FAYEROE, ON HER 3RD ANGEL DAY, BY LAUVERN

IT HAS BEEN THREE LONG YEARS SINCE FAYEROE DIED. I THINK OF HER EVERY DAY AND WANT HER BY MY SIDE. FAYEROE DIDN'T REPLACE TIPPY AND SHE WAS GROWING INTO HER POSITION IN LIFE. SHE HAD MATURED SO MUCH AND NEVER LOSE HER FANTASTIC SENSE OF HUMOR.

I KEEP RE-PLAYING THE LAST TIME I SAW HER. I WISH I HAD DONE EVERYTHING DIFFERENTLY. IF ONLY I HAD GONE OUT INTO THE YARD WITH HER..MAYBE I COULD HAVE HELPED HER. THERE ARE SO MANY  'MAYBES'. TO FIND HER LYING THERE WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SHOCKS I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE. THE PAIN IS STILL IN MY HEART. SHE DIED ALONE. NO ONE SHOULD DIE ALONE. I FAILED HER.

THIS SONG BY LEON RUSSELL IS SO SPECIAL TO ME. I MET LEON IN 1974 IN DALLAS. HE WAS APPEARING WITH MY BOSS, WILLIE NELSON, AT A NEW YEARS EVE SHOW. WE HIT IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. I'LL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME HE SANG "A SONG FOR YOU' ONSTAGE. HE WROTE IT FOR HIS WIFE, MARY. IT WAS A TRUE DECLARATION OF LOVE. AND IT FITS MY FEELINGS FOR FAYEDY. TEDDYJACK WAS NAMED FOR LEON'S SON.

OUR VIEW AT NIGHT IN TEXAS

You Are My Sunshine
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away

The other nite, dear,
As I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms.
When I awoke, dear,
I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried.

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

I'll always love you
And make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me
To love another
You'll regret it all some day;

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

You told me once, dear
You really loved me
And no one else could come between
But now you've left me
And love another
You have shattered all my dreams;

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

If there was anyone who walked in sunlight, it was Fayeroe. She was the happiest girl that I've known.

 She was happy to see everyone. And at the same time, she was as fierce a guard dog as Henrietta was. Henri lived long enough to teach Fayeroe the fine arts of being a watch dog. I know she always looked down and was happy with the way Faye guarded me.