Thank You Family and Friends

I called my sister and mother when we discovered Patch. Then I started calling friends, Autumn offered help from her husband Vince. I declined, she insisted and said they were coming right over. My husband suggested I take the baby to McDonald's while Patch was removed, our dear friend Dennis was already in the backyard. Autumn told Rita who said that McDonald's was not acceptable, she would meet us at her house. I called Sierra and told her where we would be, Bill had told me how hard she was taking it. When Rey and I pulled up to the Jackson's Mike ( husband) and Nick (son) were very kind to make us feel at home. Mike left to help Bill. Sierra arrived with a puffy face. Autumn came when she completed her job on the recovery crew, thanks. All three families eventually gathered, ordered pizza and pasta. I am so blessed that my friends understood better than I did that we needed to get out...My mom and sister loved him so much. My mom would take him on long walks in the Meadows every time she visited. Marvine put up with me bringing him to every family function at her house, I was crazy, thank you. Marvine offered to come out but I thought that it would be a risk with the big storm we are expecting, thanks....I got a text from a friend Kerry that was very sweet... Telling Bill's sister Jeanne who lives in town will be hard, she loved Patches (she drove me nuts adding -es to his name). We have decided to cremate him and spread the ashes in the garden next spring.

Patch 1999-2008

Our beagle Patch fell through the ice of our pond and drowned. The night we learned that our full term son would be stillborn one of the first things I said was, "Let's get the kids a dog". We decided to get a beagle so we went searching the net with our WebTv device. Beagle pups were at least $400. Bill went to work and learned that a family was divorcing and couldn't take the dog with them, a 10 month old beagle, cage and accessories all free. On January 29, 2000 the entire family, except for me went to pick him up, the front door openned and he ran straight to me, I was terrified about the possibilities of owning a dog. The next day I took him for a walk and he slipped out of the collar. He raced through the snow as I screamed thinking that I was dead if those kids got off the school bus and there was no dog, after a tour of the area he came to me. He was just what I needed that first year we lost Thaddeus, I would walk him and not have to talk or feel like I had to act a certain way just to make people think I was OK. He would lay at the foot of my bed when I was sick, yes he sat on the furniture and slept with us nightly until we moved into our current home, the bed is to high. When we were house shopping I kept in mind that my dog deserved a backyard with a fence. We lived in houses that required him to be tethered, he got tangled every fifteen minutes. We brought Pepper home and they were instant partners in crime, they would get out of the yard and go on adventures for hours. Once they were skunked they would surrender to anyone willing to read their tags and call us. We gave Pepper away last year, puppies are very needy but Patch was family. Lately we have been lifting him in bed since he was to old and fat to jump. He barked at each delivery person even if the package was left 3 houses away. Bill shared his midnight snacks, Jewel frozen pizzas with him. I drove him everywhere even to in inner city for short trips. I will miss the fattest beagle who never demanded anything, he just wanted to be next to a warm body. I called him my furry son, (I stole that from Dennis Miller). I tell my children, "There are two quick roads out of my house, mess with Reagan or mess with Patch".