[meglaulanmar]

Those of you who said I was defensive... you were right. I was. I have had that problem since a teen. I thought I was over it... I went outside.. had a smoke...stood in the freezing rain... realized I was being defensive and that is a vicious cycle.

Let me tell you about me... not that I am trying to sell anyone here anymore. My parents have a friend...she is the vice pres. of the poultry company he is the president of...we have been friends for 20yrs. We have always got our maltese from her. Well... my mom bought my 5yr old a yorkie for her 5th birthday... although she was only 4 1/2... I want to be totally honest. So... after we got back to Virginia (where I live w/ my husband who is a Jag in the army) I had many people offer me money for her. I was offered 3000 for her... but she is my baby (opps and my daughter's , she constantly reminds me)... so I would say no... tell them where I got her. Well... my friend only deals w/ local people who refer local people... blah blah.. word of mouth and brokers (she started this business due to trying to buy one 25yrs ago...from a horrible puppy mill... and wants to make sure healthy puppies are out there ... she had contact w/ usda due to the chicken business... and a good friend who was her horses' vet and he helped her a lot). Well... anyway... here is why I started buying from here... she wouldn't sell to people up here... she doesn't ship or like dealing w/ picky customers w/ a million questions... which I btw like to educate and answer questions... I even loan out my yorkie books...to ea. person who buys a puppy from me) So... about 4yrs ago I had to quit my job. My husband was diagnosed w/ stage 4 malignant melanoma (in an area that never sees the sun for what its worth). I was having to drive him to radiation.. chemo... pet scans... cat scans... mri s... anyway my parents were having to loan me money to bring the grand babies to see them. One person asked me to get them a puppy... so I did. I charged a fee for the travel and trouble. Christy said she could sell me some when I came down which she would give me a reduced price on (although never a reduced price during christmas season).... which I could sell to people up here. This would at least take the burden of not being able to travel w/o my parents money off me. So... as people would ask about my dog... I put them on a list and said I would call them if I could get one like they wanted. That is what I did.... and word of mouth spread. I by no means sell very many... I could probably count on my fingers and toes the amount in the last 2 yrs....the most I had at a time was 7 this summer and 3 were presolds and she offered me an excellent deal on 4 little boys that I couldn't pass up. I came up here... got scared I couldn't sell them because I placed an ad in the post w/ only girl calls (1st time I've ever placed an ad besides a flyer at our local safeway) and so I marked them way down... made enough on the 4 extra to pay for my trip to get the presolds ... and had 300 left over... so I didn't make a lot ( I drive a gas guzzling expedition). I basically sell about 2-3 every 3-4 months. Mostly to people who want my dog or now to people who have met other people I have sold to. My husband since that first cancer at 33 yrs old has had a second... an undiferentiated carcinoma that ate the bones on the left side of his face (which now has a titanium implant to hold the skin up).... and the end of last yr he was diagnosed w/ Ewings Sarcoma (which is usually a children's bone cancer and extremely fatal to adults)... and had to have his left femur removed (all his cancers until now are on the left...wierd) and has a titanium femur. He was in chemo for 10months and quit because it was killing him (it was suppose to be 14months). Two months later... just the other day actually he was diagnosed w/ a forth cancer ... this time it is in the lymph nodes that drain from the liver. He has a biopsy Tueday but they are sure it is the Ewings again... if it is.. it is sadly almost a death sentence (except for the fact that I believe he is a walking miracle and the grace of God can pull us through this). But this time I am at my wits end... I don't know how much more he can take... my kids can take... or I can take... I feel like I am dying with him. My children are all freaking out in there own ways... it is just too much. So... I tell you I am sorry w/ a truly heavy heart.... I am tired... snippy... and really .... just trying to find the best homes for the 2 smallest dogs I've ever had. I am as honest as I can be... it is just I am so distracted... and tired that I am sure I am not myself when people talk to me. I don't have a lot of friends in the are... only 3 actually and none real close... when I talked to dina I thought wow... this is how I can make friends here. I am a southerner and No. Va is just way different than my way of life...and w/ 4 kids and everything we have gone through since living here... it doesn't leave time to make lasting friendships. I don't do this to make "no" money. That would be ridiculous. These babies are more work than my 2yr old! I do it to pay for the trips home... to put my kids in sports and just to make enough extra to do things we otherwise couldn't do w/o me working. I don't know who is familar w/ the D.C. area... but even though my husband is a Major... we in no way make enough money to live here w/o some money from me. I probably won't do this much longer. If he does die and I move home.. I will have to work...I'll have family to help w/ the kids... so I won't need to supplement my income. When I get these puppies... they are brought into a loving home... socialized w/ my children (who...don't worry are watched every second the dogs are out)... and since I have to crate them more that I ever do my dog (who is the least potty trained dog because of this...lol) the are potty trained... or at least almost all of them I get... before I sell them. She doesn't sell them to me until they are 12 wks... so unless I have a preorder...they are usually 16-20wks before I sell them...sometimes...like w/ these two more (although the girl I got really late...so I have only had her about a month and 1/2). If I was looking for a quick buck... I would find a better way than this. It is great... I love the dogs... it allows me to have them w/o keeping them and my husband is at his keeping do limit (I have a 14yr old min. schnauzer, a 4yr old Boston and Chloe ... my Yorkie... my husband's 12yr old lab ... think I told someone 14 but he was 12 passed away a couple of months ago... destroying my husband at a real bad time!)

I don't tell you this to get sympathy... I just want everyone to know why I sort of went off on a defensive tangent... although it is truly no excuse... and so everyone would TOTALLY understand where I get my dogs and who I deal w/ and why.

Thanks for your listening ear... Dina I'm sorry and sorry for the others who had to read it....

Nikole