Connie’s Corner – Page 3 – Planet of the Blind

Say It Ain't So! CNN: Mother Seeks Girl's Womb Removal

Oh No. Here we go again. This article was brought to my attention via a link from Femineste who already has quite a string of comments in response. Check them out.

Apparently the "Ashley Treatment" debate had not made it’s way across the Atlantic Ocean. At least there is no indication of such in this CNN article: Mother Seeks Girl’s Womb Removal

Follow the link and you find these "Story Highlights"

Mother seeks to have womb of severely disabled daughter, 15, removed
Briton wants to prevent cerebral palsy sufferer feeling pain of menstruation
UK doctors seek legal advice to see if they can perform hysterectomy
Charity for disabled says move could infringe human rights

Perhaps before a definitive decision is made on behalf of this young lady who they claim has no say, all parties might want to consult with Anne McDonald. Granted, the mother seeking to remove her daughter’s uterus is not talking about a "growth attenuation" procedure. But where does one draw the line?

Brace yourselves for another round of, shall I say, "spirited" debate.

~ Connie

Here goes:

"Ashley’s Back" by Emma;
UK Mom seeks hysterectomy for daughter with CP by Wheelie Catholic;
We Do Know Better by Penny L. Richards;
Another Assault on Human Rights by David

Tragic update as of today, October 10, 2007: "Doctor at center of stunting debate kills himself"

Roscoe

Photo of Roscoe, our black Labrador Retriever, resting on the dock after a swim. He’s 13 and one of the best dogs to ever happen to us. (As was his buddy, Miss Corky.)
Rattlesnake Island, Alton, NH

Dingleberries

This is just too funny not to share.

Last November we acquired a lovely Golden Retriever, Maggie, who needed a home. As happy as I am to have this dog in my life, I could be just as happy if we found someone else with whom to share the joy. (Translated: we also have two Labradors. Do we really need a third big dog?)

(The photo above is of Maggie sitting at the water’s edge at Lake Winnipesaukee, the wind blowing through her golden locks.)

A few months ago I had a conversation with my friend Anne. She and her husband Clete live in NH and they too own a cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee. Anne mentioned they were thinking of getting another dog as a playmate to the one they already have but that they were too busy for a puppy right now. I said "oh, perhaps you’d like to give Maggie a try?" I was planning a trip to NH so the timing was perfect.

"That’s an idea" she said. "Let me talk to Clete and get back to you".

Maggie and I drove the 16 hours to NH. She’s great company so I would have taken her with me anyway. It’s a good thing because when I got there Anne and I spoke again and she then revealed that "Clete really doesn’t think he wants a Golden Retriever. They’re wanderers, their coat is too much maintenance and besides, they get dingleberries."

"Dingleberries!" I said with a laugh. "Dame Maggie NEVER gets dingleberries. She’s much too much the lady… She’s not a wanderer either. Really. She’s a lovely dog."

"OK, I’ll talk to him again"

Relaying this to my husband later that evening he said "Dingleberries! Clete is a gastroenterologist for God’s sake. He does colonocopies all day. He wears a sweatshirt at camp with "colon crusader" written across the back of it. What’s a dingleberry or two to "The Colon Crusader?"

Anne and Clete decided to give Maggie a try. I visited Anne for lunch the next day. I was prepared to leave Maggie with her, which I did.

Maggie, however, was NOT pleased and I knew it. She did not relish the idea of being the "playmate" to this big, shall I say young, neutered but very amorous German Shepherd. Jackson, as he is called, would not leave her alone. I mean, he was all over her. While it is possible for a neutered male to have his way with a female it wouldn’t be pleasant for her. Especially for Dame Maggie. Her solution to the problem was to lie down and not get up – not unless she absolutely had to.

Ever the optimist, and as a former guide dog trainer, I knew that there would be an adjustment period for Maggie and that it could take days. My hope was that Jackson could learn to "play" with Maggie with out needing to hump her obsessively. I also knew that the success of this "experiment" would hinge as much on the dog handlers as on the dogs themselves. How much did they really want this to work? Neither dog was aggressive. One was just much "busier" than the other.

Fast Forward -> 24 hours later….

I’m back at my cabin realizing I’m kind of missing Maggie when I get the phone call.

"Connie, Clete really doesn’t think this is going to work out and I
have to say I agree with him. We want a dog that will play with
Jackson and we can’t get her to move! I kid you not, she has hardly
moved since you left her! I can’t get her to move. The kids can’t get
her to move. We did finally get her to go outside at one point and then she
started to wander – it was almost as if she was looking for
something – and she wouldn’t come when called. Clete had to go after her
with a leash. Honestly, if I didn’t know better I would think there was something wrong with this dog!"

"No problem Anne. I’ll take her back!" I knew Dame Maggie was not
happy. I knew she could/would adjust given the time. But I also knew
that Maggie wasn’t the kind of dog they were looking for. Maggie is my
kind of dog. Quiet. Gentle. Affectionate. Sweet. Well mannered. And not at all horny.

I knew then that she is my dog now and she is meant to be my dog.

Oh but wait! There’s more to the dingleberry story…

Continue reading “Dingleberries”

Too Hot to Handle?

Taken from Steve’s last post:

"I have the additional privilege of being able to come here with just my
guide dog for company and I get to write and my dog gets to paint–the
way dogs do when they have the time."

"Ouch" I say. Hmmmmm.
Perhaps he should think about rephrasing that? Blue Girl? Jennifer?
What do you think? Georgia…where are you Georgia? Oh, and I wonder what TheQueen would have to say if her husband had said this?

It hasn’t happened very often in the past seven years but every now and then Steve and I get to rendezvous up there on Lake Winnipesaukee. The idea is that once we have an empty nest (soon!) then perhaps this will happen more often. Unless, of course, I’m intruding on the man and his dog bonding thing going on.

Let’s see, the last time we were up there together was in 2005…

Come to think of it – that was the last time that MY bathing suit burst into flames…Ellen, I thought it was just me!

~ Connie

There he is! Ross, wave to Lance!

If you know Lance Mannion, you know he likes to send post cards. Even if you don’t know him but you’ve read this post, you know he likes to send post cards

Well I don’t know how many of us there are, but I count myself among the lucky. Every year I receive a card from Lance, at least one, usually from Cape Cod. This year was no exception. I love the fact that he takes a few minutes out of his summer vacation, as if he has nothing better to do on Cape Cod, writes a personal message, then actually sends the thing off in the mail. Who does that anymore?

This year I could actually read what he wrote! And I figure that since anyone handling this little piece of mail as it makes its way from Cape Cod, MA to Columbus, OH can read what he wrote, he shouldn’t mind if I share it with you.

Dear Connie,

Admit it. You’re glad when Steve goes off to NH every summer and I know why you’re glad. You’re glad because it means you’re the one who’s there to get my post cards. My post cards the the highlight of everyone’s summer. Aren’t they? I should start charging you all for them. This one would cost five dollars.

~ Mannion

This may indeed be the highlight of my summer Lance. Thank you! My husband’s off enjoying Lake Winnipesaukee and I’m here packing boxes and painting walls as we get ready to move to Iowa. What a difference a little note scribbled on a card can make in the lives of some people. Remember that folks. Today I feel special because of one simple random act of kindness. What have you done today to make someone feel special?

Here’s what I’m gonna do. Knowing that Lance likes receiving post cards as much as he likes sending them…

"In fact, my wish is that when I get home from vacation 10 days from now
I’ll find my mailbox stuffed full of post cards from all around the
country and the world. My snail mail address is PO Box 263, New Paltz,
NY 12561."

…I’m sending him this "blog" card via this post until I can get my hands on a real card. Lance, this one’s for you.

(Photo taken a couple of years ago of my son Ross and I on a jet ski on a beautiful summer day on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. We’re waving – to Lance of course.)

A Date With My Father

Last Tuesday my father and I went out on a date. I wish I could do this more often with him but he’s in New York and we’re in Ohio – for the moment. I thought it was fun to pull a boat up dockside, climb out and go have lunch (a favorite thing to do in Wolfboro, NH) but pulling up to Rick’s Runway Cafe (in Orange County, NY) in a plane was way cooler!

This is a photo of Rick’s Runway Cafe from my seat in the plane. I’m looking out from underneath the wing as we’re pulling up. What a beautiful day it was. The restaurant was a small ranch style building. Nothing fancy but it’s clean, neat and the food was fine.

Here’s a photo of Captain Bill at the controls. Out the left front window is the Hudson River below.

Pre-flight instruction included a "cheat sheet" that said "in case of emergency try to move the pilot out of the way." (Yeh right! We had about as much room as we would have sitting side by side in a refridgerator.) Instructions told you what frequency to switch to to call in the emergency. Meanwhile do this to maintain altitude and do that to maintain direction…keep an eye on these gauges…oh, and DON’T PANIC! (Photo is that of the control panel with all it’s gauges, buttons and knobs.)

Our flight is over and next we had to gas up. (In this photo, my father, dressed in blue jeans and a white polo shirt, is standing in the doorway of the building – shack – looking out at me)

Back on the tarmac, Dad tied the plane down just in time. The heavens opened up and it poured and thundered for the next 45 minutes. He was stuck sitting in the plane and I had made it to the Honda. (photo: orange and white Cessna…you can see my father climbing out after the rain finally stopped.)

Thanks for a wonderful day Dad. Oh, and HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Love always,

Connie
(Pxx to you Dad!)

P.S. Mom, wish you would have joined us! 🙂

Kuusisto and Mannion: Like Minds

I’m sitting in a coffee shop about to do some work and thought I would log on to this blog to see what my husband had to say about the passing of Kurt Vonnegut. (See below)

Then I decided to visit Lance’s site because I was sure he too would have something posted by now. Sure enough. Take a look at the title he almost gave his post and note the similarity to Steve’s title below. Vonnegut, Twain, Kuusisto, Mannion….all great minds, don’t you think?