my little betty

Betty, my little French bulldog and mascot seen throughout the site, was my guiding light for 13 years. She and I went almost everywhere together. She was by my side as much as possible—my ride or die—riding shotgun. I didn’t leave the house without her if at all possible. She’s been up and down the east coast with me, covering a lot of ground with those short little legs and loved by many. She’s been included in so many activities and welcomed in so many places, that she expected to accompany me wherever I went. If I left the house without her, she would let me know how unnacceptable that was by howling so loudly, you could hear her from outside. She was my little lap dog, curled up on my lap from the moment I got her—at my desk while I worked or relaxing on the couch. She was a tiny thing, much smaller than most frenchies and full of personality.

I knew the breeder well, and we communicated often. Miles, our first frenchie, was an absolute doll. Months later, I looked online and discovered that Betty, his half sister, was available. It took one glance at her little face, and I had to go get her. I flew from snowy Providence to a chilly Florida with a layover in Atlanta where a half inch of snow paralyzed the airport. My flight to Jacksonville was canceled. A few hours later with an empty soft carrier in my hands, a flight had opened up, and an attendant approached me with the magic words, “May I see your ticket?” Delta was kind enough to issue a ticket when the first flight opened that day and with a first class ticket on the way back home with my girl. Betty met me at the airport in Jacksonville, and I melted. On the way back north with little Betty poking her head out of the crate at my feet, a delayed flight at JFK had me waiting for hours with a trembling carrier by my feet. I took her out and placed her in my lap. I think that’s the moment when we bonded, my lap was her refuge, and she was always curled up in my lap, especially at my desk, and if she wasn’t, she would stand on her hind legs and gently place her front paws on me with the most needy look on her face, asking—no—telling me that she wanted me to pick her up.

She was always by my side through the ups and downs during our 13 years together—divorce, the loss of my parents, moving to another state, remarrying, traveling, visiting friends, shopping, or relaxing at home. I’m so blessed that she and I had this life together. Her love was always my constant.

Scroll through the many photos below (it was a challenge to edit from hundreds of photos), and click on the images to see them larger.