Wednesday medley

It's time for Terri's questions of the week:

Everything below this line is from the National Day Calendar Website.

RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY – August 28

RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28th sets aside a day to remember the pet companions we’ve lost.

The death of a pet, whether furry, feathered, or an uncommon variety, is felt deeply. They become family and a familiar part of our lives. Mourning their death is different for everyone, and the observance provides a way to help heal the ache of loss.

The pain of loss is real. As each person travels through their grief, we remember the companionship and comfort they provided to us. Don’t forget that part of the relationship included care provided by you. The empty space left by the loss of a beloved pet is sometimes a difficult void to overcome.

Celebrate the home you provided and the joy your beloved pet brought you in return. When you are ready, you will know the time has arrived to find a new ‘critter’ to replace the emptiness felt. There are many animals yet to find a home. In time, you can be their new home.

HOW TO OBSERVE #RainbowBridgeRemembranceDay

Take time to enjoy memories of your pet. Look through pictures. Consider a visit to an animal shelter if you feel ready. Volunteering time may help the adjustment.  Use #RainbowBridgeRemembranceDay to share on social media.

RAINBOW BRIDGE REMEMBRANCE DAY HISTORY

Deborah Barnes founded Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day in honor of her cat, Mr. Jazz. Cats are fascinating and lovable, little friends to have around the home. We miss them when they leave us. Truthfully, it’s the same with any pet.

Everything above this line is from the National Day Calendar Website.

This is Terri typing... I am in the hospital today, getting my knee replacement!!  I wrote this last weekend to post today and I look forward to reading about your special pet(s).

Terri believes in the premise of the Rainbow Bridge. Rather than post five questions, she just wants the Meddlers to tell us about a special pet in your life who is no longer with you. Let's do this with love and hope rather than sadness and tears!!

GO:

At the end, you may also tell us about your week so far!

Well, alright....

Let's talk about Molly.

When Drew and I got married, we knew we wanted to have animals in our home. 

Drew's sister found a pregnant stray cat, and gave us one of the kittens.  I named the cat Mr. Mistoffeles (yeah, it was the 80's, and Andrew Lloyd Webber shows were dominating Broadway...), and almost immediately shortened his name to Misty.  Drew said that since I had "my cat", he wanted "his dog".  We went to an animal shelter in search of a puppy, but wound up with a two year old beagle instead.  We named her Molly.

I've found that most beagles are either smart and nasty or stupid and sweet.  Molly was sweet. Not very clever, but very loving and affectionate.

At the time we lived in a ground floor apartment in Brooklyn.  I will never forget the time Molly got out and I had to chase her all over the neighborhood -- I was in my bathrobe and slippers.  I never caught her, but eventually she ran back home. I was so angry.

But the time I really wanted to kill her...

Our apartment was furnished in a style I laughingly referred to as "early modern marriage".  You know, furniture collected from our parents and other relatives...I'd resurrected a Danish modern couch from my parents' basement, and my aunt had sewn new foam cushions for the couch.  We came home from work one day to find the foam cushions completely shredded...it seems beagles like to dig....

We were fortunate that she didn't like to chew; the armrests of that Danish modern couch had been spackled to cover up the tooth marks of another beagle, my childhood pal Jojo.

But then we moved to Queens, and our daughter Jen was born.  And Molly took to sleeping under Jen's crib.  Molly was a barker (she was a beagle, after all), but  the only time I ever, EVER heard Molly growl was when she thought someone was threatening Jen (and later, she was just as protective of our younger daughter Becca).

But what earned Molly her place in doggie heaven...when Jen was a toddler, first learning to stand and walk...she'd get to her knees, put one hand on Molly's ear, put her other hand on Molly's other ear...and use Molly's head as leverage to bring herself to a standing position.

And Molly would look at me with those big, brown eyes, as if to say "the things I do for love..."

I've had many cats in my life since then, but I've never had another dog.  She was one of a kind.

So, my week so far....

We had some unwelcome excitement in the office Monday.  All of our conference rooms have beautiful sliding glass doors. Monday afternoon we all heard a loud crash, followed by the sound of glass shattering, as a conference room door fell off its track and hit the floor.  Fortunately, no one was hurt. But we're all approaching the other conference rooms with extreme caution.

Yesterday my daughter Jen called to tell me she landed a new job.  She'll be working for our police department, as a civilian employee.  It involves doing background checks and other investigations. It's three pay grades higher than her job with the Department of Social Services, and there's a lot of opportunity for advancement.

Five minutes later I was on the phone with my daughter Becca.  Becca works in the business and marketing department of a large law firm.  Her job is to promote the firm's business interests.  She told me that she has also landed a new job; she'll be doing the same thing at another law firm, with a significant increase in salary.

I am so proud of both girls!