Now...We Have Lost Our Precious Gracie...Our Sweet Gal and Fearless Protector

 

This is our sweet Gracie-Girl taken just a few weeks ago.

Two weeks ago we lost our precious Gracie.  Gracie was our sweet gal and most loyal protector.   Oh how it hurts our hearts.

Eleven years ago on a literally freezing cold day our second born daughter, Joycie was driving down the long - what we call the skinny road (built for Model T cars back when)to smalltown, an extremely historical little town where we do our grocery shopping and make our stops at the little Walmart and many other little places in what used to be a thriving oil boom town.  As Joycie drove home from smalltown Gracie was waiting for her at the side of that road near a gate as if waiting for her ride.  It was her ride alright, a ride that saved her life here on this green earth.  She had no fur and demodex mange all over her body, Gracie's grey skin had the texture of potato chips.  Joycie who has a gift for seeing animals in need, immediately stopped the car and grabbed a very large elegant red tablecloth still in the trunk from Christmas and threw it over and around this huge skeleton of a dog.   This poor creature truly was like a skeleton that we see on the ASPCA commercials but worse.  Joycie called me immediately and said..."Mom, I have this dog with me and it's the saddest thing I've ever seen..."   

 

I was ready for our new arrival... Joycie came to the laundry room door next to our kitchen with this very large creature wrapped in the elegant red tablecloth...That part was kind of humorous, a large dog with no fur and demodex  mange wrapped in a huge elegant red tablecloth in Joycie's arms.  Gracie had a strong will and even stuck her large paws out at the doorframe holding back so she would not fit in the door, hesitating to enter into our home not quite knowing what this doorway held for her on the other side...I still remember those big paw pads pushing away from the door frame.

We prayerfully watched her after we laid her down on a comfy bed there we set up for her, she lay there shaking.   The room was plenty warm, but the shaking persisted, we moved an extra little heater in there to make sure it was toasty and placed a little night light in the room so she wouldn't be frightened at night.   The next day Joycie went to our old vet in oldtown and told them of our plight and showed them the photo of Gracie's condition...Demodex.   Demodex is what the gal at the front desk said.   This was eleven years ago when we had the comfort of our old vet's office and they treated us as friends.    We treated her with special  baths and  before we knew it we had a special hound dog.  She was large and lanky and looked like a grey hound because she didn't have fur and all we saw was   grey.  We were so amused when the golden fur came in.  She was soon scheduled for a spay and I have to smile til this day as our daughter said they had to drag her as she was sitting on her hiney up the hallway to await her surgery.   We soon learned our big girl, aka Miss America was a Black Mouth Curr.   Dr. Bill scrawled it on the spay certificate and that was that.  

This gal was long and leggy, thus Miss America although one back leg was slightly shorter than the other and gave her the funniest little funky gait when she trotted... but truly....Gracie.  It was by God's Grace that she just "happened" to be out on the road waiting for Joycie and Joycie had her eyes out for precious creatures such as Gracie.    She was such a character...She would frighten people out of their wits with her bark, lead down the driveway like a male but when it came to us?  She would throw her head back and smile at us.  Yes!   She would smile at us with her teeth!   Just like Mr. Ed the talking horse.   

Gracie was our loyal protector and frightened quite a few people, grown men, especially delivery people and repair men would be taken aback by her.   She never ever bit anyone but looked like she would coupled with her bark and her snarl, and trust me, everyone believed her!  .

Gracie's eyes were very soulful and loving, one of her favorite things was chasing snakes.  Yes.  Chasing snakes.  She would go after the snakes with her hound nose to the ground like a little vacuum cleaner side to side full force ahead-darn the torpedoes, her tail just-a-wagging!   She had been bitten more than several times and  always pulled through as we treated her.  Gracie was a tough girl.

Gracie was a champ, she's been ill for the past month and a half.  I've been nursing her, the house has looked like a mini vet's clinic as I had giant syringes big enough for a horse, antibiotics, all kinds of treatments for our girl.   The days before she passed, I would find her staring at me as if to remember me forever.   It was so very precious and brings tears to my fur mommy human heart that many a day she would only allow me to care for her and that was that, as I opened her mouth placing the food and med in and she obediently and trustingly took her meds.   And there were also a lot of ups and downs, adjustments of meds etc.  

 

The week before she passed to the other side, Jem was trying to put her in the little 'mule' terrain vehicle, and she couldn't get up into the vehicle, her legs were failing her and she seemed to not want to be hoisted up either.   Poor Gracie hobbled all the way back to our property where Jem was taking the 'mule', and this is a loooong stretch, I would say at least half a mile.  Oh my heart, just watching our Gracie doing that.  She loved it so much going back there with Jem, going into the forest...chasing snakes of course.  We were tickled pink that she felt so well.   The next week Jem placed her in the 'mule' and she let him this time.  She stayed a little closer to Jem in the back there but still went into the forest for a while.  We wonder now if she wasn't bitten and with all of her health issues that might have been just too much for her body.   

We were at the zoo with our oldest daughter and grandbaby and I knew Gracie was not doing great before we left, I could  see she was having a hard time with her back legs...Jem brought her out on the screen porch to enjoy the fresh air, Jem used a log carrier to slip under her when she had episodes and couldn't hardly walk, he would carry her with the log carrier as I held her back side.  

Later that day Jem and I were in  one of the zoo exhibits and the Holy Spirit whispered to me to get home, the whisper was a loud whisper and sent a chill to my soul.   Jem and I got on the freeway and got home...Sure enough things did not look good.  Jem gently placed the carrier under Gracie and we got her back in to her familiar bed.  Liesl, our sweet white lab mix lay with paws up front on her tummy, very alert watching over Gracie very alert, just as Gracie once did for our Charlie when he was so very ill.  We didn't know what was to become, we had seen this before and she got over it but this time Gracie was to pass over night into the early morning to the other side.    

We sooo miss our Gracie, she was preciously loved by all of us here at the Forest Cathedral and oh how I miss that girl.  Oh how I miss her.  Our youngest daughter was just saying that when she comes in she looks to the orthopedic dog bed still there in it's proper place and expects to see our girl, Gracie.  

We don't know how old Gracie-Girl was, we don't know how old she was when we got her those eleven years ago...  

Faithful, fearlessly protective, loyal, a fellow introvert at heart, we got each other.   Just last Christmas she lay on one of the dog beds here and things were becoming a little noisy...I looked at her sweet face and knew she was probably getting a little stressed with the normal children's laughter and excitement...I whispered to her...Gracie?   You want to come in our room to be quiet?   She got up slowly off of the bed and walked into our room with me as I brought her for safety from the noise (although a joyful noise).  She lay on the rug there by our bed as I gave her some pets on her head and back and she gave me a look of comfort and being loved as she lay her head back down looking up with those beautiful big brown eyes to rest in quiet as I went back out with our human family.  Yes, Gracie-Girl and I understood each other...We sure did.   

We sure miss you, Gracie-Girl....We sure do.

I'm plodding along here at the Forest Cathedral and honestly haven't had the time to write.  My mom has dementia, it's so very cruel and it's heart breaking, many highs and lows...So as you can imagine my heart and theatre of my mind is overflowing, overflowing is an understatement, actually.   I've been sewing some summer clothing for myself, some needed things and that has kept me busy along with composing and cooking our dinners etc. along with caring for our sweet fur angels we have in our care, thank God we have them.  I'm sure they wonder where Gracie is?   Little Leelo was sniffing her still face the next morning and asking with his little junior puppy 'talk'...What's wrong?  Why aren't you talking to me?  

I hope to be around a bit more often as I am able.  Please oblige, I've felt so helpless, feeling spread so very thin lately.   

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In the back with Jem...Gracie so loved this day a week or so before she passed.

 

 

Signing off from the Forest Cathedral, until the next time dear Friends,   I appreciate you all...    ~Amelia

 

We Lost Our Little Harper, And Christmas Time is Already Here

Are you ever just speechless?  Wordless?   That is how I've felt lately on blogging...What do I say?  

 

We lost our little Harper puppy Nov. 2nd.  She became ill, we noticed she was throwing up large amounts of red salvia plant.  Our youngish vet treated her for such.  The next morning she was not doing well at all.  We rushed her back to the vet's office that Saturday morning and our little Harper died in my arms in the car...I can't even hardly write this.  The vet on call that Saturday morning, a vet I've dealt with before at a sister clinic when we lost Coffee, she claims it was a virus.  We do not know if it was one or both or what.

 But all that matters is we lost our little Harper.  I wonder if they took care of her properly the day before since they were so booked and busy, we had to drop her off for care and pick up later.  The vet we normally deal with, I had talked with him on the phone that Friday as Harper was in his care, a nice young gentleman had done a blood panel and cheerfully said she was just two points off but very normal for a puppy.  It's all so bizarre and troubling to our hearts. 

The next day her brother, Leelo fell ill and I knew he had also eaten the red salvia.   He could also have had the same virus if that is what Harper had also beside the poisonous plant.  I immediately jumped into gear hydrating him with syringe fulls of  Pedialyte.  Giving him pepto bismal, black charcoal, herbal medicines I had on hand and everything our vet had given for Harper including probiotics in a syringe he had given.  This was every 30 minutes or so...for more than several days and some things like charcoal capsules for two weeks, hydration was key.

I just stuck to it praying and serving that little pup, morning til night.  Leelo survived thank the good Lord!

All Red Salvia is out of our flower beds to put it lightly, I had that flowering plant all the way back from my Italian grandma's yard.  Sorry Grandma, it had to go and I had no idea that Red Salvia was poisonous if that is what caused the death of our puppy.  I don't know...I just.  don't.  know.   But I will say she was spitting up a large amount of it.   Please look up flowers and things in your flower beds and make sure they are not poisonous to pets or humans.  

Can I just share something here that hurt my heart even more?    I got a call from the vet's office 2 weeks after Harper died.  I called them back and the woman who answers the phone, brusquely told me I needed to come and pick up my sweater and water bottle.  I had accidently left it there the morning Harper passed in my arms as we had followed the assistant into the building that morning, she had gently taken Harper out of my arms and as I waited on the lobby bench and I got up to meet the vet, and later left with Harper in a little blue body bag....I left my sweater and bottle on the bench.  Understandable of course.  

The woman who I've dealt with over the years who answers the phone there who I considered a friend was so shockingly rude to me on the phone asking when am I going to come and get my sweater and bottle.   I explained we live a little ways away and (this is only 2 weeks after Harper passed!).  I had a very old vintage autumn pumpkin-man pin from the local jewelry store open since 1920.  The elderly lady who owns the store sold it to me for a couple of dollars since I knew her and she knew I appreciated it, it was priceless to me, it was on the much loved black cardigan that had been patched several times and she is telling me she was going to throw it all away!   It just broke my heart, everything about this just screamed a lack of respect.   I quickly told her...

Oh no!   Don't throw it away!   That's my favorite sweater and vintage pin!    

I felt like a little girl who was being mistreated.   Her answer was, Well, you need to come pick it up.  I stammered that my husband would probably be there that week, we live a stretch away and don't go that way that often.  This animal hospital is a premiere facility, it's huge, they have plenty of room.  It broke my heart.   What is wrong with people?!   I've had teensy Chinese buffets not to mention a funeral home kinder to me than that when I've left my sweater!   I knew the woman was a tough cookie but oh my gosh...My husband was bewildered too, this woman has seen us go through several losses and then behaves this way.  Some women are such complex people to put it nicely;  jealousy, envy and manipulation  and every dark thing seems to be working in some.  I went the next day with my sweet husband to get get my sweater, pin and water bottle and I was ready for that gal, thank God she was not there because by that point I had words of wisdom for her. Yes, this Italian-German (quite the collision) girl is a quiet force and when pushed, the velvet curtains will fall.   I'm still very bothered and my heart is hurt by it but I know her lack of respect and coldness tells me something about her, not me...

 

To say that November was just a sad and tumultuous month is an understatement.   I had two weeks of taking care of our pups and then I was so behind for Thanksgiving.  And that kind of leaked into December.  I'm putting out the basics, and still wrapping gifts.  Usually I'm on that around Thanksgiving.  Our youngest daughter, Grace has been very upset since Harper passed away because she was very close to Harper, Harper and Grace really bonded since Grace took Harper and Leelo to the vet that very first day after they were cruelly dumped as tiny puppies.  Grace was out of state for a class when Harper passed away and not with poor Harper, what a nightmare.  

 

So maybe that explains things why I've been gone for a while.  I'm so thankful that Leelo is okay, my 94 year old mom is doing okay too.  We're dealing with dementia and are learning that the bad occasions are a chemical imbalance and dementia combined but as a whole she is being a sweetheart and very nurturing even calling me sweetheart and oh that does my heart good.  Everyone is accepting that the bad days will usually be forgotten by the next day.  Many things like foods she eats are experimental, what affects her and so forth....she is on a healthy diet, but some things a bit too close to the edge can throw her temperment off within minutes.

Here's some shots of little Harper, there are some on my last blog from last September too.

 

 Little Harper taking a little nap.

 Leelo and Harper resting...after

...playtime!

 

 

Harper and Leelo fitting both out of the dog door...So cute.

 

A Walk

 

 

 

 

Christmas...So Dear to My Heart

 

I have my little tree on top of this old bookcase that my dad and my Uncle Bennie, (my mom's brother) made when they were young. 

 

The little tree, with little doggies and deer.  The brown doggy at the top is made in Germany, our eldest daughter, Janie gave this to me on Thanksgiving because she thought it kind of had the same look as Harper.   This little doggy really does!  Harper would have that same darling expression.

 

I thought these choir boys with the little tree were so cute, I found them at Dollar Tree in a package.  They are plastic and are with the miniature houses and figures there.   Simple things make me happy.

Under my little tree.   I had this exact little Baby Jesus on Hay when I was little.  The original was stolen and I found this one on ebay.

 

Our little-big tree.   This little tree is four and a half foot tall and I have it setting on the coffee table from my childhood home.  The little treeskirt is from Walmart, I had gotten it on clearance one year for hardly anything and I just adore it.  The ornaments are doggies, kitties and little pink and gold bulbs.  The pink and gold bulbs are from dollar tree.  

 

  

The general setup in the living room, I was watching Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing Time to Say Goodbye.  This song gets me every time.   This rendition was sung at my Italian grandma's funeral in the old stone chapel...Oh my heart...

 

 

This is my little four foot tree by the breakfast area near the living room too....It's an open area.  I have this smallish tree on an old cedar chest made for me when I was born.

 

The pink deer (here) and blue snowman (below)ornaments are from Dollar General, Zuzu gave those to me.  The wooden doggy is from Hobby Lobby after Christmas.

 

Wooden kitties too from Hobby Lobby after Christmas.  The wooden snowman faces are from the sweetest little cozy gift shop in smalltown...The owner is so nice.  I got these after Christmas too.

 

Here are some links from Last Year's Christmas that show the rest of my decorations and some Christmas thoughts too including 'Don't be a Heelot!':

Dec. 13. 23. 

Dec. 17. 23. 

Dec. 23. 23 

 

 One of my favorite Christmas stations:

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Nothing like Bing at Christmas...Another time and place that I prefer to keep in our home.

 

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Time to Say Goodbye by Boccelli, one of my very favorites, this touches my heart so much.

 

I sure hope everyone is having a nice Christmas season so far.  I have some presents to wrap and supper to think about...God bless and  be with you all.

 

Please remember your comments are a Gift to me and helps me to know that friends are reading here.  Let me know how you are doing too, I'm interested in your lives too.  How is your Christmas going?  I think at this point I'm at a standstill besides maybe putting a few garden banners and some poinsettias outside here and there.  We sha'll see.  

In closing....

If I can stop one heart

from breaking,

I shall not live in vain:

If I can ease one life the aching, 

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain

~Emily Dickinson  

 

Have a sweet and most precious Christmas,     God bless you, you are preciously loved by God.   ~Amelia 

So...What's Going On? Hi There. A Big Show N' Tell. Three Pups! Two Kinds of Musics.

 Three New Puppies at Jem and Amelia's Farm!

 

2 Little Black Puppies!  Yes, Count Them!

I Present to you Dear Reader....Harper and Leelo!

 

They are very difficult to capture on camera together!  And they are very difficult to capture in all of their cuteness being mostly black!

A brother and sister duo cruelly dumped on a busy country road on the day of a bad hurricane!   Zuzu picked them up, they were probably all of 6 weeks old.  What kind of a person dumps little puppies like this let alone the day of a hurricane arriving!?   Hurricanes are not fun.  I've noticed that when the south is on the receiving end of a hurricane that there is not much notice but when some other states in other areas of the country get a hangnail, oh my goodness, it's the end of the world for them and much ado is made.  

 

Oh and That Lilly Tiger.....Lil Tiger!

 

 

This adorable little lady also cruelly dumped, probably around 1 year old according to our vet just hopped in the car with our youngest daughter, Grace!    She was waiting in the middle of the road all by her lonesome and Grace almost hit her, she pulled over and it was like...."Oh, so you're my ride!  My new family"  She is a lovely cream and grey stripe.  She runs like the wind and is a sweetheart.   

 

 

I Love the Shadows and Light of the Fall

I walked into Grace's room to bring a lost item and I just had to stop and take the feel of it in.

  Her walls are a lovely light opal blue.

  She is not only a photographer but an artist also.  The white wooden desk was my dad's when he was very young.  The poor little drawers need a little work to get them to go in easily but they work! 

 

The old green chest was my dad's and was already old when he was using it.   He attended school at Gulfport Military Academy in Biloxi Mississippi and became Captain there as a senior.  ...Oh the stories I have. 

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

Following are pics of me, our daughters and grandchildren on a very fun day!

 

Little Rosebud, Me, Zuzu and Grace 

 

 

Lil Rosebud, Joycie, Janie and Me

 

 

  Me and Zuzu

 

Swinging in front of the old School House, such a simple pleasure.

 

 

Little Batman and Christopher Robin, two of our little grandsons, having a plumb wonderful day!

 

 

More fun with our precious grandchildren being silly...  Christopher Robin, Little Batman and Little Rosebud.   

 

 

At Home at School...

 

Christopher Robin excited about school, all of our grandchildren are homeschooled and that is a blessing.   I still homeschool myself! 

Oh the Imagination and mind of a child...Little Batman's World. 

 

My Girlfriend

 

My girlfriend, Liesl.  She is my sweet friend, she doesn't talk behind my back, is never jealous and loves me just the way I am!   We take walks together.  I loved the autumn light shining on her here at nap time.  She is faithful.  People could learn from Liesl.

My Husband

 

This is Jem, my husband as most of you know...He's my bestfriend.  We really enjoy being together when we can when he's not working at our office or our farm.  

Now for some...

COMMON SENSE that is Kinda Funny But TRUE!  

...Actually pretty darn EXCELLENT.  Sometimes things happen and I feel like these two memes clarify very well:

...I've seen this movie before, unfortunately, people can be very insecure and just mean.  

    

This is when you walk away from that movie...Sometimes we must die to self and let them have the last word. 

 

 

Now For Some FUN!

I hope you enjoy this fun song!   I love the 40s as you probably already know Dear Reader, this is just so precious to me.  This a great sing-a-long to do things around the house...You could even whip up a dance routine as you carry your laundry basket or cook in the kitchen or exercise or whatever!   So fun. 

 The Nelson Brothers will come on at around 4:17 on this, they are something else!   

 

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I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo

 

 

Now For Something to Feed and Nurture Our Souls...

Janie, our eldest daughter sent this to all of our family this morning and I just thought this rang so true to my heart and just beautiful...When I heard this song...I knew...I must put this on my blog and so I thought...Why not today?   I try to listen to the Holy Spirit in my heart and I felt I needed to get this up today.   Many of us have things in the background, elderly parents, my son in law has a very sweet father with stage four cancer and life can be a real up and down.   If you are one of the few highly sensitive people as myself, you will know it is a Gift but also can be trying, we feel things far deeper than most and are keenly intuitive. 

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I Get Overwhelmed by Abbie Gamboa.   Words are in link when you click on more in description.  I hope you will be blessed by this song.

 

 

In closing, I hope you all have been doing well.  It seems  by the time I take my walk and do a load of laundry and compose a nice dinner I can barely squeeze my designing and sewing in...and throw in THREE new puppies!    

I made a delicious veggie soup this week, a sprinkling of lentils, organic spinach, some frozen asparagus, garlic and onion simmered in olive oil all in an Italian based tomato and basil broth.  Oh so good!   I served this with brown rice spaghetti on the side, everyone can place their amount of pasta in the bowl before ladling the soup over it.   Jem likes to sprinkle Italian cheese on his, I sprinkle Italian sheep's milk cheese on mine.  Bella!

 

I hope you are having a sweet and contemplative week in a happy kind of way, may we lift our country up in prayer.   As a well respected person by our family once said...

All great change in America begins at the dinner table.

 

Signing off from The Forest Cathedral.  

Blessings!      ~Amelia  

Let me know what you all have been up to!