Forever in My Heart

Cali
(Mojave Desert California Dream)

June 8, 1998 - November 12, 2008

Pawprints in my Heart
By Kimberly de Montbrun

My lap is too too empty, and cold
the soft resting head no longer there to warm it.
No comfort to be found, no furry body to stroke
my quiet companion gone....

My heart is broken, there are no other words
to write it - this empty ache, this space
you filled, loving always, never judging...
My friend has left, and my hands, arms, all
helpless to stop it.

Little one, fly free, where the fields are green
and filled with friends gone before. I will
carry you always, your pawprints ever beating,
running joyously to greet me whenever I call
and memory stirs in my heart...

One day...

It has been 1 day since my sweet angel Cali has gone. The hole in my heart seems to be huge and I doubt it will ever heal.

I miss the sweet angel kisses she used to give. I can still feel her little head in my head as she passed away to join others waiting for us.

Snoopy didn't sleep well either last night. We both awoke a lot and just stared at each other. She moaned a few times as I have done.

Cali's presence, essence, life is missed. I know my sweet angel is no longer suffering and I had to let her go.

I will never forget November 12 @ 10am. The day she left is etched in my soul.

Rest in Peace My Sweet Cali Girl

After a short battle with a growth on her spleen, Cali went to the rainbow bridge today.

Cali fell ill on my birthday - September 14, 2008 - Cali seemed to go down hill from there. Poor little girl had many expensive visits to the vet to find out that she had a growth on her spleen. She had a blood transfusion that gave her an extra month with me, but her poor little body could no longer hang on. Watching her waste away to nothing, stop eating and drinking was very painful.

I will miss you my dear angel.
I love you and hurt so much words can't express my feelings.

October 2, 2008

March 1999

Cali eating an Alligator - June 14, 2001

Funny Snoopy Story

Funny story from last night.....

Somehow Snoopy got into the pillowcase of my big body pillow and couldn't get out. I woke up with her wiggling in it. I tried pulling her leg to show her the way but that never helped. I had to pick up the pillow by the seam and drop her out of the pillow case. It sure was funny.

Poor Cali got woken and I'm sure she thought I was nuts! If I could have just taped it, it would have been a priceless video.

Rest in Peace Aunt Phyllis

Aunt Phyllis in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - January 25th, 2007

Aunt Phyllis died today. Mom was there and is taking it hard. I guess Phyl wanted to go to the bathroom and they had a hard time getting her on the toilet. After she got settled she died.

In less than a week of being diagnosed with acute leukemia she is gone.

It is hard to image just over a month ago she came back from driving her motorhome to Texas by herself!

Dad is flying out tomorrow on the red eye so will be looking after Paige and the house until they come home.

I was really lucky that we were able to see her and spend time with her when she came to Rod's wedding in January last year.

Cars, Cars and more cars...

Well I've been searching for a new vehicle for 2 weeks now and have finally narrowed it down. I wanted a small SUV type vehicle to replace my beloved Subaru Forrester. My car wanted to be a pole dancer, but slide into it instead. Poor thing was written off but after 9 years I think it was time to say good-bye.

So I searched on Consumer Reports and last weekend went to the car show where I was able to sit in and look at all the vehicles that interested me. Thanks to Rod for telling me about the show and suggesting I go and take a look. Saved me from driving all over the city looking at vehicles.

I narrowed my search to two vehicles - the Saturn Vue and Nissan Rogue. Today I went and test drove them both.

First was the Rogue. It is higher off the ground than my Subaru but I was able to see over the dash and front - major points for me. The seat is adjustable - both front back and up down. The vehicle I test drive was very nice, easy to see all round and quiet on the Deerfoot. I really enjoyed the drive.

Next was the Vue. It was even higher off the ground and had a larger cargo area than the Rogue. Again I was able to see over the dash and front. The test drive didn't go as well. The vehicle felt tinny and was noisy on the Deerfoot. The only good points with this vehicle were the 0% financing and the ability to use some of mom & dad's GM points.

My decision has now been made and I am going for the Nissan Rogue. Monday I need to get a hold of the insurance company to find out where my money is for my Subaru. I want to be in my new vehicle by next weekend.

I'm still torn on the colour - either orange or the blue. Let's see what comes of this week.

Pictures from the Dominican Republic

Oldest Church in the Americans

Shop at local market

Shop in Santo Domingo

Forgiveness Cross - touch it for 5 seconds and all your sins will go away.

Mom trying to get arrested.

View from Christopher Columbus' son's house

The new Mrs. Annik Henry-Rattray and Mr. David Rattray - CONGRATS!

Beautiful beach and water.

Dad having a cold one.

Mom on the stairwell.

Leaving Punta Cana

Well we are in the hotel lobby - actually in an air conditioned room where you access the internet - waiting for our bus to come and pick us up. This time I can't wait to get home. This hasn't been the most fun trip. Everyone got sick and last night it was my turn. My stomache has been sore but I haven't physically gotten sick.

For a resort that is only 3 years old, this place is horrible. I stayed at better 2 star hotels in Peru than here. If anyone wants to know if I'd recommend this place it definitely will be a big NO!

I am going to write a big comment for anyone wanting to come to this resort on the internet when I get home.

The trip to Santo Domingo was OK, but when you went into any sites - Church, Columbus' son's house, etc. - there were way too many people to really enjoy or even hear what the guide was saying. I tried to stay back to get some pictures, but then I still had to fight for a good shot then run to catch up with the group. The old city was interesting. Our guide was opinionated and there were very rough roads.

The shopping wasn't the greatest either. Here I've heard people say it was good and it sounded like an open "flea" type market. we went into 3 stores - that's all we had to choose from.

The first market was run by Chinese people with only a few Dominican items in it. The second was more of a shopping mall type where you could not haggle and the third was an expensive 'designer' jeweler type shop. Needless to say I was very disappointed.

The other day we went to the little shopping centre just outside the resort. It had plenty of shops, but they all had the exact merchandise in it. Again very disappointing. I did buy a Dominican flag for $20 as that was about the only unique item there.

The paintings are all the same, the merchandise is all the same, the food is all the same - NOT a very fun trip this time.

You would at least think they had coconut here, but on no. I came all this way, paid good money and got crappy service, horrible food and a room that smelt like poo.

I can't wait to get home, see the girls and get back to a regular routine. To be able to sleep in my own bed tonight will be heaven. No more sore hips, neck and shoulder from a hard bed.

Majestic Colonial, Punta Cana

Well today is day 3 in the Dominican and it is not like last year.

First the resort is not very impressive. Dad kept reading bad things on the internet and I told him to make his own judgements. Well we should have listened to all the internet reports.

For a resort that is 3 years old it feels and looks at least 10 years. Jacki could have done a better tile job, there are huge cracks in the walls - not very impressive.

The food is the same every day in the buffet. I'm tired of it already. Plus everything is COLD! Cold eggs, cold meat, cold everything. We were at the seafood restaurant last night and everything was again COLD.

Mom got sick the other day from the main buffet and dad last night from the Chinese. I didn't feel great from the seafood but was better today. We went to the Mexican/Dominican buffet tonight and it was the first time I've eaten hot (temperature wise) food. The fruit isn't that good either - not ripe!

I did have a good bowl of coconut sherbet and a few coconut macaroons. Other than that, nothing is good.

To get a second cup of coffee for breakfast it is like asking for someones first child - next to impossible.

The staff is rude and lazy, service for anything is horrible, the "shopping" is disgraceful - on and on it goes. The Gran Bahia is 10 times better and we'd love to switch resorts.

The beach is OK but it is very corally so you have to be careful. The only thing I've enjoyed has been snorkeling daily.

There are a lot of shit just on the coral so it is fun watching them. I've seen white/transparent fish from a few inches to a few feet, to large round blue ones that are very fast. I then saw some with long noses but very slim bodies. There are also a lot of small yellow and black stripped fish. Anyways, lots of fun.

I miss the girls but am enjoying the relaxing beach and sand. We might go off the resort shopping tomorrow as the wedding is in the afternoon.

End of Radiation and Other Problems

Well dad had his last radiation treatment yesterday. He had no problems or affects thank goodness. We can now sigh and take a deep breath. He seemed to have faired really well. I hope that this is the end of illness for him.

Mom - thankfully - has been healthy and in good spirits. She is full of piss and vinegar so that's a good sign.

My car was not towed this week so I'm hoping it gets picked up this week. If everything can be done while I'm in Punta Cana, I'd be a very happy girl.

I'm starting to worry about Cali as I think she is starting to get worse. She is drinking a lot of water again. Dad even mentioned this in the morning. This evening Cali shook her head and I heard the telltale sign of ear problems - water or sloshing when she shook. I cleaned her ears this evening and they weren't that bad. Her left ear was more watery as if she just got out of the water - neither very brown and dirty.

I have to do a 12 hour glucose test tomorrow so let's hope she is better than last weeks.

I keep having this horrible feeling that she isn't going to be here when I get back from Punta Cana. We leave this Thursday and part of me does not want to go.

Snoopy has been fine but I know she senses something is up. I also feel she is getting senile in her old age but maybe I'm reading too much into things and am paranoid on any little change.

I never realized that dealing with dogs as they got older would be sooooooo hard. I keep feeling the inevitable is going to happen at the next corner and it really frightens me. I love them too much.