Paco's Page
Paco (also known as "the Big Kahuna") joined our family completely by accident.
We had known Paco for nearly a year. It had started with the curious face of a beautiful kitten, looking into our living room from a glass door. I remember being mesmerized by the white body, black tail and gorgeous blue eyes. With a flick of the tail, he announced to us that he was "all boy" before he strutted away. A few weeks later, he walked over, a bit more gingerly, his meow maybe a slightly higher pitch, and a shiny new collar and tag that gave his home as the house just a couple of doors down. Over the next year, he would make frequent visits to say hello. We were amazed as the kitten body filled out to a 20 pound cat....but he still maintained a kittenish face with round, close-set eyes. We looked forward to his visits. He would let us pet him...but there he drew the line. With claws drawn, if need be.
Then, came a fateful day in November. We made the mistake of holding a garage sale over Thanksgiving weekend (when all humanity was shopping the malls, not our garage) when our neighbor came over. Horror of horrors!!! Paco had developed the nasty habit of (gasp!) acting like a cat! He had started hanging out at a neighborhood bird-feeder, for a little feathered lunch al fresco. The threat was made...do "something" with that cat, or a particular cat would not be coming home. His mom came over, and asked us to help. "I know that you have always loved him, and you could handle him as a housecat. Otherwise, I am afraid to know what might happen to him". A family meeting, between myself, my husband and kids was held (the current kitties were not notified) and a vote was placed. Paco had a new home.
We waited for that next friendly visit, before snatching him up and bringing him inside. Oh lord...it was not pretty. Curses were exchanged and blood was drawn. If cats could talk, this one was daring us to hide our knives before retiring at night. So out came my "secret weapon"...catnip, and plenty of it.
Ok...maybe we weren't so bad after all.
So, why the Paco Page? Paco is now my beading companion. If I am at my torch, he is supervising my glasswork, if not trying to lay across the glass rods. If I am beading, he is laying at my feet or across my work table. If I am at the computer, he is proof-reading over my shoulder. In fact, the printer is out-of-wack, since he laid across it and distributed a fair amount of cat-hair inside. Yes, I even have an escort to the bathroom, should he feel that I need one. Since Paco is my mascot, it makes sense to make this a place of informal sharing...what it is like to be a bead-artist with 3 small boys, 3 hairy cats, and a life that is like living in the eye of a hurricane, at the best of times!
Paco shows Kaiser that a bed is made for the comfort of a BIG kitty!
June 2008... a walk to the dark side.
As the nation sits in the midst of housing woes, we sit with it. Our "for sale" sign grew old and our realtors gradually gave up. So, we have decided to "give up the ghost and ride the tide." We pulled up that blasted sign and have hunkered down to wait out the slump. Virginia has been on our map for several hundred years. I doubt it is going anywhere soon, so a few more years won't matter.
So... how does one celebrate staying put? Easy. You get a dog.
We had promised our sons a dog when we settled into our new home in Richmond. But, seeing how this could be years, it didn't seem fair to waste our sons' childhood. I started scouring local pet boards.
One sweet face captured my heart immediately. I had always been partial to the speed and agility of Basset Hounds (yes, that sentence reeks of sarcasm) and here was an adorable Basset / Jack Russell mix. Her story was heartbreaking, even by shelter standards. This poor girl was from the wrong side of the border. Literally. She was rescued from a shelter in Rosarito Beach, Mexico. There, stray dogs are barely tolerated. They are starved and beaten. Euthanasia is a brutal shock from a battery and jumper cables. This little girl was so adorable that this horrid place had allowed her to survive and become "the shelter dog". This meant she was allowed to live, but that is using the term loosely. Covered in mange, giving birth to litter after litter. Even seeing her puppies succumb to the ravages of other dogs. Some Guardian Angels here in San Diego have made it their mission to go into this hell-hole and rescue dogs that have the potential to thrive. This dog and her surviving pups had that potential.
As I gazed at my monitor and saw her Madonna-like pose with her pups, I knew in my heart that this dog would be ours. Without even knowing her history, I just KNEW her name was 'Rosie'. A meeting was arranged. We were smitten. It was poetic. A single rose...the ultimate Valentine's Day gift.
OK. I would be lying if I said Paco was thrilled. Who was this smelly, mangy, panting thing? With Rosie's short basset legs, they were literally the same height. But Paco understands who provides the Friskies in this house and he decided to deal with the situation with a tail flick. A truce has been called.
Rosie has quickly adapted to the Good Life. Her mange cleared, her fur is a beautiful golden red. Her pups having found loving homes in the USA, she is now discovering the joys of being the center of attention herself. My 40 lb shadow with the soulful brown eyes, keeps me close to her. She sleeps in the narrow space between my husband and me, showering us with kisses every morning.... and blasting us with blissful doggie-farts every night. She protects me from the evils that are disguised as mailmen and ceiling fans. And, it has been a learning experience. A true language barrier, it is interesting when you speak English, but your dog knows her commands in Spanish!
And Paco? He is doing his best to ignore this distasteful situation.
