cavalier king charles spaniel

Sadie

| Cindy Anderson

Sadie, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is my best buddy. She was born in June of 2012 and joined our family in August of that year. Sadie travels with us as often as we will allow. Obviously the extreme temperatures of summer as well as those of winter limit her opportunities.

Sadie was born with a genetic defect. She has Chiari Malformation. The disease is very common in Cavaliers. Her condition dictates the necessity for multiple medications. The pills, which are well-hided inside spoonfuls of peanut butter, are administered to her three times a day. Without the medications Sadie’s life would be unbearable. While we would prefer that her regimen of regularly dosed meds would totally eliminate her discomfort, sadly they do not. We regularly witness the break-out episodes which manifest from her pain.

In spite of Sadie’s debilitating condition she finds opportunities to find joy in her life. Her tanacity to reach beyond her discomfort to experience the world around her amazes us everyday. One of the ways in which she finds pleasure is a ride in her Burly.

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Regular exercise experienced by normal dogs, such as going for a walk, is out of the question for Sadie. The increased activity causes her a great deal of discomfort. To make it possible for Sadie to move about beyond her normal surroundings we purchased her a Burly. She absolutely loves going for rides in her Burly.

I decided to write this story today because I happened to see her photo on my computer desktop. I couldn’t help smiling at her innocent little face. Her smile makes it impossible to ignore. I also wanted to share her disease with the hope of drawing attention to it. There are far too many dogs that suffer from this affliction.

I feel blessed to have Sadie in my life. I can’t imagine being without her.

A Storm in the Night

| Cindy Anderson

We weathered our first storm, in my Little Cabin in the Woods.

My companion, Sadie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is afraid of storms.

IMG_8723She can hear them coming long before I can. I can usually tell when one is approaching because Sadie typically spends her time curled up underneath my kitchen chair. When storms approach she leaves her quiet little place of solitude to be by my side. If I’m within in touching distance she will get as close as she can possibly be. So close that it seems every ounce of air has been sucked away and there is absolutely nothing between us. If you touch her little body you can feel her heart racing. Her breathing quickens and her eyes open very wide. She gazes up as if to say, “Save me from the storm.”

During yesterday’s storm she curled up into a little ball beneath my makeshift sewing space. If I happened to leave the area, so did Sadie. When I returned she did as well. I feel sad for her because of her fear. If only I could reassure her that all would be fine. Unfortunately it’s difficult to relay that to her. Because of her disease (more about that some other time) it’s very difficult to find a place on her body that you can touch that won’t make her feel uncomfortable.

IMG_0154The storm passed as quickly as it approached. In no time Sadie was once again back beneath her favorite safe place. Together we weathered the storm safely tucked inside my Little Cabin in the Woods.

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Little Cabin In The Woods

| Cindy Anderson

We all have dreams. I don’t mean the kind we experience while sleeping. No, I’m referring to the lists we make whether in our minds or recorded on paper. One of the dreams my husband and I have shared for the past thirty plus years is the opportunity to own a small getaway. The vision I’ve always had is a tiny cabin in the woods surrounded by acres of wild flowers. On the large wrap-around porch are oodles of comfortable chairs. Some of them are stationary while others can rock. Also on that porch is a swing suspended from the ceiling. This swing is home to piles of soft, cushie pillows just waiting to be snuggled.

Recently we were able to acquire a modified version of my dream. The cabin is not permanent since it sits on wheels. But it is in the woods. It doesn’t have a porch but it does have a wooden deck. There are chairs on my deck but no rocking chairs or pillows. Sparsely scattered about are a few wild flowers. My cabin, if you haven’t guessed is a trailer parked on a seasonal campsite. Even though it’s a trailer I still prefer to refer to it as my cottage or cabin. It’s as close as I will ever come to the real thing.

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This new cottage is my chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life as well as a quiet place to sew, knit, read or whatever else suits my fancy. My only companion is my sweet Sadie. Just me and Sadie chill-in in the woods.

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