This is one of Mark’s friends Andrew Mann back in Dublin and last night we were listening to some of his music when this came on. God used it to breakthrough and remind me how he loves me…I was in bits.
Why do I let it go for so long before I just let him in to whisper ‘you are loved’ to my soul?
Anyway – am posting and hope you hear Him too.
Today my mum phoned and told me that Gina – or Bean Bag as she was also known – had gone rapidly down hill and was expected to be euthanaised at lunchtime.
Gina was 15 – which is a good age for a standard poodle – and Mark and I had spent the last three goodbye snuggles – expecting them to be our last – so it’s no great surprise that she has finally passed on, but still – losing a family pet always leaves a gap.
My parents are goo-ey about their animals and it’s always heartbreaking to see them so upset. Lilly- our other poodle, will miss her terribly too.
We got Gina when I was 17 and she and her sister Rosie saved my parents lives by barking during the night to wkae them up when a fire raged in our home. They were 6 months old then and appeared on the local news as heroines!!
Gina was a hugely affectionate dog and loved nothing better then being the centre of attention and being lavished with love and strokes. She somehow was under the impression that standard poodles are lap dogs and often was to be found lying on top of a seated member of the family. If you stopped stroking her – she would throw a paw until you started again. If she thought she wasn’t being paid enough attention – she would ‘talk’ by making little moans and squeaks.
She was a terribly glamorous dog and knew it. When she was freshly clipped, she looked stunning.
She lost her sister Rosie too soon at aged 3 – but Lilly came along as an adopted little sister and duly settled under Gina’s top dog persona.
Gina loved walks on the beach, chasing squirrels and snuggling on my parents bed.
She will be dearly missed.