By Linda Elissalde
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS was indeed blessed this year. It began with being blessed with good weather at set up time November 5. Pastor Valerie Hudson, Crystal Corral, pet owners and, of course, pets were blessed by this annual event. Chairperson Linda C Elissalde was blessed with fantastic committee members Marcel Elissalde, Sandi Covington, Sherry Morgan, Vickie Norris, Rita Moseley, George Strong, and Paulette Layfield.
Pastor Valerie is always supportive of Blessing of the Animals that started a year after Hurricane IKE devastated our peninsula. She prepares special cards to give to each pets’ human friend after she prayers over their animal. 
Lisa Stackpoole and Jeff Thompson added so much joy this year by bringing mule Mae Mae and horse Rebel to be blessed. They saddled mule and horse for those who wished to ride. Riders mounted either Mae Mae or Rebel and were safely led around church property. Mae Mae is a sweet Mammoth mule. (And mammoth she is.) Lisa and Jeff helped potential equestrians mount Mae Mae by way of a ladder. Mobile phones snapped many a memorable picture.
However, it was the pets: large, small, and in-between that dominated the gathering. Each was reverently blessed. Owners bowed their heads as Pastor prayed. She blessed photographs and mobile pictures of pets that could not be there. Love shared between humans and their animal friends permeated every moment and was a blessing in itself.
Each year provides significant minutes of remembrance, and there were certainly many this year. Attendees at the 2022 BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS felt truly BLESSED!
[Nov-8-2022]
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