lost friend

I came down this morning and flipped open the lap top, figgering I do a little work, read my emails etc as I watched Corrie. I was excited to see an email from a dear friend... until I read the subject. Her wonderful Border Collie, Clancy had passed away at age 15 1/2. He was a special friend to all of us and never failed to reach out when he sensed that you were sad or uncomfortable. He had a genuine heart and I considered him a good friend. We will all miss his soft furry head and gentle, knowing eyes. He was a precious dog who transcended the boundary between dog and human - he was a kind person.
For a lot of us, our dogs become our partners in life, sharing important moments and feelings. We don't own them as much as we share with them, as guardians and friends. We swim and walk and dance with them. We hug them and hold them close throughout our stress-filled lives, reminding ourselves to make plans for our next lives - 'come back as a dog in a loving home'.

I didn't have a photo of Clancy that I could share so here is one of Gentleman Jack, sleeping on his favorite landing, as evidenced by all of the dog fur on the carpet.For years, I've wanted to rip up the threadbared old red carpet, the last in the house after all this time but K the elder refuses to allow it. Where would J get comfie if we did? That's K in a nutshell - it's all about the comfort.

My friend's bad news was tempered with some wonderful news - I have "met" my One Hour Craft swap partner! I am so excited to get started and want to ask her a million and one questions. She's probably going to think 'what have I got myself into???'. Friends, say 'hi' to Melissa:) It's the first swap for both of us so I think that we're going to have fun with this project.