Rescue Dog Blog: This is a rescue dog!: Gifted

Monday, December 23, 2013

Gifted

I choose to believe that most readers of the Rescue Dog Blog agree with me that Christmas is not about things and stuff and stuff and things. Having said that, most people are tingly with anticipation when they know they have a really good Christmas present to give someone they care about, because it is better to give than to receive. But guess what? I received a lot of awesome gifts from my work friends! Gifts that suggest they know me quite well. . .

My friend Kaye, a rescuer from way back who has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Hillside SPCA, gave me this:

I have been recruiting Kaye's dog, Chester, for the blog.

Chester is an Australian Shepherd mix saved from a high-kill shelter in the south. He hit the rescue dog jackpot when Kaye and her daughter Kelsey found him online.

I have a real soft spot for Chester because he, like Wiley and many other Aussies, is neurotic. Aussies are a lot of work and need training and socialization.

People buy them because they're cute and then they wind up in shelters because their original owners didn't have the time or inclination to work with them.

Anyway the sign Kaye gave me has already found a place in our kitchen. The book is such an original idea for a devotional, and I checked out a few entries just to make sure it wasn't going to be too sad. It isn't sad at all. It looks perfect.

Janet, who also has a rescue dog, got me the Christmas mug. In the above picture of Wiley enjoying his steaming coffee, the steam actually fogged my camera lens a bit.

And finally my friend Janie, who has a predilection for "picking" at flea markets, found these great gifts and thought of me.

Even Jenny got a Christmas card from her Aunt Gracie and Uncle Cujoe:

She was very moved by this card and inspected it pretty thoroughly.

She wanted to know if we got them something, which I assured her of course we did!

Finally, you might be surprised to know that Wiley has been reading lately.

Well, I had the pleasure of writing a letter of reference for my friend Kim for a job in a NICU (she got the job!). As a thank you, which wasn't necessary, she got me this book:

Wiley was very moved by the beautiful photography.

He told me how lucky he feels to be here with us.

Of course we feel we are the lucky ones, because our cup runneth over with loved ones who go out of their way to make us feel loved and appreciated. We have a steady schedule of visits to make and company to entertain over this holiday, so the blog will continue to be mostly pictures you have shared with me, and let me tell you they are adorable!

It's not too late to share your pictures with me at pabibliophile@gmail.com. Please check back often over the next few days any time you need a quick break from cooking, wrapping, cleaning, or hiding from relatives. We'll keep your Christmas pics coming!