This will do

We once had a gorgeous Boxer dog...

I was stationed in London England as a United States Marine managing the mail from the US over to the Middle East and also to the UK duty stations in 1989. My husband went back to the States for a visit with his family. It is never a good idea to leave me to my own devices. Surprises are sure to follow!

I got it in my head that we needed a Boxer now. It must be brindle and it must be a male (believe it or not on this occasion I had talked the idea over with my husband, theoretically of course and he put those stipulations on the future dog. Only he expected way in the future!) I began my search the minute he left for the airport.

This was back when Al Gore had just invented the Internet and we didn't have a computer. I purchased a Boxer Magazine and began my quest. One call leading to another as the kennels referred me across the country from kennel to kennel. Finally I found Thatledome Boxers who had a dog that met the qualifications. I hitched a ride with Tom my co-worker because our 1979 Baby Blue Chevette was not trustworthy enough for me to take it that far on my own.

Off we went through the British Country-side. This trip also introduced me to the concept of Free Range Eggs, which I thought was great! If you had too many eggs, why not give them away free especially if you were out on the range. It was an embarrassing moment when I discovered it was the chickens that were allowed to range freely, not their eggs being given for free. Anyway, I digress, you will notice that it is hard to keep me on target, which is one of the reasons I have so many adventures, anyway...

The dog I was introduced to was Oliver. So named after the Charles Dickens character because he always seemed to be begging for more food and had a hungry look about him, he never got pudgy. A very loving, affectionate Boxer. He was exactly what I was looking for and he met my husbands qualifications to boot! Bonus!

I took the little cuddlepuppie home reveling in the puppy breath and the unconditional love he showered on me. I was filled with smug satisfaction - I had an ulterior motive for getting the puppy while Dan was away. My objective was clearly in sight and easily attainable. To make this puppy love me above all others. I had two weeks to accomplish this selfish task before Dan came back to our bungalow outside London. It seemed like plenty of time.

I lavished this puppy with love. We had a great time. We bonded, we played, we ate, we laughed (at least I think he was laughing) we were best buddies for those glorious two weeks. To repay me he immediately fell in love with my husband as soon as he laid eyes on him. I swear you could see this puppy sigh with relief when he saw Dan. It is not that the puppy was unhappy with me. But the exuberance he showed my husband was nearly heartbreaking. I had failed in my mission.

That dog turned out to be one of the best friends my husband ever had. He was such a joy for thirteen years. It was not until we had Oliver for about a year that we discovered that the kennel name was not Thatle Dome, but That 'le Do Me!

I thought that was a great idea and a clever play on words. It stuck with me for the next 15 plus years. When it came time to name the farm Dan and I brainstormed and came up with a few word plays when we hit across ThistleDew pronounced This'll Do. The property we chose to make our farm was not perfect but well above average. It was a place we could make into our own. It was small enough that with a lot of effort we could realize some of our dreams and begin to form future dreams around this plot of land. To make it perfect, it was our lovely Boxer dog that the farm was named for. This indeed would do. And that's how we came by ThistleDew.