Peanut & Mimi

It has been almost a year since we lost our Purdy. Time has helped to heal what I once thought to be a never-ending heartache. Though our Purdy could never be replaced we have had the GREAT fortune of adopting not one but two WONDERFUL and UNIQUE Dalmatians. What started as a fostering quest to bring two TOTALLY different Dals from Wyoming to Colorado quickly turned into my saving grace!

Boss, the tiny and petite Dal standing on the ground in front of Santa, was so thin when she arrived she weighed less than 30 pounds. We were not sure when we saw her why one would call this precious miniature size Dalmatian Boss - after all she was so social upon first impression and very, very ”circus like”. Boss can run and run, stop on a dime and spin on command and those are the tricks we didn’t teach her. This gal was so energetic I was not sure our first adopted Dal Solomon who was still grieving the loss of Purdy with the rest of us welcomed her presence.

Our second foster Dominique, is the larger Dal sitting on the floor in the left side of the picture above with Santa. Now this girl is BIG ~ BIG ~ BIG ~ BIG 70+ pounds BIG! I had never seen a Dal SO large, SO lazy and SO grumpy! Good grief, how these two ever paired up was beyond me. All I can figure is Dominique must have eaten ALL the food, leaving little Boss to fend for herself. Dominique unlike Boss was totally unsocial, unenergetic and quickly took over the couch with unwillingness to share.

Now one might be wondering when the happy ending comes into all this. Well little did I know it came the moment these two misfits arrived at our home. Upon first inspection of these two I was critical, making comparisons to our Purdy whose loss was still fresh and favoring our Solomon who in our eyes, was the “king” of Dals and could do no wrong. I thought we were ready, I thought this was what we needed to begin the healing process. I was unsure though after their arrival. I couldn’t deny them a foster home I had already committed. My heart ached I just wanted things back the way they were…and then when I least expected it BAM! 

As I sat on the couch watching TV one night Dominique (who is now lovingly named Mimi after the Drew Carey Show character) came from outside using the doggie door, she stood directly in front of me and sighed. I patted her head and praised her for using the door and quickly went back to watching TV. She stood firm and sighed again as if asking permission for something…okay, I patted the emptiness of the couch beside me and gestured her up. I had never noticed in day’s prior the struggle it was for her to make that shallow climb. Once on top Mimi nuzzled me and buried her head in my lap. It was at that moment we bonded, I saw my Mimi for who she was and not for what I thought she should be. Today, Mimi is my shadow; she shares her “smiles” at the beginning and end of everyday.

Now Boss, who is now called Peanut, is still the total opposite of Mimi but has not only stolen our hearts but that of her new brother Solomon. It has been the energy of this scrawny little Dal that has brought Solomon out of his depressive state after Purdy’s loss. Peanut is our entertainer, she is eager to please and if there is such a thing as past lives, she definitely was a circus performer of some sort.

God definitely works in mysterious ways…what I once thought was a “clash” in personalities has only proven to shine in a parade of inspirational morality. Thank you Beth for the blessings you have allowed us four times over! 

IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED PURDY



MARCH 19, 2001

On the evening of Tuesday, March 19, 2001 we lost our beloved Purdy in a tragic accident. At the scene I can’t explain the numbness I felt trying to take in the visual effect of all that had happened. It was a cruel and heartless act of a hit and run driver. When asked if I needed to see my dog one last time I froze with fear. How could I view such a tragedy? I did not want to see what this “person” had done to my dog. But I had too, I needed to talk to her and hold her one last time. I needed to tell her how much she completed our family. I wanted to thank her for never leaving my side as I laid sick in bed just the week prior and now I will lay sick at heart for what for now feels like an eternity! I feel as if I have lost a child, a best friend, a faithful companion and I did. Circumstances that led up to this tragedy are a lifetime lesson. I never knew when we brought this homely looking dog into our home I would be so taken with her. She was an obedient and well-mannered dog who stole the hearts of all that knew her. Her personality was one of a kind. She made us laugh with her comical ways of play; she kept her brother Dalmatian Solomon in line, as he is our toddler who refuses to grow up. Solomon seems to be in just as much shock as the rest of us. He is quite distant and very busy searching the house for his companion. He cries allot and I believe seems to understand in his own way what has happened. Some of you may think this is a silly thing to do, some may have felt the pain that we are now dealing with, and some of you that are pet owners may feel it sometime later in life. The bottom line is these animals come into our lives sometimes by choice sometimes by accident and sometimes by sheer luck. However they get there they become a member of the family, they are there to greet you when you come home, lay beside you when your sick, and lick your face when your feeling down. We were blessed to have had our Purdy for the time she was with us. Take this time to look at your pet, hug your pet, and love your pet. Thank them for all that they give you on a daily basis, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!