The Iron Lady

Sad to say, after 15 years of being with us The Iron Lady has crossed that "Rainbow Bridge".  I am not really sure who came up with that name for a pet that passes.  I guess it makes some people feel better, but not me.

But let's give tribute to the Iron Lady.  

She became part of our family because Pistol had separation anxiety.  As a puppy, he absolutely lost his mind whenever we left the house.  He managed to chew the door off his "bedroom" (which is a more pleasant term for cage).  Anyway, Doc made the mistake of leaving town for a few days and it gave me the opportunity to think about things.  What I decided was that Pistol might settle down if he had a friend.  My mistake was in taking the Consiglieri and Mini Me shopping for a friend with me.  They each fell in love with a different one.  Mini Me picked a tiny Yorkie and the Consiglieri selected a beagle.  Okay!  So we got both!  While that might sound crazy, it worked!  

From the start, the Iron Lady (Belle) was something else!  She LOVED her food!  She was so enthusiastic as a puppy that we had to spend time teaching her some restraint.  Any time we left she would manage to get into something food-wise.  (And no, I did not decide that a diet buddy would be helpful for her!)  We came home one evening to find that she had managed to unscrew the lid off a salt shaker, which I am not sure how she managed to get her jaws on, and enjoyed a significant amount of salt.  Unfortunately I was not the first to discover this.  Mini Me got home first and decided that she looked thirsty.  Any woman knows that Salt + Water = bloating and swelling.  And boy did she bloat!  Swelled up like a balloon!

There was another incident when we realized that she could climb onto the kitchen table (maybe that is how she got the salt shaker) and finished up some meat.  She never quite knew what to do when she was caught.  Especially when she was still standing on the table licking the butter dish!  She would usually get that "deer in headlights" look and then jump!  And we cannot forget the Thanksgiving that she managed to eat two whole pumpkin pies!  This pup had a cast iron stomach!  (which is how she got the title "Iron Lady"),   She actually got into a little mouse bait and it did not effect her at all! 

She was the sweetest pup I have ever seen though.  She spent at least ten of her fifteen years sleeping on top of my head every night.  She loved to cuddle up, hated to travel, hated baths, hated running and walking, but loved to sleep. . . and snore!  The kids could love her all they wanted and she never retaliated.  Finding her in her bed last Tuesday morning was rough.  I was certainly happy that I had taken the time to check on her before I went to bed the evening before.  It makes me smile to think of how much love she gave.  Gosh, I really wish people would take the time to learn more from dogs.  Have a blessed week.  Smile when you remember someone who is gone.  Make sure you remember someone before you lose that chance.