Retro Rewind

wow…it’s been a long time since i posted a retro rewind.

this post inspired me, because today is my mom’s birthday! i thought it would be fun to gather some of the photos of her through the years with her dogs (pre-kids).

who knows where i would be today if i wasn’t raised surrounded by them.

thanks mom for that…i love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY. xo

My Mom’s first dog was Butchie, a Border Collie mix who her family brought home in 1948, just shortly after she was born. This photo, from 1951, is my mom, her older brothers and Butchie.

Butchie lived to the ripe old age of 15. My mom’s next dog was Prince, a Shepherd mix.

I love this shot (and her jacket)!

Prince had a sudden and tragic death…he was poisoned. It breaks my heart to hear my mom tell that story. (Side Note: speaking of poison, my mom smoked briefly as a teenager and this photo proves it. All my life, she’s been the healthiest person i know, so this image freaks me out.)

This is Dondy, a Staffy/Dane mix. She rescued him the first year she was dating my Dad (1969). This is Dondy as a puppy. It seems we both have a thing for big-eared dogs!

This is a HOT outfit and she still has it! Believe it or not it’s florescent orange, pink and green.

Dondy also lived a long life into his teens, and even i remember him. After my parents married, Dondy stayed to live with her parents. Although I was very young, I clearly remember the day Dondy passed away. We were at my Grandparents’ house one summer afternoon and nobody could find him. My mother and her sister combed the neighbourhood and finally found him lying under a tree. He had gone away to die. I remember them carrying him all the way home (he wasn’t a tiny dog) and took him to the vet to say goodbye. This is little me and Dondy. Also during the Dondy years, my parents took care of Cleo, a German Shepard, who belonged to my grandparents on my Dad’s side. Here is my mom pregnant with me (wow, have the maternity clothes changed!)

This is mini me with Cleo.

and then there are our family Airedales (Jenna, Bailey and Kea)…but that will be another post.