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Steve & Maggie, The Story of Love between a Man and His Dog
Feb 4th
I confess. The thrill of the hunt is something I never understood. The hunt between a man and his dog verses bird is a mystery to me also. On an early January morning with temperatures as balmy as a spring day I met with Steve to hear the story of Maggie. their story helped me better understand the sport of hunting and the special bond formed between a man and his dog as hunting partners.
Maggie & Steve’s story is one of determination, strength, integrity and love. Steve is a man in the prime of his life with silver hair that reflects his accomplishments as father, husband and provider. Maggie is a 1 year old yellow lab with strawberry highlights and luminous brown eyes urging you to pet her.
Steve grew up without dogs, but after accompanying a friend and his dog on a hunting expedition, he was hooked. He launched a mission to find a lab that could be a family dog as well as a hunter. Day after day Steve meticulously surfed the web. He talked with many breeders via phone and e-mail explaining what he wanted in a lab. Some breeders felt a lab could not be both a hunter and a dog which could adapt to family life. Little did these breeders know Steve is a very determined man. Steve’s search ended after hours of homework and he found a breeder to meet his needs.
Maggie was born in July 2005. as soon as she was weaned, she was released to her new home with Steve and his family. Maggie was a typical puppy learning everything a little pup needs to learn. At seven months old, with great anticipation, Steve took Maggie out for her first hunt. Steve said, I was so excited about this day and the years ahead of Maggie and me hunting in the north woods.
The following day Maggie could not get up to walk, and this continued for two days. On the third day she was walking, but with unusual stiffness in her rear legs. The vet felt Maggie might have hip dysplasia, yet those tests came back negative. Maggie’s hips were in excellent shape. The vet was stumped and Steve was referred to a specialist in Appleton. Within an hour of arriving there, a devastating diagnosis was made. Maggie had severe Ostecohondritis (OCD). This is a disease that primarily affects the shoulders in a dog, not the rear legs as in Maggie’s case. OCD is characterized by cracks and flaps in the joints cartilage, which cause inflammation, joint instability, pain, lameness, and degenerative joint disease.
The vet recommended surgery. The goal of treatment with OCD is to prevent further damage, alleviate the pain, and increase mobility. The prognosis was guarded and there was no guarantee it would work. If they decided to do the surgery, Steve and Maggie would be put to the test with a 12-week, 3 times a day rehabilitation program. Dr. Bohn of the Kettle Moraine Veterinary Clinic had performed shoulder OCD surgery but was new to rear leg OCD surgery. in spite of these concerns, Steve was willing and Dr. Bohn agreed to do the operation. Steve said, It was the answer to my prayers.
After the surgery, rehab began and it was like teaching Maggie to walk all over again. Steve is honest in his feelings and shared it was stressful and demanding. Steve’s free time was filled up with Maggie and he said he could not have managed without the help of his lovely wife, Lisa. every morning he got up early before work and ran Maggie through her rehab exercises. The routine played out again as Steve went home during his lunch hour and the day ended with another round of rehab. The summer flew by as Steve worked diligently with Maggie. At the end of 12 weeks Steve started to lose hope. Maggie was not improving.
But, Steve did not give up on Maggie. At the end of September, he took her out to a field and worked with her in hunting format. He began with 30 minute sessions and progressed in time each week as Maggie improved. That strategy proved to be the missing link; Maggie’s drive to hunt gave her a purpose. After that, her rehabilitation progress was amazing.
The big test came at the end of October 2006, when Steve’s family and friends took a three-day hunting trip to Iowa. Steve was filled with mixed emotions of anticipation and hope. Maggie’s determination came shining through and the hunt was a success, not only in terms of catching game, but Maggie completed the hunt with hardly any stiffness. She is a pioneer in her recovery and gives hope to other dogs that may have to endure the diagnosis of OCD.
December 29th, 2006 Steve and Maggie were in the north woods once again. Fresh snow blanketed the earth as they tracked grouse. Three hours passed and Maggie showed no signs of discomfort. her goal was focused on the task at hand and she savored the hunt. Steve and Maggie are a shining example of the love a man has for his dog and the love a dog has for a best friend who will not give up on her.
Steve & Maggie, The Story of Love between a Man and His Dog
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A Look at Gisele Bundchen’s Love Life
Feb 3rd
No one is immune to the pull of physical attraction, not even the rich and famous. However, the path to true love is never smooth, least of all for famous people. Every move they make is avidly watched and recorded by ardent fans. Any friendship they develop will invariably be exaggerated into a full-blown romance.
To some people, nothing is more tantalizing than hearing about Gisele Bundchen personal life. Everyone was so sure that she would settle down with her longtime actor boyfriend. Theirs was a high profile and preternaturally long lasting relationship by any celebrity standards. the two were never a conventional couple by any stretch of the imagination, having broken up and reunited several times before Gisele ultimately broke up with him for a last and final time after four years. it was speculated that she was tired of his constant flirting with other women.
Following the end of her relationship with the actor, anyone looking up Gisele Bundchen personal life would have read about how she dated a professional surfer. the pairing unfortunately did not last long. the two of them split up after dating each other for only 8 months. Oddly enough, it was reported that the breakup had detrimental effects on them both.
The supermodel is now married to a quarterback from an American football team. Gisele will be a stepmother to the son that the athlete had with his former girlfriend. Some heated controversy arose over Gisele assuming the maternal role when it emerged that her husband was still dating his former girlfriend when he met and began dating Gisele herself. the model and her husband are expecting their first child together, who is due to be born next year.
The rest of can take heart in knowing that even supermodels don’t find the perfect man on the first try
A Look at Gisele Bundchen’s Love Life
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Dealing With Parenthood
Feb 3rd
Do you have a year old baby in your house? if the answer is yes, then probably you are one of the most tired people on the face of the earth. though endearing, this is one of the most challenging periods of your life. While you try to juggle your life, home, office and probably a dozen other responsibilities, you also want to be dead sure that you are doing just the right thing for your baby. Your little baby is your responsibility and whether you are a mom or a dad, these times can be really hard on you stress wise.
Here are some tips to deal with the situation in general:
1. Make sure you inculcate a habit of routine in your baby: believe it or not, children love routines. so, if you worry about your baby not going to bed on time everyday, develop a bedtime routine for her. Bathe her and change clothes after dinner and tuck her into bed at approximately the same time daily. Reading to the baby will usually make her calm and soothe her enough to lull her into sleep. these things will make her disciplined and leave you with less things to deal with.
2. Don’t miss out on marital togetherness: even if your child and jobs take up a good part of your time and energy, find some time for each other. in fact, if possible, leave your child with a grandparent for few hours and go out on a date with your spouse. You can do this once every month. also, whenever you are taking care of the baby try to help the other person out so that the togetherness factor is underlined perpetually.
3. Seek outside help: outside help can be in the form of helpful grandparents, teenagers who can babysit your child for a while, househelp – if you can afford it. it helps to get a little burden off your back once in a while.
4. Relax and do what you love: Every once in a while enlist help of your spouse to take your child out of your hair for a while, so that you can do what you like to do most in your spare time. it can be a visit to the spa, or a match of baseball, or reading. Doesn’t matter what you do, all that matters is that the activity should be one which gives you joy and relaxation.
Hope these tips will help bring you lots of joy. happy parenthood.
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