TOPAZ HORIZON

This is a video right after Christmas 2007. Our pet rabbit Galady got jealous of a stuffed toy I got as a gift!


Well, it seems Galady Wabbit has suffered a stroke. Her left leg is paralyzed--she doesn't even feel me tapping it or pinching it. She will or perhaps already has had another stroke because she's losing the rest of her left side. She is deteriorating rapidly and life has drastically changed for all of us here at Casa Kuneho.

Since Galady can't get up, she pees and poops all over herself. It's an awful mess, I tell you, and it's causing horrible urine burns. Today, as I was giving her her bath, huge clumps of hair fell off her entire left side and I burst into tears. After all we've gone through, seeing all that hair on my hand was the worst.

Oh well. The good part of that is it's so much easier to dry her off. No need for the blowdryer, which she hates. And it's easier to apply the antibacterial cream!

Here's Galady the night she came home seven-and-a-half years ago. Isn't she a darling? Anyway, I am happy to say that the situation has improved (yes!) because we stumbled upon the site of a fellow disabled-rabbit owner, who wrote that she used those raised plastic beds with holes--meant for disabled dogs. This has been the best advice since now Galady doesn't have to soak in her pee and the kitty litter underneath the plastic beds absorb everything--even the smell.

It's also solved the problem of Galady and Matilda's longing for each other. In the past weeks, Galady had to remain locked up in her cage. But with the plastic beds on one corner of the laundry room, Matilda can now visit and cuddle. Both wabbits are happy!

Vince and me, too! Still, I cry a lot these days. And, if you've noticed, I can't blog as often. Life with a disabled rabbit is much much different; for example, we've had to check on her constantly. It's a good thing the office is just across the street! So we've quickly adjusted so it's all good!

Right now, I'm sprawled on the floor beside Galady. She's in her cage tonight, with the top removed (see here). The netbook is in front of me and I'm trying to catch up with my blog-hopping. We're both listening to Taylor Swift. Unlike Kanye, we both like Taylor Swift a lot--Galady's ears always go up high when Taylor's singing.

Anyway, I'll go now. I badly need a bath--I smell like rabbit pee and I think I have rabbit poop flecks stuck everywhere because Galady always flails about when I lower her into the basin of warm soapy water.

It's all good. I know it's disgusting but it's proof she's still alive and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In the first two posts on My Magnificent Women Series, I told you about my sisters Jacqui and Rose. I have truly been blessed with the most wonderful sisters because Lizelle, Anj and Reza have shown me the utmost kindness and acceptance.

Lizelle always offers me help and advice from housekeeping to managing little girls. She's also shown me how big a mother's heart can be and how it can swallow up every hurt and disappointment and make them all a joy. She's even shown me that it can welcome in even kids that aren't its own--that's how generous Lizelle's heart is.

Anj has shown me friendship and how fun that can be and we'd giggle over the most ridiculous things, making me realize that a woman may be self-sacrificing most times but that doesn't make her a soulless creature.

And then there's Reza, tenderhearted and kind and gentle. She's so capable and trustworthy--if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have gotten married in a nice church! Nothing ever seems to faze this remarkable woman and yet one mention of my poor nieces and her heart breaks for them.

I also want to add that if it weren't for my sisters-in-law, I wouldn't have had my gorgeous wedding! I never wanted to get married, you see, so I really had no clear idea of what I wanted for my wedding. Then Vince and I suddenly wanted to get wed and Lizelle, Anj and Reza (plus a few of my friends!) were the ones who took care of most everything. I had a wedding beautiful beyond my wildest dreams (well, I didn't have any!) and I do want to thank my sisters for all the work they put in, even though I didn't ask.

Dear Lizelle, Anj and Reza, thank you for welcoming me into the Sales family. I've always been a little in awe of you because you're all such fabulous achievers and homemakers at the same time. You've shown me that family is always top priority and that though wifehood and motherhood come with their own trials and travails, they can be fun, too! I guess I'll have to confess that by observing you and how you live your lives, I have come to want to be like you--women who are walking examples of kindness, generosity and love.


Magnificent Woman 1: Jacqui
Magnificent Woman 2: Rose

I'd like to thank Leyda DC, Jenny S, Rorie C, Lana C and Carmina S for donating cash and to the many ladies and one gent who bought products to raise funds for Mio's chemotherapy (if you want to buy beauty products, click here!).

Anyway, I'll be posting more products on my beauty blog this week as we need to raise more funds. If you wish to donate, you can send your gifts to my PayPal email address: prettypeddler@yahoo.com.ph. You can also deposit your gifts to this account: Charisse F. Espinar, BDO-SM City, Savings Acct # 0670 385 018. Charisse is Mio's godmother.

God bless you for your generosity!

I'll get to my Magnificent Women Series soonest. I've purposely refrained from writing more serious stuff and have been distracting myself recently with shallowness because there's real sadness pervading the house this past week. My baby, Galadriel Rabbit, is very very sick. And we're afraid this is it.
Galady is 7 years old and 6 months. That's very old in rabbit years. She's really slow and mellow now, although she always gets excited and greedy whenever there's food around. Just last June, I posted about her and Matilda. She looked like this:
Still healthy and happy, tolerating Matilda's naughtiness. But I've noticed over August that Galady would usually just stay in one place now, napping, but once she sees me with food, up she goes to greet me. Last weekend, however, my sweet Galady suddenly didn't get up anymore. She'd hobble about but she'd quickly get exhausted. She's also lost a huge amount of weight in a few days. Galady now looks like this:
Only Matilda, food, Vince and me seem to wake her from her stupor. Most of the time, she just lies quietly, unmoving, gently lapping at her water bowl. I've moved her back to her cage so she can be more comfy and to keep her from Matilda's roughhousing. She enjoys being hand-fed and me singing lullabyes to her, especially "Ugoy ng Duyan," her favorite. Then she sighs and closes her eyes and I cry quietly while she sleeps.
My heart is breaking slowly and then it heals and jumps for joy when I wake in the morning and see those huge ears up and those big brown eyes alert. Yet... It won't be long now, I guess. I'm just really having a hard time saying good-bye to my baby girl.

Saw this quirky fun dress on eBay:The seller said it's an Anna Sui. If you click on the photo, you can just barely make out ANNA SUI on the black label.

When I googled it, however, another eBay seller was selling it--the identical dress!--as a Marc Jacobs.
Ack! What is it really? I need to know before I bid! And I want to bid on the right one! Or is this another case of the ladybug dress?

UPDATE: Gorgeous fashion writer Leona told me it's actually a Lanvin from the Spring 08 collection! Oh my! Guess I'm not getting this one, then. Thanks, Leona!