Hear, Hear

Liam talking
My Mom has a hearing loss. Her audiologist says it is a unique hearing loss. Mom hears extreme highs and lowest lows. Not the human range of voices. Kinda like me. Often we will hear a noise and both look up. Daddy Paul will ask us what is wrong. Did you hear that?
Only us
Here is the link to our story about Mom's hearing
we enjoyed the refresher, perhaps you will as well

https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/hearing%20not

This ENT visit shows the unique loss is stable. This is good.
Mom has been offered the opportunity to upgrade her hearing aids.
This is the new company
Link

https://www.oticon.com/ and more.
but
uh oh
she will hear better
I am the most hearing-est person here.
Will Mom be looking out the doors and windows before me?

Liam's Mom
I am excited

Hearing App

These have an app. I am able to adjust.
Find them.
Listen to TV.
ring doorbells
Have a person talk to me from another room
Turn on the lights.
Get texts in my ears
Tweet

CRAFTING CONNECTIONS

In the first weeks of June...
We have been in the adjustment phase

I have now committed to the next level
And Thursday they will be mine.
My iPhone will join in
kinda like my Fitbit 

I want these to be an improvement.

I always hear if something is said. But do not always get it right. I answer to what I have heard
See the infamous The Dog is Dead.
story
worth a reread
here it is
https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Hearing%20loss

LIAM HEARS DOGS AND PEOPLE COMING UP THE STREET

Will I be joining him at the window?
Or outside?
will I hear too much?
sometimes I do
Liam does

Woof Woof

Beemo, Bye Baby girl

MOM, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE NEWS

A few months back we did a story about dog meat farms in South Korea which surfaced in public awareness during this year's Winter Olympics held in Pyeongchang. One of our Olympic heroes, Gus Kenworthy and his partner Matt, adopted a dog from a dog meat farm and as a result of their efforts all ninety dogs at the farm were rescued.
Gus had previously rescued some pups from Sochi, the venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

A refresher
Here is our blog story from the Winter Olympics 2014
https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Sochi%20strays%20find%20homes

and the most recent story February 2018
https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2018_02_25_archive.html

Matt, Gus and puppy Beemo in South Korea In February.

Beemo arrived in the U.S. in March 2018. She had her own Instagram account and expressed her opinions. Her views and comments were hilarious and she often poked fun at her two dads. Thousands of Instagrammers replied back and offered their support and advice. Beemo had many offers for play dates and romantic dates from interested suitors.
See some IG photos of Beemo and her dads.

BEEMO HAD HER OWN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

We followed Beemopup and her dads Gus and Matt on Instagram. 

A family.

Two weeks ago a post came up. 

RIP Beemo.
 on all their accounts

I kept switching among the three to make sure it was real. It was

My eyes filled with tears.

Beemo was in the US since March....

Beemo died May 24

astonishingly 

unexpectedly

WHERE IS BABY BEEMO?

https://www.today.com/pets/gus-kenworthy-mourns-death-dog-he-rescued-olympics-t129854

'Kenworthy and his boyfriend, Matt Wilkas, were stunned by Beemo's deteriorating condition after taking the dog to a veterinarian when she was not eating her food. The veterinarian discovered that the dog's "heart was too big for her body" due to a birth defect."

Here is what Gus has to say
"It all happened so fast that it's still hard to believe it,'' the skier wrote. "The ER doc told us that even if we'd somehow spotted the issue earlier it wouldn't have made a difference in the end. He said that she'd been living on 'borrowed time' from the get go."

"Beemo was truly the best thing that ever happened to me and I feel so fortunate for our borrowed time together,'' Kenworthy wrote. "I've never loved anything or anyone in the way that I loved that dog and she is and will always be deeply missed."

Instagram Collage

BEEMO'S ACCOUNT, HSIGLOBAL'S POST

Mourning

Liam does not have an IG account. He does show up on mine.

Liam blogs. He has a presence on Social Media and felt a connection to this Internet pup and wanted to watch her grow and bring joy.

No worries Liam

Beemo did bring joy

Bye Beemopup

Woof, Woof

Less of Liam

I KNOW THERE IS A CARAMEL MACCHIATO IN BACK OF ME

In March we wrote a story about Liam and his Lard (er)
a refresher link
https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Larder%20leads%20to%20Lard
Our little fourdogsinone was growing. A friend advised putting him on a diet of fat dog food. We did. We also put away his boneys. And stopped the treats. And latte licks. And pieces of cheese.

At last week's vet visit he was weighed...38 pounds!
Success. A loss of 4 pounds.

MY PARENTS ARE STARVING ME

I do wonder if he is suffering.
Does he grieve for his boney?
His deli turkey slices?
The occasional nibble of Monterrey Jack?
Cheerios?
The collage below illustrates his sustained interest in his own food and in ours.

TRYING TO GET SOME HUMAN FOOD AND EATING MY OWN

He has managed to scarf cake crumbs.
and
Bagel remains I had out for the outdoor birds
and
Butter from Paul's mustache
and
Foam from my Starbucks casara cold brew

Liam is proactive in pursuit of food. He does sniff around the yard more than I remember...however could be the newly revealed smells of spring and may not be hunger but instinct

THERE HAS TO BE A FALLEN PORK CHOP

Searching for something edible involves approaching previously ignored yard statues

DOES LAUGHING BUDDHA HAVE A SECRET STASH?

Liam confronts laughing Buddha ...curious as to how Buddha maintains his girth... are there treats out here

in the yard? 

THE DOG WHO HATES WATER IS BEACH BODY READY

We have to keep at it.
When walking by the high school the other day some students yelled out "Hey, puppy, you are cute" Must be the new svelte look. 

Woof, woof

Sole Survivor Gone

LIAM AND HIS SISTER KRISTIN

We once had 5 parakeets. Concurrently.
This past week our sole survivor Kristin passed away at the age of 13.
Three words apply to Kristin. The mantra  from our fave show Survivor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_(U.S._TV_series)

Outwit
Outplay 
Outlast


Outwit
Kristin stayed under the radar. She was not the loudest or the biggest or the meanest  She was a pack member.
Outplay
Kristin could hang upside down, climb up and down with alacrity... stand on her perch on one leg for hours...her head tucked into her back, swing from perch to perch, leading with her beak
Outlast
When the last boy Kaysar died in 2016, Kristin embraced the single life. No mourning period for her. She moved into a new house and relaxed...finally free of Kaysar's constant amorous attention.
Kristin was not well for a while but fought to live, eating, drinking and communicating
The day before she died, I prayed over her and told her to let go. She did...when I checked in the morning she was gone

History
The 'keets were named after newbies at work. You rose to the front if you had a K name.
If you would like to meet them here is the 2009 blog story with photos.
Each 'keet has a pic.
https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20keets

This is the announcement I had made up to introduce them
Annotated are their dates of death.

Kristin will be the last 'keet.
No more birds

The removal of her cage and her toys left an emptiness. Physical and spiritual.
I had to fill the void with a living entity. A plant would be perfect.
Recently two friends collaborated to identify a plant. I was the intermediary...sending photos back and forth. It turned out to be a Chinese Evergreen. Also known as Aglaomena.  Our shared experience dictated that this plant would be the one to occupy Kristin's spot. I wanted to be in the club. I adopted one as well.
The Chinese evergreen has been installed in Kristin's corner.
Hopefully it will thrive for as a long time as she did.

CHINESE EVERGREEN 

Our most recent blog story spoke of Liam's new red sister. Was this story prescient? One sister arrives, another departs?
The title was a tease, the sister
is a Ti (tee) plant
see the link for the story
https://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Ti%20Plant

When we arrived at Hicks nurseries to buy the Chinese Evergreen, Paul spotted a row of the Red Sisters. Lush. Vividly colored. We had to get another sister!
Liam could not believe it.
His parents brought home another poisonous plant... it is on the left. and the lower right. The first red sister is top right

LOOKING AT HIS RED SISTERS

No worries

Liam

will not go near his sisters.

too high for him. He does not graze on plants.

Never has

All is fine

LIAM NEAR HIS RED SISTER #1

Woof, woof

Liam has a Red Sister

MOM HAS PLANTS EVERYWHERE

In the fall of 2016, my indoor plant addiction was shaken out of its dormancy when I was gifted with a variety of plants. My dear friend had selected two identical groupings of house tolerant plants to assist in my recovery from surgery. Don't know about my colorectal surgery? I wrote about it. Of course...
here is the blog story.
http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2016/10/it-began-with-three-numbers.html
My friend had sent me 8 plants, 2 duplicate sets...actually there were more as each pot had several potential offshoots. I replanted. Fertilized. Learned about them. What they liked...what they did not.
Rotated them around the house. I loved them because they were a tangible gift from my friend. And they needed me and distracted me during unforeseen post op complications.
See photo collage following
top left
Pothos...also called devil's ivy...grows long vines which you can drape and in which you can hide drinks, See my iced tea, left and wine, right.
middle.
Kalanchoe, croton, kalanchoe.
top right
Liam with another pothos
bottom
croton. kalanchoe

They thrived. And surrounded us with love and life. I shared their progress with my friend. She cheered them on.
But my friend did not thrive.
She died unexpectedly on December 1st 2017. Here is Barb's story.

http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2018/01/love-aunt-barb.html

Her plant gifts then became more essential to her memory. I was propelled towards increasing my indoor garden. Maybe as a tribute to Barb

Various ways I accrue plants
You know of the gifts
Next are

1-Planned Purchases
This year I started with a visit to Hicks Nurseries for their annual January sale. 
On the right
The two bromeliads were purchased at the sale. I had never heard of this plant category but was drawn to the color and their tropicality. It basically is a pineapple.

On the left
I bought this one in 2005; it was alone on a table in Hicks, No tag, no info. Had the idea someone carried it around then changed his/her mind and dumped it on a convenient table. Was small and fit on the front passenger seat of my car. It is now ceiling height and 3 feet wide. Liam's eating and drinking area are at its base. Schefflera.

and

2-Rescues  
I rescue plants from King Kullen, Stop n Shop and our local florist.
I believe they need saving because are put out there to catch a shopper's eye for seasonal displays and then ignored...sometimes unrelated plants are stuffed into one small container...they are over-watered. Some are dusty...some hidden... Usually not labeled.
But what are they?
A Pinterest pal's plant board pin alerted me to an app- PictureThis -that identifies plants
You send in a pic and it offers likely matches. It works!
I tested its accuracy against plants I am sure of and it is phenomenal in its percentage of correct matches.
See the app in action via screenshots. My photos were submitted and I selected the match.

and in person in our home
top
English Ivy, bamboo palm, flowering kalanchoe.

bottom
two Ming aralias
Thank you to Picture This...I now know my rescues

And our newest acquistion
In the first week of April, we visited friends in Port St. Lucie. My heightened desire for plant acquisition dovetailed with my active awareness of local plantings. I was drawn to our friends' new plants. Was told they are Ti plants...a quick google check expanded the name list to red sister, cabbage palm, good luck plant, palm lily... The Ti was pronounced tee, not tie as I had been saying. I decided to call them Red sisters.
A latent visual memory emerged of my parents' Tampa home. I am sure there were Red Sisters there.
I knew I had to have one.
Here are my friends' plants...outside, in front of their house

PORT ST LUCIE RED SISTERS

During our stay, I began noticing them all over and augmented my visual education with reading about them
Qualities and Uses
they are:
red, purple, orange, yellow, chocolate, pink, green
edible
liqueurs
hula skirts
leis
surfboard covers
sleds
good luck
sacred
medicine
Australian
Polynesian

a link about them
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyline_fruticosa

and another way to obtain a plant
3-Order from Amazon

I contacted Hicks and they told me the Ti plants would be coming in to them in June and July.  Okay. A day passed. I had to have one. So I sent away for it. It was coming from Florida. I looked at its origin point and it was one of our favorite places to visit with my parents, Ybor City. Its next stop was St. Petersburg. Another hangout. The places we frequented with my parents. We will have a living testimonial to memories of my parents tenure in Florida

Liam's Red sister arrived Monday April 16. Two feet high with a zip lock bag over its root-ball. We posed root-ball in my paw, hugging Liam close-an official family portrait. Mom and sister and brother.
Liam leery from the start. Could not wait to get away. He has a good reason.

There is a catch and it is a big one.

The Red Sisters are poisonous to dogs.

Liam cannot lick or kiss his red sister.

No worries

He prefers chocolate for his poison.

Woof, Woof

Liam's Larder leads to Lard

MOM, NO DIET PLEASE

Liam has reached 42 pounds, a load for a one quarter doxie. We are thinking he should stay around 35 pounds. The vet has said that the doxie long back suffers from extra weight. In another one quarter genetic makeup, Liam has the beagle nose for food. The energy of the Irish Setter and Dalmatian in his remaining two quarters of DNA have not been enough to offset this creeping weight gain.

I am wrestling with this problem on our walk. We run into Liam's friend Piper and his human Mark. Piper is 8. Liam is 10 1/2. Mark tells me their metabolisms slow as they age. Of course! I still am surprised about my ignorance. My first dog. Okay. He has Piper on Fat Dog food. Upon returning home I research. There is a entire world of old fat dog products.
We put a plan in action.

Step1
We buy old fat dog food. Mixing it each day with the higher calorie we currently use until only the new food remains. Liam is wild about the new food. Salmon.


Step 2
We cut out snacks.
No boney stuffed with treats anymore.
No cookie jar.

Step 3
Aggressive walks. This helps me as well on my Fitbit goals.

But Liam is not giving up easily. He circles and sneaks and watches every meal.

He stalks Liam's Larder (the tin mini garbage can holding his food) from all angles. Trying to open it. Sends in his cousin James (see bottom shots) to help get the lid up.

LIAM RECRUITS JAMES

 That failed as James liked the toys better than aiding Liam in his quest.

SAD LIAM

 After two weeks he is down to 41 pounds.
minus 1
We are moving in the right direction.

Woof, Woof

Rescue Me

LIAM WATCHING OLYMPICS

I am an Olympic fanatic. I love and watch every hour of every day of coverage. The winter Olympics are my favorite. The settings and background, indoor venues, equipment and apparel are a feast of sensory and visual beauty...snow, mountains, ice, fireplaces...and the cacophony of color in its hats and scarves and jackets of many countries

LIAM WATCHES ALL THE EVENTS

Four years ago the winter Olympics were held in Sochi. And there were the Sochi pups.  And it was Gus Kenworthy who rescued them. I wrote about them. Here is Gus's Instagram post with some of the puppies followed by the blog links for my LiamLicks stories from 4 years ago.

SOCHI PUPS

http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Sochi

http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/search/label/Sochi%20strays%20find%20homes

and now
From USA TODAY:
Nearly four years after helping rescue Mamuchka and her litter from Sochi, Kenworthy knows his place.
Gus Kenworthy jokes he’s been superseded by Mamuchka, the dog, with his own mother.

“My mom is actually obsessed with her,” Kenworthy said. “She likes the dog more than she likes my brothers and I. She has a grandchild now. My oldest brother has a daughter, and between the daughter and the dog, she’s like, I don’t care about anybody else.”
Kenworthy became the most famous for rescuing strays from the Sochi Olympics, but several others brought home dogs from those Games. Snowboardcross star Lindsey Jacobellis rescued a pup, as did Amanda Bird, the marketing and communications director for USA Bobsled & Skeleton. Both named their dogs Sochi.
here is the story link
https://usat.ly/2nQ9yjb

Four years later Gus is at it again. The dog meat trade is huge in South Korea.
South Korea does not have a good pedigree on its treatment of dogs. Here is a description of what goes on
https://usat.ly/2o0EBc5
and requests I received

Gus and his partner visited a dog meat farm
Here is what Gus posted on his Instagram

"I was told that the dogs on this particular farm were kept in 'good conditions' by comparison to other farms," Kenworthy, 26, said. "The dogs here are malnourished and physically abused, crammed into tiny wire-floored pens, and exposed to the freezing winter elements and scorching summer conditions."

The farm Kenworthy visited is being shut down, and the newly-free canines will be brought to the U.S. and Canada and placed in "fur-ever homes," he explained.

"I adopted the sweet baby in the first pic (we named her Beemo) and she'll be coming to the US to live with me as soon as she's through with her vaccinations in a short couple of weeks," Kenworthy wrote of his new family member. "I cannot wait to give her the best life possible!"

MATT, GUS AND BEEMO

 Here is the story with photos of the dogs and the farm
 http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/gus-kenworthy-boyfriend-rescue-puppy-south-korean-dog/story?id=53324769

Gus did not win any medals this time around. We watched as he struggled.

He did not have to win a medal to be a hero.

We had to help. Liam was sad about his Korean cousins.

LIAM HELPS

Woof, woof