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I have a short time before I sleep and sitting here in my quiet hotel room I would like to take this opportunity to thank two ladies who have been wonderful to a stranger far from home and in a very difficult situation.
Windy Way Cavaliers left her sick children and drove in driving snow for over 2.5 hours to meet me thinking she was the only groomer I would meet except the one who sold me my truck. She met me at her favorite Italian place, talked shop with me, talked kids with me, talked shampoos and essential oils and steered me toward a clean hotel with a good breakfast. She celebrated a new era in my career and rejoiced in my happiness. She brought me a hand made gift basket with so many nice things in it I took a picture of it. (Picture to be posted when I get home.) She stayed in touch with my via phone to provide emotional support for a couple of days and afterward a couple of times since. We rejaoiced last night on the phone that I was FINALLY going home.
Gotta Love Gracie heard me talking about how stinking BORED I was sitting here in my hotel room (I hate TV.) and offered to let me stay with her two nights and ride along with her. Two nights turned into a week and a half and she never ONCE complained about me invading her space. I rode along with her and planned to be her bather. My time and energy was taken up with worry and stress and talking on my cell phone so I know I didn't do as well as I could have. She never once complained about anything.
She never once laughed at the way my hair looked first thing in the morning or last thing at night or THAT matter all dad gum day some days. She never complained about my dietary quirks (I'm a freak) and gladly took me to Woodman's to buy my favorite diet soda.
She freely loaned me anything I needed in her house to make me feel at home and did not laugh because I was too cold, tired and sore to finish the snow man.
I never fully fluffed her Bichons (a crime, I know) or any of her personal dogs, for that matter and all she said was that she was grateful for me bathing them. When I was in the middle of doing them she just kept telling me I did not have to, even though she had made a joke about me doing them when we met and she did not have time to do it herself. I knew it was what she wanted most & didn't ask for outright.
Bathing 11 dogs and a couple of puppies & cooking a couple of times HARDLY seems like repayment for saving me almost a THOUSAND dollars in hotel bills, generous sharing of professional knowledge, selling me a great blow dryer, giving me a grooming arm to use in my unit, treating me like family, sharing her dogs to sleep with showing me her trade secrets and all the dog's baby pictures. Allow me to reiterate treating me like family. I really enjoyed the quiet moments over dinner drinking hot tea and talking about our respective days. Not everyone will take you out for Friday fish fry when you are depressed, stressed, scared and far from home.
I watched GLG work 10-14 hours days on little food and less rest to come home and take care of her rig which takes almost half an hour in biting cold and taking care of her 11 dogs who missed her, a teen aged daughter who needed her and me who was filled with more respect on a daily basis to see a lady faced with a hard working life and just not giving up. She always had a hug, pet or kind words for whomever needed it. Oftentimes that included me.
I was inspired by her willingness to take others on their own terms and enjoy them as they are with an attitude of gratitude. I was exhausted and hypoglycemic and barely could focus. GLG ran on sheer determination and meticulously turned out great results EVERY time. (Except that time the Yorkie bit the Dremel when I was Dremelling his nails). She inspired me to more patience and reminded me by the force of her example to be more gentle and caring. In all the time I was there I never heard her raise her voice, a feat in itself, but, her actions and facial expressions spoke volumes.
Thank you doesn't even come close. I will NEVER forget you.
Windy Way Cavaliers left her sick children and drove in driving snow for over 2.5 hours to meet me thinking she was the only groomer I would meet except the one who sold me my truck. She met me at her favorite Italian place, talked shop with me, talked kids with me, talked shampoos and essential oils and steered me toward a clean hotel with a good breakfast. She celebrated a new era in my career and rejoiced in my happiness. She brought me a hand made gift basket with so many nice things in it I took a picture of it. (Picture to be posted when I get home.) She stayed in touch with my via phone to provide emotional support for a couple of days and afterward a couple of times since. We rejaoiced last night on the phone that I was FINALLY going home.
Gotta Love Gracie heard me talking about how stinking BORED I was sitting here in my hotel room (I hate TV.) and offered to let me stay with her two nights and ride along with her. Two nights turned into a week and a half and she never ONCE complained about me invading her space. I rode along with her and planned to be her bather. My time and energy was taken up with worry and stress and talking on my cell phone so I know I didn't do as well as I could have. She never once complained about anything.
She never once laughed at the way my hair looked first thing in the morning or last thing at night or THAT matter all dad gum day some days. She never complained about my dietary quirks (I'm a freak) and gladly took me to Woodman's to buy my favorite diet soda.
She freely loaned me anything I needed in her house to make me feel at home and did not laugh because I was too cold, tired and sore to finish the snow man.
I never fully fluffed her Bichons (a crime, I know) or any of her personal dogs, for that matter and all she said was that she was grateful for me bathing them. When I was in the middle of doing them she just kept telling me I did not have to, even though she had made a joke about me doing them when we met and she did not have time to do it herself. I knew it was what she wanted most & didn't ask for outright.
Bathing 11 dogs and a couple of puppies & cooking a couple of times HARDLY seems like repayment for saving me almost a THOUSAND dollars in hotel bills, generous sharing of professional knowledge, selling me a great blow dryer, giving me a grooming arm to use in my unit, treating me like family, sharing her dogs to sleep with showing me her trade secrets and all the dog's baby pictures. Allow me to reiterate treating me like family. I really enjoyed the quiet moments over dinner drinking hot tea and talking about our respective days. Not everyone will take you out for Friday fish fry when you are depressed, stressed, scared and far from home.
I watched GLG work 10-14 hours days on little food and less rest to come home and take care of her rig which takes almost half an hour in biting cold and taking care of her 11 dogs who missed her, a teen aged daughter who needed her and me who was filled with more respect on a daily basis to see a lady faced with a hard working life and just not giving up. She always had a hug, pet or kind words for whomever needed it. Oftentimes that included me.
I was inspired by her willingness to take others on their own terms and enjoy them as they are with an attitude of gratitude. I was exhausted and hypoglycemic and barely could focus. GLG ran on sheer determination and meticulously turned out great results EVERY time. (Except that time the Yorkie bit the Dremel when I was Dremelling his nails). She inspired me to more patience and reminded me by the force of her example to be more gentle and caring. In all the time I was there I never heard her raise her voice, a feat in itself, but, her actions and facial expressions spoke volumes.
Thank you doesn't even come close. I will NEVER forget you.
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