Chester and Stuff

I figured it was high time to wish everyone a Happy New Year. When people start calling and wondering when the blog is coming it is time to make time. That is literally the truth though. I just have not had the time. I don't have time this morning really, but I love you all that much!
Chester had his third chemo on Monday. They upped his dosage a bit since he did fairly well with the much lower dosage last time. He is certainly feeling it and I live by the beeping of the alarm which goes off constantly to remind me it's time to administer one medication or another. He has almost no hair now. Everyone keeps mistaking him for a Chinese crested...without the crest. I call him my little chupocabra. It's like mange gone wild. Thing is he is still so cute. He knows he's getting some special treatment too. His mama didn't raise no idiot! He spends most days between puck chasing and harassing Kippy, sleeping in front of his heater on the couch or curled up on my lap demanding massages. If I don't comply he sits up with his nose touching mine, both paws on my chest to tell me "now, Mama". How could we not try to save him? I've had some interesting conversations with people about how much we are spending on his treatment. We are well beyone $3000.00 now. Some think its crass to talk about money, but here's the thing. He's my little boy. And it's just money. My sister was being a little snarky because we haven't bought a new washing machine yet. But this is the life of someone in my family. Who the hell cares about a washing machine. When I cross over I will not be taking some stupid machine with me. I do believe that this little fur person will be my companion there as he is here. I'm a great believer in that story that goes:
A man and his dog die in an accident. They find themselves on the long road up to the pearly gates where some angelic wise-guy type sits at a podium with a big book. He looks up the man's name and says with a smile "Ah, just go on in, my friend!" the man and his dog start toward the opening gates. The guy at the podium calls out, "now, just hold on there a second, Mate. There are no dogs allowed here. They don't have a soul."
The man stops short. He looks at the gleaming towers and golden light just beyond the gates. Then he looks down at his friend. They stare into each others eyes for a long moment. The man turns around and starts heading back down the road. The guy at the gate calls back to him, "What are you doing!?!? Are you refusing eternity within!?!?"
The man turns back and says,, "Well, I just can't leave my friend behind. I'd rather just wander the roads with him if it's all the same to you."
The guy at the gates looks at him and strikes his name from the book. "Don't bother coming back here." he says.
The man replies "Don't worry."
So the man and his dog head off down the dirt road. After a while they come to a rickety fence and a gate with the paint peeling. They figure, what do we have to lose? He opens the gate and they head up the long path that runs through woods and fields. The sun is warm and he takes off his jacket. Soon they come to a little log cabin. It looks like nobody has been around in a long time. They knock and the door creaks open. The dog sticks his nose in and gives a sniff. They enter into the cabin and the man calls out "Hello...?"
No answer. They walk around slowly. There is a great stone hearth where a fire is neatly laid and ready to be lit. There is a table with a place setting and a bowl beside the chair on the floor. Some bread and cheese are set on a sideboard. Down a hallway is a room with a bed, covered in a patchwork quilt that looks much like a quilt the man's mother made him when he was a boy. The man decides, well, we'll just stay the night here and if someone comes back, I can do some work to pay my way. They return to the table and have a bite to eat. As the sun sets and the crickets begin to chirp, they wander out to the porch where the man sits in a rocking chair. The dog curls up at his feet. The air is warm and the stars come out one by one. Pretty soon, they see a figure approaching from up the path. As he draws near, they see he is a bit ragged and pretty old. He calls a greeting. The man thinks, Oh dear. Now we'll have to leave. Maybe we can just stay the night. It sure is peaceful here. As the old man draws near the dog sits up and his tail thumps twice on the wooden floor of the porch.
"Hello there" the old fellow says. "It's a long road...I'm wondering if I might spend the night and beg a bite to eat."
The man smiles, a bit relieved. Another vagabond on the road. He welcomes the man into the cabin and gives him food. Then, when the old fellow has eaten his fill, he guides him to the room with the bed.
"Oh no", the elder protests, "I can't take your bed!"
The man laughs and says "This is no more my bed than it is yours. You take the bed. I don't mind sleeping under the stars."
So thus they spend the night. In the morning, the man awakens to the golden sunrise shining through the leaves, his dog curled next to him in the grass. A cheeky robin is singing in a tree close by.
The man rises, feeling surprisingly spry. He enters the cabin only to find, to his great surprise that instead of the old man, his father is sitting at the table with two places set. Tears spring to the man's eyes and he lets out a great cry of joy, for his father died many years ago. The two embrace.
The father says "I'm sorry for the deception son. It is the test of kindness and charity that we all must pass. And you passed with flying colours as I knew you would.
"But where are we, Dad?" the man asks, in awe.
"Why, this is heaven, son, and this is your place. Your mother and I live just down the road a ways. We fixed it up for you and Pete, here, when we heard you were coming."
"But what was that other place?" the man asks in confusion.
"Why that was Hell, son. You don't think that heaven would be a place that would refuse to let such a kind and loyal being enter, do you?"
The man beamed and stroked the head of his old friend.
"Come on down for supper later. Your Mother is anxious to see you."
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Anyway, that's my version of the story. But it's what I believe.
So, we've got snow piled high and it feels like the Swiss Alps here. It's warm out today though. And Chester is curled up beside me. And it's about time for breakfast.
I'll be putting some pretty cool things into the Etsy store today. So, please, go check it out. Lotta bills to pay and all that;-)
www.etsy.com/shop/AutumnDomoslai

What's on the menu: Chicken noodle soup, Apple pie
Listening to: Omnia
What's goin' on: Making tiny tomes
Viewing: Ha! Heroes...season 3 and Paranormal State