purplequeenvt - Ivy Knoll Farm

[Latestarter]

The vehicle looks like it took a lot of the damage that could have been on you and your mom. let's hear it for better vehicle design to help the occupants withstand accidents. Sorry it happened, but glad you and mom came out of it alive! Hope mom recovers quickly and you both heal up quick.

 

[norseofcourse]

Oh my gosh!! I can't imagine how scary that must have been. Like the others said, I am so glad it was not worse, and I hope you and your mom heal up soon.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

Wow, that must have been scary, I was in the front of the car when we got rearended but it wasn't that bad

 

[Shorty]

Wow I"m glad you are both going to be ok

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

I'm glad you are both okay!

 

[Mike CHS]

That could have been so much worse from the look of it. Get well soon.

 

[purplequeenvt]

Wow. It's been a long time since I posted anything here. It's been a long 16 months. If you've been following along with the lambing journals, you've heard all the drama in that department.

Obviously I survived my car accident in December 2015. I've had to deal with some serious car anxiety ever since. My mom took a lot longer to heal, but she's doing fine now.

The big news is that I'm now an aunt! My sister who lives in KY had the first grandbaby on either side of the family in September 2016. There were some major complications, but in the end everyone is ok. My niece was born 9 weeks early, but very healthy. The complications were with my sister. She ended up with a major infection that required an emergency hysterectomy and she developed a condition called DIC. She got somewhere around 90 units of blood products through the whole ordeal. It's a miracle she survived.

My niece is easily the most adorable baby in the world. Not biased at all, obviously.

I've been pretty stressed with work stuff. I'm a phlebotomist at our local hospital (it's actual a quite large regional hospital) and I work 4 days a week with my shift starting at 5am. There's been a lot of changes and drama lately. Short-staffed, high patient numbers, etc...

Not helping with my stress levels, my Border Collie, Meg, was diagnosed with lymphoma at the end of December 2016. She stayed pretty healthy and true to her normal self up until a couple weeks ago. She really went downhill last week and she passed away this past Sunday. I got her as a puppy almost 14 years ago. She was a quirky goof-ball with a mind of her own, but she was my faithful shadow. I've been having a hard time since she died and I'm not sleeping very well (not sleeping doesn't work well with my work schedule).



Getting another dog was always my plan eventually, but I had no plans to start looking anytime soon. My top 3 breeds were Border Collie, English Shepherd, or Pembroke Corgi. My plan was to do some research on breeders figure out exactly what I wanted and go from there. I was concerned about going the puppy route with my work schedule, but there is almost always someone at home so things wouldn't be too hard to handle.

That apparently is not the way things were meant to go. I feel very strongly that there is no such thing as coincidence and things happen for a reason.

On Sunday, the same day my girl died, my sister in KY (major dog nut) picked up 2 stray dogs. She did find the owner, but he didn't want them back and told her to keep them. Technically he didn't dump them, he just let them "free-range". They are a 2.5 yo female English Shepherd and her 9 mo daughter who is 1/2 Border Collie.

But get this, not only does my sister now have 2 ES girls that are in need of a home, my parents and 16 yo brother arrived in KY on Sunday for a visit.

I got a text message last night as I was trying, with no success to fall asleep, from my mother asking if I was interested in taking one of the pups. Long story short, both girls are coming home with my parents later this week. The 2.5 yo is for me and my brother, who has been asking for a dog pretty much from the day he joined our family almost 2 years ago (we adopted him from Bulgaria), is taking on the younger lady.

She's not my Meg, but she will hopefully help ease some of the pain. It's been really hard without my girlie and I've been seeing her shadow (or ghost perhaps) everywhere.

Pictures courtesy of my sister.

The 2.5 yo girl. Her name is currently Priscilla, but I'll most likely be renaming her.


Her daughter (current name "Avery")


They have been tested for heart worm (both negative!) and they'll be getting their shots and microchips while they are still in KY since it seems to be much cheaper. Last dumped dog (also an ES) my sister found, she got him tested for heart worm tested, rabies, distemper, Parvo vaccines, and microchipped for $50. It would cost me at least $80 just to walk in the door of our vets office up here!

But now that it's 11pm and I'm exhausted, I'm going to try to go to sleep. I have tomorrow off, thankfully. I'm borrowing Meg's "sister" (not actually related, but Meg joined our family only a couple weeks before Millie did and they've spent their entire lives together) from my sister. She's not actually that sister's dog, she just sleeps in the same room. Millie doesn't normally sleep in bed with anyone due to Old Lady Bladder, but I have a doggie diaper she can wear and we can snuggle tonight.

 

[Baymule]

So sorry about your Meg. I know the pain of loss and that is a pain none of us like hanging around. Sometimes when we are in pain and consumed by sadness, God sends the answer even though we aren't looking for it. The 2 dogs that wandered into your sister's care have also wandered into your life. And let the healing begin.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry PQVT... They are so hard to let go. And they are never forgotten. The whole new dogs situation is some serendipitous. Hope the two new girls work out. Grats on your new neice and glad the mom made it through. sounds like it was a close one.

 

[goatgurl]

I am so sorry for the loss of meg. loosing a long time friend can be so very hard. and Bay is so right, trust that God knew you needed help and sent prissy to you. Pricilla wouldn't be my pick either, lol. you will love your English shepherd. I got JJ who is 3/4 es and 1/4 Australian shepherd from a rescue in Joplin, Missouri almost 2 years ago and I find her to be the best farm dog ever. smart, intuitive and so willing to please. she by no means takes the place of the ldg's but is a great protector of all she surveys. I love her dearly.