Hoosier

This bulldog mix fell in love with my yellow lab.  He took up at the house and wouldn't leave.  I didn't want him.   He was a pit bull.   I was afraid of them in a sense.   Didn't want to take a chance.   I tried very hard to find his owner.   He had a blue collar on.   He seemed nice enough, but I was still on guard.     After a couple weeks I decided that perhaps my dog really wanted to keep him.   I told my dog, Buddy, that if he wanted we would keep him but it would be his dog.   So that is when I said to this stray, "Whose your DAddy?"   That is where his name, Hoosier, came from.  It is more like Who's Your?  

Those two dogs were really in love with each other and I was glad of it.    Hoosier didn't like cats and he didn't like some men.   He would sneak up behind them and try to nip them.   Never drew blood.   Didn't bark, didn't growl.   It caught me off guard the first time and I had to put him up when men came to visit.   He liked my lady friends.    One day Buddy died.   Suddenly and unexpected.   He died in the kitchen while I was picking the chicken off a carcass.   It was awful.   I was so upset.   Poor Hoosier he was too.   He and Buddy slept together and it was so hard for him to be alone.   I felt sorry for him and so I let him come sleep with me in my bed.   First time ever a dog had slept on my bed.   I still was a bit standoffish, but after a while I realized all we had was each other and so I was able to accept him as my dog.   

Hoosier is 15 now.   He was probably about 2 when he came to my house.   He is a good dog, other than the man thing.   I like that he has short hair.  I never want a long haired dog again.   

So that is the story of Hoosier. 

My special friend is slipping away

 Tonight I am a little emotional.   I have a dear friend who has dementia.   He is 74 and has no family.   I and another dear friend of his, along with other people and support people from the VA have been helping him to remain in his home.  Helping him to stay home and function as best he can for as long as he can.   The decline has been gradual, but tonight a few minor things happened that let me know it's progressing to another level.   It has left me feeling sad, tearful, grieving and powerless.   I can tell when he looks at me, his gaze is more vacant.   He still knows me, his friend John and a few other people.   He doesn't remember most peoples names.  He has very poor short term memory.   I am grateful that he still remembers me and sess me as the person he wants to be around most of the time.   He doesn't want to be alone anymore.    If you have ever been around a person with dementia it is a horrible thing to live through.   ortunately he is able to  to let me help him.   He is grateful for the help.  He is easy to please.   I know it could be so much worse.   I fear that it will be.   

He has been a wonderful friend to me.   He is unusual.   He doesn't like to spend money.   He has no concept of the realities of life when it comes to the cost of things.   Overall he is a good man .   He is a very loyal friend.   He has been there for me in many ways.   He is a stabilizing force in my life.   He is a constant.    He wants to help me, but there isn't much he can do.   I try to find simple things that he can do and it makes him happy.   He keeps me from feeling alone.   He is like a brother, or a companion, or a special friend.   I will miss him.   I will miss him so much.   I am already missing him.