Last night Shirley left us for the Rainbow Bridge.  She is now reunited
with her sister, Laverne.... I look forward to Laverne and Shirley re-runs
when I meet them at the bridge.
 
Sandee... could you look for Shirley and show her where her sister Laverne
is?  I'm sure that they will be happy to see each other again.
 
She put up a good fight but she wasn't strong enough to get over the anemia
and lymphoma.  Saturday she stopped eating her food and just wanted to
sleep.  It was a fight to get her to eat anything.... even her Nutrical
which she loved like candy!!  My husband and I decided to call the vet
Sunday and see when we could help her over the bridge.  He couldn't do it
then but said to call this morning and schedule a time.  We knew and so
did Shirley.... she was gone when we got up this morning.
 
That last few days were full of love and caring for sweet Shirley.  She
slept on my chest for hours on end except when I was forcing food and meds
in her face.  She wasn't in any pain, just peaceful sleeping.  I am so
thankful that she wasn't in any pain or had to deal with a long, drawn
out illness.  This came on like wild fire and took her quickly.
 
She can now eat all the raisins that she wants.... and watch out for the
bowls of cheerios because as soon as she sees one.... she is in it helping
you to eat it.  If you find any glasses tipped over.... it was Shirley
lapping up the leftovers.  She was a good little girl... all 1 and a half
pounds of her.  She was my first and will always have a special place in
my heart.
 
We got Laverne and Shirley March 1999.  Laverne was a bit of a nipper, so I
was kind of scared of her but Shirley was a sweetie... she would cuddle for
a little while and look for your attention.  We had this morning routine
of my sitting at the computer while my hubby was in the bathroom, Shirley
would sit on the floor next to me waiting for cheerios and raisins.  If I
didn't give her one quick enough, she would nudge me or start climbing up
my bathrobe.
 
She was always one to get into the funniest sleepy spots.  The first time
we took her down to my parents, we let her out in the bedroom.  They ran
around and checked out every nook and cranny in the place.  We found
Shirley sleeping in a basket of my nephew's beanie babies.  I have the
greatest picture of her sleeping in all those stuffed animals.  Another
time I was looking for her and found her in my leather butt pack underneath
my computer desk.  If we left an article of clothing on the floor, we had
to be sure that she wasn't sleeping in it when we picked it up.
 
Her favorite sleepy spots though were a pair of wolf slippers my mother in
law bought me and some sled dogs pulling a sleigh with a porcelein doll my
grandmother gave me.
 
I'm glad that she is gone to a happier place now.  We will miss her
terribly but we know that she isn't in any pain, the lumps are gone and
she has all the energy in the world again.  She is dooking and chasing her
sister Laverne all over the meadows and hills at the bridge.  We will one
day see her again and she will give us ferret kisses and beg for more and
more raisins.
 
Farewell my sweet little Shirley!  Give Laverne a hug and kiss from mom
and dad and let her know we miss her too.  All our love,
 
Mom, Dad, Taz, Sophie, and Joey
[Posted in FML issue 3250]