Happy Spring !!

AH....probably the most favored of the seasons....I truly enjoy Spring. There is something about the newness of this season that is so uplifting to the soul.

Each year I anxiously await the return of the migratory birds....the budding out of the trees...and the emergence of the perennial flowers in the gardens....and the anticipation of getting my personal vegetable garden going once again. I even enjoy mowing the lawn...one can get some very productive and stress busting venting going on while mowing the yard....

Those of you who know me well know that I thoroughly enjoy my small vegetable garden....I can my own tomatoes and this year will effect some changes in what I plant. This year, I will try zucchini and pumpkins since these will now be a major staples in M and Zee's cookie recipes along with the largess from my apple tree.. ..and I hope that using more of my own home grown produce will make those cookies taste even better to your dogs ( and cats ). I became friends with a soldier who raises free-range chickens and I hope to be able to purchase most, if not ALL, the eggs that I use in my recipes from him.

Mollie continues to do well....which is a relief for me since she's had some issues with the Tramadol dosage she'd been on before. I now believe that her system was just not able to tolerate that amount of the pain reliever....but I will keep the medication and may use an even more reduced amount as a supplement to the meloxicam ( Metacam ) she is currently taking. Before I do this, I will discuss the matter in full with Dr Howard, her vet.

Mollie can now go up the stairs by herself with no assist from the sling. I still walk beside her going down the stairs and behind her going up in case she requires a little support....but the change in her from two weeks ago is, to me, miraculous. I was so afraid her "time" had come and with some other personal issues going on...I did NOT want to lose my precious Newf without a darn good fight.

I think her biggest issue is not so much the stairs themselves but the fact that at the bottom of the stairs is a narrow hallway and ...well...remember those little wind-up cars we played with as kids...they had to be " Revved up " prior to seeing them race across the floor...I think it's the same with Mollie....once she gets going she is OK...it's just getting the momentum to GET going up those stairs...she has no problems with the few outside steps because there is that extra space for her to get-a-going .

I would like to take a minute to say THANKS to Dr Greg Boyer, who is Dr Howard's partner, for stepping up to the plate and calling in the prescription for the meloxicam for Mollie while Dr Howard was on vacation. This act was even more appreciated since , although Mollie's chart was available for review, Dr Boyer had not yet met me in person so I could well understand his perceived hesitation in doing this for Mollie and me. Next time I am at the clinic, I will make sure to get an introduction to Dr Boyer and personally thank him for helping me help Mollie through a very difficult period.

I am pleased to see continued support for the Newf-L Challenges and although in the past I made the prize donations from personal funds....I have now transferred the administration of these donations to the M and Zee's account...and will now be adding a special prize packages to the winners of each of the Challenges.

CONGRATULATIONS TO PATRICIA SMOCK OF WARNER ROBINS, GA....WINNER OF THE SPRING INTO SPRING CHALLENGE !!

Baseball season is right around the corner and those of you who are baseball fans can click onto the link for the Boston Red Sox on my Home Page and follow my beloved team... along with me.

This coming week will be a very exciting one for me....I will finally, FINALLY get a chance to meet another almost-sister Charlotte ( Chuck ) Holtzen and her family as they travel back from visiting other family members....they will be stopping off in Jefferson City to visit with Jim Howard so we plan on meeting for lunch this coming Friday. I always enjoy the chance to meet a fellow Newf List-er and hope that there are many such opportunities in the future to meet more of you.

I had the added surprise this week of finding out that another employee in the Hospital where I work is a Newf owner...and she was equally happy to know that she now has a Newf friend nearby. Hopefully we can juggle our schedules and get to know each other better and perhaps do some activities together with our dogs.

I now have to get with my brilliant webmistress, Donna Hudson, and figure out how to add some of comments from the cards I send along with the cookie orders. Some of them are so funny...especially from those who maybe only purchased a small amount....not knowing if they actually were as good as several people have proclaimed....and then found out just how much their pets enjoy these special treats.

Your comments are VERY IMPORTANT to me and any time you believe you have a suggestion which you think will help me enhance operations in the Company....please, PLEASE feel free to do so. I know many of you are or have been Small Business owners or work in the Business related fields as a profession and I am always very appreciative of any advice you have to give me.

Please have a nice week....and take a few minutes and remember Who gave it to you.