Ellen Morrow – Page 4 – Me and the Doods.com

“Anti-Aging”?

When I started hiking as a youngster in my forties, my friends and I would frequently see an older woman, probably in her late seventies, walking all over the mountains by herself. She was sort of a local legend. I’ll never forget one morning when she emerged from a dense fog. It was almost supernatural.

The problem is, I think I’ve turned into her! The other morning some “kid” saw me hiking and said, “Wow! You’re still up here. Good for you.”

ELBEE That’s an age crack if I’ve ever heard one.

Maybe I’m more sensitive to it, being a senior, but it seems that lately there’s an obsession with anti-aging. There are magazines, newspapers and tv shows devoted to the topic, not to mention a proliferation of products guaranteed to help. I hate to be a buzz kill. You can drink all the green juice you want but you’re still going to age.

My friends and I spend hours talking about issues like crepey skin but strangely, I never remember my grandmothers giving it much thought. My paternal grandmother’s nickname was appropriately Tiger Lil. The only aging advice she ever gave me was that if I stood up straight with my shoulders back and walked fast, no one would know how old I really was.

ELBEE This from a woman who wore high heels in her eighties!

My mom passed away before my daughters were born, so my maternal grandmother would stay with us to help out after each one arrived. She never complained about her age or said she was tired, even after she’d been up in the middle of the night comforting a crying baby.

Recently, a young man at the gym saw me using fairly heavy weights, and he, my husband Doug and I got into a conversation about what it takes to keep going as you age. I think we’re now his old person role models.

A few things immediately came to mind. You should keep challenging yourself, both mentally and physically, although I don’t think my daughters would feel that this trail was the best choice.

Aside from exercise, you need positive interactions with other people, even if they’re brief. Walking the dogs, always leads to conversation. Last week I was out with Henry when a woman stopped to tell me how much it had meant when Charley and Elbee visited her dying husband thirteen years ago!

If possible, find a passion, something that fulfills you. Volunteering with the Doods does that for me. Actually, I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for helping me with exercising my mind and body, socializing and having a meaningful purpose.

ELBEE It’s fairly obvious. If you want to “anti-age,” get a dog.

Connection & Coincidence

I recently read an article that said the key factor that determines life satisfaction and health isn’t money or even achievement. It’s “warm connections with other people.” As a basic loner who got even more so after Covid, I knew I was in trouble.

ELBEE Sad but true.

**Greeting people at the wound care center**

To make matters worse, it was a years long study by a Harvard psychiatrist. On the bright side, he determined that even casual connections can have real benefits. That’s where the dogs come in. Thanks to them, I interact with more people in an hour than I might in a week.

For instance, a few days ago I had a wonderful conversation with a man at the gym who always seemed very nice but generally kept to himself. Somehow, we got onto the subject of dogs.

ELBEE Maybe because someone asked her in a loud voice “Aren’t you the crazy dog lady?”

He smiled when he heard that and quietly told me he volunteers at a shelter. I commented on how difficult that must be and thanked him for doing it. Then, of course, I shared about the Doods. What are the chances that his thesis was on the human/animal bond. To make it even crazier, he’d gone to school in Ithaca, just outside of Syracuse, my hometown.

As we chatted about New York, I mentioned that I was born in Liberty, a small town in the Catskill Mountains. Growing up, I’d spent summers there at my grandparents’ resort. I couldn’t believe it when he told me that he spent his summers in the Catskills too! His family stayed at Grossingers, only a few miles away. I still don’t know his name but we had a warm connection of nostalgic coincidence.

The ending of this post is kind of a P.S. that wrote itself. My husband Doug and I decided at the last minute to go to the gym last night at a very random time. Talk about coincidence. As we walked in, I saw the man I’d been writing about. He had been just as amazed about our conversation and had shared it with his girlfriend.

By the way, his name is Ian and his thesis was more specifically about animal assisted therapy, exactly what the Doods do.

On a totally different note, a belated happy birthday to Stanley who turned five in May and to Henry who turned two.

ELBEE Belated? Seriously?

Notes of Kindness

Thursday, UCLA held its annual celebration of unity and kindness. There were display tables set up outside of the hospital and guest speakers. Stanley and three of his PAC buddies were on hand to greet everyone but what struck me the most was the atmosphere. People were reaching out to each other and isn’t that what we need right now?

I wanted to share a couple of positive encounters that I’ve had recently. I was calling a doctor’s office to make a routine appointment and the woman on the phone had to put me on hold several times. She was very apologetic and very appreciative when I assured her that I totally understood.

She admitted that some people are extremely rude to her on the phone. When I commiserated, she said, “we just need to be kind to each other.” I told her I couldn’t agree more. A few days later, I received a letter with a reminder and some information about my upcoming visit. She had attached a small note that read, “Thank you for being so kind.”

The second encounter occurred when I was hiking up a very narrow trail with a friend. We saw four older men coming down so simply moved over and waited to give them room to go by.

One of the men said a sincere “thank you.” Another one commented that it was so nice of us. A third added that it was very “classy.” It was just a natural thing for us to do, truly no big deal, but their reactions made it feel special.

On another note, May is mental health awareness month. It made me look back at my time visiting Resnick Neuropsych at UCLA with the Doods. It’s hard to believe that, starting with Charley, it’s been seventeen years!

I have been blessed to watch the dogs reach patients with severe depression, bi-polar disorder, even schizophrenia. The therapists have told me how remarkably the mood changes as soon as any of the dogs walk in.

They bring a positive energy when they visit. There is no judgment. There are no expectations. They offer love and kindness to whomever needs it. I believe the world would be a much better place if we’d follow their “lead.”

Enrique’s Smile

The UCLA calendar shoot is the perfect excuse for me to dress the Doods up in costume. They are basically divas, so it works all the way around.

ELBEE We learned from a woman who, may I remind you, blew kisses to the audience at a bodybuilding competition.

I rest my case.

To get them camera ready for last week’s shoot, I took them for blow drys at the doggy spa. Jen, the groomer, and her four year old assistant Anne, made sure they looked fabulous for their close ups.

Henry, now an official member of the People Animal Connection, is going to be in the calendar for the first time. I really wanted to have the three posing together but knew it would be total chaos.

ELBEE That’s why they have photoshop.

I decided it would be best to bring Gus and Stanley on one day and Henry on another. The older two have been doctors, tennis players, even a bride and groom, so they’re pros.

ELBEE Surprisingly, Gus was a lovely bride.

The only problem was that when we tried to have them pose separately, they wanted to be together. Stanley let out his unique frustrated bark when he saw Gus in front of the camera without him. Once we dressed him up and sat him next to Gus, they were ready to go. The theme, “high school yearbook,” opened up endless possibilities.

When Henry was a puppy and I tried to put him in simple accessories, he took off in a sprint. Now, having dressed up countless times, he appears to enjoy it.

At the photo shoot, He took his mark like a pro and seemed to have a smile on his face. After a bit, when he was a little distracted, I suggested calling him “Enrique” to get his attention.

It started when we were out walking and met a lot of Spanish speaking people who loved it when I told them his name was Enrique. With his unusual appearance and the name they tend to remember him and will often call out greetings when we pass by.

Everyone at the photo shoot got such a kick out of it and began calling him Enrique too. It seemed to make the smile on his face even bigger.

Juliane, the photographer, has taken pictures of my five Doods so there is always a moment of nostalgia watching them pose for her on the white backdrop under the lights. And no session is complete without turning the camera on Juliane and taking her picture with them.

What a Week!

On a quiet dog week, I sometimes have to find inspiration for my writing in random places like the saying on a packet of Truvia or a coyote walking near me in the mountains. My husband, trying to be nice, will say, “That’s good. You made something out of nothing.”

ELBEE Is that a compliment?

He’s still trying to figure out why Elbee comments in my posts.

ELBEE Excuse me. I’m the heart and soul of her blog.

The past several days have definitely not been quiet. The Doods have been busy, working their magic in different places and in different ways.

Last week, for instance, Gus and a few of his People Animal Connection colleagues visited a local high school that has had some recent tragic incidents. A counselor thought that the dogs would be a positive distraction.

They were more than a distraction. They changed the overall mood. It was like a party. There was laughter and there were lots of selfies.

Tuesday was a historic day in Dood world. Newly certified Henry had his first solo “gig.”

ELBEE “Historic” may be a little over the top.

In April, I took Gus to the Wasserman campus of the Motion Picture and Television Fund to cheer up some of the staff. The physical therapy department is closing so morale is low. He was such a hit, they requested another visit.

Henry’s only two and very large so I’ve been holding back, but Gus and Stanley needed a day off. Turns out, I was worried for nothing. He was so sweet and gentle with everyone.

ELBEE Not to mention, he put up with all of the accessories.

As part of nurse appreciation week, we went to the award ceremony for Resnick, our regular neuropsych units at UCLA. What made it particularly nice was having the chance to speak to people outside of the work setting. Several came over to share how much the PAC dogs improve everyone’s day.

Friday, after Gus spent the morning at Tarzana Hospital, I stopped at the Starbucks on the way to the parking lot.

ELBEE She can’t help herself.

As we walked in, a very fussy toddler saw Gus and almost immediately calmed down. His grateful mom brought the little boy over to pet him. He giggled when I had Gus wave and play peekaboo.

The mom was so happy, as we waited in line, she insisted on paying for my order. It was such a lovely gesture to end the week.

A Cautionary “Foxtale”

This spring, following all of the unusual rain, the Santa Monica mountains are spectacular. The bush sunflowers, the caterpillar phacelia, the sage and the mustard are carpeting the hills in vibrant colors.

ELBEE Is the mustard taller this year or is she getting shorter?

The mountains are truly my happy place, especially in bloom, but lately I have refrained from taking the dogs up there. Along with the flowers have come rattlesnakes, poison oak and foxtails, a seemingly innocuous plant that can cause so many problems.

Despite an abundance of caution and sticking to local streets, Stanley had a recent run in with a foxtail. It started with him licking his paw non-stop and ended with a visit to the vet.

After two hours of waiting with Stanley as a walk in, I had to leave him there so they could resolve the problem. After some probing and a light sedative to ease the pain, they found the offending foxtail.

I had a real pang of dog mom guilt when they handed it to me in a small bottle. I don’t know how I missed it, especially since Stanley is very dramatic and throws himself on the sidewalk when something is bothering him.

STANLEY How else am I going to tell her.

Even worse, he came home wearing one of those huge E-collars that look so uncomfortable and have them bumping into everything. Gus was very sympathetic. Henry, on the other hand, took one look at it, bolted across the room, and stared at Stanley from a safe distance.

Fortunately, in the closet where I keep all things dog-related, I had a Zen collar for Stanley. It’s cloth, much softer and more wearable than those hard plastic versions. As a matter of fact, Stanley looked so relaxed that I decided to join him.

ELBEE Oy!

Seriously, keep an eye out when you’re walking your dogs. Those foxtails are a menace hiding in plain sight.

Making the World Better, One Therapy Animal Visit at a Time

April 30th is National Therapy Animal Day. In our house, every day is Therapy Animal Day.

ELBEE As well it should be.

Even though I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the dogs for so long, a very personal note from Pet Partners, our organization for certification, really brought it home to me. It was a thank you for a donation I’d made recently after Gus and Henry did their evaluations.

The woman wrote about my being dedicated to the human-animal bond for seventeen years. She also mentioned Charley, Elbee, Gus, Stanley and Henry by name. I was overwhelmed with memories.

I will never forget the schizophrenic little girl, who, after a very difficult episode, hugged Charley and told him she loved him. Then there was the man who came out of a months long coma to say that the only thing he remembered was the presence of the dogs on his bed. I can still picture the very young, very sick boy petting Gus and saying in the sweetest voice, “This is the greatest day ever.”

Last week at Tarzana Hospital, Stanley had two interactions that were so quietly meaningful. A woman in severe pain had requested a dog visit. Stanley leaned very gently against her as we chatted. All of a sudden, with a surprised look on her face, she said, “This is the first time in three days that I haven’t been in pain.”

We walked into another room where an elderly woman, sitting in a chair, took one look at Stanley and said, “What a beautiful dog.” She told me that she was a total dog lover but because of her age and health issues hadn’t been able to have one of her own for years.

Then, with tears in her eyes, she shared that Stanley was the first dog she’d petted since COVID! She added how upset she’d been that her hospital stay had been extended but thought maybe it was so she could be there to meet Stanley.

Happy therapy animal day to the Doods and all of their canine “colleagues.” I am grateful for the joy and privilege of seeing you work your magic as you share your unconditional love.

A Fabulous Friday

On Friday, the day after Gus visited the Motion Picture Television Fund, he did his regular rounds at Tarzana Hospital.

STANLEY I don’t usually butt in but is she forgetting me? I worked wonders at UCLA.

ELBEE I feel his pain.

As soon as the security guards greeted him at the entrance, Gus was ready to go. There were fewer kids in isolation on pediatrics so he was able to do several individual room visits. The smiles and giggles were a pure gift.

Then we went floor to floor offering stress relief for the appreciative staff, many of whom we’ve known for years. I’ll never get tired of hearing, “This made my day.”

It was after we left the hospital that the fun began. Our first stop was Starbucks. Someone was genius enough to open one in the lobby of the medical building next to the hospital. How convenient that I can walk through there to reach my car.

At first I was hesitant to bring the dogs in, but seeing all of our hospital ID, they couldn’t have been nicer. Now they know Stanley and Gus by name. By the way, their mocha Frappuccino is the perfect pick me up after a busy morning of visits.

ELBEE I used to love their Puppuccinos.

While I was waiting for my order, a woman, seeing Gus, came over to say she’d met me and my dogs before. A few year earlier, she’d been a patient at Tarzana and I’d brought one or two in to see her. She was so sincere and appreciative as she shared how much it meant to her, we were both almost in tears.

Our last stop of the morning was at a pharmacy in a medical building on the other side of the parking lot. The two incredible women who run it are always happy to see the dogs.

As we were leaving, two men in scrubs, whom I later found out were doctors in the building, came running over to see Gus. They were huge dog lovers. One even had a tattoo on his arm of a beloved Schnauzer that had passed away. They were also very entertaining!

One of them sat down on a bench so that he could hold Gus in his lap. Then, not sure if it was his idea or mine, he ended up in Gus’s hat and Harry Potter glasses, a great compliment to Gus in his pink shades. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous morning.

Gus Goes to “Doggywood”

I love a good coincidence. I was walking Stanley in the neighborhood when a young man stopped me and asked, “Were you in the movie I Love You Man?” Pleasantly surprised because it’s been a few years, I replied, “Yes I was.” He laughed and said, “I told my parents that was you.”

ELBEE It’s been more than a few years. And “pleasantly surprised?” She was ecstatic!

What are the chances that the next day Gus and I would be at the Wasserman campus of the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills. It offers living accommodations plus services for health and happiness to working and retired members of the entertainment community. I suddenly realized that my ten second cameo might make me eligible.

ELBEE Is she serious?

Gus was there to help out. The physical therapy department of the center will be closing so the staff morale is low. They thought a therapy dog would be just the right medicine to cheer everyone up. They were correct.

As Gus walked down the hall with large photos of stars like Robert Redford and Paul Newman on the walls, he seemed to be in his element. There were smiles and comments like “fluff ball” and “absolutely adorable.” Gus, who can never get too much attention, was at the top of his game.

ELBEE I’m so proud of my little protégée.

At first we stood around and made light conversation. Then, as Gus sprawled out for a belly rub, we all ended up sitting around him on the floor. It’s funny how a dog can “direct” you without even trying.

ELBEE She’s desperately trying to use movie references.

Problems disappeared, at least for awhile. We laughed and shared stories. There was a lot of curiosity as to how how the dogs train and test for work. Everyone was so relaxed that when it was time for photos we somehow ended up lying on the floor. Not really sure how that happened but of course Gus was behind it.

As we were leaving, and I was thinking about my status in the entertainment world, they showed us one more special feature. They had a private dog park for the residents. And not just any dog park. It had a big sign, modeled after the Hollywood sign, that read “Doggywood.” I couldn’t take Gus’s picture fast enough!

It’s a Wacky World

All you have to do is look at the weather and the news to see how wacky the world has become. Some of my friends and I actually take “news breaks” to save our sanity.

I always try to write from a positive place but lately there’s been a lot of crazy going on. For instance, last Sunday, as he often does, my husband Doug stopped at a small local deli to pick up sandwiches. He was inside with several others, when a man outside became very menacing, ranting, raving and threatening people. Three men held the door closed as he tried to break in. The police had to be called to take him away.

Walking in the neighborhood with the Doods, I’ve noticed that lots of houses now have “beware of dog” signs, alarms and cameras. I totally get it, but there’s one that kind of bugs me. As you go by, you hear an unfriendly woman’s voice saying, “Hi, you are currently being recorded.” I never know whether to wave, dance or make an unfriendly gesture.

ELBEE She’s also afraid to go for a walk without hair and makeup in case she’s on camera.

This week, I was passing by a house with the annoying recording, when I noticed a sign on the gate that disturbed me even more. It read, “Forget the dog. Beware of the humans.” I might have thought they were trying to be funny if there wasn’t a drawing of the barrel of a gun pointed right at me.

On a lighter note, I saw a wacky blast from the past. A friend and I were sitting by the window of a coffee shop on busy Ventura Boulevard in Encino when we saw a bright pink Corvette drive by. It was the exact kind of car that Angelyne, a buxom blonde who was famous for being famous, drove in the eighties. She had billboards all over Los Angeles. An Angelyne sighting was an event.

ELBEE I think someone was jealous.

Walking to my car a short time later, I saw the Corvette pulled over to the curb. Curious, I peeked in and couldn’t believe that it was actually Angelyne! I googled her and found out that she is my fellow senior peep. Is it too late for me?

ELBEE Oy!

And while I’m on the subject of pink, I want to end on a positive, possibly wacky note. A house around the corner has a huge statue of a flamingo at the base of the driveway. What are the chances that a therapist we work with at UCLA would recently have given the dogs a flamingo headband for their accessory collection?

I couldn’t wait to take a photo. The only problem was that I don’t know these particular neighbors and I might have been trespassing.

ELBEE I hope they have cameras.