Our Moussebaby
If you knew Moussie, you knew he was one of the most loved dogs in the history of forever.
Saved from a brutal past and surviving on 2 1/2 working legs, we cherished every day together from the time I was 29 until 42.
Moussie was on air with me at the television stations,
he walked me down the aisle at my wedding, 
he soothed my aching heart when I lost my beloved father, he and our newborn came to work with me every day when we opened our own company, and Moussie adored our son and protected our daughter every single day.
  
 
I spent the years ceaselessly protecting & caring for his broken leg & mangled paw, carried him over any asphalt or concrete, lifted him up staircases and into my car…
 
 
 
 
…met with prosthetic doctors in Texas, surgeons in Connecticut, boot fitters in New York, and pet massage specialists in Illinois in any effort to help ease the strain & pain on his permanently broken leg. Â Â (Dr. Randie Shane with Moussie)
  
When an emergency procedure led to an overnight stay in the hospital – Moussie’s 1st night away from me in an unfamiliar place – I immediately ripped off my shirt in the car and had my husband bring it to the ER vet so Moussie could feel comforted with my scent all night long.
 
My husband & son administered an IV in his neck for weeks following.
 
There is nothing we would not do for our animals. They are family. We are a tight family.
We used to jest with friends that if Moussie, Phillip and I were in a canoe and it was sinking and one of us had to get out, Phillip swims. 🙂 (Unbelievably, one person didn’t get it…she said, “Oh, you have a canoe?” Â *sigh*)
 
People have often quipped if they return from Heaven, they’d like to come back as one of our pets!      Here’s a few reasons why:
      
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
   
  
  
 
  
  
  
Moussie worked the morning shows with me. My neighbor, Kristi, babysat him till I was done with the noon news. She always had it 
on the TV so he could hear & see me. He had many wonderful sitters: Stephenie, Adrienne, Mark, Dottie, Kep, John and Shanie, just to name a few.
Reminiscent of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, we, too, crisscrossed the United States, enjoying adventures on the free roads, visiting many states and friends along the way.
Birthday dinners of filet mignon, cuddles under the covers, drive-in trips to Sonic, and his fun job at the TV stations listing the school lunch menus on the morning show and assisting with the weather, and even the contest “Where’s Moussie?†for viewers spotting him around town. Moussie was loved and cherished every minute of his life in our family.
Raised by grandmothers & mothers who were healers and lovers of animals, it was natural for Phillip and I to instill deep compassion, respect and love of all animals. All children should be taught kindness toward every creature, big & small.
   
  
 
 
   
    
  
  
  
    
   
 
No words were better spoken than those of Don Vincenzo Giobbe, circa 1700: “…and I whispered to the horse: trust no man in whose eye you don’t see yourself reflected as an equal.â€
Such is our belief for all animals…so it is no wonder our 8-year-old daughter published her 1st book, The Healing, How Little Kids Can Help Even the Tiniest Critters, and she has been busy with author’s visits/book signings and will sit on a panel of doctors & healers in a few weeks to discuss her book from a child’s perspective. (Author’s Visit with 77 children/10 adults)
Teaching children to use gentle voices and soft hands is so important.
  
  
  
  
Teaching kindness, compassion, respect and tenderness is the premise for my children’s book,     Moussie Tales, due out when I finally find the perfect illustrator who can actually capture Moussie’s eyes, an ongoing search, indeed.
The understanding and care you show your children yields understanding and care to those in the world around them.
Over the years, Moussie thrived along with all of our family’s animals and life was great.
    
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
   
  
We spent many beautiful years with Moussie, and when he passed away, a huge part of my heart went with him. (Getting the worst news ever from the vet on my 42nd birthday)
Saying our good-byes.
  
Days of yesteryear…
The final goodbye 🙁
Shattered and lying in bed, I wrote Moussie a letter that raw and painful day he crossed over Rainbow Bridge waiting till I would once again embrace him in my arms. I didn’t know my husband found the letter on my laptop and built an entire website dedicated to Moussie around it! Www.MoussieTales.com People wrote the loveliest comments on his Remembrance Page, thank you all!
The Bright SpotTM 
-Â Our darling Moussebaby brought us years & years of joy. For that, we are forever grateful. When our neighbor brought us The Rainbow Bridge poem, it was the only thing that eventually comforted me. Picturing Moussie running freely without pain, the wind flapping about his beautiful soft ears, eased my pain. Until I hug you again, rest my sweet, precious Moussie. I love you!!
Imagine
Imagine not knowing where or WHEN you were born. Imagine being left in a shoe box as a baby. Imagine being crippled and abandoned. This is a must-see, heart-wrenching, totally inspiring video that will put your life in perspective.
My husband sent it to me and told me to get the tissues ready. I sat in my studio and watched in awe. Before the end of the video I was on my feet clapping, crying, clapping some more – full of joy, delight, hope.
Give yourself a moment in your day & truly brighten it with this video. Bravo, Emmanuel!!!! Bravo to the mother who saved him and his brother!!!! Click here to enjoy:
Blind Kitty ~ Humanity at its Finest!
We have rescued many animals (you can see more on the Moussie Tales side bar on the left-hand column of this site) & our family was so touched by this video.
God bless the folks who adopted this blind little kitten. Watch this tender video as Oskar discovers his very 1st toy:
Soft Hands, Warm Heart, Now that is Strength!
Teach your children to be kind to animals, to use gentle hands and soft voices. A respect of nature and the world we live in will always serve them well.
Meet our newest furry baby from the shelter. Her name is Purr.
The examples we set as adults have profound effects on our children. The way they treat each other and other living beings they learn from you.
It’s easy to be tough, cool and sometimes even mean, but to be big & strong and still kind and loving, now that’s a real gift! A treasure for a lifetime for all who receive that love.
The Bright Spot 
– I am proud of my children, my husband and my parents. Thank you, Mom & Dad, for giving me the gift of Soft Hands, Warm Heart. You were the greatest teachers and I love you!!
“We Have Found Your Mother”
                     
     
                                 Mother – Ceil in 1983                         Daughter – Linda in 2010
“We have found your mother.”
Those were the words Linda heard after searching months for her birth mother.
Ceil had never held her baby, had never even seen her baby – EVER!
As she walked the halls of the maternity ward and saw the window to the nursery, she knew if she looked through the glass, she would not be able to go through with it – but in the 60s, it was difficult for a woman with a child to find a job, she said women didn’t have credit cards and they could not take out a loan on their own. Ceil wanted her baby to have a mom, a dad and a home.
She turned around in the hallway and went back to her room and sobbed her heart out.
Ceil never had any other children.
44 years later, her daughter found her!
Phillip and I documented the reunion that happened just 6 days ago – you’re invited to share this beautiful moment in the short video below in the next post, just scroll down – but to acutally hear their story, click on the Radio Show flower tab above in the navigation bar above to listen to their heart-wrenching story.
The Bright Spot  is clearly family – old and new - love, hope and celebration!
Meeting Mom 44 Years Later
Thursday’s upcoming radio show will be an exclusive interview with a mother and daughter who just met for the first time this week after 44 years. The daughter was given up at birth and the mother had never even seen her once!
Phillip and I documented this amazing event which you can see below (video runs 3 mins. If video pauses, let it buffer then reload the page to enjoy – it’s worth it!)
