Joanie's Balonie: Joanie and Gypsy

Feb 24, 2012

Joanie and Gypsy

I'm sure enjoying my trip down memory lane. Today I've gotten up to 1964 and came upon this favorite photo of Gypsy riding in the basket of my bike. The original is faded, yellowed and worn. What wonderful technology we have so I can restore these old photos.

JOANIE AND GYPSY SPRING 1964

Our memories are interesting things... some days they are all sweet and other days they are more realistic! This is an excerpt from my January 9, 2009 blog post...

Sue had just gotten married and was living alone!! No dog!! (yeah, she had a husband but that didn't count in my 11 year-old mind) A friend's dog had a litter of pups so I went and chose one for Sue for Christmas. Her name was Blue and she was a dandy!! By the time Sue was going back to Provo after the Christmas break I'd gotten attached to Blue so Mom asked if I'd like one of Blue's litter mates. Let's just put it this way... Sue got the pick of the litter!

Gypsy was one of those little dogs that is neurotic! We never could break her from pee-ing on the carpet, or walk on a leash without sounding like she was being killed, or barking at Daddy every time he walk into the house... even if he'd only been outside for five minutes!! This is the little maniac that almost burned down our house! Mom and I had gone to Reno for the day (100 miles one way) and we'd been invited to stay the night with Thelma, but Mom just felt like we needed to go home. When we arrive home the house was filled with acrid smoke. Gypsy had dug and dug at the electric blanket and foam rubber pillow until she'd shorted out the wires. There was a big smoldering hole in the mattress. Mom and I dragged the mattress outside and threw it from the back porch into the snow! Gypsy lived about 7 years. She died just days before Daddy. We laughed and said that there was Gypsy waiting at the Pearly Gates to bark at Daddy when walked in.

This-day I'm feeling the sweet memories. Gypsy was a funny little dog who filled a place in my heart. She was the only small dog we'd ever owned. We used to take her with us when we went on our trips, usually to see family in the Bay Area. As soon as we would turn at the *Y* and head those last 12 miles to Greenville she would go nuts! She knew she was almost home.