#4 & 5: Twisted Branch Designs Personalized Pet Memorial Urns & Forever in My Heart Pet Memorial Stones

4 Things That Spark Joy a.k.a. Sh*t That Makes Me Happy:

#4 & 5: Twisted Branch Designs Personalized Pet Memorial Urns & Forever in My Heart Pet Memorial Stones

I decided in my 44th year and in light of the fact that we are all (still) looking for things to spark joy in our lives to gather 44 things I’ve found along the way this past year and share them.

Tomorrow marks one year since we lost our sweet Zola. By no stretch of the imagination does that spark any joy or make me happy at all… in fact this milestone brings me to tears and guts me to the very core… still. I miss her and think of her every single day, often multiple times a day. Sometimes these thoughts end in a tears, sometimes they make me smile and laugh but they always remind me how much I loved her, how much she loved me and how I will never ever forget her.

I never thought I would be one of those people that had a pet memorialized in their home. NEVER. But I have become that person. The one with the dog’s ashes in my front entry way. It practically screams, “Welcome, come on in, have you met the dead dog?” But there you go. Don't judge. As a kid when we lost our family pets they were either buried on our property in Paradise or taken to the vet when it was time and that was the final goodbye. There was no talk of cremation or memorial markers. Hell, I don’t even remember us having pictures of our pets up in our house. But that was a different time. I just don’t think people did any of that back then.

Now with Etsy and other online vendors reaching the masses – there is a way to order just about anything. When Zola passed I didn’t want to bury her outside in the yard, I didn’t want to sprinkle her ashes around in her favorite places either and I definitely knew that I didn’t want to leave her at the specialist vet that she had barely known for just a few short weeks that were trying to treat her tumor. Zola as you all know, was my heart dog, a third child to me, a once in a lifetime pet and my constant companion. She was special. She needed to be remembered in a special way.

When I decided I was going to have her cremated and the “urn” options at the vet were either super tacky or ugly, I decided I would take her ashes home in one of the stock urns available but long term I was find something that would be befitting of the title my husband and I gave her long ago - “the million dollar pug.” Zola was pretty (as far as pugs go) so it seemed only right to have her ashes in a pretty receptacle.

I scoured the internet for something tasteful and handmade. I ultimately ended up finding Twisted Branch Designs on Etsy. It was exactly what I was looking for. I sent the link to my dad who is a lifetime woodworker to get his input and his response was – “Whoa, those are really nice! Can you put me in one when I go?” That was all the validation I needed. My dad’s motto is “If it isn’t done right, it’s not worth doing.” And when it comes to wood, he’s got really good taste. During our one big family relocation in 1987 from Paradise to Fair Oaks, he was famous for walking into an open house, pulling open the cabinet drawers and doors to judge the quality of the cabinetry and finishes. If it wasn’t up to par, he would walk out of the open house and we knew we were going to have to keep looking for a new house because this one just wouldn’t do. So yeah, I was sold on this urn and that was that.

Next, I decided that I was going to plant a climbing rose in one of Zola’s favorite spots in the yard that would eventually be able to be seen under my kitchen window when it bloomed. I chose the “Lady in Red” rose variety of climbing rose because of the deep red color that had no hints of blue or pink. Bright red was her signature color (mostly because my husband had always refused to walk a dog in a pink harness ha ha) but also because it matched her spicy personality. I purchased a trellis for the rose but I also wanted to have a special marker for the plant. I knew just who to ask about getting a stone to go with it. My sister Brenda has been a long time rescuer of animals. She’s nursed a dog back to health with distemper, de-maggoted chickens, saved her aging horse from colic, made hundreds if not thousands of vet visits with her menagerie, extended and bettered the lives of many animals and given them all tons of love along the way. Unfortunately with her big heart and the innate call to be an animal rescuer comes ailing and aging animals. She’s had to say goodbye to her fair share over the years. In addition to the immense love and care that she shows them in what may be their short or long lives with her, she also ensures that they are memorialized properly as well. So when I went looking for a marker for Zola’s rose bush I knew she was the person to ask. She introduced me to Forever in My Heart Pet Memorial Stones. They are real stones that are customized and engraved and they were perfect for what I was looking for. Natural and tasteful. Handmade and special.

I am grateful to have found both of these vendors despite the sad circumstances that brought me to them. Their customer service, attention to detail and care in which they fulfilled my orders was excellent. Although I wish no one to be in this position – should you find yourself in need to memorialize your furry family member I highly recommend both.

Now Zola’s beautiful urn sits on the entry way table alongside a lovely red “Love” Glassbaby candle holder. I see it every morning, light the candle and think of her. The stone is in the garden under her rose bush and as spring is in full swing, the plant gets bigger every day. I look forward to the first deep red blooms it produces. It’s been a tough year without her but these items have helped me honor her and what she brought to my life.

I love you Zozo. Yesterday, today and always. Sweet doggie dreams.