All Creatures Great and Small

It's summer in South Florida and all the little critters are out. I have no idea where they go in the winter, but there aren't as many around. Heaven knows why because it's much nicer down here in the winter. But summer comes and there are critters everywhere! Meme's always complaining there are bugs on everything, eating her pretty plants, building webs and hornet's nests and heaven knows what else.

Personally I have no interest in either geckos or lizards. I pretty much ignore them because I've been living with them my whole life. But Meme loves them ... she actually builds stories around them as if they have real lives like you and me!!!

We have little lizards who run all over our patio and Meme's very attached to them. Some of them got together in the spring and had little babies. The other night one of the bigger ones wanted so desperately to get out ... almost throwing himself against the screen. So Meme opened the door a little bit, stepped back and out he went free as the wind. Ever since then she's been worrying she took the breadwinner away from the family, upset nature's natural balance in some way and Poppy thinks she's completely lost it.

Every time a big lizard is on the outside of the screen she thinks it's him trying to get back in. And one of the little babies just seems to wait there near the door, looking out. Meme says he's probably hoping his father will come back.

And Poppy says .... "yeah, right ...." and rolls his eyes.

So I got to thinking about all the little creatures out there scurrying around. We have palmetto bugs (which Meme says are just cockroaches but bigger plus they fly), we've got fire ants, spiders and teeny tiny frogs. One really frightening thing down here are the poisonous Bufo frogs. Dogs don't want to go anywhere near those because we can die within minutes. So I keep my distance from them, that is for sure! Meme doesn't make up histories about any of these little creatures.

I chase the birds, but they have this amazing ability to fly and for some reason I can't do that so the chase is fruitless. I ignore the palmetto bugs, stay away from the fire ants, spiders and frogs, even the lizards, geckos and of course those awful Bufo's!!!

But Meme just loves the lizards. And she got to wondering why people seem to warm up to some little creatures and not to others. She's never gotten particularly attached to a fire ant or a spider (although she admits she has always believed that up north you get a Daddy Long Legs in your house and you're in for a lot of good luck).

But she says there's something really endearing about the lizards. First of all, they won't hurt you but neither will a lot of other things. They're sort of ugly, kind of prehistoric, so that doesn't explain it.

The fire ants bite something fierce, the palmettos are just downright ugly and they scurry and we just don't want them around. We don't even think about the snakes because Meme likes to pretend they're not even there. And the spiders spin webs that are messy to walk into and Poppy says it's pretty weird when they land on your head.

So I tried to help Meme figure out what would make the lizards so particularly interesting to her, tried to figure out why she would think up stories about their families, wonder where they go in the winter, which one is the husband and which is the wife, and how long before the babies can go off on their own.

And then it came to me. Lizards are our friends, they eat those annoying mosquitoes, those pesky spiders and ugly palmettos; there is a natural food chain and we shouldn't tweak it. So we're sort of grateful to them and feel they're here to help us.

And besides that (and maybe most important of all) ... when was the last time you saw a spider selling insurance!!??

'Til Next Time ...

Molly

To everything there is a season ...

Sometimes, suddenly and with no warning at all, something just ends. About two weeks ago I was out for my midday walk in the hot Florida sun and along came a man walking his dog. They walk by me all the time and I sniff a hello and go on my way. Everytime that man walks by he says the same thing ... "Oh look, Princess, she looks just like your friend". He then tells Meme that Princess has a Bichon friend a few streets over who looks just like me. And then they walk down the block until the next time.

It's always the same. But this one day a couple of weeks ago along they came again. I noticed Princess seemed a little different, sort of alone, ears flopping down, tail sort of dragging. And this time the man told us that Princess' friend had died. We both got so upset. It sort of stayed with us and all the way home Meme kept saying how sad she felt that the little dog had died. Yet we had never met that little dog; we knew about her and so we grieved for her.

And then last night Meme got an email from a friend. The email said that someone they knew on an internet message board had suddenly passed away the night before. Meme felt so terribly sad even though this was a person she had never met, yet still a person so full of life in the way she wrote about everything. Meme felt she knew her even though she'd never seen her face. And there were so many others who felt the same way even though most of them had just talked with her on this strange thing called the internet.

The world has changed a lot in Meme's lifetime. Time was when each person's world was just family, the people who lived in the town and a few aunts and uncles who would visit now and then. Now people can have an impact on others throughout the world because of the internet which is broken down into a whole lot of little communities where people who have similar interests can come together and share their experiences.

Eventually, for everyone, life on earth ends and sometimes with no warning, like a whisper in the night. When it comes so quickly and so often way too soon, the shock of it is really painful and what is seemingly a quiet night whisper becomes a painful roar in our heads and it will not go away.

So many lives are touched by the loss of just one person ... the lives of those who knew her well and loved her so much and also the lives of those who didn't know her that well at all. These friends who hardly knew her suddenly realize they'll never get to meet that person they hoped to meet one day. And those who knew her well realize they'll never get to touch, to hug, to hear her voice on the phone. We see words on a page just written the night before making her so alive, like any moment she'll drop back in and write some more.

But she won't. And just because some of us never met her, just like I never met the little dog down the street, we still grieve for her and we will miss her.

For Rita ... Blue Skies always.










'Til Next Time
Molly

Happy 4th of July!!!

It's that time of year again when I have to dig up my ear plugs. Despite the noise and the fireworks, I sure do love to celebrate America. Every day we keep our troops in our hearts and in our prayers. They serve our country and protect the liberties we enjoy. America's Independence Day is a great day to really shout our support and our thanks from the rooftops. Thank you to all our Armed Services stationed all over the world, thank you for fighting for our freedom.

While everyone's eating their hot dogs and hamburgers, corn and potato salad, we should just take a second to remember how lucky we are to live here. With all the debate about what is best for our country, I still believe that just about everyone is pretty darned glad to be here. Leave the arguing to the pundits and just get out there and celebrate the absolute best part of this country which is all of us.

It's been a little crazy around here these past few weeks. Those ugly suitcases were out again as Meme got ready to head up to New England for her pretty important high school reunion! I was left here alone with Poppy which would have been okay except next thing I knew his suitcases came out and he disappeared, too ... something about a grandson graduating from high school. Big woop.

I thought "uh oh!" ... now there's nobody here. That's just a little more independent than I ever want to be! So our good friends and neighbors came and got me and took me to their house where I stayed during the day. I can't even imagine what would happen to me without them! They brought me back here at night because they already have two dogs and I'm the odd girl out. I like my own house better at night anyway, but just so everyone understood that I was not happy with the situation I made a little deposit in the house a couple of times ... nothing really major, mind you, but just enough so they would get the message. Boy did I get an earful about that when Meme came home! But how else can I let them know that these little disappearances just aren't acceptable???

Everyone's back home now and life is as it should be. If we could just block out all the bad news, we wouldn't have a care in the world. But a day doesn't go by that there isn't something happening that gets Meme all upset. She's usually pretty optimistic, but there are days it catches up with her and she says she's down in the dumps. I try to cheer her up with my cute, funny face but it doesn't always work.

Still, it's time to look forward. We've got our trip all planned in a couple of months. We're all getting in the car together which is my absolute favorite. Yup! It's back to Cape Cod for a few weeks ... yay!!! What I love is I know that it's just me, them and the open road. It's a time for McDonald's fries and overnights with friends and families. This time we're staying in nicer hotels; more "upscale" Meme says because she was miserable at the Comfort Inn last year. So it's Hampton Inns for us!!! By the time we're back home it will be fall and we can open all the doors again.

And anyone who knows me knows how I feel about open doors. I look for them everywhere ... nothing but good on the other side.

Happy 4th of July!

'Til next time ....

Molly

June's A-Bustin' Everywhere!!! Let it in ...

Yes, it's that time of year again ... flowers blooming, trees ablaze with bright green leaves offering shade from the heat of the sun, children out of school for the summer and just aching to get to the beach or the lake to swim and play in the warm sun. Glorious summer has arrived and stretches out before us like a welcome carpet unrolling forever in front of our eyes.

Maybe for some! But here in southern climes, it's a time to start thinking about hurricanes, stocking up on water and non-perishable foods (whatever that means ... my food is always non-perishable), and closing up the house and throwing on the A/C lever.

And that means it's time for me to watch out!!! All through the winter I just walk in and out of the house. The sliders are open and I can actually make a circle from the living room onto the patio and back in the bedroom. It's fantastic. But now, come June, all the doors are closed up and it's pretty darned hot out there on the patio. And if I don't look out where I'm going I smash crash right into the closed sliding door. I know because I've done it! And it hurts!

It's hot on our walks some days. Poppy doesn't seem to have the same spring in his step. And there's something really ugly in the grass that sticks to me. You should see all the fuss when I get back from my walk and come bounding in for my treat hearing Meme say "what a mess you are" and she has to pick me up, put me on the counter and start combing out all these bristly things that get stuck in my soft white fur. But that doesn't stop me from jumping on the grass and burrowing my nose into all sorts of good smells.

The big fear of swine flu seems to have died down now even though people are still getting it, but the media got tired of that story and moved back to politics and the economy. They just can't seem to stop talking about that. Doesn't matter what channel you put on, it's everywhere. And I'm getting tired of it. I've taken to just jumping off the bed in the morning because Meme and Poppy get their coffee and put on the TV with all these heads blabbering about who knows what and who really cares? Everyone already has their opinion on everything anyway so they can talk all they want and nobody really changes their minds so what's the point really? Meme keeps pausing the TV so she can rant on about this or that and Poppy says why does she let herself get so aggravated and so it goes on and on. I just go nap on my bed away from all the clamour.

Finally this morning Meme just said she's had it. She turned off the TV. Can you imagine? Silence in the house ... peaceful gentile silence that wanders through the rooms and allows the soft sounds of birds singing outside to filter into our house. I can even hear the breeze blowing the palms outside. I can warn everyone when the UPS truck rattles down the road. There's a very different sound to the UPS truck ... Meme always knows when it's near and sometimes runs down the front walk to flag him and give him a package to return to some store she bought something from. I never understand why someone would go through all the trouble of ordering something just to send it back again. Just busy work from my point of view.

Have you noticed how I can babble on about absolutely nothing? I can just go on and on, words tumbling out, with no direction and no purpose. That's sort of how I see all this TV stuff ... just a bunch of nothing going nowhere, round and round in circles always coming back to the same old stuff. It's exhausting and wears on my nerves.

Time to enjoy the summer. Time to get outside and head for some playtime, get away from the TV and the babble and the pundits who just love hearing themselves talk. Time to get back to family and ball games, making sand castles on the beach, and ball runs. Ever make a ball run? They're great. Pile up a whole lot of sand, make tunnels, put the ball on the top and let it run down the mountain and though the tunnels.

It's summer, it's time to play. If it's a nice sunny day, take your dog on a long walk. Leave the iPod at home and just listen to the sounds of summer. Walk on a beach and listen to the laughter of children. Hear the seagulls battling it out for any food they can find. Feel the comfort of watching the waves break against the shore.

It's summertime. I'm talking and Meme's writing all this down and it's still nice and quiet in here, just a pure golden silence except for the clicking of the keys, the sound of a hammer fixing something across the lake, a bird singing a really happy song and the palm fronds moving ever so quietly just outside our window.

Summer ... time to ease up and just let it wash over you making you just so happy to be alive.

'Til next time ...

Molly

In Sickness and in Health

Okay .... I really try to hold my tongue sometimes because Meme tells me it's very easy to offend people these days and it's something she says is "just not done".

But I have to say it ... enough with the sanitizing, de-germification, anti-bacterial fumigation, and so forth and so on. And time to stop blaming all these viruses on the pigs and the birds, next thing you know you'll blame the dogs ... ENOUGH!!!

You don't have to listen to me. Meme knows this stuff. She's lived a looooong time and according to her (you just gotta trust this woman, believe me), the more germs you kill around you the better chance you're going to get sick. I'm not saying there aren't germs out there because there are, billions and billions as Carl Sagan would say. Gosh I miss that guy! But I digress.

I can see you now ... you're thinking what does a dumb dog know? Or even dumb Meme? But hear me out. In my eight years on this earth I have never had a cold or a flu bug and I have never used a paw sanitizer or an anti-bacterial wipe in my whole life. Heck, I'll eat off the floor, the road, you name it!!!

My explanation for my well being is simple and short. I have one hefty immune system that comes from constantly sticking my nose and mouth where feet and heaven knows what else have been. I've got my antibodies working twenty four seven. And look at me ... the picture of health and I'm no spring chicken.

I travel with Meme and Poppy and we stop at those 'in and out' motels along Route 95. You know the ones ... you never see another living being from the time you arrive 'til the time you leave, just cars coming in and driving out? Meme says some people go into these rooms with a cartload of cleaners and disinfectants and pretty much steralize the room before even setting foot in there. They make sure to wear slippers and spray that smelly Lysol stuff all over the phones and remotes. They pull the cover off the bed and throw it in the corner of the room or on top of the wardrobe (Meme admits she does do this sometimes).

Don't get me wrong. Of course we need to take certain precautions. Just wash your hands to Happy Birthday and leave it at that. And, sure, you might pick up a little virus along the way, but getting a little sick now and then reminds you how great it is to feel good! You know how it goes. You're down with a cold for a week or so, just miserable, rolling around in bed, drinking fluids, downing Vicks cough medicine (admit it, you sort of like that part), you just want to die. And then one day you wake up and say "Hey! I feel better!" You bound out of bed and you feel so strong you could fight a bull! And you fly into the day just happy to be alive. So you need those little illnesses now and then just to remind you how well your body works when everything is chugging along the way it should.

Seriously, ease up on yourself. You don't have to clean every surface you touch. You were given a good strong body to combat all those awful germs. Keep your kitchen counters clean, careful with your cutting boards, and wash your hands frequently.

You'll be fine. Trust me.

'Til Next Time,

Molly

Beginnings and Endings

I've been writing my "tails" for a year and all of a sudden it all just dried up. I ran out of words and even though I try so hard to have all the answers, suddenly I just couldn't find them. I always search for the bright side and over the past few months it's been hard for me to do that.

Last night Meme watched a movie that made her cry. She realized that the only thing that has made her cry lately had to do with animals. I guess she's really sensitive about us because she thinks we're helpless. This isn't completely true, of course, but she's right about one thing ... we are dependant on the humans who look after us; we trust the people we love and we have no control over what we do, where we go, even what we eat.

I couldn't believe how hard she cried watching "Marley and Me". She read the book, everyone knows how it ends. But she cried so hard that I didn't know what to do!! Everything in life has a beginning and an end. It's all the joy we feel before the end that counts, but it's easy to forget that when the final door closes. And none of us really knows for sure what lies beyond. We only know that the day comes we have to say goodbye, one of the hardest things there is to do in this life.

It's even harder when it doesn't make any sense at all. Last week, not far from here, 21 horses who should still running through the fields in Wellington died for no reason at all. They fell through no fault of their own, just a terrible mix-up in a pharmacy lab. Twenty one magnificent polo horses, loved by so many, ready for a polo match one glorious, sunny afternoon died just because of one mistake. And all we can hope is that something is done so nothing like that ever happens again. It's sad to know that sometimes only from tragedy comes reform, a tragic loss reminds us that just a split second decision, a look away, can alter life and it's just never quite the same again. Meme never knew those horses, but she cried for every one of them.

Two beautiful white Samoans belonging to a man Meme never knew on the other side of the ocean died within days of each other leaving their humans heartsick and Meme in tears.

I've been lucky in my life and have only lost a cat. She never wanted to have anything to do with me anyway. Still, when Meme went out the door with her one day, all wrapped in a towel, I just knew something bad was happening. Meme came home without her and as much of a pain as that cat was for me, I really miss her. She was my friend, she kept me company when no one was home. She was there when I first came to live here and suddenly she was gone.

Beginnings and endings .... why do we need to go through this? Meme says "to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven". I guess she forgot that for a minute watching "Marley and Me" last night. Life is really about the joy we experience with each passing day, the happiest moments that start at the beginning and go all the way through until the end. And that's why people love their animals, and we love our people. Because no matter how sad it is to lose someone, all the happiness in between makes it worth the pain.

It's really the filling in the sandwich that counts. If there's no filling, then there's no point in having it at all. And forever and ever we have the memories to cherish and remember with laughter and smiles. I know the chances are I'll leave this earth before Meme and Poppy. I hear them talk about it and how sad they're going to feel. It will be much easier for me if I go first.

All I know is that from the beginning of my life I have been happy most of the time (not counting that teeth cleaning episode and being abandoned a couple of times). And when my time's up, I won't be thinking about any of the ugly things in this world. I'll slide down that slide to the great beyond knowing that my sandwich was filled with some pretty good stuff.

It's not about the bread, it's what's in between that counts.

'Til next time,

Molly

Remembering Sammie...

Dogs are people, too!

I was born in Daytona Beach in the wintertime. My mom was Lacy and my dad was Pepper. I lived with my Mom and my Aunt for 8 weeks before Meme came and picked me up to move to her house. So all that time I was with my litter mates and also my Aunt's litter. So even at an early age I was used to having lots of other white puffballs around me and it was pretty clear right from the start that I was the boss. I'm a girl, but you can't always tell for sure which is the way I like it.

As soon as I moved here, Meme told me she wanted me to "socialize". She made sure that we met up with all the other dogs along our walks. And of course I had such fun bugging the heck out of my good pal, Gabby, just down the street. She's always been older than me and thinks I'm a little wacko, but I ignore that because deep down I really think she likes my company.

And then there is her Uncle Chad which is funny since Gabby is older than Chad, but he is still her uncle according to Meme. That's because Chad belongs to the mother of Gabby's mom. That's how it works. Chad used to just visit Gabby and then was visiting more than he wasn't and now he lives there. I have no idea how Gabby feels about that except I'm guessing her nose is a little out of joint. She was Queen Bee around there for a whole lot of years and now this little upstart has moved in permanently. Anyway, I love visiting with both of them and secretly envy them for having each other.

So you're wondering why I brought all this up. You're thinking ... where is Molly going with this silly story? There's a man who lives somewhere around here who has this really cute Yorkie that I've met on walks a couple of times and we got along great. But for some reason the man doesn't seem to like me anymore which I don't get at all. When we're out walking he will cross the street with Yorkie just to avoid me. I've always been very nice to Yorkie, not so much as a nip, so I don't get it.

Just this morning we went out for our usual early morning sniffaround and I saw Yorkie and Dad walking toward us on the other side of the street. So I very casually crossed over so I could get to visit with Yorkie. And what does the Dad do? Drags Yorkie across to the other side!!! I was so upset so I crossed back over again.

He said a nice "good morning" to Meme and then dragged Yorkie past me saying "come along, come along" and I just stood there looking after her and she kept turning around to look at me and pulling on the leash to come back to me. I felt so sad. He kept tugging back on the leash and it made her cough. I just keep wondering what I did that he doesn't want his dog anywhere near me.

We need friends just like people do. Look at it this way ... imagine living alone in a house with at least 2 dogs who talk only dog and don't understand a word you say. Think how it would be if you could only go outside when the dogs felt like taking you and eating only when the dogs felt like feeding you. If you can, imagine what it would be like to eat the exact same thing every single day.

And when your dog takes you out for a walk on a leash (you never quite get why you have to be attached, but you do) and finally way down the street you see another person, you think YAAAY!!!! Finally you can spend some time with another person! But your dog drags you hard by the neck to the other side of the street. Imagine how disappointing that would be, not to mention painful.

Dogs are your pets, not your chattel. We love you no matter what you do, but we also really like to sniff other dogs and check them out in our own way. It may not be your way, but we're dogs and it's what we do.

Many of us, especially small dogs, have a problem called "collapsed trachea" and we need a harness, not a collar. If your dog coughs when you tug on his leash, get him a harness to make him feel better. I'm lucky to have owners who treat me like I'm human and maybe that's a little over the top, but I'll take it over some of the stuff I see out there.

"It takes a village" to round out a dog's life. I love my village of people and dogs and I wish the same for all the other dogs out there.

'Til next time ...

Molly

Feel the Love

Sometimes words dance around in my head like snowflakes in a storm and I can't seem to bring them to the ground and arrange them in any kind of order. I see pictures and have to make those pictures into words and Meme helps me write them down and make sense of it all.

Today is Valentine's Day and I'm told love is all around. Even my friend the groundhog peeked out to check for his shadow a while back. He's ready for winter to be over, for the Spring to come ... he wants to feel the sun because it's hard to feel the love when you're cold.

So I got to thinking about Valentine's day and all the hearts and flowers. Poppy came in last night with a bushel of red roses for Meme and she fussed over him for that saying he shouldn't have or didn't have to or something like that. I have no idea why she always says he shouldn't when it's so obvious to me that he should and then some. But that's my Meme for you!

Fact is, it really isn't about how many flowers there were; it could be just one and she'd be just as happy. It's not about diamonds and gold the way they say on television, it's about him walking in the door with something in his hands for her. I sure know how that feels! Sometimes they go out to dinner and come home with a pizza crust or piece of meat wrapped in a napkin and it doesn't matter that it's little; what matters to me is they thought of me when they were out and brought something home.

How special is that?

So I hope everyone has someone who loves them and brings them home a flower, or a heart box chuck full of yummy candies. Poppy knew better than to do that this year because Meme's watching her weight ... whatever that means. She says she's watching it go down so I guess candy wouldn't have been a real good choice.

We shouldn't feel the love just on this special day that we celebrate. It's around us all year long so hug someone you love for no reason at all and you'll feel it come back to you ten times over. Feel it watching a sunset or just because the sun shines brightly in a clear blue sky. Just walk outside (preferably with your dog) and breathe in the clean fresh air.

We are so lucky to be here ... we really are.

'Til Next Time ...
Molly

Rewards and Resolutions ...

Oh me, oh my. I've gotten so far behind, but before I even start ... Happy New Year!!!

Meme made a resolution, whatever that is. All I know is that all over the TV they're talking about resolutions and what I seem to see the most is everybody promising to lose weight. This is some sort of a big thing this time of year, I guess. Over the holidays everyone is running around to parties, baking, and making huge meals and tons of people come to visit. People pass around big plates of really good food and everyone grabs the goodies (wouldn't you think they could drop just a morsel???).

Then suddenly it's a 'new year' and everyone decides they need to lose weight! Hello!!! What was with all that eating? See I don't have any control over what I eat; I eat what's put in front of me or tossed my way. Every day I head out for my walk and forage for food, but I have very little luck and even when I do find a bone or two, Meme or Poppy yell "drop it!" and because I'm pretty well behaved, I do ... and then I wonder why.

Over and over on TV I see skinny women explaining the best way to take the pounds off. They show all this food that's good for you and all the food that's not and I have to tell you, it's easy to tell which is which. So they talk on and on and it always turns out they're selling a book!!! Meme says there are literally hundreds of books and they all explain different ways to lose weight.

And I thought to myself, why so many books? Obviously none of them work if people keep writing new ones. So what's up with that?

I have the answer; maybe I should write a book. First, stop feeding yourself and only eat what someone else gives you. I'm very trim, but if I were left to choose when and how often I eat? Believe me, I'd be one fat little puppy. So that's one trick you might want to try.

But there's something else I've learned. All of us, dogs and people too, see food as a reward. I should know because I get a treat when I pee and I get one when I poop. If I'm a good dog, there's a treat in front of me. So when people are used to rewarding themselves (or preferably me) with a delicious tidbit, it's pretty hard to suddenly just stop doing that. If they've always found comfort in food, it's hard suddenly not to anymore. How many people say, "oh, darn, it's time to eat again". I sure know I don't!

Meme was talking with a friend who said that just today. If food doesn't come out of the kitchen as a reward, it comes out for comfort. People think of a warm bowl of soup or stew as comforting. If they have a sad friend they say "I can make you feel better; we'll go for a nice lunch". When a guy asks a girl out on a date he suggests dinner, not something healthy like a nice walk (preferably with a dog).

Everyone associates eating with feeling good, feeling better, feeling rewarded. So I got to thinking and told Meme what she has to do is find another reward (not for me mind you, I'll stick with the treats!). But since she has this resolution she's committed to, she needs to choose a different reward (like taking me out for some really good grass time).

Know what? She thought that was pretty smart of me! She said she'd heard it before, but when I suggested the walk together she thought that was a really good idea.

Food should be the fuel that keeps us going, keeps us healthy and alive for a very long time. It keeps our 'engines' going. But if we get too fat, the engine clogs and slows us down and we can feel really uncomfortable and maybe even get depressed and disappointed in ourselves.

So that's the lesson I've learned in this new year and I thought I'd share it with you. Reward yourselves for all the good things you do, but plan something fun to do as a reward and try do it with someone you love.

'Til next time ...

Molly

Bright Paper Packages Tied Up With .....

Bright satin ribbons!!! Omigosh I've never seen so many ribbons and bows, lights and twinkly everything! Next thing you know out come the stockings!!!

Stockings ... my absolute favorite part of Christmas. Well, almost my favorite. It's my favorite selfish part of Christmas. But what I really love about all the holidays this time of year is the magic in the air. I can almost smell it.

On our street lots of people add lights and wreaths in front of their houses and sometimes you can see Christmas trees through the front doors. It's fun to ride around and look at all the decorations. Heck, it's fun to ride around anywhere, anytime.

This year Hanukkah comes just before Christmas so soon the Menorahs will be lit, too. All of these holiday traditions are so important and all should be recognized and celebrated. We think it's too bad when they all have to be lumped together in one big Happy Holiday when each one is so important all by itself.

At this special time of year, our family hopes the spirit of the holidays is with all of you. People are just a little bit nicer, a little bit friendlier, people seem to feel the warmth of the holidays and want to share it. I know that I get a few more treats, a few more pets than usual.

We celebrate Christmas. For Meme it's very special as she remembers a Christmas long ago in a little town in Connecticut where she grew up with her parents and two brothers. She tells this story all the time and she said I could tell it here.

One Christmas after everyone had gone to sleep, she lay awake so excited she couldn't sleep. She suddenly heard her big brother get up and walk to the window. He called to her saying "Listen!...... Listen!"

"What?" she said. He wondered "Can't you hear them? The bells?" She lay very still trying to hear, but couldn't. So she got up and went to the window, standing by her brother. He pointed toward the dark distant sky saying "Look! See the lights?" "Yes I do" said Meme. Almost breathless he said "That's Santa and his reindeer!".

"Yes, I see it ... I see it!" Meme was so excited. Her brother whispered "And do you hear the bells???"

Yes, she heard the bells ... Santa's sleigh bells.

And every Christmas Eve, she hears them still.

From my family to your family, may you have a Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas .... and for everyone peace, prosperity and better times in the new year.

Til next time.
Molly

Thanksgiving and Spilt Milk

Meme says it all the time ... "don't cry over spilt milk"... and "what's done is done". She has a ton of these sayings and none of them really make a whole lot of sense. But I do know something about "It is what it is". That's her favorite right now.

I love routine and I especially love mornings. They're the best because they're almost always the same. I'm up before everyone else, I jump off the bed and when they still don't wake up I let out a tiny whimper and it's just enough to wake up Meme. And so my day begins with a walk around the neighborhood just to make sure everything is the way I left it the night before.

Then it's back to the house where I run as fast as my little legs will take me into the bedroom where Poppy always has a biscuit for me. Then back to the kitchen where always, always, always my dish is filled with my breakfast. Then I go back to the bedroom, get lifted up on the bed and have my medicine treat that keeps my joints working as best they can. They drink coffee, watch TV, I sleep ... it's just a super time for all of us.

Another favorite I can depend on is weekend breakfasts. On the weekends Meme and Poppy have a special breakfast at the glass top table on the patio. When that refrigerator door opens I know the fruit is on its way to the counter and it will be no time at all before they have their breakfast.

You might not think this would be a special time for a dog, but over the years I have taught my people well and they can't resist sharing their fruit with me. I sit between them at the table and gaze longingly up at them. There's a trick to this. I have to look needy, but loving. As soon as I hear the knife on the plate I know Poppy is cutting the fruit and in a minute a juicy piece of melon will be coming my way. Yup! Got it!

So then I turn to Meme with the same drill. If nothing happens, I make the tiniest soulful sound and it works every time. I just love things I can depend on.

We dogs will wait for treats. I must be patient because for some reason all the yummies in the world were not put in a place I can get my paws on them. And when I don't get my treat immediately, I bide my time because sooner or later the good stuff always comes. If nothing else works, I stare them down and they eventually give in.

This is life's order for me. But sometimes I'm disappointed and things don't go my way. Some days all the good things I depend on just aren't there.

There's no point in looking back at that imperfect day and moping about it, no reason to "cry over the spilt milk" because we can't go back and change anything. So we plunge on with hope for the next day ... hope that it will be better than the day before.

But sometimes, when life just knocks the you know what out of us, it takes more than usual to build up our confidence in tomorrow. We have to dig deep in our souls reaching for our faith that things will get better, that our treat is on its way.

And that brings me to today. We rode so high on our Cape Cod trip, but when we came home I just knew all was not well in our house. I sort of figured out that Meme and Poppy's order was out of whack and things just weren't happening right for us. There have been sad days all over the world recently.

But we just can't let this get us down. We can't go our whole lives with a great treat every single day. There are always going to be days with no treats.

We're hopeful again. We're getting a little confidence back because it doesn't do any good to be sad all day wondering where our treat is ... doesn't do any good at all. The important thing is to hold on tight to the things we can count on.

For me that's the sun coming up every day, it's the walk down our street that promises familiar smells, it's knowing my Meme and Poppy love me more than anything, it's sleeping between them on our bed. These are the important things that I can always count on and if one day I don't have all the treats I want, I just remember all the good stuff I do have.

Meme calls that "counting our blessings", something we especially must do in times of stress and hardship and certainly this Thanksgiving Day before we get any turkey. When we do that, it gives us the strength to deal with whatever is tossed at us no matter how scary.

And from that strength we begin to feel hope. With that hope eventually comes confidence. Once we've built that confidence inside us again, all things are possible.

'Til Next Time ...

Molly

A Perfect Dog for the White House ... and other thoughts

Well, I didn't win. You probably heard but just in case you didn't, I didn't. I'm not disappointed because I think it would have been tough and even though I have some really good ideas, I'm just not sure I was up to the task.

So Mr. Obama is going to be our President and I wish him the very best. Our country is in a bit of a mess right now (and that's an understatement if ever I heard one) and we need someone strong to take the reigns and drag us out of the muck. I hope he can do that, but I have a few good ideas I thought I'd pass along for him. I have to be honest ... I only get 15 or 16 years on this earth and I don't think it's quite fair that I had to land here now!!!

About the puppy for their girls. I know he said he needed a hypo-allergenic dog. Well guess what!!! Have I got a dog for you! Get one of my cousins because Bichons are one of the greatest of all and we're allergy free. I should know because that's one reason Meme picked me. Some will say Poodle and they're a good second choice if he can't find a Bichon. But Bichons are just the best. We're great with kids, we're really cute and we strut around a lot. We have that regal look if you know what I mean. I think one of us would be a great choice. We are high maintenance, but something tells me that won't be a problem.

Now on to more important things. I've been thinking a lot about this economic mess. You all know that Meme watches a heck of a lot of television so I think I have a pretty good take on what's been going on the last few months. It's pretty ugly, that's for darned sure. But I think some good old common sense might be just the ticket.

So first I suggest everyone get hold of themselves and get in a more positive mood. There's nothing worse at times like this than being dragged down by fear, worry and depression. Our country has been through some terribly rough times before, worse than this really, and we always come out of it. So we Americans have to show that we have just as good a backbone as those who came before us and get working on this.

Right now no one is really getting the right handle on exactly what to do so they're all sort of floundering around down there in the muck and the mire of the trenches. It's just a mess and nothing is getting done. So here goes ....

Let's just stop right now talking about raising anyone's taxes. I know there's all kinds of good stuff Mr. Obama wants to give out and he needs the rich people's money, but it just has to wait. It's called budgeting in tough times; families do it all the time. The government can't ask for a raise in times like these. We have to first get the economy rolling again. So wait on the taxes. Plenty of time to do that when the money is flowing again.

And people have to stop being afraid. Fear is the worst and I oughta know because when something scares me I jump in the air and then I'm embarrassed I was frightened to begin with because nothing is that scary.

Especially people under 50 should take advantage of this garage sale we have going on here with some of the best stocks out there. If Meme and Poppy were younger, they'd be buying right now. Younger people will do very well for themselves if they get in there and take advantage .... I mean these are like major closeout sales! Buy 'em up!

Next the people who are in mortgage trouble have to get themselves talking to their lenders and get those mortgages refinanced. The bank doesn't want their house. I think we're at a point now where they'll be willing to work something out. And the banks have to realize that, too, and work out something with people. We all have to work together to get out of this.

And the homes were way too expensive anyway. It was just stupid to think that a little tiny house that even I could barely fit in would be worth the kind of money they were selling for. Sure it made people feel good that their home went up in value hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a few years, but let's get real!!! If it sounds too good to be true, it is. So people wanting to sell have to get realistic and sell lower. They'll get the difference on the other end when they buy anyway so what's the problem???

It was that stupid housing bubble and those evil mortgage lenders and a whole lot of other greedy guys that started this whole mess in the first place. So that has to get fixed. And while we're at it, how about we go after those guys, reel 'em in and try them for high crimes and misdemeanors.

So positive thinking, getting rid of the fear, biting the bullet and holding tight and not selling off what's left of your funds and stocks is the way to go. Remember that when the market was up and your money was worth so much more, it really wasn't worth anything unless you sold it. And you weren't selling it because it was up and you thought it would go up more. Well, it didn't!! It's the same thing as Poppy with all this stuff in the garage that he tells Meme are "collectibles" and worth a lot of money. She always tells him they're not worth a penny sitting in the garage.

So just use common sense. If your stock is worth only $50 today and you sell it, all you've got is $50. But if it's worth $50 today and you keep it, and it goes down $5 tomorrow, but up $10 the next day you're ahead of the game. The trick we all really need to remember is don't sell low. You sell when you're up, not down. I know how hard it is to hang on. Meme and Poppy some days look like they have their teeth wrapped around a trapeze bar, but they're hanging in. It will get better ... it always does.

So that's my view of how this mess starts getting fixed. Once we get the companies feeling strong again, they can hire people and then we've got jobs ..... and so it goes.

'Til next time.

Molly