Dearest Tootsie,
Do you remember your spring naps by the lake?
Or your naps on the trail?
You elevated napping to an art form!
Love,
Mom and Dad
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
In memoriam
Dearest Tootsie,
Today I'm thinking of you wrapped up in your green winter coat just below the top of Monte Reixa.
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| January 2017: Tootsie and her mom in the mountains above the Ligurian coastline on a clear winter day. |
When you didn't feel like walking, I was always more than happy to carry you in my arms. That's because when you were in my arms, you were right next to my heart. You're still there, and always will be.
Forever yours,
Dachshund Daddy
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Mommy, I just ate a flower!!!
Today is Tootsie's Gotcha Day. If she hadn't crossed over the Rainbow Bridge just over two months ago, we'd be celebrating nine years with our girl. Here are some of the last photos that Dachshund Daddy took on April 19, the day before Tootsie's passing. April 19 was a Sunday and Tootsie got to go on three walkies: a short one at 11:30, a longer one at 5, and a third one at 8. As usual, she got carried a whole bunch, which she absolutely loved.
Whenever DD took his dog-ter on walkies, he would keep Mom up to speed by sending her WhatsApp messages with photos of Tootsie. Sometimes, Tootsie would write those messages. "Mommy, I just ate a flower!!!", Tootsie texted with DD's help at 6:49 pm. That was the last message in Tootsie's voice that Mom would ever receive.
The picture above was sent to Mom by DD four minutes later. It's our very last photo of our girl. After that, on April 20, Tootsie got to go on two more walks: a constitutional walkie with DD at 12:30 am, and a morning walkie with Mom.
Our girl loved her walkies. While she got carried most of the time during the day, she would walk quite a bit at night. Either way, as a champion senior tube of fur, she loved being outside, even more so than when she was a younger pup.
Dearest Tootsie, we miss you. We treasure you.
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| Mommy, I just ate a flower!!! |
Whenever DD took his dog-ter on walkies, he would keep Mom up to speed by sending her WhatsApp messages with photos of Tootsie. Sometimes, Tootsie would write those messages. "Mommy, I just ate a flower!!!", Tootsie texted with DD's help at 6:49 pm. That was the last message in Tootsie's voice that Mom would ever receive.
The picture above was sent to Mom by DD four minutes later. It's our very last photo of our girl. After that, on April 20, Tootsie got to go on two more walks: a constitutional walkie with DD at 12:30 am, and a morning walkie with Mom.
Our girl loved her walkies. While she got carried most of the time during the day, she would walk quite a bit at night. Either way, as a champion senior tube of fur, she loved being outside, even more so than when she was a younger pup.
Dearest Tootsie, we miss you. We treasure you.
Monday, June 1, 2020
Special walkies with Frank, Joy, and Keanu
Dachshund Daddy recently went back to visit our doggy friends at Casa Orizzonti. In the picture below, from left to right: Joy, Keanu, and Frank, who's staring at his yellow ball held by the volunteer who takes them on their daily morning walk. DD was able to tag along and carry Joy for part of the way. Very much like our Tootsie, Joy likes to be carried for a while before she agrees to continue walking with her own four paws.
Here's Joy, checking out a pee spot by the side of the road. You can also see Keanu's paws and Frank's forehead.
After the walkie, DD stayed to cuddle Frank and his friends. Here's little Frank taking a nap with his fur-sister Cindy. We like to think that our girl Tootsie talks to them in their dreams.
Check out their sweet doggy pillow in the upper left corner!
Here's Joy, checking out a pee spot by the side of the road. You can also see Keanu's paws and Frank's forehead.
After the walkie, DD stayed to cuddle Frank and his friends. Here's little Frank taking a nap with his fur-sister Cindy. We like to think that our girl Tootsie talks to them in their dreams.
Check out their sweet doggy pillow in the upper left corner!
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Casa Orizzonti
Located in the town of Prosito in Southern Switzerland, Casa Orizzonti is an animal sanctuary that provides a permanent home for many rescue animals. Casa Orizzonti has been around for a long time, but we only discovered it online the morning after Tootsie's passing. We took it as a sign from Tootsie, and we decided to become members right away.
Last Saturday, we were lucky enough to visit them. While practicing social distancing with the humans, we got to meet the many resident creatures: pigs (Hi, Sonny!), goats (Hi, Piper!), birds, rodents, cats, and, of course, doggies!
This is Frank, who joined Casa Orizzonti in April shortly before Tootsie's passing. Frank is fifteen years old, about the same age as Tootsie.
Frank is super-happy at his new home and has become very good friends with the other resident doggies: Joy, Rugiada, Toby, Keanu, Cindy, and Zeus. Frank loves cuddles and belly rubs. He's a free-spirited dog with an amazing amount of energy! His pug friend Joy, nicknamed Jo-Joy, keeps an eye out for him and is a calming influence in his life.
We look forward to our next visit to Casa Orizzonti so we can join Frank and his friends on their morning walk. It's going to be super special.
Last Saturday, we were lucky enough to visit them. While practicing social distancing with the humans, we got to meet the many resident creatures: pigs (Hi, Sonny!), goats (Hi, Piper!), birds, rodents, cats, and, of course, doggies!
This is Frank, who joined Casa Orizzonti in April shortly before Tootsie's passing. Frank is fifteen years old, about the same age as Tootsie.
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| Frank with the gift we brought him on behalf of our girl. |
Frank is super-happy at his new home and has become very good friends with the other resident doggies: Joy, Rugiada, Toby, Keanu, Cindy, and Zeus. Frank loves cuddles and belly rubs. He's a free-spirited dog with an amazing amount of energy! His pug friend Joy, nicknamed Jo-Joy, keeps an eye out for him and is a calming influence in his life.
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| Joy and Frank |
We look forward to our next visit to Casa Orizzonti so we can join Frank and his friends on their morning walk. It's going to be super special.
 |
Friday, May 1, 2020
Always with us
Dearest Tootsie,
Thank you for being our everything. You will always be with us.
You've changed my life in ways words can't describe. Nothing will ever be the same again without you.
Back when you climbed mountains, I promised you that I would carry you as much as needed in your senior years. I kept my promise, but I had not anticipated how much you would enjoy sniffing the fresh spring air up in the forest from the comfort of my arms. You loved every minute of it, and so did I, because I got to hold you close to my heart.
Wag on, and send another shooting star across the sky to remind us you're watching over us, like you did last night.
Forever yours,
Your Dachshund Daddy
Thank you for being our everything. You will always be with us.
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You've changed my life in ways words can't describe. Nothing will ever be the same again without you.
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| Tootsie checks her pee-mail in Pura, Switzerland in 2020 |
Back when you climbed mountains, I promised you that I would carry you as much as needed in your senior years. I kept my promise, but I had not anticipated how much you would enjoy sniffing the fresh spring air up in the forest from the comfort of my arms. You loved every minute of it, and so did I, because I got to hold you close to my heart.
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| Mom carrying Tootsie |
Wag on, and send another shooting star across the sky to remind us you're watching over us, like you did last night.
Forever yours,
Your Dachshund Daddy
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Angel Tootsie
Dear Hearts and Kindred Spirits,
At 1:30 pm on April 20, 2020, Tootsie crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Our Tube of Fur has been the center of our family for almost nine years, ever since we were blessed enough to adopt her on July 1, 2011. We will be eternally grateful to Dr Michelle Ward for connecting Tootsie with our family back then.
After spending the summer in the Pacific Northwest, Tootsie traveled to Switzerland with her mom for the first time in September 2011. That's when she became a Bicontinental Dachshund. She landed in Milan on September 5 and traveled to Switzerland in a rental Smart car. During a stopover in the northern Italy town of Cadrezzate, she experienced her first Eurowalk on the shores of Lake Monate, where she exercised her First Amendment rights (bestowed upon her by her country of origin) to respond to four large resident dogs who were barking like crazy at her from their fenced yard. Three days later, she started this blog.
Tootsie has been the center of our lives ever since she joined our family. We have done our best to give her the best life possible, but she's done much more than that for us.
We owe our deepest debt of gratitude to Dr Claudio Pozzi and his team at Centro Veterinario Scairolo. Emma was a deeply special friend of Tootsie's during several hospitalizations. Thanks to Dr. Pozzi's amazing, compassionate, clinical care, Tootsie was able to overcome a major health crisis in October 2017 and stay with us as long as possible.
Her physical tube of fur has left us, but she will always be with us, deep in our hearts.
Fly free, Angel Tootsie. The pain from losing you is even more unbearable than we expected. Our hearts are shattered. You are our everything.
Love forever,
Mom and Dachshund Daddy
At 1:30 pm on April 20, 2020, Tootsie crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Our Tube of Fur has been the center of our family for almost nine years, ever since we were blessed enough to adopt her on July 1, 2011. We will be eternally grateful to Dr Michelle Ward for connecting Tootsie with our family back then.
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| Our sweet Tootsie and her special unicorn friend in November 2019 |
After spending the summer in the Pacific Northwest, Tootsie traveled to Switzerland with her mom for the first time in September 2011. That's when she became a Bicontinental Dachshund. She landed in Milan on September 5 and traveled to Switzerland in a rental Smart car. During a stopover in the northern Italy town of Cadrezzate, she experienced her first Eurowalk on the shores of Lake Monate, where she exercised her First Amendment rights (bestowed upon her by her country of origin) to respond to four large resident dogs who were barking like crazy at her from their fenced yard. Three days later, she started this blog.
 |
| Our incredible Tootsie and her mom engaging in flight practice in the Swiss Alps |
Tootsie has been the center of our lives ever since she joined our family. We have done our best to give her the best life possible, but she's done much more than that for us.
 |
| Our precious Tootsie exploring the Appennines in November 2011 |
We owe our deepest debt of gratitude to Dr Claudio Pozzi and his team at Centro Veterinario Scairolo. Emma was a deeply special friend of Tootsie's during several hospitalizations. Thanks to Dr. Pozzi's amazing, compassionate, clinical care, Tootsie was able to overcome a major health crisis in October 2017 and stay with us as long as possible.
Her physical tube of fur has left us, but she will always be with us, deep in our hearts.
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| Our amazing Tootsie waddling on the beach in Tuscany in November 2011 |
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| Senior Tootsie at the top of Monte Sassalto in Southern Switzerland in 2020 |
Love forever,
Mom and Dachshund Daddy
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Tootsie Tuesday!
It is Tuesday and time for Tootsie Tuesday. Grateful for every single day with our super senior. Tube of Fur knows naps matter for humans & canines alike. Find your best burrow and have a nap!
Our favorite burrow (pictured) is our DreamSack from Dachshund Delights. Dachshund Delights is based in Ohio. In addition to pawsome handmade in the U.S.A. dog items, April and her team are currently making face masks for humans. They announced their masks and within thirty hours had over 1,500 orders! Thank you, Dachshund Delights, April, & your whole team!
Our favorite burrow (pictured) is our DreamSack from Dachshund Delights. Dachshund Delights is based in Ohio. In addition to pawsome handmade in the U.S.A. dog items, April and her team are currently making face masks for humans. They announced their masks and within thirty hours had over 1,500 orders! Thank you, Dachshund Delights, April, & your whole team!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Happy Birthday, William Wordsworth!
It is Tootsie Tuesday & William Wordsworth's birthday!
Renee here: I'm thinking of all those years my dad was quoting William Wordsworth, and how I didn't realize it until I got to college.
So I phoned Dad: "Hey, you've been quoting Wordsworth since I was little!"
Dad's reply: "Yup." (Tootsie's grandpa is the best!)
Friday, April 3, 2020
Our Everything
We are thinking of you, friends, during these challenging times. May your hearts be full of joy and sorrow. And naps. Tootsie is our nap champion. Tootsie is our everything. xo
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Love from Southern Switzerland
Dear Friends,
We are thinking of you all and sending love from southern Switzerland.
This morning, we had breakfast kibble with our friend, Unicorn. Our ears are flipped back in the fashion we call our bib. After breakfast, we take off our bib and restore our ears to factory settings.
We are grateful that you are doing all of the following:
Things here are awful and strange. The deaths in Italy are heartbreaking. (The original hot spot of COVID19 in Lombardy, Italy is one and a half hours south of us.) Life adjustments require an acknowledgement of grief for our previous lives, grief for the suffering and loss of life, and gratitude for our current lives. We balance realism and optimism. The daffodils bloomed last week, so there are brilliant yellow batches heralding spring. We both work from home. We go out to pee/poo Tootsie, or to get groceries. We keep track of our neighbors. We offer help. (Our words make it sound as if we've made these transitions gracefully; we have not!) The incredible life force Tootsie demonstrates daily is our inspiration.
We still walk Tootsie, but none of her doggy friends can sniff and say hello, so those doggy friends yip and bark from a distance. Chica, Hakim, Benji, Idéfix, Lafayette, and others miss their Tootsie--we all call Tootsie their Bisnonna, or Great Grandmother. We absolutely maintain social distance. We are blessed with a tube of fur who has never been particularly social. Back in the day, Tootsie used to stand at the side of doggy groups and bark. It was freaking embarrassing!
I want to name all of our friends! You know who you are. Take care. We will update as able.
Xo
We are thinking of you all and sending love from southern Switzerland.
This morning, we had breakfast kibble with our friend, Unicorn. Our ears are flipped back in the fashion we call our bib. After breakfast, we take off our bib and restore our ears to factory settings.
We are grateful that you are doing all of the following:
- wash your hands (sing Happy Birthday song twice)
- maintain physical distance (six feet)
- when you are outside, do not touch your face
- do not handle cash
- if you are over 65, do not go out at all and have someone else do your grocery shopping
- if you are young, offer to do grocery shopping and anything else your wise elders need
- do not visit elders in person; if you visit, stay outside and wave
- do maintain social contact with your loved ones
- do set-up a family communication plan
- do care for yourself and your mental health in all possible ways
- stay home for public health and remember the public in public health
- try to be sure that any of your actions do not lead to inadvertent accidents that would require medical attention and divert needed resources
Things here are awful and strange. The deaths in Italy are heartbreaking. (The original hot spot of COVID19 in Lombardy, Italy is one and a half hours south of us.) Life adjustments require an acknowledgement of grief for our previous lives, grief for the suffering and loss of life, and gratitude for our current lives. We balance realism and optimism. The daffodils bloomed last week, so there are brilliant yellow batches heralding spring. We both work from home. We go out to pee/poo Tootsie, or to get groceries. We keep track of our neighbors. We offer help. (Our words make it sound as if we've made these transitions gracefully; we have not!) The incredible life force Tootsie demonstrates daily is our inspiration.
We still walk Tootsie, but none of her doggy friends can sniff and say hello, so those doggy friends yip and bark from a distance. Chica, Hakim, Benji, Idéfix, Lafayette, and others miss their Tootsie--we all call Tootsie their Bisnonna, or Great Grandmother. We absolutely maintain social distance. We are blessed with a tube of fur who has never been particularly social. Back in the day, Tootsie used to stand at the side of doggy groups and bark. It was freaking embarrassing!
I want to name all of our friends! You know who you are. Take care. We will update as able.
Xo
Friday, February 14, 2020
Monday, February 3, 2020
I Have a Most Excellent Tail
... and please let Dachshund Daddy know that my ears need to be reset to factory settings!
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
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