle, swim, go to the library, toboggan and ice skate in winter. We also go the the farm twice a week.

Tuesday is my day to go with Brandon. It was hot today - about 100 degrees Fahrenheit - a record breaker. The last recorded temperature anywhere near it was in 1957. Anyway, we went to the farm and the breeze was beautiful. Brandon had an awesome time with another young boy on the trampoline. It seems that there's so much to do there and only an hour a week to do it in. So, different weeks the boys do different things.

The boys and I have a lot of fun together. We keep busy and one day, after I'm gone, I hope they remember the happy times we spent together.

Photos of My Family

1. My brother's family and Mom

2. Melissa and Griffyn (Griffyn is my great-nephew.)

3. My daughter and my grandsons.

4. My sister and brother in law.

5. My aunt and uncle. ( Mom's brother and his wife who lives in northern Ontario.)

6. Mom, Michelle and Brandon.

All of these photos were taken at Mom's 8Oth birthday party.

My Mother's 80th Birthday

For the last few weeks my brother, sister and I have been planning an 80th birthday party for my mother. It took some skill and we had never planned an entire event like this all by ourselves before. We kept Ma Bell busy phoning each other for updates. We wanted everything to be perfect.
Yesterday, was the big day. We had been to the hall the day before and had all the decorating done. This was the day all the food had to be taken to the hall and made ready for approximately 150 invited guests. We were all anxious.
Guests began arriving early and we were in a bit of a panic putting on the finishing touches. We expected about half of those invited to attend. Most everyone we asked showed up and Mom had a great time visiting with family, church friends, old neighbors she hadn't seen since moving out of the community in 1990.

Mom had a great time and it will be something that she remembers the rest of her life. We wanted to show our appreciation for all she has done for us over the years. Thanks, Mom, for being such a great mother.