WILSON - AKC SHOW CHAMPION !

CH J&A's Quiet Courage JH, NA 107 Prize I - "WILSON"

SIRE: CH J&A's High Caliber Harris Special SH, CGC - "BULLET"

DAM: J&A's Dreams Come True of Acton - "TREASURE"

(NOTE: This post was written in November 2013 but just surfaced as a non-published draft!)

Please join us in congratulating Kira Lajeunesse and Pete Sipperly on their new AKC CHAMPION. Saturday, November 23 2014 at the Central New England Supported Entry in West Springfield, MA. 19 month old Wilson finished his championship with a 4 point major and by going Best of Winners. As his breeders we are especially appreciative of the multitude of help, support, encouragement, training, and assistance which is behind this great accomplishment.  It has been a labor of love and great joy to arrive at this moment.  

Our FIFTH show champion, Wilson is the son of Bullet and Treasure, 1 of 11 beautiful puppies born April 12, 2012.  This litter is the result of our very first line breeding on our own developing line of close working gundogs and marks the beginning of our third generation.  We are extremely proud breeders and Wilson has exceeded our greatest expectations, hopes, and dreams.

Wilson was entered in his first show when just 4 months old and won 3rd place in the Brittany Puppy class. His brother and littermate, "BOLTIE" won first place and Best Brittany Puppy. He has always stood out, striking in appearance and graceful in his stride. He finished his AKC Championship title with 3 major wins!!

Wilson is an outstanding bird dog in his own right.  He finished his North American Versatile Hunting Dog Natural Ability title with an outstanding Prize 1, 107 NA as a young pup and likewise easily earned his AKC Junior Hunter title.  He will continue to train towards a NAVHDA Utility title and an AKC Senior Hunter title.  Above all he is well loved and enjoyed by Pete & Kira and is a gorgeous, happy, striking, fun loving and affectionate Brittany boy who will join our breeding program in 2014.

Credit needs to be given to Wilson's owners for believing in him, giving him the opportunity to be trained for both field and ring, and never settling for second best. I believe that confidence is transmitted right down the lead to the dog and in this situation it truly shows.  Wilson has been shown to his championship by Kira Lajeunesse, Douglas Tighe, Christine Walker, and Joyce Coccia.

Wilson, like his parents is primarily from hunting lines which only goes to prove once and for all indeed all things are possible. He is third generation for show and field, with his father Bullet being our first show champion and our first senior hunter.  His mother Treasure has retired from the show ring but not before quickly earning all her minor show points within the first year of showing, all of them in bred by exhibitor.  Treasure has likewise produced many proven bird dogs and otherwise titled Brittanys and consequently the pairing with her and Bullet was a very wise decision.  Wilson's grandmother Chrissy is show pointed and was the first dog I took into the ring. Working within our own lines we are confident of the health history behind each animal, more than aware of sound mind and at our own discretion determine which line will continue to grow stronger.  It is much safer and wiser to work with animals that we know personally. We find it a very sad state of affairs in  lines where little to no bird hunting ability exists with the missing link being an absence of natural ability which gets weaker and weaker with each generation.

Congratulations Pete, Kira, and Wilson!!   Love you guys, John & Ann

ATB VIDEO: Holly & Zuko with Birds

It's been 3 months since my total knee replacement surgery.  Needless to say spending time in the field with our Brittany dogs has been few and far between.  I have been gone down to try to ride the 4-wheeler and found I could do that briefly.  I will admit to having a true fear of falling so as much as I gave it my best shot and enjoyed the opportunity.  Fear has been my biggest hurdle as a matter of fact throughout this recovery which still has a long, long way to go.  (The flexion in my knee needs to be much better and there's times of pure frustration.  Physical therapy continues to be challenging but I will keep pushing through and doing the best I can. The debilitating pain of severe osteoarthritis is gone and my gait has improved, there is no longer a bow to my leg.)  A few weeks ago with our good friend Julie was down, she took her camera down to the field and captured some great photos of my puppy, "Holly Beth".  I loved the glimpses but it was not the same as seeing her live in action. Yesterday our daughter brought her 3 kids up and her own puppy "Zuko" up for some time in the field.  It meant a lot to me that the timing was just right for me to go with them. Although she had already been out and found her birds, John brought Miss Holly back out so that I could see for myself how well she's doing. Of course she was less than stellar when it came to being steady at the flush but she did return quickly to John.  Holly will stand once the bird flushes and the gun is shot, she just didn't do it for me to see!  Plans are to test her this fall in both AKC and NAVHDA hunt tests and I'm very pleased with how well she's been doing under John's very capable hand.  She's 7 months old now.  Also I am so pleased with 4 month old Zuko, a new puppy that I co-own with my granddaughter and who is a very special pup bringing healing to that hurting family after the devastating loss of Boomer to cancer. I love that our daughter has taken such a keen interest in learning about gundog training too.   For such a young pup Zuko is doing very well but as Julie said it would be a fluke if he wasn't because of the great breeding behind him. Anyway, wanted to share this glimpse of an informal and fun morning in the field. The use of a cane is still required for me on uneven ground but next year at this time I anticipate being fully involved, something that will make me very happy.  For the time being, it truly is one day at a time. And I put my complete trust and faith in the Lord, knowing perhaps He would have me learn to be patient in the healing journey.

 

Thanks for your interest in our canine crew, and as always take care and God bless! John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

 

ATB: Just for Fun - Field Trial Placements

	The J&A's Brittanys mission statement found on the home page of our website includes these words: "...Brittany family bird dogs with a proven hunting heritage that measures up to the breed standard regarding health, appearance, movement, and temperament."   We are not actively involved with the sport of field trialing but still wanted to acknowledge dogs associated with our breeding program who have earned placements. We understand the importance of "proving a breeding program" in regards to health, temperament, hunting ability, measuring up to the breed standard, and more. We have a page on our website for anyone interested in our titled dogs.  (Several of our crew are dual pointed, having points in both show and field, but we're not going to camp there.) We have proven to produce the kind of dog we want to produce. Over and over again. But it's not in what we say it is in what those who share their lives with our dogs have to say.  Here is a link to some of those testimonials. There are times we will enter a field trial to support our club or encourage a new puppy owner to have some fun and make up their own mind about trialing.  We are all about being true to "old time Brittany grouse bloodlines." Our close working gundogs should remind someone of when their grandpa took them out bird hunting with a Brittany. Anything else an owner might desire to do with their dog is greatly appreciated and is like frosting on the cake, an added benefit to an already obtained outcome! There is a link immediately following the dogs name to an exceptional data base.  NAVHDA also has a very impressive data base as well with all of their titled dogs.  Birch Spring J&A Spirit Rising - Brittany - P Thayer/S Thayer http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=7669 Sire: Pride & Joy's White Smoke Dam: Birch Spring Wish Upon A Star (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	CH J&A's High Caliber Harris Special SH - Brittany - J Harris/J Short http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=53305 Sire: J&As Apple Jack of Acton JH Dam: KJ Requet's Bouncin Crysta Currently pursuing his Master Hunter title. (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	J&A's High Flying' Girl Of Acton - Brittany - J Short/A Short http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=53303 Sire: J&A's Apple Jack of Acton JH Dam: Chloe Several legs towards her AKC JH title. (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	J&A's Hole In One - Brittany - T Drottar/K Drottar http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=61478 Sire: GCH Tonan-Hopes RU Kiddin Me Dam: CH J&A's Heartfelt Legend of Acton (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	J&A's Intrepid Benedict Of Deer Cove - Brittany - W Richards/B Richards http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=61920 Legs towards AKC Junior Hunter title Sire: J&A's Soaring White Sequoia of Acton Dam: KJ's Ramblin Molly Rose (Breeders: John & Ann Short) Jasmines Belladonna JH - Brittany - J Rollins/L Rollins  (Jack/Jasmine - Zuk Breeders) http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=61479 "Bella" This girl has several very significant field trial placements! Sire: J&A's Apple Jack of Acton JH Dam: Belknaps Reason to Believe JH (Breeders: Tom & Kim Zuk, Cynthia Wright)
	J&A's Keeper Of The Stars Of Acton JH - Brittany - A Short/J Short http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=57268 True also won the NNEBC Championship Members Trial in 2012 and has American Field placements. Sire: CH Gibson JH Dam: J&A's Dreams Come True of Acton (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	CH J&A's Magnificent Obsession Of Acton JH - Brittany - J Short/A Short http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=61919 Hemi also won the NNEBC Derby Dog Members Field Trial in 2012 and has an American Field placement. When ready, Hemi will test at the senior level. He has one leg towards Junior Advanced. He also has points towards his AKC Grand Championship title. Sire: GCH Tonan Hopes RU Kiddin Me Dam: CH J&A's Heartfelt Legend of Acton (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	J&A's Sassafras Rose Harris - Brittany - J Harris/J Harris http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=7767 Sassy is a big running girl, and she is also a Flyball Dog Onyx Champion. Sire: Pride & Joy's White Smoke Dam: J&A's Dreams Come True of Acton (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	GCH J&A's Sisters Of The Heart JH- Brittany - J Harris/A Short http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=61480 Not much Thistle can't do. Sire: GCH Tonan Hopes RU Kiddin Me Dam: CH J&A's Heartfelt Legend of Acton (Breeders: John & Ann Short)
	J&A's Timberdoodle Of Acton - Brittany - J Short/A Short http://www.remekvizslas.net/dog.php4?id=6161 My first trial. It felt like a gold medal. Sire: FC/AFC Coos Rylee Dam: Birch Spring Wish Upon A Star (Breeders: John & Ann Short)

ATB ANNOUNCEMENT: Ruby NEW Junior Hunter!!

J&A's Rubies Are Heaven Scent JH

Sire: J&A's Soaring White Sequoia of Acton

Dam: KJ's Ramblin' Molly Rose

Breeders: John & Ann Short

Owners: Roger & Marilyn G.

D.O.B.:  April 23, 2011

 

 

We are so proud to announce that the lovely, intelligent, and beautiful RUBY recently met all requirements for the AKC Junior Hunter title!  Affectionately referred to as "Scooby's Ruby" or "Ruby Rose" she was handled to her JH title recently by her owner, Roger G. at a hunt test in Connecticut.  Last year in 2013 Ruby's owners wanted to surprise me by preparing her for her testing and actually didn't tell me anything about it until AFTER she had won her very first qualifying scores! I love surprises like that and was very very proud and happy when hearing of the news.  It was really a joy last fall too when Ruby, Marilyn, and Roger made the trip up to a hunt test in New Hampshire where we were also testing some of our dogs. As a matter of fact it was like an ATB family reunion that gorgeous fall day when we had many Brittany dogs there testing from our program.  Not only was it a reunion of dogs, but it was also awesome to see new friendships develop among the ATB family. All that were there received qualifying scores at their respective testing level, several Junior Hunters finished and it was a great celebration when BULLET finished his SENIOR TITLE!   The Brittany club that John and I belong to recently had a pointing dog training day here in Maine.  Roger & Marilyn brought Ruby up to it in preparation of her next hunt test which was scheduled for the next day.  It proved to be quite beneficial for Miss Ruby whose qualifying scores earned her a final leg towards her AKC Junior Hunter title! As a side note, Miss Ruby is also now a 'big sister' to 3 1/2 month old "Ammo" (Bullet/Thistle).  Congratulations Roger, Marilyn, and of course Miss Ruby - we are so very very proud of you all  - keep up the good work!

As always, God bless you and yours.  John, Ann & All Things Brittany

ATB: J&A's Brittanys Next Generation

Our beautiful 8 year old granddaughter presented our 6 month old puppy "HOLLY BETH" officially recognized as J&A's Carry the Dream of Acton at the Central Maine Brittany Club 2014 Specialty Show.  They received a beautiful first place big blue rosette from the 6-9 month Puppy Bitch class.

Sire: CH J&A's Magnificent Obsession of Acton JH ("HEMI")

Dam: J&A's Dreams Come True of Acton ("TREASURE"

Love is....

A beautiful team as handling came naturally for their show debut!

"Aunt Julie", dear friend and mentor.

ATB Video: Swimming Reflections

 

 

Today makes 8 weeks since I underwent total knee replacement.  Today also was the first time I walked down to the ATB pond by myself since surgery.  John was mowing the yard on the tractor and I know he kept a close eye on me.  Holly came down with me and this was also the first time she and I have been outdoors together without any other dogs around. She turns 6 months old in two days. Today was a personal and physical victory for me.  It was also a victorious day for Miss Holly!

 

Winter in Maine seemed to go on endlessly this year.  Long after the calendar said it was over we still had a lot of ice in the pond and a couple of feet of snow. As for me, pre-surgery I could hardly walk across the kitchen floor let alone go out and play with the dogs. And post-surgery I haven't been able to walk outdoors on uneven ground unassisted and required first the walker, and then the use of the cane.

 

Before Julie brought Holly Beth home to stay with her during my TKR surgery and early recovery, she had discovered the ATB pond which still had ice. Holly being so curious and who loves to investigate new things jumped onto a piece of ice. I didn't know any of this was going on but I did hear John begin to yell for her and shortly after that she came running around the corner ninety miles an hour and soaking ringing wet!  Into the house she came and I dried her off quickly. I called out to John and asked what had happened.  Evidently as quickly as Holly jumped onto the ice, she jumped off of it into the frigid pond water. She tried to climb back up onto the ice to no avail so turned and headed for shore then beat feet for the house. 

 

Ever since then Holly would run around the pond with the other dogs but never actually went in.  While she was at Julies I felt hopeful because she enjoyed the small kiddie pool there with Bullet and Sassy.  When Holly came home to visit over the next month she still would run down to the pond here but not go in.  I really was concerned the earlier episode had shaped her behavior in a negative way. Since our interest is piqued in regards to seeing how Holly might do in a test for a Natural Ability title with North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) her ability to swim takes on a bit of importance.  My ability to walk however also takes on a bit of importance to regarding our own hopes, desires, and dreams for the future. (That just reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11 which says " For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.)

 

The future.  Lately my plans for the future have been focused on improving the bend in my knee, being able to walk without an limp, getting through the day with the least amount of pain medication possible, and becoming independent again in my day to day living.  I have missed interacting with my ATB crew here. There's only a few dogs who have been able to be around me because some of them are just way too rambunctious and unpredictable to take a risk of getting jumped on. My interaction with them has been minimal.  Physically I'm really doing better every single day and becoming more active. Pushing through my physical therapy exercises and going to rehab a few times a week.  Our life here has pretty much been dictated by my knee. Today that all changed.

 

I asked John what would be the easiest way for me to get down to the pond the other day.  When he was out mowing the yard today I decided it was time to head down back. Just like that, I grabbed my cane, slipped my shoes on, called Holly to my side, opened the door and down the steps I went. I headed to the kennel and took my time visiting with each of my beloved canine crew. Oh that I could open all the doors for each one to come run with me!  Not yet, but someday in the future.

 

The cane was used more for a navigational tool as I moved through the tall grass on the uneven ground.  Holly was psyched to have me down there and I was psyched just to think I was even doing this!  I knew John was keeping an eye on me as he continued to mow. I sat on the picnic table, closed my eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on my face and heart the splashing of Holly running from side to side.  What happened next is pretty much captured in the above video so I won't belabor the fact that Holly obviously was also living her life in the moment.

 

I walked around the pond once, slowly and carefully. John yelled to me be careful I don't fall in! I like to think he was happy to see me making my way from one side to the other. Holly was feeling more and more confident herself.  I looked for a stick to throw and could only find an old pine cone for her. I was surprised when she went out over her head and retrieved it to my hand!!  By the end of my second trek around the pond John had joined me and we watched in amazement as Holly went from uncertain to confident regarding the water.  And I went from being uncertain to confident regarding my new knee.

 

A day of progress, of personal victories, and a sense of understanding shared.  A day that was needed. A day which I'll never forget. A day to reflect. 

 

Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.  They will mount up on wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 30:31  (And maybe dogs will swim and not be afraid.)

 

As always take care and God bless.  John, Ann, and All Things Brittany

In Memory of Memorial Day

Note: This post first appeared May 31, 2010.  

Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer.  Labor Day through today, our neck of the woods is relatively quiet.  All of that will change now.  We are surrounded by a minimum of 13 large lakes and countless ponds.  In the summertime the local population of this rural community triples as summer 'residents' head up to enjoy their beautiful waterfront properties.  Traffic also increases greatly.  Off season, fewer cars pass by our home. John and I have at times counted no more than 4 cars a half an hour.  This is the 3 day holiday weekend families look forward to when they can bring the boat up, open their camps, and enjoy getting out on the lake. This year the weather is absolutely perfect for boating, swimming, barbecues etc...

I celebrated Memorial Day very differently as a child.  It wasn't about cook outs and it wasn't about 3 day weekends.  It did not always fall on a Monday. Memorial Day meant taking a trip to the cemetary with my mother, cleaning debris from the place where my father rests, bringing the plants and geraniums that she had cared for over the winter, and planting them around his headstone. It was about me planting 'Forget Me Not' flowers there.  It was a very serious, somber time.  We checked to be sure that the American Legion had faithfully put an American Flag in the wrought iron holder to honor all the veterans buried there.  My father was one of them.  Memorial Day also always meant driving over to Portsmouth, NH to stand on Richards Avenue and watch the parade go by.  Usually there was some member of our family marching in it.  A few times I proudly marched by while the camera snapped away, taking pictures of me first as a Brownie, then a Girl Scout, and eventually as a member of the Portsmouth Clipper Band.  There was on instant gratification of seeing the photos right away.  The film itself had to be delievered to the camera store, and we had to wait for several days for it to develop.  And waiting for those photos was always exciting to me! I have black and white photos of my brother now deceased, marching in the Drum and Bugle Corp.  And photos of my sisters kids marching thru the years too. In later years, after John and I got married - the tradition continued in his hometown too, when our own children marched in the Memorial Day parades; Brownies, Cub Scouts, Baseball Teams etc. 

Once the Memorial Day parade passed by our family would follow it into the historic, expansive South End cemetary, and find a shady spot under a huge maple tree to stand or sit.  Each group participating in the parade would stand at attention around the small pond in the middle. Flags blowing in the wind, Veterans of Foreign Wars standing proudly, hats removed, and the local clergy delivering a message. The Daughters of the American Revolution stood soberly among the participants. Each person placed their right hand over their heart and the crowd recited in one accord the Pledge of Allegiance. ( Each person.)  Everyone bowed their heads respectfully and prayed the Lord's Prayer in unison without issue. (Everyone.)  One of my most treasured memories of 'celebrating' Memorial Day is in the way this service closed. 

Throughout the expansive cemetary uniformed Buglers stood waiting.  A 21 gun-salute was fired off over the pond.  Placed strategically and discreetly, unless you knew what was about  to happen you would not have noticed them.  At a specific point in the program, the first Bugler standing closest to the officials raised his instrument and began to play the first part of "Taps".   The next Bugler, positioned farther away, picked up where the first one had left off.  And on it went until the closing notes were played way in the distance, echoing on the wind, for all to hear. To write about that here and now, evokes for me the impact and the true meaning of what Memorial Day 'is'. 

For me, the barbecues and the three day weekends to kick off summer never quite had the same effect. Even with growing up on a beach.  I wonder now as I look back if our children understood why it was such a solemn celebration to me.  But in later years our family did use the weekend as an excuse to open the pool up, and invite our friends over for a cookout in the afternoon following the parade. 

Now the task remains each year for John and I to go the gravesites of our parents - none of whom are living. We usually do this together but in reverence and quietness.  Sometimes when I plant the "Forget Me Nots' on my dad's grave I have a real difficult time. It helps to remind me though how short life really is and how important it is not to say meanspirited things to the people you love.  Sometimes you don't get a chance to tell them you didn't mean it.  I think my dad understood the importance of respect and honor between parent and child and intended to get a point across to me about it once.  I was really young and was acting up, being fresh and rude.  I don't know what I said but it must have really been awful.  I do remember what he said back though:  "Ann, I'm your father and it is wrong to speak to me that way. Someday you'll be going to the cemetary to put flowers on my grave."   He made his point because I ran into his arms crying and asking him to forgive me.  Planting "Forget Me Nots" reminds me of many things, including the power of forgiveness.  Take care and God Bless you and yours this Memorial Day 2010 (2014).  John, Ann and All Things Brittany

Life With Newnee (Total Knee Replacement)

"Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings of eagles.
They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31



So my physical therapist said she can't say that there was ever a patient before who actually gave a name to their knee following a TKR (total knee replacement).  She also advised me I may want to refrain from talking to it (him? her?) when people were around as they may think it was a little strange. But in the days and weeks following my surgery I have come to understand a sense of humor definitely helps. I have also have to accept that for better or worse, my life currently revolves around what is best for this new bionic body part. So this blog post is about "Newnee".

After much preparation and planning for Newnees arrival, she literally joined me on April 15th 2014. I questioned her gender of course at first but decided she would need to be of the feminine type for obvious reasons. A female knee for a woman.  Of course the knee replacements are not gender specific but I for one most definitely am. You need to realize too that as I share this little story there is a need for me to take medication that will allow for me to get through the necessary physical therapy exercises with as little pain as possible.  That shall be my excuse for taking a little liberty in creative writing which could possibly drive my dear editor friend crazy!

Total knee replacement is major surgery.  The time it takes for full recovery is upwards to a year or longer. There are many goals and successes along the way. But in all honesty I have found that life after Newnee is perhaps one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced in my life. I am only 5 1/2 weeks out from my surgery. Even with the outstanding preparation afforded by the total joint replacement team responsible for the surgery nothing could have prepared me for the reality of living with Newnee. 

I was advised not to watch any TKR videos prior to the surgery itself.  I am glad I took that advice.  After being home for a couple of weeks I did a search on YouTube and found many films of the procedure. The one I decided to watch actually was set to instrumental music which was a good thing. It blocked the sound of the drills which is another story in itself. I watched for about 4 minutes.  I shut it off when I saw what could only be described as a huge auger with a huge drill bit brought in. I say this because I know there are people who really do not understand the severity of this surgery. Basically my leg was sawed in half, all of my knee including the knee cap removed, tendons and muscles cut, Newnee inserted and attached, and then everything stitched back up together. That is pretty severe.

I was in the hospital for about 4 days and after that I came home. John continues to go above and beyond in not only caring for me but in making sure our house is safe for me to move around in.  He rearranged the dogs, x-pens, and crates inside of the house so that wherever I walked there would be no fear of falling because of them.  That's been hard for me because I love being around my dogs. John transformed my office area into a temporary dog room and everyone is happy.  There has only be one of our dogs who has been allowed to be by my side constantly and that is Treasure.  She truly understands the need of no jumping and of being gentle.

32 staples were removed from Newnee at 2 weeks.  A wonderful physical therapist has come to visit me several times a week.  I have a specific set routine of exercises which are necessary to do twice a day.  Newnee found the exercises to be very difficult and challenging at first but now she is doing much better. The exercises are all about increasing the bend (flexion) in Newnee. Right after the surgery and while I was still out from the anesthesia the surgeons did a total and complete bend to be sure that Newnee worked. Now it is up to me to keep her working with the exercises.  The day after surgery my bend was 70 degrees. The day I left it was 90.  At five weeks I have gotten Newnee to flex at a 112 degrees a time or two but she is happier at 109. The pain involved is great but it is manageable.  The more Newnee is worked the better she is.  Sometimes Newnee is barely detected when I walk across the room. Other times I have to make a very concentrated effort for Newnee to work properly. But I'm progressing and I'm doing great and will continue to do so.

Speaking of walking.  Prior to my surgery I endured 4 years of severe osteoarthritis, bone on bone.  Thanks to repetitive injections of Synvisc-1 into my knee I was able to have several months where flexibility and pain were at a minimum. But that all came to an end last fall when I reached the point of no return.  I could barely walk across the room and as a result became increasingly immobile.  To do anything physical was to force myself. Yes, I know oh poor pitiful me. But I was no longer participating at any level in the things that bring so much enjoyment to my life. My orthopedic surgeon knew that I had to reach the point of decision about TKR all on my own.  He had said once I arrived there he'd set things in motion, and he did.  By the Grace of God, everything fell into place perfectly so I did not have very long to wait. Other than a nasty flu which hit 1 week prior to surgery so it was rescheduled. Even so that was perfect timing as I could be home for Thistle puppies and for 4 weeks afterwards.

There's so much to share about this journey. I don't know if this is a one time shot at writing about it or I'll actually find the time to elaborate further. Quite honestly I've not felt like writing at all or really doing much on the computer, with email, Facebook etc. Every day is truly like a roller coaster ride. I know I am going forward and that Newnee is in place.  Some mornings I get up and the flexibility is there in Newnee, the swelling has gone down, pain minimal and little stiffness. So I get up and do my exercises, walk around, and try to do some normal things. But then by the end of that day I may only be able to sit in the recliner with my leg elevated and knee on ice. Or it could be completely opposite. Fatigue comes in waves. I am grateful to have Netflix.

But I have gone from walker, to cane, to walking without a cane.  I need the cane though, don't get me wrong. And there are times I reach for the walker just to be sure my walk is balanced and to avoid developing a gimp/limp again. I have limped for so many years now and Newnee and I are retraining the rest of my body not to do it.  Part of my recovery involves riding a stationary bike. We had one given to us but the tension was so extreme it sent me into orbit just to go around once. Another good friend (they have the Best Brittany in the World) is loaning us a recumbent bike which I know is going to be so much easier for me.

MY EXPECTATIONS (Releasing them to the Lord... or as a sister in Christ said "believing, deep breath, in, and out...relax ,keep putting in the work and release YOUR expectations to He that made you, your healing will take what it takes, it will be full and completed in its own time. promise."
I always talk about the pups going home as the first day of the rest of their life. Well, Newnee brought with her the first day of the rest of my life.  I envision days afield once more in the future. I see walking alongside of John once again training our beloved dogs, going hunting, enjoying our life together. Maybe I can be more of a help to him around here too.  When a friend comes to visit and she runs to me because she's happy to see me, I will be able to her as well.  I picture myself handling my own Holly Beth in field and show events.  I have a view of helping our daughter and our granddaughter both learn about showing. I will be able to rejoin the worship team at church.  Julie and I will hit the dog show circuit again in time.  I see clearly into the future and it is bright and positive. So for me to walk successfully around the perimeter of our yard with just a cane is like winning a 5 mile marathon. And who knows, maybe not for the win but for the very act of doing such a thing. Of trying. Maybe there will be new things I have not done before and maybe I will pick up things I left behind. I do believe this is also a God thing.  He's got a purpose for my life and it won't be fulfilled unless I am up and running again!  I know that those who wait upon Him will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings as eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and they will not faint. I know the joy of the Lord is my strength. And I know I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.  In all of this I am feeling so loved and so blessed.

One day at a time sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking of You.

Thanks for listening... and as always God bless you and yours. 
Ann

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