Healing, Reflecting, Returning & Planning ;-)

This morning I awoke with Sutter snuggled to my back and feeling inspired to make a new entry to my Blog ... so the woodstove is stoked, the birdfeeders filled, Sutter has been out to do her morning "squirrel" count and I now sit at my "desk" on my non-traditional kitchen table and look out thru the porch window onto the snow covered pond, for those inspiring thoughts (I never know what is going to come)!

Last week I returned to my 12 hour night job at the hospital and staff meetings, two nights ago, after a very lenghty absence, I returned to our CATS Agility dog club monthly membership meetings and yesterday Sutter and I returned to our weekly BreezeThru Agility class in Vermont  ... as this "borrowed" photo reflects and I'll title it "The Hearts of Loving Souls are Healing" (this painting hangs in the cozy guest room of Lyric's breeder, where Sutter and I spent 2 restful nights ... thanks Kara, Jonathan and SunKissed Goldens)

20 treasured Sympathy cards, several tearful phone calls, 117 amazing "Lyric" related emails, hugs too numerous to count (in person and thru the airwaves) ... how does one measure that love, that concern and that realization that friendships are all around you and surface just when you need them ;-)

I'm wondering if on that bleek night of my "Black Thursday", during that terrible day/night of snowy blizzard conditions ... if when Linda and I witnessed the solid clouds parting above and the sudden brilliance of the full moon shinning through ... was that my sign from Lyric that she had successfully crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" and was being happily greeted by all those who had gone before her ... interestingly, those clouds soon closed and the snow started up once again ...  I'm holding on to that comforting thought!

(a humerous aside here: "Hey Sutter, I'm trying to compose something serious here!" ... she is in her loft "toy room" squeeking her Audubon bird collection and now whining, droping her squeeky ball down the stairs and I now hear a soft growl  ... OK, brief break to play with the "Sutts"!)

Now where was I ... oh ya, Healing etc:

• I've just begun reading (yes reading, for all those who know that I'm not one for reading!) "When Your Pet Dies...How to Cope with Your Feelings" by J Quackenbush ... it will take a while... both the  reading and the healing ;-)
•  friends at work made a donation to the Pagey Elliott (Golden Retriever Grandam) Educational Fund in Lyric's name ... wonderful tribute to my sweet Lyric!  
• I've been comforted by the snuggles/photos/videotapes of the SunKissed "Catch" litter puppies that were born the day/night that Lyric went over the "Rainbow Bridge"... great kids Sophie & Apollo!
• I spent 2 nights at SunKissed, one so I could travel bright and early next morning with Kara & Jean to Long Island NY to proudly watch with excitement as Lyric's brother Casa "made the cut" in the Golden Retriever Specialty (so proud!) and the second night to recover from the "back seat" travel ... thank God for the "Friendly's" stop and recovery ;-)
• I've had my first 2010 family gathering and met my niece's 2 new "challenging" puppies ... Oh Boy!

Now to the exciting "Planning" part ... I realize in talking with folks, that everyone handles the loss of their pet differently ... for me, if I have any hope of not drowning in the sorrow, the heartbreak, the guilt and the living with the huge void left in my life, I need the love of a new puppy ... some are shocked by that and have voiced it, but "I" need to move-on "In Lyric's Memory" to welcome a new pup into our home (I know she will send me a special sweet girl) ... and that's the way it is!

So, after much thinking, excited proposals, dream messages and soul searching, my friend Kara of SunKissed Goldens, her parents Jean & Duane of Landscape Goldens and I have excitedly decided:

In loving memory of their daughter Lyric, the ever popular "Emerald" & "Ice Cream" litter breedings will be repeated and Lyric's mom "Shimmer" will be bred again to Lyric's dad "Nova" ... puppies due in May ... this breeding also produced Lyric's Champion brother "Casa"

A special selected girl from this litter will have the AKC name: Golden Embers SunKissed I Will Remember You ... call name "Cinder"

So that's the update and I'm now impatiently counting the days ... Healing, Reflecting, Returning and Planning and I'll end this entry with the below photo of "cutie" Lyric at 10 weeks old   ;-)