I have wanted to give you all an update on my new pooches, and a reader’s prompt to know the latest was all the encouragement I needed. I really did wonder if I was boring you with my family drama… but I decided we all have some of the “normal” drama in our families and to only dwell on the really “out there” drama was unrealistic. Besides… many, many of the folks I have met on this journey are avid animal lovers and probably for good reason… our animals fill our tanks unconditionally and if anyone needs tank-filling, we parents of attachment-challenged kids sure do!


We did decide to keep them both, and both are doing fine. The pup, Gracie, (found under a church) returned to her early origins when she snoozed on my lap for two hours this morning through my Disciple I Bible study. She was a smash hit. Nothing fazes this dog… she is quite nonchalant about sauntering up to the big dogs’ dishes and partaking of their food. Not sure if they are cutting her some slack because she is SO young… but I suspect they are. She might find she has to make some adjustments in her approach in the future. She carries everything around and picks up objects much larger than one would expect she could manage. She is as cute as a button and most happy when she is touching one of her humans. We don’t know what she will turn out to look like… she does look like a Rottie mix but she doesn’t seem as big as I would expect… but she is also very young, so who knows.


Our adult Rottie—a very RUNTY Rottie—acquired the name Zoë. According to my ancient-Greek-speaking daughter, it means life in Greek. It is a very appropriate name for this dog, as she would have lost hers within hours of when we snatched her from the shelter. Not only that, but she is a bag of bones and really needs a chance to have a good life. She has been living in the barn in a horse stall until her kennel cough clears up. Last weekend she was one miserable dog. I have had her on two antibiotics and a cough suppressant. She has been offered gourmet meals and eaten very little. I walked her about a mile two days ago and a little less than two miles tonight. She is feeling much better and has a really awesome bounce to her step. She looked positively morose when I returned her to the stall tonight. I am most anxious to bring her inside but want to be sure not to infect the other dogs.


The pup might have had a bit of a rough start, but she’s in pretty good shape, so she hasn’t suffered too much trauma. The one who is really going to transform is Zoë. I can’t wait to see her fill out and replace that vacant look in her eyes with the look of a dog that has a family. My friends and neighbors are amazed at the difference in Ben in just two months. He is glowing with vitality and has a previously absent spark in his eyes. Don’t you wish our kids could or would respond that easily and quickly? I don’t think Zoë is going to start eating well and filling out until she comes in the house and gets to experience life with people who love her. Ben has become a noisy, exuberant teenager who vocalizes his joy quite readily and blows out of the door like a tornado, eager for yet another great adventure. He was SO flat when he joined us. Not depressed, just not happy. I can’t wait to see Zoë blossom as well. Aren’t they awesome looking dogs?