Not To Be Left Out...

Handsome accepted my ALS Ice Bucket Challenge yesterday!

I'll let the video speak for itself, except to say, I really loaded that bucket with 

fresh ice while he was talking to the camera. You'll laugh at my failed attempt 

to sneak behind the waterfall after I started the camera. I wanted to crop myself 

out, but he's convinced it's one of the funniest parts of the video. It stays.

Direct link: http://youtu.be/dzadxfkbZJo
I was asked yesterday if there is also a link for donating to DM research. After  asking some of my Corgi friends who they thought the best research facility is, and doing a little research of my own, I can share the information with all of you.   Funds can be donated directly to research conducted at the University of Missouri,  College of Veterinary Medicine, specifying that the funds go to Dr. Joan Coates  for the work she's doing. You can click here to read more about her and her work.    She is also collaborating closely with Dr. Timothy Miller at Washington University in St. Louis on a drug therapy project to benefit ALS patients. It's my sincere prayer that  the work being done in both facilities will ultimately find a cure for both diseases.
Have fun with Handsome's video. He sure made me laugh when I watched it... and I'm even good for a little giggle, too. Can you tell I was having fun?   By the way, The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised a whopping $53.3 MILLION in only 25 days!  That's pretty incredible, don't you think?
Thanks again for reading all the way to the end of this post.

Brynwood Accepted "The ALS Ice Box Challenge"...

I'm sure you're heard all about the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" by now. I knew someone would nominate me, and it finally happened on Wednesday   night. (Sending a big, snarky "thank you" to my cousin, Nathaniel!)   Of course, you know I'm not one to just grab a bucket and stand in the yard. Handsome and I put our heads together and came up with this little video.   I thanked him for helping me by nominating HIM! It's cheesy, I know, but we had fun, and hope you do, too, when you watch it. Tag even got in the act!   Here's the video: This is the direct link: http://youtu.be/_hBw3L2nR9c   Man! That water was chilly! I thought being in the pool would help, but it didn't. My head was cold even after I went back under water and swam to the steps... and it was 100º in steamy south Florida by the time we filmed this.
Enough silliness, though. ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) is serious business. In addition to having ice water dumped on me by my dear husband, I also made a donation to the ALS Association. I admit that I have selfish reasons for finding a cure for ALS. ALS and DM (Degenerative Myelopathy in dogs) are closely related. As of today, both diseases are incurable, and DM has the same symptoms.   From the ALS Association website: "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease  that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from  the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the  body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads  to their death. When the motor neurons  die, the ability of the brain to initiate and  control muscle movement is lost." In dogs the degeneration also leads to death.

The ALS Association and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals share their research results. It is my deepest desire that a cure be found for ALS - and DM. Taggart carries both genes for DM. That means he could live a long, healthy life with no effects whatsoever. It also means that he could develop DM after he turns ten, but I pray every day that he never exhibits symptoms.
So, I made my donation in addition to being soaked with water and ice. When  I nominated Handsome to take up the challenge, and I knew he'd also donate.
Perhaps you think the Ice Bucket Challenge is silly. That's ok. You're not required to do it. What I would like to ask is that you consider making a small donation to the ALS Association. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a cure were found in our lifetime? If you're so motivated, this is the link to make a gift toward continued research. Thanks for watching the video and making it all the way to the end of today's post. Tag and I really appreciate it.