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*Friday's View From The Paw!
365 Days of heart, Humor & Optimism
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With Heart,
Humor & Optimism, All Things Are Possible
A lot of growing up takes place between "It fell" and "I dropped it." - Unknown ********************* Tuesday July 20 Day 107/365
Humor: And the Moral of This Story
Is...
Tonka, my dog, likes to eat outside.
But it is boiling hot.
He will not go outside in the heat.
Therefore he will not eat
because his bowl is inside
and he hates eating inside unless it is raining.
We have a stare down.
He has a choice.
Eat inside or not at all.
The stare down continues.
He ups the anty and goes to the biscuit jar.
He knows he gets treats inside, not outside
because outside,
he might bury them.
He noses the jar, paws my leg and noses the jar some more.
I pretend I am busy
because I want him to eat dinner not snacks.
My husband comes home.
Tonka fills him in on what is
going on with soulful-I’m starving to death, please feed me-looks!
Of course my husband opens the biscuit
jar and gives him some on his way to the refrigerator to munch on some cheese
My son (home for the summer) then
comes down stairs to watch TV in the kitchen.
Tonka paws him, noses the jar and my son says-Oh you want some
treats? Give me paw-the left-now the right-good boy! Here!-
as he goes for the cabinet with the pretzels.
I continue to look busy waiting for the pasta to boil, as I nibble a little of the left-over dip.
Then I catch
Tonka staring me down.
Oh really, Mom! No snacks before dinner!!????
I lose.
Dinner is ready.
I take the biscuits and put them in Tonka’s bowl along with his food.
He eats.
I ponder
putting pretzels and cheese and dip on the table.
We eat.
Lo and behold? Everyone finishes their
food!
Moral of this story?
Well there are several:
Do not ever nibble in front of a dog!
Hide the biscuit
jar!
As long as one is hungry, one will eat.
Stay hungry my friends! Monday July 12 Day
106/365 Heart:Heart is sometimes
where the sadness is, and that is a gift.
My mother died 4 years ago. Today is her birthday, and all day I keep visualizing sending her
beautiful birthday cards, whimsical presents, and wondering how she still managed at 90 to look no older than 70. We
spoke every day. And each morning when I called, she would answer—Good-morning my darling!
I miss her still,
so much.
But part of having a deep Heart is feeling the fullness of sadness. It is a far greater blessing
to feel the fullness of tremendous loss, than to feel the emptiness of little difference. And, to truly miss the times one
has spent with a loved one, sit with a mental scrapbook full of memories, and look around at the treasure trove of mementos
than to remember lost opportunities, abandoned bonds and broken trusts.
So, yes, I miss my mother still so much.
I would give anything to hear her say-Good morning my darling! But that I have the memories I do to be sad about, I
am most grateful.
It does, in the end warm my heart. Thursday July 8 Day
105/365 Heart, Humor & Optimism: Toy Story 3 (Bring
Kleenex!) A note of Warning: There a is a segment of TOY STORY 3 that could be scary
to young children. Not all the toys are freindly-one is actually a very dark character--psychologically damaged by loss and
separation--not a good script choice (in my opinion). Cannot say more without giving plot away.
The ending, on the other hand, is very moving and wonderfully hopeful. And yes,
everyone in the movie theatre cried-even college age boys!!!!!!
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Oh
no! Not another 'On Sale' sign! She's going in!
Time to negotiate! One scoop, vanilla, in a cup!
(Tonka spending
'quality' time with Mom)
Friday's View From The Paw! July 30 2010 Reading Faces
I
am getting used to the new fence. I am not getting used to the weather-especially thunderstorms-especially thunderstorms that
knock out power! We lost ours. All of a sudden it went dark, got quiet, and most of all, felt really hot!!! I
have lived with air-conditioning my whole big, black furry life. To be without it was a new. very unpleasant experience.
My owner Mom saw me panting. She made the decision to send me to where I was born and where I stay when everyone
goes away. When we got there I heard my owner Mom talk about the weather. I heard her say that she and my owner
Dad and owner Boy could handle the humidity and high temperatures, but not me. I felt bad. I love being with my owner family.
But, it’s true that I do not do well in the heat. And my owner Mom knew.
My owner Dad says I am very lucky
to have my owner Mom. He says that she really loves and understands me. She can tell exactly what is going on
with me by just looking at my face.
I have heard my owner Mom say there is no real difference between reading the
face of a canine and the face of a human. She says love, sadness, joy and fear come through the eyes and the mouth. My owner
boy says he can tell when I am laughing!
My owner Mom saw me looking sad because of the fence, the heat, and having
to stay indoors. She saw me scared because of the thunderstorms. But, she also got to see me very happy. When we arrived at
my home away from home, I bounded out of the car. I went running to the entrance. I could not wait to see my friends and hang
out all day together!
I can read faces too! I could see my owner Mom really smiling. She gave me a big hug
good-bye. Then, I went, tail wagging, to play with my friends in air-conditioning! And the best part? I knew whenever the
power came back on, my owner Mom would come back for me. I knew I would come bounding out, tail wagging, to greet her. And
she would have arms wide open and be really smiling again!
I hope that is what happens to owner Moms’ children
when they go off to camp. I hope they know they can miss their families but still have fun away from them.
Maybe one
day I can go to a human camp. It would be so-o-o much fun to stay in a cabin ,on a bunk bed--but, only if there is air-conditioning
and the counselors smile a lot!
Have a ‘cool’ weekend
Tonka
July 23 2010 My Room is Gone!
I had nothing to do with the coming of my white picket fence.
It was put up for my predecessor who was a Bernese Mountain Dog and a natural babysitter and wouldn’t hurt a fly-so
my owner Mom liked to say. But he weighed 120 pounds, with thick black fur, and a full white chest, and huge paws, and the
mail people were terrified of him! So, according to legend, they not only refused to deliver mail to my owner mom, they
refused to deliver mail to the home on the left and right of her.
She complained to the post office. She
spoke to a manager. She offered to give dog safety seminars to the neighborhood mail carriers who came bearing horror
stories about us canines, and were hopeless in telling the difference between an attack dog and a wuss!
In the end,
she had to put up a fence--the first and only one on our block.
It was a short white picket. It was there when
I was brought home.
Humans have asked ever since whether my owner Mom was concerned that I would jump over it. I am clearly
able to. No, she would reply wisely. It has always been there. He likes and respects it.
My owner mom really knows
me.
My white picket fence became very well known. It identified our home and me. I would run up to it to bark at things that went bump in the night. I would run along it to greet other canines. I would put my nose between the pickets to watch my owner Mom go off in the car and I would jump on it to let children pet me.
I will not lie.
I would also jump up on it and bark at other dogs or strangers just to let them now this was my territory not to be crossed
unless my owner Mom said it was ok.
But, I pushed up against it a lot. It also started to rot. The pickets came
out, and the snow very nearly destroyed it.
I heard my owner Mom talk about a new fence.
They came today.
I
had to stay inside and watch.
This is a totally different fence. Taller. Thinner slates, and thicker posts.
I miss my white picket fence. No one asked me what I thought about throwing it away, then replacing it.
The front lawn
is like my room. That fence was like my walls and door.
It was familiar. It made me feel cozy and safe and
not closed in.
I do not know what to think of this new one.
I saw them take apart my white picket fence and throw
big sections of it into a truck.
Then they drove away. They will come back tomorrow to finish.
But my room has disappeared.
All my familiar smells gone.
My white picket fence is gone forever. My owner Mom knows I am very sad and confused. She says it will all be all right. I hope so. Have a cozy weekend, Tonka July 16 2010 Chick Magnet & Matchmaker!
Last night my owner Mom saw how sad I looked since it has been too hot to sit or play outside so
she suggested we all go for gelato and walk around. Oh boy, as soon as I heard I was going in the car with everyone, I knew
where we were headed! I got very excited!
We parked the car on one of the main streets. There were lots and
lots of people walking around. We started to walk towards the gelato place and it started-Oh, he’s so cute,
can I pet him? Oh, he’s beautiful, what’s his name?
We sat outside on benches
and my owner Mom let me have some vanilla in a cup-yum!!! Well, that attracted even more attention. Oh, look at him eating
ice cream, that’s great! Does he come here a lot?
Then we went to the bookstore and while
everyone looked at books, I stretched out on the cool floor. It wasn’t long before more girls came up and asked my owner
Mom-Is he friendly? Oh, he looks so sweet! Can I pet him? I got so many tummy rubs!
Some of the
girls were really cute and some of the women were really pretty! All of them were really nice and friendly! But, my owner boy has a serious girlfriend in California and my owner Dad
and owner Mom are happily married! So I thought, what
a waste!
If I gave up being a gumpaw and spying on nannies in the park, I could become a matchmaker!!! Now that
would be fun! All I would have to do is sit some place central, and let singles know they could come and pet me and meet each
other at the same time! Much healthier than mall or bar hopping! (I overhear all about this hopping from my owner Mom).
And forget Match.com, and E-Harmony!!! (I have seen those commercials on television!) If two people like dogs, what more is
there to worry about! One question! Do you like dogs! Humans over complicate relationships. They should let us canines set the standards! And then they
should follow our lead!
Good Humans need so much help finding each other that this idea of being match-maker
is really growing on me! I would be more than
happy to donate my time, and my tummy for such a good cause!!!
Rolling over backwards in the dog days of summer
to bring humans together! Love, Tonka!
July 9 2010 Woody and Me! The girlfriend is leaving today. She stayed with us all this past week.
What can I say? I have evolved since my last blog about her October 1st, 2009: October 1, 2009-The girlfriend.
She is very cute.
She is very sweet. She talks to me. She pets me. She wants to include me in activities. She wants to be
my friend.
No.
I know, I know--call it selfish. I love my owner's son very much. He's my boy-my best buddy.
It took me a long time to get used to him being away at college. It took longer for me to understand his coming home
for a week and going back. We canines cannot look at a watch or a calendar. Someone comes. Someone goes.
How do we know when they will return??!!
So, my boy, my best buddy comes home for his birthday. I'm so happy! But
wait-he's not alone! He has a girlfriend who hugs and cuddles and snuggles with him on the couch. She plops herself
near him and stays there forever!
I curl up on the floor. I cannot compete with this. It is way too strong.
I am hoping he will look my way and come and pet me. He does. Then he goes back to her! I am hoping he will play
a little with me. He does. Then he goes back to her! I am hoping he will let me up on the couch. He
won't. He's on it with her! I am hoping he will stay home in the evening. He won't. He'll be out with her!
I am not having a good fur day!!! I have heard parents talk to about sibling rivalry-I have over heard my owner give advice.
So, where is my advice???!! Forget wanting to put a baby brother in the washing machine, what am I supposed to
do with my desire to chase this girlfriend out the door, up a tree and as far away as possible from my best buddy!
He
has gone back to graduate school. She is still here on a college internship. My owner will take her to lunch on Sunday.
I will see her. It would be so much easier to plot if she weren't so warm and engaging. But still, she has stolen
my best buddy! What's a dog to do?
She'll suggest to my owner that they take me with them for lunch. Is this
bribery time? Like lunch outside-with lots of scraps? A good restaurant-NOT A SALAD BAR- what respectable canine eats salad??!!
Depending upon the scraps, I could forget for a short while how much I miss my best buddy, but the missing will come back.
I wish I could go to visit him. I wish we could hang out-just the two of us alone. I wish he were younger
again and we could fall asleep together watching ESPN on the couch. But, he's all grown. He's gone a lot. He has
a girlfriend. I need a plan. I need a support group. I need an intervention!
Wait a minute,
I'm grown! And I'm neutered! Why can't I have a girlfriend too! There are some foxy paws out there. I have
one in mind. I'm going to ask her if she'd like to play in the leaves Saturday night?
Still missing my best buddy,
but there is love is out there in the cool fall air. I need to stop moping! Feeling better. I'll even try to be friendlier
at lunch as long as it's not salad!
Now I just have to get past the glass door! Now I have come to see that my owner Boy really, really cares for her.
My owner Mom and Dad really, really like her. And, I have to say she has been really, really nice
to me. I still do not get to curl up with my owner Boy, but he does give me lots of pets and to be honest—even
if she weren’t here, it would be too hot to curl up with anyone! I have to lie on cool floor.
They all went to see Toy
Story 3, and I overheard my owner Mom say she cried through the last 15 minutes of the movie. I also
overheard enough about the plot to know that Woody’s owner Boy, Andy, is going off to college and Woody has to accept
that his owner Boy has grown up. Who knew I would have so much in common with Woody? We both love our owner Boys very, very much.
And we need to feel they still love us very, very much even if they grow up and leave home. I need to appreciate the
time I have left at home with my owner Boy. So, maybe this heat wave was a blessing after all!
It has kept all of us indoor most of the time. And you know what I realized? I want to be inside
near my owner Boy even more than I want to be outside alone watching for things that go bump in the night! Wow!
Woody! I totally get it!!!! I cannot wait until your movie comes out on DVD and I get to watch it with my owner Mom!
Meanwhile-- Have a very Woody/Andy
weekend! Tonka Canine/Pet Links
This puts human relationships to shame!
Comments to Tonka c/o MomOpinionMatters View
From The Paw - Copyright, 2009
By Margo Judge Permission granted for reprinting with
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