The blessing of sunshine

Monday and the sun shines again.Agatha is better today, she actually pranced into the kitchen for breakfast, the cough is still with us but she is bright and beautiful and sat in a sunbeam this morning while I did my devotions and sent more prayers heavenward.I fear to overburden you with my emails but I know that many of you have wept with me over our beloved dog and I wanted to give you some brighter news.  Agatha is undoubtedly better. She'd be embarrassed to know I share a picture of her all scruffy and damp from her walk around the yard this morning, but I wanted to share the love that shines from her eyes.  Though you might not have met her, she would greet every one of you with kisses and adoring wags if you'd been to visit.I do not know how much time she will have, I'm praying for another year, an audacious prayer indeed for a dog that the veterinarian thought wouldn't live through last Thursday.  But I am happy for each new day with her as long as they last.I'm trying also to pray for His will and not my own but it's so hard.  He knows best and this time of fearful watching has shown me that my faith while strong is shaken more than I thought possible when I look at the angry waves that beat against our little vessel.I send the utmost sincere & grateful thanks for all the faithful prayers being sent up on our behalf, please continue to keep us there.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, I am humbled at such a response.  The letters and words of encouragement continue to flood my Inbox and comments section, many of you have shared your stories of the people and yes, the pets you have lost, that pain never goes away even after many years, I pray for your pain as well.  You have strengthened me in ways you'll never know, I pray He blesses you dear friends for your goodness to me and yes for sharing in our love and our tears over our Agatha.Grateful Love & Wags,Terry, John and dearest Agatha

Prayers for Agatha

Dearest of friends and readers,I know so many of you are praying for Agatha, and I wanted to reach out and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers.  She woke up early looking for her morning cookie and following John through the kitchen watching carefully that he not forget where her treats were kept.I cling to hope when I watch her wagging tail this afternoon and extreme interest in what is in her supper dish and yet during the night was awake and ready to leave with her for that last trip to the veterinarian.  (Things are always so much worse at night when it feels like the whole world is asleep but you aren't they?).  She slept peacefully and then fitfully and a deep cough woke her every few hours, signs of the wretched condition that afflicts her.  I laid on the couch to be near her and in the middle of the night she came over and sat beside me while I stroked her silky little head over and over and over and prayed.Yesterday, I drove into town hurriedly to stop at the post office to quickly drop some orders off that needed to be on their way and at our small market to pick up things to tempt her appetite (which thankfully is good).  I wore sorrow like a garment and my eyes would fill with tears at the least kindness.  Glancing down at the packages in the post office, prancing Agatha stickers adorning every box almost overwhelmed me, the nice man who carried my purchases to my car nearly reduced me to weeping, a frozen pain somewhere deep inside that made me cold with worry.I rushed home worried and found her looking cheerfully at the bags, almost her old self and but a rough cough still very much in evidence and I watch her knowing we need a miracle and yet trying to pray that if we are not granted one that He will be with us through the hours and perhaps days ahead.I beg your continued prayers, yes, that she go quietly when her time comes, but oh that I have wisdom and courage to know if the time comes when I must allow that process to come medically... I will not allow her to suffer but oh God that the end does not come that way...Forgive me for this most emotional and wrenchingly honest of letters, I must thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, your loving words, your letters and sharing your stories, they have made this time more bearable.  Yesterday afternoon I read through them and felt that glacier inside begin to melt as I wept, knowing that you love her too, even though you've perhaps never met her, has comforted me in this time of pain.With much love and gratitude,Terry 

Journeys Begin And Perhaps End...

The last few days I have watched the journey of loving a dog begin for families that have just started on the path that will span happy years with joy.  The work that I delight in has been my comfort during some of the most difficult days of my life.And with a broken heart I am perhaps watching our journey with our most beloved of dogs, Agatha, come to what I fear is the end.With tears pouring I write these words.  The words I dreaded back when she became ill with cancer so many years ago and now as she approaches her 12th birthday and I know in my heart that even the very best dogs, the ones that have woven themselves into the very fabric and being of our lives cannot live forever.

That is the sorrow that is part of loving a dog.

We grow over a short span of years to love them more than we ever dreamed possible. 

Agatha those many years ago, arriving as a puppy with more mischief and intelligence and yet a heart more filled with love than I could have dreamed.  Agatha, who has become my constant most beautiful companion.  Agatha who inspired me to begin a company to help other pets live healthier and yes longer lives.

My sweet Agatha who has filled my days with laughter.

Agatha who has been by my side for over a decade almost without exception every single day for nearly 12 years.  She is asleep now lying in her basket beside me, still so beautiful, gazing up at me as I write these soul-wrenching words

How do I say goodbye to my constant companion, the dog of a lifetime?  This one that is so very dear to me?  This small friend who has made it work of her life to make me smile, to watch over me with a heart so full of love that many human relationships have paled in comparison.

She has never failed to bring me joy and I will miss her so much I do not know how I can bear it.

My dear old veterinarian told me one day with tears in his own eyes “I can’t own a dog again, they die and I can’t stand it.”

I will spare you the details, only to say that an almost 12-year-old Cavalier heart is a very old heart indeed.  The best of doctors and all the money I could spend to give her more time may not be enough.

And so I anguish along with my dearest John, we childless ones who foolishly love small creatures who at their best can only stay by our sides a few short years.  And I know that our sorrow is nothing when compared to the loss of our human loved ones, but perhaps that’s not true after all.  God somehow gives to our dogs a heart that fills so many of the empty places in us in a way that no one else can.

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Please pray for Agatha, oh that she could rally, oh Lord that she does not leave us quite yet.  Her doctors say that she is one tough little dog and I cling to the hope that she will once again miraculously recover.

Oh but my prayer too is that when the time comes that she will sweetly and quietly leave us to go that heavenly home where I believe God will allow her to wait for us. 

(Oh surely my Father would keep her safe for me there, the little one that has filled so many empty places in my heart?)

Oh yes, I believe that my most faithful and dearest of Agatha's will be lying, just inside the gates of Heaven, her sweet little nose resting on her paws, eyes alert, waiting patiently, tail ready to wag with the most joyful of welcomes at the sight of the ones she has adored.

With Tears,

Terry & John and yes, Agatha

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(dearest readers, forgive my lack of reply to your comments, for now, I know you will understand that I cherish your friendship more than I can say, I send love back for your prayers and kindest wishes). 

The last few days I have watched the journey of loving a dog begin for families that have just started on the path that will span happy years with joy.  The work that I delight in has been my comfort during some of the most difficult days of my life.

And with a broken heart I am perhaps watching our journey with our most beloved of dogs, Agatha, come to what I fear is the end.

With tears pouring I write these words.  The words I dreaded back when she became ill with cancer so many years ago and now as she approaches her 12th birthday and I know in my heart that even the very best dogs, the ones that have woven themselves into the very fabric and being of our lives cannot live forever.

That is the sorrow that is part of loving a dog.

Just A Little Puppy Love

It's a cold March evening in Ohio and I'm sitting in my favorite old wingback writing chair, thinking about how people find the pets that will inhabit their lives.  We had a visit this afternoon, a sweet couple from Columbus and their little girl Berkley had come to pick up a puppy.  Her mom said that Berkley had been pleading for a puppy for years and they'd promised she could have one for her 8th birthday.  I love visits like this one.  Berkley was starry-eyed and quietly over the moon about finally getting to have a puppy of her own.I was almost certain that they would be going home with beautiful Viola of the creamy white coat and soft dark eyes.  The perfect sort of little girl puppy for a little girl to love and care for.Twizzler and Viola were bouncing up and down with puppy excitement as the family came into the kitchen and began oohing and awing as they gazed into the puppy playpen, It took just a few minutes, and I could see that yes, Viola and Berkley were meant for each other. I know it's silly, but I'm sure that Twizzler could tell too and I watched sympathetically he redoubled his efforts to show what an amazing puppy he was, and began an earnest campaign to convince everyone that he was the puppy they should go home with...  I'd been working with the babies teaching everyone to tether and to sit on command, and he went carefully through his small assortment of tricks.Posing and being a pretty boy.  Sitting neatly with paws carefully placed together, (peering up at me worriedly as if to ask me to plead with them on his behalf).He did much gazing longingly at both mom & dad, hoping to sway them to his side.It was no use though, one look at Berkley and Viola (who by this time was attached to Berkley like velcro) and even Twizzler knew this little girl wasn't going to pick him. My poor little Cavapoo drooped as the happy family went out the door with Viola in their arms.  I can't say who was beaming more happily, Berkley or Viola, both were obviously smitten with each other and while I knew it was exactly the right home for Viola and not for Twizzler, I couldn't help feeling badly for my little red-headed puppy who had been equally smitten with puppy love for the exceedingly adorable Berkley.After I had sent the joyous new puppy owners on their way and helped tuck Viola (now known as "Joy"!) into her crate for her journey home, I went back into the kitchen and found a most woebegone Twizzler still watching the door to see if perhaps they might change their minds and come back for him.I reached down to cheer him up a bit and as is his habit, he placed his velvet muzzle gently in the palm of my hand, (such an earnest small soul).  I promised him that his family just hadn't found him yet and that soon, very soon they would arrive or he would fly to meet them and all would again be puppy bliss in his small world.It's a story I've seen unfold many times over the years, each puppy has just the right home and sometimes it takes a bit, but they always always find their way to that special someone's heart and it's always a blessing to be part of each little one's journey.Some little puppy people are not sure that's true but I promise it is : )

Prayers for the New Year

Hello dearest readers and friends,It's late Sunday evening, just a few hours before a brand new year begins and I've been thinking of this post and of you and through the hurry of the season, I wanted to pause and say thank you for the kindness and love you've shared and that my hope and prayer for this next year for you is that it will have many blessings and much peace and joy as well.This past year had much of both, but for many of you and for me, it had it's measure of sorrow as well.  I pray that we will become stronger and gentler having passed through those trials, that the mark they have left on us will be one that gives glory to Him who is faithful and Who will use all things, even the hard ones for our good if we will only trust Him.We had lunch after church today with good friends, it was wonderful to sit and laugh and talk (how strengthening our good friends can be, even you dear friends though we only know each other through words sent winging their way on these pages).We talked about how God gives us beauty for ashes and I felt hope rise in my heart that this new year would a good one, not without its struggles, but that even those would bring us closer to the Lord.I hope this finds you enjoying the last of 2017 with someone you love, that you have one or two little four-footed one snuggled by your feet (as I do this snowy winter evening) that you are safe and warm and that your heart looks up to Him who is faithful to keep you in his watchcare in the days to come.Be blessed dearhearts, be filled with hope, for with God all things are possible. Let's look forward with grateful hearts to this brand new year!With Warmest Wags,Terry & John & Agatha and the rest of the Foxglove family!

Last Rose Of Summer

It's been a long busy summer dear friends and I've missed writing and sharing all the daily bits and going's on's here at Foxglove Farm.  Agatha continues to faithfully keep watch for possible squirrel insurrections in the backyard and I find myself longing for just a few extra minutes to sit down and enjoy a  good old-fashioned writing jag as I call them.

I hope this finds you well and enjoying these beautiful last days of summer.I have a climbing rose right outside my kitchen door who has amazed visitors all summer long with her fragrant red blooms.  If you're a rose grower, she's called Climbing Red Eden and is worth any effort to acquire, incredibly fragrant with that wonderful old rose fragrance that has been lost from many modern roses.

The window box outside my kitchen still spills over with a riot of beautiful blooms, we'd best be enjoying all this extravagance of color, winter is right around the corner.  No worries, fall is yet to come with her wealth of autumn leaves and will keep us content until those first snowflakes start, so enjoy these long days of late summer wherever you are my friends!

With Grateful Wags & A Most Exciting Announcement!

My Dearest Puppy People,I can't tell you what a joy you have been to me, these years we've met together here at Foxglove Farm.  Many of you have come and had a seat in my kitchen, met Agatha in person, had a cup of coffee and visited with one or another of the little four-footed creatures that call this place their home.  Many more of you I have never met in person but I feel I know you anyway, that we've shared a bond of the love of animals and shared stories about them.What a sweet blessing you have been in my life, your faithful reading of my postings, your loving and generous comments, your precious prayers, I am so thankful for each and every one of you dear readers.  I can't tell you how much of an encouragement you've been.  In large measure it's because of you, because of your letters and exhortations to write, children's stories and books about Agatha, about life at Foxglove Farm.  You've helped me have the courage to step out take the first steps on this new path.Soon and very soon, the first 2 titles of a series of 5 (did I just say that out loud?) yes, FIVE children's books will be beginning a journey of their own into the wide wide world and I hope into the hearts of dog lovers everywhere.  "Bonsai Comes Home To Stay" is my special favorite, his true little tale is a poignant one with a very happy ending (we love happy endings Agatha & I).I've shared an excerpt to the Bonsai tale, we even have a real live website here with book previews and even a spot to pre-order!  I was so taken with his story when I saw his little woebegone face in a blog post by a dear friend Karrianne Wood that described his arrival at her farm (you can see the real Bonzai here on her wonderful blog www.thistlewoodfarm.com) that I couldn't stop thinking about him until I gave him his own honest to goodness book!  A Yorkie right?  I know, but his story captured my heart and I had to tell it for him...I loved writing the story of this elderly little fellow and I'm especially thrilled to report that upon reading the first proof copy aloud to three 7 & 8-year-old little girls, that the room was so quiet that you could have heard the proverbial pin drop, the only sound the ticking of the old clock on the bookshelf.  Little girls who loved their iPads and games on their mama's phones, sat completely still, softly quiet and captured by this small dog and his tiny struggles, that they had tears in their eyes at the part of the story where Bonsai found himself in the Old Dog's Home...I'm so very excited and cannot wait until the first copies of Bonsai arrive, literally hot off the presses and I can share them with you.  They are partially yours anyway, I never would have had the courage to step out in faith and share them with the world if it hadn't been for you.  I have treasured your words and believe in my heart that you've spoken truth into my life and it's time to take flight, to take to the wing, to soar and let my stories take on lives of their own.  My prayer is that they to make people laugh and yes shed a tear over stories of real dogs and their small journeys.  Stories that people will read to their children and grandchildren, turning the pages slowly to have time to enjoy the beautiful watercolor illustrations, each with a heart of its own."A Puppy's Christmas Wish" makes ME cry when I read it!  Goodness, I wrote it so you'd think after a few readings I'd be not so teary!  The day I took the photos of Tinsel and Buttons, Jingle & sweet funny Sparkle Plenty, I knew there was something special happening, the camera whirring and puppies telling a story right before my eyes. My desire is that in reading or hearing these stories, children will learn to love dogs, develop a love for reading and most of all, a love and heart for the animals in their lives.  That dog lovers of all ages will find entertainment and a bit of rest and refreshment in books with delightful illustrations and photos that make the stories come alive.  A word about those beautiful watercolors, lest you think I've developed an entire new vocation as artist, alas, they are not my own (though the photos will be!) but are painted by a wonderful artist, Vianne Chang who skillfully brings each of my characters to life.OH, I WISH I could send them out to you all FREE of charge, you have such a part in their creation...  My wiser and better half reminds me that there is the tiniest profit after the investment to publish books on this rather small scale. Our cost is not much under what they are priced at so to keep peace in the family and pay the bills if you decide to purchase a copy, I promise to send it along with a personal note from Agatha & me.  I'm trying to decide if she'll cooperate and put a paw print inside the cover, but ink and dog paws might not be the most brilliant thing I've dreamed up yet!With Most Heartfelt Wags,terry & agatha(& bonsai & fluffy blue eyes & barkley & tinsel & sparkle plenty & just a few more...)P.S.  Faithful readers, I humbly ask that you help get the word out?  If you like to pin things on Pinterest, if you have a few dozen dog loving Facebook friends, or if the lady where you take your dry cleaning is a dog lover, won't you help spread the word and the new website: https://tellencross.squarespace.com and Bonsai & the rest of my little books with anyone who might sit still enough to listen?!?  I so hope everyone loves and enjoys these stories, in my heart, I know this is something I'm meant to do and I know that along with my dear puppy people, God will help Bonsai & Tinsel and all the rest sit up and bark!XOXOt.   

Bentley Needed A Friend

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My heart ached for this poor baby when this picture arrived in my Inbox a short while ago.  Meet Bentley a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who recently lost his buddy, Murphy, who passed away unexpectedly. In the canine world, there are not many things sadder than a little dog mourning the loss of his lifelong friend and companion.  Bentley has been extremely listless and spends much of every day with his head between his paws grieving.  His owners who are of course also broken-hearted are also terribly distressed to see their remaining dog like this.  Cheryl says that the only time Bentley shows any interest is when they go to town and return home,  then he joyously runs from room to room, clearly hopeful that somehow Murphy might have returned in his absence.   After carefully searching every room, Bentley goes and lies down again with a sigh to wait for his brother who is never coming home again.

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Cheryl & Bryan had contacted me to see if perhaps we might have a good fit for their family and someone that might help sweet Bentley too.  When I saw this picture, I told her she needed to quickly get another dog, whether from here or not wasn’t nearly as important as the urgent need to fill the empty place in this little Cavalier’s heart as quickly as possible.  It’s all too easy for the dog left behind to begin to decline rapidly in a number of disheartening ways and the picture she had shared frightened me for the outlook for her remaining dog if she delayed too long.

We talked several times and I’m so happy to say that one of our little ones will be there to surprise him on Saturday.  I’m counting the hours until that sad little face has a little furry bundle of puppy antics to bring zest and a happy sort of distraction back to his life.  I know that this puppy will be good medicine for Bentley and for Cheryl and her husband Jim too.

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POSTSCRIPT:  I love what I do, I really do!!!

These photos arrived today along with an animated video of Bentley playing with his new little “brother”, I especially love the second photo, see “Shamus” curled up close to his side?  

I can see the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

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My heart ached for this poor baby when this picture arrived in my Inbox a short while ago.  Meet Bentley a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who recently lost his buddy, Murphy, who passed away unexpectedly. In the canine world, there are not many things sadder than a little dog mourning the loss of his lifelong friend and companion.  Bentley has been extremely listless and spends much of every day with his head between his paws grieving.  His owners who are of course also broken hearted are also terribly distressed to see their remaining dog like this.  Cheryl says that the only time Bentley shows any interest is when they go to town and return home,  then he joyously runs from room to room, clearly hopeful that somehow Murphy might have returned in his absence.   After carefully searching every room, Bentley goes and lies down again with a sigh to wait for his brother who is never coming home again.Cheryl & Bryan had contacted me to see if perhaps we might have a good fit for their family and someone that might help sweet Bentley too.  When I saw this picture, I told her she needed  to quickly get another dog, whether from here or not wasn't nearly as important as the urgent need to fill the empty place in this little Cavalier's heart as quickly as possible.  It's all too easy for the dog left behind to begin to decline rapidly in a number of disheartening ways and the picture she had shared frightened me for the outlook for her remaining dog if she delayed too long.We talked several times and I'm so happy to say that one of our little ones will be there to surprise him on Saturday.  I'm counting the hours until that sad little face has a little furry bundle of puppy antics to bring zest and a happy sort of distraction back to his life.  I know that this puppy will be good medicine for Bentley and for Cheryl and her husband Jim too.POSTSCRIPT:  I love what I do, I really do!!!  These photos arrived today along with an animated video of Bentley playing with his new little "brother", I especially love the second photo, see "Shamus" curled up close to his side?  I can see the beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

Why Does It Feel Like Someone Just Kicked My Dog? The ONE Star Review...

So I probably take things like a negative review too personally.  It's because of Agatha.  She’s the inspiration for Agatha’s Apothecary.  She’s the reason I started the journey to find the things that truly help pets stay healthy.  She’s why I spent years and a small fortune gathering great products in a field that abounds with cheap, ineffective placebos.Agatha's Apothecary is unlike any pet company out there & I'm blessed to be part of its beginnings.  My dream?  To provide absolutely the best products money could buy.  Products that help pets have happier + healthier lives,,,  period.  I wanted ours to be products with HEART, from a COMPANY with heart.  A company that truly cares about the other Agathas and Annabelles, the much-loved Luckys and Lucys and Lulus out there.I've been so excited about our new product line.  There have been so many thousands of hours poured into this endeavor and finally, we approach the official Amazon launch of over a dozen products.  Besides our probiotics, upcoming is a joint formula, an all-natural flea remedy, the best dog shampoo & coat conditioner money can buy. (really!)  There's Fur Freshener & Pup Pup Cologne (divine!) Agatha's Elixir and even a product called Probiotic Cat Essentials for those with a furry feline in the house.The first product formula is AMAZING, (learn more about Agatha's Advanced Probiotic and other new products here) in brief, I've taken our original Advanced Probiotic and made it even more powerful, it has ten of the most pet beneficial probiotic strains, a whopping 15 BILLION CFU's per capsule. (That is  incredible for a dog probiotic, check labels, most pet products just don't come close)  I wanted to create products with stories and wonderful watercolor illustrations.  Stories about real dogs and cats, because we all need to laugh more and perhaps reflect more too.  It's been the busiest time of my life but a joy-filled time of creativity and a chance to be part of something that will help others hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls of keeping their pets well.I'm a storyteller and first, I shared the story of my wonderfully funny and sweet and loving and courageous little dog Agatha, who will be (trumpet sound!)  TEN YEARS OLD HER NEXT BIRTHDAY!  (yes, shouting for joy!).This isn't some huge China-based conglomerate company that spins out who know's what kind of pet products, to the best of my ability,  I promise that Agatha's Apothecary will offer the very best you can buy for your pets.Agatha's Apothecary is unlike any pet company out there, we follow the most current scientific & holistic research and offer the best made in the USA products on the planet.  I'm so blessed to have been given this dream and been surrounded by the talented people who could help make it become a reality.So what has all this got to do with reviews on Amazon?  I'm so glad you asked!Not long ago, I was checking the inventory on our Advanced Probiotic, I was stunned to see an ONE-star review from a woman who complained (with bad language) that she didn’t want the "blank blank" bother of having to hide the capsule in a treat.  (which is totally incorrect anyway, the package clearly says just pull open and sprinkle over wet or dry food, it’s totally invisible to pets & tasteless) easy peasy to give in those shiny little vegetable glycerine capsules, edible and safe any way you give it really...Regardless, not everyone will love Agatha's, I get that.  But, did she have to curse?(I know she wasn't cursing at my dearest of Agatha's, but it sure felt like it).And a ONE star review?  Ouch that hurts in the world of pet products.People CARE about their pets and who wants a product with even one bad review?The heart of Agatha’s Apothecary is summed up here: “for the love of a dog”.I started this journey “for the love of a dog”.  Because I knew if I didn’t find answers for how to help that dog fight the cancer that struck her at only four years of age, that certainly I would watch her die years before her time.And not for Agatha only, but for all the dogs I’ve owned and lost too early.  For those now lost companions, some of whom I watched suffer painful and needlessly early deaths.  It was like a slap in the face for everything we’ve worked so hard for, the products that I KNOW are amazing, that I’ve poured so much into, to be so caustically rejected without one ounce of understanding of why it was important to be willing to be slightly inconvenienced for the sake of the pets we love.   Am I old-fashioned as to believe that an open forum like that calls for at least a modicum of courtesy and good taste?  Obviously, she hadn’t read anything about who Agatha was, or why her products were so important for pet health, obviously, she couldn’t have cared less.Of course, I immediately responded and offered her a full refund, to keep the unused portion with my apologies (and just a word or two about using it the right way instead of writing such a disparaging review that was so unfair to the product itself).  It stung for days though, I’d wake up thinking about it, check my emails hourly waiting for her reply which never came.I contacted Amazon Seller Central with pleas of not wanting an unhappy customer and trying to find out how to refund her purchase, Amazon couldn’t find her order either so that was fruitless as well.Reviews on sites like Amazon can be the lifeblood of a new company.  I carefully read reviews myself and they definitely are one of the factors I consider when trying anything new.  Happily, Agatha’s products have a faithful and passionate following, but considering the hundreds of products we’ve sent to customers, the sad fact is that 99% of people (including myself I’m ashamed to say), never leave a review on a product. I totally get it, we are so busy, who has time to place the order in the first place, the added step of remembering to go back and rave about the products I love is often a good intention I simply never take the time to follow through on.  I’m trying to be more diligent in that area and when I love a product, I try to let the world know!The one good thing that might have come out of that review?  I decided that making probiotics even easier to use made sense, and I’m happy to say that  we’ll now be offering another really fabulous dog probiotic (and a formula for cat lovers too!) Probiotic Dog Essentials that allows you to use a scoop, contains a 5 month supply to make things easier for those with more than one canine companion.   It’s a powerhouse blend of immune building ingredients, you can read all about here soon here, but for now, suffice to say I’m more than excited and my dream of seeing Agatha’s Apothecary change the lives of pets everywhere seems well on it's way to becoming a reality.(By the way, would you do Agatha & I a favor?If you love her products???Please help us tell the world with a nice review on Amazon?!? Warmest Wags Indeed,Terry & AgathaCo-CEO’s & Founders of Agatha’s Apothecary TO VISIT AGATHA'S NEW SITE OR SHOP NOW CLICK HERE 

Thoughts And A Few Prayers In The Garden

I was out this afternoon working in the small kitchen flower border, which Agatha had said needed something cheery planted to welcome visitors. It’s a tiny spot with just room enough for a handful of plants, it’s the perfect spot for something showy and colorful to make people smile. I had been to the garden center earlier and picked out the most beautiful yellow daylily, a cheery coneflower, several old-fashioned pink Hollyhocks, and a baby Heavenly Blue morning glory and couldn’t wait to tuck them into their new home. 

(thank you, sweet friends, for encouraging me to enjoy the garden more this summer, I’ve taken your good advice to heart in rather an alarmingly enthusiastic way!  There’s another story waiting to be told, I arrived home with only room in the driver’s seat, my car literally looked like a rolling greenhouse, I’m not to be trusted when it comes to plants.)

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After unloading the car, I worked for a bit arranging the hollyhocks, all shades of pink and soft white, the lemon daylily, an unusual cheery yellow coneflower.  The morning glory vine was trying his best to clamber his way up everything in sight and simply begging to get in into the ground sooner rather than later.  I worked along smoothly, popping plants out of their pots and into the rich dark soil.

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It’s usually a simple matter of upending whatever plant I’m ready to place in its spot.  Just give a firm thump on the bottom and out slides the root ball all ready to settle into its new home where it’s real growth could begin, free of the confines of the restrictive plastic pots. I reached for the lily and told her that she was going to be amazing next to the coneflower and those Hollyhocks.  I turned her pot over and gave a thump and nothing happened.  I thumped harder and shook the pretty flower, (who was probably thinking her small world was coming to an end) all to no avail.  The lily was firmly stuck in her pot and obviously not thinking much of the idea of leaving what she thought was a perfectly acceptable home.

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Finally, realizing the lily wasn’t going to budge without reinforcements,  I went and got a most unlikely gardening assistant from the garage, a rather ancient but most efficient-looking hammer. The poor lily surely must’ve been shocked when I started whacking away on the bottom of the pot, but sure enough, those roots began to loosen and she slowly slid out of that constricting, binding, even smothering plastic pot and into my gloved hands,  indeed, her roots were much in need of more room to stretch and grow.

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Poor thing didn’t believe it at the time but better things were ahead for her.   I quickly tucked her into the lovely cool soil where she could spread her roots and grow to beautiful maturity.  I was right, she looked amazing next to the other flowers.

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Stories rattle around in my head at the most unlikely times and while I struggled to convince the lily that it truly was the very best thing to leave her confining dwelling place and trust herself to the gardener’s hands,  I was thinking of a dear young friend and her recent struggles to leave what surely must have felt like a safe haven.  But like the lily, the time had come to leave that temporary home where she found herself.  She’d just gone through a rather cataclysmic change which I’m sure must have felt like a hammering of sorts, shaking her loose from everything she knew and was comfortable with.

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But I know that my prayers and the prayers of her sweet family and the others who love her and whose hearts ache for her, will be answered and that what she thought was a disappointing and sad change of direction was instead God’s working out His best for her life.

Be encouraged my dear young friend, God loves you and all will be well. You can trust the heavenly Gardener, though He sometimes seems to allow our small worlds to be turned upside down, there are wonderful opportunities ahead for you, just spread your roots deep and begin to grow…

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