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

There Ought To Be A Law ....

I'm running for President. It's not too late and you still have time to vote for me ... just write me in.

Yup! Election Day is Tuesday and all I can say is ..... FINALLY!!!!!

When I'm elected (and I do think I have a fighting chance), there are going to be some changes made in the White House ... that's for darn sure.

Here's the thing. As you all know, I'm at the mercy of my humans. What they have on TV is what I get to see. This is a great learning process for me so in a way it's a good thing. It's made me an incredibly smart dog.

Still, I have to tell you that what's been on that TV over the past I don't know how long is enough to make my head spin. I can't make head or tail of it and that's going some because as you can imagine, I'm usually pretty good telling heads from tails.

As far as I know there's no law saying a dog can't be President. As a matter of fact, Meme even told me we've had some dogs in the White House so there you go.

The way I see it everything is completely out of whack and no one gets a pass for the mess we're in and I mean no-bo-dy!!! I mean, speaking for myself ... I'm okay. I heard Meme say she'd let her own hair go before she'd give up on me getting groomed so we're okay there. But we're in a mess, no question about it. And Meme switches channels a lot because she says it's important to hear all sides so I've been hearing all sides, too.

I don't have a dog in this race so to speak. I could care less who gets elected as long as I have a bed to sleep on, walks in the sunshine, snuggles in the nighttime and food in the bowl. That's all I need. Still, I do think I could make some changes that will make everyone a lot happier and everything will go along more smoothly than it does now.

Speaking as a dog, I have to say I think everyone has gotten a little carried away spending too much money they sometimes don't even have. Everyone has too much "stuff". Half of the stuff people have really isn't necessary. Look at me! Like I said, I have food, love, a roof over my head and lots of happy time. That's really all any of us really "need". The rest is just icing on the cake and sometimes we have to do without the icing ... now and then maybe even the cake.

So here's what I think .....

First, no one can announce they want to be President until one year before the election. That way we don't have to start hearing all this stuff before we're even half way through the last President.

And once we announce we're running, we need to come up with a clear concise list of exactly what our plan is. It can't use any trick words that people don't understand. And once we're elected, we don't get to say ..... well, sorry, no can do.

There will be a limit set on how much money a person can spend to get elected and everyone running uses the same exact amount. All the rest of the money that people donate goes into a big trunk for charity and gets distributed the day after the election with nothing held out for "administrative" costs.

When the debates are held, regular ordinary everyday people get to ask the questions. And the candidate has to answer the question. They can't change the subject or repeat the same stuff they're already said a thousand times.

No robots making phone calls and bothering people at all hours of the day messing up answering machines and leaving messages that go on forever and nobody listens to them anyway.

No cutting down trees to print up reams of fliers jamming up mailboxes and being tossed in the recycle bin. You can't even make a decent airplane out of those things.

We have to be willing to take a lie detector test to make sure we're always telling the truth before the election.

Nobody can run for any office if they can't keep their own budget in their own house. Here in our house, we have a certain amount of money coming in. We don't get to force someone to give us more. So we can't spend more than we have. So once you get into the congress, you will not be allowed to budget more dollars than are coming in. No exceptions.

Which brings me to credit. No more printing money and handing it out to people who seem to have somehow blown their own budgets.

And finally, no one can vote in an election who doesn't know the names of the people running. There may even be cause for a test of people's thinking ability, but I'll take a look at that down the road.

So that's just a start. I have a lot of other ideas, but Meme tells me I'm dreaming and none of this will ever happen. I guess she's right, but a girl can dream, right? I mean, why not? There really are more of us than there are of them and I think most of the country is pretty sick of all the debating and the bickering.

We live together in this great country of ours and who cares really who gets it right and fixes everything as long as somebody does. So everyone should just stop blaming each other, start all getting along together and do the job we're paying them to do. Or get out.

That's why I'm running for President. I think I'll make a pretty good one. I can't do it all myself, but if I get some good old common sense in there with me we can get past this mess we've created and get back on track again.

As for me, I have faith in this nation's future. But we're better united than divided and I'm working on uniting.

'Til next time.
Molly

The Open Door I Just Couldn't Resist ...

Do you know the feeling of seeing an open door? You want to see what's on the other side; you just have to?

Now imagine being me. I'm always on a leash ... always. Well, not quite true really. When we were travelling to Cape Cod some people had fenced in yards and I was able to run free. And some people just lived in a great place with no traffic and I just ran and ran in their yards.

But mostly all my life I've been on a leash. So picture what it was like for me one day in our cottage on Cape Cod when suddenly .... the door was open. Meme and Poppy were sitting out on the deck and they'd let me come inside because the sun was so hot on my white fur. I was fine with that ... but then I saw the open door.

I walked ever so slowly over to it, turned around to see if they were looking. They weren't. So I walked closer. Suddenly there I am right at the front door with the grass and flowers and all kinds of wonderful smells just waiting out there for me.

And I thought ... why not? I know my way back; time for an adventure. So out I went. I stepped onto that soft grass and started sniffing. I had thought I would go right back inside, but this was just too good. I couldn't stop myself.



I made my way around the house and past the BBQ grill, one of my favorite places. Still, so much ground to cover I couldn't waste too much time there. I made my way over to our neighbor's. There was no one home so I was able to take my time sniffing and exploring.

Now all this time I can hear them talking so I know everything is perfectly fine and I'll definitely be back for dinner. But this is fun! I'm free! So I just kept sniffing and snooping.

Suddenly I hear a screech! It's Meme yelling "The door's open!!! Oh my God the doors open" and then "Where's Molly????!!!!" and "She's gone, she's not in the house, oh my God oh my God!!!". She's just gone bonkers.

And I'm thinking "Oh for heaven's sake calm down ... all this fuss and I'm perfectly fine". I knew right then I should go back, but I just couldn't. It was just too wonderful a moment and who knows if I'll ever have this again.

And then I hear our other neighbor calling me! Oh good Lord they're calling in the troops!!! Suddenly I hear my name being called out all over the place. Poppy's calling me, Ron is calling me, and Meme .... well, you don't even want to know.

I sort of understand why they went so crazy. A few years ago my sister-cat took off through an open door and didn't come back for days. We were all pretty scared that time.

So I should have gone back right then. A good dog would have, but I have to be honest and tell you that I'm very, very cute but not always as good as they might want me to be And you know what? It was the principal of the thing. I'm a grown up dog after all. And I'm perfectly fine. I'll go back when I'm done and not a second sooner.

Well, almost. Suddenly I hear Ron behind me and sheepishly I cowered beneath him and let him scoop me up and carry me home. How embarrassing. What an awful way to end a perfectly wonderful afternoon, being scooped up like a dumb cat and carted back home.

Oh well. I'll say this. With all the fussing and the treats and the loving I got after that adventure, I wouldn't have given up those couple of hours for anything.

But something tells me I won't be seeing another open door any time soon. But if you do? Walk through it. It's all good.

'Til next time ...

Molly

Our Journey's Done ... But Oh What A Ride!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

That's what Meme said and I'm having a heck of a hard time following along, but something's not good, that's for sure. But I want to go back and talk about before the journey ended because it was the absolute best of times for me and I think it's safe to say that it was the best of times for Meme and Poppy, too.

We were together; that was the best part ... riding along the highway, stopping to eat french fries and "bad" food (at least that's what Meme calls it). I think their favorite was Wendy's ... Meme called it Wendy's With a View. She swears she's going to ride up and down 95 trying out all the Wendy's and finding the ones with the prettiest places to park and eat. Wendy's definitely has the view over McDonalds, but Mikey D's has the fries over Wendy's. I can attest to that big time! I love love love the fries!


So you already know we went to Cape Cod. No one ever told me what a magical place it is and Meme says I shouldn't tell you either because we're going to keep it our secret. But I gotta tell you, I just can't hold it in!!!









Hardly a box store in sight, lots of little shops and twisting roads along the sea, beaches I could run on and feel the softest sand ever between my paws, and that huge ocean to drink from. And always, always I was with them whether we were indoors or out, in the car or walking down the road, I was always by their side.



And the people! We stayed in different houses all the way up and back and in our cottage by the water tons of people came and went and they all loved me. There were wonderful people next door on both sides of us who stopped to visit and pet me and they had the most wonderful dogs who came and lay down next to me on our deck.









And there were stairs everywhere! I loved the stairs! At first I wasn't sure what to make of them ... never saw them before in my life, but before you know it I was running up and down and it didn't hurt at all. Not sure if I told you but about a year ago I started having a lot of pain and couldn't jump up on the bed anymore. So my Meme got me the greatest tasting treats to take every morning and since then I've been feeling so much better. I think the stairs helped because ever since we got home I can jump up sometimes which makes me very proud.


So back to our trip. I just gloried in the joy of it everyday and I thought it would go on forever. There were more smells than I've ever had here. And the grass ... can I tell you about the grass? It's so soft under my paws and nothing bit me the way they do here in Florida. I would just run and run forever in the grass. My favorite of all was my cousin's grass on Cape Cod. It was just heaven, like running in velvet; no other way to describe it.



But it didn't go on forever the way I hoped it would. Meme said nothing so wonderfully perfect lasts forever. Life just isn't like that.



Suddenly we were home and that was okay because I love home. I know every nook and cranny, every smell along my special path that Poppy walks me. So it was okay to get home, but what I couldn't understand was that suddenly the happiness was gone, the TV was on all day long and it was so boring with all this financial news and red arrows showing down, down, down. The suitcases were still out and somehow everything just seemed to slow down and almost stop.


It was just so different. I don't know if you know this, but dogs are very sensitive to every change so you really can't put anything over on us. I still got my food and my pets and my walks, but it just seemed sad in the house.



I've already told you my people aren't all that young, downright old some might say. And they've worked hard and saved and been so careful. They don't spend money on stupid things and they don't owe anybody anything. But all of a sudden they're worried. Something happened and now they're just not so sure about our future. And from what I've heard them say, this isn't just a bad time for us in our house, but it could be a bad time for an awful lot of people everywhere.



It's too bad because from what I'm hearing, this didn't have to happen. As smart as I am for a dog, I can't explain everything I've heard, but what I'm understanding is that there are a lot of people who either were protecting their own greed and others who were protecting their power.



And eventually the roof just fell in. And when it fell, it was the people underneath who got hurt the most ... not the people on top. I'll tell you one thing, though ... Meme is hoping pictures of all the people on top of the roof end up on a post office wall somewhere. I have no idea what she means by that, but she says you would.



So it's a sad end to an amazing journey, but that doesn't take away from how fantastic it was for all of us. And Meme is one of the most optimistic people I know. When she's down and out, I know we're in trouble. But she tells me it will all be fine because this is America.



We're a great country and when times get tough, the tough get going. Other countries are working on getting the world out of this mess, too. So down the road this great country and the world will rise again and be stronger than ever. That's just the way it works.



For now, we just have to think about all the good stuff. Meme says that good always comes from bad and she's confident that will happen this time, too. Maybe we all got a little to comfy with too many "things" and it's time to give up some of the "stuff" and focus on what's really important.



All I know is, we're pretty sure that if we're lucky we're headed back up to heaven on earth next year and that's good enough for me.


'Til next time.


Molly

It's a Wonderful Life!!!

My heart sings!

I'm guessing you're all wondering where the heck I've been and I don't wonder. It sure has been awhile since Meme has had the time to type for me!!!

A couple of weeks ago I saw more suitcases than usual in the house; practically in every room!! I was getting really upset. Next thing you know our patio doesn't look anything like it did because everything was put away like a hurricane was coming. But I hadn't heard a peep about one being even close! So they were preparing for something further away ... something's up; this time they're going away for a really long time!

One morning we got up and all the suitcases started being taken to the garage. I thought .... "Uh Oh!!! They're off again and I'm going to be all alone at night and spending my days with my friends down the street!!" When I'm alone at night, they leave the radio on like they think this fools me into thinking someone's with me. What do they think, I'm stupid??? There's one thing I know ... if it's dark and no one's in the bed, I'm alone. I got so woebegone as you can well imagine.

But no!!! They took me in the car, too! Oh sweet bliss I'm going too!!! From there it's a story that will unfold in the coming weeks, but I can tell you this. We are on the journey of a lifetime (at least for me). We spent days riding in the car and I had this amazing bed perched up high so I could look out ...... just me, the open road and my Meme and Poppy. We even stopped at McDonald's and I got to share their fries with them ... oh! oh! oh!, if that isn't the greatest! Can it get any better than that? I don't think so; no I don't.

We stopped every night and stayed with different people with wonderful backyards where I could run with the wind, free and unleashed. Imagine my joy!!!

So I don't know what's ahead for us down the road, but we've settled for quite a while now here on Cape Cod, people coming and going, dogs here and there, water and boats, babies and lots going on. It's amazing!

So here are a few photos just to let you know I'm still alive and kicking! As our journey moves on, I promise to write more about it. But right now I'm just having the time of my life.

'Til next time!
Molly

Just me, the open road, and some new friends I met along the way .....

Running free as the wind.....................

And finally Cape Cod...

Out of the Mouths of "Babes"

Of course, I know nothing. You all know that. But I do a lot of listening and Meme has the TV on so much that I can't help but be informed. Everyone knows we have a world energy crisis, not just here in the U.S., but everywhere. People are just using too darned much energy and from what I understand, only the bad people have the oil and the oil makes the energy. So we pay bad people good money for oil. That about sums up the problem quick and simple.

Sometimes the answer is simpler than we think if people would just quit arguing and taking the side they think they should because it's "their side". Sometimes we toss stuff around and keep saying the other guy has it wrong when really all along the answer is simply everyone working together and exchanging a combination of ideas.

Yup! Paris Hilton got it right ... do it all.

It took John McCain to bring this babe out of the woodwork and tell us her energy plan. I say it's a great plan and I'm for it. Take her plan and let's run with it.

In case anyone missed her TV documentary .... well, not exactly a documentary ... more like an ad, or more like a "gotcha", but in case you missed it, here's her plan:

"Barack wants to focus on new technologies to cut foreign oil dependency and McCain wants offshore drilling. Well why don't we do a hybrid of both candidates' ideas. We can do limited off shore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in which would then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved!"

Sounds good to me!

'Til next time ...

Molly