welcome

For all of you first timers, hello & welcome to the "BouvZine", an independent, non-affiliated, non-political, quarterly electronic magazine, or eZine, expressly designed for the Bouvier des Flandres community around the world. 

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Not so long ago Beth & Marty Laskin lost their beautiful Bouv, Lumiere.   Many on Len Gaska's Bouv mailing list were very supportive as they read about the Laskins' loss.  As part of her "thank you" to the group, Beth (whom I had the pleasure of meeting along with Lumiere), used the phrase "trials of Bouvicentric living" -- Bouvicentric living -- an interesting turn of phrase. 

The Bouvier, as most of us have found out in so many ways, is a wonderful breed.  I think one reason for this is that the Bouvier has a knack of sneaking up on you emotionally, more so than other breeds.  Maybe its in those beautiful almond eyes....

Before we know it, they're just one of the kids, be it a family of three or five or nine.  And what we do for them!  ...bathing, drying, combing, wiping, buying natural foods, cooking for them, enrolling them in special courses, driving them here or there, making sure they exercise properly, assure ourselves that they are having fun, searching out the latest toy or medical treatment, checking their stools & social patterns. 

Maybe its because they're so smart that they learn to insert themselves into our everyday lives in an endless variety of little ways.  Their vocabularies become extensive; they understand how to "handle" us. They watch the kids, clown around, make us laugh, guard the house, snuggle up close on a cushy sofa, patiently wait for that one lick of ice cream. They serve as alarm clocks in the morning & pillows to lay your head on in the evening & they talk, they cart, they guard, they herd, they stare, they play. They blend into our lifestyle, be it city or country, apartment or house, big or small, rich or poor.

In short, before we know it, we find ourselves living Bouvicentric lives.

So Beth Laskin, you and Marty and Lumiere left us with this curiously descriptive phrase -- Bouvicentric and I, for one, sincerely thank you.  It sure fits around here.

Sincerely,
           B
          Jan Rifkinson