An Old Pro

Meet Otto (hi Otto!). Isn't he cute?

Otto visited the kennel for the second time this past weekend. The first time was this summer. Like many young dogs who are kenneled, he had a few accidents the first time he was here. From the look on his face, I could tell that being in a strange environment took some getting used to. But he made friends and had a good time.

When he arrived for his second visit, he knew what to expect. He came in with tail wagging, looking for his friends. He didn't have a single accident and ate very well. His face was relaxed and happy (just look at him!).

Doing things for the first time is hard. We don't know what to expect and we can be nervous. Using a personal example, I've been asked to help at a local soup kitchen (yes, it's even called that) this morning. I don't have any idea what it will be like. I'm pretty sure it will involve a hair net. However, I'm going anyway. Like Otto, it's likely that this new experience will be interesting. Maybe I'll even want to go again. (I just hope I don't have an accident - of any type).

What about you? Does the fear of the unknown keep you away from trying new things? Have you hesitated to be adventurous, then later found it was a great experience?

Keeping Your Cool

You've seen Roxie before (hi Roxie!). After a long walk on a hot day, she laid down in the shallow end of the pond. Most dogs swim. Not Roxie. She just spread out in the cool water and relaxed.

Sometimes it's hard to keep your cool when situations get too "hot." Some people walk away. Others count to ten. There are the extremes of a full screaming blow out or the silent treatment. Regardless, it's not easy to navigate the murky waters of disagreement.

But disagreements are differences of opinion and perspective, not the end of the world. They are normal, and somehow we need to figure out how to live in peace with each other, even when we see things differently.

Do I have the answers on how to do that effectively? Hardly. Yet I've seen plenty of dogs playing together happily one minute, only to have a bit of a spat. After the barking and growling cease, they go back to their game as if nothing happened.

"Be kind to one another, forgiving each other." The dogs seem to have this down. Maybe we can do better too.

Nathan Alan Willoughby and How Love Gets in the Way - Fiction

Having grown up on the streets alone, Nathan Alan Willoughby was used to keeping his own company. His early months were consumed with digging through dumpsters for food and avoiding being injured by dogs, cars, and mean people. At the Westwood Rescue for Good Cats, he had plenty of food, and kept himself amused with the catnip sachets and balls with bells on the inside.

But now he had Edie. She was the Best Toy Ever. Nathan Alan Willoughby followed her every move. She was fascinating. Each morning, she sat down with her coffee and hurried through her crossword puzzle before going to work. Nathan Alan Willoughby knew by now that this was her last step in the routine before she disappeared out the door, gone for hours on end.

The newspaper was spread out on the breakfast bar. As Edie poured her coffee, Nathan Alan Willoughby jumped to the stool, then to the top of the table. Being a cat of great size, he couldn't make the jump in one fell swoop. He'd learned to manage despite that personal obstacle. Spreading himself out on the paper, Nathan rolled onto his back to lock eyes with Edie.

"Well, you're quite the little helper, aren't you?" She said, rubbing his belly. The cat's long blink let her know he was content. Nathan Alan Willoughby began to purr and make bread in the air. "You know, I can't work my puzzle with you in the way." Nathan Alan Willoughby continued to purr and paw at the air, rolling onto the top of his head to add to his cuteness factor.

Edie poked him gently with her pen, "C'mon, Big Guy, move back." When he didn't budge, Edie sighed. She looked at him a long time. Finally, she scratched behind his ears, putting her pen aside. "I chose you to love. Why should I pass you by for a silly distraction like a puzzle."

Nathan Alan Willoughby's purrs heightened to a fine squeak after each exhale, content with her decision.

Blinded by Your Vice

That's Tilly with her head in a bag (really, this blurry picture lends itself to many captions). She actually did walk around the kitchen like this before I found her, slamming into the butcher block and oven in her efforts to eat every last morsel at the bottom of the bag.

Both my dogs, Foster and Tilly, love food. They fight over food. When I'm moving around the house, they follow, wondering if it is food related (it often is). When I bring a bag in from the car, they anticipate it being food related. Anything in a forty pound bag is fair game.

I understand.

I didn't spend two hours zumba-ing and turbo-jamming Monday for the fun of it. I love food too. I think about it often. I look at food blogs with deep admiration. I was way ahead the nation's current obsession with bacon (not to be confused with beggin' strips). However, I've also needed to consciously balance this with the reality of slowing metabolism.

Gluttony is a real problem with me. Maybe you wouldn't think so by looking at me, but I know. And God knows. Gluttony is about consumption. And thinking about food can consume me in unhealthy ways. Maybe we think food obsession is not as bad as other obsessions. Really? Have you noticed the commercials that use Al Green tunes - the tangy cheese seducing the hamburger? Uh-huh. It's no different.

What about you? How's your self-control (you don't need to answer that)? Have you noticed the mood you're in when your self-control is slack? Boredom? Loneliness? And while we're at it, what's your favorite restaurant (an easier question to answer)?

Don't Let a Little Thing Like That Stop You

This is Bosco (hi Bosco!).

Bosco is the type of dog some refer to as a "low rider." He has very short legs and is built low to the ground like a Corgi. Bosco is a mix and a darn cute one. I love it when he comes to the kennel as he's very entertaining.

Despite his short legs, Bosco is a perfectly happy little dog who does everything his dog friends do. He runs with them, turns corners on a dime, and plays. When it's time for him to go home, he jumps in the back of his owner's SUV. Well, he tries. He can't quite do it himself. After all, he has short legs. That's when Bosco needs the help of others.

Most of the time, I can do everything I need to at my house and for my business. But not everything. Like right now, I'm planning this 5k for charity and it's making me nuts because I don't know what I'm doing. It's like I have short legs. Fortunately, others are helping me. Then there are those other matters that require help of a higher level - only God can help me - they are such obstacles.

What about you? What can't you jump into without help? How can you overcome them? Have you ever done a 5k? What's the funniest looking dog you've seen?

Enjoying the Gift

This high-flying pooch is Garbo (hi Garbo!).

Garbo has a somewhat unnatural obsession with her toys. Actually, her toys are really the toys of a young boy or girl, but Garbo takes them over. Last time I saw her, she'd hijacked a plastic hamburger from a child's kitchen. She takes the toy to anyone who will throw it for her and the game never really stops.

Her owners told me she is even worse when it comes to rawhide bones. In fact, she never even enjoys the bone because she is consumed by hiding it so the other dog in the house won't find it. Garbo becomes so worried about her bone being taken, she never gets around to enjoying the treasure.

Until recently, I often stashed gifts to be enjoyed later. Later would never come and sometimes the gift wasn't even good anymore. I've tried to change my mindset to enjoy the treasures now.

Do you ever worry about taking care of your "things" instead of enjoying them? How can you slow down to enjoy each day as a gift? Does your dog steal children's toys?

Nathan Alan Willoughby and His Excellent Dream

Having spent the first nine months of his life feeding from a dumpster, Nathan Alan Willoughby was well acquainted with the scents of such. Fortunately, a dumpster behind a pizza parlor was not so bad. He learned rotting spinach was to be avoided (at all costs), cheese stuck to cardboard boxes was fair game, and oregano and basil meant tasty tomato sauce.

Since Edie adopted him from the Westwood Rescue for Good Cats, Nathan Alan Willoughby learned more about fragrances. When Edie got ready for work, he smelled soapy lilac. If she was cleaning his litterbox with Mr. Clean, Edie'd wrinkle her nose and say "pew." The cat watched and agreed, but for very different reasons.

One Saturday morning, Edie came in carrying a crinkly paper sack. Nathan Alan Willoughby was fast asleep. His dream of chasing a cricket morphed strangely into a large orange gourd chasing him. Then, he woke up.

Ginger, cloves, and cinnamon filled his nostrils. He sat up and walked over to Edie. He sat at her feet and stared as she sipped coffee. "Pumpkin donut?" she asked. She broke off a small piece and put it on the floor in front of him.

He sniffed it. Ah-ha. He tasted it. Excellent. Nathan Alan Willoughby meowed and put his paw on Edie's leg. "That's enough, friend. You need to watch your weight." This was utter nonsense to the cat. She gave him something delicious and she had more. Why wasn't she sharing?

Nathan Alan Willoughby dug his nails into Edie's pant leg. "Mow!" he demanded.

"Fine. You can have one more bite. Too much of a good thing isn't good for you, Nathan Alan Willoughby. Me, I'm going out for a run after this, but I know you. You only play with that little catnip mouse for ten minutes and you're winded. Here you go, but that's it."

He gobbled up the last bite of pumpkin donut. It was wonderful. He didn't understand why he could only have a little, but he learned to trust Edie. He would learn to be content.