Looking ahead

We're definitely not "over" Lexi's loss, but we are looking ahead to the future. In April we'll be bringing home a new whippet to join our pack -- five month old Viola, Juliet's daughter. We're getting Juliet back in February so we are looking forward to that, but I have to admit that Viola's homecoming is what really has me excited.

We're both going to the American Whippet Club National dog show in Atlanta in April. I'll be traveling down there early in the week and staying with my Mom and our friend Bev along with the dogs. Then Derek is driving over for the weekend, and hopefully will get to see Chippy shown on Thursday. We're very excited to have Amanda Giles of Sporting Fields Whippets as Chippy's handler for the show. I'm working on getting her fit and trim for the shows. I'm also planning to attend some dog shows with Chippy in Greenville, SC in February.

So we're still overcome by grief occasionally, but those moments are growing farther and farther apart. Mostly we are looking ahead to the future and the new whippets who are joining us soon. Life moves on, and you have to move with it.

Jo

Dealing with grief

Grief is a funny thing. You think you've dealt with it, and it sneaks in and whacks you on the head when you're not looking. Little things, like putting away Lexi's food bowls, giving away her arthritis medicine, and throwing away the last of her medications ... each of these gave me a crying spell that I wasn't expecting. Picking up her ashes from the vet was particularly painful, but I expected that. Washing the rug that she peed on was an unexpected trauma.

We're looking ahead to the future ... in March we're adopting a puppy from my Mom, who is a whippet breeder in Virginia. Little Viola will be five months old and a little hellion most likely. I won't forget my Lexi, but hopefully Viola will help with the pain.

Jo