Tag: gratitude

Reunited

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And it feels so good! 🎶

Zoey, my brother, and I took a drive up to Zoey’s and Zen’s Grandpa’s house on Sunday morning to spend some time visiting with him and our Golden family before bringing Zen home from his “vacation.”

When I texted him to say we were about to leave, Chuck texted me back teasingly saying that Zen had overheard him telling one of his pups that “Zen is going home today” and promptly jumped into the golf cart and ran away. 🤣🤣 (Doug read me the text while I was driving. I don’t read and drive.)

We humans had a nice visit while we watched Zen and Zoey play with their moms, and their older cousins/siblings.

Once we were home and back in the house after stretching our legs in the back yard, Zen and Zoey shared a sweet moment of “so happy you’re/I’m home!”

Reunited!

Since that moment, the three of us have spent countless happy moments together. Zoey and I missed our boy so much while she was healing from her surgery two weeks ago! Zen was probably having too much fun with his Grandpa, mama, auntie, and three cousins to miss us very much (though Chuck did say he spent most of that first afternoon looking for me once I left to come home).

I’m just happy to have my boy home again! And grateful to have such a wonderful friend in the pups’ breeder (and “Grandpa”)! He always takes such good care of all three of us when we need his help! I couldn’t ask for a better friend/other brother!!

So much for “Wordless Wednesday”! In this case I guess I should call it “Wordy Wednesday”!

A Day of Bittersweet Memories

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January 14, 2022 was the worst day of my life, of all our – Sam’s, Ducky’s, and my brother’s – lives. And, to be honest, the first day of the worst year of my life. It was the day my sweet Bogie got his angel wings. And it was the day that my sweet Ducky’s heart broke irreparably. That sweet, loving, adorable boy. Just thinking about how it happened still brings a flood of tears – the bitter part of my memories. All I can do is thank God for allowing Sam and me to be his human parents and Ducky to be his “big sister” for his short life.

How could you not love that face?!

I will always miss this boy. He loved snuggling with me, and I loved snuggling with him. Bogie was the reason why I decided to get another “baby brother” for Ducky as soon as I could, which leads me to the sweet part of my memories…

A few days after Bogie got his wings, I called our friend and Bogie’s “Grandpa Chuck” and told him “I want another baby brother for Ducky. I’ll send you a check tomorrow.” Even though Ducky’s broken heart earned her her own angel wings a month later, I knew she would pick the perfect puppy for us. And she did….

4-Week-Old Zen

This adorable little smudge muzzle was born on March 17, 2022 but even before then he became my sunshine boy. Sam’s dementia took nearly total control of him after Ducky got her wings; and the only thing I felt I had to smile about was knowing I would soon have another puppy to love on and be loved by. So Zen became my sunshine. When he was born, I decided his Gotcha Day would have to be on the monthly anniversary of Bogie’s passing. I needed a happy event to balance the tragic one. So Sam and I brought Zen home on May 14th.

After Ducky passed, I knew Zen would eventually need a playmate, and I wanted another girl. At first I wasn’t sure I could deal with two puppies and Sam. I kept wondering out loud if I had lost my marbles somewhere along the way. But Zen was such an easy puppy once Sam was admitted to the hospital, that I stopped wondering. Shortly after Sam was admitted to the hospital, Bogie’s mama, Bailey, was mated with his daddy’s brother so I knew the chances of getting a female version of my Bogie were pretty darn good. And the chances of her being exactly six months younger than Zen were good, too. It turned out to be six months and a day, but that’s close enough. So the second sweet part of my memories came into my life….

Baby Zoey Petunia at about 6 weeks.

Look at that foot in the water bowl! To this day, she thinks water is for more than just drinking, just like Bogie! And Zoey’s Gotcha Day became November 14th, exactly six months after Zen, and ten months after us losing her older genetic brother. And, oh my doG, does she ever remind me of Bogie! She looks just like him and she acts just like him. She is a snuggle bunny just like Bogie was; and she’s sassy with Zen like Bogie was with Ducky.

So, as bitter as the memories are of losing sweet Bogie that awful day two years ago, at least his younger cousin and sister provide me with extra sweet memories for counterbalance. And truthfully Bogie’s not gone. He’s here every day, along with Ducky and their human daddy. I just can’t see him or love on him.

Be Careful What You Wish For!

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I’m sure you’ve all heard that warning before. But have you ever paid much attention to it? I know I didn’t, really. Until one morning at the end of last month …..

For most of March and April, I was burning out from being “Mom” to the Z Kids without the help of a “Daddy.” I was lamenting the days before Zoey joined Zen and me.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Zoey dearly and wouldn’t give her up for anything other than her own well-being. But her isolation anxiety was taking its toll on me, on Zen, and on our relationship. And it was – of course – taking its toll on Zoey herself and our relationship with each other. Even some stress on Zen’s and Zoey’s relationship with each other.

So back to my lamenting, my burning out. I was tired. I was frustrated. I was sad and scared. And I wasn’t eating enough of the right foods. TBH, I wasn’t eating enough, period. And I was constantly saying to Zen that “I love Zoey dearly, but I miss the days when it was just the two of us.”

On the morning of April 25th I woke up early, and as usual, started to sit up in bed. But I was so dizzy I had to lay back down. I waited a moment and tried again. Same thing. Then I started to panic. How would I take care of the puppies if I couldn’t even take care of myself. I called my friend, and the pups’ “Grandpa,” and left a message in his voicemail. Then I tried again to sit up. Same dizziness. I laid back down and checked my heart rate. Normal. Waited another ten minutes or so and checked again. Normal again. Still dizzy but not quite as bad. No nausea, sweats, or aches and pains, just dizzy.

Called my friend again. He said he’d get ready to come down to get Zen and Zoey, so the panic subsided. Still a little dizzy but not as bad. Almost an hour had passed. The dizziness was subsiding as well. Zen was on the bed with me, laying right next to me. Zoey was in her crate next to the bed, waiting patiently for me to let her out. Once the dizziness had passed, I got dressed and let Zoey out of her crate. We went into the kitchen, slowly, but I felt normal and steady on my feet. Then my friend’s daughter arrived and we sat and talked for a few minutes.

We took the pups out to the yard to relieve themselves and play some. My earthly guardian angel was on the way and his daughter had to leave for an appointment. But I was feeling 100% better and fully steady on my feet. And Zen continued to keep a watchful eye on me while he and Zoey played in the living room.

My friend arrived and we sat and talked for a bit while I ate the breakfast biscuit he had picked up for me on his way here. He was still willing to take both pups home with him; but I knew I’d go out of my mind if I stayed home completely alone. So he took Zoey home with him and Zen stayed with me.

Zoey stayed with her “Grandpa” and other doggie family for a few days while I pulled myself together. Zen watched me like a hawk. When I had to go to the store to get food, our regular pet sitter stayed with him. The rest of the time I spent here at home, making sure I ate three balanced meals a day and spending time with Zen. And texting with my friend, sending photos back and forth.

Those few days Zoey was with her Grandpa, I truly paid attention to that old line about being careful what you wish for. And I thanked God endlessly for giving me the warning that He had. And I thanked my friend, his daughter, and another dear friend (who had brought me some homemade comfort food later that day) for being there for me – once again – in my hours of need. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if I had had to fend for myself that day.

I’m very careful now about what I wish for; and I’m very careful about taking care of myself as well as the Z Kids. And I constantly thank God and all my guardian angels for watching over us all. the. time. I’m feeling much better now, exactly a month later. And Zen keeps a watchful eye on me still, enlisting Zoey’s aid when he needs a break. I am thankful for these two earth angels of mine, too. Our relationships – mine with each of them separately and theirs with each other – have improved tremendously.

With that all said, I’m linking to the Thankful Thursday blog hop. Thankful for ALL my blessings, especially the ones I tend to take for granted at times.

Thankful Every Day

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Where to start? I have so very much to be thankful for every day! I don’t always write in my gratitude journal – actually it’s been over a week since my last entry – but I’m certain God knows what is in my heart.

So, I’ll start with thanking God for all my blessings. That’s a good start. I’ll be honest – I don’t always understand why God answers my prayers the way He does, but I’ve learned to trust those answers.

The next “thing” I’m thankful for isn’t a thing but a person. And that person is our friend, Chuck. Bogie’s and Zen’s “Grandpa Chuck”. One of the nicest persons you could ever hope to meet. Once again he came to our rescue when hubby and I needed help with Zen. And while he had the little guy, he and our doggy family taught Zen some doggy manners and how to “chill out”. Now that Zen is home, he is doing so much better than last time. For the sake of our privacy, I won’t delve into details.

I’m always thankful for the support of my brother. He is always “there” for me, one way for another, and has been since the day I was born. And I’m thankful for family – those already in Heaven and those still here, including all the dogs who were part of our family – from our childhood as well as since we started our own families.

Of course I’m thankful for my hubby. I love him with my whole heart and unconditionally. He’s been my best friend and constant companion, not to mention “Daddy” to all the dogs who have owned me since I moved out of my childhood home.

I’m always thankful, too, for all our wonderful friends – both “real life” and online! Some of my favorite people are those whom I’ve only met through our wonderful pet blogging community. You mean a great deal to me.

And last but not least, I am thankful for all of my “fur babies” of the past. They all taught me so much, each in her or his own way, and with so much unconditional love woven into each lesson. And, of course, I am thankful for sweet Zen. He is such a good pup – from wonderful, sweet parents – and he is trying to teach me patience. Patience is a virtue I struggle with a good deal. “All good things come to those who wait”; but sometimes that wait is excruciatingly long. Zen is doing his best.