. . . and to All a Good Night!

I had the most wonderful, contented Christmas, in my own unconventional way. My teenagers went home to Washington State to spend the holiday with family and my daughter's friend, who I have been unofficially "fostering" for several months, went to spend some time with her family too. Do not feel bad for me because I spent the holiday "alone." It was my first break from single-parenting in two years and I enjoyed every, single moment.

And I was hardly alone. Since Santa fulfilled my Christmas wish for a Shepherd to foster, I had Tia the gorgeous German Shepherd, my new puppy, Jazz, my beloved resident cats, two grown foster kitties and one itty-bitty foster kitten to spend the day with. The house was definitely not empty.

And it wasn't like I didn't have plans. I had a breakfast date at 10 a.m. at the PetSmart luv-a-pet center where Heartland keeps some of its foster kitties. It was fun to have the cats there all to myself, without customers peering in. I spent about two hours loving up kitties and cleaning cages. When I reflect on Christmas' past, I can honestly say the cats were better company than some of the relatives I've had to spend Christmas mornings with.

Tia has now been here for a week and she's doing terrific. My favorite part of fostering might be those first few days of adjustment after I bring a new animal home. While it's hard work getting to know one another, getting all the animals introduced and coming up with a workable new routine, seeing the trepidation of an animal melt away as their trust grows is an amazing experience.

The first few days, Tia was afraid to go outside or get in a car. Either exercise resulted in her hugging the ground as tightly as she could, taking the first opportunity to bolt back indoors. She'd clearly had enough of outdoor living. Somewhere around day four, she gave up her beloved dog bed for a spot on the couch. Just yesterday, she discovered my bed. She's getting used to this pampered pooch thing!

But most importantly, Tia trusts again. I think she knows that her days of fending for herself are over. All I can do is my best to assure her trust is never again broken. It's my job -- and she deserves it.