One Year Blog-a-versary!

It snuck up so fast that I nearly missed it! Yesterday, August 20, marked one year for Peace, Love, & Fostering! It’s unbelievable to me, really – and yet I feel like I’ve been doing this for a lifetime. It has been, hands down, the most rewarding experience in my 22 years of existence. Who else gets to say they talk to hundreds of people they’ve never met every single morning? I’ve made friends from all over the globe. It’s remarkable.

One year ago I set out to fiddle around with a keyboard and take some really, really amateur photos with my brother’s not-so-amateur camera – all to tell the stories of some dogs. I wasn’t quite sure what dogs, because at that time I wasn’t fostering yet, but I’d seen it done before by some pretty amazing people and thought, “Why not?”  My boyfriend is really the one who pushed me to do it. I have this problem of coming up with ideas and then not following through on them. He makes sure I follow through. So one night I just sat down, clicked away for a few hours, and boom: Peace, Love, & Fostering was born. It had a long way to go, but it was in existence on the interwebs.

Instead of typing out the long story that followed, in the footsteps of some of my blog heroes I’m going to celebrate this blog-a-versary with some stats:

Date started: August 20, 2011

Date started updating 5x per week: November 2, 2011

Total posts: 225

Total comments: 1,880+

Total views: 66,400+

Search that brought the most views (besides PL&F): beagle sheltie mix

Number of fosters total: 3

Longest time a foster stayed: 4 months (tie between Otis and Baxter)

Shortest time a foster stayed: 6 weeks on and off (Lady Zee)

Number of fosters I wanted to keep: 3

Number of fosters it would have been logical to keep: 0

Number of fosters now happily in forever homes: 3

Longest time spent between fosters: 6 weeks between Zabora and Baxter

Favorite foster: Zaborabaxterotis

FosterDad’s favorite foster: Zabora

Goofiest foster: Zee and her off-balance bumblings!

Shyest foster: Otis

Happiest foster: Baxter when he saw human friends, Zabora when she was sleeping, and Otis when I returned home

Cutest couple: Baxter & Bella (below)

Biggest celebrity cameo: Tie between Chikerdoodle & Lily Fireworks

Post with the most views: Baxter is… ADOPTED!

Post with the 2nd most views: On Being 22 and a Foster Mom

Favorite props post: Will U Be Mine? (Baxter’s Valentine’s Day post)

Hardest post to write: Dear Baxter

Easiest post to write: The Power of Being Positive

Number of positive changes in my life from this blog: Too many to count!

Number of friends made: Too many to count!

Number of blog friends met online before meeting in person: 5+

Blog friends visited in other states: 2 (and hoping to add more!)

Weirdest place a random blog follower has said hi to me: While I was walking Otis in my neighborhood

Number of hours of sleep lost writing posts every night: Doesn’t matter

Favorite thing learned while blogging: Photography

Most helpful real life skills learned: How to be disciplined, plan ahead, and be creative

Favorite part overall: Tie between the lives saved, the bond made with each foster, and all my readers

I can’t say it enough: you all are one of the best parts of blogging. PL&F wouldn’t have gone anywhere in the last year if you weren’t here to read it. The friends I’ve met, the emails I’ve exchanged with strangers, the advice I’ve both given and received. . . the impact of it all is beyond measure. So thank you!

Tune in tomorrow to see the year reviewed in photos!

Otis in His New Home!

Lucky for us, Otis’ new dad is a photographer! Double lucky for us, he doesn’t mind if I share these pictures with you all. All of the updates I’ve been getting from R have been positive, and it sounds like Otis is settling in just fine! The pictures sure make it seem that way (some are camera, some are phone – all are from his new dad!):

Have a great weekend!

Dear Otis

Hey Stinker.

So, you’ve gone and found yourself yet another home. Third time is a charm, right? I am crossing all of my fingers and toes that this one will stick and that your new dad will appreciate you like I do (which he seems to!).  After spending four wonderful months with you, I still cannot believe it took you so long to find your forever home. Luckily, though, it seems I am learning time and time again that good things come to those who wait. You’ve finally got yourself a really good thing, Oats.

Your story is different than the others I’ve helped because this time it was all up to me. While I have many online supporters, parents who love you just like I do, and friends who cheered for me and you the whole way – I started this journey to find you happiness in July 2011 and, a year later, it was my job to finish it.

You made it very clear you knew that fact from the beginning by attaching to me like you were some orphaned child who finally found their mother (oh wait, I guess you were…). Your hopeless devotion to me was a bit overwhelming at times but overall quite endearing, and it made you stand out to me from my other fosters. Sure, you were extra needy when we were together, but you made up for it ten times over by having zero separation anxiety and behaving beautifully whenever I was away.  You were, in my eyes, the perfect dog.

It quickly became clear to me that others would not be as fortunate to know your true self. You loved me so, so much that you barely had the time of day for anyone else. You warmed up to my mom and dad, but even FosterDad didn’t get much more than a quick acknowledgement when he came around. This made it hard to show everyone else just how perfect you were. But it was okay, because I knew that anyone who was good enough to have you would recognize your shyness around others as just fierce loyalty to your person – a characteristic to be envied.

I wrote a post a few days ago about my realization of just how different you are from the day I brought you home. It was bittersweet because when I was writing that post I already knew you had found a new family, and I knew you would temporarily be set back in your progress.  But you simply couldn’t stay with me forever, even though you (and maybe me, too) wanted it.  Your new owner is the best of the best for you, and I know he will help you through this transition with understanding and gentle guidance.  I wish I could be there with the two of you to help as well, but it’s time for you and your new dad to figure things out on your own because you’re his now, not mine.

When I started this note I really didn’t intend for it to be sad or emotional because you, Otis, are far from that. You are goofy, happy, silly, expressive, sweet, and cuddly – and this journey with you has been all of those positive emotions rolled into one. You were one misunderstood pooch, and I’m happy I got the chance to turn things around for you.

Good luck in your new life, Otie! May you finally find joy and happiness in all you do.

Otis is… ADOPTED!!!

It seems that four months is the magic number at the PLF House, as Otis has officially found his way out of my life and into someone else’s… forever!

To be honest, I’ve had a lot of wonderful inquiries about Otis over the last four months, but none of them were the right fit. For many, there were obvious reasons why it wouldn’t work out, but for others it just wasn’t a good match. I knew Otis wouldn’t attach to anyone new  right away, especially during a brief adoption visit, but the way he was so closed down around potential adopters started getting me worried. Until we met R.

R emailed me one day after seeing Otis on the MCHS website, and even though he was a bit different from the exact mold I had dreamed up for Otis initially, I had a good feeling about him and his situation so I put him through the tests. You fosters know what I’m talking about – the rigorous discussions where you try to talk potential adopters out of your dog, and if they’re still interested then you know you’ve got a good one! R wasn’t put off by any of Otie’s “quirks” so we set up a met and greet.

That meeting is what sold me on this pair. Otis loved R. It was the most affection I’ve seen Otis display towards any new stranger, ever.  I was relieved that I wasn’t the only one who felt good vibes from the visit when I later found an excited email from R in my inbox about moving forward with the adoption process. The following days consisted of a long, serious talk between R and one of our adoption counselors about how to make Otie the happiest dog he can be for the rest of his life, another visit between Otis and R that went beautifully, and a few dozen more emails answering questions and brainstorming ideas on how to ease the transition. We wanted to make sure we had as many bases covered as possible.

Finally, all the paperwork was signed and Otie was officially R’s. R came to pick Otis up from work and that’s when all the goodbye butterflies set in. I couldn’t believe he was actually leaving – after so many failed adoptions and failed applications, Otis had finally found the perfect home? That was a tough one to swallow. But R is going to already seems to love him just as much as I do, plus it helps that he works from home (jackpot!!) and has a huge yard for Otis to run around in. It was tough to watch Otie walk out to R’s car that day, but I knew there was nothing but a happy life waiting for him.

R has been very kind in sending me frequent updates which have put my worries at ease.  It seems that while the transition was understandably a little difficult for Otis, he is finally settling into his new life (insert BIG sigh of relief here). I am sure he will be attached to R’s hip in no time, if he isn’t already!

It’s been a long road for this one, but Honey Bunches of Otis is finally home.

A Little Piece of Heaven

Confession: I’ve blogging remotely for the last few days! I’m in Acadia National Park in Maine, one of my most favorite places in the entire world. I recently got a new lens (more about that later!) so I threw myself into photographing all of the things I love about the Maine coast. Here are a few of my favorite shots – I hope they give you a sense of how amazing this place is. (Then I added some photos of my kitty nephews for good measure.)

You must be wondering… where is Otis while I’m away? Check back tomorrow to find out!

Bath Time “Training”

Otis needed a bath, and Otis needed to do some confidence exercises. Naturally the practical solution was to combine the two into one bathing-training session! I actually shouldn’t give myself that much credit because I wasn’t planning on using bath time as a learning experience – but when we got into the bathroom I realized it was as good a chance as ever to fit in some “new experiences can be fun” training.

In fact, Otis prompted it when he didn’t resist getting into the bath right away (I guess I just have a bad track record when it comes to fosters that don’t appreciate water).  I jumped at the chance to ask him into the tub with lots of encouragement and praise. To my surprise, he hopped right in! So then I asked him to come out. He hopped right out! In, out, in, out. He was ready to do it all day.

He was much more comfortable before the water started though. Once I got the shower snake running, he turned into a little bit more of a scaredy pup, but he was still a trooper. “Mom, I really want to get out. Can I please? Pretty please? Ugh. Fine. I’ll stay. But I won’t like it.” After surviving a round of soaping, rinsing, and conditioning, it was on to his next favorite part: drying off! The shower snake was gone, and it was nothing but exciting attention from fostermama.

And of course it wouldn’t be a good spa day without relaxing in a robe after your bath. . .

The result was a fresh smelling, sparkly clean and happy pup! Which was good, because he had a very special visit to prepare for the next day.

My New Hobby: Doggyoga

I am a new master at yoga for dogs doggyoga. FosterMama says she HATES yoga for humans, but she dislikes a lot of things that I enjoy (rolling in deer poop, jumping in excitement, waking up early) so I decided to give it a try. Turns out, I love it! I am so flexible.

I am just THRILLED that I found a hobby I like and am good at! Big smiles!

Have a great doggyoga filled weekend!

Finally Happy

The exciting moment came. I woke up one morning and had the exciting realization: Otis is a totally different dog now than he was when I took him back four months ago. This is always a victory for foster families, often one that sneaks up on you out of the blue just like it did to me. It happened with Baxter as well, and it was just as gratifying.

My home is the first one for Otis where he can be completely comfortable. In his entire 1.5+ years of existence, he had always been living with something to be scared or anxious about. Because he is now able to be himself and do things he wants to do without worrying, he is opening up enormous amounts with every day that goes on.

It’s the type of thing you don’t notice because it’s happening right before your eyes. The thought hit me last week when I brought Otis into a meeting with me at work (yes, I can bring my dog to work and into meetings with me – I’m lucky!) and he spent the first ten minutes happily greeting everyone by going around the circle delivering sniffs and tail wags. He wasn’t staying right by my side, he wasn’t drooling uncontrollably, and he wasn’t miserable being surrounded by people other than me. He was happy.

I noticed it again later that week when he was in my house and spending an alarmingly large amount of time, get this… out of my sight! Instead of needing the security of me, “his person,” to be comfortable, he was out wandering the house, hanging out with my brother or checking in with my mom and dad. He was embracing his free space and expanding his limits. He was happy.

I notice things every day now that show how much Otis has grown. He wags his tail more when we’re out in public, he is more open to greeting strangers, he doesn’t cower at the site or sound of new things, he enjoys being home without me, he is relaxed, he is partaking in normal dog things like using his nose, he is extremely food motivated, he investigates more on walks, he will try new things like running up the slide at a playground… the list goes on. Even two months into his stay with me, much of that list was nowhere near do-able for Otis.

These small victories mean so much more than just a testament to his progress. They mean Otis is truly ready for a forever family of his own. He has made it clear that he will not always be the shy, withdrawn dog that he once was when I met him. He still has a ways to go, I think living with a stable family for years to come will bring out the best, happiest side of this pooch. Hopefully this is the end to his worries. “God bless the broken road,” right?

Wordless Wednesday

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

This is what Otis does while FosterMom is at work all day:

This is what FosterMom does when she has a day off:

Good thing we have the same agenda!