It's tough out there these days. Money is tight and getting tighter. For most of you out there,
no need to explain or go on about it; you already know it.
Late last year, we took a trip to Rochester, MN to see the Mayo Clinic people about my health issues. We had exhausted our local docs and needed some new direction. We were hoping to get a firm dx. In early 2007 I suddenly started having allergic reactions to alot of stuff I had never been allergic to before. I was visiting the emergency room pretty often with breathing problems with hives and I was taking Benedryl like candy. After about a million tests they didn't get any further than our local docs. It was disappointing and expensive. After we got home they did send us a letter saying it could possibly by mastocytosis. I will leave that for another post but I mention it now because it is relevant to what this post is about today because it was expensive.
We needed to find homes for some of our animals. The horses are a beautiful scene in the morning with the mists at sunrise. They are fun to watch when they are playing and running around. But with the sudden allergy problems, at the least they can be difficult to care for, and deadly to be around at worst. They were also very expensive to feed and we needed to make a
choice to pay our bills or feed our pets.
We found a very good forever home for our Donkey (donkey) and Vixen (pony). It was really hard to let them go. When the trailer showed up to load them, my heart jumped up in my throat and I couldn't swallow hard enough to make it go back down. No goodbye is enough when your love is going down the driveway to a new home. I cried and cried. I didn't think I would. I was making the hard choice of my family's survival over the wants of my heart. I was tough enough to make the choice but it sure hurt.
After the last few months, I can look back now and see I did the right thing. Donkey and Vixen are pampered pets. They are not working in a circus or fair. They aren't in a truck headed for a meat market. They have a happy and content life as a companion to another older horse with a beautiful open pasture. They are loved by their new owners. They have enough food and water to never worry. I know all this because I know who I gave them to.
If you ever have to give up a pet, make sure who you give them to. Make sure they won't sell them to someone who would mistreat or harm them.
Soon we will give 2 of the other ponies to the people we got them from. For the same reason. We can't afford them anymore either. Each year we make a little more than the last but it seems
like it is less and less. So we are setting ourselves to answering a this question: Is it possible to
live on the same income, pay off our considerable debt and save money for retirement?
I've looked around the net and have seen several places that will help us with the task. Because of my health problems it would be pretty much impossible to work a job like normal people do. My DH is already working all he can. It won't be a matter of making more money by getting more work. It will have to be the way we live and the choices we make that turn our lives around. We don't have a lot to sell off to pay things off either.
We will have to be creative, courageous and determined. We will have to utilize all the ingenuity of the mavericks that have gone before. The stories of these down to earth heroes that tamed the debt tiger and have flourished in spite of limited income. Ordinary folks that are even more heroic because they dared to tell others in a time of keeping up with the Jones, about saving, living debt free, and being happy with less. They dare to be thankful and content with what they have; without living each day saying, " When I get this or that, then I will be happy."
I will write about the changes we make. Maybe someday someone will stumble onto this blog and find inspiration to change their lives and work toward living with less and be debt free.
Letting go is hard...whether it is letting go of a beloved pet or letting go of a lifestyle that doesn't work anymore. I think that with the distance of time, that we will think it was worth the
effort to change, new ideas need to be embraced. I believe that, when I see the things that I think I can't live without "going down the driveway" , with time, I will have a new perspective and see that it was for the better.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Charlie
I love my dogs. I have a 4 year old miniature pinscher named Sophie, a 5 year old shih-tzu named Chloe, and last but certainly not least is Charlie, a 2 year old boxer mix.
We live in the country on 80 acres, miles away from any paved roads. Charlie has always roamed. When he was about 5 months old, (he still had his milk teeth) he came to us as a dump dog.**
I want to tell you Charlie's story and how he never gave up even when he was afraid, alone, hurt and unloved. Charlie was so scared when he showed up at our place. We tried all day to coax him to come to us. We tried all the usual things dogs just love. Nothing worked. He would whine and want to come to us but his fear kept him distant. He was cold, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. That night he curled up in the snow by a tree to spend the night. We put a blanket out for him but he was afraid of it. I went to bed that night full of worry for this little guy. I couldn't sleep and at 2 AM finally went down to see if he was still there and would maybe reconsider our offers of help. He was shivering and curled up on our porch right by our door.
I knew he would take off if I made any noise. I very quietly opened the door and grabbed him, taking him by surprise. He rewarded me with a stout bite on the hand, but I didn't let go. Instead I hauled him inside. After the first fright of it all, we both sat for several minutes to calm down. He cowered if I reached out to him. He cowered if I offered food and water. No matter the approach Charlie would not be wooed by my offers. I decided to let him settle down by leaving him alone. I went to bed after providing food and water and a blanket by a heating vent.
The next morning Charlie was curled up by our old chocolate lab, Ruger. He was an old dog but kind, smart, and calm and he was exactly what Charlie needed most. Whatever Ruger did, Charlie watched and learned. If Ruger thought something was ok, Charlie would try it too. Charlie's first lesson was going outside and coming back inside. It terrified him. He wanted to follow Ruger back inside but the screen door would sway, or he would see someone in the kitchen thru the window, or he didn't trust the person holding the door open.
I was home with him everyday, all day. He saw me all the time. It took about 3 months before he would just walk thru the door when I called to him. He still cowered when approached even slowly and quietly.
How could I let this dog go on to a new home? Who would have the time it would take to help him? 6 months later, Charlie came up to my husband and let him reach out and pet him. If I wasn't home to let Charlie inside, he would have to stay outside until I could call him. He wouldn't trust anyone enough to come to them. Strangers didn't ever get to pet him. After about 8 months Charlie would come inside for my husband sometimes. And then Ruger died.
He had a sudden stroke and was gone within seconds. Charlie was lost and alone again. We grieved for Ruger. Charlie grieved, and then slowly started to trust us more.
Charlie had some really odd quirks. He had picked out a spot in the yard as his place. He would take all his found "treasures" there. Things like bones, pop cans, paper, corn cobs and even a pair of mysterious sunglasses turned up there. One day while gardening, I couldn't find my nippers I had set on a rock beside me. I looked all over, then remembered Charlie's stash. Sure enough, there it was amongst all the rest of his prizes. Another time he brought home a whole deer leg. (Just the bones) I couldn't believe it. Then over the next few weeks the rest of the deer showed up. He must have found one that had died nearby and kept going to get another piece whenever he ran out. Another time he came trotting out of the field with a corn cob. He looked so proud. I asked what do you have and he put it down and looked at me like he was saying, "Yes!! I have brought home food for the family."
Charlie is wonderful to all of our other animals on the farm. He plays with them so gently, it is hard for me to believe that he bit me that time I grabbed him off the porch. I know it was just plain terror that made him react like that. It wasn't fair of me but I really thought it had to be done for his own good.
To this day Charlie is still very wary, and easily frightened. Unexpected noises send him skittering away. If he becomes scared of what I am doing, I give him a little laugh and talk to him. Then he looks at me sheepishly and wags his tail as if to say, "ohhh you got me! ha ha."
I often wonder what could have happened to Charlie before coming to us. I never looked for his owner. I couldn't bear the thought of him going back to some kind of abuse. Maybe he was just born with this temperament? I don't think so because he is afraid when I have something in my hand when I approach him.
Charlie doesn't operate on the same level as other dogs. No baby talk, no coaxing, no treat is tempting enough to make him come near a person he doesn't know well and trust. I feel special every time he comes to me to be petted and loved up.
Today, Charlie is even more at ease with us. He loves to roll on his back and get a good belly rub. He will even come up to smell people that come over if they will stand really still and not reach out for him. Whenever I call him to come in, I feel so happy to see him running flat out from clear across the yard, flying practically to run thru the door and into his home. He's home.
** A dump dog is a dog that has been abandoned in the middle of nowhere with no chance of the dog finding it's way back home. These people don't want to take care of their pet anymore for a variety of reasons, like too many problems with training, not cute anymore, or maybe they are moving and can't take them along. Some of them believe that if they dump their dog out in the country, the dog will miraculously be found by "country folk" and given a loving home, most just don't care what happens to them as long as they don't have to deal with it. We have about 2 or 3 dump dogs show up at our place most years. So far we have found good homes for them with help from our Humane Society. These are the lucky ones. Abandoning a dog is not "setting them free." Most dump dogs end up being sold to the testing labs, used for bait dogs for dog fighting, shot by people who have no tolerance for a stray get hit by cars, and many many starve or end up as prey to predators.
We live in the country on 80 acres, miles away from any paved roads. Charlie has always roamed. When he was about 5 months old, (he still had his milk teeth) he came to us as a dump dog.**
I want to tell you Charlie's story and how he never gave up even when he was afraid, alone, hurt and unloved. Charlie was so scared when he showed up at our place. We tried all day to coax him to come to us. We tried all the usual things dogs just love. Nothing worked. He would whine and want to come to us but his fear kept him distant. He was cold, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. That night he curled up in the snow by a tree to spend the night. We put a blanket out for him but he was afraid of it. I went to bed that night full of worry for this little guy. I couldn't sleep and at 2 AM finally went down to see if he was still there and would maybe reconsider our offers of help. He was shivering and curled up on our porch right by our door.
I knew he would take off if I made any noise. I very quietly opened the door and grabbed him, taking him by surprise. He rewarded me with a stout bite on the hand, but I didn't let go. Instead I hauled him inside. After the first fright of it all, we both sat for several minutes to calm down. He cowered if I reached out to him. He cowered if I offered food and water. No matter the approach Charlie would not be wooed by my offers. I decided to let him settle down by leaving him alone. I went to bed after providing food and water and a blanket by a heating vent.
The next morning Charlie was curled up by our old chocolate lab, Ruger. He was an old dog but kind, smart, and calm and he was exactly what Charlie needed most. Whatever Ruger did, Charlie watched and learned. If Ruger thought something was ok, Charlie would try it too. Charlie's first lesson was going outside and coming back inside. It terrified him. He wanted to follow Ruger back inside but the screen door would sway, or he would see someone in the kitchen thru the window, or he didn't trust the person holding the door open.
I was home with him everyday, all day. He saw me all the time. It took about 3 months before he would just walk thru the door when I called to him. He still cowered when approached even slowly and quietly.
How could I let this dog go on to a new home? Who would have the time it would take to help him? 6 months later, Charlie came up to my husband and let him reach out and pet him. If I wasn't home to let Charlie inside, he would have to stay outside until I could call him. He wouldn't trust anyone enough to come to them. Strangers didn't ever get to pet him. After about 8 months Charlie would come inside for my husband sometimes. And then Ruger died.
He had a sudden stroke and was gone within seconds. Charlie was lost and alone again. We grieved for Ruger. Charlie grieved, and then slowly started to trust us more.
Charlie had some really odd quirks. He had picked out a spot in the yard as his place. He would take all his found "treasures" there. Things like bones, pop cans, paper, corn cobs and even a pair of mysterious sunglasses turned up there. One day while gardening, I couldn't find my nippers I had set on a rock beside me. I looked all over, then remembered Charlie's stash. Sure enough, there it was amongst all the rest of his prizes. Another time he brought home a whole deer leg. (Just the bones) I couldn't believe it. Then over the next few weeks the rest of the deer showed up. He must have found one that had died nearby and kept going to get another piece whenever he ran out. Another time he came trotting out of the field with a corn cob. He looked so proud. I asked what do you have and he put it down and looked at me like he was saying, "Yes!! I have brought home food for the family."
Charlie is wonderful to all of our other animals on the farm. He plays with them so gently, it is hard for me to believe that he bit me that time I grabbed him off the porch. I know it was just plain terror that made him react like that. It wasn't fair of me but I really thought it had to be done for his own good.
To this day Charlie is still very wary, and easily frightened. Unexpected noises send him skittering away. If he becomes scared of what I am doing, I give him a little laugh and talk to him. Then he looks at me sheepishly and wags his tail as if to say, "ohhh you got me! ha ha."
I often wonder what could have happened to Charlie before coming to us. I never looked for his owner. I couldn't bear the thought of him going back to some kind of abuse. Maybe he was just born with this temperament? I don't think so because he is afraid when I have something in my hand when I approach him.
Charlie doesn't operate on the same level as other dogs. No baby talk, no coaxing, no treat is tempting enough to make him come near a person he doesn't know well and trust. I feel special every time he comes to me to be petted and loved up.
Today, Charlie is even more at ease with us. He loves to roll on his back and get a good belly rub. He will even come up to smell people that come over if they will stand really still and not reach out for him. Whenever I call him to come in, I feel so happy to see him running flat out from clear across the yard, flying practically to run thru the door and into his home. He's home.
** A dump dog is a dog that has been abandoned in the middle of nowhere with no chance of the dog finding it's way back home. These people don't want to take care of their pet anymore for a variety of reasons, like too many problems with training, not cute anymore, or maybe they are moving and can't take them along. Some of them believe that if they dump their dog out in the country, the dog will miraculously be found by "country folk" and given a loving home, most just don't care what happens to them as long as they don't have to deal with it. We have about 2 or 3 dump dogs show up at our place most years. So far we have found good homes for them with help from our Humane Society. These are the lucky ones. Abandoning a dog is not "setting them free." Most dump dogs end up being sold to the testing labs, used for bait dogs for dog fighting, shot by people who have no tolerance for a stray get hit by cars, and many many starve or end up as prey to predators.
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