To Marianne

Well, my friend....here we are again...another anniversary.

I hope you and the girls are doing well. Jolly and Annabel and I are doing fine. I finally (after 2 years and 8 months) sold the house in Anderson, so we are here at the lake for good. It was harder and more painful than I thought it would be, but it is over now and we are going on with our new life. I know my Maggie would have loved it here....if only.....

We are thinking of you and your sweet Barkis today....remembering and sending you much love and many hugs.

Love,
Jeanie

Oh my dear friend, thank you so much for your note today. Can you believe it has been seven years???

I am so glad to hear that you and the girls are settled in at the lake. I can imagine how hard it was to leave the house. But you will carry your memories with you wherever you go, so the house will never be totally lost to you and it will always remain a home in your heart.

This has been a challenging year for us so far. My older girl, Peg, will be seven next month. She was born just one month after Barkis died. Unfortunately, she started having seizures after the first of the year. We have not uncovered a cause but she has responded well to phenobarb treatment. But also since that time, it has seemed like a non-stop series of issues. The worst was an acute pancreatitis attack in June, and she is now having GI problems again. She has lost a fair amount of weight, and also a lot of her coat. But she remains my brave, steady girl. And we hope that things will soon settle down. Having gone through all our pain with Barkis, it is hard not to feel scared sometimes. But I'm sure he is watching over his little sister, and will help us with whatever the future holds.

Baby Luna will soon be three. And aside from limping every once in a while for reasons also unknown, she is a ball of fire and a love-bug. She follows me everywhere I go, although she is thrilled if the "following" involves heading out to the yard to run around with her ball.

As always on this day, though, my thoughts return to Barkis. My dear, sweet boy. We will always love him and remember him and miss him. Thank you again, Jeanie. It always means so much to me to talk with you. Big hugs to you and the girls. And today and everyday, in honor of Barkis and Maggie and all the other loved ones...

We held them in our arms for as long as we could. Now we will hold them in our hearts forever.

Marianne

Marianne -

Thinking of you as well today. As you know, I joined not long after Barkis crossed the bridge but I always felt like I knew him. And to think that Peg is almost 7 now!! That's so hard to believe because I remember when you first got her. I'm sorry to hear she's having some problems now. Glad the phenobarb helps as seizures are not fun.

How time flies and yet the memories linger on in our hearts. The pain softens but there are always those moments that catch us off-guard. Little things and unexpected things that can start the tears rolling. I don't come on K9c too much these days as it brings back so many memories of Zoe -- and then it also saddens me to see who else is going thru a recent loss. Sending hugs your way today. Sue

You honor Barkis with every keystroke here. You hold us up when we can't stand on our own, you teach us what we need to know to help our babies, you help maintain the very foundation of this site where kindred souls can gather - you do this and much more out of the love you have for your Bestest Boy. Barkis lives on, even in those of us who never got to meet him, because of you.

With love,
Leslie

Oh Marianne, I agree with what Leslie has so beautifully and eloquently written.

In Loving Memory Of Barkis.

With much love and hugs,
Lori

(((((hugs))))) Marianne

T.xxx

In Honor of Barkis...

Oh Marianne, if not for you and the others I would not have made it thru the trying times with Maddie. You were always there to give the advice I needed. Thank you!! :)

Leslie has a way with words and I so agree with what she said. I too wish I could have known Barkis, but we came after...

Best to you always!!! Big (((Hugs))) :D

"Copy and paste" all that Leslie said. You're the best Marianne. You helped me get through the darkest of hours (Dang! I can hardly type through the tears--I am so grateful). Thanks for helping me heal. I don't know what I would have done without this forum to help me through the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking grief of losing my sweet Timmy to Cushings.

Lots of hugs,

Kathleen

p.s. Timmy sent me an angel in Oliver (my new westie puppy). He's a real "loverboy." He loves cuddling on the couch with me (just like Timmy) and he loves showering his mom with kisses. And wouldn't you know, his favorite toys are Timmy's furry squeaky rubber balls. I will add a picture of Oliver to Timmy's album tonight!

Marianne thank you for being you :)) Dear Barkis I never knew you but I feel like I know you through your mom. She loves you dearly and I know you watch over her.

Love and many hugs,

Marianne - LOVE you.

Lynne, Angel Bailey and Angel Clyde

Hello again, my sweet friend!

I thought it might be easier to start a new thread. It took me forever to get on the board...I had forgotten my user name and couldn't read the stupid Captcha's....LOL....getting old, I guess.:o

Anyhoo....can you believe it is another of our "10ths." ? Where does the time go? I hope this one finds you and yours well and happy. How is our Miss Peg and little Luna? I so hope they are doing well.

The girls and I are doing pretty well. I never realized how difficult it would be to start a whole new life at my age, but we are plugging along. It has been lonely, but I have my Jolly and Annabel to keep me going. They are healthy and happy, and that is the most important thing to me. I did make a new friend this year, and that has helped. I have some wonderful friends here now.

I'll bet Maggie and Barkis are running and playing and looking down on us today and remembering their lives with us with as much love as we will always feel for them. They live on in our hearts, forever.

I hope you stop in today to see this message and know that we are thinking of you and your sweet boy, as always.

Take care, dear friend....

Love and hugs,
Jeanie

Oh Jeanie, thank you so much for your sweet note! I can't tell you how much it means to me that you always remember and are always here for me and for Barkis. Omigoodness, I cannot believe that it is now eight years for Barkis and me, and it will soon be nine for you and sweet Maggie! Some days it all seems like such a long time ago, and other days it seems like it was only yesterday. So many memories...

I am so glad to hear that you and the girls are doing well. I surely do understand the challenges of forging new chapters in our lives. Some changes are welcome, some changes are not. Knock on wood, both Peg and Luna are doing good. Peg's seizures remain well-controlled, and she hasn't had any more pancreatitis since last summer. And thank goodness, Luna's limp seems to have disappeared. So I feel very blessed and very lucky right now.

Thank you again for thinking of us today on "our" day. Your messages are always such special gifts.

Sending many hugs to you and the girls.
And always in loving memory of Barkis and sweet Maggie ~
Marianne

Hello my friend!

Once again, as I do two times every year, I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face and thinking about your Barkis and my Maggie. Can it possible be that another year has passed?

I hope you and your girls are doing well. I believe you were having some problems before. I hope everything is better now. Life can be so hard sometimes.

I seem to have lost too many Westie friends this year, and each one takes another piece of my already broken heart. I just lost an especially special one yesterday. She was almost 17, but still....it is never long enough. So, I apologize for being overly melancholy today.

But, I sure didn't want to let this day go by and not tell you that we are thinking of you and sending our love....always.....

Love and hugs,
Jeanie

Oh Jeanie, thank you so much for your sweet note. It does seem impossible that another year has already passed by. I know this December will mark a major milestone for you and Maggie. And yet, in so many ways, it still seems like only yesterday, doesn't it?

The losses are so hard, but I guess an inevitable part of our lives as the years pass by. I am grateful for all the years that we DID have together. And I am so very grateful for all the love and support that we share here as a family.

Sending you my best wishes, too, my friend! And sending my thanks and love to you and the girls.
Marianne

Hello my friend! I haven't been here for a long time, and can't find the thread where we usually "talk"...so I started this one. I hope that is ok. Well another year has passed for you, and I just wanted you to know that I am thinking about your and your sweet Barkis.

Take care....

Love and hugs,
Jeanie

Dear Jeanie,

Thank you so much, as always! Of course it was fine to start a new thread because I easily saw it, and I could "merge" it myself with no problem at all. ;)

Our little tradition is such a special one, and I so appreciate knowing that you are thinking of us again this year. The seasons do fly by so quickly now and there are so many changes in our lives. It is a comfort to know that our friendship and our sweet memories remain unchanged.

I will see you in December, Jeanie. Until then, take good care, my friend.

Love, Marianne

Dearest Marianne....I posted today on the other thread, where we "talk". I think it is to Jeanie and Maggie. I was afraid you wouldn't see it...so thought I would post here....

Love,
Jeanie

Oh Jeanie, I am here right now, and I do also see your reply on "our" other thread. :)

Thank you so much, and I will be back in just a little while to add a lengthier note over there. It is so good to see you, my friend!

My dear friend...

Here we are again...another "10th". As the years go by, I get more and more afraid to ask how you are doing. I know that your girls are getting older, as is my Annabel.

I did post last December, after your message. I haven't seen many posts from you...and hope that everything is ok.

Annabel and I have left the lake house and are now living in Greenwood, IN. I am renting half of a paired patio home, until I can decide what to do. We like it, and it is very convenient, but also very different. I can no longer maintain the lake house, either physically or financially.

As much as I loved it, it is too hard to maintain and too full of sad memories. The anniversary of losing Paula was in June and the anniversary of losing my Jolly is coming up in October. I am reliving that nightmare every day through memories posted on Facebook a year ago. It just about kills me to relive them, but maybe I will learn something, as I still don't understand why my Jolly had to die...I still don't really know what was wrong with her. :(

Ok...enough about me....we are remembering your sweet boy today, and will light an extra candle for him tonight. I hope he and my girls at the "bridge" all go out for a beer tonight.

Take care, dear friend.

Love and hugs,
Jeanie

My dear Jeanie, thank you so much for remembering us today, and I must sadly tell you that another one of our angels has now joined the others at the Bridge -- my sweetie Peg left us on June 13th. She would have been twelve in September, but her hip dysplasia and other orthopedic issues had worsened to the point that she could no longer walk, so we felt we had no choice but to release her. Our sweet "baby" Luna is now doing her very best to heal our broken hearts, but today is especially bittersweet. I try to comfort myself by thinking of Barkis and Peg together now, amidst all the other angels. But I do miss them both dearly, and always will. I know you understand only too well.

I'm very sorry you had to give up the lake house, but I surely understand why it became necessary. But I'm so glad you still have Annabel by your side, just as I have my Luna.

Thank you again, so much, for returning to us today. The sky will be bright with our candles tonight, my friend. I am thankful for our sweet memories.

Sending much love,
Marianne

I am so very sorry about Peg. I just had a "feeling". That is why I was hesitant to post...but I just had to...I could not forget your sweet boy. 12 is a great old age for a big dog, but then you know that, and it is never "time" as far as we are concerned. :(

Take care, my friend and give that Luna girl an extra hug from me...and one for yourself, too.

Love,
Jeanie