I had Gracie's name picked out long before I found her. Gracie is named after my favorite Sandra Bullock character - Gracie Hart from the move Miss Congeniality). Gracie grew into her name. She is funny and decidedly not graceful or ladylike.
And now there's Gus. Except Gus almost wasn't Gus. He was almost Carson.
Carson is another favorite character of mine, this time from the hit British drama Downton Abbey. Carson is the head butler. He serves the family. But even more so, he cares deeply for the family and protects them. Perfect qualities for a companion dog.
Except he almost wasn't Carson either. He was almost Reacher.
Reacher is the ex-Army drifter traveling the country righting wrongs in the novels by Lee Child. To my mind a dog named Reacher would be tough, confident, and in charge.
Then I thought about Gracie and knew there could only be one alpha dog in the family and while I hoped it would be me, I know deep down it is Gracie.
And then I landed on Gus. I'm borrowing this nickname from my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, both named Agustus. I have a series of letters my great-great-grandfather wrote during the Civil War to his fiance and then wife, Mary. From those letters, I've been able to derive a sketch of who he was: loyal, determined, loving, and funny. These are all qualities I would love to have in my next dog.
I haven't met Gus yet, but I know this is his name.
Good luck on the new ventures -- blog and puppy. Names always work out. They are either a reflection of the dog's personality or they turn out to be an ironic reflection of our own observational failings. After all, Professor Jiggs was Professor Jiggs long before he came into existence.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Beth! I love his name, it will be perfect! Can't wait to see pics! xoxo
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