Thinking Into the New Year



Rowena, my shining star and I playing in the golfcourse one recent afternoon.



Happy 2011 New Year!

It's the day after Christmas (2010) and Rosie and I are relaxing on the couch after a romp in the cold snow.  All for a game of frisbee in the dark!  Rosie's favorite present was Mr. Gingerbread Man... also the cheapest present.  I wanted to get her a Jolly Ball, but the biggest one without a handle was the size of her soccer ball (the real one, not the fuzzy big one) and cost $20.  I thought that was a bit on the expensive side so I had to skip it even though Rosie loved it.



This little faux suade dog bed is perfectly sized for a Puggle or a Cocker Spaniel, but Rosie makes it fit just right!  And Gingerbread Man is happy I sewed his limbs back on.



For Christmas, Gramma (my mother) gave Rosie a 2 month supply of Winston's Joint System so we are getting Rosie's body into better shape for the icy cold weather we will be having.  One of my favorite gifts is this thing called a 'Kindle" which is this little electronic thing where you can download books and read them on this little thing that is smaller than a clip board.  I have nearly completed my brother-in-law's new book, "The Poacher's Son" (written by Paul Doiron).  I highly recommend this book to any Maine loving mystery buffs.  I downloaded a handful of books on it... not sure why, I can only really read one at a time.  I think I just got excited.

Rosie opens Gingerbread Man during our family's Christmas celebration (on Solstice here in Maine to cater to the Maine family members)

This may be the last Christmas I will have with my family for a long time if this move to Oregon takes form.  So far from home... brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.  Then I realize all the "last" things I had this past year.  The last photos of springtime in the City Forest... the last site of the Raven family that lives by the bog every year... but with all the lasts there are firsts and I am trying to make that a good thing in my mind.  I really don't like the idea of living so far from my family here in the northeast, but I miss my  husband dearly. If he is going to be in Oregon then I will too. I also think that Oregon could give us the boost we need to move forward in our lives as I feel if we stay here we will stagnate and nothing will change.  We will not get ahead in any area of our lives together.

A Photoshop job for a Dogster Holiday post.

Rosie will hopefully be able to benefit from the move to Oregon as well.  She hasn't seen her human "Daddy" in over a year now (husband left for OR November 4th, 2009).  She feels his absense in her life and I know that when she sees him once again she will be all whines and full body wags. 

"Daddy" during a Christmas past.  You can see Rosie's butt just right of the center (bottom).

Daddy gives Rosie a belly rub.

Daddy plays with Rosie in the Orrington Pound.

Another absense in Rosie's life has been that of her playmate, the Puggle names Chloe.  They have been friends for about 5 years, but haven't played together all spring and summer (and fall).  A few weekends ago she got to see and play with Chloe a short bit as we were having a doggy Christmas for my friend's lab mix as he was to be put down.  He was old and had some medical problems that there was no way to treat because of his age and health.  The four dogs got to run around in the field in the rain at dusk.  Sofian the lab mix managed to muster another one of his playful spurts where he turns bucking bronco on his sis the Puggle for a mere few minutes and then is back to normal again.  Rosie wanted to play more than she did, but I think her foot was bothering her so she wasn't playing as all out as she usually does with her buddy.  That may be the last time they play together.  She has been missing canine playtime and I cannot replace that.  After we move west we will be getting another dog (most likely a pup) once we settle in a bit and she can train the dog or pup to play the way she prefers to play.  (She's bossy.) She so needs a canine friend!



Rosie's sneak attack on Chloe one winter in the field.



Chloe comes in for the tag!



Rosie playing with her buddy Chloe and the lab mix, Sofian.

Who says Puggles can't be fast!?

No body parts were bitten in the taking of this photo.




Rosie is totally happy with Chloe by her side during a hot evening in the City Forest a few years back.

So with this pending move to Oregon hopefully things will begin to move westward right after the new year.  Plans are being made as I type.  This move has been a REEEALLY LONGGG time in the making.  I miss my husband!

May your new year be full of many firsts without the heartache of the ever nostalgic lasts... unless the last is a bad thing, then you're fine.