Happy post! yay!
I rarely post personal things here on LJ, instead using this as a forum to post my work, but occasionally I do post a few updates about my life. Sadly, most of the things tend to be negative, and I thought I would take the chance to remedy that at the beginning of a fresh new year.
I could focus on the great successes I've had in my writing (yay for being published!) but this was meant to be a more fun and less braggy post. Some of you who know me in real life know that we lost our beloved Great Pyrenees, Kilo, last November. We've always opened our homes (and hearts!) to adult rescue dogs, and Kilo came to us as a more senior doggie. While he was with us for far less time than we would have liked, he certainly touched our lives very deeply in the two years we had him. It seems that I should be used to losing pets by now, but somehow it never gets easier, it only seems to get harder when you love your pets so much. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.
But this is not a sad post, it's about the fact that we found a new guy to love and to give a good home to. Over Christmas we adopted Ranger, and he has just filled the house with joy. We've all been sad and moping and missing our poor Kilo--which is hard to believe in a house with 5 kids, 6 cats and another Great Pyrenees, but it is true! He was just what we needed.
I'd like to talk a little about his situation--he was abused terribly, and his littermate died before she could be rescued. He had never been allowed indoors before and has had to learn a lot of things, like how to walk on hardwood without being spooked. He is afraid of being hit. I could go on and on about his trials, but instead I'd like to illuminate his wonderful spirit--how adaptable he has been, how eager to please. How even though he is starved for food, he is even more starved for affection. He needs training and work, but he is worth it. And with that, I would like to encourage anyone who is considering adoption to please think about adopting an older dog instead of a puppy. We have always done it and it has been the most enriching experience for us. An old dog can learn new tricks, with a little bit of patience. And they reward you back innumerable times over with love and loyalty that cannot be repaid.
Here are some pics of our sweet new guy. I love him so much already! What a great start to the new year:
I hope that everyone else is having a happy and healthy start to your year, as well. My kids are all home from break (and we are all stuck indoors, since the actual air temp here is TEN BELOW) so I am a bit frazzled. I'd love to hear what you are all up to, but if you are too busy to comment, I understand. I'll just raise a glass in your general direction and give you a toast, because surely it isn't too early to start drinking. Right? ;)