LolaBloom

out with the old...

2009-01-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

i have an admission to make.

i have online identity crises.

i am in therapy for it.

they told me to choose one and stick with it.

so...girl and coconut it is.

lolabloom was right for a time but now it's time to move on.

this will remain a record of my not so sordid blogging past but for all things new, come visit me over at girlandcoconut

peace out peeps, see you on the flipside.

xoxoxo
carrie

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T13:58:00.001-08:00

Happy Holiday wishes from me and the kids

Wishing you all loads of love, laughter and happiness in the year to come. 2008 was a hard one for me although I am grateful for every experience. I am SO excited for a new beginning in 2009, here's to all good things to come.

Cheers!!

*clink-clink*

kitty lovin

2008-12-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Kitty-mart 08 by =hoschie on deviant ART

via Capucha

baby it's cold outside...

2008-12-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

here comes the snow!! got a few inches overnight to add what we got a couple days ago and then the more significant snow they predicted for today finally started this afternoon...my little bikini-clad flower holder guys out front have just got to be freezing their you know what's off :)

it's decided. i'm MUCH happier WITH heat

2008-12-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

TA-DA!!!
it took 3 days but it's finally complete! my shiny new gas insert! OMG! Other than the fact that i have had to vacate the living room from the fumes caused by the painted surfaces curing, i'm LOVING IT. so warm, so cozy...what in the hell was i thinking living without this for the past 2 winters?!?!

hopefully the fumes will be gone in the next day or so, i'm heading over the pass this weekend for an early holiday with the fam so won't get to fully enjoy this until i'm back next Tuesday.

the hugemongous fireplace that houses the insert used to be white (photo taken during first tour of home - was rented at the time so don't even try to talk to me about that alien light):

then i painted it this brick color (and framed the mirror myself btw):
oh how everything sparkled and shined back then. look, my new tv hadn't even been fully unwrapped yet! the floors were perfection, the furniture still white and then this happened:paw on left = Maddie, on right = Abigail.

and soon it will be painted this... fireplace in graphite, walls in stone:

oh happy day!!

things are looking up

2008-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

my snowy backyard & Abigail enjoying the snow VERY much

I spent the day yesterday with two of my best friends making all kinds of cookies. It was such a fun day (our feet really hurt by the end tho) of hanging out and chatting and I really needed it after the past week. It was good to be out of the house too. AND as soon as it got dark it started snowing! Every year I love the snow more and more... and I don't even ski or anything. I may have to find some kind of snow activity that I can start doing every year (that is until I can afford a snowmobile...vroooom!! ha)

I had fun playing with the dogs out in the snow for a bit this morning, they can't get enough of it. Now I'm working on cleaning up my office/craft room/junk drawer while listening to some good tunes. Nice, lazy, relaxing Sunday morning.

And to top off an already pleasant weekend, a few minutes ago I received an email from Ingrid at Raw Epicurian letting me know that I'd won a VITAMIX!! I can't even believe it. I've had one on my wish list for ages and also on my wish list for my Tut Notes from the Universe. I am so fricken excited! This is going to take my smoothies and soups and other creations up a HUGE notch. No more chunky chewy not so smooth smoothies! I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on it and start putting that thing to very good use. I think I'll have to name mine like Bunny did too. Hmmm.... maybe Maximus Decimus Meridius after Russel Crowe's character in The Gladiator... ha ha.

edit: Here was one of my Notes from the Universe...

Super-incredibly FAST is the general order of the Universe, Carrie, often with a splash of lemon, a dash of salt, and a shot of tomato juice.

And just knowing this about the "general order" makes stuff happen super-incredibly FAST. And puckers one's lips.

One VitaMix!! is on its way,
The Universe

Thank you Universe! (and Ingrid and Vitamix too!)

letter to Kiki...

2008-12-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Kiki aka KikiBear,

I'm not sure really how to start this letter but something inside me is telling me to just write. It's hard to write through the tears that keep coming in waves, even after I didn't think I had any left to cry after yesterday.

You always did love lying in the sun, and as it moved through the sky and its rays moved across the inside of the house, you would sleep in it's warmth for a while and move when not enough of its rays were reaching you. You would keep moving like this until it no longer reached inside the window.

I remember the day I took these next pictures. It was two days after I read a tweet from a very wise friend named Dhrumil which said "Every time I observe my sister's cat I learn about presence on a deeper level." Had he not written that, I don't know that I would've stopped to watch you standing so still in the sunshine, just being present in that moment. But I did stop and watch and I took these pictures of you and even recently, when I'm thinking of how to be in the present, I always think of these pictures. It's something I'm learning from you.

Mostly you could be found snoozing under the dining room table on one (or two) of the chairs. Either that or in the back of my closet. I think you took comfort in finding a place to sleep that was quiet and dark. Maybe it was because you were shy and kind of scared at times and the quiet darkness made you feel safe.

I remember the first day I met you. You were living with 4 other kitties in a one bedroom apartment. Your caretaker had been moved to a place where she couldn't care for kitties any longer as she really couldn't care for herself. There were some nice people at her apartment complex that would look after you and feed you and your fur-siblings for a while but they couldn't do that forever.

The day we went to get all of you and take you somewhere safe, it was raining hard and it took three of us to round all 5 of you up. We could barely breathe in there as it hadn't been well cared for in quite some time, the fumes were almost too much to bear. We loaded you and JJ into the big dog carrier, with three other crates into the back of my car. I drove you home and got all of you settled in my disassembled guest room, there were beds and blankets and toys all over for you all to rest on while we figured out who might be able to give you new forever homes. That was January of this year. The past 11 months have gone by really fast.

You hid behind the mattresses for the first few days along with one of the other kitties while two others crouched down on top of them. Rosie was too old and frail to worry about hiding and creakily meowed from one of the beds that was out on the floor. Rosie passed away within a few days of bringing all of you here. She was the sweetest girl but her age didn't help her with the stress of moving. It was good to know her though and I know you two are curled up together again just like you would do when she was here with you.

You weren't ever shy about asking for some affection when you felt you needed some. It wasn't often so I didn't mind obliging when you would come sit next to me and paw me a few times while making your little chirpy noise.

Sometimes I wonder if you just never learned how to really meow. The most you did was chirp chirp chirp. And that pawing that you did, it was one of your cute unique personality traits. I will miss feeling your little paw on my arm or my knee. I wish I would've captured a picture of you doing that and a recording of your little chirpy noises.

I really liked your big ears that were rounded at the top, that's why I added the "bear" to KikiBear, it seemed to really fit you. You didn't have the typical kitty head or face, your features were more regal and you reminded me of ancient egyptian drawings of cats with your long face and more pointy nose.

You and I became good friends over the past several months. It was a lot of work and sometimes a lot of stress to have so many animals in the house but you never made it that way, you were always easy breezy and it was a pleasure really to have all of these funny and sweet personalities around.

It was especially nice to have you curl up beside me on the couch or in bed when I felt lonely.

You never complained about the food or me being at work too long some days. You were always polite and kind and even became great friends with Spook, even letting her tackle you and wrestle you down in the hallway after a sneak attack. You even came back for more sometimes.

I don't feel like this handful of pictures I have of you from the past year do justice for your 18 years of life. I'm sure you started off as a spry little kitten who would climb curtains and chase dust bunnies. I know that even though someone had you declawed, it never stopped your desire for faux clawing the furniture. I always knew when you were doing it because it sounded like little hands rubbing against courderoy. It's the same sound Furbee made when he did it.

Maybe people will think I'm crazy for writing this letter but I felt compelled to do it. Yesterday was excrutiatingly painful. I never imagined on Monday that I'd be writing this letter today. I sat with you at the veterinary office in the morning yesterday listening to the list of 8 daily injections, feeding tube, IV fluids and then some that they offered as the only option for knowing whether you would kick the infection you had on top of your advanced kidney disease and that even with that you may not have a good quality of life, that perhaps the feeding tube would be a permanent thing.

I listened to the chances of recovery with all of that invasive treatment given that you were just there Monday and stayed overnight with an IV, antibiotics and other medicines but once home you still had no desire to eat or drink. I thought about how the night before you had escaped through the doggy door for the first time ever and how I had a feeling you'd hidden under the deck. But when I looked there, I didn't see you and knew you were either wandering far away or under the house. My good friend came and found you under the house and brought you out. That didn't stop you from pacing by the windows and doors moaning yesterday.

You were telling me it was time and I knew you'd be scared and miserable spending more time in a cage and being poked and prodded. So I brought you home even though I knew what decision I'd have to make. I just couldn't do it right then, I was exhausted from my surgery the day before and it all became too much to handle. My friend Kelly came a few hours later to help me and we brought you back to the vet. But while you were home, I wrapped you up in a soft blue blanket to keep you warm, you curled up and tucked your head in there and laid quietly while I sat next to you petting your head.

I still struggle today with the decision I had to make, struggle with the memory of handing you to them to take you in the back. I feel guilty for not going with you, for not holding you in your last moments, for not speaking up and asking about options for your ashes. I feel in some ways like I abandoned you even though the vet said that you weren't really knowing what was going on as even at that point you were not completely with it and that you would be ok with them. I'm struggling all around with this for many reasons. It all happened so fast, it happened so soon after Furbee in August, I had my surgery in the middle of all of this and it's still all just too much right now.

I feel good about what I did to bring you to a safe place when you had to leave that apartment, I feel good about loving and caring for you as if you were my cat from day one. I feel good about knowing that you spent this past year and your last days in the comfort of a warm home instead of in a shelter for any amount of time. I feel like I did the right thing by letting you go yesterday and not letting you get any worse but at the same time it feels so awful.

i love you KikiBear, say hi to Rosie and Furbee for me.

FREE stuff: SELF magazine subscription...really!

2008-12-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Photo: Self

Hurry folks, no idea when this will disappear. Go here to sign up for your free subscription (I used to subscribe and it's alright, i like magazines in general so another subscription with shiny pages and pictures always makes my heart sing).

Again...go here.

Found at Wisebread via LifeRemix feed.

A Colbert Christmas - Nutmeg

2008-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

if you didn't catch A Colbert Christmas, you MUST watch this...for me was so fantastic. the innuendo is ridiculously hilarious, i almost peed my pants when i watched this a couple weeks back. i am SO glad he put it up on his website.

enjoy!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

A Colbert Christmas: John Legend

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

giving thanks

2008-11-26T18:54:00.001-08:00

i am truly thankful for all that i have in my life. i'm also thankful for people like the Nielson's and their friends and family who have helped remind me every single day about the many blessings we have in our lives that often go overlooked. i am most thankful for the things that i don't give much thought to and that often get taken for granted.... it is only because they are integral parts of my life that they at times go unnoticed as they are there with me all the time. those are the things to be most thankful for.... clean water, a roof over my head, bountiful food, loving friends and family.

if you aren't familiar with the Nielson's or their story, please take the time to learn about them and be reminded how very many things we have to be thankful for.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
http://web.me.com/andrewtbagley/NieRecovery/About.html
http://blog.cjanerun.com/
http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

have a lovely holiday everyone. i'm thankful for each and every one of you.

hugs!

if only...

2008-11-25T00:13:00.000-08:00

if only every day was like a day in Sonoma....

arrived into SFO at 7pm and was walking through the gate at my dad's place at exactly 9pm. i don't know what it is about Sonoma that makes me feel SO good, it's become my only respite from the craziness of my life, unlike any other place. i enjoy coming here so very much and i'm so happy that i decided to make this more than just a quick weekend trip.

and, dad now has DSL and wireless! so i'll get to post my pics up almost every day and keep blogging during my time down here.

tomorrow i am off to The Fruit Stand (that's what it's called!) for some juicing supplies and also will swing by Whole Foods as i'm craving coconuts...yum! i'm also going to take a stroll around the plaza and get some practice time in with my new lens!

hope you are all having a great start to this week!

xoxox
hugs

tree, texture and treasures

2008-11-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

Put up the tree this past weekend. Had to put the lounger in the guest room for now, it's one foot out the door anyways, will be on Craigslist in a couple of weeks. I love it, it's super comfy but it's too big...just like the rest of my furniture!

Anyways, also debating about new color for the living room, have a few samples that i'll play with after my vacation. Only problem is the darn texture! It's full on textured plaster and it's thick and it's everywhere. My neighbors have it too so I am thinking it is original to the house (1957) but not 100% sure. You can really see it in this next picture:

I really want it gone but what a mess it would be! And skim coating it isn't the best option because of the transitions with the doorways. I don't have typical doorways that have moulding around the exterior, mine have quarter round that sits in from the wall, hopefully this picture does a better job of showing than I can do explaining:

So basically, the peak of the texture sits out further than the edge of the quarter round so just skim coating it wouldn't be that great because I wouldn't be able to get it flush with the doorway. So, not sure what I'm going to do. Right now this texture covers the Living Room, Hallway and 2nd and 3rd bedroom walls.

On a side note, aren't my kids cute? they are the treasure part of the title :)

my wine tastes salty...

2008-11-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

I just bought the new John Legend tonight and when this song came on, I hadn't even registered the words yet but was already tearing up. It's been on repeat for 15 minutes as I cry in my wine.

Great album, I highly recommend, this guy is a genius.

michael pollan lecture in Seattle

2008-11-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Not sure how I hadn't heard about this but wanted to share for local folks. Michael Pollan will be participating in a lecture series at Benaroya Hall which is being put on by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Sounds like the floor seats are already sold out but there are balcony tickets available for $25. I think this would really be an interesting event. You can purchase tickets here.

I still need to read In Defense of Food, will be taking that with me on vacation next week. If you're not yet familiar with Michael Pollan yet (I think all of my visitors already are), be sure to check out The Omnivore's Dilemma, fantastic book, one that has helped me learn so much and is in my "life tool kit" for sure.

Happy Wednesday peeps!

i broke down and ordered it...

2008-11-13T15:39:00.001-08:00

decided to just buy this before my Sonoma trip, have a feeling this will come in quite handy while down there. free shipping too!

workin hard!

2008-11-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

i've really been busting my be-hind on some house projects the past few weeks. feels so good to have some major items checked off the list!

first up was the retaining wall/parking space against the road. i actually can't take any credit whatsoever for this one...all the girls were up at a friend's cabin overnight and two of the dh's decided they needed to work on some stuff at my house while it rained buckets.

new retaining wall completed as seen below by helper #1 while helper #2 was pressure washing my entire house and cleaning out my gutters....wha?? i have THE best friends in the whole world. they all look after me and always help me with things around the house and even do things i never knew needed to be done. i *heart* you guys so much!

next was the big garage clean out:
the before:

the during:

and the after:

there was quite a lot involved in getting from the before to the after including 5 helpers, a rental truck.....

a storage unit (for sorting through what should permanently stay or go) and a HUGE bonfire:

well, at this point the bonfire was pretty much burning down. it was about 2 1/2 times as high, we burned a couple of huge piles of branches and lots and lots of empty boxes as well as a big old shelving unit that we tore out of the garage.

freeing up the garage allowed for what i liked to refer to as my "lawn ornament" to be moved from it's outdoor home here:

to its much dryer resting place here:

WHEW! that was a lot of work and i couldn't have done even a small portion of it without the help of my friends. they made it fun and we were done in several hours vs the four months it would've taken me on my own. i am very grateful to have such wonderful friends who are always willing to help me and are always looking out for me. i love you guys!!!

last but not least, the moment i may be most proud of.... i crawled into my attic, swam through lots of snowy insulation and replaced the vent pipe to the bathroom fan. i didn't fall through the ceiling, even when i pulled my hamstring trying to flip onto my back to do part of the job. don't i look happy ? (i'm smiling under that mask. really, i am!)

loads more projects to do, that's the beauty of a fixer upper. will be buying a propane insert and getting propane tanks installed so i can have proper heat this winter, the two 4 foot baseboards aren't cutting it and i don't want to spend another winter freezing my hard working be-hind off ;)

after that, will probably replace interior doors and hardware and perhaps do some painting this winter, but keeping the winter-time projects to a minimum really other than cosmetic stuff. it's nice having some things checked off the list. now. off to storage unit to go through some boxes and get rid of some stuff!

headlines

2008-11-06T22:12:00.000-08:00

all photos from Obama's flickr page, there are TONS of photos, it's been awesome looking through them. click the picture which will take you to my photostream and the links to the individual pictures in the mosaic.

My fellow animal lovers...

2008-11-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

photo credit A Rare Breed of Love

Check this out, the Chicago Tribune website has a poll related to choosing the next presidential canine family member. One of the options is Shelter Dog.

Make your choice and check the results, I hope they do choose a shelter dog.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/community/chi-obama-family-dog-poll,0,3060976.poll

The photo at the top of this post is from the official website for A Rare Breed of Love, a wonderful book about the story of a puppy mill dog named Baby and about puppy mills in general. I went to a book signing and met the author and Baby, which I wrote about here. Many famous people including sports stars, movie stars and politicians have been photographed with Baby including Barack Obama (whose encounter with Baby photographed above took place long before he embarked on his history making bid for the white house.)

reflections.... Yes We Did

2008-11-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

i've been overwhelmed with many emotions the past 24+ hours. i have tried many times to express my feelings and thoughts regarding this year's election, the issues before us, the general sentiments i've encountered, the stories i've heard, etc but decided not to but did participate in many discussions on other blogs where folks were talking about it.

i didn't refrain because i wanted to shy away from it in any way, i just found that i was having a hard time eloquently getting it out into typed form no matter how hard i tried... really i had a hard time verbalizing it too. when i would go over it in my head i sounded so amazing but then the mouth opened and it didn't come out quite the same. ever have that happen? anyways, i attribute that to the general brain fog and difficulty concentrating that i've been plagued with for a couple of years now. it usually means i need to eat much, much better and start working out more so...well...that's what i'm doing.

in the absence of my own words adequate to relay what i was feeling, i visited many blogs again today to read about and respond to others' reactions. i think i definitely got out how i was feeling about it all, here were some of my responses...

in response to Uncle Beefy's post:

HOPE is alive and my faith in the GOOD in the world is renewed.

in response to Bliss's post "hope:"

tears of joy...
tears of hope...
tears for restored faith in all things Good.

btw...Go check out mrs. french's AMAZING image on that post. I've asked her to please please make some prints... I NEED it.

in response to hula seventy's most eloquent words in her post "today is the someday":

Hope is very much alive.

What you said so perfectly in your brief post really sums up how I've tried hard, although at times unsuccessfully, to convey.

I was quite saddened that some folks on the many blogs I read yesterday (not here thankfully) chose to use it as another opportunity to throw out ignorant hateful remarks rather than peacefully "dropping some science." To me Obama represents the opposite of the hateful, hurtful rhetoric and instead represents and chooses to project Hope and a desire to do right by ALL Americans. THAT is the reason I voted for him.

We won't probably all agree on every topic however I think the choice of this amazing nation reflects that we have made a resounding choice for a man, a husband, a father, a son, a grandson who above all else, wants everyone in this country to have an equal chance, to be a part of the Hope that is America!

in response to Nicole's post "Obama Wins:"

Overjoyed.

Bursting with energy.

Embracing Hope.

Tearing up every time I say to myself "President Barack Obama."

That's how I'm feeling today.

in response to Di Overton's post "Yes You Did and I Thank You:"

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!

overjoyed...
bursting with HOPE...
feeling a renewed faith in America...

there aren't enough words to describe how i feel on this glorious day. HOPE is alive and well in our great country and in the world. What could be better?

i keep saying "President Barack Obama" in my head and it brings me to tears each and every time... even just typing there did too.

like i said, words can't adequately describe what this means for not only our country, but for the world.

in response to Making it Lovely's post "Yes We Did:"

Yes, we did!! HOPE lives and thrives in America, we proved it with our vote. Words can't adequately describe the myriad of feelings I have for all of this and what it means for our country and also for the world...

joyful...
excited...
energized...
renewed faith in Good...
hopeful...
PROUD!

in response to Kris' post "YES WE DID:"

OH HAPPY DAY!!!! OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!

HOPE!!!! PRIDE!!!!! LOVE, PEACE and JOY!!!

I'm overwhelmed and words cannot adequately express what is in my heart this amazing day. I feel like the tide is turning, hate and injustice are being won over by Hope, Peace and Love. There is enough for all of us, we CAN all do the right thing, we CAN all achieve our dreams.

I can't stop crying!!!

Just say it out loud: President Barack Obama!!! Tears in my eyes just typing it and every single time I say it to myself.

peace and peas people. tomorrow sure looks brighter to me.

vote

2008-11-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

sportin my BAROCK IT. tshirt today. i'm SO excited. normally i try not to wear shirts with lettering across the girls because well...yeah. but i don't care about that today, there's only one thing on my mind... a win for hope!

edit: after visiting and reading many many blogs this morning and folks all posting about getting out the vote, i'm even more inspired than i have been (didn't think it possible!). i also want to relay some of the sentiments that i left as comments on those other blogs....

today, more than ever, i feel like i am a citizen in every sense of the true definition:

1. the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen.

2. the character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen

i think the bit about being a member of society has gotten lost in our culture as of late but i feel it is returning. i feel the majority is no longer interested in not only what will benefit them personally but is more invested in what will benefit the whole.

there is a strong sense of community brewing that hasn't been felt since days long past. people are putting away their words that divide and embracing words like Hope and Change and taking a true interest in seeing the nation as a whole succeed.

this election to me isn't about issues at its foundation, the issues are still relevant but take a backseat, this is about a hope and a growing will for a better tomorrow for each and every person that calls this great nation Home.

happy halloween!!

2008-10-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and Happy Halloween and make sure you vote!!

Two of my babies...

2008-10-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Maddie and Spook the kitty. Spook is THE most dog-friendly cat. She and my Westie can often be found chasing each other (yes, the cat does chase the dog too) and wrestling. So cute, I love em to bits!

Sweet Old Man

2008-10-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

This is KiKi Bear, one of my foster cats. I recently got the old vet records for these guys and turns out the vets records show that KiKi is 17 1/2 years old!! He is THE sweetest cat, the shyest of the three but also the most affectionate. He likes to sleep in dark closets and give kisses. He is an all around great cat and would be a perfect fit for an older couple looking for companionship. Unfortunately, his age will likely prevent him from being placed into a home. I haven’t even been able to get a rescue to sponsor him and that’s when I thought he was only 10!! I will likely keep KiKi and he can live out his days lying in the sunshine just like he loves to do.

little visitor at work

2008-10-23T15:24:00.001-07:00

i was typing and saw something out of the corner of my eye....

got it onto a piece of paper, walked across the bldg, took the elevator down 2 floors and let it go.

it said thank you.

Pasado’s Safe Haven Fall Tour 2008

2008-10-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last I went on the Fall Tour at Pasado’s Safe Haven. Pasado’s is an animal sanctuary, not a shelter or typical rescue and as such, they are not open to the public except for a few scheduled tours per year. I have wanted to visit the sanctuary for some time as I had heard and read about the work that the organization has been doing in our area for many years. Everything from cruelty investigations and rescue to disaster response and working on legislation.

It was the perfect fall day, sunny and hardly a cloud in the sky but not too cold as it sometimes can be on a clear fall day. I packed up some apples and carrots and headed out to the sanctuary which is about 30 minutes from my house. The drive was lovely through farm country and small towns, it made me want a farm of my very own.

There were so many highlights to the tour, it was truly an amazing, emotional and empowering experience. One of the best though had to do with hearing the story of Chomper the dog who was founder Susan Michaels’ first rescue. Chomper was a pup and set to be euthanised the day that Susan rescued him from the shelter. He had a condition the shelter felt made him “unadoptable” and instead of attempting medical intervention, he instead was scheduled to be put down.

Susan stepped in, rescued him and saw to it that he got the care he deserved. Chomper wasn’t supposed to live more than a year or so but 8 years later, there he was. As Susan began the tour, she called Chomper over and before she could speak, her eyes filled with tears and she began to sob. She recounted Chomper’s rescue and also told us of his year long battle with cancer. He had just recently been diagnosed with an untreatable recurrence. This would be Chomper’s last tour.

Chomper’s hair was patchy from the chemotherapy but he didn’t miss a beat walking around and giving everyone the chance to pet him, tail wagging in the cool fall air. He is such a sweet dog and I was glad to have had the opportunity to meet him and give him several pets and scratches behind his ears.

As we walked from area to area, Chomper led the way each time, he knew the tour route by heart and was happy to be our guide. At the chicken coop, Susan bent over with the chicken she was holding and Chomper gave the hen a nice nuzzle, he was a friend to all of the animals at the sanctuary.

About 2/3 of the way through the tour, Susan passed us off to another staffer at the sanctuary so that she could go spend time with Chomper as he had wandered back home and was tired. It really was touching to see him and Susan together and see how happy he was there. It really reminded me how every life deserves such a chance to be lived out in peace and with lots of love be it animal or human. Let’s just say my eyes weren’t dry the whole 4 hours I was there.

Check out Pasado's story as well as some of the dogs, cats and farm animals available for adoption. And for folks in the Seattle area that are interested in volunteering, look here.

To make a donation to Pasado's go here. If you'd like to purchase their OH SO COOL 2009 Seahawks Calendar, go here. I bought one while I was there and it is SO great. It features many of the animals I met during the tour and tells each of their stories.