dachshunds

The Nurturing Remains: Refreshing Gidget’s Memorial Marker

Yesterday John and I spent most of the day refreshing the gardens around our house and Joyful Pause Cottage with chocolate-colored mulch. We will finish the rest today. Yay!

This marker in a shape of a heart with a small heart-shaped rock in the center, a sacred spot I can see right outside my cottage window when I’m at my writing desk, is where my sweet Gidget rests. Her heart within mine forever. Though I see the big heart as hers because that was truly who she was – she had such a large heart and capacity for love.

May 11th will mark two years since she moved on for greater travels. The ache of missing her isn’t as acute anymore. Her spirit is quieter now and her visits from the other side not as frequent. But I still sometimes sit in quiet moments and bring up in my mind favorite times with her. It always brings me a great deal of joy and comfort.

To place new mulch over the spot where she rests I found it a sacred and welcoming opportunity to gently set the stones aside, brushing away the dead debris and refreshing the area with fresh mulch. With each stone, I put back into place I did so with a deep appreciation and love as I remembered Gidget and all her wise teachings, silliness, and being the best cuddler ever.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’ve actually gone almost two whole years without another dog. There are times I really miss a dog companion, while other times I’m okay. I continue to trust (though sometimes I have to remind myself) that when the time is right I will know.

In honor of the two-year passing of Gidget and the recent Rio Award for our book, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am, I’ve been working on a special project. I’m recording a short video with an excerpt from each chapter of our book, along with an extra bit of discussion, that will be available on my Youtube channel. My hope is to release the first video on May 11th. So I hope you’ll stay tuned!

As I woke this morning thinking about how good it felt to renew Gidget’s memorial marker yesterday, I was reminded once again of how alive I feel when I can nurture that which I love. Though Gidget isn’t with me on this earthly plane I found that gently and lovingly attending to her place of rest was an enriching way in which I stay connected with her.

And my nurturing her sacred space of peace and all that she means to me, in turn, brought peace and nurturing to my heart.

XO

Barb

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Dachshund Goddesses. Say What?

Ok, so perhaps you are wondering why I’ve called these paintings, which I did a few years ago, dachshund goddesses? Clearly, they are tree goddesses.  

But it started shortly after when my mom saw the paintings I’d done that she asked if they each had a name. Huh. I’d not thought of that. And so I let it simmer. And simmer it did for all this time.

The paintings are in our lower level where I see them every day when I work out on my pilates machine. And just like that, one day it hit me what their names are!

So perhaps no surprise for those that have been here following my writing and blog for some time, and you’ve likely already guessed…but yes, each is named after my special needs dachshunds that graced my life — Frankie, Joie, and Gidget.

And this is when I sat with each of the paintings, especially drawn to the center of each of them. Who was who, I wondered?

It then occurred to me looking at the center of each goddess the color at each center near the heart, each dachshund has helped me heal some aspect of myself. This is when I thought of the Chakras – energy systems within our body – and knew immediately that the goddess with the red center is Gidget.

After looking up the other meanings of the colors representing the Chakra’s I realized that the orange was Joie and the blue, Frankie.

Blue represents the throat chakra and its emotional attributes are about communication, creativity, and healing. Frankie, being my first special needs dachshund opened a world to me of writing two children’s books and a memoir about the journey we took together with her in a wheelchair, sharing her message with many. It was never on my radar to write children’s books, and even more so to think I’d become a public speaker. The girl that was so shy all those years pushed herself out into the world sharing a message that she became passionate about.

Orange represents the sacral chakra and its emotional attributes are intimacy, emotions, boundaries, addiction, and trust. When Joie passed away just ten months after I adopted her, I just didn’t understand why she had to leave so soon. But it was a time of me learning to appreciate transitional times in one’s life, to be with the fact that I knew I wanted to slow down and go in a new direction in my life, but uncertain of what that was. It was also a time of trusting the universe would provide a new path and setting boundaries for myself to learn to just be and allow what was to unfold.

Red represents the root chakra and its emotional attributes are security, grounding, sexuality, and survival. As I shared in my latest memoir Gidget guided me to finally look at a vision of a childhood wound I’d carried with me for most of my life of being touched inappropriately as a child. This led me down the path of healing so many aspects of myself from learning to trust my intuition, that I was safe, and that I was worthy.

Realizing each goddess was one of my dachshund friends, my mom suggested writing their name somewhere on each painting. Today is the day I did just that and oh, how it has made my heart smile.

Our animal friends are always with us. What a blessing and treasured gift.

xo,

Barbara

Authors Give Back: Special Opportunity to Read My First Two Memoirs

As we continue to pause and reflect it’s the perfect time to read. Though, I think it’s always the perfect time to read! 😉

But especially now if we want to fill our minds and hearts with inspirational content, right?

So I’ve taken part in an opportunity and offering my first two memoirs at 60% off for the e-book versions which makes them $1.60 each.

As my third memoir has begun making its way out into the world, I really see my three books as a trilogy of what I learned from each special needs dachshund and how each played a vital role in helping me become a much healthier person today in mind, body, and spirit.

If interested just click on the book cover(s) or on the titles below to purchase. 

 

 

Feel free to pass this offer onto other animal-loving friends you think would enjoy and benefit from them!

Through Frankie’s Eyes: One woman’s journey to her authentic self, and the dog on wheels who led the way

Wisdom Found in the Pause: Joie’s Gift

Happy reading and enjoy!

xo,

Barbara