tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139310792012-02-16T03:57:20.831-05:00Appreciating what I've got.Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-85955125825562855062009-10-23T12:03:00.002-04:002009-10-23T12:23:56.986-04:00

Each morning, intriguing headlines from East London's newspaper, The Daily Dispatch, are plastered on telephone and lamp posts all the way to town. It's kind of hard to see Germans order flak jackets and Condoms make Tutu blush and not buy a paper (or check out the web site). This morning's headline: Court battle over dodo egg.   I had read that the East London Museum was home to what is

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-26024241652063245552009-10-20T16:25:00.008-04:002009-10-20T16:46:58.172-04:00

I met a woman today who can’t leave her house after dark – especially on the weekends – for fear of being raped.  In her neighborhood there are 9 shebeens – or pubs; popular places for men and women to drink. She told us, “The weekends are a mess.  If there are women at the shebeens with the men, they will most certainly be raped.  I hear screams of women in the night from all over the

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-14208253047680000182009-10-13T16:53:00.001-04:002009-10-13T16:54:46.554-04:00

I am really enjoying our team dinners.  It's been a fantastic way to get to know everyone, discuss our projects and personal interests, and plan our sightseeing activities here in South Africa. There are several people who enjoy cooking and have taken turns preparing feasts in the evening. Anil has made dal, Sharon has made ziti, Priya has made spectacular rice dishes that I wish I knew the

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-76348455348681817882009-10-09T16:24:00.002-04:002009-10-09T16:25:58.953-04:00

Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. It's a tonal language and is easily identifiable by the clicking sound. Most of the people at Ruliv speak Xhosa and they were excited to teach it to us. Today we got a lesson: Our first day at the office wrapped up with a braai to wish one of the members of the Monitoring and Evaluation staff, Stuart, farewell. Stuart is headed to a

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-22786374759244087192009-10-04T18:03:00.003-04:002009-10-04T18:07:22.608-04:00

Umoja, meaning unity, is a fitting description for the group's first weekend in South Africa.  We got to explore a bit of Jo'burg as we got to know one another. It's a very diverse group; we are 14 people representing 7 countries: Brazil, Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, United States and Uruguay; we span about a 20-year age range; our 'day jobs' include technical sales, process/lean six sigma

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-79217310327151664402009-10-01T09:26:00.000-04:002009-10-01T09:27:31.555-04:00

The schlep to the airport is complete, now it's wait time before fly time. Morning recap: I got lots of goodbye kisses from Lady and Ruby said Bon Voyage by barking up her breakfast. I dropped Freddie at Purdy's for the 6:24 and the dropped myself @ JFK. I'll be flying on the South African Airways plane in this pic:Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-81193213524485647782009-09-24T15:59:00.003-04:002009-09-24T16:09:25.534-04:00

Dear Blog, it's me, Melissa.  It's been over a year since I added anything here but I'm back.  I can't promise I'll stay forever, but I'll be around for at least a month.  I plan to fill you up with great pictures, videos and stories of my adventures in South Africa.  I depart from good 'ole JFK on October 1, so you can expect to see me dusting you off and getting you ready for the big trip.  I

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-58297485728654579952008-09-19T14:08:00.002-04:002008-09-19T14:19:22.874-04:00

It's been over 1 year since we adopted Ruby. She's lost 14 pounds thanks to Freddie's Canine Fit Club (watch for the infomercial), can run up Binx Mountain with nary a heavy pant, has gotten her Sheltie spin back, and is the nemesis of any nature muppet on Timber Crest Drive and in Richter Park. But we knew there was a chance that her bilateral luxating patellas (loose knee caps) were causing

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-57837277168108846662008-01-28T22:21:00.001-05:002008-09-19T14:25:57.800-04:00

And this is a video of Freddie chopping down our Christmas tree! We always pick the prickly tree because E and Dan love to put the lights on the painful tree :-).

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-41103541653309312032007-10-16T15:15:00.000-04:002007-10-16T15:18:07.627-04:00

This just in - Freddie reports that Ruby's weekly weigh-in shows her at 29.5 pounds! That is amazing - and all of the credit goes to Freddie for taking charge of the doggie diet & exercise plan. Ok, some credit to Lady, too. Ruby just wants to keep up with her on the trails these days. I wonder if I can turn this into a Big Idea...

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-43256529283868045392007-10-06T19:49:00.000-04:002007-10-06T19:55:32.851-04:00

Sunday, September 30, was the annual Danbury Animal Welfare Society Walk for Animals. This year I had lots of help walking and raising money. Tara, Dan, P, E, & F joined Lady, Ruby and me on our 1.5 mile walk in the lovely village of Bethel, CT.Because of my work assignment in Calfornia, I flew to CT on Friday, did the Walk on Sunday, and then flew back to Cali. It was totally worth the hassle

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-49273101227979056312007-09-23T22:20:00.001-04:002007-09-23T22:25:15.199-04:00

Snouts and Kisses is the equivalent of a luxury spa retreat for dogs. The picture here was sent by Lynne and Ellen while Lady and Ruby were their guests. They had an extended stay as Freddie spent 10 days with me in California.I was a little worried that Ruby's snoring would keep everyone awake at night, but Lynne said that the 'snore award' went to a Maltese about 1/3 the size of Ruby.Speaking

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-68007692706202952722007-07-08T08:43:00.001-04:002007-07-08T08:52:27.589-04:00

Our mystery has finally been answered. Lady swims in a straight line (So there, E!) We saw it with our own eyes yesterday when Lady swam in the Lake:Ruby was under the impression that she could walk on the lily pads - see how well that worked out for her:These pups were tired after a day of fun at grandma's lake house!! So tired, in fact, that Lady almost slept in the car on the way home.

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-49537991551501876432007-07-07T08:32:00.000-04:002007-07-08T08:43:11.282-04:00

Ruby is now in a groove - losing a half pound per week. She's now at 33.5 pounds - with about 13.5 to go. I know we'll eventually get there. What's great is how active she is. Yesterday, Freddie took her running with Lady on the Yellow Trail at Richter. It's not a really difficult one, but it is up hill and through the woods. He said she kept up with them the whole way - which is difficult

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-7937364711155821392007-06-28T12:35:00.000-04:002007-07-07T08:32:06.115-04:00

In the past couple of days, I've witnessed some of what I'm calling "Everyday Steve Irwins" - regular people who make a point of living in harmony with the wild animals in our neighborhood. Here's what I'm talking about:Monday, 7:12 am, driving to work: I took a right out of Autumn Drive and noticed a deer bounding across Aunt Hack Road. I slowed down, but noticed the car coming toward me had

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-85291200280125951652007-06-25T15:42:00.000-04:002007-06-25T15:44:47.728-04:00

Ruby is feeling fit and frisky - her last weigh in showed she's lost another 2 pounds. At 34.5 pounds, she's hardly done with her diet, but I can see she's feeling better. She has a lot of energy and is very, very playful.She does show a love for chasing cars. Very bad and needs work - we can't run the risk of Ruby sushi.

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-44782979871256850192007-05-31T20:11:00.000-04:002007-05-31T20:14:58.287-04:00

Ok, this is how Ruby looked when she first came to stay with me:It's too bad this photo doesn't show her tail. When people see her tiny little head, rather LARGE body, and small tail, then it's easy to see how obese she is.I took her to the groomer yesterday and she got a puppy cut for the summer - now all of her flab is easy to spot. Kind of like mine when I'm at yoga class - but seeing it

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-22636354643403897032007-05-22T19:38:00.000-04:002007-05-22T19:55:33.047-04:00

So much has happened since my last post! For starters, our "pup" is almost 2! Her previous family sent her paperwork and her birthday is July 9, 2005. Amazingly, that is 3 days before we officially adopted Lady - is that a sign?She's 1.5 pounds lighter - and about 17 more to lose. Dr. Feinman said that 3 - 4 pounds/month is a safe rate, and we'll get her there with diet and plenty of exercise.

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-23622963143708946492007-05-09T21:26:00.000-04:002007-05-09T21:30:16.376-04:00

I left for the office this morning around 9:15 and got home around 5 - so it was a long day inside for Lady and the Pup. When I got home and took them outside, she seemed to have a bit more pep in her step, so when we got to our 1/3 around the block spot - we just kept going. Her legs weren't so wobbly and she appeared interested in where Lady was headed. Once we rounded the corner, though, and

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-37360716691084564402007-05-08T17:13:00.000-04:002007-05-08T17:20:17.481-04:00

Puppy Fatz is certainly finicky about her food but I've just discovered that she likes almonds! And she had most certainly found her voice - just try approaching the house! Now I have 2 watch dogs!We've made it only about 1/3 around the block and then have to turn home because her back legs get very wobbly, especially her left rear leg. Her medical chart says she has "bilaterally fluxating

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-16736671406239392642007-05-06T21:01:00.000-04:002007-05-06T21:28:31.719-04:00

Last week I got an email from Kim with this subject: "Does Lady want a little sister?" Uh-oh, I knew I was in for it. Attached to the email was a picture of the happies - and fattest - little puppy I have ever seen. Her name is "Tina." She's a 7 month old Sheltie/Border Collie mix. She weighs 38 pounds - her ideal weight is closer to 20. She was surrendered by an elderly couple who

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1164742521231782122006-11-28T14:26:00.000-05:002006-11-28T14:35:21.240-05:00

Lady was using her leg but now I know she didn't even NEED it! She is amazing. Within two weeks of the amputation she was running around in the snow and loving life. On the Ampu-versary I'll recap this incredible year we've had with our angel Lady.We celebrated our second Thanksgiving with Lady and this year we had baby Zoe! Our niece was here from Berkeley and the Pascopellas and Saders

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1135000010271797642005-12-19T08:43:00.000-05:002005-12-19T08:48:45.693-05:00

On Friday, December 16, Lady's leg was amputated. She had been going downhill fast and necrosis had set in. Some would say that we could've kept going, but the new wounds would have taken months to heal - with no guarantee that they - or the bone - would ever get back to 100%.It was a very difficult decision, but seeing Lady walking around today vs. her struggles last week, she's eating, tail

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1133958051933460582005-12-07T07:06:00.000-05:002005-12-07T07:20:51.943-05:00

Lady came home from Norwalk with a bigger bandage, not a smaller one as I had hoped. Also, because the front splint had irritated her leg, the vet put on a side splint with a bandage that covers Lady's knee. As if she wasn't already mobility-challeneged, now she's got to contend with this. Plus, it had been only 2 weeks, so they didn't do x-rays so I have no idea if she is healing anymore.If

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1133215567997704612005-11-28T16:56:00.000-05:002005-11-28T17:06:08.006-05:00

Finally had a breakthrough the day before Thanksgiving. It had snowed the night before and, when I took Lady out for her morning walk, she USED THE LEG. Yes, that's right - she put the foot down and took actual STEPS!! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! It was a long weekend, so I worked with her each day, doing the massage, the weight-shifting exercises, the cork, and taking her around the block. She

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1132673696829899332005-11-22T10:31:00.000-05:002005-11-22T10:34:56.846-05:00

I continue to be a basket case over the dog. It is critical that we get her to bear weight on the leg. We have the set of exercised prescribed by the physical therapist, but last night Lady got scared and peed all over the carpet when we tried to do them. So, this morning, I gave her a lovely massage and then got out the tripe treats - Dr. Harvey's. She did the exercises in exchange for some

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1132335771481233202005-11-18T12:42:00.000-05:002005-11-18T12:42:51.496-05:00

Check out Lady's Dogster page!

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1132264433210734062005-11-17T16:46:00.000-05:002005-11-17T16:53:53.220-05:00

Lady is now pin-free - GOOD NEWS! Lady's leg is only 50% healed - NOT QUITE WHAT WE WERE HOPING FOR!Stay calm, stay positive. Dr. Feinman feels we will definitely save this leg. I am now giving her daily doeses of the symphytum. We are taking Lady to the physical therapist on Saturday, because Dr. Palmisano said it is key to get her to start using the leg before the bone deteriorates too

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1131980488765292292005-11-14T09:52:00.000-05:002005-11-14T10:01:28.776-05:00

Imagine having pins through your leg for 14 weeks. Can't run, can't go upstairs, can't play, can't go for car rides, can't go swimming, can't do much of anything. I actually know a person that went through this and his leg was saved, so I am keeping a positive attitude for my Lady. The only other really crappy thing about Lady's situation is that she has to have the damn v-collar (aka lampshade)

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1129922600574836892005-10-21T15:20:00.000-04:002005-10-21T15:23:20.580-04:00

After 11 weeks and 4 days, Lady had 2 of her pins removed - the two closest to the break. Stella called from VREC to let me know the surgery went very well and that Dr. P. was "pleasantly surprised" at how stable the leg is. Whew.Freddie and I will go pick her up tonight and get her settled in at home. I think we'll set the x-pen back up and keep her confined after bedtime.As soon as I see the

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1129832790988991922005-10-20T14:19:00.000-04:002005-10-20T14:26:30.993-04:00

Freddie and I are sitting in the waiting room at the Veterinary Referral and Emergency Clinic. Lady has gone lame and her pins spots are irritated. As we speak she is getting some new x-rays which I hope will show more healing.I started to worry a few days ago when I noticed more discharge from her pin spots. Last night when I took her out, she didn't want to walk. This morning, she didn't

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1129313594879816292005-10-14T13:46:00.000-04:002005-10-14T14:13:14.886-04:00

It is something like the 8th straight day of rain here. I knew we would pay for all of the clear, sunny days of September. Rooney just called from Mohegan Sun. He called me from the casino floor so I could hear the *ding ding ding ding* of the slots - a reminder of our days in Las Vegas. When I asked if the usual suspects were at the craps table with their scotch, cigarettes, and

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1128777656874073442005-10-08T09:09:00.000-04:002005-10-08T09:20:56.883-04:00

It's pouring rain, the dog is wet and smelly, and I have a 101 degree fever. Not really a great way to start the weekend. To top it all off, my husband is off to California for a mountain biking extravaganza.But, this isn't about me, it's about the dog. Lady, as wet and smelly as she is, is healing. Her September 30 x-rays showed evidence of new bone growth!! Dr. Palmisano felt that it was too

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1128095019664844742005-09-30T11:26:00.000-04:002005-09-30T12:58:16.476-04:00

In the three weeks since my last post, I've learned a lot about the importance of Lady's diet to her healing and longevity. Since I am careful with my own diet, this should be a no-brainer, right?Not at all - the experts who do the marketing for commercial dog food make us think that we are giving our pets what they need when, in fact, it's really the opposite.After the last scare with Lady, I

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1126476654888578042005-09-11T18:01:00.000-04:002005-09-11T18:10:54.893-04:00

After Lady's bandages were changed, we noticed that she wasn't using that leg as much anymore. The new bandages were very snug to the pins and her leg, so I just figured that there was some rubbing/irritation. I didn't want to disturb her leg, so I gave it a week. When there was no improvement - in fact, it got so bad she would just walk outside and sit down, I grabbed my scissors, cuticle

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1123876275850508562005-08-12T15:48:00.000-04:002005-08-12T15:51:15.856-04:00

Lady got the thumbs-up today from Dr. Palmisano! After a strenuous car ride to Norwalk - road construction has started on Rte. 7 and it is a MESS - and a lengthy waiting room sit, Dr. Palmisano removed Lady's sutures and gave her a good interim report. He feels there is a chance for complete recovery! We will continue to take it easy and encourage her to bear weight on the leg.We go back in

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1123682343634640432005-08-10T09:48:00.000-04:002005-08-10T09:59:03.640-04:00

Lady doesn't get it - why is she restricted to an x-pen with an e-collar on 23 hours of the day? I try to tell her that it has SOMETHING to do with the 4 pins and contraption attached to her leg, but all she cares about is FOOD! BIRDS! RABBITS! FOOD!Well, she's a dog, stupid! Based on previous experience and realistic advice from Dr. Palmisano, I asked him to provide me STRICT instructions for

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1123157146918743472005-08-04T07:50:00.000-04:002005-08-04T11:13:42.760-04:00

Lady was so happy to see us last night when we checked her out of the hospital! The vet tech, Dawn, was so helpful and talked us through those first few nerve-wracking minutes. The external fixator is quite amazing. She has 2 pins above her ankle and 2 pins below her knee and the fixator has her break stabilized.Dawn explained and showed us how to walk Lady and how to pick her up safely to put

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1122991058669689582005-08-02T09:51:00.000-04:002005-08-02T09:57:38.673-04:00

Lady is walking and bearing weight on the leg - a great sign! She is still in the hospital, we'll pick her up tomorrow night. With the external fixator, she is more mobile that with the splint. The Dr. said to walk her very slowly for 5-10 minutes, 4-6 times per day. Because the fixator is external, we'll be able to see her leg, which we couldn't do when it was splinted. Now I'll be able to

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1122942850592370102005-08-01T20:26:00.000-04:002005-08-01T20:36:24.423-04:00

I just got the call from Dr. Palmisano. Lady's leg is stablized. The external device he's used has 2 pins above the break and 2 pins below and comes to just below her little knee. When he did the surgery he found evidence of the bone trying to heal, so he thinks that is a good sign. He wanted to send her home tomorrow but I asked if they would keep her one more day and he agreed. This is an 8

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1122930136278325612005-08-01T17:01:00.000-04:002005-08-01T17:02:16.283-04:00

I'm going to use this blog as a place to journal the recovery of my dog, Lady. Lady is a Shetland Sheepdog. I first met her in April of this year when she was unloaded from a transport van full of dogs from Bowling Green, KY. You see, I am a volunteer with the Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS), in Danbury, CT, and Lady was one of the dogs we saved by bringing her to Connecticut.Lady was

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931079.post-1119638428688869752005-06-24T14:38:00.000-04:002005-08-01T17:03:04.483-04:00

For all of you crazy kids who have been asking (for two years now) when meezie.com is coming back online, I'm going to try blogging for a while and then figure out my overall plan for a new site.

Meeziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16278518116761054015noreply@blogger.com0