Erica’s Blog

If you want a special, sentimental gift for the mom of a preemie, whether the baby survived or not, here is a really cool little thing.  It’s a pin called The Preemie Purple Heart — like the purple heart medal injured soldiers receive.  Here’s the description:

The Preemie Purple Heart is born of an idea borrowed from the US army, a medal given for being wounded in battle. What bigger battle is there than the battle for life and the wounds of premature birth live on with the infant and family forever? The color was once reserved for royalty, making it special, and it is gender neutral. The heart is not a solid color, and the stripes in each heart are a little different, just as every child and every journey is a little different, but the basic design is the same just like the basic experience is the same. The heart is made of glass; it is strong but not so strong it could withstand a crushing blow. The premature child is strong but not invincible. It is a heart because the heart is our center; its every beat renews life and hope, it symbolizes love. At the bottom of the Preemie Purple Heart is a teardrop, symbolic of the tears shed during the journey of a premature family, good and bad, joy and sorrow.

Please join us to stick up for our sweet dogs.  Please note that there will be a certain contingent present who are extremely distressed at how BADRAP has been handling things, who has been allowed to appear before the media, etc.

 

Subject: [BA-S] SFDOG Town Hall Forum on Aggression in Dogs 6/21

Members and non-members are invited to attend an informational forum  (free) on how to deal with aggression in dogs, details below. (Re the recent tragic mauling of a 12-year old boy, more and more information is surfacing that suggests the case is not simple but complex: The boy was developmentally disabled and had apparently been known to be violent . .

SFDOG General Membership Meeting, Town Hall Forum on Aggression in Dogs

Tuesday, June 21, 2005, 7:30 pm to 9 pm, Fort Mason, Building A, Golden Gate Room

In light of recent events, SFDOG will host a town hall forum on aggression in dogs. A panel of experts will discuss what we as individuals, a community, and a city can and should do to address the problems caused by aggressive dogs. The discussion will be moderated, with an extended period for questions from the audience.

Confirmed panelists:  

Donna Reynolds, BADRAP (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls

Trish King, head behaviorist at the Marin Humane Society

Sgt. Bill Herndon, SFPD Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit

Kelley Filson, education programs manager, SF SPCA

Mara Weiss, DVM, and member of the Animal Control and Welfare Commission

We are still awaiting confirmation from two other panelists.

Linda McKay, who’s active with the Fort Funston Dog Walkers Association, will moderate the discussion.

We hope this will be an interesting and informative discussion, with everyone who attends walking away with a better understanding of the issues involved in dealing with aggressive dogs. We’ll address dog-on-dog aggression, as well as dog-on-people aggression.

Please join us for this informative and timely discussion.  This event is FREE and open to members and non-members alike.  Please leave your dog at home for this event.

Enter lower Fort Mason at Marina Blvd and Buchanan. Building A is the building at the opposite end of the lower Fort from the building that houses Greens Restaurant. The 28 MUNI line serves Fort Mason (check  MUNI for other lines).

OK, so Thing One and Thing Two have decided that they prefer the 1949 version of “Little Women” over the 193something version. 

They really like the story, and I suppose there are worse stories for them to like.  I’d much rather have them playing “Little Women” with their Barbies than “Shrek” or “SpongeBob” or something! 

They’ve taken to calling me Marmee.  Not my favorite thing, but again, there are MUCH worse things they could be calling me, so I’ll settle for this.  I can’t wait for Thing One to be able to read the book.  I think by the end of next school year, she’ll probably be ready to start in on my old Nancy Drew books.  “Little Women” won’t be far behind that; I remember reading that for the first time in third grade.

BTW, to those who’ve been wondering — looks like no surgery for at least a couple of months.  This is good b/c I couldn’t have scheduled it until August any way.

Father’s Day was pretty good.  We gave hubby his presents in the morning.  When he opened the gifts Thing Two had made at school, Thing One felt really bad b/c she hadn’t made him anything.  Since Thing Two was hacking up hairballs and had to stay home, I told Thing One that if she didn’t make Daddy anything in Bible class, we could stop on the way home and buy him something.  We had to stop at Costco to pick up pictures and some other stuff, so she chose for him a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (YUM!) and a book with all of the Hitchhiker’s Guide books in one.  She was much happier.

Poppa, Nana & Auntie came over to hang out for a while and have dinner.  Poppa really liked his mouse pad with the girls’ picture on it.  Not sure how he felt about the “Indian name” we made up for him — Chief Bald Eagle — but I hope he liked it b/c it’s going to stick. 

Yesterday, we got a FedEx package from Grandma.  It was funny — this was supposed to be the Father’s Day package, but it contained hubby’s card and Father’s Day gift, PLUS goodies for the girls, and Jenna got the most stuff (a bandana, a rope toy, and a bag of fancy doggie cookies).

The only way Father’s Day could have been better would have been better for hubby (aside from the obvious of wishing his dad were still alive) would have been if he’d gotten to golf.  Sadly, we just couldn’t make that happen and still see my family.  He is, however, getting free golf on Friday.  Woo hoo!

The wedding was a blast!  After having rain for a couple of days, even a bit yesterday morning, it was gorgeous for the big wedding yesterday.  We had a great time.  It was a very personal ceremony b/c the minister knew them.  The music reflected their different personalities:  the guys came in to an old Queen song, and the girls came in to Shania Twain.  The girls behaved really well, and they were so excited to see the happy couple kiss for the VERY FIRST time.  FIRST time.  They dated for five years and never kissed at all.  That is so inspiring to me to see a couple get married where the white dress means what it’s supposed to mean.  That is SO rare any more.  I’m really proud of them

Reception was a lot of fun.  They had terrific Chinese food.  One of the bridesmaids caught the bouquet (and got knocked to the ground in the process), and one of Thing One’s Sunday school teachers caught the garter. 

I felt for the couple b/c they had a long night ahead of them.  When they left the reception, she had to go change into her red dress for the Chinese banquet.  They were determined to get out of the banquet no later than 8:30, even if half the guests weren’t there.  Hey, five years is a long time to wait….