Claimed, gathered and sent

It has been a very difficult and emotional week for us as a family. Ray's retired Seeing Eye dog, Abby, was put to sleep on Monday. All the animals in our family knew it was time, including Abby. She was just done--tired of the pain of arthritis and her body not working like it used to. All of us miss her very much. Amity has been looking especially melancholy, while Pokey, the cat continues to look around for his buddy. The doctors and staff at Emmitsburg Veterinary Hospital   were so wonderfully compassionate. The vet was crying with us as Abby was put to sleep. They care so deeply at that place. Even when we saw the folks at the main desk on our way out, they were crying with us. In the midst of all of this, the community at LTSG carried us with their love and thoughtfulness. From classmates that are still here to those already on internship, from the Dean to the President to Pr. Vickie Brown, who put together and conducted a burial service for Abby, the community of God...

Sophia wrote: My son's tiny beloved lizard, Elf, is looking and acting strange this week. His skin/scales are quite dark, and he is lethargic. We are adding vitamin drops to his lettuce and spinach and hoping and praying that he is just getting ready to shed his skin--but it's too soon to tell. Others in the ring have also been worried about beloved pets this week. And, in the saddest news of all, Songbird has had to bid farewell to her precious Molly , the amazing dog who is well known to readers of her blog as a constant sacrament of God's unconditional love. So in memory of Molly, and in honor of all the beloved animal companions who bless our lives: tell us about the five most memorable pets you have known. The first is my beloved black lab, Tasha who I had to say good-bye to a number of years ago. She loved everyone and if she saw anyone playing a with a ball, she wanted to play too. Abby, who is still with us is next. She's Ray's retired Seeing Eye Dog. Abby...

Abby (L) Amity (R) I've done lots of writing about Abby and Amity and posted pictures of other similar looking dogs. Now that I have a digital camera here they are! Amity & Ray Amity is doing a fine job as a guide dog and Abby is doing a fine job of holding down the rug in retirement and loving the freedom of being fussed over by everyone. For her it's open season for petting. And since being here at seminary where there are lots of dogs, they have boyfriends or should I say dogfriends. The first is Gus, a huge, gentle giant of a Pit Bull. Abby met him first. After Amity joined the family, she liked him also. When the girls see Gus, their whole demeanor changes like teenagers seeing a rock star. Their faces light up, their tales start wagging. It's like they're saying, "He's here!" The problem was, both gi...