The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

"Finally, there's an ad for a Scottie puppy!" said Jean Nave's husband, 40-some years ago, not long after Jean and Claude had married. Claude had been reading The Oregonian for weeks, looking for Scottish Terriers for sale. He shook the paper saying, "Yes, let's call them."

That day the couple drove the 120 miles from Portland to the coast and came home with the cutest bundle of black hair Jean had ever seen.

"That's how my love affair with Scottie dogs began," Jean recalled.

Nave, having grown up in rural Southern California foothill country with horses and many dogs, had loved them all, but she had never met a Scottie. It took no time at all for Mac, the new puppy, to show Jean that Scotties offered something very special, at least to her. Their intelligence and human vocabulary comprehension could make her, and her husband, pause. They often had to rethink what they were about to say because the Scotties understood so many words.

Yet, it was their independence that really drew her to the breed. She often says that Scotties are half cat. They have the loving exuberance of a dog, and the independent streak of a cat. This turns them into very interesting personalities.

It's been a wonderful, long love affair. The couple have raised some puppies and adopted many Scottie rescues. They have all been wonderful, unique, little furry personalities, and a joy to be around.

Ten years ago Jean was given the prognosis of stage-four cancer. That diagnosis and the following bilateral mastectomy started her on a newly invigorated journey of faith in a higher power.

Many years ago she realized that she learned best when she took a subject that she wanted to master and rewrote what she had read or heard, using her own words. Digging deeper and deeper into the spiritual world exposed her to many new concepts that she had never heard about in church.

After a few years of study Jean started writing a blog. Soon there were a number of readers for the blog. The feedback that came in was invaluable. Writers are helped immeasurably when they get reader feedback, good or bad.

After a year of writing a daily blog, The Nugget Newspaper became interested in a monthly column. The editor wanted longer, more in-depth articles. That request pushed her deeper into examining Christ-based spirituality. The column is called, "Scottie Wisdom and Faith."

With a collection of over 300 blog articles and five years of Nugget articles, it seemed natural to publish a book with an assortment of selected articles.

The 115-page book, filled with inspiring quotations and printed in full color with cartoons and illustrations, is "Scottie Wisdom and Faith - Articles About Faith, Love, and Forgiveness Inspired by My Dogs."

It is available at Paulina Springs Books for $12.95 or on Amazon.com for $13.95.