Issue 20, the newest issue of Bite Me Magazine, features a two page article and pictorial on me and my appearance at HauntX in 2006, alongside those such as Bela Lugosi Jr., Sarah Karloff, etc.  You can purchase a copy at http://www.bitememagazine.com/.  While you are there, also pick up a copy of issue 19, which features a great cover and article on my dear friend Jami Deadly.

This has been the most difficult week of my life.  My father passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Mother's Day.   I had just been with him a few hours earlier and he was his normal upbeat, energetic self, joking around with my kids and me.  Around 6:45 PM, he was up on a ladder in his back yard working on a roof for a deck that he was building. My mom went out to check on him around 7PM and he was on the ground, face down, laying on his head and shoulder and his face was purple.  There were boards lying on top of him.  Apparently, he had fallen off the ladder while he was working.  He wasn't breathing and had no pulse.  When I got there the paramedics were working on him and trying to revive him.  I begged and begged my father to come back to us, up to the very last second that they loaded him in the ambulance. They continued to try to revive him at the hospital to no avail.  I was in the room with him holding his hand and weeping over him when the doctors finally gave up and called the time of death.  At first we thought that he died as a result of the fall.  However, the doctors, nurses, and medical examiner believe that he had a heart attack and then fell off the ladder.  He was still so young and had so many more years to live.

My entire family is in a state of shock and absolute grief.  No one could have ever expected this.  My father was such a strong man and took care of everyone.  He was the one that everyone depended on.  In fact, he was just at my house on Saturday, putting in a new air conditioning unit for us and fixing our oven.  He did everything for us.  He even built our house and was the reason that I now have my dream home.  He was a custom homebuilder and remodeler as his career.

I can't imagine life without him.  I've always had him, of course, and was very close to him.  I still called him "Daddy".  I've never experienced such grief, sorrow, shock, and sense of loss in my life.  I just don't know how I'm going to get through this and live a normal life.  Normal has always included my Dad and I took that for granted.  He was always there for me on a moment's notice and he supported me in every single thing that I did, even if he couldn't relate to it.  He showed his love and pride in his children and grandchildren in everything he did.

My Mom and Dad have been together since she was 16 and he was 17.  They were married for almost 41 years.  I don't know how my mom is going to survive after this.  In addition, she is still raising my little brother who is in high school.  My brother is way too young to have lost a father.  My dad was a father of  four and grandfather of seven.  Also,  my poor grandmother, my dad's mom, is going through so much.  My dad was her baby and she is devastated.

My father was the definition of a good and noble man.  He always put others' needs before his own and spent his whole life helping, mentoring, and giving to others.  He was also heroic and would put his life on the line for others.  One time he saved my mother and little sister from a burning truck that was about to explode, even though his legs were on fire.  He suffered third degree burns and had to endure a long and painful recovery.

I love my Dad so much.  I miss him beyond words.   He was a wonderful father and grandfather.  I would give almost anything just to have one minute back with my father to hug him, kiss him, and let him know how much I love him and have always appreciated him.  I wish I had told him more.  I am just utterly devastated. 

We had one memorial service in Houston on Thursday for all the family that lives there, but we are having another memorial service in the DFW area this Thursday, May 22^nd, at 7PM.  I know many of you have met my dad over the years and at our Halloween parties the last two years, so if any of you that have met him or know him, want to attend the memorial, please contact me and I'll give you the details.

Below are a few photos of my dad over the years.  I am also posting a folder of photos of him in my photos section.

The last photo I took of my dad with my mom - Christmas 2007

My sister and I with my dad when he dressed up as Santa - late 1970's

Daddy walking me down the aisle - 2001

Dancing with Daddy at my wedding - 2001

My dad playing a role in an Alamo movie - 1986

My dad and mom - 1967

My daughter Faith and brother Colt kissing my dad - 1992

Being grandpa "Bob Bob" with my daughter - 1993

My dad and mom last year

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DADDY - 1948-2008

When our dog Gretchen died in a collar strangulation accident while playing with one of our other dogs a week and a half ago, at first we thought it was a freak accident (see my blog on 3-28-08).  Well, it turns out it wasn’t a freak occurrence at all.  The day after I posted the blog on her death, my cousin and cousin-in-law (Trikki & Thomas on my top friends list) called me and told me that the exact same thing happened with two of their dogs earlier in the year.  They were fortunate enough to get the collar off just in time, unlike us.  After hearing that, we started researching the internet and learned that tons of dogs die this way every year in the exact same scenario, where two dogs are playing, one dog gets their bottom teeth or jaw stuck in the other dog’s collar and the other dog is strangled to death or it’s neck is broken before the owner can get the collar off.  Below is a quote from one website:

… one of the greatest risks of collar strangulation occurs when one dog’s lower jaw becomes entangled in another’s collar during play. The collar twists and tightens as both dogs panic and frantically try to free themselves from one another. Even when pet owners are supervising play, they often aren’t able to undo or cut the collar in time to save their companion.

Here is a website with many stories of the same exact scenario from owners who lost or almost lost their dog -http://www.breakawaycollar.com/yourdog.cfm.

Collar strangulation is not just limited to two dogs playing together, either.  It can occur when a dog gets their collar or tags hung in a crate, on a fence, etc. and the dog twists and turns to try and free itself.  Gretchen was wearing a nylon collar that easily twisted and turned and that was easily caught on our other dog’s teeth.  We now have thick hard leather collars on all of our dogs making that scenario or the risk of strangulation much less likely.  We are also considering buying the break-way safety collars for our dogs that are advertised on these websites.  If you are a dog owner, please get rid of any nylon or soft type collar that can be easily twisted or caught on something.  If Gretchen had not had that type of collar on, she would still be alive.  You wouldn’t think those collars could be harmful, but obviously they can and are often. 

We had Gretchen cremated so that we could keep her remains at home with us.  Below is a photo of her urn.

Here is yet another reason why I don’t understand life.  Tonight we had a terrible tragedy with the freak and accidental death, in a horrible manner, of one of our beloved dogs.  Our female bloodhound, Gretchen, was innocently playing with our dog Bela in our living room when Bela’s two bottom canine teeth got caught and twisted around in her collar to where Gretchen couldn’t breathe. My husband Kyle and I tried frantically to get them free and could not.  We tried cutting the collar off and the scissors broke.  I tried holding the collar off her trachea so she could breathe until we finally got it free with another pair of scissors, but she was unconscious.  We tried CPR and couldn’t revive Gretchen.  We don’t know if she strangled to death over that couple of minutes that we were trying to free her, or if her neck or jugular was broken from the very start because she bled from her mouth afterwards and was unconscious most of the time and not trying to breathe while we were trying to free her, although her heart was beating up to the last few seconds before we got the collar off.  It happened in an instant and even though we were right there, it was an impossible situation to save her.  What made it a million times worse was that both my kids witnessed the entire thing and had to watch our beloved dog die in such a terrible manner no matter how hard we tried to save her.  Now, my children, husband, and I have this horrible experience and image that we will never be able to get out of our heads, on top of the pain we have to deal with on losing our dog.  Gretchen did not deserve to die that way.  We are all having a really hard time right now.  We are all so angry, in shock, and don’t know why or how it happened.  This will be especially hard on Kyle because Gretchen was his baby and he absolutely adored her.  I said it a few weeks ago when my friend passed away and I’ll say it again….I’ll never understand why these things happen.  I’ll never understand tragedy in life.  I’ve really come to the realization in the last few weeks of how fragile life is and how life can change in instant.  Cherish every second with the people and animals that you love.

Rest in peace Gretchen.  We love you so much.  I hope we made you happy and were a good family for you.   We are so sorry that you had to die that way.  We tried everything we could to save you.  I have to believe that you are in doggie heaven with the biggest rawhide bone you could want and an unlimited supply of peanut butter and your favorite treats.  Thank you for the love that you gave us.

Gretchen playing in the snow a few weeks ago.

Every year for the last four years, my family and I have taken a vacation in March to Colorado, in order to enjoy snow activities, winter sports, and the mountains.  Each year, I try to take up a new snow activity.  So far, I have taken up snowshoe hiking in the mountains, sledding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and have learned how to drive an eight-dog team dog sled (which was awesome).  This year, my daughter and I decided to learn how to snowboard.  So, on Wednesday we took an all day snowboarding class. Wow, it is so much harder than it looks!  Everyone in the class was wiping out and busting their butts the entire day.  Even though I held my own and did much better than many people, I must have fallen at least 30 times.  The one thing that I learned from that day is that I can fall in every manner possible, it seems, and not be mortally wounded.  I flipped, rolled, fell backwards, forwards, you name it.  It also takes a lot more physical strength than you would think.  In one day of snowboarding, I bruised my tailbone, threw out my left shoulder twice, and deeply bruised both knees.  Then, the next day, I woke up with such sore muscles that I could barely move for two days!  I literally hurt everywhere between my neck and ankles.  I’ve never been so sore and so immobile in my life.  The only places that didn’t hurt were my head, the tips of my fingers and my feet.  However, I can’t wait to get back out and snowboard again next year!  Isn’t the human mind funny that way?  I beat my body to hell snowboarding and I can’t wait to do it again.  I don’t know if it is the adrenaline and thrill of riding the board down the mountain or if it is simply the challenge of it, that I want to overcome and master it, that drives me!  Hmmm...  :)