[Gpdd] [MISC] Blessing of the Animals

[DL1Bossfan at aol.com]

Hi Friends:
My priest says that we do not bless animals to make them holy.  We  bless 
them because they are holy and worthy of being blessed.
Yesterday (October 4th) was St. Francis of Assisi's feast day. I took four  
of my six to be blessed.  Aunt Polly and Houdini stayed home.  Aunt  Polly was 
blessed two years ago, and Houdini - well, his turn will be next  year.  He is 
still upset easily when he is around a lot of people.   Thatcher, Big Jim, 
Zion, and Huck went with me.  Zion - my *calm* piggy  with a great disposition - 
was just the opposite.  He wanted NO part of  Thatcher and Big Jim being 
close to him.  I ended up holding he and Huck.  Huck was the main reason we went.  
Huck, as a lot of you know was part of  the BIG 2004 MGPR.  For those who 
were not members then, and to make a long  story short - a *NUT* advertised dogs 
for sale in a paper.  Another person  went to see the dogs/puppies and found 
over 230+ guinea pigs in this NUT'S  garage.  Several of the GPDD members (led 
by Judi) quickly went into  action.  Judi and others spent many hours showing 
love, concern, and  attention to the piggies in order to save as many lives as 
they could and to  give them a second chance.  A *piggy train* was formed, 
and in August of  that year many of the piggies were transported all down the 
southeast border to  different rescues. I met the train in Spartanburg and drove 
12 of the  piggies to Asheville where Janet met me and took 10 to her rescue 
in  Knoxville.  I kept 2 of the 12.  Tom and Huck.  Tom died a year  ago May.  
Huck is still left.  He is a guestimated 7 years old.   He has really bad 
days and then some good days.  He is almost always on an  antibiotic for some 
reason or another.  His toenails look bad (even though  we try to keep them 
looking good), he is skin and bones, has a knot on his head,  and droopy eyes.  His 
habits are now strange -- will eat his breakfast in  the late afternoon and 
his supper in the wee morning hours.  In between - I  try to give him Critical 
Care - which some days he loves and others he could  care less about. With all 
of that said -- the little guy is a fighter and rarely  acts as if he is in 
any pain or discomfort.  He is just the ultimate Sweet  Old Pig!  He is my baby 
-- and I know how each has their own personality  and it is impossible to 
pick a *favorite* - but, Huck really has a very special  place in my heart.  We 
have been through a lot together. So - it was very  important to me that he be 
blessed -- and as selfish as it may sound, I will  feel better when the time 
comes that I have to say good-bye.  St. Francis  loved all creatures great and 
small -- just as we do our own pets.  This  has been long -- but, I have one 
more thing: If any of you out there still  have a piggy from the 2004 rescue, 
please e-mail me. I would love to know how  many found forever homes and are 
still living.
Love - Donna and the SC piggies
Huck, Thatcher, Big Jim, Zion, Houdini, and Aunt  Polly



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