Saying Goodbye to our Faithful Friend

Our sweetheart AKC Labrador Retriever, Bobo's Black Velvet Licorice Twist, is dying from an inoperable heart mass at the age of eleven.

Born September 21, 1997, Licorice literally bounded into our lives on the Sessom Farm outside Fayetteville, North Carolina in December of that same year. Of the two litter picks still available, we chose the lovable dolt with the frayed tail who ignored us completely. Instead, she dove right into eating a box of tulip bulbs.

She's moved homes more than any pet should have to do; she's braved arid Arizona yards, suffered brambles in her paws, greeted everyone at the front door with an illicit ball-crushing leap, and in general made a pest of herself at every moment.

We wish those moments could last a lifetime, but she knows it is her time to go.

If you've 'encountered' Licorice, you know why our hearts are nigh to broken. She's been our sweetheart, our beloved, our finest most loyal (and forgiving) friend for almost twelve years.

We have options for her care, but she is deteriorating rapidly. She was born on the Fall Solstice; should we choose to consider euthanization, it will be on March 21st 2009, the Spring Solstice.

Please send prayers to our beloved, and ask that additional Guardian Angels be assigned to her for the rest of her life. If you'd like to post a thought, or memory, please feel free to do so.

Love,

Shira Roy and Christopher

Consider making a donation in Licorice's name at my favorite charity: ASPCA

Times are tight for some, but even five dollars worth of lattes or chewing gum money will help!

THANK YOU, JESUS

~ click me for full frontal oath-taking ~
(see my previous post for a few words on values)

an exercise in values

Do you know what you value? : )

With the New Year approaching, these last weeks of December are a wonderful time to reaffirm what -- and who -- we're grateful for in our lives. It's also a wonderful time to reevaluate how well we are living our dreams, and to make a little course correction if necessary.

I did a terrific exercise that I'd like to share with you, and which I hope you'll find every bit as enlightening as I did.
---------------------------------------------
Divide a clean sheet of paper into two columns.
Answer the following questions until your answers 'dry up.'

"What is important to me in my life?"

"What ELSE is important to me in my life?"

Write your answers down the left side of the paper. Keep going until you can't think of anything else.

Go back to the beginning of the list. Now define whether what you wrote is a MEANS or an END. To figure this out, ask the following question. " What will having this new 'thing' bring me?

For example, you wrote Financial Security. What will financial security bring you? Peace of mind? freedom? For this example you can see that financial security is a means not an end.

Double check your answer by asking the question "what will this thing bring me?" again.

If you can't fine tune it any further, you have your 'end'. Write this on the RIGHT side of the page.

This is your list of values.

Prioritize. : )

-----------------

What do I value? here are just a few of my answers...

• freedom
• peace
• vitality
• joy
• true love
• connectedness
• independence
• personal growth
• clarity of purpose
• full engagement in my life

--Merry Christmas to us all, and a Happy New Year--

and May 2009 be the year of our dreams!

family & friends

from my not-so-recent visit to SF...

(1) Allison & Shira

(2) Sister Susan

(so-so photo quality is redeemed by super-cute waiter taking photos...)

animal baguettes!

arggghhh! san francisco be a seafarin' town!

Lots of love, son, on this your TENTH birthday!!

Love, Mom & Dad

((holy cats, when did you get so big?))