It is with a sad and grievous heart that I must tell every one that Ann Green passed away Sunday evening in her home in Newberg, Or.

Ann was a woman that you were unlikely to ever forget upon meeting her. She entered our breeding world several years ago with a passion and deep love for our breed. I am quite certain that she was already ill with the cancer that was ultimately responsible for taking her from us at such a young age. I first met Ann and Steve and their children (only 3 at the time) over 20 years ago when they purchased their first home from me. Ann considered it her Miracle home at the time...and I suppose it really was a miracle home.

I loved Ann...as did all who had the privilege of knowing her wether it was just in passing or on a more intimate level. She was one of the gentlest souls that I have ever known. Ann was kind and loving beyond measure. Never did I hear a foul word or unkind remark come from her lips. Never once did I ever hear her have a critical spirit regardless of the situation! She was always quick to listen, slow to speak (you could hear her silently ponder an uncomfortable situation from many different angles) and she would never speak out in judgement against anyone for anything. That's a simple version of my Ann in a nutshell. My heart just breaks for her husband Steve, her five children, her son in law, her grand daughter, her sister, brother...and her sweet Adoni who worshiped the ground that she walked on often staying by her side during her illness. It has been a very hard two years for the entire family. God has richly blessed Ann with a legacy that will live on in her whole family.

Ann LOVED her family...she was so proud of each and every one of them...and she expressed this often. Ann also dearly loved her maker. She was not one to practice 'religion' nor one to boast about it but she had a very deep, very committed and very personal relationship with God from which she drew her strength on a daily basis. It was here that she was able to park her fears and concerns for herself as well as her family... a few months ago she assured me that she had made peace with this battle...regardless of what the outcome was she would come out a winner...and that she trusted God to take care of her family in the mean time.

I am so sad that I cannot be there to serve their family in this time of great need. Ann has been sick since they moved back to the west coast and I am not sure if they even had an opportunity to create a network of local friends that can pitch in and help out right now. After two years of hardship, I have no doubt that their needs are great.

Ann will be sorely missed by many...especially by her family. I will miss Ann's calm and sound advice. She had a way of 'not' telling you what you ought to do... but somehow you would come away from a conversation with her knowing just what 'should' be done! She had a way of allowing you the privilege of coming to the conclusion yourself...at least that what you would think if you didn't think about it too much, lol!

A really funny story about Ann that I HAVE to share:

One day, about 15-20 years ago I just happened to be near her neighborhood and decided to pop in unannounced. Kids were running amuk in every direction possible...my kids...her kids...neighbor kids...blah blah blah. Something crazy happened suddenly and she turns to me (in what I used to think of as her crazy dreamy state) and she says...I think my word for the day will be Serendipitous. "It means pleasant surprise ...specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it. Your visit has been serendipitous for me today"! (thank goodness, right?) Here's where it gets REALLY FUNNY: One of the kids needed a poopy diaper change. She had made a bathroom counter her changing station but she had a really funny name for it that I can no longer remember...it might have been the recycling center. I noticed a cup full of unusual items for a changing station, made some snarky comment and asked her about it rather jokingly. She merely smiled with a calm resolute of an experienced mother, cocked her head and said...watch...I have become a very experienced archeologist. HUH? I watched. I will never forget what I saw. Ann opened up the diaper...and if you looked closely enough, picking through the contents, there was some kind of red plastic wrapped in poo. Ann grabbed a Hemostat and a tooth brush from her 'tool chest' and pulls out a very pooy lego! As I sat there dumb faced and wetting my pants she said one word...can you guess what it was? "SERENDIPITOUS!" Blahaha! She then cleaned it off with her 'Archeologist tools' plops the cleaned off Lego into a sanitizing cup and recirculated it BACK INTO THE TOY BOX....BWAAHAHA HAHAHA! Then she says "those darn Legos are just too expensive to toss out just because the baby eats them" !!!! At that point I think I needed a diaper change myself!!!!

Another funny Ann story...

Ann was a labor and delivery nurse at Howard Co General Hospital for probably 20 years. She made herself present as the delivery nurse for all three of my children! I Really struggled pushing out my first baby...after one really terrible push Ann proclaims "Wow...you just pushed so hard Pam that you are giving ME hemorrhoids!"

So, Good bye for now my dear Ann....but, I'll see ya later!