jeudi 2 mai 2024 09:18

My dear, dear friend, Always a pleasure to receive your good thoughts for which I thank you. I think of you often and always tell everyone about our beautiful meeting 13 years ago. Yes indeed, it has been 13 years ! 13th birthday of the beautiful and gentle Gryta (daughter's Firefly) and 9th birthday of the sweet and playful Lalou. (daughter's Firefly, Hennky)  Still, with God's help, they are fine, healthy. And Lalou is still very playful, like a puppy. She is 9 years old but not even 2 months old in mind. Always playful like a puppy. Gryta had some health problems last November. I've been through some pretty unpleasant and emotionally painful experiences. I thought I was losing her. She was so sad, so weak. I was lucky with my brother who saved her. At first my brother declared himself unable to treat her, believing that her health problem was beyond him. I went to other vets he sent me to. Everyone gave their opinion (one opinion worse than another and more fatal than another) and they did nothing. I was desperate and then my brother said to me: come here to our clinic. He started giving her the medication he thought was most appropriate and within a week Gryta was on her feet again, full of life and health, when the other doctors wanted to euthanize her or told me she would die in a few days. I didn't want to write you about it at that time so as not to make you sad and worried. Now she is fine. Just older. But just as gentle and wonderful. Other news that I didn't get to write to you about is that last year in October (when it was hot in Romania), I went to the sea for 10 days. They were at sea for the first time in their lives. Lalou swam. They were so happy. They liked it very much. We would sit for hours on the beach (the sun was mild, autumn) and they would sleep and I would read. It was delightful. I hadn't been to the sea either since 2004. The beach was almost empty, because people don't go to the sea in October. In the evening we would go to the terrace and they would eat roast chicken, and then we would go to the apartment that I had rented and they would sit on the balcony breathing in the breeze, listening to the waves and falling asleep. It was absolutely wonderful ! Otherwise, we are fine. It is a very difficult and very troubled year for everyone, even for me. I'm very, very busy at work. I hear only problems around me: financial, health, separation, work. Many laws have changed in Romania and everyone is going crazy. Several of my friends have died and their place remains empty and sadness overwhelms us. I have published two books in the last two years. I can email them to you in English if you want to read them. One of them was the bestseller of the year. I follow your site as often as I can. I'm sorry for all the furry friends you've lost. And I understood from the posts on the website that you no longer have a kennel. How sad ! I think it was the best and most beautiful kennel in Europe. I often think of your Firefly, her song, whenever we talked on the phone, how she was sitting on the bed on the woolen blanket I gave you. I hope you are doing as well as possible. Please send me some pictures of your new house if you want. And if you want your address, so that I can send you a pleasant surprise from Romania from time to time (because all my gifts were unfortunately lost in that disastrous fire). Would you mind giving me a phone number too? to tell from time to time about our joys and sorrows... I hug you with much love, Your friend, Ileana, Gryta and Lalou each send you a kiss, from Romania.