A Trip to Scotland

     Over the years, my room-mate Tom and I have often discussed taking a trip to Scotland.  It is finally going to happen and I am planning to "blog" the experience as I did with my Camino de Santiago  trip in 2013. 

Guidebook

      First of all, I had to come up with a suitable name for the blog.   After a bit of discussion, Tom and I agreed that Granite and Cuddles on Tour would be appropriate, and there is probably no other blog in the world by that name.  Of course, there is a story behind our nicknames.  That story may or may not give you an idea of how this trip may or may not go.

Backstory:    
      Five years ago, we had to have our 13 -year- old dog, Tucker, euthanized, following a lengthy battle with congestive heart failure.  We had gotten Tucker as a puppy when our daughters were 11 and 8 years old, because...... they wanted a puppy!  Who could deny that childhood wish to two cute little girls? 

Julia, Tucker, and Emma

      Of course, we all loved Tucker and the girls did walk him occasionally, scoop a random bag of poop, and feed him at times---if reminded, BUT, Tucker was really Tom’s dog.  Tom worked at home so he and Tucker spent a lot of time together.  

Tucker at Work

      The girls were out of the family nest when Tucker was euthanized one Thursday in May.  Tom and I were both by his side as he peacefully passed over.  I was a little upset, but practical about the whole thing.  Tom was very upset.  On Friday, we had a complete funeral service-- ceremony, songs, words of remembrance and farewell ---as we buried him at the camp.  Tom was still upset.  Me, less so.  On Saturday, we made a special trip to my sister’s house to tell her the sad news, and she and Tom commiserated even more.  I was beginning to be impatient with the grieving process.  On Sunday, Tom continued to mope around the camp, silent and sullen.  My empathy was declining as my annoyance was intensifying. The following conversation occurred late Sunday afternoon.

          “Oh, I miss Tucker so much.  Isn’t the house so empty without him?  Barb, don’t you miss him?” moaned Tom.

          “Yes, I miss him,” I snapped back.  “But he’s gone.  He was a dog.  I am getting over it, and frankly, you should be getting over it too!”

          “You are so cold!” Tom responded with passion.  “You have no feeling.  You’re made of GRANITE!!”

      When I recounted the whole sordid story to Emma, she said, “When you have grandchildren, they can call you two Granite and Cuddles instead of Grammy and Grampy.”  Yes they can! 

Granite and Cuddles

    

Until Next Time....