Friday, March 19, 2010
Shorty after Sol passed CFPR contacted me with an idea. They wanted to setup a memorial fund in Sol's name to benefit their hospice pugs. I immediately loved the idea because that was what Sol was all about - turning a negative into a positive. It is incredibly sad without Solsey, but here is one good thing that could come from her death. She could help other senior pugs that were just like her, a little advanced in age, but still had a lot of life left to live. And so the Sol "Sunshine" Memorial was born.
Having never been owned by a true senior pug, Sol taught me a lot. Yes, there were a lot of vet visits and there were extra meds to be given and sometimes special accommodations needed to be made, but go for one pouch walk or feed one spaghetti dinner and suddenly there is no doubt that all of the other things are worth it. I think it is the closest you can get to seeing pure joy. Nothing brought a bigger smile to my face than seeing Sol spin in excitement all the way to her spaghetti bowl, or run to get put in her pouch or beat all the other pugs to the garage to be first in the car. And then, at the end of the day, Sol would be tuckered out from all her adventures and she would curl up at your feet and gaze at you with her big brown eyes in an effort to say thanks. Thanks for seeing that even though I might have some medical issues and even though I'm not as agile as I once was, thanks helping me do all the things I still love to do. Thanks for helping me live each day to the fullest.
There are other senior pugs that are just like Sol in the care of CFPR. Thanks to all the wonderful CFPR volunteers each one of those pugs is living the type of life that Solsey lived. A life full of their favorite things. By making a donation to the Sol "Sunshine" Memorial fund you are helping a pug just like Solsey.
If you would like, you can donate to the Sol "Sunshine" Memorial using Pledgie (PayPal, credit card payments) or if you prefer via check. Be sure to include a note or write on the check that the donation is for the Sol "Sunshine" Memorial.
Checks made payable to Central Florida Pug Rescue can be mailed to:
Central Florida Pug Rescue
PO Box 953744
Lake Mary, FL 32795
Donations big and small go a long way in helping the senior pugs.
A big thank you to everyone from me, Solsey & senior pugs everywhere!
If there are any businesses that are interested in teaming up to help support the Sol "Sunshine" memorial fund (now or anytime in the future) please feel free to contact me - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Thursday, March 18, 2010
This was the state of our front yard in early March. Luckily, it doesn't really matter to Henry what color the grass is. Brown, green or whatever color in between, if the sun is shining Henry is just fine.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
We didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the pugs in their snazzy St. Patrick's Day bandanas, so I thought the next best thing would be to show the pugs enjoying one of their favorite green things - the grass (or what is left of it after an unusually chilly FL winter).
Enjoy the day!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Comfort food. That is what this last week has been about for people and pugs alike.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Well this last week sure was different. First, let me start off by thanking everyone for their thoughts & prayers for Solsey. I was overwhelmed by the support and kind words for her. It just goes to show how Solsey had a way of really drawing everyone in.
Last week was tough. Being a senior, Solsey's passing was something that crossed my mind more often than I would like to admit (especially since Christmas). I thought I was preparing myself, but I really don't think you can be prepared at all. I guess, what I was doing was tuning in more to her to make sure she didn't suffer. I wanted her to soak up every drop of life, but as soon as the suffering outweighed the good, I wanted to do right by her. But, in then end, you didn't need to be closely tuned in to see that breathing just became too difficult for her. And while I am prone to over analyzing and being a bit too hard on myself, I think we came pretty darn close to helping her squeeze every last drop out of life with minimal suffering.
One thing I have learned over the past week is that nothing can prepare you for the loss of such a presence in the house. I miss her in so many ways I never imagined. I didn't think the house would be as quiet as it is. I mean after all we have three other pugs running around, but it is eerily quiet around here.
Benjamin, Henry, Luna & Cupid have taken Solsey's passing way harder than I anticipated. Not once have the pugs woken us up in the wee hours of the morning in order to eat breakfast. On Saturday, the pugs didn't even eat breakfast until after 9 AM which is unheard of around here. I know we are sad, but it is heartbreaking to see a mopey pug.
Even Cupid has been staying very close, joining us all on the sofa. Not just on the back where she usually lays, but actually snuggling in and claiming a lap for herself, as well.
In the last week, so many thoughts and emotions have swirled around my head. Of course I have some regrets, memories I wished I had captured not only in my mind, but also in photos so could be sure I would never forget. It is likely that I will share some of those things over the coming weeks. I'm not exactly sure what form the blog will take in the near future. We may not be as happy-go-lucky as we have been in the past. And while we have cried plenty of tears this week, rest assured we have also shared a lot of laughs. We have been retelling "remember when Solsey..." stories all week, which can't help but make you smile.
Monday, March 8, 2010
It is with a very heavy heart that I must say that Sol has passed away. She had a simply fantastic day on Saturday, but late Saturday night into Sunday she took a turn for the worse. We spent all of Sunday with her hoping that she was just having an off day and that Monday would be better. However, her breathing got worse throughout the night on Sunday and we took her to the vet first thing Monday morning. It was there, knowing we have done and tried everything we possible could, that we made the tough decision to let her rest in peace.
We stayed with her the whole time and told her how much she was loved. I made sure to tell her how much everyone in OBP land loved her too. She went very peacefully and it was almost a relief to see her laying still without constantly coughing and struggling to breathe.
We are confident that we made the right decision, however, we miss her so much. She was such a big presence and a good spirit.
Posting will be a little light the next few days as I am going to take some time to process all this. I'm not really sure what to say or write next. I'm going to do what Solsey did and just take it one day at a time.
I know Sol was loved by more than just us and I want to say sorry to all of you as well. Please know that my thoughts are with you.
Take care everyone and kiss your puggers.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
This week's flashback: Ready to be Served
Classic Henry.
