Messages From Beyond?

I was just having an extended conversation with a friend the other evening about how Roxie (our current beagle) is TOTALLY Jim's dog, like Bijoux (our late, great beagle that Remembering Ruby was written about) was TOTALLY mine.

Although I am the one who:
1. lobbied to bring another beagle into the house
2. discovered Roxie
3. convinced Jim that it would be great to have another dog in the house
4. took her to work with me until she was 6 weeks old
5. makes regular arrangements for her to play with her doggie friends at the best Doggie Day Camp in the world--the Naperville Petsmart Petshotel (holla! to Melissa, Brooke, and the rest of the awesome staff!)
6. walks her
7. gives her regular treats
8. takes her on car rides whenever I can
9. lets her up into the bed for a few minutes after the alarm goes off in the morning
10. lets her sleep in the bed ALL NIGHT when Jim is travelling
11. gives her unending love and affection...

...the minute he walks into the room, I mostly cease to exist.

Although I loudly complain about it, I really do think it's pretty funny. I was telling this friend that I think Bijoux is making this happen, because she wants to remain the only dog in my heart. (whatever makes a person feel better, right?)

The following day, I called the vet's office because we have found a couple of fleas on Roxie and I wanted to get some Frontline medication for her so she can be flea-free. When the receptionist answered, I told her who I am and that I had brought the dog in for shots only a month ago, and could they please have some Frontline ready for me in 15 minutes? She said, "Sure, let me pull up your file. You said your dog's name is Bijoux?" Shocked, because I had never brought Bijoux to this vet, I said, "I guess I did say that. But it's Roxie!" Wow. I don't think I've done that before. I told the receptionist that I had just been talking about Bijoux the night before and that she must not be ready for me to get her out of the front of my brain just yet. Luckily, the receptionist, being obviously a dog person who understands crazies like me, just laughed.

We get other "messages" from Bijoux, too. One great example: when Bijoux was a puppy, she used to fall asleep on the arm of the couch. One evening she moved in her sleep and flipped right off. Now, Roxie always curls up on a couch cushion like most dogs would. But, every blue moon or so, we will be in the kitchen making dinner and notice her in the living room, laying long-ways on the arm of the couch, head up at full attention waiting for us to notice her. Right after we look at her, she gets back on the cushion. We tell the kids that when she's doing that, it's Bijoux trying to say hi. I know. I sound like a lunatic. But I'm not...I'm just a person who really, really loved her dog. Depending upon what you believe, events such as this could just be mere coincidence, but I choose to feel comfort by noticing them.