was today, when I woke up and found that my beloved dog, Pari, had passed away unexpectedly in the night. At only 8 years old, it was pretty brutal to take. Plus, I am blaming myself for not taking him to the emergency clinic yesterday. I thought I could do it today. Life is so fleeting, it can be over in a moment. We must all live life to the fullest, enjoy every day, every hour. Alas, poor little Pari will not have the chance, but I do feel he had a good life. He was happy, cuddly, overly affectionate. He wanted to be next to me every second, which was sometimes annoying but mostly adorable. He could be a real pill, peeing in the house, barking, running away, but looking back those seem like petty things to deal with, in exchange for the joy he gave me.
And, yes, he inspired me, both in his life and his death. To have the capacity for unlimited love and affection, and to cherish each day as if it will be your last. His last day was spent with a bath, which he always enjoyed, and then me blowing his fur dry, something he loved. He went out of this life clean, fluffy and beautiful.
Dear Pari, how I will miss you.
I have thought about starting a blog many times, starting with my life in Paris, 2006 and accelerating with the blogs of my daughter, Amanda, "Plato's Plate," her high school friend, Amanda ,"Grains of Paradise" and my good friend Susan Cooke, "Sanctuary Home "
While living in Paris, a dream come true, I wrote letters, sending them by email to about 50 peolple, who all clamored for more. One friend insisted I start a blog, which was still innovative then, and I had enough difficulty just getting on line (accidently disconnected the phone line, which led to true insights of French bureaucracy)
So, here I am, wanting to to tell you about mine and hoping to hear about your inspirations, and the result of them, whether it be a project, a meal, a good deed or someone you have inspired.
Last night, while standing in my kitchen trying to come up with a new idea for dinner, I went to the frig, opened the vegetable drawer and was inspired to create this amazing salad. Which led me to contemplate how many decisions in life, both big and small are inspired by something/someone. The answer is endless. Hence my somewhat open ended title. I'd like to think about what does inspire me to do the things I do, and hopefully you will respond with anything that inspires you.
