Dog Days: April

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If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.

~ Woodrow Wilson

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Dog Days: March

His ears were often the first thing to catch my tears.

 ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning, referring to her cocker spaniel, Flush

 These velvet black ears have caught many of my tears over the years.

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Dog Days: February

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The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog.

~ Senator George Graham Vest

If you have time, please go to the link I'll provide below to read (then lawyer) Vest's heartwarming, and rending, eulogy of the dog, in response to the sad shooting of a beautiful hound dog.

His speech delivered to the court at the trial of Old Drum, became known as, "one of the most enduring passages of purple prose in American courtroom history", and the most memorable tribute in modern history to dogs, reducing the jury and most of the court to tears.

Click here and scroll down to read his eulogy and more about the trial.

Interesting to note, this speech is the origin of the phrase known the world over...

"man's best friend is his dog".

If you are interested in learning more about the trial in full, you can read further, here.

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Dog Days

I love calendars. There are always more than one in our house.
I have one by the computer, which serves to remind me when market and other associated fees are due, and supplies need to be bought, seeing as I pay online.

One in my studio, always art related, where I make little notes on what I create, what I need to prepare for, and which days I will be either bisque or glaze firing.

And, one main calendar in the kitchen, on the pantry door. This is the household day keeper. Where birthdays, appointments, events and general reminders are written.

Ever since Jack came into our lives, we've had a "Blue Heelers" version every year - it's now a tradition. Any other calendar just wouldn't be right somehow :)

I try to avoid the big shopping centres before Christmas (shudder), and after the New Year sales craze has died down, I'll venture in and find the sole remaining calendar vendor, usually near the food court.
By then, the calendars are up to 50% off. And there are always plenty of dog/cat/animals still available.
The calendars we buy usually have short quotes at the bottom of the month - lovely odes from man to dog.

This year, I thought it might be nice to include them here on my blog.

When I turn the page on the first of each month, I'd like to post the quote as well.
I'm sorry to be so dog-centric, and perhaps it might be nice if I also found some quotes to add in from time to time, on beautiful cats and other dear animals. Goats too, I love goats. But not too sure how many quotes there are on goats. I should look that up... goat quotes :D

And so, here is January's quote:

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.

~Anatole France

This one speaks for all animals, not just dogs. And I so agree, don't you?

♥