Farewell, Sweet Sheila!

Farewell, Sweet Sheila!

We said goodbye to Sheila for the very last time today at the Breckenridge Park Animal Hospital.  They were waiting for us when we arrived and ushered us into a very nice private sitting room with some soft blankets on the floor for Sheila.  They gave her a few shots to make her feel comfortable and then she curled up on the blanket and we spent some final moments with her. Here's a picture of her and Tegan Marie saying their last goodbyes on the blanket:

The Last Goodbye

Sheila had a stubborn bladder infection since Summer and had been through several rounds of antibiotics.  We thought that she was okay until she started having pee accidents again and then she starting acting sick. Last week her condition deteriorated rapidly and she ended up spending last weekend at Breckenridge Park Animal Hospital.  The Vet there released her from the hospital with antibiotics on Monday and informed us that she wasn't responding to the treatment.  We spent time with her during the week at home and gave her tender loving care with hopes that she would rally.

Unfortunately, today was a very bad day for her,  Tegan Marie called me at work mid-morning to say that Sheila couldn't walk and that she had a seizure, but that she was resting quietly.  Later on in the afternoon she called me again and asked that I go home immediately.  Sheila was howling in pain and running around the house madly, trying to drive her head through the drywall in the corners.  

As soon as I got home, we headed over the the hospital.  Once the vet gave her the final shot, she quietly passed away within a few minutes.  It was strange, but right after she passed away I could feel a good energy presence in the room and am betting that it was her.  She looked so peaceful lying there curled up in her blanket.

Tegan Marie and I both agreed that the folks at the Breckenridge Park did a wonderful job making Sheila and us comfortable during her last moments!

We will miss her terribly, but have very fond memories of her!  One of these memories is how she used to do a sneaky Army crawl to try to get over near the table when we were eating Supper so that she could get some table scraps.  

Here's an animated picture of her doing her Army crawl.  We call it "The Sheila Dance". 

The Sheila Dance

She was so cute!  She looked like a little bandit with her eye markings, LOL!

Rest in Peace, sweet Sheila!  We will never forget you!

Rest in Peace, Mr. Post

I learned from the Pocono Central Catholic Alumni Group on Facebook today that a Gym teacher that we had at Pocono Catholic back in the early 70s passed away last week.  He was 66 years old, which is far too young to die!

Mr. Post was the nicest Gym teacher that I ever had!  He never got upset with any of us, which was quite an accomplishment since most of us were little smart asses!  He used to tell the girls that if they wanted to get out of Gym class to make sure that they didn't use their period as an excuse more than once a month, LOL!  He also played the guitar and sang in a band called "Friends". He was a really cool guy!

Here's a picture that I found of him in the 1972 Pocono Central Catholic School Yearbook:

Here's his obituary from today's Pocono Record online:

James "Jim" William Post

January 13, 2014

.James "Jim" William Post, 66, of Palm Harbor, Fla., formerly of Cresco, died Jan. 13, 2014.

Jim was born Nov. 9, 1947, in East Stroudsburg, and was the son of Richard W. and Printa Bernice (Johnson) Post. He was married to Kathleen (Sokolowski) Post. They celebrated their 36th anniversary this past October. He was a 1965 graduate of Pocono Mountain High School and a 1969 graduate of Penn State University.

Jim was a physical education teacher at Pocono Central Catholic, performed in the 1970s throughout the Poconos in a band called "Friends," and then was a rural letter carrier, first in Henryville and then in Saylorsburg. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing in several recreational baseball leagues in the area.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Danielle Post and her husband Timothy Schehl, of Cincinnati, Ohio. His son, James W. Post Jr., predeceased him. He is also survived by a brother, Robert A. Post and his wife, JoAnn, of Farmington Hills, Mich.; and sister, Linda Post Bushkofsky and her husband Dennis, of Oak Park, Ill. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Private services were held for the family.

I was so sorry to hear of his death today and am praying for him and his family!

Rest in peace, Mr. Post!  You are an unforgettable teacher!

Goodbye 2013!

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Goodbye 2013, you were a year of pain, major upheaval and change!  I have faith that 2014 will be more laid back and peaceful and pray that this will be the case!

New Years Eve was very nice!  Tegan Marie's son and daughter-in-law stopped in to visit on their way to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. We went to Carrabbas and had a very wonderful New Years Eve dinner! Here's a picture of us all at the table:

New Years Eve Dinner at Carrabbas

After Dinner we all went back to the house and got out our New Years Eve "provisions". 
Here's a picture of our setup at the end of the evening's festivities::

Our New Years 2014 Bar - Setup

Here's a video clip of us enjoying ourselves, including a Jack Daniel toast from Tegan Marie:

After the toast, we sat on the couch with our drinks and watched the James Bond Skyfall movie.

It was a very relaxing and laid-back New Years Eve!  I hope and pray for the best of health and happiness for all of us in 2014!