GOOD NEWS!!!...PLEASE SEE PETEY'S BLOG

TWENTY FOUR HOURS

I saw the dawn
on a lonely morn’...
A trickle of sunlight
on the dewy lawn.

Had not the hand of God
given all His brightness
to grow this day?

And in the eve’
I came to believe;
that the ‘settle of dark’
was there – the world’s taints
to deceive.

Caryl Moll
6th June 2001

Dear Friends

I won't be blogging for a while as my mother passed away this morning.

With love

Caryl (Max's mom) in South Africa

MAX'S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD

(...with love and grateful thanks to all our cyber-friends. We are overwhelmed in gratitude by your concern for us and love so openly displayed. We can't thank you enough! )

BUT

Max, in a strange way, has a message for us all...

Yesterday evening...

As the breath of evening exhaled over our city, the clouds started gathering and pooled their offerings. Soon the wind picked up and the leaves in the large tree in our park began a rustling song. Large heavy raindrops started falling and tiny circles were shaping their pretty patterns on the surface of the water in our swimming pool.

I looked down at Max. He was all stretched out in the doorway to our study, his nose on his front paws in his traditional ”Max position”. His eyes were focussed on the happenings outside and the building of the thunderstorm.

I peered across my husband’s shoulder at the computer screen and cradled the mug of hot tea in my hands. We were both marvelling at the multitude of messages streaming in from across the globe – some from folks who we have never met in cyberspace. The screen itself seemed a painting of well-wishes and hope for our beautiful Max and me. I was trying to digest it all, whilst battling the emotional lump in my throat which won’t seem to go away.

Suddenly the biggest bolt of lightning coupled with its crash of thunder shattered my thoughts. The bolt must have hit a tree somewhere really close and we saw a flash of white light. My cup of tea seemed to empty itself upwards – in slow motion – while I watched helplessly. It was one of those frightening split seconds where everything becomes transfixed in time.

My first thought was the animals and true to form the three others came running to my side. But Max? As I looked at down at him again, he had merely turned his head towards me, still rooted in his relaxed position on the floor as if to say: “How cool was that Mom?!”

I stood quivering in my slippers – the reality of our human vulnerability and mortality hitting me at once. The realisation that something greater than ourselves is always present, which is so totally beyond my understanding. Max seemed to be conveying this message:

“Yes, Mom, I am fine! Just live in the moment!”

It seems that Max has shifted from Tour Guide to my personal guide.
It is this thought that I think we can all hold on to

...afterall neither good, nor bad events are ever guaranteed!

So today, please would you do Max favour:

DON'T WORRY!

LIVE IN THE MOMENT!

And let's LEARN from our animals!

Dear Murray, Clive and all you special people...

I know your hands of healing are with me...

and YES!!! WE HAVE AN APPOINTENT FOR MONDAY!
With love
MAXDOG IN SOUTH AFRICA

A FRUSTRATING DELAY...

Dear Friends

This is just a short, frustrated note to tell you that I was phoned by the Vet this morning, at 12 mid-day, to tell me that they have decided not to operate on Max today, but to refer him to a specialist. They explained that they have examined him from head to toe and have only found the one lump, but they are concerned about his excessive panting. They recommend further tests to be done prior to removing the tumour. We will most probably only be able to get an appointment with the specialist next week sometime.

I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but things seem to happen so slowly around here.

We would also like to say thank you - to you all - for the tidal wave of support and encouragement we are receiving from across the world. It's so incredibly humbling and quite overwhelming. Thank you so much.

With love

Max's mom in SOUTH AFRICA

NO WORDS TO ADEQUATELY EXPESS MYSELF!

Hey there everyone!

MAX'S MOM here...

I ask you to please bare with me and forgive me, in advance, but

today is a 'SWEET-BITTER' day for me...

(the 'Bitter' part I will explain later)

so let's begin with the "Sweet"...

I would like to say a really big

THANK YOU

to all my blogging friends for the support and encouragement you have given me over the many months of blogging and also with the voting process for the

AWESOME BLOG AWARD!

We are truly humbled and extremely honoured to receive this award from

DOGS WITH BLOGS

and would also like to congratulate

HUSKEE & HERSHEY

on their similar award!

It has been (and is) a great privilege to have been involved in this process and also to be involved with Doggie-blogs in general. We are continually amazed at the friendship and culture of the doggie community. So THANK YOU to Mango for nominating us and also to ALL our friends for every part you played! You are ALL special, special people and we are extremely grateful to have you all in our lives!!!

---xXx---

Now for the 'bitter' part of this post...

It is the most incredible privilege to be able to spend a part of our lives with a beloved animal. It is that much more dramatic when that animal is one which has worked its way into the small corners of our identity - The place, where you and your pet, have formed a partnership where both your identities are inter-twined. Not many folk experience this in their lifetimes - some have been granted this special gift! You might have gathered that Max & I have one of these special partnerships.

When that little pup arrived in my life, 10 years ago, I knew that one day I would have to face the challenge of seperation.

Today I am scared!

My vet diagnosed Max's first MAST CELL TUMOUR this morning.

The tumour is about 1.5cm big and is located near his right foreleg's armpit.
MAX will be going in for his surgery tomorrow morning and they are also likely to remove a large area of tissue around the site.

Quite frankly, I am petrified!

I know many folk have experienced this kind of news before and I realise both the positive and the negative ramifications of the knowledge available, but it still cuts deep!

"This is my dog
Nothing he lacks
My faithful companion...
this is my MAX!"


MAX'S MOM IN SOUTH AFRICA

MOM'S TUESDAY TALE - THE "APPLE PUZZLE"

Hello there to all my blogging friends from across the world!

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

Thank you for all your positive comments last week relating to the idea of

"MOM'S TUESDAY TALE"

I have decided to implement this idea as a permanent fixture, so it's my turn today to take over MAX's blog...thank you, MAX!

---xXx---

THE APPLE PUZZLE

When my children were still small, they would delight in receiving a special "apple puzzle" gift in their school lunch-boxes. It brought such fun into their day as they showed all their little friends.

Today I would like to show you how to make the "apple puzzle"

...for that special little person in your life...

---xXx---

You need: AN APPLE (of course) and a SHARP KNIFE:

(Please be careful with the sharp knife if you teach your children this !)

1. Cut the apple through it's middle from the top-downward, but stop half-way through the process, like this picture. (below)

2. Then turn the apple over and make another similar incision BUT this time at right-angles to the first incision (as below)


3. Turn the apple on its side and cut from the end of the first incision to the end of the second incision. Repeat this on the other side of the apple. (as below)

4. Make sure that the incisions all meet in the middle of the apple and then genty pull the apple apart. (As below)

Finally....Drum roll.....

YOUR APPLE PUZZLE REVEALS ITSELF!

Present this "special gift" to your child, grand-child, friend, partner or whoever else and watch as they try and make sense of it all.

If however, you decide to give it to your pooch, don't expect him to even think about it!!!

Please let me know how your "APPLE PUZZLE" gifts were received.

With love and have a happy week!

MAX'S MOM IN SOUTH AFRICA