It has been a time of survival and renewal. It is a time of change in perceptions and plans. My career has moved in a new exciting direction. I have enjoyed every step of the journey even when the stones were under my feet as I tread upon the slopes of uncertainty. Savanna remains in remission 19 months after completing her chemotherapy. She is blooming like an exotic flower and learning new things every day. Her true years are approaching 7 but she is forever 4-5 years of age....a little blessing...so full of joy and innocence and it is perfectly wonderful to know God has spared my grand daughter to..live...life.
Puppies are almost all in their families. The one that remains is the smartest one of all. Is that not funny? Paul is my little Einstein. He amazes me as he is way ahead of his litter mates. Perhaps, he is here to teach me a thing or two. He knows my movements and out maneuvers me if a game is what he is up for at the time.
I feel spring in the air and in my heart.
Blessings,
Melly

The mirror is always there to reflect right back to you who you are and what needs to be changed, embraced, discarded, and picked up along the side of life's road. The mirror will not lie. It will show you truths. It will scare you with its brutal honesty if you are not ready to take a serious inventory and move towards change. The mirror is God's Holy Spirit and it is ever ready to lead and guide us but He is a gentle guide and one must invite the appraisal of self. Do you judge others rather than yourself. I do. I think the more we are in need of change ourselves the more we focus on what is wrong with our brothers and sisters. It allows a man to take his eyes away from the mirror. You cannot look into another man's mirror or see his motives or know his heart, You may only see into your own soul and that is only if you want to look inward and move towards change. Change will be your only option if you wish to see the bare open face of your character. Character is grown through life's victories, defeats, challenges and storms. It will take you all the way home if you can keep your eye in the mirror of your own self and not deflect. Dogs have taught me more about character than myself or any man. They are...as they stand before you bare of any facade. They love for love. They care when the caring should be gone. They are in the moment. They will never leave you or forsake you. Man wavers with the wind. Take a good hard look at your pets and they will teach you more than any book or seminar for self improvement. I asked God to place the mirror in my face and He did. I find there is much work to be the woman I want to be, that God want me to be, that my dogs think I am, and I will stand in the mirror and face myself. God will bring the change as I just stand and submit to his palette and brush. Let the mirror bring us all to a place of inner beauty, kindness, and peace. Melly

Brother, did we get a gigormous suprise on May 8th. Natalie whelped 11 puppies and they are adorable. I love supplementing them which may say something weird about me. It is so sweet to watch them nurse, They are such perfect creations from God. I adore the pink itsy bitsy feet. I know Natalie is loaded with demands on her body so she is getting anything and everything she wants to eat. She is a calm laid back mother; she even lets grandma Coco in to supervise as Coco is the supervisor of all canine and humans in this home. Here are a few one week photos posted above. They are going to be lots of work, joy, and can't wait for the antics...the laughter.   Melly

The first was Ann, she has stood by me through every mountain and every valley of life. She has it! She is kind, gentle, smart, and tells a girl the truth when it needs to be told. She propped me up like a mountain on either side when Savanna was diagnosed with cancer. She used to come to work on her time off for emergencies to help.  She loved what she was doing so much and her desire to learn was enormous. She passed her registry in record time and never missed a beat. She met her husband and they had a baby named Hannah...a bit of miracle in itself. She goes about quietly doing the right thing with a clean heart and the persistence of a mama cougar, she does not give up on you and she does not waver from her goal. Ann is probably the only natural blonde I have ever known as an interesting aside. She used to have a nickname of Sunshine and that is Ann, SUNSHINE! I will never forget you.

Next, I will speak of Jennie. It was one of the lowest times of my life...low...rock bottom. I had nowhere to go as my husband would not let me come home since he had a new woman and I had taken a gigantic emotional and spiritual spill. I was busted like an egg on the sidewalk. I was like a fish that only had bones left: that the meat had been picked down to the skeleton. Hope had left my house. Jennie came in and offered me a roof over my head; even more, she offered a home and understanding. It was God. She taught me God is good but He is not always safe. God gave me back all that  had been taken and more. He gave me back my job, my children, my faith, my heart, and he gave me hope. He uses people often as His hands and feet and Jennie was His chosen vessel. We did not have TV as far as cable and we did not have a great deal of money but we had GOD.  We laughed so much and so often. We truly were meant to be best friends for that season and she was a rock. She is smart, funny, and wise.  What the enemy took:;God gave back four fold. I went from hope to a great degree of peace with my God and He re-built me layer upon layer and made me a better person for it all. Jennie will never be forgotten. She is filled with integrity and honesty. She held my feet to the fire and she held my hand.

Linda was not as close a friend but a hero for me. When she had her baby it was not perfect so her husband said goodbye and left her to raise the baby. Linda had seizures so had to have transportation to work. She worked in a clerical position so money was scarce. She sacrificed and then she sacrificed a bit more. Her son received the medical help he needed and she put him through college and she went to that clerical job every day. She was diagnosed with cancer and worked every day until she could not put one foot in front of the other. Her death was swift once she could no longer work. She was sent on a cruise with friends and I am so so thankful there was a bit of time for Linda. She was in a wheerchair on the cruise. I would ask how she was feeling after a round of chemo or blood transfusions and she would say "pretty good, Melanie, thanks for asking". She would come to work many days after a chemo or radiation treatment. She paid a price but I know she is wearing a golden crown now with gorgeous stones for she is a hero... a righteous true hero.  She just would not complain or whine. She always would say she was worried for her son after she passed. Selfish, no, she was not. She gave her all for her son. I would try to eat lunch with her because she inspired me. It was never pity. I want to grow up to be as strong as Linda.

Lastly, was Sharon. She impacted my life as quickly as a bullet hitting the center of a target. She came in like a hurricane, picked me up, put her arms around me and NEVER let go when my precious Phoebe was taken way too young.. Sharon was all the planets aligned perfectly; she was the sun and the moon and the stars. She opened my mind to new ideas and we shared so many spiritual concepts. We were different from each other and we were perfect together. We shared to the core with nothing held back. She was my spiritual mentor, my heart, and the best friend I have ever known, or will know. She had boundless energy and then cancer came knocking on her door. It knocked quickly and it took my Sharon and I am mad. I am mad as hell at cancer. I want her back, I sometimes think I would be talking to Sharon right now and then I remember. She would call and say, " Let me get in the bath so I can breath better as I want to talk to you". She could barely breath and she kept reaching out because she loved me and my granddaughter, Savanna. Savanna has battled brain cancer for the last two years. Sharon was a shooting star in my life. I miss her intense light and love every single day but I was honored and blessed to have been her friend. What an honor! She never faltered and she never bent. She was my Sharon.

A couple of months ago, I had applied a set of SOLAR nails, french manicure, top of the line and over time ( a few weeks) I wanted them gone, off, removed, or ripped off, I could barely open a can with a pop top lid, it effected my ability to type, and doing my dogs nails with the dremel I thought I might perform an unplanned trim on them. That is what artificial is to me and the older I get, the less I like it in myself and I find it most detracting from all I meet. Now I am not speaking of nails per se it is an analogy that underneath the fake, facades, and masks are the real "us". That truly is the best, I would rather see the warts, flaws, and imperfections than a facimile of the person. We struggle to impress and compete and for what? Those that love you always will and well, the rest never did. Embrace who you are, Sharon did, Jennie does, Jimmy did...Linda did...these are a few of my hero's past over and one present. Everyday awesome souls who were real with no pretentions...just real...good. BTW, once the nails were removed, my nails looked like they had been cooked, stomped, and perhaps, I had put up a few gallons of corn in the freezer, they were bruised on the tips albeit I chose not the best way to remove them. Underneath, real is better, cleaner, it goes down better, and it what I learned from a very few and how my heart aches to see them again, when I hit the other side I am running as fast as I can to a dog and a woman, Sharon who believed in me more that I believe in myself! She was the most persistent encouraging loving being of my life's experience and the other is my angel Phoebe. She was my true heart dog and I will reach for her and she will jump into my arms and it will be sweet as cotton candy at the fair when I was six years old. I think forgiveness is vital to our life's journey and we must do it quickly or pride and justification come in like a flood and we will not act...it will simmer and then it will boil and we can convince ourselves that we are in the right when it all comes down to forgiveness, it is freeing, the most freeing act one can live. I really must work on forgiving Melly (me) for my life's sins, mistakes, and when I have chosen the wrong path, when I have snapped at people who love me or perhaps strangers at times, forgive myself for my frailties, failures, and faults, it is then that I am sure great spirtual ground is gained. This will be the next level for Melly, forgiving all including self, and no more fake nails if you get my drift! I choose to forgive and in that forgiving, I forgive Melly.

We have a new temporary member here at Atlantis. It is a doxie puppy for Savanna and his name is Snoopy, he is a mini as Doxie's go.. He is cute as a button and small as a tater. His little tail goes to wagging and that little face looks up at you and you think, ahh, this is a bit of heaven on earth, the way that baby looks at me with such trust and "hey, what are we going to do now?" He is a bit of a unique color, dappled white and black but that is the color we needed for Savanna as she loves white bears, white dogs, white in general. I think there will be tales to tell as these two adventure together in life. I do know his tail is wagging and his heart is pure. Always looks at the eyes and you will see the kind of heart a person or a pet has beating, if it is kind and loving. Savanna is getting her hair back bit by bit. She has a short spike at the moment. She is in school and loves school. She sings and she colors and knows the joy of being in the moment. That is it my friends, the moment, the joy of being fully present in that moment. Leave the past and wait for the future. It will come soon enough. I appreciate my friend Dana at K K Dobermans for allowing me to acquire this little man for Savanna. My pups are growing like weeds and so cute at 6 months now. Ever and Laila are beautiful black and white whippet puppies and with Arno visiting, our hands are full to the rim but hey, it a pleasure to be with God's creatures and love them. My husband, Tom has been diagnosed with macular degeneration and that is not a happy thing but I am taking what life will let me get and I thank Him that Tom is with me. He has loved my children and me for 17 years and he is such a wonderful husband and doggy Dad. I believe Savanna will leave her mark on this world as she is an artist at heart and a free spirit. Her brothers, Steven and Brian are going to start working with me to train the dogs and my hope is that will be fun and functional to mature them and give them the joy the dogs have given me. Have a great day!!

Savanna is in remission and will have a MRI Jan 6th and that I hope is another positive for that sweet child of God. I started a new job working with homeless and migrant populations and believe this will be an awesome opportunity to make a difference and use some skills from prior work and learn many new ones. I am humbled and grateful to God....He has carried us through and will be standing right beside me every step of the way. He is the great I am. Hard year but lessons too many to write today. The dogs are waiting to help me wrap presents. I WANT TO SAY A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO NED FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE REFLECTING MY VISION OF ATLANTIS WHIPPETS AND DOBERMANS, HE IS SO COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AND HAS PATIENTLY MADE MY WEBSITE DREAM COME TRUE. ADDITIONALLY, NED WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR VOLUNTEERING HIS TIME TO MAKE SAVANNA'S WEBSITE A REALITY AND DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB...HE VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME AND TALENT FOR SAVANNA AND THAT IS A BENEVOLENT ACT OF KINDNESS FOR MY GRAND GIRL. HIS CONTACT INFORMATION IS ON MY SITE IF YOU WANT EXPERIENCE, EXCELLENCE, AND A MAN WITH VISION...PLUS A BIT OF STAR DUST...THANKS SO MUCH, NED. I will be writing on a regular basis again and pray I can give you a bit of encouragement and humor this year fast approaching. Blessings to all, Melly Merry Christmas to all and a special wish for Sharon...

Savanna will have her last round of chemotherapy in August, the effects of the chemotherapy are now effecting both legs. She has fallen and has bruises. She is a blessing from GOD in every single way. She is gentle as a dove and her laughter has never really stopped through the long year. I imagine many of the children with cancer are this way. Incredibly strong and joyful accept when they are in pain. Bear (her teddy bear) has gone through chemo and surgery right along with her every step. He is broken in places, hair coming out, and stained but he has been her comfort. I want to get her a puppy once she is strong to be a special friend to her. She says it must be a white puppy like bear. That is so funny. All creatures get compared to bear. Her brothers are returning to school soon. I pray it will be a good year for Brian and Steven as this has been a tremendous burden on such young shoulders. I have not been able to be there for many of her treatments once she was through the grueling surgery and time in ICU and that makes me sad. Brittany and Andy have been strengthened and are united. They are wonderful people and awesome parents. It is so much for young parents to deal with considering the problems of just living life in this world. I am sure angels have hovered over this family and all the others fighting childhood cancer. We thank God for these angels and his guidance and mercy. What would we have without his mercy? I will tell you what we would have, nothing. It is through his mercy and grace that we are granted peace and salvation and absolutely nothing else. The lesson I seem to be on through all this is "do not judge others"; one just does not know our brothers burdens. I fail every day but we get back up and keep learning. They have been working hard to build a room on to their home for Savanna but that has been so difficult. People say I will help and do not show up. It is indeed, a time not judge. She has had to have platelets many times and transfusions. She has some hearing loss and of course, balance problems. I have another dog show friend fighting breast cancer whom is an awesome lady. Cancer makes me so mad. A co-worker's mother has cancer and that is a new battle for her and her family. Please pray for all the children and adults fighting this monster, cancer. Send out healing prayers, please. Finances are strained to the limit, hearts are heavy at times, joyful other times, and cancer keeps roaring through so many lives like a monster. It took my dearest friend, Sharon right out of this world...gone way too soon. The kindest soul I have ever known..taken. She came in like an angel and never faltered in the love and support for me. She surely showed me about unconditional love. Savanna was her baby in the sense of her support, prayers, and many random acts of kindness all the way to the end she never forgot to care for others. Melly

I have not written for a few months as I have been rather empty of the words, the inspiration to write. Savanna got a clear MRI from head through spine last week and I was thinking chemo until August and then I realized in a blink that the time is getting shorter, it does not seem like such a rugged mountain, 4-5 months. She has been diagnosed over a year with Medullablastoma and it has been grueling for her and for her family. Her mother, Brittany has become one of my heroes. Ha, my own daughter. Regarding, Sharon, I am quite sure she is watching over Savanna as she did each day of her being on this earth in the body. I am positive she watches now..I know I have felt her presence on several different days. She cried and cried when she found out about Savanna and that was the only time I heard her weep so deeply from her inner being. She encouraged me even as she was wracked with cancer herself, my red headed lady, my friend, it mattered not how I was, she remained steadfast to me in friendship. Tom is recovering more and more from his heart attack. I am thankful to God for that. The dogs are another blessing in my life as they love me unconditionally and thing Tom hung the moon just for them. He treats each one with special loving care. Honestly, they are spoiled but they are ours to spoil for these moments in time. Nothing shows a man what he is and isnot like trouble..nothing. It will all surface and there you are looking at yourself, your flaws, fears, strengths, and your own heart cracked open like an egg. There it is. Now what you choose to do with this knowledge is quite up to the individual. Grow and change for the better even if you may crawl at times and fall down at times, get up, and keep walking, slow at times, and at other times you run in strength and taste the joy of the Lord on your lips even though the storm rages and the rain falls down, you walk on. He is with you each step.When you fall down, he puts an arm around you and says walk on and you really must as He is there to walk with you. When you run on the wind of HIS wings and taste the joy of the lord in the storm, it is like a deer leaping over the snowcapped mountains, it is ecstacy in the spirit world. I pray I have become more compassionate to my patients as they need more than medical treatment, they need us to really see them. I thank God for Savanna turning five next week and I pray she will eat cake with Sharon smiling down and all of us will be celebrating together. That is indeed, my prayer. Best and God Be With You Melly