Sister to Sister time together

Two years ago I was invited and was able to experience time away from home solo, traveling to my sister's home on Cape Cod in MA, in the USA for our first annual sister-only getaway.

We so loved our week together, she and I, we soon decided upon and claimed this time of year as our own sister-only getaway. You can read about it HERE....

US Thanksgiving - 2009

Here I am this year, taking a moment to begin sucking
back that refreshing and beloved sea air....

Rewind though back to last year (2008), with regret our yearly sister-only time wasn't going to happen with the imminent family transfer move in our midst before us (seen here).

Jokingly, my sister and I have now both exclaimed we'll settle for a "bi-yearly sister-only time", and this is THE year for it to happen on purpose for both of us.

Not withstanding a pile of drama before leaving, almost very nearly threatening my trip in the first place, one of our dogs (the husky) became very ill.

Knocking our cogs together, the family retraced steps to figure out what she may have gotten in to or eaten, what type of rodent perhaps that could've presented this situation.

Our husky presented a case we were scratching our heads over, and yet that motherly instinct grabbed hold of me to whisk her off to the veterinarian FAST after she had been throwing up during the night, the day before a bit, not eating her food, and became visibly and terribly listless throughout the wee hours of the morning.

Off to the vet we went with the ending saga of - drugs in hand, shot for the dog for the nausea, another appointment booked for Monday to follow up on what he felt was a possible infection or something. Later this day though seemed to claim this dog's whole being as time ticked onward, as she became ever more listless, vomiting even more all day long.

After dinner our vet's office was closed but the answering machine message included an emergency animal hospital referral. After a telephone call inquiry with one of the Vet doctors on duty there, it was highly recommended we bring her down for further examination. It was there at that animal hospital during that long eventful evening when the doctor barely had completed her examination we all realized "something" was terribly wrong.

Leaving our dog there as an in-patient, medical tests rolled onward through the night after we departed for home. By early morning, the doctor detailed the discovery of something lodged in her intestinal track.

We returned shortly after 7am. to re-claim our dog as the hospital s closed during the day. This same Vet doctor strongly recommended emergency surgery as soon as possible. He bluntly announced she would not live to Monday if we chose to wait with the nature of discovery.

Long and short of it, there we were trying desperately to resolve the emergent situation to prevent more drama with this situation during my eventual absence, when I flew out of town - the next day!

Enroute alright, off to Boston

Our dog ended up having immediate door to door surgery from animal hospital to our own Vet doctor who had been notified of the situation with a faxed report arriving just a bit before we did with the dog in tow.

Under one hour later, the Vet called to create a true feeling of relief, the operation had been easy and successful and he snickered to claim he had pulled out part of a leash lodged inside. We can only gather our dog had found a way to grab hold of a fuzzy feeling leach under the crevice nearby her pen area in the dark of the night, using her paw to managed it underneath of a wall with a crack underneath, only to think her instincts thought it was something yummy.

Half the leash had been consumed (crazy dog!), and the end of it was lodged tightly within her intestinal track. Another night was spent with her on IV fluids and recovering. Yikes! We now have a deeper "INVESTMENT" in this dog. She better not ever attempt to run away now! :)

Arriving early, I grabbed my luggage, looked out
of the door and the bus was rolling by.
I had to be on that bus, and in the nick of time, I was!
One hour early, yeah!

Thankful for having the sun in my face all the way.

A familiar part of downtown Boston while
on my bus ride out of the Logan Airport

By now you've likely figured, I have indeed arrived on the Cape,
here to relax, unwind, recover, and declutter my brain while
celebrating US Thanksgiving and spend time with my
one and only sister.

Actually, I've joked around to make a downer emergent situation feel brighter by telling our children;

"Merry Christmas everyone. We used the gift budget monies to save the dog instead of buying anything else." Ha, ha.

Just in case, for those reading this post determined or tempted to spill out the words "it's only a dog", please don't.

So, all that said; I'm here at the Cape, about to take off for a walk on the sandy beach shores at the water's edge with my only sister.

On the boardwalk - Sandwich, on Cape Cod

About Thanksgiving again....

Thankful things for me includes the ability to celebrate both the Canadian and American Thanksgivings in our family, because being that our mother was born and raised in Virginia and our father was born and raised in a small french community in B.C., Canada, we grew up just celebrating them alternatively, and through the years if my husband and I overlooked a Canadian Thanksgiving celebration at home, we opted for the November Thanksgiving date instead. For the most part however, October is the month in our own nucleus family, yet my parents still opt to gather for both festive dates on the calendar to this day.

Funny thing this year, during my own absence while on this brief visit to the US, my husband decided he will make a turkey feast at home for our children and himself to remember this upcoming US Thanksgiving along with us over here. (Psst, hey honey, please oh please save me a piece of pumpkin pie, okay?)

It's in the blood folks with dual-country parents, this thankful stuff....it's definitely in the blood- the ability to be "thankful" with two historically driven Thanksgiving occasions during one calendar year in our family circle.

Today, I am relieved and very thankful for seeing the glass as half full, the dog drama being over and for the love of my husband and family. Oh boy, yes I am! Whew...whew, and more whew!

Just me and my sister at the water's edge.