23 April 2011

Shep, Chummy and Bucky: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

Week 17:  Pets.  Did you have any pets as a child?  If so, what types and what were their names?  Do you have pets now?  Describe them as well.  If you did not have pets, you can discuss those of neighbors or other family members.

I never had a pet growing up and don't remember really asking for one, either.  I guess I knew that my sister, Linda, had allergies and an animal would never be allowed in the house.  I grew up not being a big pet lover and so my children were deprived of a family pet, too.  Unless you count the anole (a cub scout project) or the fish we had now and then or maybe a few dust bunnies lurking around.

My mother, Audrey, spent her first ten years living on the family farm.  Her family had pets.  They were Shep the dog; Chummy the calf; and Bucky the fawn. 

I remember visiting my Uncle Hank and Aunt Mabel when they lived in Ferndale, Michigan.  They had, what seemed to my six year old self, a huge collie named Sheppy.  Every time we would visit he would jump up on the fence and bark.  It took me some time to realize he wasn't going to hurt me.  Plus, I loved visiting my aunt and uncle.

Although I never had a dog of mine own, I did fall in love with my in-law's dog, Sam.  My daughter, Kirsten, called Sam her dog.  He was a great pet.  He died in December and I was surprised by my reaction to his being gone.  Even though I never 'owned' a pet of my own, I was happy with the ones that were in my life.

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