libby’s house

Frankie Retiring from Therapy Dog Work. Together We Move Into a New Phase of Life.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Going through photo’s of Frankie’s therapy dog work, ran across this one when we had a special request to visit Froedert Hospital. This man had a stroke and he LOVES dachshunds.  Frankie made his day! 

I thought the tears were done. Yesterday I sent notice to Libby’s House, Senior Assisted Living and Sharon S. Richardson Hospice letting them know that as of July I will be retiring Frankie from her therapy dog work. While I’ve contemplated this for quite some time (semi-retiring her in January) I felt a relief in letting the facilities know, but I find myself having a hard time with it today—knowing this decision is now final.  But I won’t ignore the tears and will accept it as a way for me to move through this.

I’ve always known how much my work with Frankie has meant to me—it has been huge. A part of me is finding a great deal of peace and comfort in knowing her and I can enjoy quality time together, just her and me. But another part of me is having a hard time knowing one phase of our life together is complete. I had no plans to share this today and was planning to wait until she was officially retired in July, but I felt the need to write about it.

As I told Libby’s House and Sharon S Richardson Hospice I have no doubt God meant for me and Frankie to travel the path we have. While my heart feels such a loss, it also is feeling so blessed remembering all the wonderful memories of our therapy dog work. And I’m really grateful I was given this opportunity.

Frankie’s health is good and it truly is just a feeling I have in my heart that now is the right time to have Frankie retire. She deserves it and so much more. As I started to contemplate this decision and was finding more time to blog, as well as work on my new book, I found an acceptance in it all. I want to enjoy our new phase of life together and not get lost in the sorrow of what we’ve let go. With every end is a beginning. I remind myself to be still and listen.

Frankie and I will make one more visit to hospice this month and then one more to Libby’s House in July. Frankie will retire just in time for her 13th birthday in August. We’ve begun our summer by going for more impromptu walks, Frankie soaking up the sun and all the good smells as she rides in style in her pet stroller, bike rides with the wind blowing through her ears, lots of naps for Frankie, and much time snuggling and appreciating all that she means to me…. her papa, and her dog sis, Kylie.

It has been quite the honor and privilege to witness many “golden moments” watching Frankie roll into a room, filling it with sunshine, joy, and love. To witness a feeble hand reach out to pet her, a smile move across a lonely face,  and a memory return that was lost-there simply were no words in those moments, it can only be felt by the heart- and my heart expanded in ways I can never describe adequately in words. To share Frankie with someone who only had days or months yet to live, and give them the love that only a dog can, cracked my heart wide open each and every time. I welcomed that opening as it reminded me what this thing called life is all about. In each of our moments together doing our therapy dog work, I was reminded to not take life too seriously, and to enjoy each glorious moment…

Stay tuned as I’m working on a video of photo’s of Frankie’s therapy dog work and will share that sometime in July.

 

Money Can’t Buy This

Posted by Barbara Techel

 Frankie relaxing with one of our favorite residents.  I believe Sally is almost 99 years old now.

Today was my scheduled therapy dog visit with Frankie to Libby’s House, Senior Assisted Facility.  They have three separate houses we visit.  Usually by the third house Frankie is pretty tired. Our round of visits usually last a good hour and a half.  As we got to the third house today the receptionist said, “Did you hear what one of the residents wrote about Frankie?”

Well a few weeks ago they had a poet from New York visit their facility.  The poet worked with the residents, many of which have Alzheimer’s or Dementia, and had them write a poem called “Cats and Dogs.” The idea was to help recall some memories for them of pets they had in their life or pets they knew.  What a wonderful idea, I thought.  Well, they made a copy of the poem for me, because when they told me what  the one line said that one of the residents wrote, I was so touched. And it was one of the first lines in the poem!  So here in the poem in its entirety.  I hope it makes you feel as good as it made me feel. And as I told the receptionist and some of the staff, “Money cannot buy this. This is what it is all about.”  FYI:  They didn’t tell me the name of the resident who wrote the poem, but when I read it I knew exactly who it was as this resident often talks to me about a dog they had named Misty.  Also this particular resident is 100 years old.

CATS AND DOGS

Yes, I do like dogs.

I like the little wiener dog with the trailer that comes to Libby’s House to visit.

I was peeling potatoes once and a cat ran up my back.

I don’t know what scared that cat but something did.

We lived on a farm and had a Shepherd dog.

That dog was so gentle with the cats and all.

He shared his milk with the cats.

Good farm dog.

That was many years ago.

I had a Basset Hound. I had a Labrador.

Goldie Fella was my Basset Hound’s name.

I get along with cats but I like dogs better.

I think a dog is better than a cat.

I never had a dog as a child.

I had a male and female Collie. Penny and Lady were their names.

I played midwife with the dogs.

My neighbors had cats and I played with them all the time.

A fox came through the neighbor’s yard and chased the cat.

I can’t remember if I ever saw that cat again.

I had a dog. It was a very special dog.

I would tell her to get her leash and she would run and get it. We would take a walk.

When I would get the mail, I would tell her to “stay right there and don’t move.”

She always listened.

My dog’s name is Misty. She had a chair by the window.

I would tell her it was time to exchange chairs with me.

She would jump down and we would switch chairs.

She only did her duty in the tall grass in the backyard.

I’d let her out and she would always run to the tall grass.

I miss that dog.

We had all kins of dogs on the farm. The were outside dogs.

Someone gave me a dog. My mom liked it so we kept it.

I like cats better.

My kids liked them too.

Michael has four cats.

There’s a lot to clean up in the spring after the snow thaws, you know.

The bigger the dog, the bigger the stuff.

What Does 105 Years Look Like? Meet the Very Special Libby.

Posted by Barbara Techel

From left:  Christine Thill (owner of Libby’s House and granddaughter to Libby), Libby, Phyllis (Libby’s daughter), Jeremiah (Libby’s great grandson) and Ona (Libby’s great, great granddaughter)

Libby, 105 years old is a real delight to know. Frankie and I have been honored and privileged to visit with this exceptionally beautiful and spunky lady on a few occasions when visiting Libby’s House, Senior Assisted Facility.

We have been going to Libby’s House once a month for 3 1/2 years. This year begins visiting only every other month so Frankie can enjoy her senior years, just like Libby. I’ll treasure our visits there even more now and am glad we are scheduled to go today.

We met Libby a little over a year ago when she came to live at Libby’s House, named after her, by her granddaughter Christine, who owns and operates the lovely facility.

When Frankie and I were training to become a therapy dog team I heard Libby’s House was looking for a therapy dog to visit. Though we were not yet officially certified I called them and let them know of my interest. They were excited to have us on board and told me to let them know when we were ready and they’d be ready for us.

I almost quit after my first training with Frankie at another facility, a nursing home. Sadly, not all nursing homes are as nice as Libby’s House. The facility we trained at was, in my opinion, quite sad. Initially, I was shocked and a bit freaked out at the condition of the place and of the residents. Driving home after our first visit, I cried, and thought, I can’t do this. But I’m so glad I didn’t give up. While I couldn’t change the circumstances of the facility, I could for a brief time make a difference in those patients lives with Frankie.

I was nervous beginning our work at Libby’s House as I also didn’t quite know how to be around people who had Alzheimer’s which Libby’s House is set up to take in. Not all patients have Alzheimer’s- some have dementia- as well as other health issues. But the biggest lesson I learned, especially with Alzheimer patients is that there is someone “still in there.” They may not resemble the person they used to be, but they are still there.

Often times I don’t understand what they are saying as they talk, but I nod as if I do. All they want is for someone to listen. And as you can imagine, having Frankie to pet and love brings them much joy.

It’s not often that one can say that they’ve met a 105 year old person. Meeting Libby at a young 104 was like meeting the Queen. She is remarkably sharp and has a great sense of humor. For most of her life she has not liked animals, but she adores Frankie– even letting Frankie sit on her lap now and then. During one visit Libby was petting Frankie’s back and she looked up at me and said, “Frankie is love.”

It is one of the highest compliments I could have ever been paid of my work with Frankie. There is no denying Libby has left a profound mark on my heart.

Being a therapy dog team with Frankie at Libby’s House is very rewarding. Writing my second children’s book that I published in 2010 about Libby’s House is no doubt, a path I was meant to travel. And to know Libby, who is such an inspiration, is such an incredible blessing. I can’t help think being with Libby is about as close to God as one can get. She is truly remarkable.

 

Libby, Frankie and me