Zoey loves to sleep on the bed with me. She doesn’t always stay on the bed all night. She moves around at times, looking for a more comfortable position.
I have photos of both of them sleeping on the bed; but this one of Zoey is by far my favorite. So sweet, so innocent and trusting, so angelic. 😇 Certainly “awww worthy” for the weekly Awww Monday blog hop!
Have a great day and a great week everyone! Zen and Zoey will probably be keeping me busy with their antics both inside the house and out in the back yard all. week. long.
These two crazy, adorable, loving pups make life challenging at times … especially when they gang up on me … but I love them to the moon and back! They – like their furry angel brothers and sisters before them – love me unconditionally and truly make my heart glow.
The pups were being very attentive to their trainer, James, that day when he snapped this photo. James, by the way, is the trainer who penned that beautiful tribute to Bogie two years ago after we tragically lost him to the accident. He also won Miss Ducky over a week or so later (and we all know how she was with strangers)!
So now I’m going to try to link up with the Awww Monday blog hop. Considering how cooperative my WP phone app has been in the past, I’ll be surprised if it works. That said, the Z Kids and I hope you have a great Monday (and week)!
I can’t believe my big boy, my sunshine, my leprechaun, my pot of gold, my lucky charm is suddenly two years old! 💚🐾☘️🐾
Hi Mom!
Before Bogie’s ashes even came home, I was looking forward to Zen’s arrival. I had promised Ducky that we would get her another baby brother to help her deal with Daddy’s dementia demons. Then Ducky left me, too. I was devastated. But once the shock wore off and I was left with just the reality of her absence, I knew Ducky would pick the perfect puppy for me. I just had to wait patiently. That waiting wasn’t easy in between Sam’s dementia-induced “episodes” but I managed. And suddenly, on St. Patrick’s Day 2022, on their mama’s birthday, my little furball and his nine siblings were born. I was soooo excited! And Sam was excited (when his dementia allowed him some control).
Zen and his siblings, about 2 weeks old
Oh! They were soooo cute and tiny! Baby leprechauns all! When they were three weeks old, Sam and I went to see them. I saw baby Zen, with his smudge muzzle, looking at us from under a chair and fell in love.
Look at that sweet little face
He stole my heart even then, but at just three weeks old he wasn’t ready to choose his humans yet. So we went back to see all the puppies again the following week. And I let Ducky do the choosing. I knew she would whisper in the right puppy ear. It took a little extra encouragement from Ducky because Sam’s demons were lurking in the shadows; but that little cutie I had already fallen in love with picked me. And eventually picked Sam too.
Soooo sweet!Hi DaddyOur Zen-puppy and Us
So much has happened since that day four weeks after Zen was born that I couldn’t possibly include it all here. Some of it was heartbreaking, some of it was truly frightening, a lot of it loaded with anxiety. But once Sam was in a place where I knew he would be cared for professionally and compassionately, the anxiety eased enough that I could bring Zen back home. So I did and our relationship, our bond has been growing.
Zen Hugs
We’ve had our times when my journey into widowhood has made for tense moments, but we’ve gotten through them relatively unscathed and more bonded as a result. Zen has truly been my “rock” throughout these 17+ months since Sam joined Bogie, Ducky, and our other pups at the Rainbow Bridge to wait for me.
Then, six months and one day after Zen was born, his little cousin Zoey came into this world with her own nine siblings. I knew I wanted another girl to love. And I knew raising pups of the opposite sex would be challenging. But I felt up to it and Zen needed a playmate. So, six months to the day after Sam and I brought Zen home for the first time, I brought Zoey home while my brother stayed with Zen.
Getting to Know You…🎶This photo brings back memories of Callie and Shadow at the same ages.
Zen is not just my rock; he’s also an excellent big brother.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZEN-ZEN!! ☘️☘️🎂🎉🎈 Zoey and I love you and will do all we can to make your day as special as you are! 💚💚💚💚💚
Zen is scheduled for his neuter surgery (and a dental cleaning) on Wednesday, so Zoey will be spending his week-long recuperation period at their Grandpa’s house. I am sooooo going to miss seeing these snuggle sessions!! 🥲
My very first fur-baby was a large toy/small miniature poodle I named Kissy. (Her AKC registration shows her as Katie Scarlett of Tara. I spelled her call name KSie but figured no one would know how to say it, hence the easy spelling. And, yes, I did name her after “Scarlett O’Hara” from Gone With The Wind, my favorite movie at the time.) As a puppy she would give me sweet, tiny kisses on my nose, so the easy spelling of her name fit perfectly.
Kissy was born on Mother’s Day, 1988, which was the 8th of May that year. So, she is celebrating birthday #35 today in Heaven. She was my birthday present to myself for my own 35th birthday. I just gave away my age. Horrors! 🤣 I actually brought her home from her breeder’s house when she was about 3-1/2 months old.
Kissy was a sweet puppy and adult; but she was shy around kids, so it took her a little while to warm up to my stepson, who was nine years old at the time. But once she did, they were best buddies for the rest of her life.
Kissy was my baby, my best friend, and the canine love of my life. When it came time to let her go to Heaven (December 5, 2003), I was devastated. I scheduled her final visit with our vet; and Sam and I took a long weekend off from work and left straight from the vet for Savannah, Georgia. There was no way I could have stayed in the house without her those first few days. But I knew my Mom and our three family poodles would be waiting for her to welcome her and take care of her for me.
I still talk to her, just as I do her younger angel siblings, every night. Kissy will always be my first baby and special to me in her own right. I’ve long since adapted to life without her – as I have Callie, Shadow, Radar, Bogie, and Ducky – but I do miss her as much as I miss the others. I just have to believe we will be reunited when it’s my time to go.
It was at 3:45 am exactly six months ago today – even the number day of the month fell on the same day of the week – that I received the call from the attending physician at the hospital saying Sam (my hubby) had passed in his sleep twelve minutes earlier.
Is it a coincidence that today is also Good Friday, a holy day in the Christian Church? Our savior was crucified, died, and was buried. Sam wasn’t crucified, but he did die on that morning exactly six months ago. And he’s been my chief guardian angel ever since, with help from our six furry angels.
I’m not looking for any sympathy. I’m just expressing my thoughts. I’m adjusting fairly well all things considered. I’ve been missing the man I married for quite some time due to his dementia; but his physical absence has been hard on me at times. If I hadn’t had Zen – and added Zoey a month after Sam’s passing – I’d have had to go into therapy for certain; but these two have been the best therapists I could ask for. I’ve been able to accept that his passing was the best thing for Sam. He no longer has to fight his dementia demons. He is healthy, and blissfully free of the demons.
So, on this Good Friday, 2023, I will continue loving and missing the man I married. And I will share with you one of my favorite photos of Sam. It was taken on his birthday last year. It’s one of my favorites because he was wearing a big smile; because he was himself most of that day – unencumbered by his dementia demons.
Sam’s 72nd Birthday, 2-9-2022
I will always be thankful for Sam, for his presence in my life. We had more good times over our years together than I can count. And the rough times were smoothed out by the unconditional love we shared, will always share. We were – and always will be – each other’s soulmate.
Today my big boy is one year old!! My leprechaun, my personal pot ‘o’ gold was born on St. Patrick’s Day 2022. My sunshine, the light of my life, was born in the midst of what turned out to be the worst year of my life. And he remains my sunshine boy.
Zen’s in there somewhere.
Zen’s mama, Sunny, is also celebrating her birthday today! She is a sweet girl! What a present to give yourself on your birthday! Nine beautiful, healthy puppies! She is a wonderful mother to her puppies!
Zen’s Daddy, TaterSam with Zen when Zen was about 4 weeks oldAt 4 Weeks Old He Was Already My Boy 💚🐾🍀
Zen was my little Smudge Muzzle at 4 weeks; and he still has a bit of the smudge around that precious muzzle.
We brought him home on May 14th, when he was just past eight weeks old. I chose the 14th because I needed a happy event to balance the awful monthly anniversary of Bogie’s accident.
Zen’s Going Home Day
Zen spent a great deal of time of the first five months of his life at his Grandpa’s house with his mama Sunny, Aunt Bailey, and cousins Stormy, Charlie, and Skye because of Sam’s dementia. It broke my heart to not have him here with me; but Sam’s dementia demons were taking over more frequently and making poor Zen very nervous. It was better for the poor little guy to be in a stable environment. Two weeks after Sam went into the hospital last July my sweet little Zen puppy came home. He’s been with me ever since, healing my broken heart one day at a time.
I can’t believe how fast and BIG he’s grown over the past year! When Sam and I first brought him home he weighed about 12 pounds. Just ten days ago, when I had to get a weight check for his heartworm preventive, he weighed in at 81.5 pounds!! And it’s all muscle!! This boy is strong!!
Taking a short play break a few days ago
This boy is such a love! He gives me hugs that are as much from Sam as from himself; he gives me kisses “just because” and when my memories are leaking from my eyes; and he adores his little sister, Zoey (who will be six months old tomorrow).
😇 My angels disguised as puppies 🐶
Happy First Birthday my Smudge Muzzle/Leprechaun/Sunshine Boy!! Mama loves you more than I could ever put into words!! I hope I will always be deserving of your unconditional love!! 💚💚🐾🐾🍀🍀🎂🎂🎈🎈☀️☀️🦴🦴🎾🎾🎁🎉
Hi Everyone! Zen here! Mama said I could write this post. I told her I would just share some recent pix so our friends can see how much I’ve grown.
Here I’m sitting on the couch next to Mama.
Mama says that photo is one of her favorites.
Here I am in Mama’s lap, giving her kisses. It’s another of Mama’s favorites.
Mama says I’m her 55-pound lap dog. I think I probably weigh more than that now, but we don’t have a scale so I’m not sure.
Foraging for treats
That’s a real short video, but Mama wanted to record it for her to remember how cute I am when I do stuff like that. She told me that angels Bogie and Ducky used to do it too.
Now, just for comparison, here’s a photo of me from when Mama and Daddy first brought me home…
Actually, this photo was taken at my Grandpa Chuck’s house (where I was born) on the day I first came home.
Mama used to call me “her little Smudge Muzzle”. My muzzle is still a little “smudgy”, but not quite as much any more.
Well, that’s it for today. If Mama can get it work, we’ll link up to the Wordless Wednesday blog hop hosted by Sandee at
in my heart 4ever 