A Very Sweet Story From SitStay.com

I saw Marlie and Me this weekend and literally used a whole box of Kleenex, and this is a person who rarely cries at movies.  This story reminded me of the movie, although I didn't cry ;)  

SitStay Newsletter - January 2009

If you have trouble viewing this, read it  online at sitstay.com/newsletter

by Darcie Krueger  More of The Dish Online  Hi Everybody, I love the turning of the New Year. Whether I'm ringing in the New Year quietly at home with Kent and the dogs, and this year with DC the cat too, or with friends when we can all get together, it doesn't matter, it's always a wonderful feeling for me to move to a new year. There are a few little frustrations that always seem to go with the changeover but they are easily and quickly forgotten. Like getting on the scale after all the yumminess over the holidays. Oh, my goodness. The Cinnamon rolls and caramel popcorn really were especially delicious during the holidays, weren't they? And I write last year's date on everything for about three weeks. Then I start getting it right, leaving the old year finally behind. Already this year, I've written 2008 three times, scratched it out and changed it to 2009. Life isn't really that perfect all the time but I like to look on the bright side of everything as often as I can. The really best part of the new year is watching our animal friends. How they've changed in one year. And what a change from when they first came to live with us. Dancer and Tilli are the two dogs still living and loving life with us. They are both showing signs of aging, slower to get up, a little less time spent running than the old days. Dancer is 13, Tilli is 12. This morning Dancer had some trouble getting up out of bed. She had no trouble telling me that she had to go outside...NOW! So I let both dogs and the cat outdoors. It was cold but not bitterly so. They stayed out for a long time. December's Poll Results Is your dog a "digger"?  No, he doesn't like dirty paws: 36.60% Only when hiding his goodies: 17.72% Yes, he wants a shovel for Christmas: 32.87% Have you seen our new swimming pool?: 12.82% January's Poll Which do you prefer?  •Boy dogs  •Girl dogs  •Who cares? I love all dogs!  •One of each works for me!  Vote at SitStay.com Dancer came dancing back to the house demanding to be let back in. "Woof! Woof! Woof!" Distinctively the "open the door and let me in now" bark. She had a deer leg in her mouth. A big, long deer leg perfectly balanced in her teeth. I could see that she was exceptionally pleased with herself to have found this marvelous treasure. She, or something, had been chewing on it and the leg was mostly bare of meat. Dancer put the leg down and I opened the door. She picked the leg up to bring it inside. I said, no, you cannot not bring it into the house. Either stay out with it or put it down and come in. She put the bone down. I opened the door wider for her. She picked the bone up. I laughed and said, no, you're not bringing that bone into the house. I watched her deciding what she wanted to do. She looked at me, then at the bone, the whole time holding one front foot up off of the patio. Her feet were getting cold. She decided. She took the bone over to the edge of the patio and laid it down gently, oh so gently, remember it's a prized possession. Then she turned back to me and the door. I opened the door wide and she walked through. I loved her up as she pushed her head against my legs. I'm pretty sure I'm her napkin at times like this, rubbing her face clean of the deer, I expect. Still, it was a wonderful homecoming for such a ferocious and successful hunter of dead things. Tilli came back later smelling of wonderful scents that only she could appreciate. I refused to be her napkin. Out comes the waterless shampoo again. DC came running after Tilli. More snuggling and loving and purring and all those things that make cats so perfectly special. This is what we get for living in the wilderness of Nebraska. Fresh air, crisp winter mornings, dogs who find their own perfume, and happiness in the form of wagging tails and upright ears. Life has its ups and downs and every year we all go through those things at some level. Life throws stuff at us and we meet the challenges the best we can. Our animals live and die. Our people live and die. Good things come and we count our blessings. Changes teach us something about ourselves. Challenges met help make us better people. Good things that we can be thankful for are accepted with gratitude. Good things we can do for others give us a sense of goodness in ourselves. I believe that with every passing year, no matter what we went through the year before, good or bad or indifferent, we learn something that makes our life better. I believe that if we never fail at something, we didn't try anything. If we don't stumble once in a while, we didn't take enough steps. If everything is always perfect, we'd never know how to fix something when it goes wrong. I love my life. I love the bad stuff and the good stuff. And although the good stuff is better, it's all in how you look at it. The dogs and the cat help keep everything grounded and in perspective. Opportunity is waiting for us, it always is. We only have to keep our eyes open and keep watching and hoping. Just ask Dancer. That bone was where she found it. She picked it up, she brought it home, and even though she didn't get to bring it into the house, it fills her dreams while she sleeps, and when she goes out again, there it is waiting for hours and hours of pleasure and happiness. She made a move and it paid off. Happy New Year, Everybody! Thank you so much for your friendship and for your business. We appreciate you, every one. And hey, Hugs to Your Dogs! (and the cats, too) Darcie Krueger

Top 10 Toys of the 2008 Holiday Season These were the most popular toys at SitStay this holiday season. In case you missed any of them. Soft Bite Floppy Disc : Always a favorite. If your dog loves to play frisbee, this is the one to choose. Large Hurley : For aggressive chewers, which evidently a lot of you have. Squirrel Squeaker Mat : This is a new toy we added late this year and it immediately jumped into the top 10. Large Huck : Guaranteed against dog destruction by the maker. Kibble Nibble : A new treat dispenser toy. So popular, we are out of stock until January 15. Hide-A-Squirrel, Jumbo : Hide-a-Squirrel toys have always been popular with our customers. Small Huck : A tough toy for smaller dogs that love to chew. Hide-A-Squirrel : Smaller version of the Jumbo. Both include three squeaky squirrels. Standard Squeaker Tennis Ball : You haven't lived until you've seen your dog bring back a tennis ball, squeaking all the way! Egg Babies : Another very popular toy year round.