Remembering Winnie

A loving tribute to the most amazing boy in the world.

Loyal, intelligent, mischevious, and incredibly special, Winston Theodore Norweg passed away peacefully at home on Friday, December 8, 2023. He was eight years old. Winnie fought a brief but brave battle with cancer, remaining loving and sweet until the very end.

I knew this would be the hardest goodbye, but my grief has been overwhelming and all-consuming. I wrote a full obituary for my Winnie, an idea I got after reading Dr. Karen Fine's book, The Other Family Doctor (2023) last month. I decided to send the obituary, which was deeply personal, only to close friends and family. I would also like to honor my beautiful boy publicly, especially given how deeply supportive our Scottish terrier social media community has been over the last several days.

I hope you'll join me in relishing the memories of my incredible little Win. He was extraordinary.

FAVORITES

Foods

• Popcorn

• Steak (medium-rare, especially a nice, marbled sirloin)

• Mashed potatoes

• Raw baby carrots (the crunchier the better)

• Sliced watermelon

• Deli turkey

• Cheez-Its

Popcorn was Winston's all-time favorite food

Toys

• "Puppy ball" (the Kong Jumbler)

• Mr. Bear (a huge stuffed bear)

• Chuck-it balls

• Mr. Rope (a big twisted rope that he would grab with his paws)

• "Santa Belly" (a stuffed Santa with a pink ball inside)

Winston as a puppy with Mr. Bear (picture courtesy of my sister, Sarah)

Things to Do

• Tug-of-war

• Fetch

• Sunday roast (especially at Smiths Arms, Guy Fawkes Inn, and Cow and Calf)

• Pub walks

• Going to the beach

• Popcorn and movie night

• Walks with Naomi and his friends

• Naps on the couch or in his brown chair

Win enjoys a Sunday roast at Cow and Calf

This chair was Win's favorite place

Music

• Motown/Marvin Gaye

• Bob Marley & the Wailers

• Classical

TRAVEL

Win came with me absolutely everywhere, and we made the quick trip from DC to Boston (and back) frequently

Countries Visited:

• England

• France

• Scotland

• United States

• Wales

I used Google Maps to pin all the places Winnie has visited and lived, both in the US and Europe.

UK Landmarks Visited

• Aira Force

• Aysgarth Falls

• Bath’s Circus and Royal Crescent

• Ben A’an

• Big Ben

• Brimham Rocks

• Buckingham Palace

• Castlerigg Stone Circle

• Dunnottar Castle

• Durdle Door

• Easby Abbey

• Fountains Abbey

• Grasmere Lake

• Loch Lomond

• London Eye

• Malham Cove

• Mam Tor

• Oxford University

• Ripley Castle

• Snowdon

• Spofforth Castle

• Tintagel Castle

• Tower Bridge

• Tower of London

• Ullswater Lake

• Westminster Abbey

• Whitby Abbey

• York Minster

US Landmarks Visited:

• Boston Public Garden

• Castle Island

• Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

• Gettysburg

• Lincoln Memorial

• Manassas

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

• Old North Bridge

• The White House

• Washington Monument

PERSONALITY AND FUN FACTS

• Winnie sat like a little man in the car, sitting up with one arm on the armrest, looking out the window

• "Circus boy" was Win's signature move whenever he wanted to convince someone to feed him or play with him

• Winston refused to drink from communal bowls and hated getting dirty--he would avoid mud and streams and the like at all costs

• Win snored loudly, could give serious side eye, and had the most impressive head tilts

• Winnie had two microchips and a birthmark inside his right ear

Winnie doing his "circus boy" pose

A love like I've never known--how fortunate I was. I will miss him for the rest of my life.