Two Golden Hearts
The emotional roller coaster this week has been dizzying. It hasn’t taken much to send me downhill since last Saturday but two people I have never met sure did more than their part to point me uphill again.

Tuesday morning I was having such a hard time thinking about little Ozzy that I couldn’t shake off the tears all morning. I was sitting at my computer and found myself praying really sincerely that I could get past this pain and start to mend. I remember thinking as I prayed, “Now why didn’t I do this sooner?” As I sat there I started to aimlessly do some searches on Bichons and came to a beautiful web site of a lady in Idaho by the name of Margie. I read how she raises her puppies in her house and saw the cute nursery she has for her “babies” and thought, "When I am ready to get another pet I will have to contact her". Then for some reason I sent her an email and told her about Ozzy and asked a few questions about her puppies and sent her my blog address. She...click for more...

I don’t know how Ozzy’s big heart fit in his little 12 pound body of kinky white hair and fluff. His big brown expressive eyes revealed his unique personality and his love for every member of our family. He loved with his whole body and his enthusiasm was impossible to ignore. He knew how to smile and was the happiest little Bichon Frise on four feet. He spent his entire life trying to make people happy and show his affection and he wanted so much to be a good boy.



He was the tiniest little round ball of fur when we got him at 6 weeks old. I carried him around in a purse and he went everywhere I went … and he loved it. He spent his first two years going to work with me, sleeping on my desk or beneath it in a little basket … until he got started taking on too much office responsibility and started noisily greeting everyone who entered the office and had to be let go. How sad he was the first day I left for work without him.

He played hard, running through the house as fast as...click for more...

I'm in love with my grandsons. I only have three out of fifteen grandchildren but they are totally awesome and absolutely make up for what they lack in numbers.

Steele just turned seven and is probably the biggest philosopher of them all, and his hobby is to read and spout facts. Some of the facts he spouts are quite interesting, like the "rock bugs", but most of the time his facts are remembered correctly.

He has one speed, well maybe two speeds; slow and slower. Here are two conversations I overheard today.

First one: When the toilet flushed in the next room his mother called out, "Steele, don't forget to wash your hands!" "I am," Steele replies and we hear the faucet turn on, water splashing, and then a pause while he dries his hands.

After a minute his slow shuffle brings him to the door of my bedroom where his mother and I are sitting on the bed chatting. He leaned against against the door and sighed ... then sighed again. Finally, in his slow, ...click for more...

Do they make Doggy Sunscreen?
Poor Ozzy, my 7 year old canine buddy. He's a Bischon. I got him because I fell in love with the Bischon who took Best of Show in the National Championships. Every hair was in place, sparkling white, prancing little steps, well mannered.

Wouldn't you know, my pick of the litter was born with the mentality of "Tramp", the big time doggy actor who prefers junk yards and dirt over class and beauty. Because of this, and because we live in the land of the red dirt and stickers, Ozzy has to have haircuts very regularly and they are expensive.

After the last $40 check I forked over for his "buzz" I thought to myself, "I can do that!" After all, I buzzed my three boys and all their little friends every summer for fifteen years. So we contacted the Petco grooming department and asked them about pet clippers and were given some good advice and places to shop online. The lady there also told me to make sure we get a size 10 blade. You can order the clippers...click for more...

Tonight my son in law accused me of slowly killing my blog. I think it has "failure to thrive" from lack of attention. I've had so many emotions clanging around my headlately it is hard to settle on one mood long enough to write something. I've had so many pent up emotions I have hardly dared to open the door for fear they would swarm out like a hive of angry bees and attack anyone standing in their way. I know writing is good therapy but I'm from the old school and it is hard for me to write about things that "are better left unsaid." Well, I don't exactly agree with the old school but I don't know that I want my blog to be full of all my woes either. Thumper's mother and my mother had the same idea: "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all." But ...

I went out to lunch today with two of my dearest friends. We worked closely in a church calling for three years and saw each other at least twice a week ... shared our thoughts on every subject and knew they would be ...click for more...