gdata.io.handleScriptLoaded({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830174543241873776"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-11-02T20:36:24.798-04:00"},"category":[{"term":"Gotcha Day"},{"term":"travel"},{"term":"christmas"},{"term":"shopping"},{"term":"movies"},{"term":"pet loss"},{"term":"food"},{"term":"pet adoption"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Jersey Doggy"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Leaving our paw prints across The Garden State...and beyond!"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/-/pet+loss?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d5"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/-/pet+loss?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d5"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.thejerseydoggy.com/search/label/pet%20loss"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"TheJerseyMomma"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/15250348786720873911"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m9MrPko8xNSuoaA9RUUiv_qVPF4AHrpTq4uaahUghUocvGIZUaJj-UtcKq0QMW-8foHWJqqduTFsoBmiqJRzfXar4Pg7cUzZirTF21G9xx20JcP6wqczmHXYG8tbw/s220/1545603_1075208992531938_4548202592371730516_n.jpg"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"https://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"5"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"5"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830174543241873776.post-7522461645172503591"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-12T05:00:00.004-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-13T22:03:09.847-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet loss"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"My Experience with an Animal Communicator"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Have you ever wondered what your pet was thinking? \u0026nbsp;I know I do, all the time. I even make up voices for him, so he can 'answer' me (\u003ci\u003edon't pretend YOU don't, too!\u003c/i\u003e). Some people claim they have the ability to ‘talk’ to animals by telepathically reading their thoughts. Sonya Fitzpatrick, a well-known animal communicator and former TV star, has written books on the subject and even has a radio talk show. I read Sonya's first book, \u003ca href\u003d\"https://amzn.to/3dWVpdP\" rel\u003d\"nofollow\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eWhat the Animals Tell Me\u003c/a\u003e, and I thought it was really interesting (one of the last chapters of that book deals with pet loss, too). \u0026nbsp;I spoke to someone recently who had a phone reading with her after the loss of her dog. \u0026nbsp;She was very comforted by what Sonya said, but she was out a lot of money after that - I think it cost her at least $300 (but you can check Sonya's website for the exact fee).\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgwMISh5HJ8/YHRAawWmjRI/AAAAAAAB63k/SthweOW1A0kmwVZ2nnezIp-nWyxfUj5iwCPcBGAsYHg/s1200/IMG_9191.PNG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"628\" data-original-width\u003d\"1200\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgwMISh5HJ8/YHRAawWmjRI/AAAAAAAB63k/SthweOW1A0kmwVZ2nnezIp-nWyxfUj5iwCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_9191.PNG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cb style\u003d\"font-size: xx-large;\"\u003eWhat Purpose Does an Animal Communicator Serve?\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\nSo why bother trying to communicate with pets? \u0026nbsp;Many claim it helps pet owners better understand their pet’s needs, or can help combat unwanted behavior. \u0026nbsp;Some animal communicators offer assistance in missing pet cases, or even to help detect animal abuse. Personally, I think there are a few reasons why the average person chooses to use animal communicators, and one is curiosity. If you can afford it or you're not forced to pay an outrageous fee, why not give it a try? It's fun to see if the communicator can tell you anything useful or accurate. It might just help you understand your dog better, or it might just be a fun thing to try. Another reason is pet loss. I know so many people who have lost pets (myself included) and they are just looking for closure or some kind of way to make sure their fur baby is safe or still with them.\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\nHow Do Animal Communicators Work?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nMy husband will tell you that they \u003ci\u003edon't\u003c/i\u003e, and that it's all just hocus pocus. \u0026nbsp;And it very well might be, but I'd like . But if you are willing to keep an open mind, they say that each animal communicator operates in their own style. \u0026nbsp;Some need to touch the pet to ‘hear’ their thoughts, others just need to see a photo to pick up on the pet’s ‘vibes.’ \u0026nbsp;One animal communicator who I spoke with said animals communicate to her through a series of pictures in her mind.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\nSo What’s it Like to Visit an Animal Communicator?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI visited an animal communicator here in New Jersey named Lorraine Moore, shortly after we adopted our rescue puppy, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thejerseydoggy.blogspot.com/p/spot.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSpot\u003c/a\u003e. We didn’t know much about what breed he was, or even where he came from (I think he is most closely related to Sir Didymus from Labyrinth, but that's just my opinion). \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8so595pFNMs/VFTm51MMMaI/AAAAAAAABsA/YIlwtupt0XE/s1600/10456237_10204896764649651_5374328175931379452_n.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8so595pFNMs/VFTm51MMMaI/AAAAAAAABsA/YIlwtupt0XE/s640/10456237_10204896764649651_5374328175931379452_n.jpg\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\"Ambrosius!\"\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nLorraine was making an appearance at our local Cherrybrook pet store, so I signed up to meet her, just for fun. \u0026nbsp;I paid $25 for a 15 minute time slot. \u0026nbsp;Spot came with me, and seemed very excited about the whole trip. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003e\nWhat She Told Me\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI must admit, I was skeptical at first. \u0026nbsp;But I was eerily surprised by what she said. \u0026nbsp;The moment she saw Spot, she began to pet him and said, ‘You’re a good man, yes you are.’ \u0026nbsp;I was taken aback, because this is a nickname we have for him that not too many people know. \u0026nbsp;I had just said to him yesterday, ‘you are a good man, aren’t you?’ \u0026nbsp;When I explained this to her, she said, ‘well, that’s what he was telling me, he said, ‘mommy says I’m a good man.’ \u0026nbsp;Hmmm. \u0026nbsp;Next she told me what breed she thought he was (a maltese/schnauzer mix?), and where he came from (a breeder trying to make a designer breed did not like the result of the litter), both of which made a lot of sense to me, from what I know of his history. \u0026nbsp;She also told me that he hears me counting in my head (which I do when trying to train him) and that he doesn’t like it when I close the bathroom door (also extremely true). \u0026nbsp;She said he sees \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thejerseydoggy.blogspot.com/p/milo_4.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMilo\u003c/a\u003e, our deceased dog, around the house (although she did not use Milo's name). \u0026nbsp;She said simple things, like he loves looking out the windows (so true)...\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lVQ5YFEbvN0/VFZVRlp6roI/AAAAAAAACu0/Q62_kzPqZJw/s1600/10430857_10204884141254074_1507127943400161203_n.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"480\" src\u003d\"https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lVQ5YFEbvN0/VFZVRlp6roI/AAAAAAAACu0/Q62_kzPqZJw/s640/10430857_10204884141254074_1507127943400161203_n.jpg\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n...and that the squirrels drive him NUTS. \u0026nbsp;This might be true of all dogs but she was dead on with this one- squirrels make him literally INSANE. She mentioned his love of running and that I should make sure he stays safe and leashed because of this. Another odd tidbit she pointed out was that there were stray cats in our yard and Milo (our first dog) was upset that the cats have not been respecting Spot's boundaries. It is very true that we have feral cats in the woods behind our home. I have not seen them near our house (they usually stay in the woods), so I kind of shrugged it off.\u0026nbsp; Lorraine said that Milo told her he used to keep the cats away, but that they are coming nearer and not respecting Spot's boundaries. I didn't think much of the cat story, but I kids you not, within a few days of her telling me this, I opened our patio door to find a cat sitting on the chair on our deck.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nIn short, could she have guessed any of the things she told me, like a well-studied con-artist? I suppose she could have. \u0026nbsp;But mentioning his special nickname right off the bat was mysterious, and so was the cat story. \u0026nbsp;Some of the things she said, I don’t know how she could have possibly guessed them. \u0026nbsp;I had yet to put anything about Spot on the internet, really, so there was not much research she could have done on me at that point, had she been a fake.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI liked Lorraine, personally. \u0026nbsp;She was easy to talk to and Spot liked her, too. \u0026nbsp;I liked her enough to come back for a second reading, to see if she could tell me anything about Milo, who passed in 2013. \u0026nbsp;But we'll save that for another blog entry.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7A9_jTsiIU/VFTnmJ9rggI/AAAAAAAABsI/yW4iLU3CHg0/s1600/1098062_10201671741306083_1377888334_n.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"443\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t7A9_jTsiIU/VFTnmJ9rggI/AAAAAAAABsI/yW4iLU3CHg0/s640/1098062_10201671741306083_1377888334_n.jpg\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003eWhat did Lorraine say about you, my sweet boy?\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\nIs It Worth It?\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nThat’s something you’d have to decide for yourself. \u0026nbsp;People think I am nuts for spending $25 on this, but hey, I don't get my nails done, I don't go to the spa- this is what I choose to spend my 25 bucks on, okay? \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI also know for those suffering with pet loss, a visit to an animal communicator might help put their hearts and minds at ease. \u0026nbsp;For this visit, it was mostly curiosity and for fun. \u0026nbsp;I’m glad I went- it was interesting and Spot enjoyed meeting her. \u0026nbsp;I feel like I bonded a little more with him, and whether she was legitimate or not, I try to keep the bathroom door open for him now. \u0026nbsp;He seems pretty happy with that.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1xEBSEb4LE/VFToAQAiYII/AAAAAAAABsQ/d3efMNBegR8/s1600/10626475_10204534249226992_3426359799122953655_n.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1xEBSEb4LE/VFToAQAiYII/AAAAAAAABsQ/d3efMNBegR8/s640/10626475_10204534249226992_3426359799122953655_n.jpg\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003eThe Good Man himself!\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/feeds/7522461645172503591/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2014/11/my-experience-with-animal-communicator.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/7522461645172503591"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/7522461645172503591"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2014/11/my-experience-with-animal-communicator.html","title":"My Experience with an Animal Communicator"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"TheJerseyMomma"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/15250348786720873911"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m9MrPko8xNSuoaA9RUUiv_qVPF4AHrpTq4uaahUghUocvGIZUaJj-UtcKq0QMW-8foHWJqqduTFsoBmiqJRzfXar4Pg7cUzZirTF21G9xx20JcP6wqczmHXYG8tbw/s220/1545603_1075208992531938_4548202592371730516_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgwMISh5HJ8/YHRAawWmjRI/AAAAAAAB63k/SthweOW1A0kmwVZ2nnezIp-nWyxfUj5iwCPcBGAsYHg/s72-c/IMG_9191.PNG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830174543241873776.post-1800010586310183538"},"published":{"$t":"2017-01-25T10:12:00.006-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-12T13:14:12.280-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet loss"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet adoption"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How Do You Know You're Ready for Another Dog? Life After Pet Loss"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"After losing a dog, a lot of people ask, '\u003ci\u003eHow do I know when to get another?' \u003c/i\u003eAlthough I'm no expert, my answer is always the same,\u003ci\u003e 'You'll know,' \u003c/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003e'The right dog will find you.'\u003c/i\u003e \u0026nbsp;Now, I'm not saying there's a dog out there with a compass and your photo (although, wouldn't that be cool?) but I truly believe that dogs are brought into our lives by a higher power. \u0026nbsp;Their love is so genuine, unconditional and pure, I just feel like there is some greater force at work that ties them to our lives and makes us better people.\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1DQKoEZlPgU/YHG0QTW5d3I/AAAAAAAB6uM/xCiu7GiMVVYlbRda1MqY53m5tVcvtkuNQCPcBGAsYHg/s1200/IMG_9127.PNG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"628\" data-original-width\u003d\"1200\" height\u003d\"335\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1DQKoEZlPgU/YHG0QTW5d3I/AAAAAAAB6uM/xCiu7GiMVVYlbRda1MqY53m5tVcvtkuNQCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h335/IMG_9127.PNG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003eAfter losing \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thejerseydoggy.blogspot.com/p/milo_4.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMilo\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;in 2013, I knew in my heart I was not ready for another dog, yet at the same time, I hated living life without a dog by my side. \u0026nbsp;I would visit my neighbor's dogs on a daily basis because I was so lonely for the feeling of a furry companion by my side. \u0026nbsp;I can't even explain it. \u0026nbsp;I just missed walking in step with a dog. \u0026nbsp;I am so grateful to Daisy and Lucy for getting me through some awful, lonely days. \u0026nbsp;Just seeing their sweet faces and walking next to them was a huge comfort (and I'm grateful to my neighbors for putting up with me hanging around their yard!).\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5pJSFnnJjk/YHG0aELBvCI/AAAAAAAB6uU/JX0a7hH3nZAmvNcqkSRAq_IkAbB5VCRBgCPcBGAsYHg/s1200/IMG_9130.PNG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"628\" data-original-width\u003d\"1200\" height\u003d\"334\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5pJSFnnJjk/YHG0aELBvCI/AAAAAAAB6uU/JX0a7hH3nZAmvNcqkSRAq_IkAbB5VCRBgCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h334/IMG_9130.PNG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\nWe happen to have an animal shelter less than five minutes from our house. \u0026nbsp;Shortly after Milo passed, I went there with our son to see a Jack Russell mix they had up on \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.petfinder.com/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003ePetfinder \u003c/a\u003e(see, I was looking at Petfinder. No harm in looking, was what I told myself). \u0026nbsp;This JRT was so cute and looked a lot like Milo. \u0026nbsp;His name was Benjamin Button, and when I saw him in the shelter, my heart dropped and I immediately whispered, \u003ci\u003e\"Oh my.\" \u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;But once I met him, I knew he wasn't meant for us. \u0026nbsp;He ran away from us and seemed so disinterested. \u0026nbsp;At one point he ran up to my son full force, pounced on his chest, then ran away. \u0026nbsp;I \u0026nbsp;knew he wasn't the right dog for us. \u0026nbsp;It was hard to leave him there in that shelter, hard to walk away, but I believed he was meant for someone else. \u0026nbsp;Sure enough, he was adopted a week or so later.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nThen there was the puppy from the shelter at the Farmer's Market. \u0026nbsp;A sweet basset hound mix who curled up in my lap and had ears as soft as silk. \u0026nbsp;\u003ci\u003e'You can take him home today,\u003c/i\u003e' the shelter volunteer coaxed. But then so many people swarmed around and seemed interested in him, especially a little girl nearby. \u0026nbsp;I kind of got pushed aside, so I thought,\u003ci\u003e 'he's not meant for me, either.' \u003c/i\u003ePerhaps he was destined to be the best friend to that little girl.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nThere was also the dog I met at a shelter fundraiser. \u0026nbsp;I took him for a walk. \u0026nbsp;His name was Jackson. \u0026nbsp;He was sweet, I was unsure. \u0026nbsp;I couldn't tell if I was feeling sorry for him or if I really wanted him. \u0026nbsp;Then all of a sudden he turned and tried to pee on me. \u0026nbsp;It was almost like he was saying, \u003ci\u003e'You're not right for me either.'\u003c/i\u003e\u0026nbsp;After I left him, I checked up on him on Petfinder, and sure enough, he was adopted by someone else, too.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nThere were other dogs in between. \u0026nbsp;Dogs who made me sneeze terribly and shelter groups that never followed through with calls or emails. \u0026nbsp;So I gave up. \u0026nbsp;I said,\u003ci\u003e 'forget this.'\u003c/i\u003e \u0026nbsp;And \u003ci\u003ethat's\u003c/i\u003e when \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thejerseydoggy.blogspot.com/p/spot.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSpot \u003c/a\u003ecame into our lives. \u0026nbsp;I didn't go looking for him, not exactly. \u0026nbsp;I didn't even want him, really, not exactly. \u0026nbsp;But there he was with his crazy black and white hair and scruffy beard. \u0026nbsp;There he was with his gentle spirit and long legs. He seemed to love our son and wanted to come home with us. It was like a little switch clicked inside of me that said, \u003ci\u003e'He's the one.'\u003c/i\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut don't get me wrong, it's not like we adopted him and there was a magical, perfect ending. \u0026nbsp;As I've said before, loving another dog doesn't make you \u003ci\u003estop \u003c/i\u003eloving the dog you lost. \u0026nbsp;Spot is one part of a long journey since losing my Milo. \u0026nbsp;Having him here means learning to let go a little bit, learning to release the grip I've been holding on Milo's memory, like the string of a balloon. \u0026nbsp;It doesn't mean I have to forget him (impossible anyway) it just means I have to learn to love another. \u0026nbsp;I \u003ci\u003ewant \u003c/i\u003eto learn to love another. \u0026nbsp;I want to make room in my heart for both of them, because I know what a gift a dog is. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yv7Lf_il1LE/YHG0qxxyFBI/AAAAAAAB6ug/bkZWosKh5t8vy3qrI0nRToNA7FEpux1DgCPcBGAsYHg/s1200/IMG_9126.PNG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" data-original-height\u003d\"628\" data-original-width\u003d\"1200\" height\u003d\"336\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yv7Lf_il1LE/YHG0qxxyFBI/AAAAAAAB6ug/bkZWosKh5t8vy3qrI0nRToNA7FEpux1DgCPcBGAsYHg/w640-h336/IMG_9126.PNG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/feeds/1800010586310183538/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2015/01/how-do-you-know-youre-ready-for-another.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/1800010586310183538"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/1800010586310183538"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2015/01/how-do-you-know-youre-ready-for-another.html","title":"How Do You Know You're Ready for Another Dog? Life After Pet Loss"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"TheJerseyMomma"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/15250348786720873911"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m9MrPko8xNSuoaA9RUUiv_qVPF4AHrpTq4uaahUghUocvGIZUaJj-UtcKq0QMW-8foHWJqqduTFsoBmiqJRzfXar4Pg7cUzZirTF21G9xx20JcP6wqczmHXYG8tbw/s220/1545603_1075208992531938_4548202592371730516_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1DQKoEZlPgU/YHG0QTW5d3I/AAAAAAAB6uM/xCiu7GiMVVYlbRda1MqY53m5tVcvtkuNQCPcBGAsYHg/s72-w640-c-h335/IMG_9127.PNG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830174543241873776.post-7010354446531509387"},"published":{"$t":"2016-12-01T08:00:00.006-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-13T22:04:48.743-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"movies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"christmas"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet loss"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Snowman and the Snowdog"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"As a dog lover and a mom, I love when I come across something beautiful- \u003ci\u003esomething worth sharing.\u003c/i\u003e \u0026nbsp;I have always enjoyed \u003ca href\u003d\"http://amzn.to/2fRdCK4\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eThe Snowman\u003c/a\u003e by Raymond Briggs, and last year, by some twist of fate, I came across the movie, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://amzn.to/2gRYGfo\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eThe Snowman and the Snowdog\u003c/a\u003e, which seemed to be some kind of sequel to The Snowman. Having just lost our \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thejerseydoggy.blogspot.com/p/milo_4.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMilo\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;that summer.\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e I thought this might be a cute DVD for my son to watch, so I quickly ordered it through Amazon. Here's the trailer:\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n\u003ciframe allow\u003d\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"\" frameborder\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"315\" src\u003d\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/_MbRoxS_5jY\" title\u003d\"YouTube video player\" width\u003d\"560\"\u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\nThe movie has beautiful music and soft pencil drawing animation. \u0026nbsp;It's also unique in that there is no dialogue, just like the original Snowman. \u0026nbsp;Only music. \u0026nbsp;But be forewarned if you have ever lost a pet- the movie begins with a boy and his old dog, moving into their new home. \u0026nbsp;The animators capture the slow movements and the gray fur of the old pup. \u0026nbsp;And, well, you can guess what happens as the story rolls on. \u0026nbsp;Fall comes and the little old dog is no longer with the little boy. \u0026nbsp;I cry every time I watch the story unfold- the absence of the dog, his empty bed, his little grave under the tree.   \n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhNLUFzpjZM/VJhgBN-CfRI/AAAAAAAAE2g/_npCM548hx8/s1600/snowdog.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"358\" src\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qhNLUFzpjZM/VJhgBN-CfRI/AAAAAAAAE2g/_npCM548hx8/w640-h358/snowdog.jpg\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nBut fear not, the story doesn't stay sad forever. \u0026nbsp;It's about finding happiness and new love again, and that's where the snowdog comes in. \u0026nbsp;The little boy creates a snowman and a snowdog, and he asks Santa to bring him a real dog for Christmas. \u0026nbsp;I won't give the story away, you'll have to see for yourself what happens. Another warning- this year the ending made my little one cry. \u0026nbsp;He has a sensitive heart! \u0026nbsp;So if you plan on showing it to children, check out the synopsis of it on \u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-snowman-and-the-snowdog\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eCommonSenseMedia \u003c/a\u003eto see if it's right for your child.    \n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mgXyeHDmKBg/VJhjQnVLTkI/AAAAAAAAE2s/Wd6wuRfzd7Y/s1600/download.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"424\" src\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mgXyeHDmKBg/VJhjQnVLTkI/AAAAAAAAE2s/Wd6wuRfzd7Y/s640/download.jpg\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ephoto courtesy of mirror.co.uk\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI realized this year, our second Christmas without our sweet Milo, that Santa has blessed us with our own snowdog. \u0026nbsp;\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thejerseydoggy.blogspot.com/p/spot.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSpot \u003c/a\u003eresembles the snowdog from the story in so many ways- his funny ears, his funny spots, his little marble eyes. \u0026nbsp;And not only that, the new love he brought to \u003ci\u003eour \u003c/i\u003elittle boy and his family. \u0026nbsp;This holiday season, I wish you all your own little snowdogs. \u0026nbsp;May the magic of Christmas touch your hearts, too.    \n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s8EWwnZCxkY/VJhkZ1vpK3I/AAAAAAAAE28/IllTM79miJ4/s1600/IMG_7021.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s8EWwnZCxkY/VJhkZ1vpK3I/AAAAAAAAE28/IllTM79miJ4/s640/IMG_7021.JPG\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\"But my ears are not that color, momma.\"\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZHEKvLrzQ0/VJhkTLrzR0I/AAAAAAAAE20/JI3VUJ6OziY/s1600/IMG_7020.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"480\" src\u003d\"https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZHEKvLrzQ0/VJhkTLrzR0I/AAAAAAAAE20/JI3VUJ6OziY/s640/IMG_7020.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003eWhat 'chu lookin' at, Snow Dog?\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cscript type\u003d\"text/javascript\"\u003e\namzn_assoc_placement \u003d \"adunit0\";\namzn_assoc_search_bar \u003d \"true\";\namzn_assoc_tracking_id \u003d \"teamrsz-20\";\namzn_assoc_ad_mode \u003d \"manual\";\namzn_assoc_ad_type \u003d \"smart\";\namzn_assoc_marketplace \u003d \"amazon\";\namzn_assoc_region \u003d \"US\";\namzn_assoc_title \u003d \"My Amazon Picks\";\namzn_assoc_linkid \u003d \"043275cd2aee554b9974c082972b6933\";\namzn_assoc_asins \u003d \"B00DOZRT0W,B00CU9QFJO,0718196554,B00KPE2W7A\";\n\u003c/script\u003e \u003cscript src\u003d\"//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace\u003dUS\"\u003e\u003c/script\u003e    \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/feeds/7010354446531509387/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2014/12/the-snowman-and-snowdog.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/7010354446531509387"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/7010354446531509387"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2014/12/the-snowman-and-snowdog.html","title":"The Snowman and the Snowdog"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"TheJerseyMomma"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/15250348786720873911"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m9MrPko8xNSuoaA9RUUiv_qVPF4AHrpTq4uaahUghUocvGIZUaJj-UtcKq0QMW-8foHWJqqduTFsoBmiqJRzfXar4Pg7cUzZirTF21G9xx20JcP6wqczmHXYG8tbw/s220/1545603_1075208992531938_4548202592371730516_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_MbRoxS_5jY/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830174543241873776.post-8096924104388454446"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-04T09:57:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-12T10:27:44.265-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet loss"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet adoption"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gotcha Day"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Celebrating Gotcha Day!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Today is Spot's 2nd Gotcha Day! For anyone who doesn't know what a Gotcha Day is, it's the day you celebrate when you first adopted your new companion, or the day when you first 'got them.' Get it? I can't believe we've had Spoteens for two years now! It seems like much longer. In honor of his special Gotcha Day, I am going to share a story with you.\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e You might not believe it. You might think I'm crazy. That's okay. I will share it anyway. Take from it what you will.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsN-K-LazU0/VsnQUYYvVvI/AAAAAAAANqk/dAW7xnRkt5c/s1600/IMG_1966.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsN-K-LazU0/VsnQUYYvVvI/AAAAAAAANqk/dAW7xnRkt5c/s640/IMG_1966.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003c!--more--\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\nMilo passed away in 2013, and after I lost him, I still felt connected to him in so many ways. How could I not? He was like a part of me when he was here. He was my constant companion. Even though he had passed away, I sometimes got pictures of him in my head. I could see him places we had never been before. Sometimes I would get a flash of him on a beach, or by a river. Sometimes by a farm house or in a field. Once I even pictured him on a boat. Was I imagining these things? Was my mind making it all up? I don't know. All I know was that they were places I had never seen before, but so beautiful, and crystal clear. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzWbN66JdOI/VsivpkCAUHI/AAAAAAAANqU/EvesPFhkDsM/s1600/IMG_1951.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"450\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzWbN66JdOI/VsivpkCAUHI/AAAAAAAANqU/EvesPFhkDsM/s640/IMG_1951.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003eMy Milo\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\nA few days after Milo passed, I got an image of him in my mind. He was swimming in what looked like a giant lake or a river. It was kind of shadowy, as early evening would be. I could see his head treading above water (even now I can picture it in my mind so clearly). The water was very still. He looked peaceful and happy, just swimming slowly. Off in the distance I could see a little town or village- tops of buildings above the grass. And then off to his right there was a bridge with a little lantern hanging on it. There was a dog on this bridge watching him. I couldn't see this dog as clearly as I saw Milo. I just saw a profile, and the dog was standing there watching him swim. I couldn't even tell what color the dog was (I would describe it best as a shadow, or something you were seeing with your peripheral vision). That was all I remember. But the image was so clear and vivid that I can flash back to it, even today. I don't see anything else in the image, just that.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\nI thought about it for a while, and I believed at the time that the other dog I was seeing was our old family dog, Corky, who had passed away when I was younger. The dog I saw resembled her as a puppy, so I thought maybe it was her, welcoming Milo over. That brought me a lot of comfort.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-1JC36vuck/VsitSI_GTtI/AAAAAAAANqI/PSuW1HLKuFY/s1600/Image-1%2B%252819%2529.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-1JC36vuck/VsitSI_GTtI/AAAAAAAANqI/PSuW1HLKuFY/s640/Image-1%2B%252819%2529.jpg\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003eCorky, early 1980's\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nMonths later, Spot came into our lives. He sure was different than Milo, but I loved him just the same. The connection I had with Milo was so special. I knew I didn't quite have that with Spot, but I tried so hard to make him love me. It took a long time for him to accept all of us as a family. He was a loving, sweet dog, but he didn't trust us right away, and I guess I don't blame him. Who knows where he was before he came to us? I don't know anything about his prior life. But to anyone who is adopting a new dog after losing another, I just urge you to give it time. Spot and I didn't click right away. It took time, but he is such a bright, shining light in all of our lives, like a little ball of love. You need to give that new dog a chance. Here's why. Shortly after we adopted Spot, he was sitting on the sofa staring out the window. He looked so cute that I took a picture. But when I looked at the picture, I did a double take. Something struck me right away when I looked at it.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsADGxriOg8/VsipR_pgOzI/AAAAAAAANp8/ZX8OdBVck30/s1600/Image-1%2B%252818%2529.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsADGxriOg8/VsipR_pgOzI/AAAAAAAANp8/ZX8OdBVck30/s640/Image-1%2B%252818%2529.jpg\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\nHe kind of looked like the dog I had seen in that image in my mind, the one who was watching Milo from the bridge. I tried to make sense of it. Where would Spot have been when Milo passed away? I did some math. He hadn't been born yet. Is it possible this little angel had been on the other side, waiting on the bridge for the torch to be passed, so to speak? I'll never know. I just know what I saw and what I can pass on to you.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\nThere is a scene from the movie Dances with Wolves that I have always loved. The character Wind in His Hair explains something important to Kevin Costner's character, Dances with Wolves. Costner's character marries a girl named Stands with a Fist (who was the widow of Wind's friend).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWind in His Hair\u003c/b\u003e: You know the man she \u0026nbsp;mourned for, he was my best friend.\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDances with Wolves\u003c/b\u003e: \u0026nbsp;I didn't know that.\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWind in His Hair\u003c/b\u003e: He was a good man. It has been hard for me to like you. I am not the thinker. Kicking Bird is. I always feel anger first. There were no answers to my questions. But now I think he went away because you were coming. That is how I see it.\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\nI can't explain this life. I can't explain what happens after we leave it. Is it possible someone leaves our life so another can come in, or so that our life can take another direction? Perhaps we're all just part of a bigger picture. I don't know. But I know Milo was here for a reason, and I know what he brought me in my life and how much he gave me. Spot already gives us all so much, so perhaps he is here for a reason, too. Happy Gotcha Day, little one. I may not know what the bigger picture is, but I know there \u003ci\u003eis \u003c/i\u003eone.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\"But now I think he went away because you were coming. That is how I see it.\"\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/feeds/8096924104388454446/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2016/02/celebrating-gotcha-day.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/8096924104388454446"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/8096924104388454446"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2016/02/celebrating-gotcha-day.html","title":"Celebrating Gotcha Day!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"TheJerseyMomma"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/15250348786720873911"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m9MrPko8xNSuoaA9RUUiv_qVPF4AHrpTq4uaahUghUocvGIZUaJj-UtcKq0QMW-8foHWJqqduTFsoBmiqJRzfXar4Pg7cUzZirTF21G9xx20JcP6wqczmHXYG8tbw/s220/1545603_1075208992531938_4548202592371730516_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nsN-K-LazU0/VsnQUYYvVvI/AAAAAAAANqk/dAW7xnRkt5c/s72-c/IMG_1966.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8830174543241873776.post-7885031066948925680"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-18T19:14:00.006-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-12T10:27:35.458-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pet loss"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Life Diminished"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"One of the reasons I started this blog was because I thought I could help people with pet loss, since I am currently going through it. \u0026nbsp;But I don't know how I am supposed to help people when I can't even help myself.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beQS3QG74tw/VLxHFlvpZyI/AAAAAAAAFlQ/84X6u54CBeA/s1600/IMG_7183.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"480\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beQS3QG74tw/VLxHFlvpZyI/AAAAAAAAFlQ/84X6u54CBeA/s1600/IMG_7183.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca name\u003d'more'\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eI wanted to write about the birthday cake I made for Milo last year.\u0026nbsp; It was the first birthday without him. He would've been 15, and he had only been gone seven months.\u0026nbsp; So I made him what I called a \"Heaven and Earth\" cake, one with two different flavors and his name written across the middle.\u0026nbsp; I ate a piece cut from the center, so it would feel like I was representing both realms. It actually helped a little.\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThat was a hard day, and I wanted to write about all of that, and show pictures of the cake and birthdays past. \u0026nbsp;Ah, birthdays \u003ci\u003epast\u003c/i\u003e. \u0026nbsp;That's where the trouble started. \u0026nbsp;Scrolling through all of those pictures, all of those memories to put on the blog.\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXp4unjj9Ek/VLxINDCZ4xI/AAAAAAAAFlY/9ar61GPg_jc/s1600/IMG_7184.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"420\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXp4unjj9Ek/VLxINDCZ4xI/AAAAAAAAFlY/9ar61GPg_jc/s1600/IMG_7184.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eMilo's 8th Birthday\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Wl3dRTyVtA/VLxIohZXFwI/AAAAAAAAFlk/owuxGRdMvrA/s1600/IMG_7903.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Wl3dRTyVtA/VLxIohZXFwI/AAAAAAAAFlk/owuxGRdMvrA/s1600/IMG_7903.JPG\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"All of these balloons for me, Mummy?\" Milo's 12th Birthday\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-Y-L8-UitM/VLxJRUfWVlI/AAAAAAAAFls/_m2wj65XDVI/s1600/IMG_7185.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"476\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-Y-L8-UitM/VLxJRUfWVlI/AAAAAAAAFls/_m2wj65XDVI/s1600/IMG_7185.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eMilo's 14th Birthday, the last we celebrated together.\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nThe next thing you know I am sitting on the bathroom floor, crying, back to that feeling of utter disbelief that he is gone, that I am in this world without him. \u0026nbsp;I try not to let myself cry anymore. \u0026nbsp;It is too overwhelming, and if I let it happen, I would be crying every day. \u0026nbsp;People who know me probably think I have dealt with Milo's death fairly well. \u0026nbsp;But the truth is, I think about him every day. \u0026nbsp;\u003ci\u003eEvery day.\u003c/i\u003e \u0026nbsp;I wake up in the morning and I open the blinds, and I look up at the sky and I whisper, \"Good morning, Milo.\" \u0026nbsp;And at the end of the day, before I close the blinds, I look up at the stars and the moon and I whisper, \"Goodnight, Milo.\" That is how I start and end each day. \u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRr1UqUh0TU/VLxKZprjrsI/AAAAAAAAFl0/GZ5Wm_R4foY/s1600/DSC00309.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRr1UqUh0TU/VLxKZprjrsI/AAAAAAAAFl0/GZ5Wm_R4foY/s1600/DSC00309.JPG\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eHe loved swinging on the swings. \u0026nbsp;I loved him so much.\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\nI saw this quote recently on the \u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.facebook.com/muttscomics\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMutts Facebook page\u003c/a\u003e, and it really sums things up perfectly: \u0026nbsp;\u003ci\u003e\"Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.\"\u003c/i\u003e And sometimes I hate to admit that because I know how lucky I am to have Spot. \u0026nbsp;I know how empty my life would be without him. \u0026nbsp;But loving another dog doesn't make me stop loving Milo, and it certainly doesn't make me stop missing him. \u0026nbsp;I can't explain my grief very well. \u0026nbsp;It is what it is, and a life diminished is how it feels. \u0026nbsp;At the moment I feel like I am at the bottom of a hill, trying to climb back up. \u0026nbsp;I know my grief is a journey. \u0026nbsp;But knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. \u003ci\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/i\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ctable align\u003d\"center\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\"tr-caption-container\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esZEKC9D9I8/VLsTKzyJu4I/AAAAAAAAFh8/L2Bit2Hd-aU/s1600/10931349_10153506294429746_5522005895820130940_n.jpg\" style\u003d\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"640\" src\u003d\"https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esZEKC9D9I8/VLsTKzyJu4I/AAAAAAAAFh8/L2Bit2Hd-aU/s1600/10931349_10153506294429746_5522005895820130940_n.jpg\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd class\u003d\"tr-caption\" style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ephoto property of Muttscomics.com\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p79g8wMDCu4/VLxLfk-ZChI/AAAAAAAAFmE/IAxjiYwcHfY/s1600/DSC00304.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"480\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p79g8wMDCu4/VLxLfk-ZChI/AAAAAAAAFmE/IAxjiYwcHfY/s1600/DSC00304.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\"Nothing can come between\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eyou and I\u0026nbsp;\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eNot even the gods above\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003ecan separate the two of us\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eNo, nothing can come between\u0026nbsp;\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eyou and I...\"\u003c/i\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CPH_NkUoJEA/VMLp-nL99dI/AAAAAAAAFsQ/POrpS5W3HXU/s1600/IMG_1347.JPG\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" height\u003d\"478\" src\u003d\"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CPH_NkUoJEA/VMLp-nL99dI/AAAAAAAAFsQ/POrpS5W3HXU/s1600/IMG_1347.JPG\" width\u003d\"640\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eI miss you, my friend.\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eLyrics by One Direction\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style\u003d\"background-color: #ccccdd; font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: x-small;\"\u003eWriter(s): Julian C. Bunetta\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style\u003d\"background-color: #ccccdd; font-family: \u0026quot;verdana\u0026quot; , \u0026quot;arial\u0026quot;; font-size: x-small;\"\u003eCopyright: Holy Cannoli Music\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/feeds/7885031066948925680/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2015/01/a-life-diminished.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/7885031066948925680"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/8830174543241873776/posts/default/7885031066948925680"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.thejerseydoggy.com/2015/01/a-life-diminished.html","title":"A Life Diminished"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"TheJerseyMomma"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/15250348786720873911"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m9MrPko8xNSuoaA9RUUiv_qVPF4AHrpTq4uaahUghUocvGIZUaJj-UtcKq0QMW-8foHWJqqduTFsoBmiqJRzfXar4Pg7cUzZirTF21G9xx20JcP6wqczmHXYG8tbw/s220/1545603_1075208992531938_4548202592371730516_n.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-beQS3QG74tw/VLxHFlvpZyI/AAAAAAAAFlQ/84X6u54CBeA/s72-c/IMG_7183.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}}]}});