Comments from Stephanie DiBelardino on new puppy Gigi:
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2006 05:59:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Stephanie DiBelardino
Subject: Update on Gigi
To: "Sue LeCalsey" <achatesbostons@ameritech.net>
Good Morning!
I've got a few minutes before I leave for church, but wanted to give you an update on Gigi: she's incredible!
My cousins (Doralise, Angela and Bill) could not get over how well socialized she is -- it's been a busy weekend
here and Gigi greets everyone, ready to dole out kisses and play -- especially with toes sticking out of sandals
and shoelaces -- but also offering up a toy so that it can be thrown. Doralice called her brother Frank (yet
another cousin) last night -- he has 2 female BT's: one a traditionally marked BT, the other with an all white head
and collar and also called her mother, my Aunt Katherine, who also has a BT, Katrina. So, Gigi will have lots of
step-cousins to socialize with when the time is right -- probably when we return from Italy. BTW, all of these BT's
in our family started because of my rescue BT, Tootsie -- everyone in the family loved her so much that, as their
dogs aged and went over the Rainbow Bridge, BT's replaced them.
And you would laugh yourself silly if you saw her with her toys! Now, when I try to play fetch with her, she doesn't
want to return the toys to me -- rather she runs to her "crate" (the Sherpa bag with the side zipped open) and
deposits them there -- and tries to get as many as possible inside! Then she comes back and waits for me to
throw another toy and repeats the process. Kind of like a child who doesn't want anyone else to play with her
things! And when it comes time for her to take her nap, I have to empty the crate of all but one or two toys to
make room for her and her blankets.
We are having such fun! AND: I think my blood pressure has dropped 20 points! Yesterday it was 90/60!!! and
today 111/72 !
I cannot say it enough: thank you so much for letting me have Gigi!!!
Big hugs to you all!
Stephanie -- and Gigi, too!
PS: And, last night, while we were standing around the kitchen talking, she rested her head an Ezio's foot and
closed her eyes -- so I ran to get my camera and by the time I got back, she only had her paw on his foot. It was
such a "precious moment."
Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with our vet and I will bring all of your paperwork to her and your
recommendations. Everyone there is anxious to see Gigi.
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2006 16:45:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Stephanie DiBelardino"
Subject: Greetings from Norfolk!
To: "Sue LeCalsey" <achatesbostons@ameritech.net>
Hi Sue!
Today must have been a sad moment for you. But, by now hopefully two more babies are in thier new homes and
making two more families very happy!
Just a quick couple of lines to let you know how well Gigi is doing. She has captured our hearts! And, I am happy
to say, she shows no signs of separation anxiety -- I think she is perfectly content being the center of attention!
Both Ezio and I spend a lot of time with her -- whether it is just holding her or even playing on the floor, she does
not lack for attention. Her favorite spots are either in front of the patio door that gets the most sun -- or playing
were her toys on top of an oriental carpet! I have heard her bark only 3 times -- I guess she feels no need to be
"vocal" at this time. Her favorite toys are the two birds that I got in Fernandina Beach -- they are almost as big as
she is, but she loves to attack them and run around the house with one.
Tomorrow, I will send off the papers to register her as a Service Animal in training, and I have already alerted
USAir that my husband will be traveling with a service animal -- plus, I have the letter from his doc about being
disabled, etc. So, we are all set on that front. We have thought about doing a transatlantic cruise on the return --
and I have contacted Holland America to see if travelling with a service animal would be a problem -- no, but she
may not be able to get off the ship in all ports. But, that's OK with me.
Please keep in touch! Big hugs to all the fur-babies and to you and Lou.
Stephanie
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 06:01:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Stephanie DiBelardino"
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Subject: We're in Norfolk -- if only for 3 days!
To: "Sue LeCalsey" <achatesbostons@ameritech.net>
HI Sue! And Lou, too!
I apologize for being out of contact ths week -- just got back last night and it has been a hectic! Who ever siad
retirement was a "relaxing" stage of life must know have known us! We had sea-trials for the Nordhavn on
Sunday, the pre-closing inspection Monday, settlement Monday afternoon -- then we spent Tuesday aboard, with
Ezio trying to absorb the magnitude of the mechanical and electronic system -- and Wednesday, we had a
skipper aboard with us to move the boat from FL to Brunswick, GA, which we did by running off-shore rather than
through the ICW -- gave Ezio a chance to observe how the stabilitzers function.
Sue, you asked if this is a yacht: that's a hard question to answer. The joke among boaters is this: if you own it,
it's a B.O.A.T. (Break Out Another Thousand); if you don't own it, and are admiring it, it's a yacht.
The former owner had christened her, "Triton" after the Greek god of the sea -- we will re-christen her Neptune,
after the Roman god of the sea. Don't know if I mentioned that we bought Triton from a USAir pilot whose
retirement plans went sadly awry. She is a model yr 2003 Nordhavn, commissioned in 2004, and with about 300
hrs on her engines. He ordered it in July, 2001 and would have lost his deposit if he did not take her -- so, he
has had her off and on the market since mid-2004. She is a BEAUTY -- and her design speaks of her
sea-worthyness. Although she is capable of circumnavigating the world, and has the electronics to do so, as well
as the mechanical capabilities, we will use her for coastal and Carribean cruising. Personally, I would be
delighted if Ezio would ship her to Italy so that we could cruise the Med aboard her -- but I doubt that will happen.
He is focused on sending the motorsailer to the Med (shipped fr Newport to Genoa, then we meet it in Genoa to
bring it to Nettuno, where we live).
Gigi is taking our lifestyle like she was born to it! I still haven't allowed her to walk outside very much other than
our yard in Norfolk and she is mostly trained to use the piddle pads (every once in awhile we have an accident,
but given our traveling, we expect some accidents) -- and I wouldn't even think of letting her be near other dogs
yet! She will get her last distemper shot Monday (or today if they call me with a cancellation) -- she had her
rabies shot two weeks ago -- that we had to do for the USDA to sign off on her travel papers. They insisted that
since she was 3 months old she was required to have the rabies shot to travel.
Everyone in Italy awaits Gigi's arrival, I think more so than they await ours, even though I am the one carrying the
Nautica jeans and Nikes for the kids! -- she is already a "star. ' And the two Bostons that I brought to Italy for my
niece's clients are anxious to get together and had a Boston play party and meet Gigi.
How soon after her first heat cycle should I have her spayed? We take off for the islands in early to
mid-November and hopefully she will have had her first heat cycle before that time and I can have her spayed in
Norfolk. Otherwise, when we go home to Nettuno at Christmas, I can have her spayed then.
Got your letter about Gigi's CERF. Many thanks! As to her Luxating Patella Exam at one year, we will probably
be someplace "Down Island" until May or June, so I will have to work out the timing -- a vet in Puerto Rico or the
USVI's would have the same US standards, but I will put out the word on our cruiser's net for recommendations for
vets on other islands.
Big hugs to you and to all of the fur-babies
Stephanie ....and Gigi....and from Ezio, too!
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