THE DREADED YEAR IN PRISON WENT BY RELATIVELY QUICKLY AND IT WAS VERY SOON THAT I WAS CONTEMPLATING MY PAROLE DATE. I SOON REALIZED THAT I HAD NOWHERE TO GO, NO SUPPORT SYSTEM , NO KIND OF EMOTIONAL OR FINANCIAL MEANS. I HAD ACQUIRED A WONDERFUL PEN PAL THROUGH A WONDERFUL WOMAN WHO WORKED AT THE PRISON. HOWEVER, I FELT I SIMPLY COULD NOT ASK HER FOR ALL THAT I NEEDED. SHE DID, HOWEVER, AGREE TO PICK ME UP ON THE DAY THAT I WOULD PAROLE AND TAKE ME TO ALL OF THE NECESSARY PLACES I NEEDED TO GO TO COMPLY WITH PAROLE. SHE ALSO AGREED TO SEND ME A PAROLE BOX OF CLOTHES THAT I COULD WEAR OUT OF THE PRISON. THEY GIVE YOU WHAT IS CALLED GATE MONEY . HOWEVER, IT IS ONLY $200.00 AND IT DOESN'T GO REAL FAR WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING . WHILE IN PRISON I HAD ALSO BEFRIENDED A WONDERFUL WOMAN NAMED LINDA LEE. SHE WOULD ALWAYS REFER TO ME AS HER SISTER . I FOUND HER TO BE A WONDERFUL AND KIND PERSON AND SOMEONE WHO LIVED VERY CLOSE TO WHERE I WOULD BE PAROLING, NOT TO MENTION THAT SHE WAS MY SAME AGE AND WAS ALSO QUITE DETERMINED TO TURN HER LIFE AROUND. WE WERE BOTH SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED . MY LINDA SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE CHANGES IN ME. SHE SAW ME DROP THE SELF- CENTERED ATTITUDES AND ADDICTIVE TRAITS AND OPENED MY HEART TO BEING UNSELFISH, KIND, FORGIVING, AND LETTING MY SOUL SURRENDER TO A GREATER GOOD OUTSIDE OF MYSELF, ONE THAT COULD AND WOULD RESTORE ME TO SANITY . WHENEVER I WAS TROUBLED OR WORRIED ABOUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO , LINDA WOULD REASSURE ME. "JODY, YOU ARE GOING TO BE SO BLESSED IF YOU JUST STAY FOCUSED AND BELIEVE." LITTLE DID I KNOW JUST HOW POWERFUL AND FAR THOSE WORDS WOULD GO TO GUIDING ME ON MY JOURNEY . THE GREAT DAY ARRIVED, MAY14, AND I WALKED OUT OF LIVE OAK PRISON A FREE WOMAN . MY NEW FRIEND WAS THERE TO GREET ME, PEGGY JO, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL SIGHT SHE WAS . SHE WAS WONDERFUL . SHE NOT ONLY TOOK ME TO ALL THE PLACES I NEEDED TO GO, SHE ALSO ASSISTED ME WITH GETTING THE NECESSARY HYGIENE GOODS I WOULD NEED TO SURVIVE . PEGGY JO WAS JUST ONE OF THE MANY GUARDIAN ANGELS I WOULD BE PROVIDED ON MY NEW JOURNEY. IT WASN'T AN EASY FIRST FEW MONTHS. HOWEVER, I KEPT IT TOGETHER DESPITE A COUPLE OF MINOR SETBACKS . I ALWAYS TESTED CLEAN FOR PAROLE ,MADE IT TO ALL MY MEETINGS , AND LISTENED TO ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS FROM ANYONE KIND ENOUGH TO OFFER IT. WITHIN ABOUT 5 MONTHS I HAD FOUND AN APT. THAT I LOVED , AND THE LANDLORD WAS WILLING TO LET ME CLEAN IT FOR MY DEPOSIT . I COULD EVEN BUILD AN AMAZING GARDEN, HAVE PETS, AND ENJOY MY LIFE IN A NICE, CLEAN, SAFE PLACE . IT WAS IN THE FALL THAT MY DEAR FRIEND AND VERY STRONG SUPPORTER PEGGY JO CALLED. "HEY,I'D LIKE TO COME UP FOR THE WEEKEND. I HAVE A SURPRISE TO SHOW YOU." SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN HERSELF A NEW DOG. I WAS THRILLED! FIRST, I ADORE DOGS; AND, SECOND, I WANTED THE COMPANY. IT WAS A WONDERFUL VISIT, AND I SO ENJOYED HER NEW DOG, BAILEY BOO, A 15 LB. RAT TERRIER. HE WAS SO GREAT! VERY SMART AND TRAINED, NOT VERY BIG. IT WAS THEN THAT I THOUGHT I WANTED A DOG. I DID NOT JUMP INTO THIS DECISION LITELY AS I WAS STILL ON PAROLE. YES, I WAS CLEAN. I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF PEOPLE JUST FOR BACK- UP. I WASN'T EXACTLY A WEALTHY WOMAN, AND I WANTED TO BE A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER. I ALSO REALIZED THAT I WAS QUITE LONELY, AND THAT I NEEDED TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF MYSELF. WELL, MY DEAR FRIEND PEGGY WAS RIGHT ON IT, AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE SHE LOCATED A FEMALE RAT TERRIER THAT WAS UP FOR ADOPTION. THIS WAS JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER THANKSGIVING AND SO I CALLED THE LADY . WELL , IT ALMOST SEEMED FROM THE PHONE CALL THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GET RID OF THE DOG. SHE SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE A KIND THING TO SAY ABOUT IT. SHE TOLD ME THAT THE DOG DESPITE ALL THEIR BEST EFFORTS COULD NOT BE HOUSE- BROKEN, THAT THEY HAD RESCUED HER FROM THE POUND AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN TOLD OF VERY ABUSIVE HOMES. THE DOG WAS VERY TIMID AND SHY AND SHE COULD NOT BE LEASH-TRAINED . I'M NOT SURE WHY BUT FOR SOME REASON I JUST KNEW THAT THIS WAS INDEED GOING TO BE MY DOG, THAT TOGETHER WE COULD AND WOULD SHOW THE WORLD THAT THE UNDERDOGS, EVEN THE LOST ONES, COULD COME BACK, BETTER THAN EVER . SO, 2 WEEKS LATER PEGGY JO CAME TO CHICO TO TAKE ME TO OROVILLE, WHICH IS ABOUT 17 MILES FROM HERE, TO PICK HER UP. AS WE DROVE OUT OF TOWN WE STOPPED AT THE 99 CENT STORE. I WANTED TO BE ALL PREPARED. THE DAY WAS VERY COLD OUTSIDE AND WINDY AND RAINY. WE WENT INTO THE STORE AND CHECKED OUT THE PET AISLE. I TOOK MY PURCHASES TO THE CHECKOUT. AS I REACHED THE CLERK SHE GLANCED AT MY THINGS AND SAID, "YOU MUST LOVE ANIMALS." SHE WAS CRYING. WELL, YES, YES, I DO, I TOLD HER. WHAT IS THE MATTER? WELL, SHE TOLD US OF HER TERRIBLE PLIGHT. SHE HAD HER 2 CATS LIVING IN HER CAR BECAUSE HER AND HER HUSBAND HAD LOST THEIR HOME AND WERE DIVORCING. THE WORST PART WAS THAT THE OLDEST CAT WAS 22 YEARS OLD AND SHE WAS BESIDE HERSELF. MY FRIEND PEGGY JO SPEAKS UP, "GIVE US YOUR NUMBER. JODY WILL CALL YOU." YES, I GOT HER NUMBER, AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO OROVILLE. JUST PRIOR TO ARRIVING I TELEPHONED THE LADY TO CONFIRM HER ADDRESS, AND SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE ISN'T SURE OF GIVING THE DOG UP. I ASKED IF I COULD AT LEAST JUST COME AND MEET HER. WELL YES, I GUESS THAT WILL BE OK. I HAD SO MUCH EMOTION IN MY HEART AT THAT MOMENT. IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN. WE ARRIVED, RANG THE DOORBELL. SHE OPENED THE DOOR. THROUGH THE HOUSE AND OUT THROUGH THE KITCHEN WE COULD SEE INTO THE YARD. THERE WAS THE SWEETEST FACE I HAD EVER SEEN, SHIVERING, STANDING IN THE POURING RAIN. NEXT TO A 80 LB SHEEP DOG WAS MY DOG. AS THE LADY OPENED THE DOOR THE LITTLE LOVE BUG RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE HOUSE AND JUMPED UP INTO MY ARMS. SHE KNEW! I WAS HER MOM , MASTER , BEST FRIEND . I LOOKED AT PEGGY WITH A TEAR IN MY EYE, AND SAID IT'S A SIGN. THE WOMAN ALSO KNEW THAT IT WAS MEANT TO BE, AND SOON WE WERE ALL BACK IN THE TRUCK ON THE ROAD BACK TO CHICO, MY HOME AND MY LITTLE DOG'S NEW HOME . ALL THE WAY I PETTED HER AND STROKED HER EARS AND TOLD HER SHE WAS SAFE NOW. NO ONE WAS EVER GOING TO HURT HER EVER AGAIN, AND I ALSO KNEW RIGHT THEN THAT I WOULD DISCHARGE MY PAROLE.
WE ARRIVED HOME. PEGGY INSISTED THAT WE GIVE HER A SUITABLE NAME THAT WOULD MATCH BAILEY'S, SO WE CAME UP WITH BRANDILYNN .
MY 12- LB. RAT TERRIER, COMPLETELY SPAYED, CLIPPED, AND-IMAGINE THAT -TOTALLY HOUSE- BROKEN. IT WAS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THAT THROUGH OUR BONDING MY BABY BRANDI CAME TO CONVEY A STORY TO ME. HER STORY. AN INCREDIBLE STORY, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND YET TOTALLY FEASIBLE.
BRANDILYNN, IT SEEMS, WAS JUST ABOUT TO BE BORN AND WAS PLAYING AROUND HEAVEN WHEN JESUS STOPPED HER. "WELL, MY DEAR LITTLE CREATURE, HAVE YOU CHOSEN YOUR MASTER FAMILY YET?" "YES, SHE HAPPILY REPLIED, I'D LIKE JODY JOY, THE BLUE- EYED ONE." "OH, DEAR CREATURE, UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. MY DEAR DAUGHTER JODY HAS LOST HERE WAY AND MUST RETURN TO A HORRIBLE PLACE ON EARTH THEY CALL PRISON. SHE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR A WHILE." THE LITTLE CREATURE LOOKED VERY SAD AND THEN ASKED THE FATHER, IS THERE NO WAY FOR ME TO EVER GO TO HER, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I AM SUPPOSED TO BE HERS AND SHE WILL BE A LOVING AND KIND MASTER. THE FATHER SPOKE VERY QUIETLY AT FIRST, AND WITH A PAUSE HE TOLD HER, DEAR CREATURE, THERE IS ONE WAY THAT YOU COULD GO AND SOMEDAY BE WITH HER. YOU WOULD BE BORN AS PLANNED TOMORROW. HOWEVER, I JUST CANT PROMISE YOU A GOOD HOME AS I HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE LOST, AND ARE MEAN AND CRUEL AND YOU MAY END UP THERE FIRST. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, HOWEVER, THAT SOMEDAY JODY JOY WILL COME FOR YOU. IT TOOK BRANDILYNN ONLY A MINUTE WHEN SHE LOOKED DOWN INTO THE EYES OF THE BLUE-EYED ONE AND GAVE HER ANSWER. "DEAR GOD, I WILL GO. I WANT TO WAIT FOR JODY, AS LONG AS YOU PROMISE ME SHE WILL FIND ME."


P.S.I CALLED THE CLERK: I NOW HAVE A 25- YEAR- OLD HEALTHY, HAPPY CAT NAMED FIRKADANAL AND HER MOM AND DAD ARE REUNITED AND REFER TO ME AS THEIR CAT ANGEL.....THAT STORY AND MORE ON THE NEXT BLOG.