Copic club and a personal message
Just a friendly reminder that the final month of Copic Club paypal payments are due. Please try to make the payment sometime this weekend. Also, keep in mind that if you collected the sketch starter set or Ciao makers, you will be receiving your box with your markers this time so it may take a couple of extra days to get all the boxes shipped out. Please be patient with us. We promise we will try out best to get everything out as quickly as possible. If you were collecting our sketch add-on collection, there is no box so those should ship very quickly. Thanks so much.
The next part is non-stamping related but sweet.
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Last month, both Alicia and Rina qualified to swim at the Central Zone swim meet, representing team Wisconsin in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
We decided to take our trailer out and camp instead of staying in a hotel. We love to camp and since swimming knocks out all the camping weekends in the summer, this was a good opportunity to get in a little camping fun.
The drive was a long 10 hours and we took our little dog, Teddi. Teddi really LOVES camping and she's great in the car too. Here's one of my favorite photos from the whole week.
So, here's a little story, sent to me by my friend Ann.
A Dog's Purpose
This story was written by a veterinarian and it's truly touching.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'
So live like a dog.
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal. Be forgiving.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried deep, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and cuddle them gently.
Enjoy every moment of every day.
Hugs,
Gina K.
The next part is non-stamping related but sweet.
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Last month, both Alicia and Rina qualified to swim at the Central Zone swim meet, representing team Wisconsin in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
We decided to take our trailer out and camp instead of staying in a hotel. We love to camp and since swimming knocks out all the camping weekends in the summer, this was a good opportunity to get in a little camping fun.
The drive was a long 10 hours and we took our little dog, Teddi. Teddi really LOVES camping and she's great in the car too. Here's one of my favorite photos from the whole week.
So, here's a little story, sent to me by my friend Ann.
A Dog's Purpose
This story was written by a veterinarian and it's truly touching.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'
So live like a dog.
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal. Be forgiving.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried deep, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and cuddle them gently.
Enjoy every moment of every day.
Hugs,
Gina K.
Oh my!
First, that pic of the girls sharing a sleeping spot with Teddi is absolutely priceless! To love!
Next ... how could we 'not' love the veterinarian's shared story? Such simple truth!
~Bev
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Gina, thanks for sharing the sweet pix of your girls and Teddi sleeping. How precious! And thanks so much for the story of Shane's young wisdom!
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Gina-What a great picture, and a sweet story. Thank you for sharing!
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Love the picture of the girls and Teddi, and what a wonderful story/lesson Gina. I read it to my husband and he started crying, but yet it is so true. Thank you for sharing it with us.
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Gina - precious picture, glad you had fun. Really enjoyed the dog story too. My sister's dog has just been diagnosed with cancer (she's the momma to my 2, and we lost the dad to cancer two years ago). It's been a very difficult week, and will be worse by week's end I fear, so the story was extra special for me. Thanks for sharing - your creativity, your lives, your support with all of us.
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Will we be able to join another Marker club once this one is over?
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I love the picture and the story is really sweet.
God bless
Giovana
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Beautiful. Amen and Amen
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Gina thanks for sharing your family photo what a great scrapbook page that would make!!! The story is great too - what's the saying "Out of the mouths of babes"!!!
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What an adorable picture and a truly lovely story. Dogs are a necessity in my life...the joy and companionship they bring is like having an angel in the house. (until they chew up my new shoes...lol)
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Beautiful! A tear jerker and a real reminder to live. I am a hospice nurse and over and over I learn the lesson that it's not about the things we have or the money we make. On a deathbed people talk about their relationships and memories of times together- not necessarily the BIG holidays but even backyard BBQs. Let the people who matter KNOW you love them. Off my soapbox now.
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What a priceless photo! Love the story about the fur baby! Lots of lessons to be learned there! Thanks for sharing!
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What a wonderful story, I so appreciate you sharing it with all of us. The photo is marvelous in many ways.
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awwwww, what a darling story...sniff sniff
adorable picture too...I so miss our Pom, Annie...same color as Teddy, she was the sweetest!!
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Gina - finally catching up on my emails and found this wonderful "poem" about living your life like a dog. What a wonderful thing to read first thing in the morning! I have 2 dogs and that pretty much describes how they spend their days. Me too, lately. Thanks again! Hope the girls did well at the swim meet.
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AMEN! I LOVE today's post - there is much to be learned by reading it. LOVE the photo too - how I miss camping!!
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Hi Gina. Great photo and wonderful story. My 2 golden retrievers are sitting here beside me and this one made me cry. Thanks for the reminder.
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Beautiful
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Thanks for sharing this wonderful story Gina. Very often, we need to be reminded what is life and how we can change it through are actions. Children always teach us valuable lessons, that's why we has to find the time to listen to them. We live in a world where love is much needed. I will print out this and share with as many people as possible. Many blessings for all of you in your company. I love all your products.
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Thanks Gina, that was super sweet!
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First off, what an adorable picture. My parents have a pom and she would NEVER be this well behaved in a car ride. Second, I can't believe you were in Grand Forks, ND and I didn't know it! It's probably a good thing, I might have walked up to you and made a fool of myself
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Awww...what an adorable picture. There's a layout just begging to be made! And that story - wow! May I borrow it? We are definitely dog people, and I'm contually amazed by their loyalty and resiliancy. As your little summary showed, we can learn so much from dogs (and animals in general) if we're only smart enough to pay attention! Thanks so much for sharing that - I really enjoyed it.
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Great Pic. These are priceless!
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Great pic to scrap! I really like the dog story...TFS Gina.
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Gina - that picture is absolutely adorable!! And, thank you for sharing that beautiful, touching story! Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
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SO TRUTHFUL AND BEAUTIFUL! YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOUR PET ENOUGH TO LET IT GO AND STOP THE SUFFERING!
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Not only is the photo precious but the story as well, and so very true...my Maggie is my closest companion!!! Thanks for the inspiration...
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Gina,
What a great picture of the girls and story. I find that sooo true...we don't have a dog but have had cats and they can be such a part of the family it is so hard to let them go when their time comes.
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Awww....that picture of your girls and your puppy dog is sooo cute! Dogs ARE special and become such a part of the family. It's funny that you post the "Lessons Learned From A Dog" list, I'm working on a scrapbook page for my sweet dog, Max, with that very same list of lessons!
Congratulations to your daughters too, for doing so well with their swim meet. And aren't family camping trips great?!?
Hope you have a great holiday weekend!
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Ginathanks for sharing the Pic of the girls and Teddie.
I loved the Vets story and going to share it with all my dog friends.
I am sure my daughter will copy it and hang it in her grooming shop.
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Gina what a great picture. Looks like everyone had a great time! Teddi is so cute. I am a huge dog lover and mine goes just about everywhere with me. Our pets bring us so much joy!
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Thanks Gina,
I just sent the link to your blog to my sister-in-law so she could read A Dog's Purpose. Their family just had to say goodbye to their dear companion of 12 years, and she will truly be able to relate to how special those dear dogs can be. Thanks for sharing it.
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Gina, What an adorable picture. I have read the dog story before. It is so sweet. Thanks for sharing.
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What a heartwarming story. I am a relatively new pet owner and my dog Cooper has changed my life. My husband and I have become "those obnoxious dog owners" that I never before understood. Yes, Cooper comes with us everywhere, eats filet mignon and dines at the finest restaurants in town. However, now I do, the love and joy that Cooper has brought to our home is priceless!
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Such a heart touching story. Brought tears to my eyes. We had a dog named Hope that we had to put to sleep due to cancer. She was 5 yrs. old - we adopted her from HAWS and within the same yr. she developed a tumor on her teet. Had it removed, a week later went in for x-rays and she was filled with cancer in her lungs. Said she would die in a month. And that she did - I only had her for a yr. Broke tmy heart to pieces. But what the little boy said was so true - Hope was like that and even though I had 1 year with her I'm blessed to have been able to share my love with her. Thank you for that story, Gina!
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Great!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
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Wow,,,what a way to start my day!! This story truly touched me and as I write this the tears are falling. I have such a heart for dogs. In all the years that I have had the priviledge of adding dogs to my family I have had to say goodbye to many of them. They each brought something different to my life, but all had filled my heart with a love I will never forget. Thank you for sharing this story, I will pass it on to all I know who have a heart for their dogs.....
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Thank you so much for sharing that...I have been missing my dear golden retriever, Beasley. He was 12 years old when he passed, and we loved him SO much. We have since added another golden to our family (Cooper), and we adopted a small dog to be mine on Valentine's Day (Gizmo). We love them, but they couldn't ever replace our dear Beasley. This post touched my heart. Again, thanks so very much.
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What a great picture of your girls with their beloved dog! It's amazing how much we can love these animals. Mine is with my DH at our cabin right now and I'm missing her terribly! I loved the story...TFS!
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