~MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THE TEARS~

 It's been two weeks today since we said goodbye to our Miss Mollie Brown. 

Honestly...one day has run into another and if I didn't have to get up in the morning, well, I didn't.  I've lived in my pajamas for more hours than I can say and have cried more tears than I ever thought I could.

Our grief has been raw.

Unimaginable.

Unforgiving.

Those of you who have experienced loss of any kind will understand our hurting hearts.  There is no balm that can soothe or heal our brokenness and we understand that only time will help us move forward without Mollie's physical presence in our lives.

A few days after her passing we received a little box with her ashes and a pair of paper imprints of her very tiny front paws.  As I turned the cards over and over in my hands I realized that way back in 2003 she had stolen away my heart and the very essence of her will continue to live there for all my days.

I'm beyond grateful for that.

Fourteen years, seven months and seven days.  

So thankful for all those moments with our beautiful doggie...

And for God's GRACE.

His wonderful, unmerited favor has made breathing in and out possible.

Today I am going to attempt to return to the real world.  Two new things have entered into our lives and both are keeping me on my toes.

I will share more soon.

Thank you all for you blog and Facebook comments.  I'm overwhelmed by the kindness and love shown to Steve and I.  

Blessings...

Rebecca

~REST IN PEACE - SWEET MOLLIE BROWN~

 Dear Friends...

My husband, Steven and I shared the news earlier today via FB that our little Miss Mollie Brown passed away yesterday afternoon.  I'm beyond torn up over losing my furry friend and our hearts are completely broken.  I know for certain mine will never be the same.

Our girl was beyond precious and lived to be almost 15 years old.  She was truly one of my dearest friends, my constant companion and 24/7 shadow.  She saw me through many things and only asked of me to provide a warm place to lay her head and food and water for her tummy.  Gentle hugs, cuddles and kisses were optional, but she welcomed them always, but never demanded them.  She hated bath time, but loved how she felt after she was dry.  Her favorite pastime was hunting June Bugs and she could snatch them mid-air when she was younger.  Always the huntress, even when her eyesight dimmed she could scout out a Scada Bug, wings and all, and swallow it down before you could swipe it away.  She loved to give wet kisses and she would sit and politely beg for any scraps the minute you sat down to eat...

Such a little lady our baby girl was...

Last September I found a bump on her belly and it was a tumor.  In March she was was getting thin and by last Thursday was very frail and had lost down to a little over three pounds...  Her original weight was 6-7...depending on just how much people food she could convince me to pass her under the table.  

Late yesterday afternoon she passed away with both me and my Mr. AGP Man at her side.  Her little spirit is soaring high tonight and she is safe and sound.  It is my belief I will see her again...  I know I will.

Your prayers for Steve and I are greatly appreciated.  Right now we are both overcome with grief and sorrow...

Miss Mollie Brown

1-7-2003 - 8-14-2017

Love to you all...

Rebecca

~MOLLIE, OUR BELOVED YORKIE DOG~

~EARLY LAST SPRING~

Yesterday I took my little Miss Mollie, my now 14 and 7 month old Yorkie, to see her doctor as she continue to grow very, very thin.  My Mr. AGP Man and I know we must soon make the painful decision regarding her future and we are beyond broken up about it all.  Our time with her has quickly flown and we are facing the very end of our days with our beloved girl...

~AT HER SASSY BEST~

For those of you who are Pet Parents you know how difficult it is to say goodbye.  Do we continue to WAIT for nature to take it's course, especially if our pets don't APPEAR to be in pain?  Or do we opt to CHOOSE the humane approach and opt to put our babies down?

~MOLLIE AS A PUPPY~

Our girl still loves to sometimes hunt June Bugs on warm summer evenings, although walking is getting harder and harder for her and she sleeps all but maybe three or four of 24 hours each day.  She still loves to snuggle and cuddle and so we've been waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

~YEARS AGO WITH MOLLIE AND MY MISS K~

While our hearts our breaking.

~PLAYING IN MY POLYFIL~

I've asked God many times over this past year just what it is we are supposed to learn while traveling this journey...  Or maybe it is we are just supposed to enjoy the love we both give and receive this side of heaven...

~OUR FUNNY GIRL~

We aren't sure.

Anyway...your prayers are so appreciated as we decide...and ponder and pray.

~MY FAVORITE PICTURE EVER TAKEN~

I've so enjoyed sharing the antics of our girl with you all over the past eight or so years...  Saying goodbye...or so long for now...or see you again one day is, well, you know...

Blessings~

Rebecca

French Farmhouse Signs...Amazing Grace

A Gathering Place - Vintage Window
Amazing Grace

Hans Hofmann said
"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." 

Today I am all about keeping my life calm and seeking peace, grace and comfort in all things. 

 A Gathering Place - Farmhouse Style Signs

Miss Mollie - A Few Years Ago

This morning I sat outside for longer than usual while enjoying the presence of my fourteen year old Yorkie, Mollie.  My mind wandered for a bit, remembering the sweet days when she would chase the squirrels that lived amongst our many trees here at my La Chaumière de Briarwood.  Years ago, after exhausting herself, Mollie would gently inch her way back to me, her topaz colored fur covered lightly in a dusting of our famed Oklahoma red dirt.

She was full of life...and attitude.

Today she was happy to lay by my side as the great-grandsquirrels (no doubt the offspring of those she once tormented) played around her.  I can't help but wonder if she misses the days of her youth like I do or if she is content to rest and just remember...

I'm glad I've had her to love for so long.

~*~

"I do not ask that life shall be
Forever care and sorrow free,
Nor that some distant morning I
Shall not awake to grieve and sigh.
I ask but faith to stand before
Whate'er the future has in store.

Let me be one whose courage springs
From all the countless little things
Of joy and beauty which abound
Wherever man may look around.
Let me exult in peace or strife
That I have had the gift of life."
(Edgar A. Guest) 

Blessings...

Rebecca

~MOLLIE and the HAWK~

 

Mollie at One Year

This post is a little unsettling, so please read carefully...  Our little dog, Mollie, is FINE, but had we not been watching our surroundings things could have turned out much differently.

I shared with you all sometime back that our Miss Mollie Girl, our 14.4 year old Yorkie, is dealing with some major health issues.  My Mr. AGP Man and I have wrestled for quite a while about how to deal with the inevitable, but we love her and as long as she's not in pain we are doing everything we can to make her life as wonderful as possible.  We know MoMo is living her last days so each one is a treasure.

Three Year Old Mollie

Mollie has her good days and days when she does little more than sleep.  Yesterday was a GREAT DAY for her.  She was spunky and alert and more like her old [young] self.  I love days like this when we cuddle and play a bit and she's excited about going outside.

Mollie in 2008-Ready for Vacation

Yesterday evening my Mr. worked hard out in the front yard and had just finished mowing and edging the lawn when dusk was almost upon him.  Mollie and I joined him outdoors for a few minutes as she still loves investigating and hunting for bugs (ugh!).  I freely allowed her to roam about in the front yard because she has never been one to wander off or go near the street.

While I was chatting with my husband he stopped for a second and said "Did you see that?"  I said "What was THAT?"  he quickly replied "THAT HUGE HAWK!"  The large bird had been circling above us before flying into one of our many low-hanging trees. As we watched the hawk we both immediately realized the bird was eyeing every move our little dog was making.

Mollie in the Snow - 2010

Honestly...I was totally freaked out and couldn't run fast enough towards our beautiful dog.  I scooped her up and ran back towards the safety of our front porch just as hawk came out from the branches and flew by us.

Because Mollie isn't much more than 4 pounds or so (thinner than her normal 5.5 weight) I keep a little shirt or lightweight sweater on her at all times.  Last night she was wearing a soft gray, almost white, t-shirt and combined with her light colored hair (which today is quite silver), I'm sure she was easily seen.

Mollie was completely clueless as to what nearly happened to her.   After we came in (and calmed down) I googled "Hawks and Yorkies" and I was SHOCKED to see what came up.  I'm going to spare you the details of what I read...I'll let you look if you want to.

I just want to say PLEASE be careful with your animals.  Even those on leashes or living amongst citified homes are often visited by hawks searching for prey.

Today I have another reason to be thankful.

Love to you...

Rebecca

BACK AT IT...WHATEVER THAT IS!

Dear Blogger Friends...

Today I'm going to tip-toe my way back into the Blog World.  Honestly--I kind of feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience here! I know how to do it, you know,BLOG, but when you haven't done it consistently in a long time it's easy to start out feeling a bit dazed and confused!

 MORNING OF SURGERY - March 6th

So...I'm going to at least TRY to make my way back to some of the things I love!  I'm hoping to reclaim some of what I feel I've lost over the past few years...

Last Monday marked five weeks since my spine/neck surgery.  I'm going to spare you the details of the entire process and only say I'm thankful that I'm growing stronger each and every day and grateful to be able to work towards finding normalcy again in my life.  I've greatly missed doing the things I love and I'm absolutely serious when I say I will never take my good health for granted again.  I feel humbled and blessed to even be able to type out these words...  God is good.  

That is all I can say~

Here's an update on a few other things...

MY BOOTH AT SERENDIPITY MARKET

I still have my A Gathering Place booth at Serendipity Market in Edmond, Oklahoma, and I am still moonlighting there a couple of days a week as well.  I pretty much let my website stay EMPTY after the car accident as I found I wasn't able to keep it stocked while trying to stay committed to those other two things anyway.

SWEET FRENCH CHEST

Last weekend was Serendipity's SPRING OPEN HOUSE and so I was busy working as much as possible on things to stock my booth.  I'm still healing up so I'm working very slow!  My Mr. AGPMan has been super busy as well.  He fashioned a couple of really neat things for me and I can't wait to show you.

I'm still loving all things vintage, antique, soft creamy white, farmhouse (as if!) and nearly everything else that is flirty, romantic, French, fun or previously loved....  Here is a picture of a suitcase I painted for a special bride-to-be.  Her Grandma contacted me a few months ago and I promised her I would TRY and make her dreams of soft pink roses come true!

HAND PAINTED PINK ROSES!

My little Miss Mollie, our precious Yorkie, is still hanging on.  We visited her Vet about three weeks ago and he found her to be spry and inquisitive and didn't feel she was ready to be put down.  The tumor in her tummy is huge (Vet believes the underlying cause is heart disease or liver failure) and we know it won't be long before we will be forced to say good-bye to her.  She is 14 years and 3 months old (about 74 or so in human years) and we've been BLESSED to have her for so many years.

 Me and Miss Mollie 

(Taken Today!)

She is still our baby girl and our hearts are breaking as the  day draws near.  We are praying for an quiet, gentle passing...but we won't let pain invade her tiny body so we watch closely for signs of discomfort.  Those of you who love animals understand our hurting hearts...  We just hate all this.  We've prayed and asked God to give us peace as we proceed ahead...but it is so hard~

Today I met a man at Lowe's who snapped this picture of us.  He is a photographer and said he'd be honored to do a portrait of her for us.  I'm telling you...God brings the most amazing people into my life when I least expect it.  Not sure what I will do yet...but the beautiful gesture from him made me smile.

  To those of you who sent me notes, cards and emails during the past few months, well, I can't thank you enough.  I'm looking forward to better days and getting back to sharing my passions and joys with you.

Bless you all!

Love to you~

Rebecca 

~MOLLIE MUSE~

  Oh nooooo.....

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO......

I have a bad, bad feeling my dad and 

I are gonna be stuck here in this SUV

for a long, long time!

Hmmm...what does this spell?

 

 T-H-R-I-F-T

 

WHAT?

 

 You gotta be kiddin' me?

She'll be gone for HOURS!

(She may even spend the night!)

 

She's outta control!

She is!!!

 

I'm seriously thinking her life

has gone to the DAWGS!

 

(HAPPY MONDAY!)

Love to you...

Mollie

and