FiveSibes #Flashback ~ "Wolfie"  above and  "Harley" below ~ December 2015   With this being the last week of July, I thought it fitting to do a Christmas in July #FlashbackFriday. This is a special #FBF... different from my usual as it is an introspective and emotional one. I thank you for taking the time to go down Memory Lane and share this one with me, and you may need a tissue or two...but do get to the end, as I hope to leave you feeling lighter and maybe a (teary) smile. It's still hard for me to talk about Christmas 2015.   The 2015 holiday season kicked off with devastating heartbreak for me, with unbeknownst to me, more to come. First up, my dear mother passed shortly before Thanksgiving, after a fall back that summer right after her 94th birthday. She was in rehab for a broken foot, but then suddenly began her decline, never to come home again as four months later, she passed on.    #Flashback ~ my "Gibson" ~ 2015  Before Gibson went ...

I, on behalf of our FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong K9 Epilepsy Awareness Campaign, have some very exciting news to share ~ in partnership with a huge congratulations to a dear friend and fellow Epi-dog hu-mom!    Barbara Drury, whose now furangel Epi-dog, "Manilow B. Magic," fondly called Manilow (yes, he was named after the singer!) was one of the beautiful Epi-stars featured in my book, EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy. He was also featured in my November's Epi-Star Features HERE if you'd like to read all about this amazing dog who did not let epilepsy get in his way of enjoying life. Barbara's original best buddy, the handsome Epi-dog "Manilow" was featured in EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living and Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy, an award-winning large coffee table resource book by me, the FiveSibesMom, Dorothy Wills-Raftery. Manilow was not just Barbara's han...

    💡 HELPFUL IDEA 💡   In the words of a famous cartoon pup, "Roh-oh!" With the announcement that the UPS may go on strike at the end of July, a good idea is to place orders now for any dog food, medications (especially if you order them from a compounding pharmacy that ship meds), and dog items to be sure you have what you need should the strike happen and deliveries are delayed. Here's some news on the strike: https://www.npr.org/.../ups-strike-shipping-package-delivery .   Hopefully, they will come to an agreement, but in the meantime, it's a good idea to be proactive for your dogs if you need to order anything using the service.       Visit our Home Page and Don't Forget to Visit Our Other Pages, including Our #LiveGibStrong On-Line K-9 Epilepsy Resource Page. Just click on "More" Pages at top of blog.      

Flashback Photo ~ Chloe ~ 2016  Starring in AmericanPet Magazine along with my article on the healthy benefits of coconut oil for dogs!   My FiveSibes all loved coconut oil, and it's so healthy for dogs and humans. Back in 2016, just when the benefits of coconut oil were being discussed, I interviewed acupuncturist, nutritional counselor, and wellness coach Carrie Andress of Andress Acupuncture in Kingston, NY for her expertise on the smooth oil for my article "Cuckoo for Coconut Oil: A Healthy Choice for Your Dogs" that was published in AmericanPet Magazine , along with several photos of my FiveSibes! Below's 2016 Flashback photo is Carrie with two of my FiveSibes, Chloe and Harley, who were thrilled to meet her!     The top Flashback photo of Chloe, as published in the magazine, is a fun one because as you know by now, Chloe was our resident foodie dog! That girl just loved food. And in this pic, you can see it in her bright blue eyes as she waited for her egg om...

    July is all about capturing great photos of our dogs! (Okay, every day is, but there seriously are two July dates devoted just to this!) Happy All American Pet Photo Day! Yes, that's right, July 11th is really a day dedicated to photographing our beloved pets, and July 26 is National Dog Photography Day! Two dates that are barking right up my alley! As a career photojournalist, I truly believe every picture does indeed tell a story. Every day, our pets bring us so much joy, whether it is that moment a puppy lick’s a child’s face, a therapy dog brings happiness to an ailing or lonely person, a cat chases a butterfly, a horse gallops across a misty field, a bunny nibbles on a piece of hay, or a dog rolls in the first snow of the season, taking a photograph allows us to capture and enjoy that moment, over and over again.   Every day can be a day of many special moments to capture our pets on film (or memory card). And, with today being All American Pet Photo Day, it ...