20 Years in the Making

Something has been on my mind. 

For a long time. 

And it's time to take action. 

I don't know about you but the older I get the more I wonder... what is my purpose? Why am I here? Pretty deep, eh? I wanted to record my thoughts and feelings prior to my next step on this path of discovery and compare them with my thoughts and feelings a few weeks and months down the road. And if I go public with my intentions, there is no turning back. I'm committed. Hence a new blog and accountability.  

Here we go.

I have always loved animals. Several cats and dogs have been family members over the years ~ too many to feature but these are the most recent. Some in Memoriam, some still with me...

Jack circa 1986

Ames circa 1995

A-choo circa 2000

Simba circa 2004

Boda circa 2012

Losing three of these guys - Boda, Simba and A-choo - within just a few months' span was almost more than we could bare.

First Boda  - Tim's (my son's) girl, then ours... for 4 short days:

Boda's Gift

(A little post script to Boda's post - she did, indeed, inspire us to adopt again but with a slight twist on what I had predicted!)

Followed shortly by Simba:

Until We Meet Again, Sweet Girl

After Simba passed at age 16 I said no more dogs. She was a hard act to follow. Fast forward 6 weeks and the void in our lives, the emptiness in our hearts and in our home was palpable. Enter Kismet (because she was meant to be ours) aka Kizzie:

To Love a Dog

Sharing promises with Kismet aka Kizzie at the Dumb Friends League 

the day she was adopted October 22, 2013

6 months later our A-choo was gone:

The End of an Era

Feeling Kizzie was lonely and might be in need of a buddy it wasn't long before Koko came into our lives - adopted from the same Dumb Friends League as A-choo and Kizzie. (Kizzie expressed to us later that she was just fine being an only dog. *wink*) I apologize to Koko with my whole heart that I never did a blog post about his adoption. You see, once he bounced into our lives with all his energy and um...no training... well, who had the time? I promise you ~ you will see and hear a lot about Koko Loco, Koko Bean, Bruiser, Sneaky Pete, Bubby, Monkey aka Koko in this blog for sure!  I mean ~ just look at that face.

Koko circa February 2014

I have loved - and do love - each one of them and all the others who have shared their lives with me - so, so much.  

But for the last 15 to 20 years I have felt a calling to do more than just adopt a rescue cat or dog and make them a family member. I have wanted to expand my caring, my energy, my passion and my love for animals beyond the four walls of my home.

But I didn't know where to start.

Thanks to my friend, Yukari ~ who has amazing timing and a wealth of experience ~ I am about to step off the ledge.  Follow my journey as I begin my new life as a volunteer at my local shelter.  It's a big step for me ~ one that I am nervous about, one that I am excited about... one that I have no idea what to expect except...

I know it will change my life.

I will explain in my next post why I feel I am walking into my fear

to quite possibly discover the meaning of life.