In the 70's in the early part of our marriage, Mike and I had a dog for a short while and it was an unfortunate experience and we ended up finding her a new home. It took 20 years before we were ready to consider another dog and it was at the insistence of our daughters, Amanda and Devra. Devra campaigned vigilantly for a long time for a pet ("If I can't have a dog, I want a frog") so the search was on for the absolute best pet for our family. We took this very seriously, studying dog traits and going to dog shows and considered little dogs vs big dogs...it went on for a year almost until we finally found our Grace of the Vineyard. The other night I was going through old papers and discovered an essay that Devra wrote dated November 17, 1997 called "My Dog Gracie!" Grace is now 14 1/2 and still kicking (although she has become the Gracie Project lately - diabetic, blind, deaf, and still sweet as ever). I just had to share this with everyone and will continue to post about our Grace of the Vineyard because she has always been such a great teacher and will to the end no doubt. My Dog Gracie! by Devra Lake November 17, 1997
Lacie was her original name. That name didn't fit her. Her coat was gleaming and blonde not shaggy and bunched up like lace. Stacie had named her that, and she had a right to. Stacie was the owner of the two parents of her. Luke was her father he was jolly and sweet....Jessie, her mother, kept to herself and probably didn't like the litter. Her brother and sisters were named Mac, Molly, Macie, Tessie, Chewy, and Lacie.
We had been calling and looking for a breeder for 3 months. The other five months we had been looking for the right kind of dog. Golden retrievers, Boston Terriers, Beagles, Labs, and Malamutes. Ahh! all the confusion! All the breeders were so far away. Then we found Bruce and Stacie. The couple down the street. They had just gotten 6 puppies, 5 girls 1 boy. We came to visit the most adorable lab puppies in the world! Their tiny curled tails wagged and their pointed ears flew in the air like bird wings. Their shiny black eyes looked up at you as if you have known them all their life! They ran into walls and ran like a stampede. But one puppy, a golden coated puppy ran straight to us!
At first we thought we were going to get Mac, the boy, but he seemed like a handful. So, we didn't. Then we thought of getting Macie, but Stacie and Bruce wanted to keep her. So then I remembered the little blond puppy running towards me. "Let's get Lacie Mom!" I told my mother. "Good idea Dev," she retorted. So then we had papers to sign but before, we had to name her something else besides Lacie. So the search was on.
I was watching "Simpsons" and eating chocolate chunk ice cream. When the show was over, I saw a theater screen with people watching, a certain man was talking, then a woman "hushed" himj. Then the screen said "Gracie Pictures". Gracie, I like it said Dad after I got the idea. So now we could fill out papers and get t he dog!
Having a dog is alot of responsibilities.
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