Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Room Full of LOVE!

Today we went somewhere NEW!! It was farther than I am comfortable traveling, but we made it and I am soooo happy we did! Gabby was loved and gave so much love today!
As we made our way around the activity room of many seniors, Gabby sat still at their feet, would lay down at their feet, want to be held in their laps and gave soooo many hugs!
One of the employees made the comment, "With Gabby here, the room just filled with so much LOVE!!!"It is true. You really can FEEL the atmostphere elevate! I thought it was just me, but others feel this too.
I tell everyone Gabby's name. They speak to Gabby in many different languages, and when Gabby hears her name at some point in the sentence, she quickly turns her heard toward the person and they usually laugh out loud and get the biggest kick out of that! Gabby acts as if she totally understands that language! I GET A KICK OUT OF THAT!!! hahahaa
One thing I've noticed that most people enjoy is when I give a doggie treat to them and THEY are allowed to give it to Gabby. It's funny, I think it is universal hospitality.....everyone wants to give food! They seem to enjoy that.
Today I also received my 2nd KISS! A woman was kissing Gabby, saying, "Muy bonito!" Then, she stopped, looked at me, felt my cheek and said, "Muy bonito". Then, she kissed ME on the cheek!! I LOVE MY JOB!!!



Thursday, December 9, 2010

"One of our favorites!"

Yup, "One of our favorites!" is what Gabby and I were told today after our visit. We've been to this facility a few times and feel very comfortable. As we were leaving, we were told that they really enjoy our visits and we are one of their favorites!
It is always good to hear that we are on the right track. I don't have much to compare our visits with, but I'd say we make a pretty good team!
We'll probably NEVER forget this day because Gabby actually got SOCKED in the face!! A fist was made and POW!!! Right in the nose!! Yes, sometimes elderly people can loose their senses. I was pretty shocked! I told the woman to be gentle and to be nice! She looked at me as if she were a small child that misbehaved. I waited a minute then asked if she would like to be nice to Gabby and she said she would. Gabby ended up giving her a hug and the woman was able to pet and treat Gabby nicely.
We must be on the look out for this type of behavior sometimes. It is easy to assume everyone is in control, and unfortunately, some are not. This explains the reason why part of the Animal Assisted Training is a test of 'Strong holding and strong petting'. Thankfully, Gabby didn't seem to be bothered by this sudden action. We continued our way around the room, telling stories about Gabby, and attempting to get a few smiles.
I haven't blogged our visits for awhile. Life sometimes gets too busy and I apologize. Thankfully, we are still out in our community, spreading the love, learning SOMETHING with each visit and always striving to do our best. If we end up being a favorite in the process, that is an EXTRA bonus!