A sad October day ...

Henry McEnroe (April 25, 2006-October 18, 2007)

I'm writing to tell you of the passing of our sweet dog, Henry. If you were on this blog in July, I posted this photo of him swimming in the lake. He died unexpectedly Thursday.

Prior to an appointment for being neutered on Wednesday, the doctor withheld surgery after detecting a heart murmur and unusual noises from his heart. We had an x-ray and EKG done. We received the results Thursday morning that everything appeared OK. Within an hour of speaking to the doctor, Henry suffered what might have been congestive heart failure. Only our two oldest children were home at the time and were the only ones to witness his final moments. Henry was only 1 year old.

Words cannot describe the grief I feel. He is the second dog we've lost in less than 2 years. Josie, our 12-year-old Westie, had failing health last year and we gracefully put her down and ended her suffering. It was a hurt that I thought I wouldn't feel again in many years. I was horribly wrong.

Henry was challenged from the get-go. He was the runt of the litter and even when we got him, he needed extra TLC. His littermates had been unkind to him and he had open wounds on his underbelly that needed immediate attention. Undaunted by this, we took him home anyway. He bounced back from his early adversity and was a loving member of our family. He craved human companionship - and we reciprocated. I joked that he was my "boyfriend" and he was! He was so much a part of my daily routine from morning until night. My heart aches at the injustice of it all. His life was just beginning.

We are dog people and for others like us, losing a pet is so personal. I am only comforted in the fact that we made his short life on earth a good one. He was cared for, nurtured and oh, so loved! I cannot tell you how many kisses we gave him and how many more he gave us. Henry's needs were simple: a warm lap and a kind hand.

We will miss you buddy. You are forever my boyfriend and little Schnauzer boy and we all love you ...

I hope you find a warm lap to sit on in heaven.

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached, unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way."

- Author unknown

Dog paddling, vacation and open spaces

Sitting lakeside with a margarita in your hand is one of life's small pleasures. We had a great time relaxing with family and taking in all the sights and sounds of the lake (aren't loons the best?), small shops, etc.. Oh, if every week could be like this! Our mini Schnauzer Henry tried swimming for the first time - what a trooper he was. Is he not the cutest guy?!

My sister-in-law and I couldn't resist the small-town nurseries and flea markets that were trying to get rid of their inventory. One place in Vergas, Minnesota had their perennials as low as $2.70 each! Of course, they weren't large plants but they were green and healthy and they begged me to take them home with me! Why not try some new varieties at that price? I bought a Sunray Coreopsis, "Goblin" Gaillardia and Lady's Mantle.

And now I have the space!

My poor husband survived the sweltering heat Saturday to expand my garden bed (original design is above) in the front of the house. He tried using a sod cutter but the blades were dull and it made the area even worse. So he got out the shovel and started diggin'. We put our 16-year-old son to work too. He created a small area in our backyard that will be a perfect home for zinnias and cosmos seeds next year. Nothing like some hard manual labor on a 90-degree day ....

Anyway, the space is wonderful - with at least 5 hours of sun in the morning/early afternoon. At its furthest point- the space extends about 5-6 feet. The soil is remarkably good - lots of worms which is always an encouraging sign. We added some fresh dirt and a little peat. I'll mix some compost in the area in the spring too.

Of course, that area will be a little barren until fall when I start filling it up. I'll divide overgrown perennials that have worn out their welcome and transplant cuttings from generous friends and relatives. I'm such a garden geek.

The challenge now is that I have a new canvas on which to draw on and at times it's quite overwhelming. Do I move the hostas even though the landscape has a slight slope? Do I bring the rudbeckias forward? Where do I put the Lady's Mantle? What about that ligularia I was going to buy?!?

As you can see, I have lots of questions and lots of yellow, green and white in my current color scheme. Any ideas for flower combos that would look good with what I have?