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| Biscuit Quilt from Buzzing and Bumbling Photo courtesy of Linda at Buzzing and Bumbling |
I'm more of a cat person than a dog person, so in the mid-90's, when my dad brought home a Bichon Frise-poodle mix, I was not enthused. I didn't want to deal with the dog smell, the barking, and all other sorts of dog-related stuff.
Eventually Wilbur grew on me. He didn't bark much, just mostly when someone rang the doorbell, and his dog smell wasn't as bad as I had feared. It was fun taking him on walks because he had such a proud gait, chest up (when he wasn't sniffing every little thing on the ground), and mouth open just a slight that it looked like he was smiling. When it was sunny, he squinted his eyes and it almost looked as though he wanted to share a secret with you. Wilbur had this funny habit of taking food out of his bowl and then moving it near the dinner table. It was as if he wanted to be a part of the comradery that comes with sharing a meal with people that you love. And when it came to bathtime, Wilbur had this crazy run that he would do as soon as the bathroom door opened. He'd sprint back and forth down the hallway as fast as his short legs would carry him with a guttural sound that I think he thought made him faster - like when a little kid's "vroom" gets stronger and louder to show his toy car is beating yours.
Like with all things, the years took their toll on Wilbur. His proud gait became more of a labored plod, his mouthfuls of food dribbled into one or two pieces of kibble, and his post-bath racing turned into a stroll from the bathroom straight to his doggy bed.
In July of 2011, it was clear that Wilbur wouldn't be with us much longer. My brothers, who had watched Wilbur's health deteriorate day-by-day, told me it would be soon, but I was in complete denial. During the last week of July, they said that Wilbur wasn't active much, but didn't like being alone, so on Friday, July 29th, I spent the entire day with him. He slept most of the day, but when he'd open his eyes, I could sometimes see a flash of recognition, and when his eyes were slightly closed, it'd take me back to when he'd have that secret-sharing smile. I hugged him a lot that day, just to let him know that I was there, but I'm hoping that he could feel how much I actually loved him, that if there was one dog that could ever change my opinion of all dogs that it was him, and that I was so grateful that my Dad brought him home from the pound that day those many years before.
Wilbur passed away that very day, close to midnight. My sister's family drove over an hour that night to say goodbye to him, and we all surrounded our little white puppy dog, telling him how much we loved him, how much he meant to us, and all the things that owners say to their pets when they realize it'll be the last time they'll ever see them. It was one of the saddest days of my life, and as I write this, I realize that I am still not over it.
This week my parents planted a tree - a dogwood - in memory of Wilbur, so I decided this would be the week to use the Max & Whiskers layer cake and jelly roll. I came across this tutorial for a biscuit quilt, and this version using the larger layer cake squares instead of smaller 5" squares reminds me a lot of the doggy beds we'd get for Wilbur. I'm sure if Wilbur was with us today, he'd approve.
Eventually Wilbur grew on me. He didn't bark much, just mostly when someone rang the doorbell, and his dog smell wasn't as bad as I had feared. It was fun taking him on walks because he had such a proud gait, chest up (when he wasn't sniffing every little thing on the ground), and mouth open just a slight that it looked like he was smiling. When it was sunny, he squinted his eyes and it almost looked as though he wanted to share a secret with you. Wilbur had this funny habit of taking food out of his bowl and then moving it near the dinner table. It was as if he wanted to be a part of the comradery that comes with sharing a meal with people that you love. And when it came to bathtime, Wilbur had this crazy run that he would do as soon as the bathroom door opened. He'd sprint back and forth down the hallway as fast as his short legs would carry him with a guttural sound that I think he thought made him faster - like when a little kid's "vroom" gets stronger and louder to show his toy car is beating yours.
Like with all things, the years took their toll on Wilbur. His proud gait became more of a labored plod, his mouthfuls of food dribbled into one or two pieces of kibble, and his post-bath racing turned into a stroll from the bathroom straight to his doggy bed.
In July of 2011, it was clear that Wilbur wouldn't be with us much longer. My brothers, who had watched Wilbur's health deteriorate day-by-day, told me it would be soon, but I was in complete denial. During the last week of July, they said that Wilbur wasn't active much, but didn't like being alone, so on Friday, July 29th, I spent the entire day with him. He slept most of the day, but when he'd open his eyes, I could sometimes see a flash of recognition, and when his eyes were slightly closed, it'd take me back to when he'd have that secret-sharing smile. I hugged him a lot that day, just to let him know that I was there, but I'm hoping that he could feel how much I actually loved him, that if there was one dog that could ever change my opinion of all dogs that it was him, and that I was so grateful that my Dad brought him home from the pound that day those many years before.
Wilbur passed away that very day, close to midnight. My sister's family drove over an hour that night to say goodbye to him, and we all surrounded our little white puppy dog, telling him how much we loved him, how much he meant to us, and all the things that owners say to their pets when they realize it'll be the last time they'll ever see them. It was one of the saddest days of my life, and as I write this, I realize that I am still not over it.
This week my parents planted a tree - a dogwood - in memory of Wilbur, so I decided this would be the week to use the Max & Whiskers layer cake and jelly roll. I came across this tutorial for a biscuit quilt, and this version using the larger layer cake squares instead of smaller 5" squares reminds me a lot of the doggy beds we'd get for Wilbur. I'm sure if Wilbur was with us today, he'd approve.
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