Ella the invalid

Poor Ella. She's not allowed to play, run, jump, or take long walks for at least another week, so she's been forced to take up reading to stave off boredom:

Good thing we have lots of magazines to keep her occupied!

Ella goes to the hospital

Let me start by saying that Ella is fine. She does, however, have a chronic condition called "degenerative disc disorder." We discovered this last weekend. I had to go out of town for a friend's wedding, so Neillee and Dustin babysat. Friday night, Ella started limping and whining whenever she rolled over or jumped up. When I got back on Sunday, she was still limping and crying in pain. I took her to the vet Monday morning, and they had to sedate her to give her x-rays. Poor Ella had to stay at the animal hospital all day! After seeing the x-rays, the vet explained to me that Ella's spinal discs in her neck are spaced too close together, which can cause inflammation and pain when she over-exerts herself. Ella now has three painkillers and a muscle relaxer to help reduce the inflammation so that she can heal. After she gets over this acute pain, we will look at long-term treatment of her condition. I was so worried that she had a major injury, so I'm happy to report that after two days on her medicine, she is feeling much better. We are having a hard time restricting her activity level, since she has so much energy and just wants to run and jump. However, I am confident that with extra rest and attention, Ella will be well in no time!

"Uncle" Dustin strikes again!

"Uncle" Dustin just loves to dress Ella up. Surprisingly, she doesn't seem to mind these fashion shows, and I am always amused when Dustin sends me the pictures. Last night, Ella got sporty in a baseball cap:

I'm going to Danville this weekend to see two high school friends get married (Congratulations, Mary and Chris!) so Ella is staying in Williamsburg with Neillee and Dustin. She and I are so lucky to have friends who are willing to dogsit, which means that Ella doesn't have to go to a kennel. I know she appreciates it, and I definitely do! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Elegant Ella

Last weekend, Ella and I were lucky to have Auntie Ashlyn visit us in Williamsburg. Ella loves having guests and meeting new people, so she was in heaven. She even got to go to the beach again, which resulted in sand in her ears, sand in her nose, and sand all over my car. Needless to say, our beach day ended in Ella getting a bath, which she did not enjoy. In addition to visiting the beach, Ella also got a present from her Auntie- a new book! My sister Ashlyn is officially going to be a first grade teacher next year, so she knows her children's books! She gave us a book called Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela and Steve D'amico. Ella the elephant is new in town, so she decides to wear her grandmother's elegant hat to gain some good luck and confidence at school. Unfortunately, the large hat draws some unwelcome attention from the school bully, Belinda. When Belinda slips while climbing the tall safety wall surrounding the school, however, she is happy that Ella's lucky hat transforms into a parachute and saves the day! The next day, the entire class, including Belinda the bully, sports large, fancy hats to say thank you to Ella the Elegant Elephant. This whimsical story teaches important lessons about kindness and friendship. The elephant illustrations are simple, yet colorful and cheerful. I loved the story, although I did find it a bit long for younger children. It is definitely a great choice for bedtime! I think Ella the dog enjoyed reading about Ella the elephant, since they both share big, floppy ears and a love of all things elegant and fancy!

Ella's sweet shades

"Uncle" Dustin (my roommate's boyfriend) had a little too much fun with Ella while I was at work. I got this photo on my phone while I was slaving away in my cubicle...

 Isn't she adorable? This photo prompted my book review of Fun Dog, Sun Dog by Deborah Heiligman and Tim Bowers. The 'fun dog,' (a golden retriever named Tinka) and her boy visit the beach and get into a lot of mischief along the way! The rhyme and rhythm of this book make it a great option for beginning readers. With lines like,
"A Hey! dog,/a sprayed dog,/a skunk-got-in-the-way dog,"
What's not to love? Plus, the book cover features Tinka wearing some pretty cool shades:

Ella and I have big plans to visit the beach this weekend, so maybe she'll have a chance to sport those shades again!

Ella learns to sit and stay

Ella and I have had a wonderful week so far. I had Monday off, so the week feels like it's flying by! Ella and I had our first obedience class together on Tuesday, and she's already a star pupil. She has mastered sit and stay, and we're working on "with me" so she doesn't pull on her leash. I'm thrilled with her progress. I think she's also enjoying the influx of treats that accompany obedience lessons each day. In literary news, a friend sent me this poem, which I think perfectly portrays the essence of Ella (and most other dogs). Enjoy!

Golden Retrievals
By Mark Doty

Fetch? Balls and sticks capture my attention

seconds at a time. Catch? I don’t think so.

Bunny, tumbling leaf, a squirrel who’s—oh

joy—actually scared. Sniff the wind, then

I’m off again: muck, pond, ditch, residue

of any thrillingly dead thing. And you?

Either you’re sunk in the past, half our walk,

thinking of what you never can bring back,

or else you’re off in some fog concerning

—tomorrow, is that what you call it? My work:

to unsnare time’s warp (and woof!), retrieving,

my haze-headed friend, you. This shining bark,

a Zen master’s bronzy gong, calls you here,

entirely, now: bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow.