Saint & Dusty Lowman Archives - 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 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!