The Things I Will Miss…

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to the sweetest dog in the world.  She was an absolutely perfect dog and it breaks my heart that she’s gone.  While we find comfort in knowing that she’s no longer in pain, all we can do is look around the house and see reminders of our time with her.  

So, Rebel, here are just a few of the things I will miss about you…

• I will miss opening the garage door with my hands full of bags, and you sticking your head in each one to see if there are any treats inside.
• I will miss you thinking my time in the restroom is the perfect time for a butt rub.
• I will miss the sound of your nails on the tile in the kitchen.
• I will miss the stand-offs you had with Stoli over every bone and bowl of food in the house.
• I will miss seeing you wrestle with Eric and barking/growling like you were mad…and then running back to play some more.
• I will miss you nudging your head under my hands while I was texting on my cell phone.
• I will miss having to bail you out of doggie jail in Baldwin when you went for a swim in the muddy pond.
• I will miss seeing you try to jump over the fence every time you see a cat.
• I will miss how patiently you waited for McDonald’s french fries.
• I will miss seeing how excited you got when we asked if you wanted to go for a ride.
• I will miss seeing you with your ears up when you were waiting for a treat.
• I will miss how you used to trick the little dogs into giving up their bones by getting them excited to go outside.
• I will miss you pushing us aside so you could claim your part of the couch.
• I will miss how you quickly stole Eric’s spot in bed as soon as he got up in the morning.
• I will miss tossing your treat in the air and seeing you catch it every time.
• I will miss hearing you rummage through the trash can and then seeing you try to play innocent when you got caught.
• I will miss the big sigh you would give when I gave you a big bear hug.
• I will miss seeing you rummage through the couch cushions looking for crumbs and spare bones.
  
• I will miss how you would lay next to the table any time a bag of bones was sitting on the edge.
• I will miss snuggling on the couch with you while you laid you head on my lap.
• I will miss you pretending like you need to go outside just because you knew you’d get a treat when you came back in.
• I will miss kissing your forehead.
• I will miss how hot your head would get if I rubbed your ears.
• I will miss you’d get jealous if I hugged Eric.
• I will miss the soft grumbles you would make when we pet you.
• I will miss your soft snoring.
• I will miss seeing you chase and bark at rabbits in your sleep.
• I will miss you drooling on my leg no matter what I was eating.
• I will miss seeing your tail wag when we said you were a “good girl.”

And you were a Good Girl, Rebel.  The best.

Nothing is the same here without you and we miss you so much that it hurts to breathe.

We thank God for bringing you into our lives and know you’re chasing all the cats in heaven.

We love you, baby girl!

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HEAVEN’S DOGGY-DOOR

My best friend closed his eyes last
night, As his head was in my hand.
The Doctors said he was in pain, And it was hard for him to stand.

The thoughts that scurried through
my head, As I cradled him in my arms.
Were of his younger, puppy years,
And OH…his many charms.

Today, there was no gentle nudge
With an intense “I love you gaze”,
Only a heart thats filled with tears
Remembering our joy filled days.

But an Angel just appeared to me,
And he said, “You should cry no more,
GOD also loves our canine friends,
HE’s installed a ‘doggy-door”!

—Jan Cooper — 1995

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I ONLY WANTED YOU

They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.

If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I’d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.

— Anonymous —

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To My Best Friend

The day they laid you down to sleep
I prayed to the Lord; your soul he’ll keep
Until the appointed day and time
when together we’ll meet; and all will be fine

With all God’s; creatures great and small
go run and play now, have a ball
No more aches; and no more pain
just bright sunshine; no more rain

Rest in peace; for now best friend
cradled in God’s arms; to the end
Dream of that special; day and time
when we’ll meet at the Bridge; one last time

Although we’ll be separated; for a long time
we’ll be together then; and all will be fine
We’ll cross Rainbow Bridge; side by side
with a soft warm feeling; deep down inside

Once again then; all will be fine
we’re together forever; till the end of time

John Quealy

Puppy Paws Forever

My puppies are my babies. They are spoiled rotten and they know it. I would do anything for them, and even though they make me crazy sometimes, I do miss them when I travel.

A few days ago I found the cutest way to take a little reminder of them with me everywhere I go. All you have to do is send in a paw print of your dog or cat, and they send you back a charm or key keyring with the print and your pet’s name. How cute is that?

Here is the Etsy shop where you can find some samples of their work.  They’re not exactly cheap (about $75 each) but when it comes to pets…nothing is inexpensive!

Farts are Funny

It’s a good thing I have a warped sense of humor, otherwise my marriage to Eric would never last.

Example: tonight he casually said “just so you don’t hear it from someone else first, I should tell you that I mooned your dad and his buddy today” and then he walked out of the room.

Just a typical day for us.

However, there is one thing I will never understand, and that is why farts are funny.  Okay, let me revise that….baby farts are funny…old people farts…funny….and dog farts….funny.  Grown man farts, crop dusts, fart grenades, sunrise surprises, and covered wagons….just not funny.

General rule of thumb: unless you have 4 legs or wear a diaper, your fart is not funny.  The video below, though, is wicked funny!  Enjoy!

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:vh1.com:625564/cp~vid%3D625564%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Avh1.com%3A625564

Tags: Reality TV Shows, Reality TV Shows 6

The Perfect Guy

 

20 Life Lessons My Dad Taught Me

This is a post I wrote for Critical-Thinkers.com, but it definitely needed an encore here.

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Sunday is Father’s day, and while everyone I know is posting pictures of their dad on Facebook, I wanted to go a little bit further and recognize the influence that my dad had on my thinking process.

I know I’ve mentioned here before that I attribute a significant amount of my critical thinking abilities to the upbringing I received from my parents, but here are 20 life lessons I learned from my dad:

• Nothing good happens after midnight (however that’s when I am most creative)
• You’ll never get into college with that signature (said after he saw my signature on my college application despite my 3.9 GPA and lists of academic achievements)
• When your dad tapes a trash bag to your bedroom door with a note that says “FILL IT”…he means it, and if you ignore the note you will not be pleased with which items he chooses to put in the trash bag.
• Work Hard, Play Hard
• How to park my front right tire on a kitchen towel.  I’m still not sure when I will ever need that particular skill, but I mastered it.
• Gambling isn’t about winning, it’s about entertainment value.  Dad logic: If you lose $100 at the craps table, but played for 3 hours, then you had great entertainment value for your money.
• Always bet on the “hard eight.”
• If it’s not worth doing right the first time, then it’s not worth doing.
• Measure twice, cut once.
• Your thumb print is on everything that you do, so make sure it’s quality work.
• Real men can wear pink.
• You don’t marry the one you can live with, you marry the one you can’t live without.
• You always have to be the whole package (if you let one thing in your life slide it affects everything else- career, relationships, health, etc)
• There is a 1st base in baseball AND in blackjack, and you don’t sit on 1st base in blackjack if you think it’s okay to split face cards.
• Summer is all about tan lines
• You have to be a friend to have a friend
• If you get bucked off of a horse, learn to enjoy doing ground work with it.
• If it’s not worth betting on, it’s not worth playing.
• When he asks “am I right or am I right?” the answer “neither” will not go over well.
• If your birthday lands on Father’s Day, you should still get 2 gifts!

….and many more life lessons that probably aren’t fit for print. Happy Father’s Day, dad!  I learn something new from you every day!

What life lessons did your dad teach you?