CoCoa

I gave Cocoa Puff away yesterday. Was even harder than I thought it would be. I'm still not completely sure that it was a good idea. That is probably what is making this so hard. This all started last week when I was visiting home in Illinois. I had taken CoCoa with me for the day. She is really a good traveler. After meeting my Mom, Dad, Pat, Julia, Ashley, and Sherry for lunch, we went to Pat's house to look at wedding and reception pictures of Luke and Rachel. Sherry just loved CoCoa and made the comment that she would love to take her.

I laughed and said "She's all yours."

Tom and I have talked about giving CoCoa away for several months. She is a good dog, but she does like to bark when people come over. It has been driving me crazy. She acts like such a sweet dog when no-one is here, but makes a scene when people come over.

She doesn't keep it up too long, but it is annoying.

The other drawback to having her is that I can't just jump in the car and go where I want to. I love driving to Omaha and spending several days, but I either have to take CoCoa or leave her with Andy and Kelly. Andy and Kelly have been gracious about keeping her, but I don't really think they need to be babysitting my dog at this point in their lives.

I think that Tom and I just aren't dog people....I know I should have this figured out before now. After all first came Madison--dog for a day, then Holly, then Tucker, and now CoCoa. I love the idea of a dog. So many people really love their dogs so much and I want to be that way, but for some reason the responsibility seems to be more than the pleasure for me. I feel like a real failure even having to admit that, almost sub-human.

When Sherry realized that I was serious that she could have CoCoa if she really wanted her, she decided that her husband would not be happy with her if he got home from work and she had a new dog. So I thought that was the end of talk of her taking CoCoa.

Then Friday morning, I got a call from Pat saying that Sherry had talked to her and was interested in having CoCoa. Pat said that while Sherry and her husband were finishing off their house that CoCoa would live with her daughter and boyfriend. They already have a dog Izzy, a twenty pound golden-doodle. Sherry was hoping that I was driving over that day for lunch with my family and would be bringing CoCoa.

To say I was shocked is an understatement. I had about 30 minutes before I would need to leave for Champaign. So I talked to Tom and he said that CoCoa was mine, so I should do what I want. I hate having to make a decision by myself, but he was right. I asked him to give CoCoa a bath and gather her stuff while I took a shower and thought about it. I then loaded the car and thought about it all the way over there. I wish I could say that I felt really good about the decision, but I still wasn't sure.

When I got there I found out that Kelly, the daughter, plans to keep CoCoa--unless she doesn't get along with Izzy. I was not as excited about that arrangement as I would have been with Sherry keeping her. But I was assured that Kelly would love and spoil her. So with shaking hands and tears in my eyes, I gave CoCoa away. There were tears on the way home and tears when I went to sleep.

I think that giving CoCoa away is the best thing for me, but is it the best thing for CoCoa? I am anxious to hear how her homecoming went with Izzy and how she did overnight. We all agreed that any off us could change our mind and that CoCoa would come back to live with us. So for a few days-weeks this will still be up in the air. I don't think I will really be able to get over this until I know that CoCoa is happy in her new home.

CoCoa and her new Mom