Angels with Fur - Do We See Our Beloved Pets in Heaven? (Book) - 2/22/2018 3:02:33 PM
Based upon the title alone, and the question posed "Do we see our beloved pets in heaven?" I expected to read some examples of people whose pets had crossed over and then were faced with evidence to support their pets' continued life on the other side.
So, it wasn't about that, but about the author's love of many distinct and loving pets that the author possessed, and the love of pets that was passed on to her children.
I did feel disappointed when I realized there wasn't going to be a supernatural aspect to the stories. Another reviewer said it spent a lot of time speculating about the possibility of an afterlife for our pets, but I don't feel it DID spend that much time on that exercise and therefore didn't really match the title. However, as a person who loves pets I did enjoy reading about each one, how they came to be in the author's life, and the way each left and became part of the fabric of life. A joyful and sweet read, for certain.
Technically, I did get a little confused at times since the timeline/continuity did jump back and forth in places. There were also some stories that got a little long and some chapters had redundancies. They could have benefitted from being more concise. I also desired at times to have a red pen handy and mark up some grammatical choices with some (in my opinion) better ones.
Overall, the book was good but not one I would necessarily recommend except to other pet lovers. I've passed it on to my 13 year old daughter who wants to be a veterinarian because I think it is right up her alley.
Thank you to the author for putting herself and her stories out there for the rest of the world; it is always a brave thing to take that leap, and should be applauded.
Rubies - The Curse Begins (Book) - 2/7/2018 6:50:10 PM
"for, I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me," Exodus 20:5b
I really enjoyed this story and it reminded me of the bible verse from Exodus where God talks about punishing the children for the sin of the fathers. When I was younger I always thought that was so unfair. Why should I be punished for what my father did?? Now as I am older (and wiser maybe) I can understand and appreciate how my actions can affect my children both positively and negatively. It is so hard to be a parent knowing that you can never be perfect and yet hoping and praying your imperfections and sins don't affect your children.
I think this book wonderfully portrays how our actions have consequences. We need to really pray through our decisions before turning them into actions.
I thought this book was well written. I think that the ending was perfectly placed as I truly want to know more. I want to read the next book in this saga.
Easy Holiday Recipes Guaranteed to Work (Book) - 2/5/2018 7:33:48 AM
"Easy Holiday Cookie Recipes Guaranteed to Work," by Sandra Eastman, is an informal collection of recipes for preparing a small variety of delicious cookies. I particularly liked the author’s back stories, pictures, helpful tips, and cautions.
I would warn all cooks to read through each recipe before preparing. (This is good advice to follow for any cookbook.) In this book in particular, some ingredients were listed in the preparation steps and not at the beginning of the recipe. Another caution is that not all recipes give a true amount of a particular ingredient, i.e., 8-12 ounces of chocolate chips is suggested for Grandma’s Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies. Also, expect a few typos and unconventional cooking abbreviations.
I was especially delighted and surprised by the healthy Santas appearing near the end of Ms. Eastman's book.
Overall, I would say that this book is a good value and contains helpful information, especially for beginning bakers. Readers, be prepared to learned a few baking secrets as well as “the four most important words in baking” as you bake your way through this book.
Well done, Sandra Eastman.
Angels with Fur - Do We See Our Beloved Pets in Heaven? (Book) - 12/27/2017 6:39:35 AM
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Author’s Den. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
Perhaps the Christmas season, with its story of the world's ultimate birth, may seem an odd time to be reading about the loss of one's beloved pets, but "Angels With Fur" seemed fitting somehow. This is not so much a book offering validation of pets' lives after death, but that their lives and deaths linger on in the hearts and minds of those who have loved them.
Sandra Eastman has certainly loved and lost her share of furry friends, and each chapter is a poignant reminder that with deep love comes deep loss when it comes time to part. Whether you believe your pets will greet you in the afterlife, Sandra leaves no doubt that she is a believer in the Rainbow Bridge-idea of loss and reunion.
Having lost any number of dogs in my own life, it is a blessing to know others share my philosophy. This small book is packed with emotion and tons of love.
If I find any fault in this book it's that, as a freelance writer, I found far too many grammatical errors-- wrong words, missing words, and punctuation errors. It appears that whoever fact- and spell-checked the book ran out of oomph near the end. A shame-- as I found the mistakes increasingly distracting from Ms. Eastman's charming stories.
Angels with Fur - Do We See Our Beloved Pets in Heaven? (Book) - 12/24/2017 3:16:04 PM
The stories about the pets in this book were amazing! I loved reading every one of them. If you have ever wondered about what happens to your beloved pets after their death, read this book! It is filled with comforting thoughts that support the theory our pets truly lead another life after this one. It also validated many of the emotions I had around my dog passing and made me feel not so alone. The writing style is engaging and easy to read, however, there was some redundancy in many of the stories. Over all it is a book, I can recommend to other pet lovers. I will look forward to reading other books by this author.
12-23-2017
Linda Baker
Angels with Fur - Do We See Our Beloved Pets in Heaven? (Book) - 12/23/2017 2:16:28 PM
I have enjoyed this book and had many emotions run through me as I read it . It tells about the pets of the Author and how they were loved and cared for . It is about sixty pages and animal lovers will enjoy the story's of the pets related in this book but it also tells of there loss and how much they are missed .But all Pet owners Know of this feeling at one time or another . All of us hope to see our beloved pets again when we go to Heaven and this book makes me think more that yes I will see all of my beloved Fur Babies Again .
Angels with Fur - Do We See Our Beloved Pets in Heaven? (Book) - 11/3/2017 3:09:55 PM
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Author’s Den. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
As I comment from time to time, I have little personal experience as a pet parent [1]. As a small child I adopted a bright and freckled stray Brittany, and other than that I have spent a fair amount of time around the pets of friends and family members without having any of my own. I have seen dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, and occasionally more unusual animals being cared for lovingly by adults and children without having any particular desire for having pets myself. Being a somewhat awkward and standoffish person myself, although certainly not an unaffectionate one, I have never thought that the cramped and semi-nomadic conditions of my life and the limited amount of time I spent at home would make me an ideal pet owner, and I have no desire to be cruel to animals by ignoring or neglecting them. Most, people, though, have a great deal more experience with pets than I do, and so there are many people for whom this book will have a great deal of emotional impact, at least more so than for me.
This short book of about sixty pages is made up of ten chapters that mostly deal with the pets that the author and her family have had that have particularly touched her hearts. Besides the author giving a narrative about the pets and their behavior, some of which is deeply poignant, and a great deal about the factors and situations that led to their demises, there are some poems included and even a solitary citation from scripture that deals with the new heavens and new earth where there will be no longer any death or sorrow or crying in contrast to this present existence. Included among the pets are a dog with horrific suffering from fleas that was put down because the author’s family was unable to treat the problem due to poverty, a variety of dogs who were put down as their life ebbed away from organ failure or slow bleeding or other such factors. Among the more unusual pets included was a mischievous feet with a taste for shoes, keys, and anything else shiny, as well as dog food. So while the book has a great deal of sadness in its reflection upon the death of pets, there is also a recognition of the joy that pets provide to many people.
Ultimately, though, much of this book relates to a speculation on the afterlife of pets. It must be conceded that the Bible says noting about the afterlife of pets or any sort of offer of eternal life for our beloved animals. Even so, we know that there will be animals in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ and that their nature will be changed [2]. The author has no belief in reincarnation, thankfully, nor are any of her beliefs contrary to scripture. Rather, this book is about speculative matters argued with a strong amount of emotional reasoning. The author’s rationale appears to be that animals are full of love and life and that one could not imagine a happy afterlife for us without thinking that eternal life will be granted as well to those beings whom we love. This is speculation, it must be admitted, but it is not the sort of speculation that I am personally bothered about or offended about. The author talks a lot about a supposed rainbow bridge where pets await some kind of resurrection into eternal life, but whether or not a reader believes in that, there is still much to appreciate here about the love that pets and people share and the desire on the part of at least some people that pets share in the blessings given to believers by our loving Father above.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011/05/11/we-are-siamese-if-you-dont-please/
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/01/17/book-review-where-is-simon-sandy-3/
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015/10/02/any-more-than-horses/
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013/04/22/a-dog-with-no-illusions/
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013/03/30/the-alpacas-of-oregon/
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015/11/16/a-change-in-the-nature/
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/10/20/growing-up-in-the-millennium/
Angels with Fur - Do We See Our Beloved Pets in Heaven? (Book) - 9/30/2017 4:53:44 PM
If you are an animal lover, you have gone through the pain of losing a pet at some time in your life.
That pain is never easy and is often long-lasting and tormenting.
Angels with Fur gives hope and inspiration to those pet owners longing to spend eternity with their best friend.
Rubies - The Curse Begins (Book) - 9/30/2017 4:48:24 PM
When we become become parents we cannot begin to realize the depth and impact our actions will bring upon our children and future generations.
Abuse comes is all shapes and sizes: emotional and physical.
Torment and pain can go on for year and years and seem to be never-ending.
In the Rubies Family Saga, one woman faces a curse brought about by her own disobedience. That curse follows her generations, leading them down a pathway of pain and suffering.
The Bible says the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children and this appears to be relevant in the Rubies Family Saga.
Tippy and Denny - Companions in Heaven (Short Story) - 4/24/2017 4:14:07 AM
It is sad that, even in those days, families broke up when parents strayed, even though it was looked down upon much more than today. Alcoholism was a much bigger problem than it is today. I think that a lot of the problems that are hidden in the 50s were the result of PTSD from returning GIs. They never talked about their terrible war experience, but it affected their lives.
Our lives had many parallels, from having to move because the bank took our home, rats, pets, and childhood activities. The one thing that I do differ with you is that we lived in Wausau, Wisconsin in what was considered the poor, or slum, part of town where there were many criminals and their families. There were gangs there in 1953 and about half of my grade school classmates graduated to reform school by the time they were in their teens. The other half, like my brother and I, went on to school at universities and do great things.
We had a mongrel shorthaired light brown puppy with white feet and the tip of his tail. Mom christened him Tippy. He was the smartest dog we ever had and housebroken. Never had to put him on a leash he was so obedient and friendly. Unfortunately, when my twin brothers were about to be born my mother was afraid for the coming babies (she really didn't need to) and we gave Tippy away. He was later seen running the streets dirty and hungry.
Ron
Tippy's Pick (Short Story) - 8/30/2015 6:33:35 AM
Thanks for your note. I was wondering if it was a real life experience. A wonderful, heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
My mother is 90 and in an assisted living. I don't know if there any pets there, but she has a bird feeder outside her window to watch the birds.
When my twin brother and I were in high school, my dad brought home a mongrel puppy that was shorthaired, light brown with white feet, a white belly and a white tip on his tail. Of course, we called him, Tippy. Tippy was very smart and picked up tricks and obedience cues very quickly. He was also very energetic and drove the neighbor's dog, a cross between a labrador and boxer with a mean streak that included killing other dogs, crazy by nipping at her ears and then running off. Peggy would chase him, but quickly give up.
Unfortunately, when my mother learned that she was having our younger twin brothers, she told us, "We can't have a dog in the house with those babies," so we put an ad in the paper for a "housebroken dog," and gave him away. Dad told us that he saw Tippy dirty and running the streets a few months later. We felt very sad about that.
Ron
Tippy's Pick (Short Story) - 8/30/2015 6:01:20 AM
Thanks to Eva Pasco for reading this special story. I wrote it several years ago when a friend related a real life incident from a nursing home in Seattle Washinton.
Tippy's Pick (Short Story) - 8/30/2015 2:05:37 AM
Such a beautiful story, and very well-written. I'm glad I tiptoed in to read it. A keeper of two cats, it was especially heartwarming to me. Tippy reminds me of Oscar, one of Rhode Island's prominent cats who resides in a nursing home, makes his rounds, and "has the eye" when it's someone's time.
