Dogs of Our Lives: Pen Pals, Pepper, & Peeps

A few days ago, I got a call from Sarah LaRose, the woman Pepper had guided prior to retiring and coming to live with us. That's not unusual; Sarah calls once in a while to say hello, ask about Pepper, and share what she has been doing.

Like Kathy, Sarah is a very active woman. She has a doctorate in Divinity, is a minister, teaches university classes in Hebrew and Greek languages, translates those languages for others, does public speaking, and is an author. 

When Pepper came into our life, it was an unexpected transition, both for Sarah and for Pepper. Pepper had collapsed one day while working. Realizing that the collapse meant something was seriously wrong, Sarah immediately raced her to a specialist. 

In doing so, Sarah saved Pepper's life. She nearly died and was ill and in the vet hospital for several days. The diagnosis was a severe Addison's Disease crisis and Pepper had to be retired from guiding immediately. Thanks to a recommendation from Kathy who is also a friend of Sarah's, we were selected as Pepper's retirement home.

Me, Sarah, Craig, and Kevin LaRose doing a group hug with Pepper in the middle of us.

Sarah missed her Pepper, and so I started writing pseudo pen pal letters from Pepper to Sarah (which were very much a precursor to the current iteration, Dogs of Our Lives.) The letters helped Sarah stay in contact with Pepper and reassured her that Pepper was adjusting, healthy, and happy.  

Currently Sarah is working on another book, one that includes traveling and working while being assisted by the dogs who have guided her.  Naturally Pepper is included.

Sarah and Pepper as new partners at The Seeing Eye in 2017.

While we were chatting, Sarah asked, "I was wondering if I could include some of the pen pal letters Pepper wrote me after she went to live with you in my new book. They helped me so much after losing her, and I'd really like to share some of them."

That admission that they had helped her brought tears to my eyes. The fact that Sarah gave up Pepper because she put Pepper's health first and at a tremendous cost to herself... well, I can't imagine what that was like. I told her to use the letters as she wished.

And then Sarah shared an amazing story about Pepper with me, one I had not heard before. "She is a brilliant dog," Sarah said after concluding the story.

I'll share that story next, but in the meantime and just for fun, here is one of my favorite pen pal letters "written" by Pepper for Sarah. Enjoy it, and stay 'tooned! 

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Thursday, April 9, 2020

Greetings, Mom!

I am so excited. Easter is coming, and Lynn said that the Easter Bunny is going to bring me an Easter basket! Even better though, the Peeps for my basket are already here! Last night Lynn took me out to do my business and we could hear the Peeps calling to me from the woods!

I tingled all over withe excitement and asked Lynn if we could go and get those Peeps. I really wanted a purple one, but you know me, I'd settle for pink or yellow or just about any color. Lynn started laughing (she does that a lot) and said, "Oh, Pepper! You big goof!" (She says that a lot, too.)

Lynn explained that there is a difference between Peeps and spring peepers, and that what we were hearing were the spring peepers. I responded that I don't mind if my Peeps talk; I am sure that talking Peeps are just as good. (Maybe a little more expensive, but I'm worth it, right?) But then Lynn told me that the spring peepers were really frogs that were talking to each other in the woods.

Frogs?? FROGS?? Eeew! Why are there frogs in the woods! They're supposed to be in ponds and creeks. And why are the frogs talking? Are they telling each other where the Peeps are hidden? Even worse, are they eating my Peeps?

Mom, I am so confused and could really use your help. Will you please talk to Lynn and tell her to let me go to the woods and get the Peeps before the frogs eat them all? I would really appreciate it! (You know how hungry I can get.)

Wags and licks,

Hungry for Peeps Pepper

"Let's Keep This Rolling!"

I was an avid reader of Horse and Rider magazine for many years, from high school and on into adulthood. A lot of my early knowledge about horses and horsemanship came from that magazine.

In the late 1960s/early 1970s, the magazine carried a column for pen pals. You could send Horse and Rider your name and address and request that it be added to the numerous others in the column, most of whom were young girls like me looking to find like-minded friends.

My address appeared twice, and at one point, I had around 100 people with whom I was regularly corresponding! Two of them became life long friends, Sue Seese and Beth Dickinson. Both were part of the early days of the model horse hobby, and Beth is still very active in it. Sue moved on to high end quarter horses and showed on the Quarter Horse circuit. I am still in touch with both women.

Shortly after we began writing to each other, Sue and I got our first horses.

  Sue and Stormy, Reseda, California, 1972.

Amy and me, West Lafayette, Indiana, 1972.

Sue's mare, Stormy, had a lot of Thoroughbred in her - perfect for Sue who loved the breed. She also founded a hobby club and registry for model Thoroughbreds that ran for many years.

Stormy and her filly, Stormy's Santana.

Our letters flew back and forth, with a letter being received in the afternoon mail, responded to that evening, and then mailed out the next morning. We knew when to expect each other's letters, and it was a real thrill to see Sue's distinctive handwriting when I opened the mailbox after I got off the school bus.

Sue and I became best friends despite the distance between us. After nearly five years of weekly letters, our parents allowed us to get together. I flew out to California in June after I graduated from high school.

Sue and me at the Jaws exhibit at Universal Studios, 1975.

There was no awkwardness between us when we first met face to face. After all, we knew each other so well from the hundreds of letters that we had mailed each other!

Sue made arrangements for us to ride while I was there, borrowing horses for me to use. One of them had been owned by Bob Denver, the actor who played Gilligan on the popular TV show, Gilligan's Island. That was a big thrill for me - I mean, how many people can say that they rode Gilligan's horse? I can!

We also competed in a horse show during my visit, with me riding another borrowed horse. I took home a ribbon which still hangs here in my office where I can see it.

Sue and I each went off to college, got married, and she went right into the work force upon college graduation while I started raising my big family. Through the years we continued to correspond, although the letters slowed down to just a couple of times a year due to the busy-ness of our lives.

Adulthood for both of us had its ups and downs, but Sue really took some hard knocks - her husband died of brain cancer and then, after remarrying many years later, she developed breast cancer.

And through it all, the letters continued.

I got one from her in the mail yesterday.

Typical Sue, it was a three pager, single spaced!

I waited until I had a quiet moment to read it, wondering especially about her cancer treatment and if things were still going as well as they had been at Christmas. To my delight, she is healthy and nearing the end of two long years of treatment. Yay, Sue!

Sue (middle) with her niece (left) and sister (right) last Christmas.

Sue's words at the end of the letter were touching. Referring to the fact that I was now retired and had more time to write her, she said, "Let's keep this rolling," referring to the more frequent correspondence that we had begun again and which was so, so similar to our teen years when the letters came weekly.

There is a real joy in a long term friendship, a friendship with someone who has known you even longer than your husband. We've been friends since 1971, just shy of fifty years.

You can bet that I am going to "keep this rolling!"