So, this tale begins with an abandoned antique doll and an abandoned wife. A bit too dramatic? Let me back up just a little bit….The day before my 30th wedding anniversary, my husband moved out. He claimed that he just needed his own space to sort things out but he has signed a year’s lease on an apartment. On our wedding anniversary, the oldest daughter arrived with her family (husband and baby girl), and our youngest daughter was already home for the summer, working to earn money for her last year at college. That meant that my husband joined us for dinner every evening after work – not much was different – just the going home to some place else. That weekend, the middle daughter arrived, and life was good. I had all my precious girls with me.
In addition, with it being a long holiday weekend, my big brother and his family joined us! I had a lot of support and I think I held up fairly well. The following Tuesday, everyone left, including me. I traveled to Kentucky to help my mother down-size her house (and to tag and to bring back some treasures from her house). That’s where Honey’s story begins with me….she had a roommate, another antique china doll with beautiful brunette ringlets who happened to be the coveted doll (and who went home with my niece). Poor Honey, sat up on the old antique bed all by herself. None of my daughters claimed her as I sent photo after photo via the internet of all the treasures in their grandmother’s house. She didn’t even have a name – not that anyone remembered. She belonged once upon a time to a little girl named Kyle, who would have been a great-great- step-something in relation to me. I named her Honey because she has honey-colored hair and she needed a “sweet” name. So, Honey resides now in an antique cradle in my bedroom. A reminder of generations past and futures to come.
After summer ended and my youngest daughter returned to campus, I found that I couldn’t sleep very well. Not uncommon, since I have suffered from recurrent nightmares for as long as I can remember. (I was diagnosed with PTSD years ago, I've had migraines since I was 10, and that all ties into another story). But, my house was no longer “safe”. I decided that it was time to get a dog again - our Copper had died from cancer several years ago. (I actually had wanted one a couple of years before but my husband had refused to let me get one). Enter Jack. I saw him advertised on the internet at a shelter nearby and made arrangements to go meet him. I didn’t even need to check out any other dogs; I knew that Jack and I were meant to be together. Jack is half Australian cattle dog/ half Australian shepherd and he is very protective. It is nice to have someone who is thrilled when I come home from work at the end of a difficult day!