It's been a long time ...

... Two months, in fact, since my last entry, and a couple major “events” have occurred  between that time and now.

Magic had her very first litter, and it was a lovely one. She was a fabulous mother who cared enthusiastically for four very beautiful, sweet-tempered babies, now all living with their very excited families.

That was the wonderful event.

But during that time, there was a very shocking and unexpected event that stopped me in my tracks and effects me in a way that other events in a life rarely do.

My mother died.

And though this site is about Cockapoos, it would be unimaginable for me not to mention my mother here. She was responsible for my living with dogs from a very early age. She was the one who gave me my first dogs; the one who taught me about dogs and how to respect and care for them. It was she who assisted and allowed me to breed my dogs when I was a ‘barely teen’, knowing full well the burden of the undertaking would fall to her.

When I became a breeder, she was always the first on the phone to see if the new pups had arrived, to ask how the mom was faring, and to happily announce to everyone on her end of the phone that “the babies have come!” She loved my Cockapoos and delighted in the stories, adventures, and hijinks of my life with all of them. She lit up when she was here visiting, finally holding those babies she’d heard so much about;  she told as many friends as would listen “I am here at Erin’s and her new litter is just gorgeous!”

Looking back - even after I grew up and moved away - I cannot remember a time my mother did not have at least one dog. So I mention her here not simply because she was my mother and the loss of her is enormous;  I mention her here because she was a ‘dog person’ to her very soul.

I miss her beyond words; and I thank her so, knowing that my deep and abiding love of dogs was born of her.