Lolly's Story - Her First Public Interview with Q Magazine

 Lolly’s Story - Her First Public Interview with Q Magazine

Q: So Lolly, what can you tell us about yourself?

L: First, let me thank you for your time. Despite my difficult beginnings, I know the importance of politeness. Also to clarify, my original name given to me by a sponsor at the Beagle Freedom Project was spelled Lolli. My new folks, Giselle and Bill changed the “i” to a “y” in honor of their previous beagles Lizzy and Maggy.

Q: Where did you live before Freedom FIields in Nowata,

I can relax now

Oklahoma?

L: I am told I was found in Alabama but am not sure where.

Q::What were you doing there?

L. Some horrible human kept me and several other beagles outdoors for hunting and breeding. 

Q: Were you ever allowed indoors?

L: As far as I know, I lived in a crate all year round. It gets cold in Alabama. Brrrr

Q: I am so sorry this happened to you. Were you ever used in laboratory experiments?

L: No, fortunately not.  Too many of my colleagues have been used in cruel animal testing. This needs to stop now. They have numbers tattooed under their floppy ears. So sad.

Q: How did Giselle and Bill find you?

L: After me and my friends were rescued from Alabama, my picture was put up on the Beagle Freedom Project’s web site. Giselle was looking for a female beagle my age, age four. She told me that Bill kept insisting on a puppy. She feels they are too old for a puppy. Miraculously, after Bill saw my picture, he agreed to explore adopting me. Giselle claims that their last beagle Maggy sent me to them to save their marriage. 

Q: So do you think you are a mother? 

L: This could be the case. We will find out after the vet checks me out this week. I was very overweight when I was rescued. I have already lost twelve pounds and look good. Some of my skin looks flabby. Hopefully, with proper diet and exercise, it will firm up.

Q: So what do you think of Giselle and Bill?

L: Giselle is very kind and gentle. She sometimes speaks to me in a  strange language. I think it is called French. She teaches it too. Bill is a jokester. I am still trying to figure him out. He adores beagles and thoughtfully keeps taking me out to pee so I am lucky that way.

Q: How do you feel about living in a home?

L: Well, I am not sure what a home is. I do like hotel rooms, especially the space under the desk. I also don’t understand toys. Maybe that will change.

Q: I really enjoyed meeting you, Lolly. I wish you a happy healthy life with Giselle and Bill.

L: Thank you! All the best to you too.

Bill and I On Our Now Not So Secret Mission Day 3

 Bill and I On  Our Now Not So Secret Secret Mission Day 3

We slept surprisingly well in our not so super Super 8 Hotel by Wyndham.  We kept the lights low so Lolly would get a mellow vibe in the hotel room. What? Wait a minute. Who's Lolly?

That, dear readers, is the question. Lolly is our new beagle found online at Beagle Freedom Fields, a rescue organization for beagles used in animal testing as well as other mistreated or homeless beagles, dogs,  and cats. I will put a link to this rescue organization at the end of my post. Right now, they are expecting 40 lab beagles from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin where 1500 beagles were recently rescued. Labs favor the use of beagles due to their docile sweet temperament. You can torture them one day, and they will be happy to see you the next. The lab beagles’ ears are tattooed with numbers. As an ardent lover of beagles, this makes me sick.

Our rescue beagle Lolly has a story of her own which I will tell you in tomorrow's post. Until then, enjoy these pictures of her.

Beagle Freedom Fields

https://bfp.org/freedom-fields/

Bill and I On Our Secret Mission Day 2

 Bill and I On Our Secret Mission Day 2

Bill and I are a bit anxious this morning. I find the staff at breakfast annoying. Bill forgets absolutely all of his Eddy Bauer

shirts hung in the closet. Luckily, he went back to take a second look. 

We drive slowly to our first destination. Cows outnumber people around here in Oklahoma.  The scenery is not something to write home about. But I do find it calming. Wide spaces making for peaceful places. 

We stop in front of a large black front gate. The sign reads Beagle Rescue. More tomorrow……

Bill and I On a Secret Mission

 Bill and I On Our Secret Mission Day 1

We arrive at PDX at 10:30 AM. I need coffee, actually my tall decaf non fat no whip mocha. 

It's late morning. The airport is eerily quiet. We are waiting for our flight to Denver.  A weather advisory may have scared people yesterday to avoid Denver today.As usual, Bill and I get the choice seats not far from the bathroom. 

Our luggage is packed with some unusual items which  cannot be revealed at this time.Upon our arrival in Denver, we barely see any snow. Our flight to Tulsa is delayed due to the lack of a pilot. It’s a good but annoying reason to sit on a plane for an hour.  Perusing movie options, I find the French film, Vie Privee with Jodie Foster who studied at a French Immersion School as a child and speaks French fluently.The film appeared at the Cannes Film Festival last year. I am delighted to be able to view it while we wait for our pilot. It is in French with English subtitles. The great French actor Daniel Auteuil who is still making movies at age 76 stars alongside Jodie Foster. I would like to describe the movie, but  am not sure how. It is a combination of intrigue,” who done it” , psychological thriller, and most of all very French.  What do I mean by very French? That’s the indescribable part. There is a certain mystique  in certain moments of the film: Jodie Foster running in 6 inch heels, the amount of wine consumed at dinner, the spot light  on the beautiful wrinkled faces of the actors, the mood lighting C’est comme ca.

We are now comfortably tucked in at our hotel in Bartlesville, Oklahoma for the night. Tomorrow is a very big day for us and a very big reveal for you, my friends.  Good night! 

10 Tips from an Arctic New York City Fashionista (ha ha) no links included

 

Getting ready to board the J train to Manhattan

Always start with the shoes, ladies. Comfortable and sturdy shoes are a must.

1. Dansko boots - wonderful for bone spur and plantar fasciitis issues

2. Socks with some cashmere and wool for toasty cozy feet

3. Ann Klein pull up pants - tres chic

4. 32 Degrees soft thermal underwear- you won’t know you have them on

5. 32 Degrees light weight and warm winter coat - love this brand

6. Mittens with faux leather palm pads for gripping subway rails

7. Cashmere scarf - ask for as a holiday gift

8. Beat up Baggallini travel purse in gray to match the weather

9. Trader Joe’s adorable cheese tote - “very grate”

10. Fold up travel stick - a life saver for navigating snow banks and slush

           Bonus tip: white hat that covers ears- important for being seen at night and not screaming from frost bite

If you have any arctic fashionista tips of your own, please put them in the comments.

AND DON'T FORGET THE SUGAR

 "bouffer la vie a pleines dents" - to enjoy life to the fullest

A dear  friend and I meet for a Friday afternoon walk. On the way back, I suggest coffee in the shopping center across  from the nature trail. We arrive at the coffee shop  to find the place closed. Next door is a deli we don’t know , but figure we could at least get a cup of coffee or tea there and continue chatting. The deli is empty and quiet. We order two cups of tea. The deli owner does not inquire if we want herbal, green, or generic tea, but heats water up in his electric kettle and serves us two cups of Lipton tea, “America’s favorite”. Do we want sugar or creamer? he graciously asks. We want nothing. My friend brings her own sweetener. I usually take my tea “au nature”.  

We discuss  the recent loss of my beloved sweet dog Maggy, how hard it is to adjust to change, hair colour choices and  our  over-consumption of holiday chocolate. The deli remains empty except for a woman who darts in  quickly  to buy a lottery ticket.  The  deli owner wishes her good luck. He’s nice, this guy. I try to get a general sense of the deli. The menu looks Greek- Lebanese. There’s even  baklava for dessert.  On the counter sit a couple of unlabeled jars of homemade Za’atar which is a Middle Eastern spice blend typically of thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt.  A big fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, I use Za’atar regularly . In fact, my jar of Za’atar  at home needs refilling.  Just  a few days ago,  I asked my husband Bill to get Za’atar at his favorite discount grocery store, but he could not find it.  I contemplate purchasing  the spice mix here. The sign says Za’atar $5.00.  That seems reasonable enough.

After a while, my friend and I make our way to the counter to pay. We ask how much we owe. The guy asks us how much we want to pay.  This reminds me of France and my  ridiculously nice electrician. My friend and I look at each other.  I am going to pay for his Za’atar and deal with the tea later. Meanwhile she gives him $4.00 for her tea. He gives her $2.00 in change and says he really feels he should not charge us at all.  I give him $4.00 for my tea which he refuses saying my friend  already paid for both. He asks me if I know how to use Za’atar. Of course, I  proudly put it on chicken.  No, no no. You take two plates. Fill one with olive oil; the other with Za’atar. Dip your pita bread first in the oil, then in the spice mix. Enjoy with a cup of tea with sugar.  Sugar? Is this important?  We make conversation with this lovely man for a few more  minutes. We turn to leave. He calls out: “And don’t forget the sugar.”

Our lovely man strikes me as someone who lives life to the fullest. In French we say “bouffer la vie a pleines dents”. You may recognize the verb “ bouffer” to eat and “a pleines dents”  with full teeth. I am grateful for his reminder to sprinkle life with sugar and spice as my sadness over the recent loss of my pet feels overwhelming. 

I will end by wishing you all a wonderful, healthy and happy “ Bonne Annee 2026”. “And don’t forget the sugar.”

The French love sugar cubes

The Family Gourmet

 The Gourmet in the Family

It may surprise you that the gourmet in our family is not me, but Maggy, our 16 year old beagle. 

This happened quite subtly over time. After years of eating the same old dog  kibble, she looked at her bowl in disgust. At least, it seemed like disgust. It turned out to be  one of the first symptoms of a life threatening disease called Addison’s Disease. Addison’s Disease is a hormone disorder in which a dog’s adrenal glands don’t make enough cortisol to respond to stress, maintain electrolyte balance, and regulate blood sugar and hydration.  The same disease can occur in humans. One of the most famous victims was president John F Kennedy. 

The vets did not diagnose Maggy’s condition for a long time because she did not fit the profile of an Addison dog, mainly  due to her age. We finally brought her to Dove Lewis Animal Hospital in Portland when she went into crisis. On the way to the hospital, I did not think she would make it. I thought for sure I would be told, sorry, lady, you’ve got an old dog. After a series of tests, the kind Dove Lewis vet,  sat with us and explained Maggy’s condition. The good news is that Addison’s Disease is easily treated with steroids and most dogs go on to live happy healthy lives. So be it. Maggy is now 16. We saved her life two years ago. 

Maggy spent two nights in the hospital. We visited her as soon as possible. The vet tech told us that Maggy found hospital food bland so they introduced her to Costco canned chicken. It was love at first bite. Maggy barely acknowledged us and clung to the purveyor of her new love,  canned chicken.  I immediately joined Costco and stocked up. Maggy had lost seven pounds which is enormous for a dog. Since then,  she consistently consumes her chicken, but in the last year or so is fussy about her kibble. We alternate different brands and sprinkle delicious toppings from Trader Joe’s dog treat section. Maggy must take steroids to live. Hiding them in a bit of cream cheese was working, but then a new pickiness set in when she rejected everything we stock in our fridge. What to do? We tried goat cheese, liverwurst, hot dogs and peanut butter. She would be okay with one of these selections for a while then pouf turn up her beagle nose at them. There were days in which we could not get her to take her meds at all. Very distressing. Then I read about the “rule of three” as I call it. Three pieces of hot dog for example. The first without meds, the second with meds, and the third without.  Amazingly, this works at least for now. Fingers crossed, we won’t need to upgrade to French pate and caviar.

Recent photo of the Gourmet this Halloween Season