People often ask if I’m a grandmother. In the expected way, no. My daughter and her partner never had children, a choice that was definitely theirs to make.
In another way, though, I am.
A Golden Retriever named Margie and a cat named Cooper are my grandpets. 😊
Sadly, we lost Lily, aka Lily Jackpot Zuzu, last year. She was a sweetheart, full of eccentricities, and we miss her so very much.
Why was Jackpot her middle name? Because one very cold winter night, back in Spokane, my daughter Wendy was leaving the casino when a desperate couple approached with a little white puppy, still too young to be away from her mama.
Afraid the couple might abandon the fur-baby in that cold winter weather, Wendy accepted the puppy, tucked her inside her jacket, and went back into the casino to keep her warm while figuring out what to do.
After discussing the situation with Jeremy, who was on the other side of the state at the time, and, if I remember correctly, me, Wendy decided to take Lily home until some kind of solution could be found. She stopped by Walmart with Lily still inside her jacket and bought baby formula, then drove back to the lake house she and Jeremy shared.
Soon, Lily was a member of the family. She ran around my Spokane house with Mowgli and Tule, who adored her, jumping onto my bed to give her grandma kisses.
And she proved to be a jackpot for sure.
The payout was pure, happy love.
