Where Do I Begin?!?!?!?!?!!!

I think it's necessary for me to jump around, and not
follow any specific, chronological order....I think you'll see why.

I have to start with GRADUATION!!! It was, as always, a most emotional experience. Since graduating with Alli 2 years ago this month, I have only missed one ceremony. Each time whether it is your own graduation, that of someone you know, or not knowing any of the graduates personally, it feels like your first time in attendance. This graduation was both exhilarating and emotional for me. When I traveled with Brian and Andy to the Concord Farm Prison, during our training in February, we were unable to meet the trainers/inmates that had trained "Richie" and "Tippy". They had been paroled. While this is great for them, Brian was very sorry to see them leave because he considered them among the best he had. I was told that Tippy's trainer, Dave, was planning on attending graduation. I honestly can't explain how hopeful I was that he would make it. Tippy is such an amazing Service Dog, as well as an absolutely awesome companion and friend that I was disappointed that I could not meet Dave the day we went to Concord so he could see how his amazing patient, firm, and caring ways had transformed this dog into what he is today. To be honest, I can't remember who, if anybody, brought him over to me and introduced us. As soon as they started speaking, I knew just who this young man was! Oh, My, God!!!! How blessed was I to meet Tippy's trainer and have him see Tippy helping me.....in the real world. I don't know how many times I hugged him, with a bit of talking in between, before we were actually able to talk a little. Tippy was thrilled to see Dave, and you could see in Dave's eyes, and in his touch with Tippy that the feeling was mutual and what each had meant to the other. I remember hugging him some more......sorry Dave,(insert hysterical woman warning here!!!) and telling him that the service he provided has meant the world to me! He introduced me to his dad and step-mom, and I mentioned that she had a very special young man for a step-son and they should be so proud of him. She said they were and that Dave is doing a good job trying to get his life in order and making good decisions. His dad and step-mom seemed almost as thrilled to see Tippy as Dave! There's a lot of love there..... I know I had some tears in there somewhere, okay, maybe a few more than some and a few more hugs before the program began....I'm sure Dave was glad to get away from the clutches of the madwoman he had just met. But, come on, what the inmates do in the time they do it, is nothing short of, well, kind of a miracle.....I'm not sure how I feel about miracles, though I believe very strongly in fate....I'm confident that fate most definitely fits in here somewhere. In any case, the picture is of Tippy and me with Dave. I guess you can't really tell how happy I was to see/meet him but I think that's because I was trying to hold the tears back! In hindsight, I wish we had taken a picture of just Dave and Tippy....oh, well, hindsight is 20/20!

My graduation, in itself, was rather anti-climatic. I had 2 or 3 short stories or quips but instead I spoke very briefly....at least for me....on how all the dogs should be considered social dogs like the children's, since they allow us to do things we might never have attempted, and speak to persons we might never have had the courage for without our devoted partner and their unconditional love that is palpable and carries us from one day into the next....... OF COURSE I forgot to tell about seeing the puppy picture of Tippy way back in October,(one of NEADS' daily "Cute Puppy" pictures) and joked with my good friend Cindy about wouldn't it be funny if I were to get a dog with a name like "Tippy" to help me with my balance!!! Lisa Brown, from NEADS, made me promise to tell about it. That's what I get for not having anything written down. I had told John Moon, again from NEADS, that this time I wouldn't give an "Oscar Acceptance" speech.....I'd keep it brief. **Note to self: Always try to have at least topic titles written to guide me. Oh, well, I won't need another one for at least 10-12 years....I've really got a keeper in Tippy! The picture below is during my "serious" bit on stage. There's another one with me smiling but I like this one as it shows Tippy looking at me like he almost always does. Tippy's WPR, Anne Marie, was also at Graduation, as was Tippy's other WPR, Angela. Ellen and Stu were there with Maggie, Karin and her dad were there with Lucky, Deb and her granddaughter Olivia, Becky, Sheryl Serviss and her daughter Christine, who like Ellen suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and my son Aaron were all there! Amy Reay and her hearing dog, Delancy also graduated and were there along with a BUNCH of her friends! I also saw others I have met through NEADS, Alexis Courneen, her service dog Sooner,and Alexis' family, WPR Bee Lincoln and her current pup in training, Grafton, the trainers, and let's just say everyone! Afterward, Amy and her friends, and my friends and me all went to the local Applebee's. We were in 2 groups due to the number of us. At Applebee's, I met Elaine. She was on her way to the NEADS campus to begin her 2 weeks of training with her new dog....again, I can't remember the dog's name!!!!! Isn't that just the way it should work? Here a bunch of us were celebrating the culmination of our journey that brought us to our dog, and then there's Elaine, beginning her own journey........ It's actually a journey that never ends, NEADS NATION just keeps enlarging, one class at a time, one dog at a time, one life at a time.........

I had also traveled up to NEADS the previous day, the 17th. It was a "Day of Learning". It ran from about 11 am 'til 2:30 pm. The program was divided into 3 topics. The first consisted of seeing a brief video which has several NEADS clients, including Alli and me, explaining what NEADS means to us, and how the dogs have helped us live enhanced, more independent lives, improving the quality of our lives. It was neat to see Alli in the piece, but it's always difficult to watch the end as it has the picture of Alli kissing Olivia(Deb's granddaughter), and Livy bending in her car seat to kiss Alli. The video was followed by information from John and Sherrie Forest on volunteer opportunities at NEADS, and the upcoming "Unleash the Possibilities-Walk for NEADS" on June 2nd. If anyone reading this would like to either be on my team, "Team Paws", or would like to make a donation to "NEADS" through me and my team, let me know. NEADS operates solely on donations and grants and is a non-profit organization. The goal for each team is to raise $1,000. I figure if I can get at least 10 members on my team, and they each secure donations totaling $100, it would be a great start!!! This organization is such an awesome "family" of many people with a variety of skills who turn out 50-70 "Teams" every year(A team consists of a human partner and one of the following canine partners: service, hearing, social, ministry, school assist, or trauma alert(PTSD). The next portion was what I had really driven the nearly 2 hours for. Kathy Foreman showed us how to massage our dogs. There are specific strokes, depending on what part of the dog you're working on. It was very interesting, and well worth the drive. I had let Tippy play before the drive, so he was a bit tired and I could tell he wasn't into it. Kathy said that if they didn't want you to do it, don't force it. I was happy to learn that the massage I gave Alli every night(almost every night!) was not too far off from what Kathy showed us. I think the important aspect for me was that you need to apply "adequate" pressure. She told us to put the fingers of our right hand together with our thumb behind them and apply pressure to our closed eyes. At the point where it starts to hurt our eye, that's the amount of pressure that we should apply when massaging our dog. I know I never used this kind of pressure. The third part of the day was an interesting discussion with Dr. Trish Dettlinger, DVM. She began with slides about the "4 P's". To be honest, I can only remember the first one, Prevention. How bad is that!? She discussed the "Health and Longevity" of our dogs. She answered questions about dental care, knowing and trusting your veterinarian, joint care, supplements, .......etc! She works with the husband of Alli's ophthalmologist, Federica Maggio, DVM, in a clinic in Sterling....I think. She was very nice. It was also great to see Tippy's WPR, Anne Marie. She had just picked up a new pup, Mason, the night before. He's a 9 mos old yellow Lab. She doesn't know if she'll have him longer than this weekend.

Today I took a bunch of pictures of Tippy at Saybrook Point, Steamboat Dock in Essex, and on the Essex green in the Gazebo. I was going to file another post today, but to be honest, I'm exhausted! I fought a migraine for the last 2 days, and, while I was able to avoid the extreme outcome, it still took a lot out of me. It took 3 rounds of my heating pad last night to calm my back so I could lay down without wincing too much. (Due in part, I'm sure, from driving about 400+/- miles in 2 days!) It took another 3 rounds this morning before my legs could move enough to get me going. Tippy is looking like he's dying to play so I think I'll have a little more fun before I'm down for the count today. I always have to choose whether activities I have planned are worth the probably outcome....they almost always are.

Hopefully, my next post will include information about our trip up to Hartford to testify last Thursday, and the interview with NBC 30 following. I can't tell you how good it is to have the kind of confidence I alway wished I had when I was younger. I so enjoy speaking up/out for those who may not be able to do so themselves, and knowing that it's true.....one person can make a difference.....and when we work together so much is possible!