Too much bad news...

I meant this to be a post about the wonderful books Laura sent me for the Creative Book Swap, ( and I will), but I just can't bring myself to gloat about books right now. My sister/best friend called awhile ago to tell me that her little dog had been hit by a car, and thay couldn't do anything for her, so she had to be put to sleep. It's awful. Ethel was just one of those dogs. You know the ones. They just belong to you, even though they are a family pet. She had Ethel for 3 years. She was a great little dog, not very big, but not one of the yappy little dogs, either. She would jump right up in your lap, as soon as you sat in her chair by the fire. Then when you kicked, I mean gently nudged her out of the way, she would lie down on your feet with a humph.I had one of those dogs. Her name was Mercury, and she was very definitly mine. We got her 2 months before our oldest son was born, and she went everywhere with me, and in a couple months, us. She slept with me, rode everywhere I went, was always right next to me, no matter what. She was put to sleep 3 years and 2 months ago, and sometimes when I walk up on the mountain behind my house, I can still see her following me. My poor sister. She lost her Mercury, and I hate being an hour away from her. Of course, there is nothing I can do to make it better, but at least I' be there. I will see her on Friday, so I guess that will have to do.
A note to all my friends:: please, no more bad news!! I'v had quite enough, thank you. Last week, my friend called with another piece of very bad news( for her, but still, she's quite dear to me, so it hurt me that she was hurting.) With that, and all the horrors in Haiti,I'm coming down with a bad case of the winter blues. * sigh*