Doctor Curmudgeon® A Tale of 488 Tails
By Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D. FAAP Doctor Eisman is in Family Practice in Aventura, Florida with her partner, Dr. Eugene Eisman, an internist/cardiologist
We Curmudgeons are fortunate to have a mixed and mixed up household.
Our home is kept running due to Galahad, my brilliant cousin, who is a Siberian Husky. In addition to teaching and serving on several important think tanks, he makes sure that our home does not completely fall apart.
Galahad’s nephew is Sebastian, a robust teen ager who is part Husky and part Samoyed. He is my cousin (although out of respect for an older relative, he calls me “Auntie”)
Sebastian’s parents occasionally travel for business and we enjoy his exuberant company at these times.
This morning at breakfast, he was excitedly telling us about a party he had attended the night before.
It seems that one of his furry classmates is a Golden Retriever, who has just returned from Scotland. It was the first time that the youngster had gone to a family reunion in the Scottish Highlands. He had run, played, and sniffed with 487 relatives.
Fortunately, this event is held outdoors at the ruins of Guisachan House, which is known as the ancestral home of the Golden Retriever.
The ancestral anniversary event was organized this year by the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland.
Sebastian said it was a lot of fun games, like tug of war and the hurling of the haggis.
Noting my raised eyebrows and quizzical expression, Sebastian explained that, “Haggis is an important national dish of Scotland. You stuff mixed up liver and lungs and stuff into a sheep’s stomach, and boil it and then throw it as far as you can, Auntie.”
Further noting the greenish tinge coming over me, my sweet cousin continued, “I agree. My friend found it revolting also. But that was one of the events, and it was for the non-furry biped parents.
“But there was so much more than that. They had educational talks about how to behave and some of them talked about their experiences as therapy dogs, and they learned about their ancestry.
“Oh, but Auntie, he said the best thing was when everybody formed a procession from the field in front of the ruins of Guisachan House. Then, they walked slowly to the house where there was a real Scottish piper! It was so beautiful and the non furries drank a toast to someone called Lord Tweedmouth, while the Goldens had treats”
Sebastian continued, “And my friend said that another great thing was meeting relatives from more than twelve different countries. Everybody spoke Canine plus their own language of English or French or Italian or whatever.”
Sebastian had spoken of Lord Tweedmouth. I learned that he was Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, who was married to Lady Fanny Spencer-Churchill. They were canine parents sharing their home with their beloved dogs. The first Golden Retriever was the offspring of two of their dogs a Tweed Water Spaniel and a yellow flat coated Retriever. Tweedmouth wanted a dog that would be equally at home outside sporting together, and then would come into his home living comfortably with the rest of the family.
And so, the first Golden Retriever was born at Guisachan House in Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands in1868.
This year, the 155th anniversary for their breed was joyously celebrated at their ancestral home.
Golden Retrievers came from all over the world to celebrate their heritage, commemorate the occasion with a group photo and simply to enjoy each other’s company.
Dr. Curmudgeon suggests “Bitter Medicine”, Dr. Eugene Eisman’s story of his experiences–from the humorous to the intense—as a young army doctor serving in the Vietnam War.
Bitter Medicine by Eugene H. Eisman, M.D. –on Amazon
Doctor Curmudgeon® is Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D., a physician-satirist. This column originally appeared on SERMO, the leading global social network for doctors.
SERMO www.sermo.com
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