Love Grows...

Love grows...

Have you ever worked on a project for a long time and the more you worked on it, the more you felt connected to it? Well, this was one of those projects for me.

With each stitch, snip and detail I added, a story began to reveal itself to me. A story of how love grows slowly, softly and quietly between shelter animals and the people who adopt them. 

On May 2, I celebrated Happy Hannah Day. Four years ago, I brought this precious little girl home from the rescue. I had just been through several years of terrible sadness and heartache with the loss of family members, my job and my beloved bunnies. My heart was hurting and I really didn't know if I could handle having another bunny with health issues. Hannah's ears were full of mites, she had a white mark on her eye and I really wasn't sure how old she was. Would I be faced with loss and sadness again so soon? I was scared, but at the same time, I could tell Hannah's heart was full of love, which she was willing to share with me. As I sat on the floor crying and holding her, I looked at the star on her nose and her long eyelashes encircling her sweet eyes. At that moment I made a promise, that no matter what, I would never let her go.  

Love starts out as a single bloom, a first blush. From there it spreads its vines, stitching a story and entwining our hearts. 

Sometimes, the vines of Love can take us on a long and magical journey together.  All we have to do is be willing to take a hop of faith,

 and remember to always trust our hearts and let them bloom.

This is Mitzy. Her mom, Kat, is a dear friend who I met through blogging. After reading my annual "Living with Easter Bunnies" post, Kat shared Mitzy's story with me. Now with Kat's permission, I am delighted to share it with you.

Mitzy's story:

I had been on a 2 year break from bunnies (that is another story). I was talking to a bunny friend of mine who was telling me this story about a bunny at local Humane Society who had been adopted out and returned to shelter for "aggressive behavior." That was a Sunday evening. By Tuesday my heart was pulling me, so I made phone calls. I didn't know if this bunny was a boy or a girl or even what breed, I just "knew." So I called the shelter, it was girl! She is a lion head, all new breed to me! I knew she was stressed. I went to shelter to fill out the paperwork, not necessarily to meet her. We had the rest of our lives for getting to know each other. I also found out she had been dropped off in January, spayed plus treated for infection. I also found out she had been adopted out and returned twice!!!!!! Well, kudos to the family for taking her back to shelter and kudos to shelter for not giving up on my girl. She had been named Snowball, but we didn't like it :o) (note: rabbits don't know their names like dogs and cats so you can change them)

 

As I was leaving the shelter they kept saying "you know she is aggressive, right?" I told them I had experience with this (another bunny) it took a full 2 years, I was prepared. So I kept responding with "You know she isn't coming back right?" Yep, that conversation was repeated over and over as I walked out with her!!

Mitzys real name is 'Mitzy Belly-Dee" When I brought her home a friend was with me and we trying out a new name for her. Mitzy was hiding out in a cardboard box from an online store called "Miss Belly Dance" And there she was in the box her head poking out next to this big sticker reading "Miss Belly Dance"

 

I said "wouldn't it be funny to name her Miss Belly Dance?" My friend agreed but we didn't like Missy. My friend Amy said, "Mitzy" and wow! Her bunny ears perked. So Amy repeated "Mitzy" and bunny ears again swiveled...

All of that was three and half years, two lamp cords, one sewing machine electric cord and one sewing machine foot pedal cord ago. Oh, I loved seeing your photos of the baseboards !! I just bought a house last year. Mitzy has been redecorating starting on the baseboards!!

 

By the way... she still isn't going back to the shelter!! She went from being a shy bunny hiding in a box, to currently demanding my attention! The photos are from her run time. She likes to supervise from under my sewing machine when she's out.

 

Thank you Kat and Mitzy.

 

 

Love grows and thrives when we nurture it with patience and sprinkle it with kindness.

This new Folk Art Fusion design is available as a PDF pattern in my Craftsy shop.

I also have kits with the National Nonwovens wool felt, Valdani pearl cotton, yarn, needle and background fabric available in my SHOP. The pattern is a PDF and will be emailed to you when you purchase the kit. (I'm doing my part to save trees as you don't have to print out all the pages. Plus, you can enlarge the photos on the computer to show stitching detail.)

"Love Grows" is dedicated to all those kindred spirits who follow their hearts to give shelter and rescue animals the forever home they truly deserve. 

Light, love and hugs to you,
Michelle, Harrington, Hannah and Sabrina kitty too.