Glad your doggy is ok and it sounds like you are quite busy. Great news. Keep up the good work. -- Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up. Karen Carter Class of '74 -------------- Original message -------------- From: Shelly <[log in to unmask]> > It seems like yesterday that I was sitting down to write my september > update. This month has been full of activity and has just flown by. > I began volunteering at an elementary school about a half hour from home. > Ths is the same one I was at last year. I am there for ten hours over 3 days > a > week. I am working with first through fifth graders and have 7 kids. My > one fourth grader and one of my fifth graders are reading chapter books. The > other are quite low readers. I have been in contact with the children's > librarian at the library for the blind and she has sent me some wonderful > books. > NBP also donated some early phonix readers with print and Braille. I still > braille up books a couple times a week. My kids are all great. In the last > week > or so they've started to test me more, but I'm ok with hthat. To me it means > they are starting to see me as a regular person not just the blind lady. > I've > also spoken in a few classrooms about blindness. > Ellie is of course quite popular with all the kids. She handles the crowded > hallways wonderfully. > There is a little boy at the school a special ed student who has behavior > issues. He doesn't speek much mainly repeating what is said to him. He and > Ellie > love each other. His reward for getting his work done quietly is to come pet > Ellie. He pets her she licks and wags and he speeks to her saying her name > and sometimes telling her to sit. It is a very neat thing to watch and makes > me want to work a therapy dog full time someday. > in choir we have begun our christmas music;. We will be singing at a couple > of special events during the holiday season. > There is a new horse at BNB. He is a western gaming champion now retired. I > wonder what he thinks as he is walking through the weave polls "this is so > dumbg! > I'm supposed to be running!" He is adjusting very well to be a therapy > horse. He is wonderful to ride. He is very very responsive and has a nice > walk and > marvelous trot. I've been able to ride him off lead quite a bit. I even did > it during the game today which was a ring toss which involved quite a bit of > turning and stopping. > Medically its been a tough month for Ellie. A couple weeks ago we were out > at the stable and the stable owners dog jumped on ellie biting her 3 times. > Its > was a terrifying experience for everyone involved. The wounds have healed > fine and she shows no fear or aggression toward other dogs. > A bit later in the month she was playing hard with me one morning and came > up limping. it lasted for a couple days and was sensitive to touch for a few > more, but is fine now. > She got in to my friend's dogs food and I think we are getting another ear > infection, but I began treating it today so hopefully it won't get any > worse. > November will be another busy month. There are a couple special things > coming up. I'm going to see the dead sea scrolls exhibit next week. The day > after > that I'll be going to the WCB convention being held in Seattle. > talk to you next month and of course before if I have anything interesting > to say. > don't forget you can check my livejournal at > http://turtlechelle.livejournal.com/ > ----- Original Message ----- > > > >>