Rainbow Bridge......

"When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who has been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remembered them in our dreams of days and times gone by.







The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.






They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyus reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart.






Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together....................................."






~Anonymous

Lucky

July 27, 2008-June 30, 2009

Coco

Died 2007

I had been wanting to post this for a while now.  We have lost two beloved members of our family.  And anyone who says an animal is just an animal, then they have never had the chance to love and be loved by something so precious as a pet.

Our cat Coco, who was part Siamese, was a character all of her own choosing.  She could be very loveable and then five seconds later, it was leave me alone! LOL!!! She was a California cat and when we moved back to Wisconsin, I don't think that her body adjusted very well to the colder weather.  We were so lucky to have her in our lives for as long as we did.  We don't know exactly when she was born, but we guessed about 1991 or 1992.  So she wasn't a spring chicken.  Towards the end of her life, her arthritis prooved to be too much for her and we had to have her put to sleep.  And then of course at the end is when she put up a fight.  But she went quietly and we were there with her.

Lucky, our little Jack Russel was a bit of a different story.  She was an early birthday present for our daughter in September of last year.  She was a hyper, fun loving, and such a loveable puppy.  She loved going for rides in the car and would get to go to school just about every morning when I took my daughter.  She was the 'unofficial' mascot of the school.  One time getting away from one of the secretaries while the principal was doing the morning announcements.  The whole school loved her.  But to us, she was much more than a family pet.  She was like another child, if that makes any sense.  After I would take my daughter to school, Lucky and I would come home and we would take our nap.  I work 3rd shift.  She would snuggle under the covers and that would be 'our time'.  And I'm a person that doesn't even like dogs! LOL!! But there was just something special about her. 

During the last weekend in June is when she became very ill.  She was diagnosed with something called pancreatitis.  Here is a link to the definition.  http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1580&aid=335  It all happened so quickly and she was gone within ten hours time.  My daughter was devastated.  We buried our little peanut in the backyard, so she is still close by. 

Not a day goes by that I don't think or even look for Lucky and for Coco.

Inspirational Quote

I get a daily inspirational quote in my email every day and I wanted to share this one...Have a great Sunday!

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."– Steve Jobs

Generations Past...........

As I have been working on my family tree again, I have been rereading obituaries. I know, something super exciting. And as I sit and read through them, I am struck by how something so simple can bring you closer to someone from your family. Even though you may not have known them very well, they can help give you a better understanding of who they were and what they did in their lifetime.

As I read through my grandmother's obituary, I had forgotten that in her youth, she had worked as a ticket taker at the movie theaters here in Sheboygan. It brought back a memory of a conversation that she and I had at one time. She had told me that she had to remember in her head how many tickets she had sold and for what price. If it was a matinee or a regular evening show. They didn't have calculators back then. Now all but one of the theaters she worked at is still in existence.

She is gone nine years now this past July and I miss her terribly. When she passed away from complications of a stroke, the nurses at the nursing home could not get her eyes to stay shut after she passed away. I arrived about half an hour after she was gone and when I went into her room, I was sad, but at the same time, she looked so at peace. I bent down next to her body and told her I loved her and reached up to close her eyes. They stayed closed. She was my rock and I wish she was still here. The picture is of her when she was about 16 years old. She decided one day to stop at a photographer's studio and have her picture taken.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, she was so excited, and it was 'her' baby, not mine and we all had to laugh.

As I continue on with my family history, I love to look at the old pictures that I have and reflect on how things were or appeared to be much simpler back in the 'olden days'. But at the same time, I wonder how they did things without modern technology like we have. We have become truly spoiled with all of the gadgets that we have.

My end message I guess, treasure the memories from the past. Learn all you can about your families and the history that they bring. No matter how uneventful it may seem. Teach your children about who they are and where they come from....

Writing!

Well, what can I say about writing a book! It's hard!!!!!!

Not that I figured it would be easy by any means, but it sucks when you have a million and one blot bunnies running rampant in your head!!!!!!

My first WIP is taking a different turn. Changing the location and some of the circumstances, but still keeping to my main story line!

My second WIP began as a fan fiction piece I had started. Now I'm starting to change names, etc. And I'm hoping that one of these days I can really get to getting the words down. The second WIP is going to take a little more time I think. But I know that I can do it!

I have a great support team. Well, a small support team of my daughter and my beautiful sister Ashley who is pushing and inspiring me everyday!!!!

I know the inspirations that I have and I know that this is my dream and that I can and I WILL achieve it! No matter how long it takes!!!!