Ahhhhh. Even though you know you are doing everything to keep your dog from suffering, helping him to cross over with dignity and the least amount of suffering takes much out of a peron. Much like losing a child of 13. It as if someone has gripped your heart and wrung it out so it is only half full. Wandering around as if someone has just punched you as hard as they could in your solar plexis and you feel as tho you can not catch a full breath. The morning ritual is gone and all day long you feel as though you have forgotten something. Many people dont understand. I think your friend is misguided. I think her intent is to distract you from your grief and her hope is that her new addition will take some of your pain away. When you have a connection with a pet who has gently placed paw prints all over your heart and has changed you making you a better human being you are not going to get over that beings passing anytime soon. Thank your friend for her efforts, let her enjoy her new family member and let her know that you are really having a hard time jumping on the happiness band wagon. That you will let her know when you are feeling better and then can be with her to help celebrate her new pup. I hope you are not completely overtaken by your grief. Sorry for your loss. Take care.

I feel the same way about my husband's exwife. I am custodial stepmom of 3 chlldren. My husband has always had custody because the exwife decided one day she no longer wanted to be married or a full-time mother. Before I came along she constantly dumped 99% of her time on my husband, he of course never said no, she had full control of her old household only she lived in a differnt place and had her own life. It was a very unhealthy situation. My husband just never stood up to her, he struggled to keep a full-time job and take care of 3 children. I give him tremendous credit because many men in his situation would not be able to take on that responsibilty. Well, then I come along, we get married and all of a sudden she begins to take a deeper interest. Mainly because I would not allow her to control my household and my husband began saying "no", She always used us as her babysitter, whether it was a work meeting, an exerecise class or a European vacation. She has been nothing but a major PIA, she wouldn't pay child support when my husband enforced the order she opened a full blown custody case, suing us for full custody because she did not want to financially support her children. We also have a screwed up schedule. During the school the chldren visit their mother Mon&Tues 4-8pm with alternating weekends. During the summer they visit her Mon-Wed 4-8pm with alternating weekends. The exwife wanted some crazy, they live with her 3days one week, then us 4days, and the next week it was the reverse. Mind you, she only had a 2bedroom condo. All three children sleep in the same bedroom. 2 girls 13&10 and a 8yr old boy. The master had enough sense to reconize that the living arrangemnents were not appropriate and would not grant anymore overnight visits except for the already standing 2 weekends a month. The schedule is crazy. The exwife is crazy. She teaches the children it is ok to lie to us. She is NOT supportative of myself or my husband. She has harrassed us to the point that she is not allowed on our property, she can not contact us by phone, she may only communicate via email, unless it is an emergency related to that day's schedule, then she may leave a message on our cell phone. She would call my husband at work and pull him out of meetings with the CEO of the company for some nonsense question. HE would get numerous calls on a daily basis. I never saw 2 divorced people talk on a daily basis. We have insulated ourselves as much as possible but everyday there is some new issue. She never returns clothes that the kids wear over there, one day she sent my ss home with no shoes on. She won't take the kids to baseball games and then tells them we did not give her the information. I could go on and on. But your words say it best I HATE HER!!!!! If I had hindsight my posting would be alot differnt. I would be like that one woman who used to be involved with a man with children. Trying being involved with a man who has custody of his children. The rewards have been few and far between. I have lived this from the first day I moved to where my husband lives (I moved from a different state). So the entire two years of my marriage have been filled with this crap. My husband's relationship with his children has also suffered terribly. I was divorced for 11yrs before I remarried and never experienced one ounce of the trouble I have in this life, and it isn't even my divorce. The best advice I can give you is stand your ground. Say NO, she is responsible for her custodial time. It took my husband a long time to be able to say no, it is very easy for me. I know that he is still uncomfortable with saying no but I help him, Remember you can't let her control your life. Good luck, God Bless. I understand, it's one hell of a way to live.

I beg to differ PK. If one didn't have a current/active email address on file with HGTV Garden Web-Kitchen Table...no pre-registration took place. I had tried numerous times over the last few years to update my personal info page and submit a new email address. The old one had been closed/nonfunctional for some time. Despite my attempts...the new information never "took" and I finally gave up in exasperation. As I never volunteered for email comments...and I've never been a 24/7 regular member...I had no reason to worry about the lack of success I'd had. Until...lo and behold...Houzz actually arrived on the screen. I had to actively register with Houzz directly to gain access to all Garden Web sites. For those of you who had viable email addresses on file with Garden Web...pre-registration was, truly, successful. Anne

Hi everyone, you all are so smart with these palms/plants. Thank you for the quick response. I do believe the tall palm is a Queen Palm. Its that sago palm that worries me. My dog is 13...so we thankfully have conquered the "greeting at the door with the entire plant in her mouth" phase. But this sago palm makes me nervous. We're in Central California. I don't understand why landscapers put plants in that are poisonous to pets...I suppose now I need to figure out how to get it removed. Thank you all so very much for the information. At least now I know & can figure out a plan.