Camera Critters #299 - Harper Ann with Taffy and Bucky - December 28, 2013

I must confess that I had misgivings when, long ago, Laura and Alex brought
Taffy home from the local shelter.  Within two months, Bucky had also been
added to the household.  I was anxious, to say the least, because both had
pit bull genes.  That was several years ago, before the April 14th, 2013 arrival
of my darling granddaughter, Harper Ann.  

Since joining the family, my two granddogs have been loving, wonderful
additions.  They took the arrival of a squirming little human creature with 
amazing delight.  Taffy, especially, the female ( both dogs were neutered
at the shelter ), has been so maternal, hovering nearby at every squeal and
cry though Bucky is never far off.

Of course, Harper Ann is never left alone with the dogs but she clearly loves
them - and vice versa.  She tugs at coats, ears and tails and they just lie
quietly and tolerantly.  Her first case of "puppy love" came the day she arrived
home from the hospital.

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Camera Critters #290 - A Potpourri of Pooches - October 27, 2013

Doggie shots from a pre-India soiree in San Francisco:

One, with especially good taste, swiped the Brie off my plate but I managed to
hold onto my Russian black vodka!

\\

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How India Began ( for me ) - August 29, 2013

I can remember, eighteen years ago, when India, for me, was just a mysterious 
country, far down on my list of places I wanted to visit.  I knew the beautiful Taj
Mahal was there and I'd read novels about the country but I'd never even seen a 
Bollywood movie.  I had, of course, been eating wonderful Indian food for most
of my life but I didn't have even one friend from that part of the world. 

On April 16, 1995, when I boarded the Monarch of the Seas, for a seven day
cruise from San Juan, all that changed.  I stopped by the ship's library to donate
the book I'd finished reading on the long flight and noticed the Champagne Bar
across the corridor.  I decided a drink was in order and that is when I met its
bartender, Odelio Santos.  No one else was in the bar so I stayed for a glass of
wine and a chat.

Much to my surprise, Santos, as  his name tag read, was from India.  I thought
he was from the Philippines.  We chatted about Mumbai, his life and family 
there and a friendship was formed.  Throughout the cruise, I went back to that
lovely, peaceful bar and got to know him better.  Besides that, he introduced me
to at least a dozen more Indian crew.  As I wandered about the ship, I realized
several hundred crew members were from India.  I thought how difficult it must
be to leave their families for six months at a time, to work so far from home.
I learned a great deal about India, its culture, and its problems from the crew,
many of whom have remained dear friends to this day.

In February 1997, prior to cruising from Thailand to Singapore, I spent ten 
days in Mumbai, at the home of Odelio Santos and his wife, mother and family. 
 I had really not foreseen visiting India and, had I not been invited, I might never 
have come to what I now call "the country of my heart.".  It was a wonderful ten 
days, passing much too quickly.  It was exciting for me to experience living at 
Sahar Village.  I was overwhelmed by the generous hospitality of the Santos
family and other people in the village.  I also got to see two other crew members,
Edsel Toscano and Sudhir Pillai, who were home for two months on leave. 

The grand finale of that visit was a trip with May Santos, the family matriarch, 
to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, one of the loveliest events of my life.  Words
cannot describe the magic of seeing its splendor for the first time.

Over the next eighteen years, I sailed eighty times with Royal Caribbean,
renewing Indian friendships every cruise.  Those crew members felt like
family and, indeed, they dubbed me "the American mother of the Indian crew".

When I decided to come to India again after my twenty-one year forensic 
nursing position ended in massive budget cuts to Public Health, Ode 
insisted that I stay with him and his family.  I spent four months at Sahar
Village, where people still remembered my first visit.  It was great to get
to know Nick, Ode and Lorna's twenty-year-old son, and Jake, who was then 
fourteen.

I am now back in India for the third time since my stay at the Santos household.
I spent five months living in Jaipur and, this time, I will be in Mumbai for six 
months, living with Rosy and Norman Toscano, Edsel's parents.  Never did I
dream that going on a cruise would afford me hundreds of very special friends
and new ones that I've met during my India stays.

I was just over to see Ode, Lorna, Jake ( Nick is working in Dubai ) and, of
course, their dog, Skip.  I couldn't believe the welcome I got from him.  I
thought he would not remember me but he greeted me so happily, almost
doing flips.

The years have been good to us, in spite of physical changes, of course.  Ode
and the whole Santos clan are my first Indian family and I love them dearly.  
Because of that fateful day in San Juan, I have actually gotten to experience
India as my home,  a place that has firmly embedded itself in my very soul.

Namaste.

Carmen & Ode, a friendship that has spanned almost two decades!

I wish I still weighed what I did when I took my first Royal Caribbean cruise...

but I'm working on that!  After 80 cruises and thousands of meals, Love

Connections ( my favorite ship board drink ) and midnight buffets, I'm glad

I've managed to discard forty of those pounds.

With beautiful Lorna, who always worried I wasn't eating enough!  She said 

Ode told her how I used to eat on cruises!  If I had kept that up, I would have

taken two seats on my flight to India!

With my nephew, Jake, who is now in college.  When I first visited Ode

and Lorna, he hadn't yet arrived on the scene!

Father and son

Mother and son

Jake Santos

and, of course, last but not least,

Skip

On My Way In Ten Days - May 22, 2013

Last December, when I arrived home from India, it seemed eternities before I
would return again.  I had plenty to do in the meantime - catch up with friends,
have my total  shoulder replacement surgery, drink good California wine which
I had sorely missed in India ( relishing decent vintages, some priced at under
$10/bottle ), eating at my favorite restaurants, seeing all my physicians and
getting medical clearance to return, once again, to "the country of my heart".

I even tried to move out of the large storage space I'd been renting since October
2011 - at almost $400/month - into a smaller space, to no avail.  For my Mother's
Day gift, Shawn ( my oldest ) and Jeremy ( my youngest ) spent the entire
weekend helping me go through things but we barely made a dent in the pile
of boxes.  Nonetheless, I sent over ten bags of clothes to Goodwill, all clothes
I am now too slim to wear, plus many other thing, that I initially thought I couldn't
without.  Furniture, that failed to be snapped up by Craig's List buyers, was
broken apart and taken to the dump.  Perhaps, if I hadn't been sidelined for
three months with my shoulder surgery, I might have been able to accomplish
more.  At any rate, though, I felt quite righteous in eliminating as much as I did..
and I really appreciated the gift of time from my boys.  It was nice hanging out
with them as well.

Yesterday, I drove up to West Sacramento for my final visit with Laura, Alex,
baby Harper Ann, and Taffy and Bucky.  I am really going to miss seeing them
and watching my granddaughter's first six months of life.  Though he has not
done it yet, Alex has promised to download Skype so I can keep up with them
that way.

Harper Ann is now a month old.  She has gained three pounds already and she
is a charmer.  I get such a kick out of the two dogs who are aware  of her every gurgle
and, heavens, if she actually cries, they go racing to the crib, then back to Laura and
Alex if they think there is not a fast enough response.

Harper Ann still spends most of her time sleeping

At 11 lbs, 3 lbs over her birth weight, she's outgrown her newborn clothes!

A bit disgruntled and wanting food!

Taffy and Bucky standing guard!

I will be home again the first week in December.  One of my baby gifts was a 

Christmas stocking for Harper Ann and I'll be working on that while I'm in India.

I've made stockings for all my sons and Laura but this one will be a special

labor of love.  

I know I'll have a hard time saying goodbye when I leave West Sacramento this

time.  I've never been gone any length of time with a sweet granddaughter 

seven thousand miles away.

Camera Critters #249 - More Sleeping .Dogs - January 13, 2013

My friend has a dog sitting, kennel service.  It always amazes me how well these 
animals get along with each other - different breeds, ages, and sizes.  There don't 
seem to be turf issues or jealousy among the dogs. 

1. A black lab and a weimaranar

A doberman joins the group

The dobie got lonely by herself.

Wonder if he's dreaming?

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Camera Critters #219 - A Party for Dogs and People - June 14, 2012

As I prepare to return to India on Sunday, for a five + month visit this time, friends have
been wonderful, inviting me out for lunch and dinner and one lovely lady really went all
out!  She hosted a soiree at her beautiful San Francisco home, with its stunning views and
treasured collections acquired from her world wide travels.  I only met her recently, thanks
to a dear friend who knew we both loved India.  The food was superb, as were the drinks
( we were even allowed to try her black Russian vodka, available she tells me, only in
Moscow - I must admit, I have NEVER seen black vodka before ), the music soothing
( the Indian sounds of Aarti ), the conversation stimulating and delightful.  As we chatted
and enjoyed the sunset views over San Francisco, the four canines in attendance, all very
well behaved, seemed to mingle well with each other.  One, however, snatched a piece
of Brie off my plate but, otherwise, we humans didn't have to share our food.

For some reason, the photos of the beautiful, shiny black Lab did not turn out well.

He was such a gorgeous dog!  I hope I see him again so I can get more photographs.

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Camera Critters Meme #217 -

Mother's Day fun at the home of the Calhouns, the parents of my daughter-in-law,
Laura, complete with pooches.  This sweet one is Tigger, who was brought home
from the shelter after their beloved Gus went to doggie heaven.

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Camera Critters Meme #216 - The Granddogs - May 26, 2012

21 DAYS UNTIL I TOUCH DOWN IN INDIA AGAIN!

Over Mother's Day weekend, I went to West Sacramento to visit my middle son, Alex,
his lovely wife, Laura, and my two granddogs, Taffy and Bucky.  I had worried they
might have forgotten me while I was away.  I could not believe the unabashed, affectionate
greeting I got from those two.  I will really miss them during my upcoming six month
in India ( the kids, too, of course ).  I'll have to talk to the doggies when I call on Skype!

I have posted a couple of pictures of them since I return but here are two more.
I, especially like this one of Taffy.  Bucky was too busy with his chewie to cooperate
with the photographer, grandma or not.

"Aw, Grandma, you can't be going back to India so soon!"

"Wait a minute, was that the rustle of my dog food bag?"

"Grandma, I CANNOT look up now, can't you see I'm busy?"

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Camera Critters #215 - Let Sleeping Dogs Lie - May 19, 2012

The first two are my granddogs, Taffy and Bucky.  I visited them

for the first time, in five months, this past weekend.  I was worried

they might have forgotten me during my time in India but they went 

crazy when I walked in the door, showering me with licks and they

stayed beside me constantly the whole three days I visited.  Isn't it 

wonderful how pets remember you?

This is my granddog, Bucky.  He's a big clutz, but such

a love.

My friend, Virginia, and I saw these two dogs, enjoying

the sun on the campus of Punjab University in Patiala, India.

They didn't even move when we passed by.

This is Skip, the sweet dog who belongs to my "nephew," Nick.

I stayed at their home my entire four months in Mumbai.  

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Camera Critters #213 - Taffy, the High Jump Medalist - May 5, 2012

"Ohhhh, I'm so happy.  My mom and dad brought me and my brother, Bucky,
to the dog park!  It's such a great day and there are a dozen dogs out here to
chase and pester.  I get tired of Bucky, sometimes...and he's bigger than me.
Wait a minute.  What is this fluffy tail I see....it's not a cat but it's got fur
and it irritates me almost as much as a cat does.  I'm going closer to investigate.
Wait, you ball of fur, no fair climbing that tree!"

Taffy stood near the fence, eyes pinned on the object peering down at him
from the branches.  Alex shot this picture and, in the next second, couldn't
believe his eyes, when Taffy, from that position, vaulted over the fence, no
running start or anything!  The squirrel, safe above, probably had a good laugh.
Taffy must be working out every day....look at those muscles - no fat on her.

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