tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post3144744634011288153..comments2024-03-25T12:21:56.752-05:00Comments on Sweethearts Of The West: Uncle Brother and His Seeing-Eye Dog, SamCaroline Clemmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-81117023099756104762013-07-11T23:39:35.477-05:002013-07-11T23:39:35.477-05:00Celia, I'm late, too, but I wanted to tell you...Celia, I'm late, too, but I wanted to tell you how much I love the story of Uncle Brother and his wife. I cannot imagine getting on an airplane and flying out to such an unknown as he did. What courage! And to have met someone he loved and gotten married, shared a life...what a wonderful story! And the dogs played a great part in helping them have their life together, I'm sure. What an inspiration!<br />CherylCheryl Piersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-60746424923799897572013-07-10T20:00:20.727-05:002013-07-10T20:00:20.727-05:00Celia, I am so sorry to be so late reading this. I...Celia, I am so sorry to be so late reading this. I am absolutely teary-eyed. What a beautiful story! I can just picture her approaching that cow, and the wonder she must have felt. What a love story indeed.<br /><br />As for the movie about Buddy, I cry when I watch that one, how she was so ill and dying and yet thwarted the idiots who wanted to disprove her talents by moving the chairs etc all around.<br /><br />Beautiful post, Celia. Dogs are such amazing animals. Every word here is inspiring!Tanya Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08580821680629254085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-84552052209332390842013-07-10T16:53:39.298-05:002013-07-10T16:53:39.298-05:00Paisley--thanks for reading my post. I'm glad ...Paisley--thanks for reading my post. I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my uncle. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-21827026308135280382013-07-10T13:44:14.358-05:002013-07-10T13:44:14.358-05:00I loved getting to know your Uncle Brother, Celia....I loved getting to know your Uncle Brother, Celia. I love that you called him that. It is so family and so touching. Thanking you for sharing this beautiful story.Paisley Kirkpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06401039126457210324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-9472264106533557542013-07-09T19:54:48.416-05:002013-07-09T19:54:48.416-05:00Sarah--I hadn't thought of the saying "lo...Sarah--I hadn't thought of the saying "love at first sight." I'd give anything to know how they first met and what they "saw" and especially what they heard and felt. My uncle had a soft deep voice, like my daddy, and it was Texan, and he loved to tell a story. If he had an audience, he'd stand out under a tree and talk and talk..and..he liked to talk about politics, what he's heard on the radio. Such a sweetheart, he was.<br />Thank you so much for you comment. They're always thoughtful and intriguing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-27544309260736378712013-07-09T11:56:37.283-05:002013-07-09T11:56:37.283-05:00I loved this article about your Uncle Brother and ...I loved this article about your Uncle Brother and how he fell in love. You know the old saying, "love at first sight", but in the case of your uncle and his lady love, it was love at first heart. It must be wonderful for a person to fall in love with your heart and spirit and not the way you look.<br />I look forward to reading your book, too. I liked the premise for it. I think it will be a beautiful story.Sarah J. McNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-30436123734895444082013-07-09T07:11:21.797-05:002013-07-09T07:11:21.797-05:00Ciara--It's amazing how costly it is to train ...Ciara--It's amazing how costly it is to train one dog. From the tv news program I watched a few days ago, I learned that it's a loving process, but very strict also. Sometimes an entire family would help train one dog. And of course, it's time consuming--from puppyhood to adulthood for the dog.<br /><br />A few years ago, here in town, I'd run into a beautiful young woman who had a gorgeous little girl--and the child was blind. They'd be in the grocery store, the girl with the dog, the mother near. The mother didn't hover, though, and was very gracious when someone asked about the guide dog. They only rule--you can't pet someone's guide dog.<br />My uncle's guide dog Sam scared us. He wouldn't let anyone get close to Uncle Brother, unless he gave Sam a command to "be quiet," always accompanied by a pat.<br />Thanks for reading.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-91851698721010641062013-07-08T21:19:55.163-05:002013-07-08T21:19:55.163-05:00What a lovely tribute to your uncle. I enjoyed see...What a lovely tribute to your uncle. I enjoyed seeing a glimpse into your family. We had a teacher here in town who raised dogs to be trained as guide dogs. They were very costly, but her students would help raise the money for the pup and she'd take it to school where the students had a role in shaping the pup's beginning.Ciara Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05669829712304962140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-10674332625760945022013-07-08T19:44:41.465-05:002013-07-08T19:44:41.465-05:00LYN--I have a great admiration for guide dogs and ...LYN--I have a great admiration for guide dogs and the people who train them. It's amazing and wonderful.<br />What I remember also about my uncle is that he loved to tell stories. What about, I do not know, but he'd stand in the yard and talk and talk. I do know he listened to the radio and always knew what the president was doing, and if we were going to war, etc. He was smart.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-81408585253131231322013-07-08T19:42:43.185-05:002013-07-08T19:42:43.185-05:00Morgan--for all I know, my uncle might have just g...Morgan--for all I know, my uncle might have just gone crazy for a while. He married a beautiful woman at 19,soon had a baby boy, but the old rusted screen door had broken wires that stuck out. Somehow, he opened the door, and one of those rusted wires stuck in one eye. It got infected and it spread to the other eye. He was 20 and blind. His wife would not stay with him, divorced, and took the baby to California. Uncle Brother was a calm, kind man, but he loved to talk. I always though he was rather sad. He surely went through hell for a while...but what else could he do? Nothing. So, he settled in with his parents on the farm. My daddy, his brother, always tried to see after him and love him..we all did. I don't think the others did as much.<br />When his baby son was about 35, he came to Texas from California to see his father. We were there...very touching...but nothing between them, either.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-46514092110739962752013-07-08T16:33:18.820-05:002013-07-08T16:33:18.820-05:00Lovely story about your Uncle Brother, Celia. He s...Lovely story about your Uncle Brother, Celia. He sounds like a kindly ma. I love the photo of him and the two dogs.<br /><br />Seeing eye dogs and other types of service dogs are amazing. They prove just how smart animals can be.Lyn Hornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05596495172490672271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-9563132440102321962013-07-08T10:37:46.422-05:002013-07-08T10:37:46.422-05:00Thanks for sharing about your uncle, Celia. It'...Thanks for sharing about your uncle, Celia. It's amazing how some people can adapt to what would be catastrophic to the rest of us. I guess when you have no choice, your only avenue is to rise up to what you get and make do.<br /><br />Morgan Mandel<br />http://www.morganmandel.comMorgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-21079989409845026412013-07-08T10:10:50.329-05:002013-07-08T10:10:50.329-05:00Caroline--thank you. My grandparents lived out in ...Caroline--thank you. My grandparents lived out in Salesville--and we lived there until I was four. <br />Remember the similar stories of our lives?<br />The old house sat empty after the last grandparent died, so my parents bought the house and 24 acres from Daddy's brothers and sister. brothers and sisters. They tore down the old house, and Mother and Daddy built a big nice brick house there, and new barn, and kept a few cows. <br />They're both gone, now, too, but that place--across the road from the white church--still hold many memories.<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-29128842818040626512013-07-08T09:02:59.655-05:002013-07-08T09:02:59.655-05:00Celia, I love your stories about your life as well...Celia, I love your stories about your life as well as those you write. This was a lovely post and I am so glad you shared your Uncle Brother with us.Caroline Clemmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14914658854159456335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-62944537812158212632013-07-08T08:59:22.411-05:002013-07-08T08:59:22.411-05:00Jennifer--Interesting. I suppose it makes sense to...Jennifer--Interesting. I suppose it makes sense to use the town as a training ground for the dogs and masters. They must learn to cross streets, etc. I've often watched a blind student here in town. I'll see him walking along the sidewalk as if he could see everything. He not only has a dog, he has a white cane.<br />Thanks for coming by--it's so good to hear from you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-12729970859426466662013-07-08T08:56:42.470-05:002013-07-08T08:56:42.470-05:00Margaret--Interesting that you had a friend in col...Margaret--Interesting that you had a friend in college who was blind. Border collies make very good guide dogs, I've read. The first ones were German Shepherds. My uncle's dog, Sam, was big and if you approached him suddenly he'd stand up and growl. I was always terrified of Sam. <br />A braille cookbook. I never knew there was such a thing. I don't know how his wife cooked--but she did. I think their meals were very simple, and possibly the same thing often.<br />I do appreciate your visiting the Sweethearts blog, and sharing your story about your friend.<br />Thanks, and please come again.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-55523382546661340912013-07-08T07:52:00.785-05:002013-07-08T07:52:00.785-05:00I love the story about you and your Uncle Brother!...I love the story about you and your Uncle Brother! I live near Morristown, NJ, where The Seeing Eye school is located. They train seeing eye dogs and whenever you drive into town, you see the trainers and the dog owners too. JENNIFER WILCKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16218241106543538422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1822452633282744192.post-10657636870895951772013-07-08T07:31:08.752-05:002013-07-08T07:31:08.752-05:00Thanks so much for the wonderful memories, and for...Thanks so much for the wonderful memories, and for the great excerpt from your novel. One of my good friends at college, Sharon, was blind and she had a guide dog, Psula. a border collie. Four of us ended up sharing an apartment senior year. I still have one of her recipes -- it came from a braille cookbook -- in my recipe notebook.Margaret Fielandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12639464925210908450noreply@blogger.com