After my shepherd Cody died last year, I found it helped to write a blog about him, to write about what a special dog he was. I am not yet ready to write about Shadow; that wound is still too raw. But I can write about Shadow’s legacy–the dog sleeping peacefully on the rug beside me. I had become worried that I might never be ready to adopt another dog after losing Shadow, for he was proving to be as loyal in death as he’d been in life, such a loving ghost that I could not bear to bring another dog into my house or heart. Yet I did want to adopt again. Eventually I realized what I needed to do—to give a home to a dog that might otherwise not find one. So I went looking for senior shepherds and the search led me to a 9 year old white shepherd in Florida named Hank.
We don’t know his history, but he was not housebroken, which makes it very likely that he was always an outside dog. He’d been on his own for a long time, for he was half-starved, so skeletal that it was painful to look at him. But then his luck finally changed, for Joan Alexander, a volunteer with Echo Dogs White German Shepherd Rescue, pulled him from a kill shelter on his last day. Then Becky Dunne was kind enough to offer to foster him. Foster families are the unsung heroes of the rescue movement and deserve so much credit, for without them, countless dogs could not be saved. It was obvious that Hank had never been in a house before; initially, he was fearful of any footing except grass and when he first saw a glass door, he tried to walk through it. But Becky was patient in introducing him to this brave new world; she housebroke him in record time and began to teach him the family rules–no stealing food, no chasing the cats. He thought that was great fun, but the cats were not too thrilled about it. After a few weeks, he was ready to go up for adoption and I found him on Echo’s website.
I’d been approved for adoption by Echo last year after I’d lost Cody, and so in less than a week, Hank—now renamed Tristan by me—was ready to go to his new home. The only problem was that it was one thousand miles away. But Echo has a network of truly amazing people who volunteer for missions like this. In no time at all, Tristan had fourteen guardian angels lined up for his pilgrimage from Orlando to Aberdeen, MD, where I’d meet him.
I’d worried that it would be very stressful for him—traveling through eight states in two days, being turned over from one stranger to another. But Tristan proved to be a trooper, handling it with remarkable composure and élan. As he began his journey, I posted status reports on my Facebook page—he’s now in GA, he’s just entering SC, etc. I felt like NASA tracking Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve, and Tristan was soon being cheered on by people from the US to the UK to South Africa to Australia! The best description of his odyssey came from one of my Australian friends, Glenne Gilbert, who compared it to the passing of the Olympic Torch.
A friend and I met Tristan on Sunday afternoon in Aberdeen, MD, and I like to think it was love at first sight for us both. I will be eternally grateful to Lizbeth and Paul, who drove that last lap, to Jonathan and Ronnie, who took him into their home in VA on Saturday night, and to Becky, Joan, Alicia, Sheila, Trisha, Rebecca, Jez, and Trish, who were willing to chauffeur a skinny, elderly shepherd on his way to a new life. I’d like to thank Jeanmarie, who organized our convoy, and Patrice, who offered to drive hundreds of miles to help out if need be, and Ellie, who met us in MD. The only catch in an otherwise perfect trip was that we had to drive back to NJ in a monsoon; you know it was bad when I had to keep asking, “Are we still on the road?”
But Tristan was worth it. He is such a sweet dog, as mellow as my Cody, who I called my surfer-dude-dog, smart and curious and very affectionate, brave enough to trust. He has settled in as if he’d always lived here. He gets along very well with my other dog and I have no cats to tempt him. He loves stuffed toys, probably because he’d never had any in his years of outdoor exile; he soon mastered stair climbing, and is so well behaved that I stopped using his crate after just three days. Above all, he is happy, as happy as Cody and Shadow were once they’d realized that they were in a home where they’d be safe and loved. And it is not always true that no good deed goes unpunished, for my vet thinks Tristan is younger than nine!
I have such admiration for those who work in rescue. They see the worst that people are capable of. They see dogs that have been cruelly abused like Shadow or shamefully neglected like Tristan. They give unselfishly of themselves for animals that are not theirs, teach them to trust again, and then let them go to new homes. And they learn the hardest lesson of all—that they cannot save them all.
This weekend, Joan Alexander, Tristan’s guardian angel, is trying to rescue two white shepherds in Florida—Sheeba, a young female who has been running the streets of Key West, and Pistol, a young male whose owners no longer want him. They are stunningly beautiful dogs, look like sleek white wolves, friendly and playful, dogs that deserve a second chance. If anyone in Florida is interested in fostering either of these shepherds, please contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Joan. And if any of you are thinking about adding a loving, young shepherd to your families, remember that Echo delivers!
But even as Joan rejoiced that she’ll be able to take Pistol and Sheeba under Echo’s protection, she learned about a female white shepherd and her three pups, being held at one of Florida’s worst kill shelters. And until she can find foster or forever homes for Sheeba and Pistol, she can do nothing for that mother and pups even though their time may be running out. For people in rescue, triumphs and tragedies are spokes on the same wheel.
Their success stories keep them going, though. My friend, Annalori Spaulding, is trying to find a foster or forever home for a sweet little girl named Buffy, a West Highland White Terrier. She was suffering from serious allergies, but has made great progress. Her problem now is that she wants to be an “only child,” so she needs to go to a home without other dogs. If anyone would like to know more about Buffy, you can find her photo on my Facebook page, or you can contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Annalori.
Annalori has three Westies of her own, all rescues. She recently wrote about how she came to adopt Lily, who’d been used as a breeder at one of those infernal puppy mills, and her account is so eloquent that I want to share part of it with you all. After you read about Lily Belle, what she endured, and what her life is like now, I hope you’ll think about adoption the next time you want to bring a new dog into your families. Now, here is Annalori.
“I work with kids for a living, and not just any kids, but abused and neglected ones. I work with the kids everyone has given up on, because I want to be the one who shows them that adults are just as capable of giving love as causing pain. It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that when I went to Maryland Westie Rescue for adoption in July, 2009, I specifically asked for a puppy mill rescue. Soon I was contacted about a girl who was nearly seven years old, had been used as a breeder, and had been abused. I had to drive to Annapolis to get her and wasn’t sure what to expect.
“As soon as she was led out and our eyes met, that was it, for she immediately ran over to me and tried to climb into my lap. Those liquid brown eyes had hooked me and there was no way I was ever giving her back. She was my Lily Belle.”
Annalori and her family soon learned that Lily had been abused by men, for she was fearful at first of Annalori’s father. She’d never been on grass before, having spent her life in a cage. And she was so quiet because she’d been debarked, part of her vocal cords cut for the convenience of her puppy mill owners. Annalori says that all she can manage is “a very hoarse, whispery kind of gurgle, which is both adorable and very sad.” She’d never had toys before and was puzzled by them at first; eventually she began to play with their cat’s toy, so now she has her own pink mouse, which she sleeps with each night.
Annalori concludes, “Every time I see her, I remember what she was like when I brought her home, and I marvel anew at the difference that love and patience can make. Athough she spent her entire life in a cage, she goes into her ‘house’ with wagging tail when we leave because she knows we are coming back. I may have been the one to rescue her, but I think I got the better end of the deal. For almost seven years, she experienced the worst of what humans can give, but hasn’t let that stop her from being a happy, loving little girl who shows me by example every day that love itself is a miracle. She rescued me, too, and for that, I will be eternally grateful.”
I don’t want to ignore cats—they take that rather badly. So I’d like to close with a story by Persia Woolley. I’m sure that many of you are fans of her writing and for those few who’ve not read one of her books, you are in for such a treat. Persia recently moved and was planning to get a cat. She was thinking of an elegant Abyssinian or possibly a Maine Coon cat. But when she heard that one of her neighbors had died, leaving her cat in desperate need of a home, she felt compelled to go to see her. In Persia’s words, she found “a poor old wreck, too fat to walk normally, with broken-down ankles, a listless attitude, and terrible breath from eating nothing but tuna.” She also had serious kidney and liver problems. Not exactly the ideal candidate for adoption. But Persia knew the old girl would likely be put down if she didn’t take her, and she found herself remembering Grizabella from “Cats,” the old stray who got a second chance at life. So Persia ended up with a cat utterly unlike the one she’d expected to take into her new home. It took a while, about two months, for her to adjust, for she was likely mourning her former owner, but Persia wrote to me that “One morning I woke up to my face being patted by the gentlest little cloud-soft paw.” As her confidence increased, her health improved, too, although Persia knows she is probably on borrowed time. She says that “She’ll never be the bright, sprightly animal I thought I wanted, but we get on well together and tend to grin at the world while announcing, ‘There is a dance in the old dames yet, toujour gaie, toujour gaie.’”
I couldn’t end on a better grace note than that. I hope some of you (well, all of you, actually) will check out Echo’s website and their wonderful white shepherds in need of homes. http://www.petfinder.com/fpm/petlist/petlist.cgi?shelter=IN147,PA752,MO339,NH77,FL1031,TX1106&status=A&age=&limit=25&offset=0&animal=&title=Adoptable%2520Pets%2520from%2520Echo%2520Dogs%2520White%2520Shepherd%2520Rescue&style=10&ref=s9KU_pXEFbsw1ja Tristan is sleeping at my feet as I write this. My friend Jim sent him a stuffed duck which has become his favorite toy, and he is using it now as a pillow. The photo below is one of my boy surrounded by his bones, practically radiating happiness. All three of my rescue shepherds came frighteningly close to falling through the cracks. I feel blessed that they did not.
March 18, 2011
Sharon, Thanks so much for sharing a piece of Tristan’s history with us, so revealing of you both, and of your good fortune in finding each other.
It was very brave of you , and to your credit than in the midst of your grieving for. Shadow you reached out for one of the worlds downtrodden; and only right that you should be rewarded for that.
I know from my loss that a lost love one can never truly be replaced; but a new and present love can, in merging and enveloping with the bitter sweet one in ones heart, greatly facilitate the healing process.
My daughter and grandchildren are living proof.
Be Happy and full of joy.
sharon how beautiful. tristan looks so happy and at home. it is just wonderful that through the work of wonderful and so often unrecognized extraordinary people that he found his way to you. i also just love the story of lily belle! there really is just an irreversible moment when everything changes.
i am sending this on to everyone i know who might be looking for a dog or a friend…
Sharon-
I have been reading with great interest about your adoption of Tristan, and your sad loss of Shadow. I am a professional pet sitter, so I see just what you’re talking about every day. Many of my clients have adopted rescues, specifically puppy mill dogs, and have found that with love and patience these poor souls give back a thousand fold the love that we give them. Many of my friends and clients are also involved in rescue, as am I. We do all struggle over the ones we can’t save, but rejoice in those we can. I volunteer for a cat rescue and have adopted 2 rescue kitties of my own. I wish that everyone could experience how wonderful it is to save a life. My deepest sympathy to you in your loss of Shadow. I’ve been there as well and it’s heartbreaking. But may Tristan help you to continue the legacy of love you’ve started by being willing to take in those that “nobody wants”.
Sharon,
Bless you!
Sharon,
You are amazing. A wonderful author with a huge heart. I admire and love you so much.
Thank you so much, Priya–word of mouth is the best thing that can happen to dogs in need of homes and writers in need of readers!
Fran, I feel very lucky to have the readers that I do; they are animal lovers, too, and many of them are also involved in rescue work. They were wonderfully supportive when Shadow died, for sadly, there are still people who would shrug and say, “But it is just a dog.”
Kim, I am so glad that you help to rescue cats. Not everyone knows that there are cat rescue groups, too, not just for dogs. I”ve been told that some cat rescue groups even organize convoys like the one that got Tristan from Florida to NJ.
Thank you for blogging this story Sharon. I’d been following Tristan’s progress on Facebook, but FB is a very haphazard place to do such things and to see it here all in one is so much better. What a journey he’s had to reach a safe haven, and thank goodness there are people out there who care and who see these animals to safety and provide loving homes for them if at all possible. My best to you and Tristan. May he now have many years of a happy new life.
Amazing, Sharon. It’s amazing how much you and other people do for dogs, and it’s good to know much mercy exists along with the all too common cruelty.
In any case, Happy Purim to all; it began today at sundown, and I’ve already made good inroads on wiping out Haman.
Sharon I enjoyed your story very much, and to you snd your friend Persia I say, ” many a good tune is played on an old fiddle”, you have a wonderful life with your darling boy,
The celebrations continue! Happy Purim! Today, Cecily of York, second daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was born.
I’ve got to add my voice to those saying thank you Sharon for sharing Tristan’s story with us, and what a lovely and well deserved acknowledgement to all those involved in pet rescue!
Such a beautiful tale of the resiliant canine spirit; Shadow’s legacy lives on in Tristan’s remarkable journey to your home, where he has truly found his refuge. Thank you so much for sharing his story with us and for highlighting the astonishing, often unsung work of the hundreds of people who fight to rescue animals from abuse and death every day.
And today is the vernal equinox. Also, today, was the annulment of the marriage of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Henry V (VI) became King of England.
Many best wishes to you and Tristan, Sharon!
And something Koby didn’t mention (gasp) and that I found on another favorite blog of mine: Today is the anniversary of the burning to death in Oxford of Thomas Cranmer, Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, on the orders of Queen Mary I.
*Happy Dance* that I actually got to post one of the “and today” comments! It’s the small things in life that bring the most joy I tell ya!
Ah, Brenna, do not wake the dragon. I only mention events I consider pertinent to this blog, but just to reveal a glimpse of my power: Charles Martel defeated Ragenfrid in the Battle of Vincy. Emperor Antoku acceded to the throne of Japan. Pius VII was crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché. The Battle of Alexandria. Code Napoléon was adopted as French civil law. Otto von Bismarck was appointed Chancellor of the German Empire. Robert I and Robert III of Burgundy died.
Is there any need to continue?
I bow to your power Koby! Oby One Koby!
Can i go a little bit off topic on my very first comment on this blog?
I was just browsing the Book Depository with a very small hope I would find Lionheart on pre-order… and there it was, out on the 4th of october! I’m so happy!
Much love to you and Tristan from a huge fan of yours from Italy.
Hello, I have been reading and enjoying your posts for some time now. I like your outlook on things. I’m finally planning to bookmark your site so I can keep returning to it. I continuously stumble upon it and keep thinking it’s valuable but never saving it. See you next time! Keep providing us with these great writings!
Today, Maximillian I, Holy Roman Emperor, who wold marry Mary of Burgundy, Margaret of York’s step-daughter was born.
I have learned never to doubt Koby, the All Omnipotent, Brenna! I don’t know how he does it, and he keeps his secrets.
Alessandra, Amazon has that October 4th date, too for Lionheart, but we don’t know where they got it, as my publisher has not set an official “due date” for the book; we do know that it is coming out in October in the US, though. I still don’t know when it will be published in the UK, but it has to be published in Australia and New Zealand within a month of the US editior, for the Americans can legally poach in the Commonwealth countries! Of course the advent of the Internet makes a lot of this moot.
Thank you, Maurice. Welcome aboard!
Me again. I should have reread that last message before posting it. I was trying to say that if my British publisher does not make an edition of Lionheart available in Australia and New Zealand within a month of the publication of the American edition, Putnam’s can sell their edition in those countries. I still remember how excited I was when I was on vacation in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, and discovered a copy of Here be Dragons in the hotel gift shop. To our suprirse, we then found a British edition of Dragons, too, for Mexico falls within the purview of the American publishers.
Today, Marguerite of Anjou, wife of Henry VI (VII) of England and mother of Edouard Prince of Wales was born.
Koby, here is the Note I put up on Facebook today.
I want to thank my friend Koby and my fellow writer Nan Hawthorne for reminding me that March 23, 1429 is the birthday of Marguerite d’Anjou, the Lancastrian queen Yorkists love to hate. Susan Higginbotham has a novel out about Marguerite titled The Queen of Last Hopes. Susan is not a Yorkist (a closet Lancastrian, I suspect!) but we like her anyway. And I got too busy yesterday to note that March 22, 1312 is the anniversary of a shameful date in Church history, when Pope Clement V issued a papal bull suppressing the Order of the Knights Templar. Anyone at all interested in the Templars ought to go to the link below and read the actual papal bull, Vox in Excelso. Talk about purple prose! I nearly choked when I read his reference to “our dearest son in Christ, Philip, the illustrious King of France;” he then goes on to laud his partner in crime in terms that would make an angel blush. As an exercise in hypocrisy, this is hard to top. And yes, I am firmly in the “Templars were railroaded” camp, but then, who isn’t? I don’t think I’ve ever even read a defense of the French king and the Church’s assault upon the Templars. Ted, do you know of any? (Ted is our resident expert on the Templars.) Michael Jecks has an interesting mystery series set in 14th century England with one of the lucky surviving Templars as his protagonist. And of course I always recommend Sharan Newman’s book, The Real History Behind the Templars. http://historymedren.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1%2FXJ&zTi=1&sdn=historymedren&cdn=education&tm=42&gps=139_142_1020_415&f=22&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.templarhistory.com%2Fexcelso.html
Despite being a Tudor, we still like Elizabeth, so I’ll mention this. Today, Elizabeth I of England died, thus making James VI of Scotland also James I of England.
Sharon,
Thanks for sharing Tristan’s story as to how he found his way to you. Heaven bless the folks who do rescue + pet transport! All of our cats have been rescued, our first two (have passed on now, very sadly) were feral kitties to start with and our present two had homes where situations changed, one after having been declawed; they both found themselves at 8 y.o. in need of new people to adore them.
It’s heartbreaking to me to think of a dog who has never been inside a house.
Can’t wait for Lionheart but much appreciate the recommendations that you & others make to pass the waiting time 😀
Today, towards the evening, Richard I was wounded at the siege of Chalus by a crossbow bolt, eventually leading to his death.
The date is actually March 26th, Koby, although Richard’s most recent biographer, Frank McLynn, gives it as March 29th! And today in 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland.
Here is the note I posted on Facebook, for my non-Facebook friends.
On March 26, 1199, Richard I was struck in the shoulder by a crossbow bolt at the siege of Chalus. Always reckless with his own safety, he’d not bothered to put on armor, depending upon a shield for protection. But he was amused by the sight of a man up on the battlements, shooting a crossbow while using a large frying pan as his shield. Richard was laughing and applauding the man’s bravado when he was hit. So in a way, his sense of humor helped to doom him; he’d have been better off had he been as humorless as his hated rival, the French king. He then rashly attempted to remove the bolt himself once he had returned to his tent, and it broke off, the wound festering and leading to his death. On my blog recently, we were talking about “what if” scenarios, and one of the most interesting is “What if Geoffrey had not died during that tournament?” If so, upon Richard’s death, John would have been competing with Geoffrey, not the twelve year old Arthur. For what it’s worth, my money would have been on Geoffrey. Of course if John had not become king, I would not have been able to write Here Be Dragons, so maybe Geoffrey’s death was not in vain, after all!
Well, I have noted that my calendar has some mistakes.
Although I wouldn’t have called anything between John and Geoffrey a ‘competition’. Also, I doubt that John would have even tried – Eleanor wouldn’t have supported him, and most likely he would have had a good enough relationship with Geoffrey to just be happy he was now king rather than Richard.
Hi Sharon,
thank you for your story on how Tristan came to you. I recently participated in a transport to get a Greyhound pup off a farm and yes, it is amazing how complete strangers come together to rescue these animals. Our group certainly couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers.
There are bills up for vote in Florida to convert the tracks into arcade gaming etc. and if that comes to pass – a good thing in the long run – about 9000 Greyhounds will be in need of homes within a month of the bill passing. A daunting task for all of us. The more foster homes we have, the more dogs will not end up being killed. Truly the unsung heros of this rescue business.
I cannot WAIT for Lionheart to come out!!
Does Koby need a light saber for his Oby One Koby status? ‘-) Love the new name.
Britta, that is scary–9000 greyhounds in need of homes. Rescues will be overwhelmed. They are already having such difficulty because of the economy; so many people are surrendering their dogs because they can no longer afford them. Hopefully the Florida greyhound rescue groups will be able to send their dogs to other states the way Echo did for Tristan. Wasn’t it a nice feeling to know you were helping to save that greyhound pup?
Koby, you may well be right that John wouldn’t have tried to take the crown from Geoffrey for he would have been in a vulnerable position, lacking the base of support that Geoffrey would have had as Duke of Brittany. But I think he’d have still lusted after the throne in his heart!
Geoffrey would also have had the lands of the Honor of Richmond in the North as a power base within England. I have wondered if Richard’s enthusiasm for the Third Crusade might have been less if he was leaving behind Geoffrey, a competent brother and antagonist, rather than John, whom he did not see as a serious challenge, and the very young Arthur.
What might’ve been especially worrying to Richard was the fact that he knew that John and Geoffrey would be willing to make common cause against him – and that together, they were not incompetent.
Today, Pope Clement III who urges Henry II of England and Philip II of France to go on Crusade died, as well as Mary ‘the Rich’ of Burgundy, who was Margaret of York’s step-daughter.
A true happy ending! I’m so glad you and Tristan found each other. May you have many happy, healthy years of friendship together.
Today, the Battle of Towton took place, where Edward IV defeated the Lancasterian army in the bloodiest battle fought on English soil. Among the 28,000 dead: The Bastard of Salisbury (Warwick’s half-brother), Lord John Clifford (both on the previous day, in the Battle of Ferrybridge), Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, and Sir Andrew Trollope.
Just to let everyone know, Sharon right now has no Internet access. She and my husband are working hard to get her back online ASAP.
Sharon, you truly are a brilliant writer and an admirable person in your love of dogs. I have grown up with the love of pets and books, so I feel that I have not only found a favorite author, but fellow animal advocate.
I listened to Barbara Peter’s interview with you and you mentioned your studies at University of Texas in Austin. I wondered if you knew a professor by the name of Lois Stoneham? She was a third cousin of mine and I enjoyed Stoneham family history with her. She studied in England and put together a family history for the Stoneham and Greenwood families. I have been to England several times and most recently was in Southampton. I can’t wait for the Lionheart. I am rereading Devils Brood and enjoying it very much.
Keep up the good work.
I am finally back on-line again, thanks to my knight-errant friend, Lowell. Here is the note I just posted on Facebook. The plea is the same; if any of you have dog-loving family and friends in GA who might be able to help Pistol, please spread the word. This young dog has had a terrible life up till now and deserves a good home for the first time in his life.
In my last blog, I mentioned Pistol, a young white shepherd in dire need in Florida. His plight was even worse than I’d thought. He got his name–Pistol–at the shelter, because his former owner had taken a shot at him. He is a very sweet dog in light of all he’s been through; dogs are amazingly forgiving. When Joan, Tristan’s rescuer, did the same for Pistol, he was infested with fleas and ticks, had never seen a vet or been taught any commands, and was terrified of people and other dogs. Now he is clean and well fed for the first time in his life and ready to go to a foster home in Georgia this coming weekend. He has made remarkable progress in such a brief period of time, and there is every reason to believe he will thrive now that he has been saved from his abusive owner, who will burn in Hell if there is divine justice. Echo is arranging his transport as they did for Tristan, and naturally I am happy to do what I can to give back. They need three volunteers to complete the chain on Saturday, April 2nd.
1) Valdosta, GA to Ashburn, GA, 70 miles, 1 hour, 10 minutes, from 1:15PM to 2:25 PM
2) Ashburn, GA to Byron, GA, 69 miles, 1 hour, 5 minutes, from 2:40 PM to 3:35 PM
3) Byron, GA to McDonough, GA, 67 miles, 1 hour, 10 minutes, from 4 PM to 5:10 PM.
I know the odds don’t favor us that I have dog-loving readers in that part of GA who’d be free to transport Pistol on his way to a new life. But I’m hoping some of you can post this on your own Facebook pages. The more word gets around, the better Pistol’s chances are. If you know anyone who might be interested in volunteering for one of these legs of Pistol’s pilgrimage, they can contact me directly and I will put them in touch with the Echo coordinator.
Thank you all so much!
PS Tristan gained another 2 lbs. I don’t know what he will do, though, once he reaches his optimum weight of 95 lbs and then has to start eating like a normal senior shepherd instead of a shark in a freeding frenzy.
PPS I hope to catch up on all the messages and e-mails, etc, that I missed while I was lost in limbo for two days. It just may take a little time, especially since Lionheart is now acting like a typical Angevin and demanding that I get started on the second half of his story. Given what lies ahead of him, I don’t know why he is in such a hurry.
Today, Bernard of Clairvaux preached his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging a Second Crusade, and Louis VII joined the Crusade.
I am putting up here the post I wrote about the events of March 31st for my non-Facebook friends. I also have good news about Pistol, the abused white shepherd in FLA. Echo has found enough volunteers and this Saturday he will be going to his foster home and a new life in GA. Susanne, thank you for letting me know you enjoy my writing; that got a cold, rainy day off to a sunlit start. No, I did not know your cousin at UT, but it has been over 30 years since I graduated, so that might explain it. Now, here are my musings about March 31st.
On March 31, 1492, a royal edict was issued, expelling the Jews from Spain, a sad milestone in the sad history of Jews in the MA. The French king, Philippe Capet, expelled them in one of his first acts as king, although he later allowed them to return when he thought it was to his economic benefit. We’ve discussed medieval Anti-Semitism here before, the ugly underside of medieval life. Almost all were infected with it to some degree, for it ws a bias they breathed in from birth, and few prejudices are as powerful or dangerous as those rooted in religion. Some kings were more virulent in their beliefs, though, than others. Philippe’s father, Louis Capet was one of the most tolerant, despite his intense piety. But Philippe was unlike his father in most respects. There is evidence he believed in the blood libel, that Jews sacrificed Christian children, and upon his return in disgrace from the Third Crusade, he was responsible for a brutal and cynical attack upon Jews in his domains in an apparent attempt to re-establish his bona fides as a Christian king. But the 12th century was still a better time in which to be a medieval Jew, for life became more difficult and dangerous for them in the 13th century. Henry III was the first English king to order them to wear badges to set them apart from Christians, and his son, Edward I, would later expell them from England. Such a pity he survived that assassination attempt with a poisoned dagger at Acre. As i was compelled to write that tragic ending to Welsh independence in The Reckoning, this thought crossed my mind more than once.
Also on March 31st, this time in 1146, Bernard of Clairvaux, preached his famous sermon at Vezelay, urging his listeners to take the cross. This led to the disastrous Second Crusade and the end of Louis and Eleanor’s marriage. As you all know, Eleanor accompanied him, and scandal ensued. In Lion in Winter, Eleanor is remembering the crusade and tells Henry that she and her ladies dressed as Amazons and rode bare-breasted to Damascus. “I had terrible windburn and Louis damned near had a stroke. But the troops were dazzled.” Of course none of that happened, but it is still a funny line. As most of you know, I happily suspend disbelief for two hours whenever I watch Lion in Winter
Sharon, you probably know better how to handle this than I do, but for the first time, I keep dry food out for my cat and allow her to graze and regulate her diet. She’s currently 13 years old and fit and keeps her weight in an acceptable range according to my vet. While she wasn’t abused before she came to us, she had been owned by our next door neighbor who had three children, other cats, and a couple of dogs. But then they moved within the same town and although they took all their animals with them, my dingbat cat (aka Trixie) decided she liked my neighborhood better. It was late spring when my neighbors moved, and we found her almost dying of starvation the following winter. We immediately fed her (we had two other cats then) and in no time Trixie wormed her way into the house and became pals with one of the other cats. The other cats had congenital heart defects (which we didn’t know about) and they died within two years of dingbat becoming part of our family.
I decided almost from the beginning to leave dried food out and even though Trixie had inhaled her food when she first arrived, she doesn’t overeat now. Mostly her diet is the dried food, any mice that she nails, and very occasional treats from our table.
Maybe you can experiment with leaving dry food out for Tristan and see if he self regulates. My guess is that Trixie doesn’t overeat because she knows that she has constant access to food. Would that work for Tristan now that he’s no longer starving and approaching his optimum weight?
Trixie is so lucky you took her in, Joan. Cats left to fend for themselves don’t “make old bones.” With all the dogs I’ve had over the years, only one, my second poodle, Caitlin, would leave food in her dish for later. This feline habit lasted one day after I got my Norwegian elkhound, Kristin. Caitlin did her usual finicky routine, but when she sauntered back, she was shocked to find it was gone. She cast a If Looks Could Kill glare at Kristin, and never left food in her dish again. From what I’ve seen of Tristan, he’d never self-regulate, would be more likely to eat until he resembled a beach ball with fur! I can’t blame him, though; memories of hunger are powerful, both for people and animals.
On this day in 1204, one of our favorite queens, Eleanor of Aquitaine, died in her 80th year. It is now accepted that she was born in 1124,not 1122, but we don’t know the exact day, of course, so we can’t say if she reached her 80th birthday or not. It is said that she took vows in her last hours, which was very fashionable in the 13th century; both Llywelyn Fawr and his son Davydd did so. She was buried, of course, at Fontevrault Abbey next to Henry and Richard. For a fun Angevin April Fool’s Day prank, visit Nan Hawthorne’s website here. http://todayinmedievalhistory.blogspot.com/
Indeed, Sharon. Also, Amalric II of Jerusalem, also Amalric I of Cyprus, another member of the Lusignan family, who married Isabella of Jerusalem, died today.
Koby, it is a relief that you use your powers for good and not evil. Your arcane knowledge of the MA is downright spooky at times! Poor Isabella had a sad marital history–once divorced against her will, three times widowed before her death at only 33.
Have you ever known me to b evil, Sharon?
Today is one of the traditional dates for the birth of Charlemagne (as in that year it was Easter), as well as the actual date of the deaths of Baldwin I of Jerusalem (uncle to Matilda of Boulogne and England) Richard of Cornwall, Poitou, and King of the Romans (John I and Isabella’s second son) and Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (son of Henry VII [VIII] and Elizabeth of York).
Sharon, what book would you recommend about Robert the Bruce?
Today, Edward the Confessor was crowned King of England, and Henry IV (V) of England was born.
Susanne, I am sorry, but I have no suggestions. I don’t think I’ve even read a novel about Robert the Bruce. Readers, any ideas?
Thank you, Sharon. I have one more character that I would like to know more about. He is Sir Miles Sandys. Do you happen to have any info about him?
Thank you again. I would love to go on your tour, but recently had surgery and am on a fixed income. I hope you will have a review of the trip when you return. You are so knowledgeable, I would find it a real honor to be on that tour.
Hi, Susanne. I am really drawing a blank here, have never heard of Sir Miles Sandys. Maybe some of my readers are more knowledgable? I hope to be able to blog about the tour, plan to buy a note book for that purpose. I hope your recovery from the surgery goes well.
Me again. Susanne, I asked on Facebook and a reader recommended the Nigel Tranter trilogy about Robert the Bruce. You didn’t specificy whether you are interested in novels or non-fiction or both?
Susanne, here are some other recommendations. Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, by Ronald M. Scott, The Kings and Queens of Scotland by Richard Oram, and The Wallace, also by Nigel Tranter. Someone also recommended Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine, which involves time travel, I think, and is about a woman who thinks she was Robert the Bruce’s lover!
Sharon, thank you so much for all of the information you gave me. I will look into these references. I am sorry I didn’t state fiction or non-fiction. When the writers are as exacting as you are those are the ones I like to read, because I know they are true to that period of history.
I am so glad you are going to take notes on the trip. Maybe, it will turn into another book>
Thanks and I like your words very much!
Hi Sharon, Since I am at work and clients are busy no showing (obviously they did not miss me) I decided to read your blog. A dog lover myself and although you did talk some about losing Shadow when you and I were on the tour together, I found your detailed story about Tristan and other dogs poignantly told and sadness enveloped me for all the animals so cruelly treated by human beings, intentional or not. My sister who does animal rescue was sent to Joplin, Mo where 1000 dogs were separated from their people. Over 300 were reunited but many will need to be adopted. She was then sent to Gainesville, FL where over 650 cats were rescued from some people who started out rescuing cats and things got out of hand. Those cats will need homes also.I grieve for the dogs and cats of course but here in my part of Colorado the poor deer killed by the cars that invade their migratory pathways stay with me for days. Bears have a better chance but because we are careless with garbage they invade my little town and one was recently killed because he had become more dangerous and they could not trap him. Here in CO we build homes in the animal habitats and then are angry and insulted when they invade our neighborhoods. As I read your blog, I was again reminded of Karen Carpenter’s beautiful song ” Bless the beasts and the children for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice.” All the best to you and Tristan.
The very core of your writing whilst appearing reasonable initially, did not really settle well with me after some time. Someplace throughout the sentences you actually were able to make me a believer but only for a short while. I however have got a problem with your jumps in assumptions and one would do well to help fill in all those gaps. If you can accomplish that, I could certainly be fascinated.
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