Thank you dear Franny for such a grand idea, I am overwhelmed by all that I can write with so many memories, so let's see, where to begin.......

I know when I first found the Terrier Club, it was the summer that Janie rescued Chip.  I had just lost our 16 year old Westie, Mac, and I was looking for some grief therapy.  I came across the Terrier Club, and just followed the threads everyday, trying to figure out who was who, and what was going on.  It took a while until I was brave enough to post, and since I didn't have a  Westie any longer, I didn't know if I would be welcome.  I was!  After a while, I took on the monogram of FGM, standing for Fairy Godmother, as I self appointed myself to that position, and enjoyed so many adventures with all the doggies that Mark had to establish a new board just for adventures!  We had great fun, traveling the world over, parties galore, and some elaborate terrier menus for all our friends.  I also remember contests with Shiels, she would decide on the competition, and often my kids at school would vote on a winner, and then Shiels would make awards to mail to the winners.  The longest tongue competition comes to mind...remember those?

Then one day my life changed, when I found out my dear friend Mary's son had leukemia.  I knew him since birth, and was the first to hold him when he came home from the hospital.  His struggle was long and painful, and I watched an entire family struggle and fight and pray for happier days.  It was then that this wonderful group stepped up and became the largest and kindest support group I have ever witnessed.  One day John said why don't we send Andrew some cards, and it never ended.  Cards, baseball caps, letters, Christmas presents, and donations came from all over the world.  It has now been 6 years since Andrew lost his most courageous battle, but his family has never forgotten any of you, even on his final journey, he was buried with a cap from Peggy, and a stuffed westie from Kay.  Cheryl and dollface both wrote tributes that we copied and passed out at his funeral, along with a picture of Laddie looking out the window as if on  a final journey.

Little did I know then, that exactly a year later, I would be diagnosed with advanced stages of head and neck cancer, and once again, I came here for support.  You took me under your wings and like angels, carried me through the worst battle I could imagine.  I started journaling my life under the adventure forum, calling it To the Mattresses, taken from the movie the Godfather.  Just reading some of your kind comments todayl made me tear up.  I had a former student, who is still battling brain cancer, who I told in conversation, that I was always looking for the lesson in my cancer.  She told me she thought the lesson wasn't mine, but I was to teach the lesson to others.  

I recovered from that nasty cancer, and returned once more to school, only to be knocked down with breast cancer the following.  That was a piece of cake in comparision.

We had rescued a cute little Cairn, Rags, prior to my cancer, and she became me little nurse.  We lost her several years back, and although Fred said no more dogs, we now have a puppy mill rescue, Simon (Cowell) who now rules the roost!  Without too many details, Fred was burned badly in an electrical fire 2 years ago, and you know how that rescue business goes, we may have given Simon a new home, but he really rescued Fred when he needed a new purpose in his life!  Funny how that works, isn't it?

Now, I could go on and on, but I will close for now.

Sparkle kisses

FGM