Monday, July 11, 2011

Arrival Day

Three years ago today, Ebony joined our family. After Somo died around Memorial Day 2008, Steinway and Allen were lonely. For at least a week, Steinway would sit on the mat staring at the front door as though waiting for his buddy to return from a walk. Allen missed his fuzz therapist and personal trainer. I missed him, too, but I was still somewhat shell-shocked from his final days and not as quick to look for his successor. Whenever the time came to adopt another, I was already asking God for a healthy dog who would be a good and loving companion for us both.

As soon as Allen had returned from a mission trip to Central America, however, the search commenced. We scavenged petfinder.com for candidates and kept detailed bookmark folders of our favorites. We considered Chiweenies (Chihuahua-dachshund mixes), dachshunds of all varieties, terrier and beagle mixes, and we drove around town meeting and greeting a few but without agreement.

Finally we saw a dachshund mix named Rex. The description said he was super-sized; as it turned out, he was around 35 pounds, considerably bigger than Somo or Steinway or the other pint-sized candidates. After a little research into the shelter where he was living and other possibilities there, we planned an evening visit.

The volunteer couldn't find him at first. A black dog pressed against the back wall of his crate on the bottom of double-decker kennels proved well nigh invisible. Checking and double-checking the tags against the print-out we'd brought, she finally found him and was astonished she hadn't met him before in his four-month residence.

She led him out to the courtyard and handed him off to us. He was tentative at first but quickly warmed up to the Milk-Bones we had brought along.

We interviewed a couple of other candidates. The other strong possibility was a brown, Benji-like terrier mix with a very outgoing personality.

After talking the decision over at home, praying together, and "sleeping on it," we decided on Rex the super-dachshund. Well, actually, Allen recognized I was smitten and honored my preference.

The next day, July 11, 2008, I brought Rex home while Allen was at work.

No, he wasn't in trouble already. The shelter advised using the crate for housetraining him.

Also, we decided he would be safer there until Steinway decided he was a friendly.
We renamed him Ebony. Not only did he ably fill the roles of buddy for Steinway, fuzz therapist for Allen, and personal trainer extraordinaire for both of us, he has also become our court jester on many needful occasions.


Ebony also inspired one of the very first blog posts here, the poem "Sermon on the Sofa."

Thanks be to God today
~for all His good gifts, including family and pets
~for our three dogs, each so distinctive and loved
~for a happy, healthy too-smart-for-his-own-good Ebony dog
~for a short work week for Allen last week
~for his industry spending time off by painting the outside of our house (still a work in progress)
~for excellent customer service with a faulty grocery item
~for a broken garage door
~for our amazing garage door service provider (If you live on the north side of Dallas and need a referral, please e-mail me.)
~for one minor problem bringing him out to our house in time to discover the spring was about to break, too
~for lunch with a new friend after many unsuccessful attempts
~for the fellowship of fellow sufferers
~for dinner out with my beloved
~for grilled salmon (see above)
~for summer fruit
~for pink roses and yellow orchids on the table
~for cloud cover taking the edge of a hot day
~for good news from a distant friend
~for a new, low-risk supplement to try to increase my bone density
~for blood pressure on the decrease
(from the gratitude list, #801-19)


Giving thanks to God our Father with the community at Ann's...

8 comments:

  1. Ebony is the perfect name for your dog. I can't imagine he ever had another!
    So much good in your list. Cloud cover stood out to me. . . yes, it's so nice this time of year. Plus, you illustrate "cloud cover" in seeing the good in the faulty grocery item and broken garage door.
    Praying for strength in your bones and blood pressure in a healthy range.
    Guess I could pray you get another nice dinner out with your beloved:)

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  2. @Amy Thanks for showing me the connection between the literal and symbolic "cloud cover." I hadn't thought of that. Thank you even more for your kind prayers. May you have a nice dinner out with your beloved soon, too. :)

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  3. I'll admit, I clicked on your link on Ann Voskamp's site because it had a picture of a dog. My husband and I have three "furkids", all rescues. Your dogs are precious! I really enjoyed this post, and your blog as well!

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  4. what a sweet face ebony has!

    [yes, i actually can do comments of fewer than 1,000 words--tho' i wouldn't want to guarantee that when the eagerly awaited sequel to the bell sheep parable comes out...]

    p.s.: i'm really happy to hear the good news about blood pressure and bone-density supplements, and i'm praying for more blessings on the lupus front...

    --chris

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  5. Connie~
    I also have been known to click on links at Ann's for the pictures. :) How nice to meet another dog person here; I'm glad you adopt rescues, too. Thanks for coming by. I'm thankful you enjoyed your time here.

    Dr. Chris~
    Ebony is generally a very sweet dog, more than either of the others. You see why I was smitten.

    Brevity is not my tendency either, as you know, except perhaps in poetry. I'm not sure the follow-up Wednesday will live up to expectations, but I'm working on it.

    Thank you for your prayers and well wishes on the health front. I appreciate that.

    Erin~
    Thank you! Good to hear from you!

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  6. Aww... love the story! We are dog lovers too! Such an amazing and wonderful gift HE has given us with these friends. :)

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  7. @Jennifer @ Studio JRU Thank you, Jennifer. Yes, they are gifts from God's hand.

    So glad you stopped by!

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Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.