Great Stories

Another shot of the dogwood tree in my front yard.

I hope that everyone is having a great Friday. Not a whole lot to report today. I came into work late, because I had some pressing errands that needed to be done today. So, I've spent all day catching up on my morning stuff. Campus is pretty quiet around here today. It's beautiful outside, so everyone has disappeared in search of better things. I have a friend that has been helping me get food donations for Celebration Pet Day. She has been a fireball this week. She's managed to get buns, hotdogs, lettuce and other produce for the hamburgers, and she's only just started. She's also snagged us 2 other vendor booths. With the one month kickoff started, that in itself has made me rest a little easier about things. She's also recruited other volunteers to help with set up that morning. The project's really rolling now, and there's no stopping it.

I discovered a really cool mailing list this week. It's called Petwarmers. It's a neat little listserv that sends out really good animal related stories every Wednesday and Friday. So if you are like me, and love a good warm and fuzzy animal story, you just might want to consider joining this list. I'm posting last Wednesday's story below. I hope that you enjoy it too! Everyone have a great evening!!

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN by Kathleene S. Baker

When the time came to give our last gift of "love" to sweet Josey Lane, the pain we felt was excruciating. We had been so privileged to share our lives with such a beautiful, smart, and loving Miniature Schnauzer.

The sun hadn't yet crested the horizon when we made that final drive to the veterinarian. As we drove, I told her over and over how much she was loved. Trying to soothe her, I used words that I knew she understood. I assured her several times that Grandma B. (my mother), Dana (my niece), and Maggie (the dog she grew up with) would soon greet her. And, that they would be her caretakers until we all gathered together again one day.

In the wee morning hours, Josey had been in such distress that my husband, Jerry, actually called and awakened our exceptional veterinarian. Dr. Conway scrambled out of bed and rushed to meet us. The clinic parking lot was vacant and eerie without the usual assortment of cars.

Numb with sadness, I stepped out of the car, and directly at my feet were three burnished copper pennies!I grabbed them up in an instant and clutched them tightly. I knew they were messages from Grandma B., Dana, and Maggie proclaiming they were waiting for Josey. I dropped them into my pocket, aware they were also meant to give me strength in the final moments with Josey.

Immediately upon bringing Josey's ashes home, I gently placed the three coins in her urn. I'm positive they were pennies from the angels that now care for her -- the same angels who helped me endure that final goodbye. I also know that one of those angels was a lovely Black and Silver Schnauzer named Maggie. Since that sorrowful morning, I seem to be caught in a continual cascade of pennies!

Strangely, they aren't usually in the typical locations that coins are found, such as parking lots. One morning, a coin lay at the foot of my chair on the covered patio! With coffee in hand, I had gone outside to enjoy a beautiful sunny morning. The moment I sat down I spied the penny sparkling in sunlight, and a coin had not been there the evening before.

Another unusual "penny event" occurred on a car trip several months after losing Josey. Shiloh, then our only Schnauzer, needed a potty stop. I mentioned to my husband that we had never stopped there before, but that the grass was very nice. He reminded me that we had pulled off there once with Josey and Maggie.

As I walked Shiloh on the leash, there was a waist-high cement wall that I drug (DRAGGED) my hand along. I felt something, lifted my hand, and voila -- two shiny pennies!

Yes, Josey and Maggie HAD been there, and I believe they were setting the record straight. "Gotcha Mom, Dad is right!"

I've usually been in deep thought about Josey when another coin appears, and it has become a beautiful feeling. I know that she is always watching over me, just as I am so often thinking of her. Each and every penny is saved and placed with her ashes.

No doubt, on some occasions, Josey and Maggie conspire together in surprising Mom with another penny. After all, Maggie had placed one at my feet the morning I said goodbye to Josey. Now the two are reunited.

I picture them romping in clover and chasing copper-colored butterflies at Rainbow Bridge, as they playfully plot their next "coin drop."

-- Kathleene S. Baker

___________________________________________ Kathy says, "I was born and raised in the small town of Augusta, Kansas, that is only a few miles outside of Wichita. I married a native Texan in 1977 and was soon transplanted to Dallas. I have two stepchildren and three grandchildren. Pets have always played a huge part in my life, and I can't imagine a home without them. In fact, they were my inspiration to begin writing. I've always felt one mission in my life was to give loving homes to the dear creatures God has provided for us. They are always at our side with their unconditional love."