Independence Day Fun and Traditions

Happy Independence Day weekend!  The girls and I have been enjoying a (mostly) quiet weekend at home away from all of the crazies who headed North for the long weekend.  While I'd love to be closer to a Great Lake, especially with the heatwave we are currently experiencing, I am happy that we avoided all of the crowds.  It has been pretty quiet around town and we've enjoyed some time outside, splurged with trips for ice cream, and enjoyed some small adventures.  Today we had lunch at a local park and walked slowly around the small grassy area near the picnic tables.  While this wasn't any big adventure, it was a change of pace and got us away from home and out of our normal routine which all of us really appreciated.  It was a nice ending to an overall good weekend.

After spending the morning of the 4th out in the yard to take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures, I knew that they girls needed to get out for some fun.  I had planned to take them to the parade in downtown Lansing, but somehow I missed that it was taking place on the 3rd, so instead, we headed out to Eaton Rapids for their Independence Day celebration instead.

It was hot and crowded, but the girls enjoyed the short walk we took from our parking spot and all of the attention that they got from the people seated around us.  Maddie decided to climb out of the stroller and lie down next to Peaches for part of the parade and both of them were really happy that they got out of the house.  Peaches wasn't quite sure about the noisy firetrucks, especially when they started spraying us with water.  But she survived and enjoyed the rest of our time there.

On the way home from the parade, I made a stop at Dairy Dan's to get a small doggy ice cream for the girls to share and added the soft serve to the licky mats that I had already prepared with a little yogurt, peanut butter, and spray cheese.  It was the perfect after-parade, cool-down snack for them.  

We spent a little more time outside in the evening, before all of the fireworks started, so we could enjoy the fresh air and watch the lightning bugs.  There was a nice breeze and the neighbors put on a small firework show in their backyard with some small, kid and dog-friendly fireworks, which we enjoyed.

We then moved back inside to continue a 17 year tradition of eating cheesy popcorn while watching the fireworks.  This tradition started the first year we had Imke and Jake when we used to go to fireworks with family.  It's always made the firework experience a more positive one for any dogs that might be in the house during the 4th of July holiday.   And while we haven't been able to go to see fireworks in person since Maddie came along, we have continued the cheesy popcorn tradition, and I'm sure it will continue for many years to come.  

We had a great July 4th and, while it was less adventurous than some of our past holidays, we all enjoyed our time together and the girls slept great the rest of the night!  I'd call that a really great day.

I was glad that we were able to enjoy some 4th of July adventures because the rest of our week had been pretty quiet and uneventful.  The weather hasn't been very adventure friendly with rain, storms, heat, and humidity, and, honestly, Maddie isn't up for any big adventures anymore.  So our adventures for the foreseeable future will mostly be short, easy, and close to home.  

We were happy to get out for a walk with friends along the Lansing Riverwalk last Sunday.  It was a much needed chance to get out of the house and spend some time with some of our favorite people.  It was especially nice for Peaches to be able to get a good walk and explore without being slowed down by Maddie and the stroller.  

Adventures like these are good for the girls for both their physical and mental well-being. While Maddie physically isn't able to do much, she is still alert and excited about any opportunity she gets to get out with us.  She always sleeps so much better after a nice car ride and ride in the stroller and it makes me happy to see her sleeping so contently after we've been out and about on a Maddie-friendly adventure.

This week, I have noticed her walking get slower and more wobbly and she tends to need help getting up a little more often than she had, but that doesn't mean that she still isn't enjoying her life.  She lights up when I get out treats or when I start to prepare her dinner ,and watching her circle like a shark in the kitchen while waiting for her meal to be prepared and then seeing her eating them with great enthusiasm just makes me smile.  

She is also always up for a car ride, and she will follow me to make sure I take her with me any time I get my shoes on and grab my purse.  She is so content sitting in the car as I drive, it never matters where we go or even if she gets out of the car, she is just happy to be along for the ride.  So on many of our hot and humid days when it is too hot for much else, I will load the girls into the car and just take a drive.  

We've also been trying to get out of the house in the mornings when the weather is still comfortable before the heat of the day arrives.  Many days this means I set up a little home office on the patio so the girls and I can all get some fresh air.  Peaches will run around the yard searching for any critter who may have decided to invade her yard before finding a sunny spot for a nap. 

Maddie prefers to wander slowly around the yard without getting too far from me before settling in on her dog bed to watch the world go by or to take a nap.  Most of the time we're outside she is alert and looking around to make sure she doesn't miss any excitement.  I've really enjoyed these beautiful Summer mornings outside with my girls.  These will be days I look back at and remember fondly some day.  

After spending the morning outside, the girls come in to eat their mid-day meal before snuggling up together for the afternoon.  While there are several other places that Peaches could find to relax, she has regularly chosen to lay next to Maddie on the dog bed almost every day lately.  

Earlier this week, I had an experience that made me feel very much like I was being judged for some of my choices with Maddie.  People who don't live with her and don't see her on a daily basis, but somehow think that they have any idea what our daily lives are like or the choices that they would make if they were in my position.  But after I stepped back from that moment and evaluated my personal choices, I know that I wouldn't do anything differently than I am doing now.  

Then yesterday at the parade,  I heard an older gentleman make a comment about her to his wife.  All he saw was a broken down old dog who had to be pushed in a stroller and then wobbling slowly along with her new help 'em up harness, with a large lipoma on her back, and I'm sure he thought that I was doing her some disservice by forcing her to continue living.  But I see the sweet old girl who wants to stick her nose out the window while we're in the car, the girl who was excited to make new friends with the kids at the parade, the girl who walks slowly around her yard sniffing all of the new smells every morning, the girl who still finds joy in the simply things in her every day life.  And I feel sorry for that older gentleman because he clearly doesn't understand love or sacrifice.  I wonder if someone will care enough for him to make sure he is happy and well cared for as he nears the end of his life.  

As we go through both good and bad days, I will do whatever it takes to make sure she is well cared for until the end.  I am sure I will deal with judgement from others...and sometimes that makes me hesitate to get out with the girls.  But I can't let the uninformed opinions of others keep me from allowing Maddie to live her best life and enjoy every minute she has left.  And while I know that the end will come, I also know with certainty that it isn't here yet.  We will keep plugging along, day by day, until the day she stops enjoying life...until she no longer wants to be a dog.  But until then, we will adventure on, even if those adventures don't take us far from our own backyard.  I know without a doubt if the roles were reversed, Maddie would do the same for me.  

In the meantime, I also will continue to make time for Peaches as best as I can.  We were happy to get out for a quick walk, just the two of us, around the neighborhood while Maddie one evening.  It was great to be out with her one on one and she had a great time.  While we can't do this often, we will do it when we can.  

She also has plenty of entertainment with the four-legged friends at the neighbor's house.  She and the puppies there love to play chase along the fence.  Meanwhile, Maddie watches the fun from the comfort of her bed.

And Peaches' most recent entertainment comes from the toad that she discovered in the garden.  She has spent many hours outside just waiting for that toad to make a move away from the garden.  I have no doubt that if it does leave the garden eventually, Peaches will catch it.  

I am grateful right now for long Summer days, plenty of sunshine, and a fenced backyard so Peaches can get plenty of exercise without the need for long walks.  She is pretty content to spend time outside keeping herself entertained with the comings and goings in the neighborhood as long as we play some games of fetch and she gets out of the house on car rides with me and we take the occasional short adventure.   

I am also grateful for every day I get with Maddie.  Her joy and love of life is s wonderful thing to see every day.  My greatest wish is for others to see that joy too and for them not to feel sorry for her, but to see just how much she loves life and how lucky she is to love and to be loved by so many.  As one of the Vet assistants said to us after an appointment recently..."she is a national treasure."  I couldn't agree more!