Monday, December 29, 2014

Home again & forever

Gracie's ashes came home today.   I chose a more ornate box to go with her fancy collar which she loved for me to place on her.  She would accept it every morning with a look of love that said, "yeah, I belong to you".

We participated in the petloss.com candle lighting ceremony. It is a lovely online service.
I had her ashes, paw print and collar with us.  Her candle on the left burned brightly throughout.


We miss and love you Gracie-girl.  Our little angel.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Do Not Cry Because It Is Over, Smile Because It Happened

Today our beloved Gracie left earth for heaven.  Our hearts are broken but we know she is a free puppy for the 1st time in her life.  I can not imagine how a puppy mill dog might die but I know this family dog passed peacefully in our home, surrounded by love with many tears shed.  She knew she was precious.

She enjoyed some scrambled eggs for breakfast and sitting in the park on a bench overlooking a valley.

Now there are no more seizures, no more blood tests, no more pain in walking.  All that remains is a heart full of love.

Gracie with Angel holding a tri-color sheltie

Enjoying her special breakfast

Tired and ready to rest.



http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/creation.htm
The Creation
When God had made the earth and sky
the flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals
the fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He'd finished
not one was quite the same.
He said, "I'll walk this world of mine
and give each one a name."

And so He traveled far and wide
and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him
until it's strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth
and in the sky and sea,
the little creature said, "Dear Lord,
there's not one left for me."

Kindly the Father said to him,
"I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name back to front
and called you dog, My friend."

Author Unknown

Thursday, December 18, 2014

To Love a Puppy is a Slow Count Down to Sorrow

We are nearing the end of the road.  This is going to break my heart in a million pieces.  I'm paraphrasing the comic, Louis C.K. to say this is a slow count down to sorrow.  It has been a great time and thankfully, I've only looked ahead at the sorrow piece just enough to make me love her even more.

I am so proud of Gracie and she never disappointed me once.  Her only flaw is that she will not live forever.



"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan..." "The Once Again Prince", from "Separate Life Times" Irving Townsend

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Nonregenarative Anemia

I had to take Gracie to the vet and then the dog emergency because she was weak and did not eat her breakfast. Her gums and tongue were pale.   Her red blood cell count had dropped to 12% which was dangerously low.  The diagnosis was made that she has nonregenarative anemia due to either the phenobarbital or her immune system attacking her red blood cells.  She received a blood transfusion and stabilized.   After her two day stay in the hospital, she is doing  better.  The doctors she saw felt it was more likely the seizure drug (phenobarbital) which would be the better diagnosis for us.

She is our amazing Gracie and we are very happy to have bought some more time with her. We are guardedly optimistic.

Resting and recovery.  The pink tongue is a good sign.

A slew of medicines to treat her.