Hanni’s first slumber party

May 11, 2010 • Posted in blindness, book tour, Seeing Eye dogs, travel, Uncategorized, visiting schools, Writing for Children by

We’re off to Champaign this afternoon, and a surprise awaits Hanni when we arrive. Our friend Brad is picking us up at the train station, taking Hanni to his house and hosting her very first slumber party.

Brad is one of the folks interested in adopting Hanni when she retires, and we thought it might be a good idea for her to have a trial run, stay overnight with him and his animal companions to make sure they all get along. I’ll be staying overnight with other Urbana friends. Without Hanni. Here’s an understatement for you: it will be weird!

I won’t be without Hanni for long, though. Brad and I are meeting at a Champaign coffee shop tomorrow morning, he’ll return Hanni to me, and she and I will head off to visit Westview Elementary School. After that, we’re off to Jane Addams Bookshop to give a 1 pm presentation on how to get a childrens book published. We chose Westview for our morning visit because our great-nephew Kieran goes there. For my sighted blog readers out there, here’s a photo of Kieran. He is the first-born son of Mike’s nephew Aaron, and Mike says Kieran is the cutest kid ever born. I can’t tell. You be the judge!

We all know Hanni is the cutest dog ever born, though. I hear people exclaim “She’s beautiful!” each and every time we take a walk together. Somehow I know the comment is not directed towards me.

A woman from northern Wisconsin recognized my dog’s beauty way back when Hanni was only two years old. Kay met us at a conference where I was speaking; she put dibs on Hanni right then and there. Kay reads my blog from time to time (hi, Kay!) and I want to reassure her I do plan on honoring her position in line –she was the very first to ask to adopt Hanni when she retires, after all. But Tomahawk, Wisconsin is so far away. I might never get to visit Hanni there. So we’re just trying out Plan B, aka Plan Brad. At the very least, it’ll be fun to find out how Hanni likes slumber parties!

I’m signed up to train with a new dog at the Seeing Eye in Morristown this November. We’ll see what happens then. Hanni is ten years old already, but she’s healthy, she’s good in traffic, and she still knows her lefts from her rights. Her tail still wags when I grab her harness off its hook and call her to go outside. Which I have to do right now. It’s time to catch our train!

marilee On May 11, 2010 at 5:38 pm

I hope that Hanni has a good time! And Kieran is very cute- but so are Ray and Jack and Colin and Brian and Robbie and …. hard to say who is the CUTEST ever. But Hanni does win the prize for cutest dog!

Jenny On May 12, 2010 at 8:17 am

Have fun at the sleepover Hanni!
OJ had a day off work yesterday because I had to go to a course and he kept barking at the trainer’s dog last week. I think he just did it so I’d leave him at home and he could go to the beach with my dad instead. Clever dog!

bethfinke On May 12, 2010 at 11:54 am

Catching up with email in a café down the street from Jane Addams Bookshop, here’s a quick update on Hanni: Brad said she was a teeny bit anxious at first, when he took her out in the back yard last night to do her business she darted around as if trying to find me. She seemed to get over that soon enough, though – after spending most of the day yesterday working like a dog, she finished it off sleeping like a log, spent a restful night on the bedroom floor. Didn’t even stay up to tell ghost stories or make prank phone calls with Brad’s dog Lilly.

Bob On May 14, 2010 at 7:01 am

What other creatures does your friend Brad have? Just curious…

Beth On May 14, 2010 at 7:03 am

Hmm. Let me think. He has his dog Lily, and then he is fostering a dog for the Humane Society, he’s a Beagle named Marty. He has a cat named Benny and two guinea pigs, they’re named Edie and Edie2. I think that’s it. For now, at least!

Kay On May 17, 2010 at 9:26 am

Hi Beth!

I think you should be penalized for taunting. smile.

Colleen On May 20, 2010 at 7:17 pm

Hope the slumber party went well for all.
I imagine it was odd to be without Hanni…and don’t you wish you knew what was going on in her head while she was at Brad’s?

bethfinke On May 21, 2010 at 10:06 pm

To be honest, I’m glad I *don’t* know what was going on in Hanni’s head while she was at Brad’s…

nancyb On May 31, 2010 at 12:47 pm

So how did Hanni act when you got together in the morning? I know our dog used to give us the cold shoulder for awhile when we left her…..but she was a terrier and they are headstrong little buggers. My guess is Hanni was very relieved.

bethfinke On June 1, 2010 at 9:58 am

Brad “delivered” Hanni to me at a coffee shop; they let him in with her because he told the staff she was a Seeing Eye dog. She was a bundle of energy when she saw me, but when I put her harness on she settled down immediately and sat at my feet as I finished my coffee. She sat very, very, close to me, though, leaning on my shins more than usual. I don’t think she wanted me to get away from her again, awwww!

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