Jacqui Lowman, Author at BEYOND LIMITS: Awaken Your Potential

November 27, 2020

Mummy Never Gets Turkey

My favorite holiday is almost here: Thanksgiving Day. I don’t concern myself with the
history of the day, but wow is the food good. I’m a big supporter of any holiday that encourages
snacks. When Mummy, Dusty and I were in the store the other day, I saw a whole bunch of
people with carts full of pies and turkeys. Those people’s dogs are so lucky. My mummy hasn’t
made turkey since I was little and Gramma was still with us. I couldn’t help but drool at the
thought of my very own turkey.

All day in class, all I could think … what we were going to eat.

As much as I am excited about the food, I’m also kind of sad for Thanksgiving this year.
Usually, we go back to school after Thanksgiving and I get to tell all my friends about our holiday. But this year, I heard we don’t get to come back until next semester. I just know I’m going to miss my friends so much, especially the ones who are graduating. Dusty doesn’t know it yet, but having been in school for a long time now, I know how hard it is to say goodbye. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ve decided to think about what I’m thankful for. I think I’ve
got it narrowed down to a pretty good list, too. First, I’m very grateful for carrots. They are my
favorite treat, and I’ll do just about anything to get one. Next, I’m super thankful that Mummy
didn’t get another service dog this year. It was bad enough last year when we brought Dusty
home. Now I’ve got to share all of my stuff with her, and she doesn’t let me have any privacy.
She better not expect to get any of my Thanksgiving snacks. I mean, I do love her–she’s my
little sister after all. But boy, sometimes she can really tire me out.

The last thing I am thankful for is my family. I don’t know where I would be without
Mummy, and together we have done so many amazing things. I get to come to school every day and see my kids, and nobody minds my snoring, either. I think I’ve got a pretty good life. So for
the most part, you won’t hear any complaints out of this old service dog this Thanksgiving.

November 11, 2020

Goodbye for Now, Friends

Hi friends: Dusty here. Saint and I have had a great semester so far. We have loved seeing all
our friends. When everyone came back to UMPI this fall, Saint and I were over the moon.
Mummy had some worries that we might not have a semester together because of this COVID-
19 stuff. But Saint and I knew our friends would find their way back here.

We’ll be eagerly waiting for you to come back next semester!

Quarantine this summer was weird for us service dogs. We’re used to the hustle and bustle of
Mummy’s everyday life. It was nice to be home, but also not the normal we are used to. When
we heard that our friends would for sure be coming back for classes in the fall, we were so excited. I suppose we just didn’t realize how fast Thanksgiving would be here.
Mummy says that our friends won’t be back until the spring. Saint keeps telling me it’ll be OK, but I’m sad. I’ve had fun guessing who’s who behind the masks, which made me nervous at first. I miss not seeing my friends smile when they laugh. I’m going to miss their being here even more, though.

Saint told me that we’ll still be able to see all our friends over Zoom. I remember sitting in on
Mummy’s Zoom classes at the start of quarantine. It’s weird because we can hear all our friends,
but we can’t smell them. I suppose though that Saint is right, it will be OK.
We look forward to spring semester together and seeing everyone again. Until then, we hope
that you remember to keep washing your hands and practice social distancing. If you feel sick,
stay home. We’re going to get through these extraordinary times together.

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020

Might Be a Pinch in the Day, But Dr. Hotham’s Treats Are Worth It!

It was a usual morning for me. Mummy got up early, and I, Saint her service dog, helped her
get ready for the day. I got her clothes on for her, walked on the treadmill and we both had
breakfast. Then, we got into Miracle and I hopped onto my seat and was ready to go to work
with Mummy for the day. “Saint, ready to go to the vet?” she asked me. Oh right! I forgot: that
day I got to go to Dr. Hotham’s!

Saint getting lots of love from Dr. Hotham.

I am not like most dogs. I’m not scared of the vet. Actually, I enjoy Dr. Hotham. I sighed
and decided to take a nap on the way to the vet. Once we arrived, Mummy called them to let
them know we were there. You see, with COVID 19, Mummy can’t go in with me to the vet. So
she has to let them know so that they can come get me. A vet tech soon came out and walked me
in to see Dr. Hotham.

“Well hi there, Saint!” Dr. Hotham said as he came into the exam room. I walked over to him, wagging my tail the whole way. He gave me plenty of pets and some scratches behind the ears before starting the exam. He checked me all over and said I was in very good health. He called Mummy to let her know I needed a rabies shot and she told him to give it to me. So, one
small pinch later—and some delicious treats–I was brought back out to Mummy and I happily
greeted her. Then, once we paid for the visit, off we went to school.

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020

On the Road Again With Miracle 2.0

Hello Everyone. Saint and Dusty here! 2020 has been a year of changes and adaptations for our family. We knew something was wrong when our time was cut short with students in March. It has been a strange year, but something good came out of it this summer when we got Miracle 2.0. After years with Miracle 1, Mummy made the decision to upgrade the van. We welcomed Miracle 2.0 to the family during this summer and we couldn’t be happier.

Dr. J and the girls make their way inside Miracle 2.0.

Miracle 2.0 is a Chrysler Pacifica, with new and improved features. Saying goodbye to Miracle 1 was not easy, since we had been on so many trips with her. We had put thousands of miles on Miracle 1 over the years, with trips to the West Coast and Canada. Miracle 1 carried us to many destinations over the years. These long road trips also brought along some van issues and tire problems. It was time for Miracle 1 to get some rest for all her hard work. A new van was brought into the picture and Miracle 2.0 was born.

Miracle 2.0 has a new sporty and elegant look, which will be perfect for our long trips. With a
well-functioning automatic ramp for Mummy and comfy seats for us, Miracle 2.0 is already
doing well. Miracle is bound to have some technical issues as the years go on, but new
adventures are not too far in the future. Although Miracle 1 was a special van, Miracle 2.0 plans
to make even more memories with us. These upcoming road trips might not be for a while, but
Miracle 2.0 is ready for it. With Mummy driving, us in the back and Miracle 2.0 in drive, the
world is an open road, and we can’t wait to see it.

October 30, 2020

Treat or Treat

Why do people say Trick or Treat? I think we should cut to the chase and ask for what we
really want: treats, treats and even more treats. To heck with the tricks, that’s puppy stuff for
Saint and me. We are certified service dogs, and we won’t be doing tricks for anybody. We
talked it over, and my sister and I are going to ask only for treats.

I have newfound respect for cats. Wearing these ears gets really uncomfortable.

Hey everybody, Dusty here, and I’m so excited for Halloween this year! I know it must be
soon, because the leaves are crunchy on my paws. I can almost smell all the candy, and it’s
getting hard for me to wait! I haven’t quite decided on what I want to be, but even if I did, I
wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise before the Halloween party. Last year, my big sister Saint
and I were a huge hit. We dressed up as cats! It was hilarious! I mean, c’mon now, dogs as cats!
Does is get any crazier than that? It was a foolproof couples costume, and it’s going to be a hard
one to beat this year.

Last year was my first Halloween at UMPI, but lucky for me, Mummy teaches a lot of
classes, and I got to party with all of them. All of the kids wear masks, and not just the masks
they wear on other days. These masks have faces on them, and some of the faces are really
scary. I hope there aren’t any scary ones this year, because Saint and I are going to six different
Halloween parties in one day. Even better, some of the kids bring candy to the parties! When
Mummy isn’t looking, I’m going to grab their wrappers out of the garbage. Goodness I love
Halloween!

Best wishes,

Dusty Lowman

October 21, 2020October 26, 2020

An Ode to Our Graduates, Our Friends.

This is a picture of Mummy and me from a few years ago. Dusty looks forward to taking a picture with me in her cap and gown someday.

Hi, friends! Saint here. We know it’s been a while. We’ve been doing well adjusting to our new normal with Mummy. Our summer felt longer than usual. We didn’t go out as much. But it
was nice spending all that time at home working. One thing that we really missed, though, was getting to see our friends wear their caps and gowns on stage.

Years ago, when I was a mere pup, a nice lady at UMPI made me my own cap and gown. She told me that I could only wear it on a special occasion once a year, and that she had a special one
she’d wear, too. Since then, I’ve attended eight graduations. This year was different, though, and I couldn’t help but feel sad.

Since all our friends left in March, Dusty and I had been feeling down. We missed seeing everyone come in and out of classes and we missed their smells even more. By the start of May, I had a feeling that our friends wouldn’t be coming back. But I had to remain hopeful for Dusty’s sake. I sort of hyped up graduation to her and told her all about the snazzy cap and gown that Mummy would surely be getting her, too. She had so many questions, such as, “Where’s everyone go after they graduate?” I had fun explaining that once they graduate, their Snowy Owl wings can take them anywhere their hearts desire.

As sad as we are that our many friends’ wings got to take them far away before we got the
chance to truly said good-bye, we couldn’t be prouder of them. We saw them work relentlessly
over their years at UMPI and we know their hard work is going to pay off.

It may be a little late, but here’s to our graduates. We miss you, but we’re so incredibly proud.

February 19, 2020

Our Weekly University Times Meeting!

Every Tuesday, we are lucky enough to attend the University Times– UMPI’s newspaper– in its meetings. Yesterday was extra special, though, because we got to wear our snazzy club T-shirts! Mummy and her editor, Abi, helped us get dressed. The reason for the photoshoot was to get some updated pictures for the club’s tri-fold display board. They use this board to show people who aren’t in the club what they do. I think the real reason they had the photoshoot, though, was to make sure Dusty was included in photos, as the old pictures don’t include her.

Once we were dressed, I took up my usual spot on Mummy’s lap. This left Dusty unsure of where she could fit in, but our friends Alyssa and Tiffany were quick to help her find a spot. Getting posed for the pictures was easy for me, I just lay there. I didn’t want to make it look like I was trying too hard. Dusty had a little trouble: she’s still kind of too short. Tiffany had to help her stand up enough to see over Mummy.

We had a lot of fun, though. It was nice to see all our friends and take some nice photos. Abi said that she is going to print some off for Mummy’s classroom bulletin boards. We can’t wait to see what we’ll be doing at next week’s meeting!

A candid shot that Abi took of us all, family picture!

July 1, 2019

Happy July! Saint and Mummy in Idaho and Montana

Hello, Everyone. Saint, here! I’m sorry that I’ve been out of touch for so long. Mummy and I have just been so busy and had so many adventures. But I didn’t want you to worry, so figured that it was time to catch up a little.

It was so much fun in Oregon, but we were happy to get back to Idaho.

The night that we got back to Idaho, we went to the Boise airport and picked up Aunt Kimmie. She came such a long way to spend some time with us. I was so excited and happy to see her. I think that she must really love me a lot to come all that way.

Since Aunt Kimmie came, we have been seeing lots and lots of places. We explored southern Idaho. Another day we drove up a scenic byway, the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. We saw the Sawtooth Wilderness and Sun Valley.

But you know what was even better? We saw a town called “Lowman”! We just couldn’t believe that. Mummy figures that one of her ancestors from Utah must have started it.

After spending some time in southern and central Idaho, we headed up to the panhandle to stay in Coeur d’Alene. On the way there, Miracle started making funny sounds with her brakes. It was rainy and very windy and we were so thankful to make it to our destination safely. The next day, Mummy and I took Miracle to a Doge dealer. Turns that she needed new brake pads and rotors. Now she feels like a new car.

From Coeur d’Alene, we took a trip over to eastern Washington, to the Spokane area. We went to the campus of Eastern Washington University, where Aunt Kimmie got her graduate degree. We traveled up as far as the Canadian border before circling back.

After a few days, we traveled down from Coeur d’Alene, across Montana, to Billings. That’s been our base for the last few days.

In all modesty, I must say that I’ve become an expert on rest areas and carpets to roll on in hotels. Mummy says that I am a connoisseur—whatever that means.

Yesterday we did something incredibly neat: we went to the Battle of the Little Bighorn National Monument. It’s hard to imagine what happened there 143 years ago. Now it is so peaceful. Mummy said that it made her think of Arlington National Cemetery.

We have more wonderful adventures planned for tomorrow. Then we will head up to the northwest corner of Montana. It’s sure to be amazing.

I’ll try to keep you posted.

In the meantime, hugs and wags to you all.

Love,

Saint

June 23, 2019

Mummy and My Adventures in Oregon

Hello, Everyone! Saint here.

Happy Summer. I hope that yours is starting off as well as mine is with Mummy.

We’ve been on the move again. Yesterday, Saturday, June 22, we drove from Logan, Utah, up to Boise, Idaho. We had a chance to go through Pocatello on the way. We surely saw some pretty country along our journey.

Then today, we set off for Oregon, which is very close to Boise. Mummy had never been to Oregon. It was the last of the lower 48 states that she had not visited. We decided to go to Bend, Oregon, which is a great place for adventures.

Mummy decided that we should take an Oregon Scenic Byway, Oregon Route 26. That was an amazing trip.

One of my favorite parts was when we met a herd a cattle. Cowboys were driving the cattle across the road, riding horses and ATVs. They told Mummy and me that we should gently go through the herd. The cattle took their time. That is, until some people on motorcycles came along. The poor cows were scared and came running at us. We were very brave, though. I guess that makes me a cowgirl!

We saw some other neat things, too. We stopped at a rest stop and saw a Conestoga wagon.

We went to the John Day Fossil Beds.

And we got a wonderful view from the Larkspur Overlook.

Tonight we are in Bend. I bet we’ll have more adventures tomorrow. I’ll try to catch you up soon.

In the meantime, hugs and wags.

Saint

June 20, 2019

Saint and Mummy’s Adventures in Northern Utah

Hello, Everyone! Saint, here. Boy, have Mummy and I been having some wonderful times these last few days. So I had just had to share a bit with you.

On Wednesday, June 19, we left Cedar City. It was kind of hard to go and leave all those wonderful memories. But Mummy reminds me that we always carry memories in our hearts.

We were heading up to northern Utah. But on the way, we stopped off in West Jordan, a suburb of Salt Lake City. There we spoke with the West Jordan Rotary Club. What a wonderful group pf people. They made us very welcome. We talked about BEYOND LIMITS and our philosophy of building community and defying the notion of “can’t.” One of the Rotary members works in a doggie bakery. So she brought me some special treats, including a “pup cake.” Boy, dogs in Utah have some really neat things.

The West Jordan Rotary is where we met up with our friend Pete Cardon.

After the Rotary meeting, Pete took us over to the Field of Dreams. This is a fully accessible ball field that the West Jordan Rotary built with know-how, perseverance and lots of guts and determination. The greater Salt Lake City area probably has more than 1 million people in it. So there are lots of little ones who can benefit from a field in which they can play ball and be like anyone else. That meant a lot to Mummy and me

Then we headed up to Logan, Utah, our destination for the next few days. There were lots of highways and lots of road construction along the way. It was very warm and Miracle was really hot from having been shut up while we were visiting in West Jordan. Mummy props her phone, with the GPS, across the dial indicators on her dashboard. The glass must have been really hot. Suddenly, Mummy’s phone, Vicky, flashed a terrible message: iPhone too hot—shutting down. We didn’t know where to go. So we pulled off the highway and blasted the air conditioning. Then Mummy held Vicky in her lap for a while. After that, Vicky felt better.

We continued and found the Quality Inn in Logan, our base for a few days. The hotel is a little old, but the staff are super nice. We needed to get a good rest, because we had wonderful adventures planned for the next day.

The next day our friend, Pete, came up to Logan to show us around. Pete used to live in Logan, so he was a wonderful tour guide. Mummy really wanted to see Utah State University. That’s where her daddy went to school. Going to the school made her feel very close to him. So of course, I loved that, too. We rolled around the old quad where there were building that Grandpa would have gone into. One of my favorites was Old Main.

When we were done at USU, we headed up Logan Canyon for the scenic drive. That was spectacular. The best part came at the top when we saw Bear Lake. Bear Lake is amazing. Pete says that it is probably his favorite lake in the world. It changes color, depending on the weather: sunny, cloudy, stormy. It can be blue, green, aquamarine. As we approached and first saw it, it was aquamarine. While we there, it changed color a bit.

Then we drove down to the lake to LeBeau’s, a Logan/Bear Lake institution. There Pete got one of their famous raspberry milkshakes.

It started to rain, so we were off for the lovely drive back to town and to have a late lunch/early dinner. Pete treated Mummy at the Beehive restaurant. Mummy had a wonderful veggie stir fry. We haven’t been eating out on our trip—not much fun with just us—so I was glad to see Mummy have a good meal with a good friend.

Afterwards, we had to say goodbye to Pete. He had to get back to work. But we will see him this fall at a conference. And we have invited him to Maine to come hike with us. We would love that—I so love camping and sleeping in our tent.

We have a little more time in Utah and more adventures planned. I’ll try to blog again, soon.

Until then, hugs and wags.

Saint