Titan's Journey Continues...

Titan's story has been a long time in the making.  He has been my inspiration for almost four years now.  He earned the nickname "Zen dog" because of his peaceful, loving heart and the fact that he can be happy anywhere, at any time.  He is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside- not only is he notable for his gorgeous coat and soft, loving eyes, but he has the sweetest heart and most affectionate nature of any dog I've ever met.  I named my blog after him, and he was the motivation for me to help animal rescue groups and work with shelter dogs. 

Titan's story has been in the works for a while...and now it involves the big-hearted folks who helped him get to the vet for a neuter, shots & a clean bill of health.

Last week, Titan had a visit to the SPCA, and no way of getting there- this mom was unable to bring him due to car space/baby issues. I put the word out on FB and got in touch with some animal rescue friends to reach out for help.  The response was heartwarming! 

The first leg of Titan's journey was taken over by Shannon, a fellow animal rescue person.  She was the first "angel" of Titan's experience:

Shannon's drive was truly a long haul- from Mandeville to Covington, and then from Covington to Metairie.  She also had a very special copilot "helping" out, li'l Macey:

Titan was delivered safe & sound to my house, where we got him settled in and comfy.  Shannon reported that Titan was a lamb, and walked him around to do his "business" before we got him in the house and showed him around.  *Thanks Shannon!*

He was cautious around Beau, his furry brother, but the two ended up doing just fine.  Once Titan got to check out his surroundings, the two brothers had some fun play time in the backyard.  Uncertain at first, but then gaining confidence, Titan got the layout of the yard, ate grass, loped around, and then ended up romping with Beau and broke into a run a few times.  Poetry in motion! 

 

 

Later in the evening when the sun set, we brought the two boys in and spent lots of cuddle time with Titan.  And keeping in mind that he had to fast from 10 p.m. on, we gave him plenty of treats up until 9:45 (bad humans!). 

 

The next morning, around 6:45, our second "angel" arrived to help bring Ty to the SPCA- Alyson.  Alyson battled traffic, got Titan to the SPCA from my house, took care of paperwork and getting him settled there, and did it ALL before even having the morning coffee (wow!):

Alyson and Titan became fast friends, and he was generous with the puppy smooches!  And she was kind enough to pick Ty up once he was finished with his visit, battle traffic again and bring him back to my house.  God bless, Alyson!

 

Titan's visit to the SPCA was a success *puppy prayers answered*. He got his neuter procedure completed, along with an exam, full shots, heartworm test, microchip, and even several months' supply of heartworm medicine.  The two angels responsible for this part of the program were Mollie and Tracey, who shared the costs Titan incurred during his visit.  Thank you so much girls!! I honestly can't express it enough.  Your generosity will never be forgotten!

Another big help was the neuter voucher I received from Ken Foster with Sula Foundation.  This was a tremendous help, because I am unemployed and was unable to cover the cost of the procedure.  Thanks Sula!

 

Titan had to rest up in his kennel post-op, because he is a bundle of energy and we didn't want to risk him pulling out stitches by accident.  But once Beau was tucked into "his" room for the night, Titan was brought out for t.v. time and snuggles.  And he "borrowed" his brother's Nylabone and had a good time exercising his jaws while we watched t.v. 

It was hard to say goodbye to Titan, after four days of visiting and bonding together.  My hands were full with both Titan and Beau, and Baby Nate.  But once Ty was gone, the room seemed empty without his crate, and I missed him tremendously. 

Thankfully, I knew he was going back to good hands- Mom is fostering him while we search for his forever family.  He's strong willed and hyper from lack of exercise this year, but Mom has been doing her best while we look for Titan's next home.

 

 

Everyone involved is truly an angel, and I am still staggered by how amazing people have been in the effort to help Titan and get him a clean bill of health.  Everyone had families, jobs, a busy life inside of the world of animal rescue & out.  Each took time out of their hectic schedules to help a wonderful deserving dog that they had never met.  You have restored my faith in humanity, at an especially difficult time in my life.  Each & every one of you made this experience possible, and Titan and I are BOTH grateful, from the bottom of our hearts!  Thanks everyone!!

*Note: Titan is looking for his forever home, with a loving family who will indulge his need for snuggles, affection, daily exercise and a basic schedule.  He is very low maintenance, and very willing to please.  He will be your workout buddy, your best friend, your furry child.  He reminds me of a quote I read somewhere- "Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole."  Hoping someone gives Ty a chance in the New Year!

Nathan's First Birthday

Well, the long-awaited milestone finally arrived: Nathan's 1st Birthday.  Wow! To say this year has flown by on a flurry of wings and memories, is a vast understatement.  Every month I charted our baby's growth, enjoying the progress he made and how with each passing month, he became more and more a unique person, with his own identity.  And now he's an entire year old.  *wiping happy but sentimental tears away* 

 

It was Lucas's idea to do a circus theme- and as I stalked Pinterest, and gathered ideas online and off, I realized how popular that particular theme was.  But still a lot of fun to plan! Nathan was going to be the Strong Man, and Lucas wanted to make a little costume for him for his special day.  So I donated an old dress of mine- a very sexy leopard print that had seen its day (last place worn was at the House of Blues for the Type O Negative concert- happy memories!)- and Lucas cut it up and made a costume for Nate, and a shrug for me.  The man is ridiculously talented! He probably could've designed a headband for either Nate or Beau with the remaining material, but time was very limited, lol. He also made barbells out of purple balloons and a paper towel cardboard holder:

He and I decided to dress up but just a little- so Lucas planned on being the Ringmaster, with top hat and striped jacket; and I would be the Animal Trainer, with a fascinator (miniature top hat) made by hubby, and animal print sweater and a shirt with a tiger face printed on it. 

 

I managed to stay on a tight budget, by going to the dollar store for supplies- invites, balloons etc.  I found plates and napkins and cups at Wal-Mart for $.97 per package, beating even the dollar store out.  The design was cute- it said "I am 1", and had safari animals which I figured could double up as circus ones since there were no actual circus designs.  I also found a "pin the tail on the zebra" game for the kids.

 

I hunted on Ebay and found retro-looking popcorn bags to fill with popcorn as party favors; and a multicolored pennant to string around the dining room (which also happens to be multi-seasonal and multi-purpose for future parties).  I bought root beer for hubs and asked him to save the glass bottles after he drank them, to use for a ring toss game (I found the rings on Ebay as well).  I also found a photo prop for our circus theme- a plastic print of a strong man and a trapeze artist, with holes cut out so people can take pix and put their faces in the holes.  Talk about a fun party prop!

 

The most important aspect of the party- the cake.  After shopping around and getting prices, I went with Rouses Bakery- they had a sheet cake that was only $24.99 and fed up to 40 people! They decorated it with multicolored balloons, and it had chocolate buttercream icing with red trim, and the cake itself was white almond.  It was fresh and absolutely delicious! Li'l man had his piece, but was more interested in the icing part than the actual cake- but hey, his day, his way ;)

Family and friends came over Saturday (the day after the actual bday) to help us celebrate.  The party started at 1:00 and lasted a couple of hours.  Everyone seemed to have a great time, and Nate was the star of the show.  He was such a happy li'l man that day, and enjoyed seeing the familiar faces of his loved ones.  We took countless pix and ate cake and "helped" Nate open his presents.  He got a Cookie Monster stuffed toy, a lot of very nice books, brand new clothes and socks and some really nice toys.  Li'l man cleaned up because our people were very generous!

So, we all survived the first BIG birthday milestone- maybe now that I won't be charting each month till the next one, I will have more time to plan an even BIGGER bash the next time around! Here's to you Nathan, my li'l strong man- Happy HAPPY Birthday, sweet son!!

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An Evening with Steve Vai

 

Early birthday present from my hubby- tickets to the Steve Vai concert at the House of Blues.  That day, it seemed that everything conspired against us as we tried to get a babysitter lined up and get back home in time to make it there.  Shannon was coming with us, and I was trying to make it back home from Mom's, while Lucas was wrapping up a long work day and getting home.  By the time I made it back, I had about a half hour to get ready for the evening of a lifetime.  I managed to pull it together in 24 minutes (personal record- woo-hoo!) 

 

We arrived at HOB and ate at the Crossroads Restaurant there (how appropriate!- does anyone remember that 80s movie that Steve Vai was in, as the devil's protégée?) Long story short, our bill had to be a certain amount in order to 'cut the line' for the show, so Shan treated us to drinks and we happily sipped as we stood in a much smaller version of a line, separate from the main one, which trailed around the building.  It was misting and foggy outside, and finally when we got in it was good to get out of the chill.  We took some pix before we got in to document the feeling of cheer despite the gloom:

We looked super-happy in this shot- and had no idea how much more awesome the night was going to get! But I digress...

 

We got in, and Shannon showed us "how its done" as she led the way and made a beeline for the front stage area.  Mission accomplished! We had a bit of a wait, but we were indoors and had no complaints.  The place filled up fast.  Everything was at a mellow but excited hum.  At exactly 9:00 p.m. (kudos to the band for starting right on time!), the music kicked off, the instruments sounded and in a cloud of smoke, Steve Vai descended upon us in his dragon print pants and flowing black shirt, silver necklace gleaming, guitar shrieking in the night.  It was just the start of pure AWESOMENESS!!! (is that a word?  it is now!).  Exhibit A:

 

 

 

 

 

For the next few hours, the Man-Myth-Legend serenaded us, and it was the experience of a lifetime! His backup band (String Theory) was rock solid, and they all brought their own unique personalities to the mix.  It was amazing how everyone melded together so seamlessly, and created a sound that was out of this world.  And to be front stage to see it all right smack in front of us- its pretty indescribable.  I joked before the show that Shannon would be able to collect the man's sweat- ironically we were "that close" :)  He made eye contact with me and Shannon and at one point, stopped directly in front of us and dropped into a bow, grabbing the strings of his guitar in his mouth smiling around them.  We both fumbled for our cameras but missed the Kodak moment (dammit!!!) but there were so many others that more than made up for it.  He and the band went through many classics- "Rescue Me or Bury Me", "Tender Surrender", and a few new ones off of the latest album.  He told us that we were going to build a church of our own, which kicked off the anthem "Building the Church".  It was incredible! There were so many special effects throughout the show, including the set where Steve Vai came out wearing a space age costume and helmet, with lasers shooting off of his fingertips as he played yet another guitar in a lineup of awesome instruments:

 

 

Halfway through the show, he introduced us to each member of his band, and each did a solo act.  The bass player was kick ass; the backup guitarist mellow & lyrical; the drummer slaughtered his drums, and at one point came out with some kind of crazy contraption that about knocked my eyeballs out, for the backup percussion on "Rescue Me or Bury Me":

 

 

The show, on a scale of 1 to 10, was a 15.  Steve Vai and his backup band took us through one amazing song after another.  He was truly the Guitar God, sounding as good in person as on a clear, perfectly recorded cd.  He rocked it every single moment of the show, "talking" to his guitar, flashing big smiles and throwing himself into the performance. 

 

Towards the end of the show, he announced there would be two more songs, then informed the audience that he would be showing us how easy it is to write a song, and that he would need volunteers.  Shannon immediately shot her arm in the air and waved and "ooh ohhh"-ed all over the place.  An obnoxious guy who managed to worm his way between us halfway through the show, attempted to get Steve Vai's attention and override my friend's attempt to be picked.  Steve Vai looked out, picked a couple of people from the other end of the stage, then zoomed in on Shannon and the jackass between us.  He pointed our way.  The guy asked, "Me?!" all full of hopeful excitement, and his hopes got shot down as Steve answered, "Not you, the girl."  Direct hit! As Shan jumped up and down in joy, Steve Vai added, "Oh, you can bring your friend."  OMG!!!! He meant me!!! I tried to duck down and make myself invisible and shook my head, and he said, "Come on, it will be fun!" Well, you don't say no to a legend, so I gathered my shrinking nerves and made my way to the stage, feeling as though I had walked into someone else's crazy dream.  Shannon and I were both helped onstage by some of the security- meaning, in my case, I was picked up like a sack of potatoes and slung up there! I couldn't even begin to look at the huge audience in front of me, awash in blue lights.  Once Shan was up there with me, Steve beckoned us over and I made my way on legs that felt like absolute Jello.  Our Rock Hero surprised us both...because he ended up being the kindest and most down-to-earth person I've ever met, who also happened to be famous.  As in, world famous.  Guitar prodigy.  Rock God of all Time.  In a nice guy suit.  He called us over and then asked our names.  Then he told us we would help him one at a time "write a song", and that he would start with...you guessed it...ME.  I almost passed out.  He told me, "I've been watching you and you've been smiling the entire show.  I can't tell you how good that makes me feel!" I couldn't tell him how good it felt that he even noticed, in the ocean of people smiling and waving and enjoying the show.  Later, my husband joked that I was smiling so big, and looking so blissfully happy, that he could picture my brain blowing up in a cartoon mushroom cloud behind my head.  This is the shot of my infamous"smiley face" as I was face to face with my all-time favorite musician:

 

 

 

 

 

I was up first to "help" write the song, and Steve Vai held my hand because he knew I was so terrified to be up there that I would race away at the first chance I got.  I was struggling with the paralyzing fear of being in front of hundreds of people.... and the thrill of being able to talk to one of my favorite musicians ever.  Then I was panic stricken that my earplugs would fall out (the one time I remembered to wear them to a show!) I calmed down long enough to hear Steve say he needed me to help give the drummer a beat.  He handed me the mike, I picked it up, opened my mouth...and drew a complete blank.  He helped me and said, "You can make anything a beat...what's your full name?" I was so nervous I had to stop and think, maiden name or married? LOL- I told him "Jamie Lynne Patterson".  He said it sounded like music and then as the drummer pounded out the rhythm, Steve Vai chanted my name- "Jamie Lynne Patterson, Jamie Lynne Patterson."  I was completely dumfounded.  It was totally surreal! Then it was Shannon's turn, to help the bass player come up with a rhythm.  He warned her to keep a distance from the bassist because he can "get a woman pregnant by standing next to her"! She had absolutely no problem sauntering up to Steve and singing, "ChickaBOWwow!!" He laughed and said, "Shannon, you're a very bad girl."  OMG- surreal!! Steve Vai was calling Shannon a "very bad girl".  As she came back to stand by me, I told her, "This is a dream! This is NOT happening!" and then, "Shannon, I don't think I'm drunk enough to be up here!!" The guy who had been called up was next, and he was drunk and completely blown away to be on stage with his idol, bless his heart.  He high-fived me, and ran up to help the guitarist figure out a rhythm.  Then he came back and played imaginary drums, haha.  Last was the lady that Steve called up, a friend from his college days at the Berkley School of Performing Arts. He asked her if she knew his wife's secret fantasy, and then whispered it to her.  Then he told the rest of us, his wife's fantasy was to sit on his amp while he played "Bad Horsie"...with his seven string guitar.  The audience roared.  It was insane! Then everyone was finished and they put the song together.  As they played it, he chanted my name again as though they were lyrics to the song! I could've died happy, lol.  And the entire time all this was going on, Lucas was in the front row taking pix and documenting the entire experience! Otherwise I would've sworn that Shannon and I had the same crazy dream and there was NO WAY in this world it could've happened!

 

When they were finished, Steve Vai pointed to some chairs on stage at the side, and offered to let us stay up so we could hear the last song.  Dreamland again!!! So we got to sit onstage and hear the best, last song played that evening- the anthem "For the Love of God".  The drunk guy took our pic together and me and Shan sat there in complete disbelief that we were onstage listening to everything as special guests.  The bass player looked over at me and shot me a big smile from time to time.  The music was incredible.  The final haunting notes of the song seemed to reach out and echo from one end of the room to the other.  It was perfect.  Then as everyone clapped and hooted, Steve came back to us and said, "Come out and take a bow!" It just got more and more unbelievable! We walked back out (at this point my legs went from Jello to water) and we all put our arms around each other, and took the final bow.  Best.  Night.  EVER!!!!!

 

 

 



 

 

 







Happy Birthday to me...

Well, I survived ANOTHER birthday (big "whew!!" here lol).  Since this is the year post-baby, I tend to measure all the big life events/milestones by comparing them to their predecessor.  So, here goes: last year I was hugely, ripely, heavily pregnant with Nate at my birthday.  This year, I have my body back to normal, and li'l man  was here to help me celebrate! (happy tears).  The number of years is climbing upwards- its inevitable- but as they say, what's the alternative?  Of course, birthday cake helps sweeten the experience, lol. 

In order to slow down and remember all of the good moments, I wrote a gratitude list for my bday.  Here it goes:

Things I am thankful for this birthday (11/21/13):

(1)  My marriage
(2) My Baby Boy
(3) My Momma
(4) My Beau
(5) Good health
(6) Satsumas!
(7) Being remembered by friends and family
(8) The evening with Steve Vai!
(9) Raspberry tea
(10) My Mom's recipe for spaghetti and meatballs
(11) Having an excuse to eat too much cake
(12) Good folks getting involved in finding Titan a home
(13) Clean laundry
(14) A chance to begin all over again (new bday year)
(15) Nonsense songs to Nate
(16) Morning yoga
(17) Bday cards (and presents) that touch my heart
(18) Surviving "another year older" with grace & gratitude (for now!)
(19) Making the time to catch up on library reading
(20) A spa retreat from the comfort of home (mint julep facial & scrub)

As each year passes, I try to remember the important stuff and get away from the bad.  And I begin a fresh start with each birthday.  Time to begin anew....