Wink Wink, Squeeze Squeeze

A wink, a squeeze of the hand, this is how I communicated with my mom while I visited her at the hospital last week.  And it brought a smile to my face because I knew she was responding to what I was saying.  She is still very sick but there are some very encouraging moments that are now taking place.  After I left yesterday, the doctor removed her breathing tube so she can now talk.  Now, that is what I call good news.  My dad called me today to let me know that the nurses were going to lift her out of bed and sit her on a chair.  More good news.  I am happy to have spent some time with my mom and some good quality time with my dad.  I know that she is receiving the best possible care from the nurses and doctors and that she is making progress.

So, this past week, as well as New Year's Day, came and went in the blink of an eye.  Our New Year's Eve was quiet.  We went to bed early only to be awakened at midnight by fireworks.  Now, that didn't go too well for Cooper.  He doesn't like fireworks at all.  He does not bark or whimper but he becomes very unsettled.  We didn't make a fuss about it, only told him to go back to sleep, which he did eventually.  Our New Year's Day was quiet and busy at the same time.  Since I was leaving for Montreal on January 2, I wanted to make sure that Russell and Cooper had everything they needed in my absence :-)

While I was away, my two guys had a good time.  Russell tells me that Cooper was looking for me on the first day but he settled down eventually.  They came up with a routine of their own.  On Saturday, however,  Cooper decided it was time for a little escapade.  Russell was outside shovelling the front steps and had Cooper on a leash, attached to the bench.  Nothing special about that.  Then, when it was time to go in the house, Russell unleashed Cooper and told him to stay.  This is something we do often when we return from our walks.  We unleash him, ask him to stay and let him walk into the house on his own.  However, yesterday, Cooper decided that it was time to explore the driveway.  So he started running towards the driveway.  Needless to say that Russell almost had a heart attack.  Rather than run after Cooper, which could have turned this escapade into a game for the Coop, he called his name and told him to "come" in the strongest voice possible.  Cooper stopped dead in his tracks and came running to Russell.  This reinforces the importance to always practice the various commands used with dogs, especially "Stay" and "Come".

I returned home late yesterday afternoon.  I flew to Toronto and took a shuttle bus to Huntsville.  Russell and Cooper picked me up at the Holiday Inn.  When I got into the car, Cooper literally showered me kisses and licks all over.  Of course, Russell had to drive or he would have done the same thing :-)  I should add that with all the commotion of coming home, I failed to notice that Russell had shaved his beard until he pointed it out to me after dinner last night.  Ooops!

Today is a relaxing day.  It snowed a bit and the weather is mild.  Our deer are back at eating the outdoor Christmas tree.  Good for them. Not much is happening for us this week other than a few appointments.  I will continue to be in daily contact with my dad.

I wish you all a good week!