The FastDay Forum

So glad that something so nice has happened today@lizbean x
And the celebration of Charlie's life sounds like its gonna be a gas! X

Thx @CandiceMarie I so appreciate the forums support, you are so welcome to our Charlie party in person, or via Skype!

Lizbean, and all others who have lost a treasured four-legged companion, allow me to recommend a book: Animals in Spirit, by Penelope Smith. When I first read this a few years ago, I immediately got a copy for a friend whose kitty was very ill (and who passed shortly thereafter). She found it a great comfort.

I recently attended a workshop by an animal communicator (Mary Getten) on animal Death & Spirituality. She says that animals are much closer to Source than humans, as our conscious logical minds get in the way. Contrary to the belief that "man is the only animal who knows he will die," animals are not only aware of their mortality, they are much more comfortable with it than most people, since they KNOW they will simply transmute to another form: there is no death. That said, we still miss them terribly and experience grief and loss when they cross over. However, if we can remain open and receptive, we may receive communications from the other side that they are doing fine and watching over us. Just like people, some animals are here as spiritual teachers, masters of being (as my Ziggy is; he's much more advanced than I am!); others are here to have a good time and spread joy (and sometimes furry chaos!).

I am so oversensitive to animal "sadness" that I can't read books with significant animal cruelty or egregious mistreatment of animals (it's also why I'm a vegetarian). I also eschew animal "biographies" because they always seem to end with the animal's death, and I don't like having my emotions jerked around that way. Heck, I got upset by How to Train Your Dragon--cruelty to a cartoon of a mythical animal...sigh. OK, now that y'all think I'm nutso, I'll sign off for the day.

My husband and I had an interview on Monday with a representative of the Labrador Rescue Trust and they have agreed to put us on the waiting list for a Labrador who needs re-homing. Such good news and we are delighted! We are away a couple of times before Easter so they will not start trying to match us with a dog until after that and then we have to just wait until one comes up who they believe will be a good match for us. By then it will be six months since we lost Susie, although it feels like only yesterday, and I still get upset when I remember how she walked into the vets so trustingly on her last visit there. We both know that we are not likely to get another rescue dog as good as she was but we are missing the company of a dog and felt that the time was right to take the plunge. I'll keep you updated!

Bumping this to get it back out there....

Thanks @ferretgal for bump and for yr lovely last post x
Anyone read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein?
@lizbean is yr celebration this weekend? X

@CandiceMarie@Ferretgal@StowgateResident
Thx..I'll read back your posts soon.
Charlie comes home tomorrow. We have decided to celebrate Charlie when our back garden, his favourite moments in time and space is full of the goodness of spring/summer colour and his favourite grasses where he snoozed in the full sun are abundant.
Good times and memories.

@Ferretgal thank you! I shall certainly look up Penelope Smith, sounds like just what we need. It's been such a loss, especially for my daughter, her friend since 11 years old.
@StowgateResident I hope all goes well with your Labrador rescue adoption in the spring. DD and I too thought Charlie would come home that day. A truly hard decision. If at some point in the future we feel able to open up our home and heart again, Charlie will be there, directing us in the most gentlemanly way he did. I'm sure Susie will too.

I know i' m a bore..but isnt he sweet! X

I am looking forward to tomorrow lunchtime - I am going to meet someone who has contacted me through "Borrow My Doggy" - she has a black cocker spaniel who would appreciate some extra walks while she is at work so I am hoping we might be able to help each other out - I get to borrow the dog and have a nice walk hopefully. Will let you know how it goes!

@madcatlady how did you get on with Borrow My Doggy?
Here's our kittykat this morning...the eclipse seemed to make all the seagulls head for the rooftops...
Much to Ziggy's disgust...

Hi @CandiceMarie - borrowing the doggy is going well. Sweep is a lovely boy but has only spent his time with his Mum so far really so separation was a bit of an issue to start with and he wouldn't come for a walk with me but we have weaned him away from her and today, for the first time, we managed to go for a good walk without having to do a warm-up lap of his estate first, which is what we have previously done! He really dawdles and sniffs a lot when Mum walks him but I've made it clear that I'm not having it and he doesn't try it on now (think Mum was amazed how much ground we covered on our first solo walk!). It's turned out to be really good timing as Mum was told this week that she can no longer take him into work in the afternoons and was really worried about leaving him all day apart from popping in at lunch time. At least on days that I can go she can take a later lunch and break his day up a bit more.

I also had another enquiry come through - someone who wouldn't tell me where they were based but were looking for someone to look after their dog while they went away for a week - not quite the idea of the website I don't think!

The Case of The Curious Cat and The Camera....x
@madcatlady hows it going with Sweep? X

What a great idea "Borrow My Doggy" is.
Ah where would we be without our furry friends eh?

Lovely pic Beano ! X