Bennyboy1

sugar tastes good on it too, but my hubby thinks I'm odd because I like salt on a lot of different fruits (like tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe,pineapple). I wouldn't recommend salt on things to anyone with high blood pressure or other health issues but I have extremely low (usual is 80/52) so I consume salt when I feel it drop, pushes it back up to where it should be (talked to my doc about it too before he passed, said my sodium levels are low and with my bp being low, he felt it would not hurt)

I like the plant too.....to eat lol. Maybe Grandma's neighbor still has some, have to send hubby up to look.

awwwwww bummmmmmer! I am soooooo craving some, I like it raw with salt, call me odd lol or in a homemade cake!

whatcha gonna do with all dat rhubarb? I lost my big plants when hubby built my son a sand box years ago, tried to move it and it didn't take. 2 yrs ago tried again, BUT Ben kept digging it up and bringing it to me like "look Mom I found that thing you buried. I'm such a good boy, aren't I?" that same spring when I planted the garden and he was around, he would un-plant everything! boy did he love the snap peas that finally grew and hung over the fence around the garden, we actually had a "deal" that he would only take the ones hanging on the inside and the rest were mine but he would bark and carry on if I didn't share with him! anyway, whatcha doing with all dat rhubarb? lol

I would say "bite me" but you're a dog so I'm not sure if you got all your shots lol

I made this home made apple pie for Memorial Day....not sure if this counts for your post lol but it was yummy This is the first bloom of my rhododendron last year, this year is just so pitiful

Haven't had time to garden this year plus my rhododendron got hit hard by the frost this year and I'm not sure if I can get it back. I'm going to feed it one more time just to see if next year we have some luck as all my neighbors' are blooming, I have brown leaves and no buds this year

or bathtime lol

Precious is going to be "bummed" for a while, and the longer she feels Mommy is sad, she will be sad as well. Her and Chewy were part of a "pack" (your family were the other members) and now that he is gone, she has a hole in her pack. I'm not pushing you to get another dog or anything like that, I would suggest however though, keep her active and involved with you and your remaining "pack members", and when you do decide to bring home a new pack member, she may at first reject that new addition OR she could take right to it. How old is Precious? If I recall you said she was younger than Chewy, so he is all she knows since leaving her litter as a pack member. So how was your first day back to work? I hope Annabelle gave you more love today as I know you are probably in need of more sloppy kisses. And I believe Precious understood your "words and emotions" when you had the talk with her, dogs are very intelligent. Just because she is still searching for him doesn't mean she didn't understand. You will probably encounter this yourself: calling for Chewy and Precious (out of habit), you may think you hear him walking through your house, and you will find his hair in everything for a VERY long time, which will make you think of him. No matter how much you clean, somehow you will still find that patch of fur somewhere. And his "scent" is going to linger in your house for a long time, which will keep Precious looking for him. YOU won't smell it yourself because our noses aren't as sensitive. *HUGS* if you need to talk to someone who understands, private message me. I am more than happy to "listen" with or without speaking until you are done venting it out. I am a good listener and I've been in your shoes...too many times My new profile pic is a collage of all my babies over the years, not sure if anyone can see the individual pics, I just realized that Kat isn't on there (he still has not turned up ) but then again he was my daughter's ex-boyfriend's cat, so not "technically" my baby, although I spoiled him rotten while he was here.

I'm so sorry sweetie, I know it's hard. annabelle must be a dog at the shelter? I mentioned before that one would sense your sadness, I know it doesn't take away all the pain but it made you feel good for the moment. Poor Precious, when Sly passed, it took almost 2 months before my Sally stopped watching out the window for him to come home, she was so sad and depressed. But my Ben who was just a pup at the time some how won her over and brought her back to her lively, queen "biotchy" self that she is (even at almost age 11!) That summer Ben actually got Sally to go swimming in the swimming hole we always go to, now she swims right beside him! Before she never went past her "ankles" in the water, probably because Sly HATED water lol. Give Precious extra love and attention, she is grieving as well. Ben and Sally send their condolences as well. Again, I'm sorry for your loss but at least now Chewy is pain free and most likely frolicking about as he crosses the Bridge to doggie heaven.

I'm glad to hear you are healing well. I will keep you in my thoughts as you and yours go through this. Did you guys make the paw prints? How is your son? Is he aware of the upcoming? I feel for you, I tried to take bereavement days when Sly passed but ended up having to take personal days of vacation (employer did not see him as family, go figure, when I saw him as my 4legged blonde son) Being around the other dogs Thursday will most likely be painful but with the disposition of dogs at least one of them will "sense" your sadness and make you smile. *HUGS*

Sorry for the losses....I know this may sound strange to some, but I think the way your sheltie passed was "bittersweet" in his daddy's arms. You truly don't know unconditional love until you allow yourself to feel what our beloved pets give us. No matter how mad they can make us when they chew that sock, or do their "doodie" inside, no matter how bad of day you yourself are having, the wagging tail, the ball of fur cuddled up and purring in your lap helps to make all that disappear. I know we all have different kinds of pets as well but dogs and cats are most common. I myself had ferrets for many years, but losing them to genetic defects or disease because of "ferret farming" was torture to not only them but to my family. After Zorro and Chunky passed about 5 years ago I swore I would never again....a year later I was at the shelter and this tiny tiny little fuzzball was curled in a blanket and I fell in love. That's when Zach came home with me. He just passed around Thanksgiving last year (advanced adrenal disease). I miss him so, I miss all of my fuzzies that I've had since a child (Kodo, Podo, Kip, Kutch, Bandit, Oscar [Ozzy], Zorro, Chunky Monkey and Zach [WeezyJoe], mommy misses you and will see on the other side of the Bridge! I hope you all are playing nice together!)

Elk County Humane Society is over run with kitties right now....all ages, colors and sizes.....just throwing that out there

my mom lost 2 of her beloved dogs, 3 months apart. She had the last one put down because he was beyond help anymore (he had a long wonderful life). she chose to have him cremated and the reason I even mention this is because of this ironic twist: after searching for a reputable rescue group and for a new family member she could handle (size wise, she downsized), we drove almost 2.5 hours one way to pick up the new member of her pack. On our way home, after the adoption papers are signed (and endorsed with a wet kiss from her new "baby") she received a call that the ashes of the recent loss were ready to be picked up. The new girl we brought home is sooooo much like the most recent one that she lost that it is scary. she has a lot of his mannerisms and personality similarities. I think he approved of the new addition and that call was just his way of say "it's okay Mom, I like her!"

you did the right thing, don't ever feel that you did not. It will hurt emotionally no matter how or when the time would have come and your situation was most likely different than that of the person you referred to. No matter what, you did the humane thing and assisted your loved one end the struggle. It has been almost 2 years to the day since my Sly has passed and not a day goes by that I don't think of him. But I know I gave him a good life and in the end I was there to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge. *HUGS* Just remember you did what you had to do at that moment, you did no wrong. don;t second guess yourself.

I'm so sorry to hear this news...will be thinking of you in your time of loss. How are you doing post-surgery?

Some use guineas AS guard dogs because of how noisy and alert they are to any change.

We raised 10 ourselves and the writer is soooooo right on so many of his/her reasons for not. Once you open the coop the first time, virtually impossible to get them back in. Ours all ended up becoming food to other animals and the neighbor who would set his dogs and kids out to hunt them when they left our property....which the writer says happens a lot. It was fun while they were chicks but as they grew were very very noisy and annoying. Never again. Was my MIL's idea, but since I was a "farm chick/hillbilly" I got stuck with them in my basement for months.

When our Sly was passing, our vet met us in a field. My children were older but this was their first dealing with death of "someone" they grew up with and loved so much. We did similarly to you, which like you said, no matter how you do it "sucks". I have my screen-saver as a slide show of my pics. well when I need a pick up, a beautiful "fun" picture of my Sly pops up when I least expect it. Always focus on the good times, it helps in the healing. Sly was a rescue from way out in the booneys', got his name from being have chased through farm pastures when my daughter said "that one" while 27 others sat there patiently, had a specific "bark" when a specific individual would be coming onto our street, I always knew who just by how excited his bark or if he was upset, I knew it was someone we did not know. He would take himself for a walk from time to time, being bored waiting for the kids, he would use the cross walks and look both ways before crossing, to go sit at the bus stop. He was the first animal I ever truly loved in my life, don't get me wrong, I had other "pets" growing up but Sly taught me so much about individuality of their personalities and how it felt to be loved back. Thank you Sly

I believe WalMart has these kits or similar to use with your children, same principal. I like that idea.

Have you ever heard of the Rainbow Bridge Poem? It is a beautiful way to help children and adults be reassured at that time that their loved family member is crossing the Bridge to a similar idea of Heaven that many hold dearly. I absolutely love the "paw print" memorials that the above posted, it may help your older child. Your younger child most likely won't recall Chewy, only from what she is told later when looking at pictures, sad to say. Asperger's doesn't have to make it more difficult, just how you go about explaining it. As with the death of human you would explain that you and the doctors have tried everything possible but "John's" time here with us was over and he was called to Heaven to move onto his next life.( Or however in your beliefs would explain death). I understand your dilemma, and as Bon said, most likely, this will be harder on you and your husband, as children's memories are shorter, but not saying your son will not experience emotional pain and loss as well. I'm hopeful you have been keeping him as informed as child should be in this situation so that when that day comes, he is more ready than without prior knowledge of the illness. Answer his questions (as he will have them) as gently as possible but don't hide the truth. Death is a natural part of the life cycle of all beings on earth, and this may sound "morbid" but this is a pet and not grandparent or parent or sibling etc. You can always "bring home a new pet" but your son is at an age he may remember this event. Make it special but don't dwell too much on it, THAT is how you will scare him. As for taking him with you, that is a judgment call you as his parent has to make. If you feel you will be strong enough to be there as he has to process what he has just witnessed, then in my eyes okay. But the way you describe your own pain, and after what we went through this weekend ourselves, then I say no. Also consider cremation for your pet, yes it costs money but you can chose to bury the urn or any other things you can think of. We had our Sly cremated 2 years ago and I must say it was less emotional on us because the vet takes over, you don't have a body to carry home and bury. two weeks later, we received a beautiful urn and a certificate of passing. Mom had both of her recent ones cremated and after years of digging huge holes (we have all large dogs) and the emotion that entails, she agrees, this eases some of the loss. I am sorry again, I know how difficult this whole situation is, and I express my deepest condolences to you and your remaining family. Try to enjoy these days, I know when my Sly was "slipping away" it was one of the most difficult 5 days I have ever endured. It happened so fast with him, one day running around like a nut with my puppy, the next day, not able to walk and convulsing. I am going to share a pic of the last day he was here and able to go outside, I love this picture because he looks so at peace with what is about to happen....

Thank you Emm, it is very much appreciated. You are right, if you've never knew the unconditional love that a dog/cat/ferret whatever gives in return to the love you give them, it's hard to understand. But those who haven't experienced that love in my opinion are missing out. Yes this part is difficult but so is losing a human that you feel for.

Thank you all. He has passed to the next world, all of us are very emotional, having those "remember when he...." conversations. But it was had to be done, although that doesn't help much. Mom went from 5 to 3 dogs in 3 months. Worse thing for me this morning he came right up to me and was "almost" himself, his little docked tail wagging and he kissed me good bye. It had been a while since he had done that (recognized me) and that brought on the waterfall for me.

She knows. beautiful picture, thank you for sharing such a sweet, private moment you had with Chewy and Precious.