Meet Patsy, a new furry face to love.

Thanksgiving day my husband and I, daughter Meridith, her fiancé Mitch, and my mother feasted in style while our 2, Mom's 1,  and Mer and Mitche's 3 dogs more or less lay politely at our feet. We were missing and remembering our recently passed senior dog, Petey and M and M's Stella.  Friday the four of us and our five dogs loaded up in Johnny's van and drove to Pacolet SC to visit Dreamweaver Farms, home of Carolina Poodle Rescue, to meet adoptable dogs and see if we could help fill the hole in our hearts and give another dog a furever home. 

Johnny and I fell on love with beautifully little Lisa whom we renamed Patsy Louise. Mer and Mitch had given up on finding their perfect match for their household but, on the way back to the van, laid eyes upon a gorgeous big cream Standard Poodle named Lily. It took another trip back to the farm on Saturday, but Lily is now a member of their family and happily settling in her new home in Gainesville FL. 

Believe me, there's a real art to going through a successful adoption at CPR. You can start out with specific wants and needs in mind ... I wanted a small poodle, my husband wanted whatever we ended up with to be a male. My daughter wanted a little female something, preferably a poodle, to cuddle. As you seen we ended up with another white hairy Petey looking dog, a little long legged female, possessing the softest hair you could ever imagine, and M and M, who wanted to find a little girl to cuddle, went home with the biggest of the biggest Standard Poos.  

We can't force love or art. We need to be open to going with the beautiful opportunities that arise, to seeing things with new perspectives. Watercolors especially have a mind of their own and constantly force me to adjust my thinking about my subject matter.  Patsy has given me perspective on losing sweet Pete. I'm ready to pick up my brushes and finish his portrait. In the meantime, here's Patsy Louise.