Just recently,  a mysterious wound appeared on our hamster Sonnen, on the underside of her tail. I called Atlantic Veterinary College upon noticing the wound and the vet advised me to put some warm compresses on it each day. The wound seemed to be healing up fine, until one night when we took Sonnen out of her cage, her tail was a bloody mess and it was obvious that she has been picking at it. We took her to our vet Dr.Nielson and received antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory for her. To our dismay, even after giving Sonnen the medicine she picked open her wound again the following morning. We cleaned her up and realized that we would need to do the same thing which we did with Charlie, and monitor her 24 hours a day. To give Sonnen medicine, but let her continue opening her wound just seemed pointless and dangerous, and it’s not like you can put a cone on small animals the way you can with dogs and cats. There was a risk of the infection spreading and even having to have the tail amputated.

We put Sonnen’s cage on the couch where we could have easy access to her if she started picking. Since Josh and I began taking shifts and intervening when Sonnen would start touching her tail, she hasn’t reopened the wound again. I think the medicine has also helped her to feel better, and perhaps not feel the need to pick. Sonnen seems to be healing up very well, and hopefully soon here won’t even be a scab to pick. As a result of a lack of blood flow, Sonnen did end up losing the tip of her tail. It became black and dry and just kinda flaked off. Not that I think that’s a nice thing, but if that’s if  the worst that comes out of her injury, then I think that’s still pretty good.

The other day, I took my nerdy self to the library to study during lunch. It wasn’t long before sitting at a study carrel with my text book sprawled open in front of me that I began to nod off. The night before, Josh and I taken turns sitting with Sonnen and we both got a little over 4 hours of sleep. I began to feel so tired that I simply gave in and put my head down and went to sleep. I dreamed about lion cubs and long twisting spirals of dark purple, blue and black streaming out of the sky. When I woke up, lunch was almost over and I went back to class where I remained sleepy for the rest of the afternoon. Tonight, we’re rotating shifts once again, but hopefully in the days to come we somehow won’t feel so tired.

It’s not our intention to be extreme in the care of our pets. We simply believe that if our pet is sick then we should take care of her, and if there’s something we could do to help her get better, or stop her from getting worse, then we should do it. I believe that Sonnen deserves to be cared simply for the fact that she is one of God’s sentient creatures. Also after having bonded with Sonnen and having experienced such big love and big personality from such a small creature, I couldn’t imagine not caring for her in sickness. It just doesn’t seem like an option.

We’re glad to see that Sonnen’s recovery is going well and hopefully Dr.Nielson will think so as well when we return to the AVC this week for a follow-up.

Today felt like a holiday. I was almost late to work this morning and as a result of getting ready in fast-mode I needlessly brought my backpack into work with me and had to shove it into my tiny locker. Things were slow and peaceful at Value Village and I spent my shift tidying up the floor aka picking shirts up off the floor and trying to get them to stay on their hangers, and chatting with regulars while they hunted for treasures.

I knew Aunt Alexandra was at home preparing Christmas dinner. As I set knick knacks on shelves, and organized books I could just picture her wearing her black apron with the white splatter paint and her pale pink bandana to keep her blonde hair out of her face as she loaded casserole dishes into the oven and monitored the progress of the vegetables boiling on the stove and ran around her small yellow kitchen. Since we aren’t Ukrainian it was random for us to have plans of eating stuffing and mashed potatoes off of Christmas tree plates, but it was important for Aunt Alexandra that we have this meal together since she wasn’t here for Christmas.

With our mouse Charlie passing away and Josh getting his wisdom teeth out just within days of Christmas, it was a strange holiday for us. I kept thinking of a  quote attributed to Mother Teresa “never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen,"  and I felt challenged and encouraged all at the same time to reflect on the miracle of Jesus saving me from my sins and wanting to have a relationship with me today. Reflections like that are certainly strong enough to ward off disappointments about an ‘unchristmas-y Christmas’.

Josh’s mom and step dad joined us for our Christmas dinner and we had great conversation as we ate. To accommodate our vegan diet, Aunt Alexandra welcomed in soy milk and vegan Becel margarine, and baked us up some meatless ‘chicken breast’. I’ve never been a picky eater but with being vegan I often feel as if I am. I feel like I’ve become high maintenance. I tend to feel guilty when people need to recall the ingredients in the dessert they just baked, read over the ingredients in packaged food, and rework their tried and true recipes to accommodate me. These guilty feelings are purely self- originated though since our family and friends, in their love for us haven’t expressed any annoyance or inconvenience in using alternatives in their cooking.

After dinner we drank tea and enjoyed some warm apple pie and ice cream. Josh and I had a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream on our pieces of pie, and my taste buds hardly knew the difference. Josh’s step dad tried some of the soy ice cream and actually liked it too.

Even though our festivities for the day didn’t have its roots in the cleverness of adding the forbidden celebration of Christmas into New Years, nor is there any trace of Ukrainian in the family, it was a sweet time together with some splendidly good food. It was a good holiday.

                I think year 2011 was one of several changes for the Duffys. We returned to Double H Ranch, moved into a bachelor apartment in town, began school, adopted a Vegan lifestyle, became even more concerned about animal welfare while caring for Charlie the mouse, became involved with the ministry Christ on Campus, and I’m sure there are more interesting things that have taken place but those are what come to mind at the moment. I’ve set some short-term goals for myself for 2012 (see our Visions page), and I’m expecting that 2012 will be a year of growing closer to God and staying close to His heart as we continue to study and work towards our long-term goals.

                School starts up again tomorrow and I like school so much that I’m looking forward to going back. I’m so happy and grateful to be studying something that I’m so interested in.

Before the New Year, Josh and I adopted some new little critters. We still miss our little Charlie, but felt we wanted to take in some more animals in need of a home. We know that Charlie with his sweet nature would want us to continue in our care for small animals. We adopted Ping Pong the gerbil who had been at the humane society for a few months. The staff at the humane society were becoming concerned that the little guy wasn’t going to get adopted at all. Neither Josh nor I have ever owned a gerbil nor did we really have a strong desire to own one, but we knew that Ping Pong needed a home and just like we took in Charlie out mere sympathy and grew to love him, we don’t doubt the same thing will happen with us and Ping Pong. The little cinnamon coloured gerbil is actually on a stand right next to my arm chair and I’ve already grown rather fond of the spunky little guy, and I feel happy to give him a good home.

We also adopted 2 rats that we found on usedpei from a couple who were finding that they didn’t have time for them anymore. So on Boxing Day, Casper the white albino rat and Milo the dumbo tuxedo rat came to live with us. They’re both still pretty shy and seem unsure of us, but I think with time, a little patience and Cheerios, we’ll win them over. And then of course we still have our little diva hamster Sonnen who doesn’t seem to mind the presence of other animals as long as she still gets lots of attention.

                So we’re definitely at (or over!) our limit with pets, but we’re committed to giving them the best quality of life we can and I’m looking forward to gaining more experience in small animal care.

Today has been very difficult. This morning we took Charlie into the Atlantic Veterinary  College to see Dr.Nielson. Over the past couple of days it had become clear to us  that Charlie wasn't getting better and so we were faced with a very difficult decision. It turned out to not be such a difficult decision since we love Charlie too much to let him just suffer, but it was very painful for us to come to that conclusion. As Josh and I said our 'goodbyes' to Charlie, he licked the tears off my hand. I really believe that Charlie knew how much we loved him. I cried the whole time knowing that I was going to miss him so much. I'm so grateful to Dr.Nielson for the wonderful care she gave to Charlie right  to the end.
Josh and I drove to his Mom's house in Miltown Cross to bury Charlie under a tree next to Josh's beloved childhood dog Bandit. Josh made a little cross out of popsicle sticks which we placed in the ground, and then Josh said a eulogy for Charlie that I thought couldn't have been more perfect.
It feels so different now that Charlie isn't here. I know we made the right decision and I'm so relieved when I think about how Charlie is no longer in pain. I strongly believe that animals do go to Heaven and that I'll see Charlie again one day. But for the present time, I just miss him so much. Having Charlie totally changed my view on small animals. Charlie had such a sweet and gentle nature. Even though he didn't like getting his medicine he never bit us or the vet. He spent much of his time cuddled up to either Josh or I, and he just totally won our hearts. My heart is filled with wonderful memories of staying up through the night with Charlie, and cuddling with him. These memories and many more, I will treasure.
After having known Charlie I find it all the more appalling that mice like him are tested on in labs. Having Charlie has  stirred  up my passion for animals (especially the small ones) and has strengthened my determination and commitment to only buy products and support charities that are cruelty-free.
I wish that we could have had Charlie for longer but I'm so grateful for the time that we did have with him. Even in that short time, God used him to do a great work in our hearts. I trust that even as I'm typing this Charlie is happy  and free, and enjoying Jesus, and finally living the life he deserves.

For cruelty-free products, check out the PETA shopping guide by clicking --here--

If you already don't think I'm kinda peculiar you may after reading this blog. Last night I took the 2-6am shift in watching Charlie. Since Josh would be getting his wisdom teeth removed the next day, he wasn't allowed to have liquids after midnight, meaning no coffee to help  him stay awake while watching Charlie, so we switched things up so that he could get more sleep.
I thought I'd be more tired than I was. I usually have a hard time staying up late, but I find that if I get watching something that interests me it's as if I forget that I'm tired. And I guess that's what happened last night. I had every reason to fall asleep. It was nice and warm in our apartment and Charlie was clinging to me and snuggling into my arm and it was just a cozy atmosphere over all.
I made some green peppermint tea and set out to find a movie on our hard drive to watch. When none of them interested me at all, I turned to Youtube and began looking up Christmas specials. And that began hours of indulging in Christmas shows and a bunch of 'For Better or for Worse' episodes (I've always liked the comic strip and didn't realize there were shows). 'Elmo Saves Christmas' took me into the wee hours of the morning and before I knew it, Josh was getting up to get ready for his appointment.
Now if I was just sitting by myself watching videos on Youtube, it wouldn't have been that memorable or satisfying. But it was this little mouse curled up in the crook of my arm which touched my heart and made me feel all warm inside. It certainly is a blessing to share our lives with animals. After caring for Charlie, I'll never look at a mouse the same. He is so gentle and affectionate. He hasn't had it the easiest in life, yet he has so much love to give. I feel like I'm learning so much from these night shifts with Charlie. I feel that God is shaping in me a tender and compassionate heart, and he's using a little mouse to do it.

Now it is Christmas break and Josh and I can let each other sleep longer in the morning and hopefully we’ll start catching up on our sleep somewhat. Josh is getting all of his wisdom teeth removed this Thursday. On that same day we’ll probably be taking Charlie back to the AVC, and see what Dr.Nielson thinks of the progress he’s made and if she sees any value in us continuing to do what we’re doing with him. Charlie’s wounds are healing but they’re healing slowly and since he still gets some scratches in, that hinders the healing process all the more. I hope so badly that Charlie will get all healed up and that we won’t have to put him down. Josh and I have bonded with the little guy so much during the time. I’ve read that mice are social but I never knew what that meant until I experienced Charlie crawling in the crook of my arm and cuddling with me. He is such a nice pet and deserves to be living better than he is. So we’ll be praying for wisdom in these upcoming days to decide what to do next, and will continue provide constant care for him.

Something else God is teaching me is a lesson of compassion through our little pet mouse Charlie, who hasn't been in the best health lately. Ever since we took him home from the Humane Society we noticed that he scratched a lot. When we took him to the vet it was discovered that he had mites in his fur, so we got some medicine that cleared away the mites. Charlie still continued to scratch obsessively to the point of ripping one of his ears. I think one of the best decisions we made for Charlie was to take him to the Atlantic Veterinary College. The girls at the AVC have been extremely helpful and so kind to us. They discovered his ears had become infected , and so we received some oral medicine and ear drops. They also made suggestions to cut out some possible allergens, since domestic mice are prone to be allergic to many things such as wood shavings, corn, wheat, and sunflower seeds.

It seemed that Charlie's condition was improving and he was scratching less, but just recently he spiraled back into his excessive scratching, inflicting wounds on his ears and shoulders. Josh and I carefully considered whether we should have him euthanized. As much as we love Charlie and would hate to have to put him down, we don't want him to live a life where he's suffering and tearing himself apart. 
But we decided we weren't quite ready to throw in the towel. It was hard to think of putting him down when I'd see him run on his wheel, dig a nest or do other little mousey activities where it seemed he could have been enjoying himself.  I discovered that Charlie was still consuming corn and wheat through the rodent blocks we were giving him, and so I've switched him to an diet of boiled brown rice for the time being to see if that makes a difference. We're also rubbing him down with organic cold-pressed olive oil which seems to be helping him in the way that he's less itchy. As his wounds become tender from the oil the challenge is to keep him from scratching and reopening those wounds. Josh and I are currently taking shifts where we take Charlie out of his cage and try to prevent him from scratching , by keeping him busy and distracted. The little guy likes riding on our shoulder and snuggling in the pocket of Josh's hoodie.

I know mice aren't on the top of everyone's lists and some may think it's strange or over sentimental of us for taking such measures to try and restore a little mouse back to good  health. Not only do I feel a responsibility to care for Charlie because we adopted him, but also just the simple fact that he is a small, helpless creature who has feelings and the capability to both enjoy life and suffer,  and has been bestowed with the gift of life. To not even try to help him because 'he's just a mouse' to me, doesn't reflect the compassionate, humble and loving character that I believe to be of Christ.

And to not care for Charlie would be to miss out on a lesson of compassion, charity and kindness that I believe God is teaching me through this experience. It's a humbling experience to care for 'the least of these' even when others make it known to you that they don't see the value in it. But then, some people do and have offered a lot of advice and prayer and that's encouraging as well.
But when it comes down to it, each of us are responsible to act in the way that we feel God is leading us, and I think sometimes that can take the form of caring for the tiniest , most  seemingly insignificant creatures.

I'm almost finished my grade 12 biology course at the Holland College Adult Education Centre. This course has been a fun challenge for me and it's been neat to experience the 'learn at your own pace' style in the classroom. Although, sometimes 'at my own pace' means I'd like to go home at 2:00 instead of 3:30 because I've spent the morning cramming information in my head and I feel like I can't take anymore- but I think this whole experience is helped me to sharpen my study skills and my memory all the more. I've also been drinking absurd amount of chai tea in effort to stay awake- but hey, that's the world of studying! I did pick up a great book from the library called 'Play and Child Development' and thanks to this biology course I'm understanding the information about the functions and development of the brain so much more clearly.
And on that note, I'll  end this post and get back to class since lunch is almost over!

It's been a while since I've studied biology...I mean really studied it. I've read some articles here in there since there is so much that involves biology, but now that I'm taking grade 12 biology, I'm realizing even more how interesting (and complicated!) it  is. And why am I taking grade 12 biology you might ask? Well, in high school I thought I'd finish things off with an 'easy year' and I didn't want to risk taking classes that I might have trouble in, because then it would bring down my average. It was good logic at the time. Math and even phys-ed got the boot too (although I did anticipate for years the day that I could  opt out of phys-ed).

I've come to realize how important science is. Not only the details of science but even the critical and analytic thinking that goes along with studying science. Since  I'm interested in teaching prenatal care as well as the possibility of working more with animals I figure that grade 12 science would be a good thing to have. In the Early Childhood and Care Education program we've come to courses that I already completed  online last year, so I decided to opt out of them and use the time to study biology at the Adult Education Centre.

The 'study at your own pace' style is certainly a change and I only have 6 weeks to complete 8 chapters along with a midterm, final exam, assignments and labs, so I'm really cramming information into my head going as quickly as I can. There is so much memorization involved!

I think that even if I never end up needing this course as a prerequisite, I'm still very happy to be taking it and to realize that I can do science! If only my grade 12 self knew that! But oh well! I like having the experience of this self-regulated kind of studying as well. Yep, after Jesus and kingdom living. this is the kind of stuff that gets me excited. Kinda weird but I believe that God can use my weirdness. 

Oh yeah, and this Pinky and the Brain video! It helped me study for my first test concerning the nervous system and it gave me a good laugh too.