*Sharing  a Collection*
When I am Old

I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts...and a bandanna over my
silver hair...and I shall spend my Social Security Check on Sweet Wine and
My Dogs...and sit in my house on my well-worn chair..and listen to my
dog's breathing.

I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer's night and take my dogs
for a run, if my old bones will allow...and when people come to call, I will
smile and nod as I show them my dogs...and talk of them and about
them...The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of
Today...

I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping and feeding them
and whispering their names in a soft, loving way.  I will wear the gleaming
sweat on my throat like a jewel, and I will be an embarrassment to all...and
my family...who have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs
as your Best Friends...

These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...and eagerly
jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to great you as if you are a God.

With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will stay and hug
their big, strong necks...and kiss their dear sweet heads...and whisper to
them of your love and the beautiful pleasures of their very special
company...

I look in the Mirror and see I am getting old...this is the kind of woman I
am...and have always been.

Loving dogs is easy, they are  part of me, accept me for who I am, my
dogs appreciate my presence in their lives...when I am old this will be
important to me...you will understand when you are old...and if you have
dogs to love, too.

Author Unknown


"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human.  
The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."
Edward Hoagland
You Can't buy loyalty, they say.  I bought it, though, the
other day.  You can't buy friendship tried and true.  Well,
just the same, I bought that two, along with love, faith and a
whole lot of happiness.  So all in all, the total price was very
small.  I bought a simple, trusting heart that gave devotion
from the start.  If you think these things are not for sale,
buy a brown-eyed pup with a wagging tail!
Author Unknown
Creation

When God had made the Earth & Sky, the flowers & the trees, he then
made all the animals, the fish, the birds & bees and when at last he finished
not one was quite the same.  He said, "I'll walk this world of mine & give
each one a name.  And so he traveled far and wide & everywhere he went,
a little creature followed him until it's strength was spent.  When all were
named upon the Earth, and in the sky and sea, the little creature said,
"there's no name left for me."  Kindly the father said to him, "I've turned
my own name back to front and called you DOG, my friend.
Author Unknown
Return to
Nursery
A 6 year olds astounding understanding when asked about the
short life span of a dog:
"People are born so that they can learn how to live a good
life---Like loving everybody all the time and being nice. Right?"
"Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to
stay as long."
Out of the mouths of babes!
Remember
-----if a dog was the teacher, you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in our face
to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid bitting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire
body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by
and nuzzle them gently.
Enjoy every moment of every day.

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give
you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct
him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,




THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY  THE FAMILY DOG
I wonder if Christ had a little blond dog
All curly and woolly like mine.
With two silky ears and a nose round and wet.

I'm afraid that He hadn't, because, I have read
How He prayed in the garden alone...
For all of His friends and disciples  had fled
Even Peter, the one called a Stone.

And, Oh, I am sure that little blond dog
With a heart so tender and warm,
Would NEVER have left Him to suffer alone,
But creeping right under his arm...

Would have licked the dear fingers in agony clasped
And counting all favors but loss,
When they took Him away, would have trotted behind,
And followed Him right to the cross.
Writer Unknown