There were a lot of highs and lows, and you probably both shed a tear and laughed with me along the way.
It was certainly colored by Tilde, and how the start of her story as the The Last Rescue From The Hovawart Puppy Mill ends, to give birth to hope and a new life through her adoption by us.
Tilde and her antics ensured plenty of giggle-worthy embarrassing episodes too, like the chicken incident in Chickenshit, me begging her for mercy in Coffee Please, and many more.
My first post about Tilde was called Taken By A Storm Called Tilde. I couldn't even have imagined how prophetic that title was for everything we have experienced with Tilde since. It is not just us. Tilde seems to conquer everybody she meets by storm. One of the sweetest and loving stories about Tilde wasn't even written on this blog ... see what Jan Wolfe wrote on her blog after meeting Tilde face to face, in A Foreign Affair. I love that story.
I realized during the year what a trooper he really is, and how much we already shouldered each other during our life together so far, and I can only Feel Thankful to have Kenzo in my life.
Thank you too, dear readers, once more, for your support when we grieved publicly over Viva on the blog, and for reading among others, about her in the Viva Sunday Series and the short poem on her death anniversary.
Blogging friends predicted Viva would be in my writing, even if I wouldn't write about her. It was a comforting thought and although I couldn't fully grasp at the time what it entailed, I do understand it now, when I read back this year's posts. I can also remember how with every single post I sat down to write, Viva was with me writing it, and how the love that once was, was allowed to extend and blossom again in our love for Tilde.
Although it might look as if I just did, I couldn't pick out any posts in particular from this year. Instead I feel like it was more the whole array of stories, each giving a peek into our life with our trio, which all together made a story worth following.
Some of the feedback I got this year, as opposed to other years maybe, was about how recognizable some posts were to you. That made me glad. It is what this blog should be most about, what it entails and means to be "Living with Hovawarts". Although it is not exclusive Hovawart territory, of course all dog lovers can relate.
Thank you for sticking around and reading our silly stories, and I hope to see you again in the new year. We will start with a bang, as I have a big announcement to make. Stay tuned.
Have a Happy New Year!
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P.S. Just for the record. It wasn't all about Viva, Kenzo and Tilde. We wrote some serious stuff too, like Degenerative Myelopathy Part 2: Should We Worry About The Hovawart's Future?, and of course nerd stuff couldn't stay behind either, König The Hovawart Founder Revisited: From Mice and Hovawart, to Heimwart, and I also had something to rant and bitch about, like in About Hovawarts, inbreeding, and Crufts 2014.
It was a good year - and I'm glad we were along for the ride, highs and lows. Thank you for sharing your pups and stories. You are right, we've laughed and cried and learned a little bit. ...and I think we also kept a good friendship throughout the year. I'm not sure if we will ever meet face-to-face, but I'm sure we'd get along and have a lot to talk about. I hope 2015 is good for you, family and pups!
ReplyDeleteMonty and Harlow
That's a nice thought, and never say never, our paths might cross. Best wishes for you, Aaron, Harlow and Monty too!
DeleteYes, I have cried and laughed my way through the year with you. I have understood the frustration of dealing with illness and injury that seems to have no end or cure, empathised with the grief of losing Viva, certainly laughed at Tilde's antics and even more at your hilarious and vivid descriptions of your attempts and failures to second guess her and keep ahead of her lightening quick mind and body.
ReplyDeleteBest of all was meeting you all back in September (seems so long ago) which has brought it all to life for me. Falling in love with Tilde was a lovely experience - only enabled by the fact that I didn't have my own girls with me, requiring my attention. One post that stands out for me was the one where you described meeting up with a friend and not hearing a word she said because you were concentrating on the dogs - I was thinking about that just a few days whilst walking somewhere different and having lots of other people and dogs around me.
All in all, what I have learned from your experiences and writings is that our dogs do take up so much of our time and thoughts and emotions - and rightly so - just the same as children must do for those who have the two-legged variety :-) However, as much as we all empathise and sympathise with one another, and as much as we share our grief or happiness - there is still a part of those feelings that are entirely private to us - nobody can know exactly how you feel, how utterly bereft at the loss of a dog, or as proud of something they have done. This is because each of us is different, our dogs are different, and our relationships with them is entirely unique. But you do an amazing job of describing it all, and in doing so I am sure you have helped many people to look at their own relationships and perhaps understand them a little better. You certainly always make me think. Thank you for that, and for your friendship. xxx
Thank you for your kind words Jan.
DeleteThose differences in relationship make it so exciting, don't they. We probably never stop learning.
It was such a pleasure to meet you last September, and for it was an unexpected gift, to observe Tilde and you building a relationship. I learned a lot about my girl during these days. Sometimes, when you interact with your own dogs, what you see is blurred by your own beliefs and expectations. Being able to sit back, and observe ... it was a feast!
Glad to have you as a friend, although long away, and I hope our paths cross somewhere in the future again - also, I HAVE to meet your girls!