Category Archives: Thanksgiving

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Thankful Thoughts of You, Bailey…

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

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bailey's tree leaves fall 2013

Joy looks up at baileys tree

Dear Bailey,

Before we left Pennsylvania, Joy and I visited your tree many times. I took these pictures on the last day we went and your tree is beautiful and growing so tall. Look at how Joy is looking up at it in admiration!

I am so thankful for the tree that was planted in your memory. I don’t know why I feel more of an affinity for this place in the park than your actual “special spot” in our backyard. I think it is because you loved being at Buhl Park so much and we walked there so often. I also think of you being free within the landscape of this beautiful park filled with trees, flora, foliage and wildlife.

With Thanksgiving coming up I always remember you telling me how thankful you were for us adopting you as senior and giving you a better life than you ever imagined you could have. I can tell you it was our pleasure. I also recall telling you how thankful I was for www.petfinder.com which allowed me to find you. I love Petfinder and I could not love you more.

I wear my ruby necklace that Russell had made in your honor and I see it everyday in the mirror, just as I see your reflection in everything that I do and I too am grateful always for your love. With those thoughts I think of thanksgiving and its true meaning for me.

As Tania likes to say, I love you with my whole heart. And my whole being.

Love, your mommy

Posted by | Filed under adopting dogs, animal families, border collies, dog/human relationships, dogs, Fall, Journaling, joy, letters, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, parks, Petfinder, rememberence, rescue dogs, second chances, Senior Dogs, spirituality, Thanksgiving, The Rainbow Bridge, www.petfinder.com

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Giving Thanks….

19 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by in animal families, border collies, cancer in dogs, coincidence, dog adoption., dog/human relationships, dogs, loving dogs, rescue dogs, second chances, Senior Dogs, spirituality, Thanksgiving, The Rainbow Bridge, Uncategorized, Working Dogs

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Mommy! I am so sorry this is the longest it has ever taken me to write you back and you HAVE to forgive me! Of course, being your Bailey girl, you will! If you remember,  I told you in my last letter, that we were SO busy with the new classes and the influx of new students that time just seems to slip away but now I am on Thanksgiving break and have 10 days off. After that I will teach until 2 days before Christmas and then I don’t go back until after the new year whew! It has been crazy and again, I am sorry and I have missed you.

I am sending you this picture because I know it is one of your top 3 favorites and it reminded me of Thanksgiving. Why? You must wonder since it was not taken on Thanksgiving. It makes me recall how grateful I am for all of the wonderful experiences you and papa shared with me, I know we went ont he boat several times and I think you thought I did not like it, but i loved it. I was just always worried about peeing in the boat even though you said I could! The stupid bladder cancer always made me feel less in control than I wanted to be. I am SO glad that when you cross over the Rainbow Bridge you have no health problems! It is so great to just be a regular doggy again and pee when you simply have to, not constantly!

Interestingly, that brings me to my next bit of information. I am starting another new class! This one is for people who pass before their time, lets say – because of an illness – like me! It seems that there is a lot of resentment that some people have here that they have not done all they could have or they feel they got ripped off of being loved more than they were. These people really need this special class because they hold a lot of sadness still in their hearts. I will help them learn how to turn that around and still feel close to their families, but give them learning tools to move on and do good things here in Hyfryd.

So all of this recalls my thankfulness. I know, I know, you are thankful for me too – THAT goes without saying! haha! I am watching you all the time. Joy is interesting. She is soooo much like me – a little princess – she actually listens to you much better than I did – she is not as stubborn as me, it seems, but you know us Border Collies, at heart we are all stubborn and want our way. However, we give back 3000 percent and more with our love, right? Right!

So I just wanted to say Thank you for all of your love and all of your continued love and support. I know you miss me as much as I miss you. I feel it as much as you do. If you are wondering if I am cooking Thanksgiving for Onwen and Company, I am, of course and Tarzan, Cheetah and Freedom and Lucky will all be here, a long with a slew of others. I am starting to cook on Wednesday there is so much to do and you know HOW MUCH I love TURKEY!

Well, I will wait for a letter from you now. I am glad that you made it down to Florida for the winter and Joy was good on the trip. I knew she would be. She is loving the old neighborhood, I am sure. Tell Angel and Zoe-Zoe I say hi. I love you mommy and thank you for the best part of my whole life – the part with you, papa and Safari. Kiss them for me please. As for you, my kisses are all around you.

Forever your Sweet Girl,

Bailey

Not a Merry Christmas….

05 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in animal families, border collies, cancer in dogs, coincidence, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, letters, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, Petfinder, rescue dogs, second chances, talking dogs, Thanksgiving, The Rainbow Bridge, vacation

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Dear Bailey,

My screen saver seems to be a never-ending kaleidoscope of your many faces, actions and antics. I see you not only in my heart everyday, but in pictures everywhere. With Christmas approaching, I am further reminded that you will be having your own party over the Rainbow Bridge with your friends and that I will be here without you by my side at the Christmas tree which you loved to dig your toy presents out from under. I am going to miss that.

We are leaving on our cruise this Friday. Daddy and I need a vacation after this difficult year, so I won’t be able to write until I get back, but I will have lots of adventures to write about afterwards.  Of course I am taking yours and Safari’s picture with as I always did. I feel bad for him too since you are not there to watch over him like you did so well, but I have two people doing so! I loved the way you protected him always.

You remember Rodeo right? I took him for a walk the other day. He was so happy to go but he was wondering where you were and so were Lola and Courage. EVERYONE around here misses you so much – you were everyone’s favorite girl, especially mine of course! I wish people would stop telling me to “get another dog.”  No one understands that my Bailey set VERY HIGH standards and I keep telling everyone that I am awaiting your decision about that at the right time and the way you have been communicating with me, I know that you will send me a clear sign.

It was nice of you to meet Gracie at the Bridge. I appreciate that. It was a bad day for me and I knew that you would! When daddy was watching football yesterday, I was talking about you and all of a sudden I see the back of the Dallas Cowboy named what else–BAILEY! I just happened to walk in at the very second he appeared on-screen, so I imagined that you were playing ball in Hyfryd. Were you? I wish I was playing ball with you. I miss that so much.

I really don’t want to bother with the tree since this is a longer trip and Christmas will be soon after we return, but I have to for Safari. He loves a tree and knocking down those ornaments. Everytime I go into Petsmart without you it’s just so weird. All the people there asked about you and miss you. Everything is a constant reminder that you are not with me and it’s just very difficult. I wonder if you miss me as much? I know we are still connected in many spiritual ways, but how I long to touch your beautiful, long fur and brush you after I bath you.  Your constant kisses are a lack that I cannot stop thinking about. You are just so adorable and your love is so unique.

Anyway, sorry I sound like this. I do not mean to. I just miss you. I will write after the trip. If you want to write before I leave, please do I LOVE to hear from you my Sweet Girl! I know you will….

Nose to Nose,  xoxoxoxooxoxox

mommy

My Side of Thanksgiving….

24 Thursday Nov 2011

Posted by in animal families, border collies, cancer in dogs, Dog walking, dog/human relationships, dogs, Dogs named Bailey, letters, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, parks, Petfinder, rescue dogs, second chances, talking dogs, Thanksgiving, The Rainbow Bridge

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Dear Mommy,

That last letter you sent was so beautiful and it made me cry thinking about how much you miss me. I feel exactly the same you know but I don’t want you to be sad. You have to celebrate the love we shared everyday from now on, okay? I mean, it’s okay to msis me and cry too, but I rather you be smiling like in this picture, which I love of us. You are holding me so sweetly, like you always did – like a mom who loves their furry child the VERY MOST!!! – YES! That would be be ME!

Let me tell you why I am thankful, since this is my favorite holidaytoo especially cause it involves my favorite food- Turkey!

I am thankful for you finding me and giving me the BEST home in the whole universe.

 I am thankful that you helped me get rid of a lot of different health problems from the very start.

 I am thankful that our cat, Safari liked me so much and let me herd him around.

I am thankful that you worked at home and got to be with me 24/7!

I am VERY thankful for getting to have two big houses with lots of room.

I am thankful for everytime you brought hom new food, you were thoughtful and brought me some new veggie bones and a new toy.

Can you imagine how thankful I am for all the turkey you gave me – not the deli stuff either – you only gave me the real cooked stuff – so delicious!

I am thankful that you never got mad at me when I gobbled down Safari’s food when I first came to love with you and daddy. I LOVE cat food!

You mentioned all the zillions of miles we logged on foot and by car; SO TRUE! I am so thankful for that – not to mention the doggie parks in PA and Florida AND OUR FAVORITE PLACE TO WALK – BUHL PARK!!!!

I am thankful you always took me shopping in FL – Those gals at Bath and Body Works and Dillards really loved me!

I am thankful for my very special Red Maple tree in Buhl Park and the beautiful dedication that honors me – I am sure I am the ONLY dog in the 400 plus acres that has their own tree!!!

Mommy, I could go on and on and on and my list would probably never end because our family was the BEST family. You could be a dog because you are such a loyal person. I see how you treat daddy too and how much you love and care for him and of course Safari too! That is just who you are, as your friend Jennifer likes to say. Loyality is very important to us dogs and it’s nice to see that some people have that too – it’s just that you go above and beyond – And, by the way, I KNOW this is true, cause I read all the cards you got after I crossed over the Rainbow Bridge and EVERYONE said that in their cards about you and how well you took care of me! You never put yourself first and you are a very thoughtful person and I love that about you. I knew it the minute we met and THAT is why I kissed you immediately so you would take me home and see, you did! I knew right then you loved kisses too!

Today Mommy, I want you to think of all the things you and I have to be thankful for. I’m thankful for www.Petfinder.com  who helped you find me! Had you never been searching for Border Collies on there, we would have never met, so I have to say I AM VERY thankful for that. Remember that we have much MORE to be thankful for than not and most of all I am simply thankful for US!

Barkley, Bingo and I are having Thanksgiving with Caru and Onwen. I am so excited. There is PLENTY of turkey up here for everyone. We are having it at my doggie den. I am making a beautiful table like you enjoy making- you taught me everything! 

I love you so much. Write me back soon because I love your letters and I know you love mine. What’s not to love because they are from each other!!!

Your Loving, Smiling, Sweet, Bailey Girl (kisses! nose to nose!)

 

 

 

 

The Two Sides of Thankfulness…

21 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in animal families, border collies, cancer in dogs, Dog walking, dog/human relationships, dogs, Florida, loving dogs, loving life, missing your dog, nature, New Year's Eve, parks, Petfinder, rescue dogs, second chances, talking dogs, Thanksgiving

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My Sweet Girl,

Oh, how I miss you. With Thanksgiving coming up I am conjuring up images of you and the pleasure you derived from Turkey. Of course you ate your turkey everyday, but you always knew it was my favorite holiday and for the first time in many years, and perhaps in protest, I am not making my favorite dinner this year.  Instead we having it with friends at their club. Perhaps it was fortuitous that Ronna asked us this year to join them; I am not feeling in the holiday spirit by any means. It just does not seem like the holiday season without you and I am thinking of skipping the tree as well because without you here to search under it for a new ball, bone or toy, what fun would it be?

I know I should go through it all for Safari, he loves the Christmas tree and knocking off the ornaments, so maybe I will, but I am not feeling the seasonal glow, let’s say. Then there is New Year’s Eve and I will be thinking about how I really hate 2011 because of losing you and then it will be 2012 – a new year without you in it. I am not sure this will ever get any easier for me, Bailey. We were just so joined at the hip and so perfect for each other – I cannot imagine another doggie bearing your greatness. My friend Jeff told me not to think of it that way and I know he is right. he said, just like people, doggies are all different and no two will ever be the same. I understand that logically, but mentally I am not there. He just went through it with Marlowe and now he has Harper and they are very different and he loves her very much, but I still think he has an extra soft spot for Marlowe that will always be there. I never even met Marlowe and I can just feel it from talking to him about it. I think Marlowe was much like you – tenacious and feisty, smart and beautiful and attached at the hip.

So the question is to give thanks or not? I cannot give thanks for you getting cancer. I cannot thank God or whomever is in charge of taking you from me at your young, senior age of only 10. I guess I can think of some things to be thankful for. I am thankful that you still ate like a horse to the very end! I am thankful you NEVER looked sick- EVER! You are the most beautiful dog on or above the planet.  I am thankful that I got more than a year of fun with you after your diagnosis. I am thankful for your Red Maple Tree we have dedicated to you in Buhl Park. I am thankful for the thousands of miles we logged on foot and by car. I am thankful for all the doggie friends we made and the people that we met along the way. I am thankful for all the fun we had going shopping together at our many stores in Coconut Point. Most of all I am thankful that we found each other through Petfinder, kissed each other literally thousands of times and shared a love that most people never feel as strongly. We were lucky for sure, just not for long enough, but as you said, Bailey, we had a lot of quality time together and that is more important that quantity.

I still cannot help but miss you so don’t ask me to. I do love hearing about all of your adventures and I am VERY thankful for your letters and I am thankful you are having a blast in Hyfryd and have met good dog friends and that you are taking care of little Barkley – who I miss as well as Bingo. So keep those letters coming my sweet girl. Know that you are are very much missed in so many ways, but I carry you with me in the Ruby heart necklace and earrings Russell had made for me in honor of you. Your leash stays with us always in the car so you travel with us in spirit and we celebrate you everyday in our thoughts, pictures, magnets on the car – you name it – we are still attached maybe not within physical reach, but in the most spiritual way, in our hearts and especially mine.

Thankful for your love always – Mommy