Family news: Sick dog

 Our small dog had developed a hernia, which I got fixed years ago when we had her fixed not to have puppies. 

The hernia returned (poor healing due to malnutrition as a puppy left her with slow healing). Usually I would periodically push the intestines back in and it didn't bother her, but then late last week it grew huge, hurt her when I touched it, and she was not eaing well, just sleeping outside my door all day.

So we took her yesterday to the Vet to have it fixed. Today we brought her home, and she is happy to be home: Went outside to do her business then came back and drank oodles of water, which she then vomited up. No problem except that it was underneath my bed, where she often hides.

So we moved the bed and cleaned it up: lots of undigested medicine in the vomitus...so I will have to give her medicine later.

In the meanwhile, this week is Undas, the day of the dead, or in Catholicism All Saints day.

The entire country takes off and travels to their home village to honor the dead: You go to mass, then visit the grave. You decorate the grave with flowers, and lots of candles... while the family visits the grave, you hold a family reunion: eating sandwiches etc..

we sent the maid who took two of her brothers to clean it up and trim the flower bushes in front of the grave. The site was intact but someone stole our lock. Oh well. 

I will probably visit tomorrow before the rush. And the relatives often leave flowers too (he was the one in the family who went to work in the USA so he could support their family after his older brother died of a heart attack, so he is their second father).

they don't really celebrate Haloween here in the provinces, although they do have a lot of ghost stories on local TV.

In the USA, they used to start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving and now I hear they start the sales as early as Haloween. Well, here in the Philippines the celbration starts in October: even the bank was putting up Christmas decorations when I went there last week.

In the meanwhile, Lolo's granddaughter is on school break so is visiting. Her and her mom are planning to visit Joy's home village next week, but I don't know the details.

Me? I am busy doing nothing but nursing a sick dog.

Sigh.