I thought that the best place to begin is to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Jennifer, I live in Salem Ma. and I am a friend of Kate, Kat and Nick. I am 20 years old and I am a care provider for my dad who is a disabled Vietnam veteran. I used to have a blog here on Blogstream that was called Jennifers World, but it only lasted a few months before I gave it up. I am very glad that the opportunity came along to do this group blog because it allows me the chance to get back to blogging but it also is a nice way to stay in touch with friends.
Just before I deactivated my old blog, I did a post on a dog that I had just adopted and today I think I will tell you a little about him. Rufus was adopted from the Northeast Animal shelter last March and it took him all of an hour to become part of our family. Rufus is a golden retriever and has found a niche for himself as an aide to my dad and to another friend named Kate. Kate is Katie from Kates Coven and she has recently had some serious health problems that have her confined to bed and to a wheel chair. My dad is a triple amputee as a result from the war in Vietnam and is confined to a wheel chair all day. When my dad wants to go out for air, Rufus pulls him right along. A few days ago, Kate called and asked if I could come over to her house as her father had given her an hour of freedom. Rufus came along with me and once we got Kate outside, Rufus took over and pulled Kate right along through the down town area. Kate didnt like the attention that the dog was getting her but she sure enjoyed the hour of freedom that she had. Rufus was glad to help too, he knows Kate from many of her visits to my home, in fact I think that Kate would be very embarrassed if it became known that she lost a wrestling match to Rufus.
Just to finish my little biogaraphy, I was born and lived on Nantucket Island for most of my life and I wound up moving to Salem because of my dad and his need to be near the doctor that had treated him for over 20 years. My mom died and I had to take over as my dads primary care provider and moving to Salem was all part of the deal. Salem is a beautiful place and as I have found out, the people here are very special people but for me, home will always be the island.
That about does it as far as the introduction goes, there really isnt much to tell about myself. I appreciate that Kat and Nick and Kate have asked me to be a part of this blog and I am sure that I will be posting here frequently. Maybe later today I will do a post on the fun that Kate and myself have had for the past day and a half trying to get her new laptop up and running, there is enough material in those events to do a weeks worth of posts! As of last night when I left her house, Kate planned on doing her first post on this blog today, she was deeply involved in a mental game of chess against her father when I left her house last night so I am very eager to find out how everything ended.

Kato, My Siberian Huskey Part 1

I acquired Kato, my Siberian huskey by catching sight of an ad in the classified section of the newspaper: “Free to a good home, a Siberian Huskey, 5 years old”. Well I assumed someone was moving and had to leave their canine…so I called and got the address and headed over to see Kato. I have had huskeys in the past, Samoyeds, the all white huskeys, also known as the Christmas dogs, but never owned a Siberian. Both of these breeds come from the Spitz family of canines. I met the owners, a young couple with two small children, then they took me to the back yard and there I saw the beautiful canine, Kato. He was a magnificent specimen, larger than most of the Siberian Huskeys I was accustomed to, probably about 85 lbs I guessed….but it was his eyes that won me over. I couldn’t help but stare right into them and it almost felt like I was staring into a wolf’s face as he locked onto mine. Something wild and primitive there, I thought. It excited me. His furry body was rusty tan color with white powerful front legs, and as he jumped up on me, I could feel the full strength of those front paws holding me. Immediately I wanted to know why this couple was giving up such a gorgeous animal….I could almost tell I was broaching a subject they probably didn’t want to talk about. So I asked, simply, “Why are you giving him up”? He kind of hesitated, and then said, “we love this dog, we had him since he was a pup, he was actually a wedding present…. But a few days ago he broke off his chain and headed over to my neighbors and got into a fight with her dog. She ran out to try to get between them and was bitten by Kato.” To make a long story short, the woman had to be hospitalized and the couple’s homeowners insurance was going to raise the premium, unless they got rid of the dog. They were young people struggling with a new house and two young children and simply could not afford this unfortunate circumstance. So I told them I was interested and would give Kato a large farmstead to live on, and the fact that I owned huskeys before and knew a little about them, gave me an advantage, that some others that applied to the ad earlier, didn’t have that day. He and his wife stepped away for a few minutes, then came back and said, with an almost bittersweet look on their faces…”He’s yours!”
So I took Kato by the leash and put him in my van, then as I started up the van, I couldn’t help glancing out the window, one of the youngsters crying, my heart sank in my chest…I was taking his friend away. The mother quickly embraced the child in her arms and tried to console him, but I could still hear him sobbing, as I drove away with Kato and wondering, was this right.

Nick

HERE'S WISHIN' YA' ALL THE FRIDAY FUN YA' CAN HANDLE!

Your Inner Child Is Surprised

You see many things through the eyes of a child. Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded. You cherish all of the details in life. Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

Nike...Victory for all... kat