A new family member...

I haven't talked about our previous dog, Molly, for a long time, because it was just too hard to find the words. Molly had been one of Blossom's two pugs, and when they moved into a tiny rental in August 2023 they had no space for both dogs, so asked it we could take Molly, which we did. 

We simply loved that little pug, but after ten months, it was more than clear that she was lonely just by herself with me all day long...she'd spent the first nine months of her life with another dog and three children and two adults, where there was never a quiet moment and every day was full of activity and excitement. 

It was a difficult decision to rehome her, we prayed a lot and chose to make sure she got the family and pet-siblings she needed. Her new family, where she has been since last June, had three other dogs and three cats...and within a week, little Molly was the boss of them all. We still keep in touch and receive photos, and Molly is a very happy pug indeed, surrounded by a huge family. Praise God. 

But I did not think I could even consider another dog. I still cried when I saw photos of Molly, and incredibly sad whenever I saw another pug, because I had not been enough for her, and felt that I'd not tried hard enough. 

Anyhow, fast forward ten more months...and I had a dream about a doe-eyed gentle dog, and I began to talk to God about it. This was weeks ago, but it came to mind each day and so I just kept offering it to God. My husband's new job takes even more time from him than the last job, and as well as working Mon-Fri, he also works half days on the weekend, and late into the night. After a few weeks we had to accept that things weren't going to change for the next year or more in this late in life career change, and though we make sure to spend two hours together every evening after his first two hours of evening work, he then has to go work at the computer for another two. We occasionally talked about getting another dog as a companion for me, but then I'd think of Molly, or come up with other reasons to say no. 

And then we saw this dog on the website of our local rehoming shelter. He'd been dumped in a very bad state, and the vets there had cared for him so well that after a month they were happy to rehome him. And so he was rehomed, still with some digestive issues and in need of special food while he continued to heal. Within seven days the new owners brought him back to the pound, sick, vomiting, and with weight loss. They had ignored the vet's instructions and given him cheap dog food which made him very sick. And thus, they no longer wanted him. 

So the vets began again with him and over time he has come good once more, though is still in the healing stage. Naturally they were very cautious about who could adopt him this time. This precious little boy is very quiet, prefers to not be around other dogs, is very shy and it takes a long time for him to allow people to pat him or be around him...he keeps to himself. 

We were told all about his history by the vet before we met him. Now the funniest thing is that as soon as he saw us, he came to us and licked our hands. The staff were amazed as they'd never seen him do that - in fact they had warned us he may not even come anywhere near us. Yet here he was right beside us, eyes locked to ours, and we just knew..."You're coming home with us."

And so he did. 

Meet our boy, Kelly the dachshund. He is approximately 15 months old according to the vet, and the quietest dog we've ever known. In the car he lay on the seat beside me and fell asleep. At home he followed me around the yard, having a sniff here and there, and then a roll in the grass (after the concrete floors at the pound, he loved the grass!), before coming inside to curl up beside me on the couch while I had lunch and did a bit of stitching. 

He is still underweight, so the vets have him on some wet digestive food for his gut healing, and Royal Canin puppy food for higher protein and to help with gaining weight. 

We had another wander through the garden as I watered the potted plants (our soil is still saturated but the pots have dried out due to the heat), and he had another roll in the grass. Then back inside to rest up again. 

While hubby sat in the car with Kelly, I went in to the pet shop for a few things, one of them being an extra long dog bed, as he's a very long little fellow. 

As I sit here typing this blog post, Kelly is fast asleep in his new bed. I keep thinking that he has been waiting for us, and that we have been waiting for him. A forever family. 

We and Kelly are so very blessed to have found each other. And those doe-eyes I saw in the dream? He has them. Thank you Father God. 

This past week has been hard physically with my hip, but I got the bedroom deep cleaned and refreshed on Monday, then had the loveliest morning here with Rosie on Tuesday, followed by a day of cleaning up outside after all the monsoons plus sorting through the bookcases for op-shop donations on Wednesday, and then sewing a secret new Tilda project as well as moving bookcases on Thursday. Today, Friday, is devoted to Kelly. 

Next week, from the 15th, I am allowed to begin showing sneak peeks of my first new project using Tilda's Wallflower fabrics, due in stores this coming June. I will probably make three projects with these fabrics, but they'll be staggered over a couple of months. 

God bless you, and may He bring you a special measure of joy today, just as He has to me. When I look at Kelly asleep in his bed, I am reminded that he's had a very hard life up to this point, and needed someone to resuce him, to love him. And that's just what Jesus did for me. I rarely share about my life after leaving Nana and Pop, and becoming a believer 17 years later...but I needed rescuing. He called me, and I responded, arms wide open I ran into His. And that's the most wonderful forever story I will ever know. 

God bless you...

Hugs

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