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Golden oldies memoirs

Memories from her Gold Ribbon Rescue Page

Holly

Four years ago yesterday on December 22 my husband went to Town Lake to pick up a foster waiting for GRR. When he arrived home I wasn't prepared for such a sad sight—she was just skin and bones, walking gingerly. But, she was smiling! She arrived so close to Christmas we named her Holly and after another favorite movie character played by a slim Audrey Hepburn her full name would be Holly Golightly.

Holly had been abandoned by her owners for what we figured out was about a month. We weren't sure of her age and it really didn't matter. She was a joy from the start. Every day was Christmas for this dog... that became her motto on her Dogster page.

Great with the grandkids, wonderful with other dogs and cats....she took a long time to put some weight on. She got vestibular syndrome and had some mange, but slowly she got healthy enough to go for a walk with Trooper our other GRR dog and Maggie the pug.

She lived for those walks until her last year when the severe arthritis made it impossible, but we would put the leash on and do a short smell-about on Lakeway Blvd and bring her back while the others got their exercise.

Renal failure was our next hurdle, but Holly never complained. Until the last month when she started losing weight and almost looked like the dog that arrived 3 1/2 years ago did we truly realize we were going to lose her. She passed in June, but her spirit lives on. It took us awhile to get up the nerve to foster again, but Holly would have wanted us to help another dog so upon our first call we got a new foster who has been a total joy. Holly would be smiling.

Watching over my family

Awhile back mom found a dog shaped rock in the park. It really looks like a dogs head with a hole for the eye and a little flap for an ear.
Mom and dad put Sushi and Maggie together in the wildflower garden and this rock marks the spot. At some point she will paint their names on the rock.

I am right next to them with a pretty large smooth river rock marking my spot. At another spot, Theo and Mali, cats that were totally devoted to each other and died at young ages within a year apart, were put together. Both had heart problems and were 8 and 9.
Lots of flower seeds were placed in the garden and mom is going to go buy some verbena to put in there.
Dad said a few words and they had to have a box of kleenix out there.

What started out as kind of leftover wild garden is now a beautiful place for us to forever watch over our family.

Holly has gone ahead.

Mom does believe in heaven and believes dogs go there. Yesterday at 4:25 I went to heaven. I was tired and in pain....it was time.

They don't know how I spent the first part of my life....I was a throw away dog....my owners moved out and left me in the yard to live on my own. Mom doesn't think anyone who could do that could have been a good owner or provide a good life for me......so she tried to give me ALL THE BEST in my remaining years. I returned the favor and gave all the love I could give. It was good to be loved at last.

So I have not just gone, but gone ahead.

Til we meet again
Love,
Holly