CONVERSATION STARTER-NOVEMBER 2009

[Laura- PLP Admin]

The conversation starter's purpose is exactly that...to spawn conversation. I'd love to hear your responses to these questions, and perhaps we'll all learn a little more about each other (and likely things we never would have considered asking.) It'll be a central place where we can come and not only answer the questions, but peruse through each other's responses. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet someone you haven't talked to before and find you have something in common. You can create your own dialogue from here.

I'll list three questions. Feel free to respond to all three or any one of the three. Whatever you are comfortable with doing. Hope this is fun for all and, above all, creates some laughter and/or sparks some thought. Don't forget to keep checking back to see what others thoughts are about the topics posted and to even reply to someone elses posting to keep the activity going. I'm always open for suggestions on topics, so don't hesitate to send me a note with a new convo starter question.

1-When was the first time you realized, in your life, that you had a strong bond with a pet?

2-If you could go to Disney world with any celebrity , alive today, who would it be?

3-If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?

[Jeffrey New]

September 2005, I was disabled from a back injury and my wife thought I might like a kitty. We adopted Maggie from the Addison County Humane Society (No Kill Shelter) In Middlebury Vermont. I fell in love instantly and then we adopte d her sister Misty, Then a old deaf, blind black cat (Cloie) Then Buffy and Fluffy and then rescues form high kill shelters in the state of Georgia and now we are up to 46 kitties and love them all equaly.

Eva Longoria

My teenage years

[Laura- PLP Admin]

I am going to answer the first question for now..I have always loved dogs and cats. I had a german shepard growing up and always felt connected to him in some way. ( I was too little to know for sure what that "someway" was), All that i knew is he (his name was King), was the only one i felt totally comfortable around. I had been knocked down by dogs, scratched by cats, but it never stopped me from loving them. My very first time that I realized just how much I loved my babies was when I first shared my life with my baby Precious. It seemed to happen in a matter of minutes...at first I was like, why am i so nuts about this..why does it scare me that her poop looks funny or that she is shaking...I kept thinking all of these things to myself and then some. I remember having to leave her home for the first time...alls that I kept thinking about was, I hope Precious is okay...I hope she's not scared, I wish I could go home. Then I started saying some of these things outloud and people were looking at me like I was nuts. But when I would get home Precious and i were just so happy to see eachother. I started to realize that in a way, I was a new mommy...I loved this little girl and she loved me just the same. You all would have laughed if you knew just how many times I called her doctor!! It seemed like everyday..I was so new at this and scared too. Thank God she had a great doc too, because he put up with my phone calls and all of my questions. He would even tell me to bring her in and wouldnt charge me if there was nothing wrong. One day I said to him, I'm sorry that I bother you so much, I just want Precious to be okay. His response was, Laura..you don't have to apologize..I would rather have someone like you who calls alot and is concerned, then have someone who waits until its too late and then brings them in. He was a wonderful doctor and I will never forget him. He was there the first day I brought her in and he was with me the day I had to say goodbye to her...there was not a dry eye in that room.

[Bobbie Farthing]

And not a dry eye here now either

[Laura- PLP Admin]

I know Bobbie..as I wrote that, I didnt have a dry eye either. She has been gone for 10 years next month and it still hurts! Hugs

[Bobbie Farthing]

question 1) actually i have 2 short thoughts on this 1) my mom caught me a wild rabbit out of a tobbacco field she actually chased it down. i use to sleep with and bathe her i think i was about 4 or 5 yrs old.
2) about the same time my dad brought home a german shepard i named brownie he was full grown and 3 times big as me we were best buds.

question 2) Bruce Willis even bald and older he is sexy oh and talented

question 3) My Mom and Dad would not be divorced

[Lucy - PLP Admin]

1- I always had a really strong bond with animals. Since I was a baby I had cats, dogs and parrots. I loved them all so much!!! they all were special 2 me even if i didn't had them for 2 long.

2- Robert Pattinson lol :))

3- I would like all stray dogs in Romania 2 have a gud home. I'm just sick 2 see them on the streets all year.... Breaks my heart!

[Ronda Fenlon]

1. My daughter's 1st word was puppy and everything with 4 legs was puppy. One night I came home from work and my husband told me he was going to get a puppy for Mo. I thought he was crazy I had come from a non-animal family, I was pregnant with our second child and we had just moved into our 1st house. Why did we need a puppy? Then something miraculous happened, overnight I became convinced that we HAD to have a puppy. I went out and bought everything I thought we'd need for a puppy and then raced home to see this new addition to our family. I walked in the back door with ALL the stuff and NO puppy. My husband had listened to my rationalizations and decided maybe it wasn't the right time..... My hormones kciked in and off we went to the Humane Society to find the PERFECT puppy. Trinket came home with us that night and was with us for 15 years. It was LOVE at 1st sight and the start of a healthy addiction. After that we added kittens and more dogs. My girs are grown and married now with children of their own. Between the 3 families we have 4 horses, 10 dogs, 12 cats, a goat, ducks and chickens. I find such joy and happiness with these guys that is never, never ending.

[Ronda Fenlon]

2. Dolly Parton
3. No changes right now, I am deeply blessed and very happy right where I'm at. Kind of corny huh?

[Barbara C. Black]

1) As long as I can remember. I love all animals and it hurts me sooo much to see them suffer. I want to win the lottery, get hundreds of acres and have a rescue ranch for all of them.
2.) Robert Plant
3) Get rid of my disability

[yvonne royster]

I have always had pets as far back as I can remember. My father was an animal lover and always made sure I had dogs and cats when I was a child. They have always been my best friends. I am blessed to have a husband who also loves animals. When we moved to the country I would pick up dogs that I knew were strays off the road and bring them home. I finally reached 12 We built a fence for the back yard and have a dog door they can use at will. I have lost 3 of my precious furbabies this year and now have 4 dogs and a feral cat that I trapped in Jan and spayed. She eats on the front porch and has a summer home on the front porch and 3 winter homes under the front porch. I have never gone looking for a dog to adopt. They always find me. Strays and mutts are my favorite breed of dogs. I lost one of my favorites this past July 29 and I am praying that God will soon send me another one as special as my precious little Minnie Mouse.
I would rather go to Disney World with my husband than any celebrity I can think of.
One thing I would definately change in my life is to have had my father longer than the 14 years I had him before he passed away.

[Renee]

1. When I was about three.
2. Sorry - I would rather go with all my family. Mom,Husband,son,daughter,granddaughter,son-in-law,and his family too.
3. That my dad would have lived.

[Melanie Theresa]

Question #1: Pretty much since birth. We always had a dog throughout my childhood, and I was always bringing home strays and asking my mom if we could keep them. :) Yep, I was THAT kid.

Question #2: Derek Jeter.

Question #3: My financial situation. Which is a boring and predictable answer, yet true.