Quinn The Miracle Dog

I forgot to post these photos. Last weekend Parker, Quinn and I explored some of the areas dog parks. Here's what we learned: There is only one that is fenced in, and two is way too many for Parker and Quinn in one day. They both fell asleep as soon as we got in the door and they plopped themselves down in their spots.

When Parker woke up and went to get a shower, Quinn snuck into his chair to finish her nap. The bottom photo shows her when Parker came back in the room and she jumped off and ran back to her own bed. Don't ya think she looks a little guilty?

Quinn continues to amaze us. I wish we knew more about her background. She definitely has a lot of really good training. We found out when you say, "Back," she backs up a few steps and sits. As long as we keep saying it, she will go as far as the wall, then she'll turn backwards and keep backing up until we stop telling her to do it.

She knows when Parker is getting ready to go to work (and can distinguish from when he is just going for the mail or to run to the store because she doesn't behave the same way) and whenever she realizes he is leaving for work she brings him a ball or her rope toy or anything she can find to engage him in play. Almost like she thinks maybe she can distract him and he won't go. Then she watches his car drive away from the patio and whimpers once. Not twice, just once. About 2:15, which is when he gets home, she starts watching the cars go by in the parking lot. As soon as she sees his car, she barks once, gets up stretches like she hasn't a care in the world, and meets him at the front door.

What a great thing to come home to every day. :-)

She also does something we can't figure out. Whenever one of us calls out with a loud voice (like from one room to the next), or if we clap our hands, or jump and yell during a football game or tennis match, first she barks, then she jumps up and runs around the house frantically looking for her rope toy. She brings the rope toy to Parker and won't calm down until he has thrown it for her a few times. It is very consistent. We figured that if she were an competition agility dog at some time, maybe the clapping and loud voices remind her of the competition ring, which is very noisy.

What we still can't figure out is, with all her training, as perfect a dog and well mannered as she is, and if she was a competition dog..... why did she end up at the pound on the kill list?

A City Set On A Hill

One of my Bible verses is Matthew 5:14-16. Years ago some young Mormon missionaries I had made friends with left it written on an index card on my door. I still have the card with the blue highlighter writing in Sister Garrelts handwriting, and I treasure it.

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

I am remembering that verse this morning while I sort through papers, cards, books, hospital forms, medical supplies, mementos, prescriptions, and carefully written notes from meetings with doctors ~ all the things that have made up my life over the last six months. I knew it would be an emotional day, and I probably didn't help by the choice of music I played while working ~ To Dream The Impossible Dream and Put Your Records On.

Megan, the tattoo girl contestant on American Idol, was singing Put Your Records On when I got the text message from Parker on that cold March night. I love the song, but it will forever be linked to memories of the night that started us marching through hell (okay in case you didn't catch on, those are words from Impossible Dream ~ Man of La Mancha, the other song I have played about 15 times already today). Interesting that I linked these two together, on a day I am filled with a mixture of joy, gratitude and melancholy, as I prepare to go back to Maryland.

I also listened to Miss Saigon and remembered the night I took Parker to see it at The Kennedy Center when he was ten, and we stood on top of the roof and watched planes landing at the airport across the Potomac River. And I listened to Les Mis and remembered taking James when he was about the same age, and how he fell asleep in the middle of it until the guns all went off and he startled awake and kicked the man's head in front of him. Those memories made me smile. I tried really hard, even as a single Mom without a lot of money, to have special occasions with them like that. I hope it made a difference to them.

So I am way off track. Sorry, just remember this blog is for me and my kids, so if I wander down Memory Lane, bear with me.

The point of the camel photo and the reference to that Bible verse is because as I have come to love Austin, I have also come to love the fact that this city has so much personality. For instance, the artistic guitars on the street corners. And the feeling of camaraderie among the residents and visitors to keep it green, clean and weird. The people who crowd the side of the Congress St bridge, sitting in folding chairs and watching thousands of bats fly out from underneath at dusk. The way the homeless have no shame and love to have their picture taken. And what other city would have two camels walking up Congress toward the Capitol just to announce that Lawrence of Arabia was showing at the Paramount Theatre?

Austin may be weird, but it is fun and interesting and clean and it definitely shouts all about it from the very top of that hill!

A City To Love

As my time in TX most probably draws to a close, Parker is eager to show me around the city he loves. I smile when I realize how he seems to know every inch of it.

Thank you God for allowing us the opportunity to have these moments together. You scared me for a minute there!

Over the past weekend, between visits to the various dog parks, Parker and I spent a lot of time driving around downtown Austin. He pointed out many of the places that make this city so special to him. One place where he ran head first into James McMurtry coming out the back door. Another place where he watched as his friend Chris got his career start with his band. He excitedly pointed out many of the vivid 12’ guitars that are placed randomly around the city on street corners. Austin has almost as many guitars as DC has monuments. His face lights up when we top the hill going north on Congress, right near the bridge where the bats fly at dusk every night, and when the Capitol building comes into sight he says, I’ll never tire of that view.

For all my complaining about Texas over the years, I have to admit it is hard not to fall in love with Austin.

Parker still has a lot ahead of him. Another possible skin graft is looming to cover the mesh that is pushing through. And the big surgery to repair and rebuild his abdomen in a few months time. But he is working 4 hours a day now, and while it exhausts him, he feels really good knowing he has gotten this far.

Something happened yesterday that made Parker incredibly happy, and gave him a much needed boost of motivation. When he first got out of the hospital, Parker emailed a guy he has tremendous respect for, a guy who runs a nationally known program for competitive power lifters. Parker wrote to tell him his story, ask for advice on how to work himself back into competition fitness with his current disabilities, and for information about the program.

The guy wrote back a very warm, encouraging and congratulatory note, gave Parker some advice, and told him he looks for people that have a strong drive to succeed to be part of his program. He pointed out that Parker obviously has that drive, having come through everything he has in the last six months. He asked for Parker to send him a photo, and to keep him abreast of his progress.

Of everything that has happened, the email from this man who is famous, and who has taken an interest in Parker’s story, did more for his state of mind than anything else. Well, possibly except for the times his brother was here with him. But other than that, I’ve never seen Parker so excited, so happy, and so motivated. Whatever your name is out there in power-lifting land, Thank You!