Spend a Moment in My Mind

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Ethel is Chillin' for Charity - from Somerset Magazine, January 2017

It’s that time again – the heart of winter, when we do one of the most outrageously fun things of all to help family pets with catastrophic veterinary needs. We create a team (because who would be crazy enough to do this alone) and we head into the icy waters of the Quemahoning Reservoir in Holsopple on February 11. No, we’re not nuts – we’re freezin’ for a reason: the 2017 Chillin’ for Charity.

There’s more to the day than just taking that icy dip. Over the three years that Ethel has attended, we’ve seen the event grow into an incredible winter festival and arctic splash that takes “frozen” to a whole new level. The organizers and participants work to raise awareness and financial support for local charities, including the Ethel Fund.

From providing nutritious meals to children in need over the weekends, to rescuing animals, providing medical care to both humans and pets, and improving a playground, you’re sure to find a charity that you want to support. All funds raised are kept locally and impact Somerset and Cambria Counties. By braving the cold to support one (or all) of these organizations, you will be warming the hearts of those in need.

The day begins at 9:00am, with food, music, bonfires, and contests. Registration begins at 10:00am and we take the Arctic Splash at 1:00pm. Participants have always made the most of this day, with many of them dressing in costume. Besides the traditional prizes, this year, organizers will be crowning one of the costumed guests the Ice Princess – complete with sash, crown, and photo ops.

Anyone can participate though, if you’re under 18, you’ll need a parent’s signature. Local EMS will be present and Swift-Water Rescue will be in the water from the moment the first toe breaks the surface until the last participant hits the warming tents to change. Spectators are also welcome but parking at the beach is reserved for those going into the Que. Shuttles will run every 30 from the North American Hoganas plant, where parking is free.

Ethel and I will be at the event, though she won’t be joining me in the water. I’d like to invite each and every one of you to join our team by visiting https://www.classy.org/campaign/the-ethel-fund-is-chillin-for-charity/c95943 and clicking on “Join a Team.” You may help one of the individual recipients by joining their team (all money raised by the team goes to the medical bills of that animal) or support the Fund as a whole by joining Ethel’s Frozen Friends. 100% of the funds raised by this team will be used to provide assistance to family pets with catastrophic veterinary needs, offer sanctuary to the pets of women escaping domestic abuse, and facilitate the pairing of service dogs to people with disabilities.

If you’d like to join in the fun, but can’t bring yourself to take the plunge, don’t worry there are no Plunge Police. You are more than welcome – this day is about community, fun, and fundraising and anyone raising at least $50 will receive a commemorative gift. So, whether you’ll be heading into the water, cheering us on from the shore, or making a donation online, or just spreading the word, we at the Ethel Fund say ‘Thank you!’

Rebecca is the President & Executive Director of The Ethel Fund Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to changing animals' lives by providing assistance in times of catastrophic veterinary need. To learn more, please visit http://www.ethelfund.org or https://www.facebook.com/TheEthelFund. You may contact Rebecca at rslindeman@ethelfund.org.

Phil Balko is the proprietor of Photography by Balko and donates his talents to the Ethel Fund Inc. as well as other community organizations. To see more of his work, visit http://philipbalko.com/. You may contact Phil at inquiry@philipbalko.com.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Christmas Memories

Christmas is a time of memories. A time to make and a time to share them. We grew up in a single parent household before they were commonplace. Our mother struggled to make ends meet, so we learned early the lesson of balancing between the things one wants and the things one needs. Somehow, though, Mom always made sure we had Christmas. We’d wake far too early, the three of us crowding the landing, ready to explode down the steps like a cork from champagne. She’d take far too long (in our small opinions) in the bathroom, then we’d rush down to find what seemed like a treasure trove. I don’t remember most of the gifts; what I do remember is that, for those few moments, the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders and our mother was happy.

Limited resources seem to have no bearing on unlimited love. Connie Weyant remembers that her grandparents had very little to spare but, on Christmas Eve 1971, her Pap went to the bank and returned with an Eisenhower silver dollar. She never spent that coin. As this gift was both from their hearts and the memory is held closely in hers, she now wears it in a pendant. Each time she touches the coin, she feels their presence and their love.

When she was quite young, Tia Houpt wanted nothing more than Baby Alive. She woke deep in the night to the sound of sleigh bells, with the coveted doll in her arms. Bouncing to the window, she must have just missed Santa, for there were fresh sleigh tracks in the falling snow.

So many of us have fond memories of decorating the tree. Tami Boring remembers sorting through her grandmother’s box of ornaments with the utmost of care, so as not to break the glass bulbs or pull the glued felt from the silly clothespin people. Like the prize in Cracker Jacks, her favorite – the plastic Snoopy – seemed always to be at the bottom. She has inherited him now and, even when she has no tree, he still makes an appearance each December.

Linda Troy so loves the tree that, for many years, she had one in every room of the house. Yes, even the bathroom. Michelle Holt’s tree could grace the cover of magazines with its carefully planned white, off-white, and sage green color scheme; a far cry from the metallic silver trees of her parents’ day. Melinda Kelly’s tree takes hours to decorate; each ornament has a story and the family enjoys recalling them as they trim. Each year, the members of her family receive new ornaments, chosen especially for them. The babies get the traditional 1^st or 2^nd year ornament, while her daughter’s sported a pair of scissors and nail polish (she’s a cosmetologist) and hers sons’ were little garbage trucks (can you guess their vocation?).

Food plays an important role in celebrating the holiday. While many of us serve the traditional ham or turkey, Michelle follows a tradition handed down from the grandfather who raised her: oyster stew. He made it every year for as long as he was able. In his 89^th, he shared his recipe and taught her how to make it just right – one of the greatest gifts she ever received. Melinda lets each of her kids and grandkids choose a dish that she makes just for them. As her family grows, there is almost no room at the table to eat. To emphasize the meaning, they make and decorate a birthday cake for Jesus.

Of course, there are memories that make us laugh. Rushing to return a movie before attending Christmas Eve church service, Karen Thomas fell on the ice, cracking her tailbone. After the service (she couldn’t miss her daughter’s bell choir performance) she went to the emergency room, where they gifted her with a donut to cushion her bruised posterior. The moral: it is better to pay a late fee than to rush across a parking lot in an ice storm.

Roger Vogel recalls the Christmas when he and his siblings all had the chicken pox, but the story pales in comparison to the year that his Grammy let the family crumple up the wrapping paper and throw it away, rather than saving it for another year. That was also the year that she exposed the family secret: they aren’t really Irish, as their Pap Pap had always told them.

This year, many of my friends are celebrating their babies’ first Christmases. To Drew, Elizabeth, Rais, Ivan, Owen, Zane, Vincent and all the others experiencing their first year: we wish you a beautiful, blessed, and very merry Christmas. May all your memories be laced with love.

Phil Balko is the proprietor of Photography by Balko, a full-service studio specializing in senior portraits, custom wedding, and lifestyle photography. To see more of his work, visit http://philipbalko.com/. You may contact Phil at inquiry@philipbalko.com or (814)352-5327.

Is that a beagle, a bagle, or a Tootsie Roll?

Tootsie Roll with her "brother" Timmy

If you’re a dog lover and a Facebook user, you’ve no doubt seen the almost irate posts of some in regards to the Designer Dog – a purposeful mix of two or more breeds. Some of the most popular are the Labradoodle, the Cockapoo, and the Puggle. (Labrador-Poodle, Cocker Spaniel-Poodle, and Pug-Beagle, respectively) There are those who stand firm in the belief that anything outside an AKC registered breed is a mutt but, the fact is, the AKC itself holds the position that all purebreds resulted from the cross of other breeds.

The Ethel Invitational is a dog show (and fundraiser) where every dog – purebred or mutt – is welcome and everyone wins a prize. It was there that we first met Timmy the Bagle Hound. Timmy was one of the first recipients of assistance from the Ethel Fund, back in 2013, when he needed critical diagnostic testing before receiving treatment for cancer. As of today, he remains cancer free.

Timmy belongs to Todd and Angie Nunamaker, people with big hearts and gentle souls. When Todd saw photos of a supposed beagle on the local Humane Society’s website, he recognized the body type of the Bagle Hound – a mix of the Beagle and the Basset Hound. He and Angie fell in love with her at first sight and Tootsie Roll became part of the family. This family has experienced great joy and great pain.

Angie has both fibromyalgia and endometritis, making it difficult, if not impossible to have a child. The Bagles do their best to fill the void and Angie loves them almost as she would a child. Todd is just as tender and he experiences a different sort of pain: despite his vast experience, he’s been unable to find regular employment. They do what they can and find a way to make ends meet. Until now.

Tootsie Roll needs surgery to compensate for a torn cruciate ligament. Though she bays with joy and does her best to play, she can only hobble after Timmy, her hind leg barely touches the ground and provides little support. She has been evaluated by Surgeon Diplomat, Dr. Anthony Pardo (who performed dual hip replacement surgeries on Ethel) at Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center and he has generously found a way to provide the needed surgery at the lowest cost. Though grateful, the $2,000 that this family still needs to raise may as well be two million.

The Ethel Fund is committed to helping the family but, as you can imagine, the needs of our recipients exceed our current resources. If you’d like to help Tootsie Roll, you may contribute at http://ethelfund.org/index.php/donate and mention her name in the notes section, or mail a check with her name in the memo line to PO Box 1231, Somerset PA 15501.

Todd and Angie have made a commitment to helping not only Tootsie Roll, but also any family pet in need. They have formed their own team for the 2017 Chillin’ for Charity at the Quemahoning Reservoir, where they’ll be taking the plunge on February 11 with hundreds of others to support the Ethel Fund and other local charities. You may join their team at https://www.classy.org/team/95138. Donations raised by members of this team will be applied directly to Tootsie’s medical bills and any surplus will be used by the Ethel Fund to provide assistance to family pets with catastrophic veterinary needs, offer sanctuary to the pets of women escaping domestic abuse, and facilitate the pairing of service dogs to people with disabilities.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Plastic Surgery for Puppy

It’s been a rough summer for Wendy Cernansky. She lost her beloved golden retriever, Quincy, on Mother’s Day and has been feeling empty ever since. When her husband encouraged her to adopt another puppy, fate seemed to take a hand. Wendy felt immediately drawn to the furry face in a Facebook post of a “special” puppy in need of a home. The family was selected from dozens who applied; Wendy and her daughter, Malena, made the trip to Corapeake NC to pick up the newest member of the family: Malikai.

Malikai was born on May 20, sharing his birthday with Quincy. Wendy smiles with a tear in her eye, “It seems like Quincy chose him just for me. He follows every step I take, just like she did.” Without a doubt, the happy-go-lucky ball of golden fluff is a special guy – a special guy with special needs. Malikai was born with a cleft palate. This opening between the roof of his mouth and his nasal cavity makes the most natural thing in the world – eating – a difficult thing.

Twice a day, sometimes more often, Wendy must use a special tool to clean food and other objects from the opening and she brushes his nose with water to make him sneeze out any foreign bodies. He cannot drink from a dish, using a rabbit bottle instead, and is forbidden chew treats of any kind. Keeping him safe, healthy, and clean is a lot of work – work that Wendy is willing to do for Malikai’s life, but there are dangers involved. If food or some object is aspirated through the opening into his lungs, pneumonia is likely, and death is not unusual if this happens.

Malikai is a lucky pup. Dr. Alexander Reiter, Dpl, Tzt, the Head of Dentistry and Oral Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, has agreed to take him as a patient. The surgery is not simple and the recovery will be long. Mailikai will spend weeks confined to a crate and will have to learn to wear a basket muzzle to prevent him from damaging the rebuilt tissue while it heals.

Wendy and her family are up for the challenge, but an obstacle they’re having difficulty overcoming is the cost: $3,800 -$6,000. They are willing to make sacrifices and have asked for extensions to their credit limits. The vision of the Ethel Fund Inc. is that no parent should have to choose between the needs of their family and the wellbeing of a beloved pet. A grant has been made to help pay for Malikai’s surgery but the total cost is more than our organization can provide. If you’d like to help, please send donations to: The Ethel Fund Inc., PO Box 1231, Somerset PA 15501 with “Malikai” written in the memo line of your check.

The Cernansky family has long been involved with Golden Girls Pet Therapy and are now “paying it forward” by joining the Ethel Fund Inc. as active volunteers. Malena is learning what it means to love and to be loved every day. When asked what she thought of the people who were helping her puppy get his surgery, she beamed her beautiful smile, hugged her pup, and replied, “I think they’re great.”

Paying it Forward

Almost everyone who is familiar with the Ethel Fund, Inc. knows the story of Miss Ethel Jane Kerplunk. She started life with only one good leg but, thanks to the generosity of strangers, friends, and an incredible medical team, she is now a perfectly happy, healthy, active German Shepherd Dog. She now works as the spokesdog of her own charity and, with her owner and human friends, pays forward the kindness she has experienced.

The Ethel Fund, Inc. provides support to family pets with catastrophic veterinary needs, offers sanctuary to the pets of women escaping domestic abuse, and facilitates the pairing of service dogs to people with disabilities. Though they participate each year in the Quemahoning Chillin’ for Charity and host a basket party, their biggest fundraiser is their annual dog show and family fun day: The Ethel Invitational. This year’s event raised over $6,000 to further their work.

Each year, the event grows and there are new dogs but, just as (if not more) important, the day is a time to visit with old friends. Many of the recipients follow in Ethel’s footsteps in that they work to pay forward the kindness you who support the charity have shown them.

No one witnessed the accident that broke five-month-old Eddie’s leg. He may have fallen off the porch, become entangled, or played just a little too rough with the family dogs. When his owner heard his cries, she wasted no time getting the pup to Animal Medical Center.

Lizz is afflicted with bipolar depression and anxiety; Eddie is very much her emotional support dog. His funny facial expressions and innate ability to respond appropriately to her needs – with either rambunctious play or quiet snuggles – help her more than any medicine. Even as she became frantic with worry about how she could possibly pay for her children’s school supplies, heating oil, and groceries while meeting her obligations to her pup, Eddie ignored his own pain to provide comfort.

Eddie was fitted with a full cast and given a prescription for nearly six weeks of crate rest – a true challenge, as the exuberant pup wanted nothing more than to play. Lizz dutifully returned each week to have the cast checked and refitted to his growing leg. Of the Ethel Fund, she says, “Their support was unconditional and they helped me with Eddie without passing judgement.” To pay it forward, Lizz joined the 2016 Chillin’ for Charity Team to help raise funds to help other pets in need.

From the very beginning, Cody, Kathy, and Randy Brant have been steady volunteers with the Ethel Fund. This hardworking family gives much and asks little. Their Labrador Retriever, Sarge, was afflicted with entropian, a condition that caused his eyelid to roll inward. With each blink, his eyelashes would scratch the cornea, causing constant tears. Kathy shed a few tears of her own when she learned that Sarge had been selected as the first (non-Ethel) recipient of assistance.

Surgery has corrected the condition and Cody competes each year with Sarge at the Ethel Invitational dog show. Careful breeding can mostly prevent the incidence of entropian. One of the goals of the Ethel Fund is to educate prospective breeders on hereditary conditions and genetic testing.

Rista is an eight year old cat with inflammatory bowel disease. She’s a very laid-back, much loved pet who spends much of her time napping. The bills to treat flare ups of this lifelong condition and provide the special diet she needs added up to more than Stephanie could handle. A grant from the Ethel Fund helped her get back in control of her finances.

“The Ethel Fund means a lot to us. We’re tight on money and every little bit helps.” Stephanie hopes to volunteer at the Humane Society, cuddling cats, to pay it forward.

When Jon and his fiancé, Stephanie, were visiting NC, they stopped to help a dog along the highway. Obviously ill, they took him to a veterinarian where he tested positive for heartworms. They were told that, because heartworm is so prevalent in the area and shelters are overpopulated, any stray testing positive is automatically euthanized.

Jon and Stephanie couldn’t stand to see that happen to an animal that they’d already come to love. The Humane Society in Somerset referred them to the Ethel Fund. The grant they received was enough to get the pup (now named Roady to commemorate his finding) lifesaving treatment at Ebensburg Animal Hospital.

Jon now describes Roady as “a fat and lazy, much loved pet.” Of the Ethel Fund, he says, “They were the difference between being able to save an animal and losing its life.” Jon and Stephanie volunteered at the 2015 Ethel Invitational, where Roady and his friend won the Cutest Kid/Dog Combo trophy.

To learn more about The Ethel Fund, Inc., please visit www.ethelfund.org.

Phil Balko is the proprietor of Photography by Balko, a full-service studio specializing in senior portraits, custom wedding , and lifestyle photography. To see more of his work, visit http://philipbalko.com/. You may contact Phil at inquiry@philipbalko.com or (814)352-5327.

Friday, September 2, 2016

Leave room in the Garden for the Angels to Dance

This month’s article took an unexpected turn. We started digging into history but ended digging into dirt. Recently, I found my late mother’s class ring, and became curious about its inscription, “Somerset Joint High School” surrounding an inset labeled “The Roof Garden.” While many remember the name, (it’s even mentioned on the Chamber of Commerce website and my friend, Kim, belongs to the Roof Garden Knitting Guild) no one was able to give a satisfactory answer to the question, “Why?” Besides Somerset’s inherent beauty and lofty elevation, one story is that a candidate for governor coined the term and it’s stuck ever since.

So, we started talking about gardens, instead. I must admit that I had an ulterior motive. This is the first year I’ve tried growing my own vegetables (just two tomato plants, one cucumber, and a green pepper) and I was hoping to get some advice. Judy Rach, a member of our local garden club and fellow dog lover, invited us over to see her lasagna garden. While we were expecting ingredients for the dish, what we found, instead, was an ingenious way to compost and create a garden at the same time.

The produce from Judy Rach’s lasagna garden

is enjoyed by man and dog alike

Judy’s lasagna (or sheet) garden began with a layer of mesh covered with straw, then newspaper. Next came mushroom soil, a “green” layer, followed by a “brown” layer that was twice as thick, and a layer of mature compost. The green layer is mostly grass clippings and kitchen scraps that provide nitrogen; the brown layer, for carbon, is mostly autumn leaves, coffee/tea grounds, and shredded papers. She covered it loosely with black plastic last winter and it now supports some beautiful patio tomatoes, golden zucchini, and a few rescued rose bushes.

Helen and Bob Brant have no plans
to stop gardening

Our next stop was to visit with Helen Brant’s flower and water gardens. As we sat beside her small pond, Helen spoke of the many reasons she loves to garden. With the exception of the few years she lived in Pittsburgh, there’s not been a time that she hasn’t tilled the earth. Helen grew up on a farm, then married the next best thing to a farmer. Together with husband of 63 years, Bob, she owned Brant’s Farm and Garden Center.

The bits and pieces that make up their garden each have their own story, like the capstone of their water feature: it is a stone from the church they attended together for many years before it was torn down. Helen tosses pellets to her fish, reaches down to gently stroke the bullfrog she’s named Tommy, and tells us why she chooses still to garden. “I’m a farmer’s daughter and am proud of it. I just love to work through the seasons and to watch things grow.”

Jo Ann Davis, Lacey Ohler, and Dave and Betty Lou Svonavec

lovingly tend the garden at St Peter’s Catholic Church

in memory of Lucas David Svonavec

When we visited the Memorial Garden at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, we were lucky enough to meet Betty Lou Svonavec. This garden was created by her children, Heidi and Gabrielle, in memory of their brother, Luke. On my first visit, I was struck by its beauty, but as we talked with Betty Lou, I became enthralled with its symbolism.

The perimeter of the garden features stepping stones that allow a unique way to recite the rosary, the benches represent the Stations of the Cross, each flower and herb is selected for its meaning… To describe the many elements of this garden would take several pages. We encourage you to visit and explore for yourself, using the information provided in the mailbox feature.

Within the garden stands an angel, carved from an oak tree that grew on the farm where Luke grew up. The outdoor classroom commemorates his love of school with just one regret: that it was held indoors. There is a concrete cross, inlaid with stained glass, with a quote that is displayed at CORE, where Luke’s organs were donated to save the lives of others even as he lost his own.

Whatever their reason – be it for food, flowers, or fun; masterpiece or memorial – all our gardeners agree that it feels good to get your hands dirty and that we should never, at any age, stop growing.

Phil Balko is the proprietor of Photography by Balko, a full-service studio specializing in senior portraits, custom wedding , and lifestyle photography. To see more of his work, visit http://philipbalko.com/. You may contact Phil at inquiry@philipbalko.com or (814)352-5327.

This angel was carved by chainsaw

in memory of Luke Svonavec

from an oak that stood on his family farm

A Veteran Says "Thank You"

Fred Ings came out into the rain to thank each of you

who donated and helped him be paired with his service dog,

SSD Uncle Brian.

Readers of this column may remember Fred Ings from the November 2015 story, There is no dog. Fred is a veteran who was injured when his ship, the USS Cole, was attacked by al-Qaeda suicide bombers on October 12, 2000. He, like many combat veterans, suffers from disabling Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To say that the memories of that day haunt him is not enough. Fred rarely slept through the night and what rest he got was plagued by dreams so vivid that he’d wake in a Yemen hospital rather than his own bed. As is the case with many active-duty veterans, Fred is in a constant state of hypervigilance, checking every shadow, corner, and barrier for possible threats. He is exhausted, in both body and mind.

But, things are getting better. Thanks to the generosity of strangers, family, and friends, the Ethel Fund was able to pay the $5,000 copay to pair Fred with his service dog, SSD Uncle Brian. Brian has been specifically trained to help his handler navigate flashbacks, nightmares, and panic attacks. He is gentle, but firm, in his ministrations – he lays his head against Fred’s leg and offers unwavering love. If his master does not respond, he initiates further contact, climbing onto his lap, making direct eye contact, and giving many licks to gain his attention, thereby directing Fred back into the moment.

Brian is also helping Fred reenter society because he garners a lot of attention. Fred likes to tell the story of Susquehanna Service Dogs, “Think of what a dog brings to someone’s life…and then multiply it a million times. That is what the skill and devotion of a Susquehanna Service Dog (SSD) means to a child or an adult with a disability.”

SSD promotes greater independence for people living with mobility, hearing, and psychiatric disabilities, including military veterans and individuals with autism. They also train facility dogs for courtrooms, classrooms, and other public settings. SSD has placed hundreds of dogs since 1993 and has gained global recognition from Assistance Dogs International. (Visit their website, KeystoneHumanServices.org or call 717-599-5920 for further information)

As much as Fred enjoys talking about his service dog, and appreciates that you donated so that they might become a team, there are times that they must not be disturbed. There is a big difference between a therapy dog and a service animal. A therapy dog is there for you; its handler has come to visit and expects you to interact. A service animal is a working dog with an important job from which it should not be distracted. While it is important that you never pet any dog without its handler’s permission, it is critical that you not disturb a service dog at work.

Fred and Brian, along with their family, will be attending the Ethel Invitational 2016. If you’re able, come meet them and bring your dog to this day of fun and prizes. The Invitational will be held on September 16 from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Quemahoning Family Recreation Area in Holsopple, PA. For more information and/or to enter your dog, please visit http://ethelfund.org/index.php/the-ethel-invitational. 100% of the proceeds of this event will be used to provide assistance to family pets with catastrophic veterinary needs, offer sanctuary to the pets of women escaping domestic abuse, and facilitate the pairing of service dogs to people with disabilities.