I swear she was more excited than this photo shows. REALLY.
See!? Told ya. That’s one happy girl. Also, didja see around the :30 second mark the look on her face? Ya, her lips always get stuck behind her teeth like that. CRACKS ME UP.
Anyway.
Technically it’s not her birthday. It’s the 4-year anniversary of the day she was adopted. When we adopted her, they said she was probably a year or two old, so I guess she’s really more like 5 or 6 now.
What’s important is, I’ve been lucky enough to share my life with this little sweetie pie for 4 years now. She’s been a wonderful blessing! Happy Birthday, Miss Grace. Hope we’ll share LOTS more!
It’s hard to believe, but next month will mark four years since I adopted Gracie from a rescue in middle Tennessee. She’s been a devoted companion and has seen me through a lot of very difficult life changes in the time we’ve been together. Her soulful eyes have sympathized with me and her snuggles have comforted me.
Gracie had a difficult life before she and I found each other. According to the story I got from her rescue foster-mama, her previous owners had purchased her as an expensive “designer dog” (a puggle, a pug/beagle mix) and were told she would stay very small. I can only assume when they were anticipating a teacup purse-dog, because when she got “too big” (all of about 30 pounds) they decided to leave her in the back yard and forget about her. Some time later, animal control picked her up and took her to the pound. She cowered in the back of her cage, refusing to eat or drink. Thank God, someone at the pound took pity on her and called Happy Tales Humane to see if they would take her. Their feeling was that she “wouldn’t last” at the pound and needed to be fostered in a private home. She spent a week with her foster-mama, getting spayed and caught up on vaccinations. That weekend she was brought to one of Happy Tales’ adoption events, where she and I met for the first time.
My heart went out to her instantly. She was so sad: her head hung, and while all the other adoptable-dogs jumped and played and barked, she didn’t let out a single peep, and hovered at the ankles of her foster-mom’s daughter. I petted her and she leaned into my hand. She was starved for attention and love. It only took a few minutes to fall in love and to know there was no way I was going home without her.
From the very beginning, Grace was my constant companion, following me everywhere and snuggling beside me on the couch whenever I sat down. It took several days for her to let out any noise louder than a soft whimper. I remember being shocked the first time she barked, and even more so the first time she let out a beagle-esque yodel! Slowly, she came out of her shell and has since evolved into quite a character. She knows lots of tricks and is eager to please. But no matter how silly and playful she can be, she’s still mostly a big cuddle-bug, just wanting to be at my side.
She’s been with me through two different apartments and three houses. She’s made the 600+ mile trip between Tennessee and Pennsylvania with me numerous times. She was there with me through homesickness, marriage and divorce, and stresses about work and money. While some people may never understand, her presence and devotion have brought me comfort through so much and I don’t know what I’d have done without her.
Gracie is only one of thousands of animals who have so much to share with a loving family. If you’re considering adding a furry-friend to your family in the new year, please think about adopting a rescue. Even if you have a specific breed in mind, try searching Google for a breed-specific rescue in your region. You’ll be surprised how many dogs (both purebreds and mixes) are desperately in need of good homes. If adopting a dog or cat isn’t an option, please consider donating to a rescue or the ASPCA in your area. It takes a lot of resources to care for these animals while they are waiting for new homes; you can donate money, food, blankets, cleaning supplies, or even just some of your time.
I can promise you from first hand experience: letting a furry, four-legged friend into your heart will be one of the best things you ever do.
I keep sitting down to write an update, but fail miserably at it. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say; I’ve been busy and there’s plenty to write about. It’s almost a case of the exact opposite: life is so busy that I’m to exhausted to put a coherent thought together. Forgive me if this post is nonsensical. I thought I’d make an attempt to post something…
I’ve been back in Erie for just over a month now. I’ve gotten to experience everything from 80-degree weather and sunshine to freezing temperatures and snow flurries. In other words: it has been a typical spring in northwestern Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten what “typical” weather in this part of the country entails, so I’m getting used to the bipolar temperatures all over again. I’ve refused, however, to unpack a coat, so I’ve compromised with wearing hoodies when it gets cold. (And shhh, don’t tell, but I’ve borrowed my mom’s jacket off the coat rack a couple times when I had to take Gracie outside in the middle of the night.)
Speaking of Gracie — she’s adjusting to her new home pretty well. She’s trying very hard to make friends with my parents’ dog (a 12-year-old Akita/German Shepherd mix named Kodi). She likes to lay down next to him and attempt to snuggle, but he just jumps up and walks away, startled. She always steals his treats from him too (little brat!) but he’s a gracious old gentleman and lets her have them without the slightest grumble or growl.
My new job is making me happy. It has me exhausted and I love every moment of it. Even when everything else seems to be going wrong, the one thing that cheers me up is the satisfaction I get from my work. Finally learning C# has been so fun and it’s made me want to delve into all sorts of other projects. I find myself writing code for 8 hours at work and then coming home and putting in another 2-3 hours some nights. I’m learning to appreciate the wonders of jQuery and next I’m hoping to dive into some Objective-C so I can work on some iPhone apps.
Yes, I realize that my geek is showing. HARDCORE.
Random other stuff:
… After seeing this advertisement for Tawapa jewelry in the latest issue of Inked magazine, I decided to start stretching my lowest ear piercings. (Random and crazy, I know.) I have 14 gauge tension hoops in now (which hurt like heck, I might add). I’m not sure if I’ll stay at 14 or go to a 12 gauge. I have no plans to stretch further than that, though. (So don’t freak out mom! Ha ha.) Those lovely Seraphin earrings come in gauges as small as 14g, so I’m all set.
… I’ve been driving the 300ZX almost every day. I don’t know why, but I never felt totally comfortable driving it in Nashville. I guess because I knew if I got lost in the Element, I had a built-in GPS system, but in the Z, I’d be crap out of luck. (Not that I ever really got lost? But whatever.) Anyway, she’s getting some mileage put on her now and I’m enjoying it immensely.
… I’m still a-knittin’. On evenings when I’m not working or out, mom and I sit and watch TV and knit together. I have a sweater-vest almost done for Benny and I finished a pair of socks for myself. Unfortunately I must have spaced out when knitting the second sock because it’s about an inch longer than the first sock so I need to tear it back and fix it. (Duhhh.)
… I am home sick for Nashville almost every day. I’m happy here and I love being with my friends and family, but I miss my “family” in Tennessee too. I’m stuck living with family till the house in Tennessee sells, so I’m in this strange state of limbo where I feel like I don’t actually belong anywhere. I feel like some sort of homeless nomad, which would theoretically be really cool except that I can’t actually embrace the nomadic nature of my situation because of the mortgage and utilities that I’m solely responsible for, again, till the #@$% house sells. (Yes, I know I was stupid for allowing myself to get stuck with that in the divorce — I’ve had dozens of people tell me as much — but what’s done is done, so leave it be.) I think once I finally find a place to BE, I’m going to feel a lot more settled. In the meantime, my loved ones have been doing their best to make me feel at home, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
It’s good to be surrounded by friends and family again, and it’s good to be loved. <3
