Sorry to start July off with a bummer, but...

We are going through a pretty hard time right now.  On Thur. evening Stanley escaped (something I have always dreaded).  I crated him to open the front door to get the mail.  I had to look twice as Stanley suddenly flew right by me out the door and was off like a shot.  Evidently, the crate lock was not completely secured. :-((  These dogs are UNBELIEVABLY fast!  Some neighbors and I tried chasing him but he was just GONE in short order.  He's a lunatic if he gets loose.  I took the last 2 days off work and with the help of family and friends we have accomplished a great deal.  We have passed out and posted hundreds of flyers, contacted every agency remotely associated with animal control, given the local post offices flyers to post by their timeclocks so the carriers will all have the info.  We have an ad in the paper in the lost & found section of the classifieds.  We have walked the streets of our neighborhood & surrounding areas from dawn till dusk talking with everyone we see and calling for Stanley.  We have scoured area parks which might be a refuge for a freaked out dog. There have been no reported sightings since the night of his escape.  I prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  It's a really hard thing to live with.  I just try to keep DOING things because when I stop I start to crumble.

When we got home from our all day canvassing, searching, we had a message on the answering machine...Geo and Nance are parents and all went fine!   I keep trying to call the hospital room # he left but there is no answer so I have no details at this point.  I hope to god they have named him and we can somehow start thinking of him as something other than Kingslick! :-)  I wish I had more emotional energy to spend on this...Stanley is sucking my heart dry. :-((

If any of you have any other ideas on how to best to search for Stanley, please post!!!  I'll fill you in on Kingslick as I get more info.

Mary W.

Mary W. Sat. 10 o'clock and just reading your VERY sad news. The first night we had Lassie she took off and we were out most of the night but luckily for us she was only uptown.  Brendan was able to bribe her with a cookie. she wouldn't come for me.   You seem to be doing all you can.  Take care.

Patty.

Mary,

We are all so sad for you!  My kids and I could not imagine having our dog lost.  It must be a terrible time for you!  Here's hoping you have good news soon!

Hi Everyone - Mary, here's hoping you find your little bundle of joy...keep us updated.

Spoke with my mother this evening, who informs me Aunt Bernie is visiting till Thursday...she also delivered something like 40 litres of bottled wine compliments of Kevin Sullivan for the reunion...whew!  Great job Kevin!

We had a great Canada Day out here...fireworks and all the usual stuff and the weather for the most part co-operated.   We had this guy named Joe Canadian in town to deliver the "Canadian rant" from the top of a crane before the fireworks started.  (He's on a popular Molson beer commercial.)  Was a real hoot!

John V

Hi,

Patty, Bethy and John, thank you for your kind words.  We continue to search.  Our hearts are very heavy but not yet broken.

Kingslick weighs in at 8 lbs. 4 oz.  They HAVE to name him today before momma and baby leave the hospital.  I am rooting for JOE and George says there's a good chance. :)

Mary W.

Stanley has been found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a call at work this morning from an attorney in the downtown area.  He got my number from the humane society.  He had Stanley right there in his office.  After an hour of him and 4 other guys chasing the tiny bullet through the streets of downtown Milwaukee, they finally got him into a parking lot that was fenced and were able to grab him.  Stan was 10 miles from home.  When I walked into his office, there was Stanley curled up on his lap.  The relief is indescribable…no way can words convey the heartbreak and the sheer joy this experience has brought.  Last night we had torrential thunderstorms all night and my heart was breaking thinking of little Stanley out in that weather.

He looked exhausted and thin but otherwise OK.  I took him immediately to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital and he checked out fine.  He’s dehydrated and they gave him some subcutaneous fluids and a bland dietary food to start him back eating again.  I am back at work now with Stanley right here beside me in a little crate on my desk.  He is OUT COLD!  I wanted to let you all know right away. This is really a miracle.

By the way, the attorney had totally fallen in love with Stanley in the short time they were together.  He said Stan was the coolest dog he ever met! If he weren’t able to find his owner he would have kept him.  His last name is JOY.

Mary W.

Mary,

I am so happy for you!

Hi all,

Thanks for the kuddos, Bethy. John, I feel just like that boinging tiger...Stanley is home!!!  A miracle!

Kingslick has been named. Joseph Kingston Weissler.  Is that cool or what???  Litta Joe! :-)

I need to be with Stanley,
Much love,
Mary W.

Happy Fourth of July!

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Mary has forwarded the two pictures of Stanley
and they are here!

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Hi all,

Whew!! I hadn't checked in for a few days so it was like an adventure novel reading about poor Stanley. Thank God is is alive, well and home. I am glad little Joe has arrived. Is he their first?

We are in the midst of chicken pox here. Rebecca waited until my first day of parental leave to break out. We are quarantined and having a great time. Talk to you later....ME

Mary W.   Stanley is back - great news!  Happy fourth of July.

Love Aunt Patty.
p.s. This is my second message of the day.  HI Big John.

Hi,

I forgot to mention this morning that today is my dear father's 65th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday Uncle Al!!!!

Thanks for all the notes about Stanley everyone.  ME, I would much rather have read this tale in an adventure novel than lived through it in real life.  It was sheer, excruciating torture for 4 days, not knowing if he was alive or dead, injured and hiding in a bush, in our neighborhood or somewhere far away from here, if someone had him and was fighting him with a Pitbull...the scenarios are endless and they all run through your mind.

We had the most deleriously happy day today with Stanley home.  He's still tired and thin but is up to his usual old antics and will be fine.  It's the 4th of July and we live in such a great country; Stanley is home; Kingslick (aka Joe) is home and life is so good I just can't stand it!

Good luck with the pox. :-( I remember having that as a child and it was AWFUL! I would try to scratch myself on doorjams when mom wasn't looking...she said if we scratched we would have scars for the rest of our lives.  She applied some pink, chalkey stuff that helped but the itching is something I have never forgotten. Hang in there, ME!

Mary W.

Mary Ellen my heart goes out to you.  I remember when my two kids had chicken pox.  Carolyn had it so bad, her spots got infected.  Then, a week later Emily got them.  She was only 8 months old so she hardly knew what was happening to her.  All I really remember is not being able to go out for about 3 weeks.  It was Feb.at the time and me going stir crazy!!!  Hope you and the girls are coping!

Hi all,

Thanks for the note, Bethy.  I am really sort of enjoying the week --so far as it is quite a change in pace from my usual routine.  I have been able to finally not have to rush through "quality time" with the girls and in between pushing Rebecca on her swing and pretending to eat Katie-Rose's toes, I FINALLY have my house tidied up a bit.  Now I have to start the serious cleaning. It is such a statement of my life, isn't it, that house cleaning is fun.  I gotta get a real life. :)

Katie-Rose has just a few very small red spots on her and I am hoping that maybe this is all she gets. The worst day for Rebecca was on Wednesday.   She had 4 baking soda baths that day and was very cranky.

My dear brother Mark made a whirlwind trip home yesterday to help a friend move his furniture from Miramichi to Dryden, Ontario.  The girls & I had a coffee break and supper at Mom's & Dad's which was a nice change in the routine.

Last night at supper all of my siblings were there except JoAnn and we began scheming about the Kingston reunion.  As you may know, the A Kingston's are doing the breakfast on Saturday and we want to make it memorable -- plus Dad wants to one up Uncle George's crew that are the hosts on Sunday morning.  He-he-he!   We will have to see who emerges as the family with the greatest culinary skills on a budget. :)

Well, best be off, Katie-Rose has awoken and I have to feed her.  Take Care....