"Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." ~B.F. Skinner" "There are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there." ~Indira Gandhi "Dogs have owners, cats have staff" "I often ponder why baby animals are just so darn cute. I like to think it's God's or nature's way of tugging at our heart strings, so babies of every species will be well cared for." ~Susan Logan The Pet's Bill of Rights source: Pets: Part of the Family magazine 1. We have the right to be full members of your family. We thrive on social interaction, praise, and love. 2. We have the right to stimulation. We need new games, new toys, new experiences, and new smells to be happy. 3. We have the right to regular exercise. Without it, we could become hyper, sluggish...or fat. 4. We have the right to have fun. We enjoy acting like clowns now and then; don't expect us to be predictable all the time. 5. We have the right to quality health care. Please stay good friends with our vet! 6. We have the right to a good diet. Like some people, we don't know what's best for us. We depend on you. 7. We have the right not to be rejected because of your expectations that we be great show dogs or show cats, watchdogs, hunters, or baby-sitters. 8. We have the right to receive proper training. Otherwise, our good relationship could be marred by confusion and strife--ourselves and others. 9. We have the right to guidance and correction based on understanding and compassion, rather than abuse. 10. We have the right to live with dignity...and to die with dignity when the time comes. A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS unknown 1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful. 2. Give me time to understand what you want of me. 3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being. 4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you. 5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me. 6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it. 7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you. 8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak. 9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old. 10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so. ALWAYS! Leaving Pets Behind: A Testament to Disposability Issue "A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?' 'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked. 'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.' The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked. 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.' The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. 'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?' 'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' 'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog. 'There should be a bowl by the pump.' They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. 'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked. 'This is Heaven,' he answered. 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.' 'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.' 'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?' 'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'" ~ anon When I Got My New Dog I asked for strength that I might rear him perfectly; I was given weakness that I might feed him more treats. I asked for good health that I might rest easy; I was given a ""special needs"" dog that I might know nurturing. I asked for an obedient dog that I might feel proud; I was given stubbornness that I might feel humble. I asked for compliance that I might feel masterful; I was given a clown that I might laugh. I asked for a companion that I might not feel lonely; I was given a best friend that I would feel loved. I got nothing I asked for, But everything that I needed. (author unknown) "A dog's life is too short; their only fault really." (author unknown) "My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am." (author unknown) "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." ~ unknown "It is essential to our well-being, and to our lives, that we play and enjoy life. Every single day do something that makes your heart sing." ~ Marcia Wieder "The most important thing about motivation is goal setting. You should always have a goal. ~ Francie Larrieu Smith "Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are." ~ Bernice Johnson Reagon "Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is." ~ unknown "Do one thing every day that makes you happy." ~ unknown "If you're interested in cooking, you're also just natually interested in art, in love, and in culture." ~Madame Jehane Benoit "When love adorns a home, its ornaments are secondary." ~unknown "Having someplace to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both...is a blessing." ~unknown "Families are like old quilts, although they tend to unravel at times each can be stitched back together with love." ~unknown "The family is one of nature's masterpieces. ~George Santayana "What the next generation will value most is not what we owned, but the evidence of who we were and the tales of how we loved." ~Ellen Goodman "Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future. We make discoveries about ourselves." ~Gail Lumet Buckley "We do not remember days, we remember moments. ~Cesare Pavese "We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams." ~Jeremy Irons "I would like to believe when I die that I have given myself away like a tree that sows seed every spring and never counts the loss, because it is not loss, it is adding to future life. It is the tree's way of being. Strongly rooted perhaps, but spilling out its treasure on the wind." ~May Sarton "A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold." ~chinese proverb "The family that perseveres in good works will surely have an abundance of blessings." ~chinese proverb "One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade." ~chinese proverb "The key to unlocking the door to our future opens with a journey into the past." ~ Robert Burtt and Bill Main "Hell hath no fury like a scrapbooker whose paper is messed up!" ~Patsy Gaut The Scrapbooking Addiction Look - I got invited to a 'party' and I won't have to buy a basket, or jewelry, or candles, or even another plastic container! This party is different because I'm going to MAKE a page for a scrapbook! I'm going to learn how to put all those pictures we keep in a box into a photo album that will last lifetimes! FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS this can be heard in the home: How much can a pair of scissors cost? And why do you need an entire cutting system if you bought scissors? The photo album was HOW MUCH? You HAD to get a paper trimmer too? Then please tell me..what are the scissors for? How many magazines do you need to buy to be INSPIRED? And what's with all this paper? You want what for your birthday? A xyron? What the heck is a xyron? I don't understand why you need a digital camera. The 35mm I bought after college works just fine. Ouch! I just stepped on one of your UGH! eyelets! MORE paper? You haven't even used up what you got already! First the camera, then the printer, what's next..a scanner? I see..so if we get these target cubes you'll be able to see the paper you have and then you won't have to buy anymore? Son, how many times have I told you - You CANNOT play with MOMMY's tools! I don't get it ..why do we have to go to Lowes to get paint chips if we aren't doing any painting around here? Don't worry sweetie..we won't tell Mommy you borrowed her stickers to make Barbie look pretty. You had a 40% off coupon and you still spent over $100? What do you need all this yarn for? You don't even knit! Do you? No dear. I do not know how to scan and stitch. Maybe someone on YOUR message board can help you there. Who took Daddy's sandpaper? Don't worry sweetie..we won't tell Mommy you borrowed her stamps to make yourself look pretty. It's 11PM. Isn't that layout done YET?! Shhh..don't tell Daddy that Mommy borrowed his sandpaper. Yes, I guess we can stop at that cute little scrapbook store during our vacation. You're going to take a crap? I meant go to a crop..nevermind. NO MOMMY! NO MORE PICTURES! NO MORE PICTURES! NO MORE PICTURES! So who is this Becky Higgins and what's the big deal about her? She an actress or something? I thought you already had a sewing machine. What's this one for? No..I've never printed on vellum before..YES..I can help you figure out the right printer settings..but what's vellum? Queen of the week doesn't mean you won't still make dinner, right? Right? Whew. You just joined a what? A swap? I'm really happy for you honey. MORE paper? What's so special about this 'BRAZIL' paper? Where did all these boxes of pictures come from..I thought you were going to put them all in a scrapbook... (author unknown) ••••••••• Scrapbooker's Verse (Kimberly Rinehart) We gather up pictures and bits of our past and scrapbook them into a gift that will last. We write about milestones and travels and such-- the times of our lives that we treasure so much. A few special photos, a family tree, a few thoughtful words and soon we will see... The album we've made is much more than a book. It's worth even more than the time that it took. It's a gift holding memories and made with great care by hearts and hands with love to share.   •••••••••• Life Is a Picture I took a little time today, To, reminisce of yesterday. To review, my life in the past, Recorded here in photographs. My scrapbook; such a treasure! So great, I cannot measure... Before my eyes, those moments are golden, As, before me, my life unfolded. Then as I paged through, year-by-year, Sometimes, I'd shed a little tear. So many faces, I have known, Some passed away, and others grown. Sometimes, it's hard to realize, When all spread out, before my eyes. With all the pictures that I took, My whole life's in this little book (author unknown) ••••••••••  'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Connie S. UL TX--12/2000) 'Twas the night before Christmas And all through the house Everyone was sleeping, quiet as a mouse. We were all "sleeping" all snug in our beds, Except for our Mom, she was scrapping instead. She was cropping and clicking and tape running too; Mounting and planning, sticking stickers - all new. We knew that Santa wouldn't come while she was scrapping away. We began to worry he would just go on his way. No presents, we thought, this would be no fun. We could still hear her cropping. It was way past one. Then it came to us all so fast, She was making US pages of each of our pasts. What fun it would be when we gathered around Looking at pictures that our dear Mom had found. So we settled back down, for our long winter nap! Who cares if he comes, we'll let Mom scrap! The Stamping Addict She learned to stamp on Monday, Her embossing was quite fine. She forgot to thaw out dinner So we went out to dine. She brayered backgrounds Tuesday, She says they are a must. They really are quite lovely, But she forgot to dust. On Wednesday it was birthday cards, She says the chalking's fun, Shading blending & watercoloring, But the laundry was not done. Her card swap was on Thursday, Using green and blue and red, I guess she really was engrossed, But she never made the bed. It was shaker cards on Friday, Using techniques she just adores, But she never seemed to notice The crumbs on all the floors! I found a maid on Saturday, My life is now complete, My wife can stamp the hours away, and the house will still be neat. Well, it is already Sunday, And my forehead's feeling damp, I cursed, I raved, I ranted... The MAID has learned to STAMP!! (author unknown) ********** STAMPIN' QUEEN Sung to the tune of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA Lyrics by Kate Baldwin (adapted by Teresa Brethauer for Stampin' Up!) (appeared in Stamp It! magazine, Fall 2003...) You can stamp, you can scrap, preserving the times of your life Oooh...See that girl, watch her stamp, she is the Stampin' Queen Friday night and the lights are low Last time she stamped was an hour ago Then she had a grand vision--something outta sight! She's gonna stamp all night... Anybody can buy a card But to make your own it's just not that hard So grab your favorite stamp set, ink and paper, too You're in the mood to stamp... And when you get the cramp... You are the Stampin' Queen, pinks and greens, always acid-free Stampin' Queen, inks and wheels in a stampin' spree (oh yeah) You can stamp, you can scrap, preserving the times of your life Oooh...See that girl, watch her stamp, she is the Stampin' Queen... I could show you a thing or two Like masking, glitter and two-step, too I can help you get started, then I'll show you the rest You're on a remarkable team... And it will make you scream! I am the Stampin' Queen, pinks and greens, always acid-free Stampin' Queen, inks and wheels in a Stampin' spree (oh yeah) I can stamp, I can scrap, preserving the times of my life Oooh...See me girl, watch me stamp, I am the Stampin' Queen! Yes I'm the Stampin' Queen... Yes, I'm the Stampin' Queen... We are Stampin' Up! Queens! "There is only one person who can write the story of your life, with all its foibles, follies, treasures, and tears. That person is you." ~ Kathleen Adams "May the child within your heart stay forever." ~ unknown "Keeping in touch with childhood memories keeps us believing in life's simplest pleasures like a rainy afternoon, a swingset, and a giant puddle to play in." ~ Chrissy Ogden "I never feel age...if you have creative work, you don't have age or time." ~ Louise Nevelson "To love another person is to see the face of God." ~ Victor Hugo "In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him." ~ Dereke Bruce Fur kids are family too! They hand out love to you When the rest of the world is angry Or doesn't like you very much All a fur baby asks for Is a gentle loving touch. ~ unknown "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; and working together is success." ~ Henry Ford "Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere." ~ Chinese Proverb "Live in the present, plan for the future, and profit from the past." ~ unknown "Life is the sum of all your choices." ~ Albert Camus "An optimist is the human personification of spring." ~Susan J. Bissonette "Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush." ~Dog Larson "A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip." ~unknown "Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional." ~Chili Davis "Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ~Jack Benny "Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old." ~Franz Kafka "Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." ~Mark Twain Every child begins the world again. ~Henry David Thoreau It's good to be children sometimes and never better than at Christmas. ~Charles Dickens "Love and time...those are the only two things in all the world that cannot be bought, but only spent." ~Gary Jennings "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." ~Helen Keller "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." ~Oprah Winfrey "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." ~Judy Garland "When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things--not the great occasions--that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness." ~Bob Hope "Essentially, we are witing so that we will not be forgotten by those who love us and whom we have loved. Write well; it may be your only chance to be remember." ~Lawrence P. Gouldrup "What you have caught on film is captured forever...it remembers little things long after you have forgotten everything." ~Aaron Siskind "Traditions ae glue, the common ground around which family evolves." ~Steven J. Zeitlin "In all of us there is a hunger marrow deep to know our heritage-to know who we are and were we came from." ~Alex Haley "There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings." ~Hodding Carter, Jr. "Study the past, if you would divine the future." ~Confucius "It is too bad that a requirement for living is not leaving a record of it." ~Lynda Rutledge Stevphenson "Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson "Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson "To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else--means the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting." ~ e.e. cummings "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." ~Sydney J. Harris "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts" ~Eleanor Roosevelt "Of the blessings set before you, make your choice and be content." ~Samuel Johnson "Good friends are like antiques; they grow more precious with time." ~unknown "The world would be so lonely, in sunny hours or gray. Without the gift of friendship, to help us every day." ~Hilda Brett Farr "Really great [people] make you feel that you, too, can become great." ~Mark Twain "To get the full value of joy, you must have somebody to divide it with." ~Mark Twain "Friendship isn't a big thing--it's a million little things." ~unknown "A good friend is cheaper than therapy." ~unknown "Getting a dog is like getting married. It teaches you to be less self-centered, to accept sudden, surprising outbursts of affection, and not to be upset by a few scratches on your car." ~Will Stanton "All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all." --Cecil Frances Alexander "It's Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."--W.T. Ellis Autumn I am rich today with autumn's gold, All that my covetous hands can hold; Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod, A goldfinch on a milkweed pod, Huge golden pumpkins in the field With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield, Golden apples heavy on the trees Rivaling those of Hesperides, Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread Over all like butter on warm bread; And the harvest moon will this night unfold The streams running full of molten gold. Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss With autumn glory such as this! —Gladys Harp And, here are more: "Autumn is the mellower seaon, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits." ~Samuel Butler "Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn." ~Elizabeth Lawrence "No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one autumnal face." ~John Donne "October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter." ~Nova Bair "Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." ~Carol Bishop Hipps "The earth has rolled around again And Harvest Time is here, The Glory of the seasons And the growth of all the years." ~Carolyn Wells "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus "The heart of Autumn must have broken here, And poured its treasure out upon the leaves." ~Charlotte Fiske Bates "Autumn is the best season in which to sniff, and to sniff for pleasure, for this is the season of universal pungency." ~Bertha Damon "We come back to Autumn, to zucchini that wilt like witches' shoes." ~Margaret Hasse "Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeing the successive autumns." ~George Eliot "I've never known anyone yet who doesn't suffer a certain restlessness when Autumn rolls around...we're all eight years old again and anythng is possible." ~Sue Grafton "As October ends, most of the branches are bare. We see more sky." ~Gladys Taber "Some of the days of November carry the whole memory of sf time." ~Robert Browning "Summer's loss seems little, dear, on days like these." ~Ernest Dowson "Weatherwise, it's such a groovy day." ~Frank Sinatra Best places to visit fall foliage (2004 listing): Mount Greylock (Appalachian) - Lansborough, Mass. Athens to Georgia/N.C. State Border - Athens, Ga. Blue Ridge Parkway - Asheville, N.C. Killington - Killington, Vt. Mount Monadnock - Jaffrey, N.H. Multnomah Falls - Bridal Veil, Ore. Ogden Canyon/Monte Cristo - Ogden, Utah Red Wing - Red Wing, Minn. Rhinebeck - Rhinebeck, N.Y. Starved Rock State Park - Utica, Ill. (( HAPPY FALLIDAZE! "Oktoberfest=Germany"... "Knock-knock. Who's there? Boo! Boo who? Oh, don't cry! Animals Have you forgotten what we were like then when we were still first rate and the day came fat with an apple in its mouth it's no use worrying about Time but we did have a few tricks up our sleeves and turned some sharp corners the whole pasture looked like our meal we didn't need speedometers we could manage cocktails out of ice and water I wouldn't want to be faster or greener than now if you were with me O you were the best of all my days ~ Frank O'Hara Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. --Anatole France We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. --Immanual Kant An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language. --Martin Buber I believe that the loss of a beloved companion animal is like no other loss because our relationships with animals are like no other. Our culture tells us that an animal companion is an engaging toy, and that our grief over its death is alarming and ill-paced. And our culture is just flat wrong....Animals are more to us than we know. Their partnership with us is a holy one that endures across a lifetime and possibly beyond. --Susan Chernak McElroy To Those I Love When I am gone, just release me, let me go - so I can move into my afterglow. You mustn't tie me down with our tears; let's be happy that we had so many years. I gave you my love, you can only guess how much you gave me in happiness. I thank you for the love you each have shown, but now it's time I traveled on alone. So grieve for me awhile, if grieve you must, then let your grief be comforted with trust. It's only for a while that we must part, so bless the memories within your heart. And then, when you must come this way alone, I'll greet you with a smile and a 'Welcome Home'. - unknown Since you have gone the sun has left the sky, No breezes blow, No birds sing To ease the aching vacuum in my heart. I shall not forget your gentle ways; No judgements made, No difficult demands, No needs save one, To share your life with mine. Now kind, uncomprehending people say, "Cheer up, you'll love another pet some day." --Hilda Lunn Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you... I loved you so-- 'twas Heaven here with you. --Isla Paschal Richardson I miss the wagging little tail; I miss the plaintive, pleading wail; I miss the wistful, loving glance; I miss the circling welcome-dance. Henry Willett, "In Memoriam" From Your Faithful Friend You're giving me a special gift so sorrowfully endowed And through this last few cherished weeks, your courage made me proud. But really, love is knowing when your best friend is in pain, and understanding earthly acts will only be in vain. So looking deep into your eyes, beyond into your soul. I see in you the magic that will once more make me whole. The strength that you possess is why I look to you today to do this thing that must be done, For it's the only way. That strenth is why I've followed you And chose you as my friend, and why I've loved you all these years, My partner til the end. Please understand just what this gift you're giving means to me, It gives me back the strength I've lost and all my dignity. You take a stand on my behalf for that is what friends do And know that what you do is right, for I believe it too So one last time, I breathe your scent, and through your hand I feel, the courage that's within you to now grant me this appeal. Cut the leash that holds me here, Dear friend, and let me run, once more a strong and steady dog My pain and struggle done. And don't despair my passing For I won't be far away. Forever here, within your heart and memory I will stay. I'll be there watching over you, your ever faithful friend And in your memories I will run, a young dog once again. -unknown            "Beau" He never came to me when I would call Unless I had a tennis ball, Or he felt like it, But mostly he didn't come at all. When he was young He never learned to heel Or sit or stay, He did things his way. Discipline was not his bag But when you were with him things sure didn't drag. He'd dig up a rosebush just to spite me, And when I'd grab him, he'd turn and bite me. He bit lots of folks from day to day, The delivery boy was his favorite prey. The gas man wouldn't read our meter, He said we owned a real man-eater. He set the house on fire But the story's long to tell. Suffice it to say that he survived And the house survived as well. On the evening walks, and Gloria took him, He was always first out the door. The Old One and I brought up the rear Because our bones were sore. We would charge up the street with Mom hanging on, What a beautiful pair they were! And it if was still light and the tourists were out, They created a bit of a stir. But every once in awhile, he would stop in his tracks And with a frown on his face look around. It was just to make sure that the Old One was there And would follow him where he was bound. We are early-to-bedders at our house -- I guess I'm the first to retire. And as I'd leave the room he'd look at me And get up from his place by the fire. He knew where the tennis balls were upstairs And I'd give him one for awhile. He would push it under the bed with his nose And I'd fish it out with a smile. And before very long He'd tire of the ball And be asleep in his corner In no time at all. And there were nights when I'd feel him Climb upon our bed And lie between us, And I'd pat his head. And there were nights when I'd feel this stare And I'd wake up and he'd be sitting there And I'd reach out my hand and stroke his hair. And sometimes I'd feel him sigh and I think I know the reason why. He would wake up at night And he would have this fear Of the dark, of life, of lots of things, And he'd be glad to have me near. And now he's dead. And there are nights when I think I feel him Climb upon our bed and lie between us, And I pat his head. And there are nights when I think I feel that stare And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair, But he's not there. Oh, how I wish that wasn't so, I'll always love a dog named Beau.     Jimmy Stewart     1908-7/2/97 I Hereby Resolve: •That I will grieve as much and for as long as I feel like grieving and that I will not let others put a time-table on my grief. •That I will grieve in whatever way I feel like grieving, and I will ignore those who try to tell me what I should or should not be feeling and how I should or should not be behaving. •That I will cry whenever I feel like crying, and that I will not hold back my tears just because someone else feels I should be "brave" or "getting better" or "healing" by now. •That I will talk about my loved one as often as I want to, and that I will not let others turn me off just because they can't deal with their own feelings. •That I will not be afraid or ashamed to seek professional help if I feel it is necessary. •That I will try to eat, sleep and exercise every day in order to give my body strength it will need to help me cope with my grief. •To know that I am not losing my mind and I will remind myself that loss of memory, feelings of disorientation, lack of energy, and a sense of vulnerability are normal parts of the grief process. •To know that I will heal, even though it takes a long time. •To let myself heal and not feel guilty about feeling better. •To remind myself that the grief process is circuitous – that is, I will not make steady upward progress. And when I find myself slipping back into the old moods of despair and depression, I will tell myself that "slipping backward" is also a normal part of the grief process and these moods, too, will pass. •To try is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge, there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other. There is only one thing missing. They are not with their special person who loved them on earth. So, each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring! And this one suddenly runs from the group! You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated. RAINBOW BRIDGE Official On-Line Version Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing - they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent, his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face, your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then.... you cross Rainbow Bridge.... together.   A View From Rainbow Bridge Death is nothing at all. It is if we have slipped away into the next room. We are here with you and whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the same easy way which you always used. Put no difference in your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we shared together. Play, smile and think of us. Pray for us. Let our names be ever the household word that they alway were. Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why should we be out of mind, because we are out of sight? We are waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well. Lisa Singer 1994   RAINBOW BRIDGE. SEQUEL TO ORIGINAL Oh, when we get to Heaven We hope that we will find The Souls that once we loved, Who left us all behind. Some left us at the right time, They left this world in peace. Others left too sudden, Without the chance to say Goodbye. They were gone before we had The chance to even cry. There's a special place for grownups, A special place for kids; Me I'll be on the other side, The side called Rainbow Bridge. Across the dark green meadow, Atop the hills I'll run,. Where the colors from the Rainbow, Glitter from the sun. And there I'll find my sweetheart Running fast toward me. In my arms where he belongs FOR ALL ETERNITY. by Jean McColgan   St. Peter I explained to St. Peter, I'd rather stay here, Outside the pearly gate. I won't be a nuisance, I won't even bark, I'll be very patient and wait. I'll be here, chewing on a celestial bone, No matter how long you may be. I'd miss you so much, if I went in alone, It wouldn't be heaven for me   I'M NOT HERE Don't stand by my grave and weep For I'm not there, I do not sleep I am a thousand winds thatloww I am the diamond glint on the snow I am the sunlight on the ripened grain I am the gentle autumn's rain.I'M NOT HERE When you awaken in morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circle flight I am the soft stars that shine at night Do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there, I did not die   A Dog for Jesus I wish someone had given Jesus a dog As loyal and loving as mine To sleep by his manger and gaze in His eyes And adore Him for being divine. As our Lord grew to manhood, his faithful dog Would have followed Him all through the day While He preached to the crowds and made the sick well And knelt in the garden to pray. It is sad to remember that Christ went away To face death alone and apart With no tender dog following close behind To comfort its Master's heart. And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn How happy He would have been As his dog kissed His hands and barked its delight For the One who died for all men. Well, the Lord has a dog now, I just sent him mine The old pal so dear to me And I smile through my tears on this first day alone Knowing they're in eternity.   Eulogy to the Dog The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous . . . . . is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. Senator Vest   AFTER DEATH "Farewell Master, yet not Farewell Where I go, you to, shall dwell. I am gone, before your face. A moment's time, a little space. When you come where I have steped. You will wonder why you wept." by Edwin Arnold   FOUR FEET IN HEAVEN Your favorite chair is vacant now No eager purrs to greet me No softly padded paws to run Ecstatically at me No coaxing rubs, no plaintive cry Will say it's time for feeding I've put away your bowl And all the things you won't be needing But I will miss you, little friend For I could never measure The happiness you brought to me The comfort and the pleasure And since God put you here to share In earthly joy and sorrow I'm sure there'll be a place for you In heaven's bright tomorrow. GENESIS 1: 20-25 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. GENESIS 9: 14-17 When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I shall recall the covenant between myself and you and every living creature, in a word all living things, and never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all living things. When the bow is in the clouds I shall see it and call to mind the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth, that is, all living things. `That´ God told Noah, `is the sign of the covenant I have established between myself and all living things on earth.´ ISAIAH 11:6-9 And the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. JOB 12:7-10 You have only to ask the cattle, for them to instruct you, and the birds of the sky, for them to inform you. The creeping things of earth will give you lessons, and the fish of the sea provide you an explanation: there is not one such creature but will know that the hand of God has arranged things like this! In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of every human being! PSALM 50:9-11 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. PSALMS 50:10-11 For all forest creatures are mine already, the animals on the mountains in their thousands. I know every bird in the air, whatever moves in the fields is mine. PSALM 136:25 ...And who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. PROVERBS 12:10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal ECCLESIASTES 3:19-21 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth? LUKE 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before god. "Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson And God asked the feline spirit Are you ready to come home? Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul And, as a cat, you know I am most able To decide anything for myself. Are you coming then? asked God. Soon, replied the whiskered angel But I must come slowly For my human friends are troubled For you see, they need me, quite certainly. But don't they understand? Asked God That you'll never leave them? That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity? That nothing is created or destroyed? It just is...forever and ever and ever. Eventually they will understand, Replied the glorious cat For I will whisper into their hearts That I am always with them I just am...forever and ever and ever. Author Unknown "You think dogs will not be in Heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." -Robert Louis Stevenson "If dogs don't go to Heaven, then I want to go where they go." - John Steinbeck "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." -Will Rogers "Death leaves a heartache no one can steal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." -Ireland headstone "Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." -unknown "If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again." -unknown "If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans." -James Herriot "Time spent in the company of cats is never wasted." ~unknown "How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in Heaven." -Robert A. Heinlein "By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death will seize the doctor too." -William Shakespeare "He who lives by medical prescriptions lives miserably." -proverb "Age is a matter of feeling, not of years." -George William Curtis "My vets have always told me that anything over 12 is a gift. Your cat lived to 20--you have been gifted, indeed." -Jacque Foreman "Some remedies are worse than the disease." -Publilius Syrus "Euthanasia: gentle death, painful decision." -Sarah Hartwell I am your dog I never cry when I am sad, Never complain when I feel bad. I wait patiently to be fed, never argue when it's time for bed. Never speak when I'm spoken to, no one knows when I feel blue. I make no big demands but just wait for a loving hand. I try to do what I am told, don't understand it when you scold. I wish I could speak like you for I would say 'I love you too.' I am your dog. - unknown "One of the most frequent inquiries I receive, usually couched in half-embarrassed language, is if someone should be considered weird because he talks to his dog. Personally, I have spent a lifetime including my pets in the conversation--and we all know there's nothing weird about me!" -Betty White "The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me." -Helen Exley The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -Ann Landers There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. -Ben Williams Dogs are miracles with paws. -Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. -Andy Rooney The more people I meet, the more I like my cats. -Leo Grillo We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made. -M. Acklam Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate. -Sigmund Freud I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. -Rita Rudner A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. -Robert Benchley Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog. -Franklin P. Jones Scratch a dog, and you have a permanent job. -Franklin P. Jones If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. -James Thurber If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise. -Unknown My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money. -Joe Weinstein Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth! -Anne Tyler Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures, and cats like authors for the same reasons. -Robertson Davies If cats could talk, they wouldn't. -Nan Porter It's impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittnens. -Cynthia E. Varnado Speak softly and own a big, mean Doberman. -Dave Miliman If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. -Mark Twain Heaven goes by favor. If It went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." - Mark Twain You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!' - Dave Barry Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras No matter how litte money and how few possessions you own, having dog makes you rich. -Louis Sabin If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. -Phil Pastoret "The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." -Samuel Butler "A well trained dog will make no attempt to share your lunch. He will just make you feel so guilty that you cannot enjoy it." -Helen Thomson "The dog has an enviable mind. It remembers the nice things in life and quickly blots out the nasty." -Barbara Woodhouse "My little dog- a heartbeat at my feet." -Edith Wharton "To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afteroon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing is not boring- it was peace." -Milan Kundera "Cats carve paw prints on our hearts." "You never see a cat lover's car parked outside a psychiatrist's office." "Who among us hasn't envided a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life and to relax completely?" -Karen Brademeyer "Something happens when a cat is in the room; a sort of cozy, at-peace ambience ensues." "Far better than riches to receive a cat's kisses." "When you befriend a cat, you reward yourself." "Beware of people who dislike cats." - Irish proverb "Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless he's owned a dog. A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather though a lifetime of handshakes." -Gene Hill "When you leave them [dogs] in the morning, they stick their nose in the door crack and stand there like a portrait until you turn the key eight hours later." - unknown "Dogs and humans are symbiotic species. We need each other." - Cynthia Heimel "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 "Dogs are us, only innocent." - Cynthia Heimel "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi "The greatness of a nation may be measured by the way it treats its animals." - Mahatma Gandhi "The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as how they look upon the murder of men." - Leonardo Da Vinci "We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle; easily and often breached. Yet, still we would live no other way." - Irving Townsend "It is man's concern for all living creatures that makes him truly human." - Albert Schweitzer "Cats invented self-esteem; there is not an insecure bone in their body." - Erma Bombeck I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. "I have done something," He replied. "I created you." - Jim Willis I Killed Your Cat Today Suddenly he was there in front of me. A busy highway no-where to swerve no way to stop. He looked right at me. Do you mourn him? Please don't replace him Irresponsible owner. It really wouldn't be fair For you to break Another's heart Like that poor cat broke mine. ~ Mary L. Dresser "Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet." ~Colette "Similarities create friendships while differences hold them together." ~unknown "A true friend is one who knows all about you and likes you anyway." ~Christi Mary Warner "Friends are the sunshine of life." ~John Hay "I've learned that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goffy with." ~Andy Rooney "I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being." ~Hafiz "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~Dr. Seuss "We can choose to make our love for each other what our lives are really about." ~Werner Erhard "I love you to the moon and back again, to infinity and beyond, forever and forever." ~unknown "You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." Franklin P. Jones "A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences." ~Dave Meurer --------------------------- http://www.annabelle.net http://www.brainyquotes.com http://www.inspirationpeak.com http://www.terimartin.com http://www.quotegallery.com http://www.quotegarden.com http://www.quoteland.com http://www.quotationspage.com http://www.worldofquotes.com http://www.famous-quotations.com http://thenaspoems.com http://www.lyricsdownload.com http://www.letssingit.com http://www.lyricsworld.com http://www.elyrics.net http://www.seeklyrics.com