Ending a Year ~ And a New Beginning

So all the wonderful winter holidays are almost past us. Christmas with all its promise, magic and wonder (not to mention very yummy presents) has come and gone once more. And now it's time to look toward another year.

In our family we think of a new year as a fresh start because we're really not all that nutty about telling a year good bye at this stage of our lives. We love all the holidays from Thanksgiving right on through New Year's Eve because even though there can be ups and downs, overall it's a very happy time. But then the year is gone and especially for Meme that's not such a great thing since she turns the calendar and sees she's suddenly another year older. This year she's especially flustered since she says it's the last year in a particular decade or something which I guess isn't such a good thing? As for me, I turn the page on my very first decade in the new year and it's very unlikely I'll ever turn the page on another. So she should be happy she's had so many.

Endings just aren't fun, but beginnings sure are. Like the beginning of a trip when the possibilities of what will happen on the road ahead are boundless ... or the beginning of a brand new day. As pretty as a sunset is, darkness follows. But think about the dawn ... light follows. It's the beginning, the sun comes up and everything looks fresh, sparkling and new. The day stretches out before us like a flower about to bloom.

Maybe that's why people make resolutions; they figure it's a new beginning, a fresh start. And no matter how many times they break those resolutions, they still make 'em!!! You would think after pledging to do something every year and then not following through, they'd just stop doing it. But they don't! Every year January 1 rolls around and people promise to stop smoking, lose weight, start working out (whatever that is ... Meme won't tell me). And they're pretty good about it for awhile, but come February ... something happens and they slip.

So I've been giving this a lot of thought and wondering what sort of resolution I could make and stick to. After all, I'm pretty darned close to perfect as it is. I'm very fit, I do a lot of walking and running. I'd eat more if I could, but for some reason I don't get to choose what or when I eat. So getting pudgy isn't an option for me.

And then it came to me ... came in a way so many thoughts come ... almost a whisper. Like Meme, I believe there really are no coincidences, thoughts don't suddenly appear out of the clear blue sky. Something made me remember these words .... "And on Earth peace, good will toward men."

Have we just heard the words too many times? Are they just words we read or sing over the Christmas holidays? Meme says respect and good will are a thing of the past and I sure hope not. I think she's wrong. I think we watch too much TV where we sure as heck don't see any good will what with Snooki, the Housewives of just about everywhere, reality this and reality that ... and don't even get me started on what they call news these days. And politics seems to get in the middle of almost everything and there's no sign of good will there.

But in this great big world is it really gone? I believe most ordinary creatures of the earth still wish for peace and feel good will toward all mankind. I see it around me every single day with all the good things people do for each other, just regular folks like you and me who open up their hearts, their arms and their homes to help and be there for others. We really do look out for each other despite what you may see on the nightly news.

So I think, as we go into this new year, maybe we should renew our vow to have the greatest good will we can muster for everyone in the world. This isn't an easy resolution. We can't just think as far as next door or down the block, or even around the corner. We have to reach beyond our states, across nations and around the world.

There are really more of us than there are of "them"; there are more like me who greet every person and every dog, I see with anticipation that something good is coming my way. We're living in a world where strangers help strangers when tough times come along. There's always someone whose eyes light up when they see me ... even if they've never seen me before.

This is a good world and I won't give up on it, Meme won't give up on it; Poppy's not so sure (he's a tough sell), but we're working on him. So for our resolution this year let's all hang in and hold tight so that just maybe this will be the year the magic happens. This is something we can all stick to by just getting up every morning and make some time to go a little bit out of our way just to bring a smile to someone.

Wishing everyone a healthy and wonderful new year. But most of all I wish for you much love and lots of laughter because when we have that, all things are possible.

'Til Next Year ...
Molly & Her Family

Hope Springs Eternal ...

Have you ever had one of those days when you look back and you just have to wonder ....... "Whatever was I thinking!!!???" Well, Meme and a friend had a day like that last week and it may have topped just about all others except maybe the last time they went shopping. They've known each other "forever" and when they get together something weird happens, all common sense gets tossed out the window and they seem to lose their minds completely. Meme says it all comes down to vanity; something maybe a lot of us can relate to.

One day like any other, when I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen all day, the door suddenly flew open and Meme's friend landed in our house with her suitcase. Now you and I both know that suitcases (for me) are not a good sign. I knew right then that upheaval would reign around here for a few days and I was just going to have to grin and bear it.

Turned out that this was a friend of Meme's from 'back in the day' and they sure had a lot to talk about. On Friday they came home looking pretty sheepish and after just sitting and listening to them for awhile, I was able to piece it all together.

It seems they went for a yummy lunch by the ocean and then drove to the mall. Evidently this is a very dangerous thing to do especially when you go with a friend. Donna had fallen in love with the color of a lipstick "Beckett" wears on a TV show and the only place she could buy it is Nordstrom's.

They arrived in the cosmetics area where they sell stuff that's supposed to make you look better. They nosed around awhile trying to sniff out this lipstick and then someone showed up to help. She didn't seem to know who Beckett was and the Bobbie Brown lady was in a class, but eventually they found what Donna was looking for. So shopping done and they could come home and pay me some attention, right? Wrong.

Meme was just putting a lip pencil tester back when she realized Donna was nowhere in sight so she went looking for her. After passing a couple of counters she found Donna sitting in a chair and 'Vicki', the sales rep, was putting something on her face! Seems that Meme had said something about lipstick "bleeding" and Vicki had the cure!!!

So she was smearing some cream followed by a "magic" color wand over Donna's face telling them both that all the lines would pretty much disappear in mere seconds. Just for fun Meme had taken a picture of Donna's lips with the new lipstick (actually a blend of two lipsticks) just moments earlier so now she decided to take an "after" picture.

Before her very eyes the lines were gone! Can you imagine their excitement??? Meme was practically jumping up and down saying "It's a miracle, it's a miracle!!!" Donna looked amazed, but hadn't seen it yet. Meme immediately insisted on taking another picture of what had happened because her eyes alone just didn't convince her. Then they both gazed at the proof positive in the photos.

The three of them were exuberant ... practically dancing in the aisles. They were overjoyed when Vicki told them that someone had invented this cream for runway models and the results were so fantastic that Yves St. Laurent decided to introduce it to all of us so we could all look like models. Of course, if you ask me, that should have been their first clue that something was amiss because all that stuff they plaster on models only lasts a short time.

As an aside, I'm fortunate I have fur all over my face. No one knows what goes on behind that fur and I can't understand why Meme and Donna don't just grow fur and leave it at that, but for some reason they'd rather just fuss around with a bunch of creams and potions.

Anyway! They continued to marvel at this amazing miracle and finally Donna said to Vicki ... "so how much is this miracle going to cost me?" Vicki told her the color wand was $40. Hmmm ... not so much for a miracle. But! The cream is over $100 ... I don't even dare tell you how much over because Poppy will read this at some point and he's just too young to die.

Ouch and double ouch!!!! Have they lost their bleeping minds??? HellOOOooo ... can you spell 'recession'? And, by the way, Nordstrom's is completely out of stock because this potion is so magical and so popular it literally flies out of the stores!!! Vicki said she can't even keep it in stock and now that this experience is past her, Meme is pretty sure they order just one at a time!!! So now Donna hesitates and Meme said she's not buying it! No way! All together almost $200 for something you smear on your upper lip just to make a few lines go away? Forget it! How many people get that close to your face anyway?

But Vicki assures them the price is low in the long run because it will last 7 months. So Meme thinks it will last over a year because she'll hardly ever use it. They're told the results build up over continuous use and eventually all their lines will be gone. Vicki encourages them to look at her and they'll see how amazing the products are; she's 65 years old and her skin is virtually line-free. It's also plastered all over with make-up ... more than either Donna or Meme had ever seen so close up.

Meme is suspect and flat out says "C'mon, Vicki, you've had a tug or two, right? ... maybe a little Botox? You can tell us; we're all friends here" She can't recall getting a clear answer on that and later Donna told us she couldn't believe Meme asked her something so personal!!! But after all, she was saying it was because of the miracle cream so personally I don't see anything wrong with calling her on it.

Anyway, suddenly Meme is in the chair and Vicki is performing the miracle on her. Watching the transformation take place before her very eyes; Donna says that it is absolutely amazing.

So now they have both decided to bite the bullet and purchase the whole enchilada (and let's not forget the lipsticks!!!). Somewhere along the way they learn it isn't really for the upper lip after all ... it's an eye cream!!! So double miracle. People have gathered and seem curious. Together, Meme and Donna can draw a crowd because they're not all that quiet and they really have fun which is sort of contagious. So it was kind of a show if you know what I mean.

As Donna is completing her order, Meme again looks closely at her and notes that the 'miracle results' seem to be disappearing. So she takes another picture and compares it with the earlier one. For some reason they deny what they can see with their own eyes and complete both purchases leaving the store in miracle 'la la land'.

They shopped around the mall for awhile and returning to the car they passed through Nordstrom's again. At the entrance were two cosmeticians who invited them to have a makeover. Appalled at the suggestion given their recent transformation, Meme said "But we just had one, can't you tell?" Almost pitying faces looked back at them which took a little of the wind out of Meme's sails.

Ever hear about 'buyer's remorse'? Well that kicked in big time later that day when reality hit them smack in the face. They came home and looked in the mirror and realized that while maybe the product had plumped up the skin for a few moments, the party was definitely over. Meme grabbed the phone and called to cancel her order. She begged them not to put her through to the department because she couldn't bear to talk to Vicki when they'd all had such a good time. She didn't want to disappoint her even though, as Donna said, Vicki had sure put one over on them!!!! This was confirmed later in the day when a friend who had worked in the cosmetics industry throughout her career came by and laughed hysterically that they honestly believed, even for a moment, that a cream could erase what it took several decades to create.

It was too late. The order was in the works and on its way, but customer service assured Meme that she could return it as soon as it arrived which is exactly what's going to happen.

We are born beautiful with skin as soft as corn silk. Along our journey changes transform us and we grow prettier, cuter, more handsome, gawky, awkward, thinner and chubbier. We grow and we change and one day it all begins to fade (except unfortunately for the chubby part). We get a few wrinkles and everything seems to fall a little bit. Hair can turn white or gray and lots of other stuff happens that may not make us very happy.

Women especially don't like these changes and look in the mirror wondering what the heck happened. They spend and spend trying to find something that will fix it. Sometimes they actually go somewhere and have stuff tugged and pulled, even sucked out and sometimes injected. They strive to bring back what once was, but the truth is that no matter what they do no one can take us back. They can cut and tweak, defy time for a little while, or stand in front of the mirror thinking that just the tiniest tug would fix everything. In the end there no stopping time from doing what it does.

But I think a new beauty forms if you just leave it all alone. Whoever said that wrinkles are ugly, where is it written that a sag here or there is a bad thing? When I walk our streets every day I have seen faces lined with experience, wrinkles that show all the joys of life and I wonder why anyone would ever want to take those away? They tell the story of a life well lived, the tale of all the laughter and even the tears. I've looked into tired old eyes that reflect the love of the children, husbands, wives and others who have gazed into them over the years. The crinkles around the eyes show how many times the person has smiled at a warm moment and the laugh lines around the mouth show all the joy they have experienced.

So there is no magic wand to wave all that away .... and why would anyone really want one to anyway? It's all just a part of the journey.

'Til next time ...
Molly

September 11, 2001 ~ Afterward

Sometimes something happens in our journey through life that in one single solitary moment changes our lives forever. It happened for us when I was just 8 months old.

Words don't come all that easy for me sometimes. When you're looking at the world from only about 12 inches off the ground, there's a lot you can't see and everything looks different from down here. Yesterday at dinnertime I took my usual perch on a footstool by the table. Meme and Poppy always bring a tiny plate of dog treats for me to have while they have their dinner. Knowing this, as soon as Meme puts that footstool by the table I hop up because I know sooner or later I'll get my treats. What's so good about my life is most of the time I know what to expect each day from the moment I get up until it's time to plop on the bed with my 'peeps' and sleep safely through the night.

So this is the easy stuff, the things we expect at certain times in the day; I get up every morning confident that everything will be just as good as the day before. But Meme says nothing is forever and that became crystal clear 9 years ago this month when the world everyone thought they knew was shattered in mere moments on a beautiful bright sunny morning when the last thing anyone would ever have expected could happen ... did.

Growing up maybe Meme was a little spoiled. It isn't that there was nothing to fear, but the world seemed so much bigger back then. Every once in a while there would be drills called "Duck and Cover" and all the kids dove under their desks at school and covered their heads with their arms. But when she heard "grown ups" talk about the governments they were fearful about, the countries were on the other side of the world. As a child Meme always felt safe at home with her family.

After the Vietnam War was over and when the Berlin Wall came down, people fell into a sort of wistfulness that finally all was well. For Meme it was a joyous time of falling in love, getting married, buying a home, working in a job she loved and meeting new friends. When she turned 50, she decided she wasn't so over the hill after all.

So life was good. And on September 11, 2001, Meme and Poppy were living here in Florida and I was pretty new in their lives. That morning was just like any other except for that brilliant blue sky not just in Boston and New York, but in Washington, Pennsylvania and here in Florida. Another glorious day when all Meme had to worry about was going to have her teeth cleaned.

The TV was on, I was asleep on the bed and Meme and Poppy were getting dressed. And then everything seemed to stop. I could feel it in the air as all the joy was sucked out of the house. They just stood staring at the TV.

In that moment, that day, that second ... all innocence was lost, the playthings got put away, trust in everything they thought they could depend on was gone and I remember Meme said so quietly I could barely hear her ... "Nothing will ever be the same again".

Meme is a lot like me and when she feels something deeply, she writes. A month later she wrote something she's never shared before. So I thought maybe her words were better than mine just this one time.

AFTERWARD by Heather Boyd Sandarr

Afterward ...
Strangers became brothers.
Tears fell and would not dry..

Afterward ...
Strangers rescued strangers risking their own lives
Realizing they'd also saved their own.
Strangers on a plane wove their lives as one
halting yet another tragedy
Yet lost their own in the doing.

Afterward it was said that life had changed forever...
That the world would never be the same.
But in so many ways life is exactly the same as before.
It is simply that such an evil
Was beyond anything we’ve ever known or could ever imagine .

This evil has lived with us for many years,
a noxious gas festering its way toward this agonizing day.
It has slithered through our streets brushing against us as it passed.
It has used our minds and hearts and shelters to grow within itself.
It has lived next door to us and passed us on the street.
It has used our schools, enjoyed our land, eaten our food, drunk our wine.
No one saw it smile yet still we gave it space to grow
Because that's who we are.

So life has not changed ... we have changed.
Now we know what we did not know
And now we stand together as one.
We stand for our country, our family, our core, our very soul.
We stand as one with the goal to end evil forever.
Afterward ... they thought they could tear us apart;
They have only drawn us together.

My country is my Family.
I may criticize my brother,
Lash out at my brother, cheat my brother.
I may even hurt my brother,
But no one may attack my brother
And expect that I’ll ever forget.
Buildings can be rebuilt, but lost lives can never be reclaimed.

Afterward...
When we've managed through the agony,
When we've grieved beyond our grief,
When the open wound has healed to a firm resolve to ensure
that no one, certainly no evil such as this,
Can take away our liberty or destroy our country.
Afterward may we come to know
That those who died that day
Did not do so in vain.

It was 9 years ago my Meme wrote this and she tells me that sadly our country is now divided in so many ways. Meme says there are always ebbs and flows to everything.

Though she wrote "they thought they could tear us apart; they have only drawn us together", now it sometimes seems they won after all. Yet she realizes that while we may be divided about where we should go and how we should get there, we are not divided in our resolve to stand together against those who will do us harm. Torn apart we will break; bonded together we will be whole, strong and indestructible.

I confess this is really way too much for me to absorb. I'm just one little dog. But like I say, I'm just twelve inches off the ground so I have a different perspective. For me life is pretty simple. I don't make enemies and I don't look for trouble, but I watch out for my Meme and Poppy and they look out for me.

'Til Next Time ...
Molly

An Empty Nest on Hornby Island

www.hornbyeagles.com
Photo by: Boonibarb

Today I'm going to talk about a little bird ... not just any bird, but a magnificent eaglet named Phoenix, who hatched April 29th on beautiful Hornby Island in British Columbia, Canada. We mourn Phoe who suddenly collapsed in her nest only days beyond her 2 month birthday. Gone way too soon, she is mourned by thousands.

Back in the first days of May, on one like so many others, my Meme looked in on her group on the internet where one friend had posted a link to the Hornby Eagles. "Click" and that was it ... there was little Phoenix, just a tiny ball of fluff, nestled with an ever gentile Mom, nourished by a doting Dad. And Meme, being a bit of a nurturer herself, was hooked forevermore as only she can ever be, and as I can personally attest from my own experience ... once hooked, she's a goner.

What separates Phoe from all the other eaglets in the world is the bond formed among people across the globe through a webcam perched high in the treetop above Mom and Dad Hornby's nest and broadcast live all over the world. At any time of day anyone could go there and watch Phoe grow more each day, watch her antics, see her grow to be just a little bit spoiled and a whole lot bigger most particularly her extremely large, yellow, sort of ugly feet.

And thousands of people came to watch this funny little eaglet. When she was such a fuzzy fluffball Meme worried all the time that some harm would come to her, but as time went on and she became bigger and stronger, everyone became more confident that she was on her way to soaring the skies in just a few short days.

Everyone watched and wrote about Phoenix's antics, her screaming for food, her bossiness, her sweetness and as they watched, they fell in love with both her and her wonderful doting parents. I don't think most of them had any idea that Phoe had wrapped herself so tight around their hearts that what was about to come was going to tear them up inside more than they ever thought possible.

Eventually Mom and Dad Hornby stayed away from the nest for longer periods enticing Phoe to want to move farther from the center of the nest. They would perch on a branch or on the cambox above so Phoe could see that she, too, could do it. And she did ... clumsily for sure, but she did somehow make her way onto the box and back in the nest, wings batting haphazardly with no grace at all. And when she did, hundreds watched in awe at her admirable attempt even though it was hardly what anyone could call a "flight". But it was a start and everyone hungered for more, waiting anxiously, sometimes even impatiently, for her to take to the skies and soar against the bright blue backdrop that is the magnificent sky over Hornby Island.

Every night just before bedtime Meme would click on the live video to check on Phoe and see what people were writing about her, what she had done that day that perhaps Meme had missed. Next morning before she would do anything else (except for walking me of course which remained a priority, thank heaven) she would click on the cam where the picture was still dark and wait as dawn would break over Hornby Island. Phoe would already be up and waiting for Mom or Dad to come with food. Meme would watch and listen to the sounds as Phoe looked out over the landscape that she surely knew would be hers one day to devour and explore.

Especially in the last couple of weeks, Meme clicked more and more on the video, on Chat and Facebook because everyone thought any minute she would fly and no one wanted to miss that special day. Everyone was already worried about what they would do without Phoe being a part of their daily lives, but they told themselves it would be okay because Phoe would be soaring on outstretched wings high above us, flying strong and brave for many years to come.

And as the days unfolded Meme noticed more and more of a camaraderie among "Phoe's Phans" as more and more people would worry about Phoe; she was sneezing, she didn't seem "with it", something was off, she was turning down food, but others would say "Phoe is phine".

But she wasn't fine. Phoe had pneumonia, an acute strain that her little body couldn't overcome at such a young age and even though those who knew there was something wrong had already set the wheels in motion to get her down from the nest so they could care for her, it was just too late.

Nature took its course and that night as the sun set gloriously over beautiful Hornby Island, Phoe valiantly made one last flap of her wings and pushed forward bringing herself to the outer edge of the nest looking out over her world as if about to take flight. And there, where she was loved and nurtured by her parents and adored by her family all over the world, she died as darkness fell over Hornby Island.

So many people looked on that night and the heartfelt words filled with tears and anguish poured out onto those pages that only hours before held such promise and hope for Phoenix.

It was at that moment that Meme knew the full impact of what had happened here. This was about Phoe of course. But it wasn't only about the loss of one lone eaglet on an island some had never heard about before, this was about all that Phoe had stood for in everyone's minds and hearts ... love and hope and promise and all that we reach for in a desperate world with so much anguish and so many unanswered questions.

It was about refuge from the storm, a shining light in the darkness, a beacon of hope and a place to go to escape and simply experience sheer joy and love for a tiny bird about to fledge. Phoe stood for the bright tomorrows everyone dreams about. And now she was gone and that night, for that moment and the days following, it seemed that we had lost a lot more than a little bird named Phoenix. We had lost our ability to soar above it all and make our way to a better time and place.

But one thing I've learned from living almost 10 years and watching more closely than some would think ... there is evil, greed and gluttony out there in the world but it does not prevail and it never will. So much love poured out from around the world over the loss of little Phoe and a bond formed between all those people and gave them hope. Friendships were born and that love will live on even though we won't have Phoe with us.

In our hearts she stood for love, she stood for hope, she stood for truth and clarity. She was simple and sweet in a time of incongruity, tension and confusion.

She lived too short a time and she died a symbol of strength and freedom leaving many feeling at the time as if hope died with her; it did not ... it lives on in the thousands who love her and in many who never even knew her and have still perhaps never even heard of Hornby Island.

"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven". I don't think there's a bird ever in creation who will live as long in the hearts of so many as our sweet Phoe.

'Til next time ...

Molly

To Topsail Island, A Love Letter ... Filling Our Senses

There are things that are so extra special they fill us to the point we just don't think there can be anything better anywhere at all.

For me, of course, every day is a good day with very few exceptions. There are things that happen in my day that I love more than anything. For instance, I know that after Poppy walks me in the evening that I'll come back to the house, Poppy will unhook me and I will run faster than the wind into the kitchen where always, always, Meme throws me two treats ... never just one, always two. I can depend on it. And then dinner comes with a new bowl of fresh water. How much better can it get?

Well it can. Just before bed Meme takes me out one last time and I know as sure as the moon fills the night sky that when we get back I will get two tiny bones and one big bone right on the bed where we all sleep through the night.

I'm a dog all about habit. I like things I can count on. But then there are those really special times ... the surprises, the once in a lifetimes. And just recently one of those happened for us.

One thing I know ... when Meme and Poppy pack their suitcases to the brim it is either very good news or very bad news. I tend to think it usually means they're going somewhere without me. I'll never understand why they do that; we're a family after all.

But a few weeks ago, after a ton of stuff was taken out to the garage( including two of my precious beds by the way), Meme looked at me and said "Do you want to go for a ride in the car?" Here's another thing I know ... a ride in the car is not necessarily a good thing, but so far in my life if we're all getting in it together, it's good. When it's a vet visit, it's just Meme and me. When it's grooming, it's usually Poppy and me. But all 3 of us??? Now this is what I call a ride in the car!

It wasn't too long sitting up on my bed in the back seat that I knew this wasn't just any ordinary day trip. This was one of those extra long trips that are so special my heart sings. It's stops at friend's houses and Wendy's and McDonalds, Hampton Inns and wonderful parks on the side of the road where there are new smells like you wouldn't believe. So I settled in to sleep through the hours of driving ahead of us and all my dreams along that road were good ones.

And as it turned out, this was a trip that not only brought me lots of good smells, it filled Meme's senses as well. This was a journey she had longed for ever since she was a small child vacationing on Cape Cod with her brothers and their parents.

So we rented a cottage right smack dab on the dune on Topsail Island in NC. Sweet, warm, quiet ... a journey back in time. Ever since those childhood vacations, Meme has wanted to stay for as long as she could right on the ocean. She had never imagined having the ocean at her feet for 7 days, but here we were. She literally could scarcely breathe from the joy of it. Poppy loved it, but Meme was in love. And so was I.

Let me describe bliss just in case you haven't found it. At first light, I open my eyes because I don't want to miss a single second of the day. Meme gets up and attaches me to her as always. She opens the sliding door to the deck and we step out into the morning with the beach and a beautiful blue ocean in front of us. Only one or two early risers run along the sand and we hear nothing but the sound of the waves breaking on the shore. Sandpipers scurry along the water's edge and pelicans skim over the water in perfect flight. And just at that moment the sun starts coming up over the horizon creating such magnificence that we're sure it can't be real ... sun, sand and sea, and very little else.

Meme draws a breath and we venture down the steps and onto the beach. I love the smells of the shoreline and suddenly I run as fast as I can toward the sun. As it rises, the sky and the sea change every minute and Meme has her camera in one hand and me at the end of her other one.

I see a wave come toward me, just a bit of foam, and I wonder about it. I try to go after it but then water comes rushing up at me again and my feet get all wet. If I could laugh, I would. It just feels so good, bubbles and suds everywhere ... and all the time the sand beneath my paws.

There is nothing to disturb us, just the sound of the sea, the gulls, occasionally footsteps running past on the sand. And Meme says that at least for this one moment in time, we have filled our senses to the limit ... and we have found peace.



'Til next time ...
Molly

"The Best of Times Is Now"

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, and years before I was even thought about, Meme and Poppy met in a tall office building on a dark and rainy night in New York City. It wasn't love at first sight, but it was pretty close. And it almost didn't happen. She had an awful cold, but she'd promised one of her best friends in the whole wide world that she would come to help her move offices that night. As luck would have it, Poppy was the man who designed that office and he almost didn't drop by because it was a Friday, it was cold and raining and he just wanted to get home to his warm apartment.

But she did and he did and a few years later they were married on a beautiful Spring day in the church her parents were married almost 50 years before. They danced to the theme from "Ice Castles" and listened to the amazing lyrics of "The Best of Times Is Now" from La Cage Aux Folles. They sailed away on a beautiful pea green boat and the rest, as they say, is history.

We fast forward 25 years. To celebrate those many years of (almost) wedded bliss, Meme needed to find the perfect restaurant. Mind you, it feels like they've been exchanging gifts for months and for some reason not a blessed thing for me ... the dog who has brought them acres of happiness over the last 9 years.

Meme had seen a review of a restaurant called Top of the Point overlooking the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean. She thought it would be perfect. Then one day Poppy tore an ad out of the paper so decision made! It promised magnificent views from floor to ceiling windows and to top it off the food was supposed to be really good. It's part of The Breakers of Palm Beach so how bad could it be??? So Meme made a reservation.

When friends asked that day what they were doing to celebrate, Meme told them ... Top of the Point sounded almost magical to her. They had to drive around the building twice to even figure out where the valet was, but somehow they managed. All this time, of course, I am again not included and left at home to listen to country music on the Bose. I don't understand why they think leaving music on fools me in any way. I know they're not here .... so who the heck's the music for?

Anyway ... this was not the time for a pity party for poor me. This was their day. They arrived on the Club Level (which I seriously think is the 13th floor because it was 12 and then "Club" ... hmmmmm). They were welcomed warmly and wished a very happy anniversary (yes, Meme had told them of course) and shown to a wonderful table for two by the window overlooking the Intracoastal, the city of West Palm Beach and The Breakers in the distance with the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Wow!

Tom served them and he was wonderful ... courteous, friendly and efficient. Looking back now Meme wondered why they were not offered a drink or a bottle of wine. They don't drink, but usually they are offered a hundred times so this was unusual and Meme was so happy not to have to explain that they reached their limit over 20 years ago and alas could have no more. All would be revealed.

The menu is wonderful and it was hard for them to decide between filet mignon, rib chop, swordfish/salmon/snapper, even meatloaf and lobster scampi, not to mention Duck a l'orange and more. They decided to share calamari, light and crisply fried and delicious, followed by pan-seared Sea Bass with lobster-mashed potatoes, spinach and roasted tomatoes with a light citrus sauce. Meme decided the fish was the best she's ever tasted. Poppy thought he'd skip dessert, but not my Meme!!! Noooooo ... so when Tom came back offering coffee she said "...and dessert, please". He almost insisted they order coffee first which she thought strange, but when in Rome. Soon after the coffee arrived and she was asked where Poppy was. Odd, she thought, but answered he'd stepped to the men's room.

Meme tries to be gracious when she's in a nice restaurant, but she wondered why they needed to know where he was? Anyway, he returned and relief spilled over the server's face. Then Tom arrived with the most amazing dessert Meme and Poppy thought they'd ever seen! There was a huge slice of decadent chocolate 7 layer cake with frosting literally dripping down the sides, there was New York style cheesecake and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies along with dark chocolate brownies, strawberries and blackberries! It was extraordinary! And Meme thought .... WOW! She'd never seen a restaurant come through with such a surprise. But Tom quickly informed her there was a card with the gift.

They couldn't think of who on earth would be so thoughtful. After all, let's face it. Anniversaries belong to the couple. Sure, maybe if you have kids together they come through with a nice surprise, but otherwise who???

They should have known. The very same good friend who introduced them over 30 years ago had arranged this from way up in Maryland. And it just made the night even more special than anyone could imagine. After dinner Meme took pictures of the view from the Top of the Point and in the car coming home she called her friend who solved the mystery. She had told the Manager that normally a bottle of wine would be in order but her friends didn't drink. Meme was really impressed they made a note of that.

This was a night of nights for Meme and Poppy ... a real milestone in their lives so I don't really mind too much I was left alone for 3 hours. They deserve to celebrate 25 years of being married, still loving each other, still having lots to say to each other ... still the owl and the pussycat "hand in hand on the edge of the sand, they dance by the light of the moon, the moon, they dance by the light of the moon."

And the words echo in Meme's head now and always ............

"Now ... not some forgotten yesterday

Now ... Tomorrow is too far away

So hold this moment fast,

And live and love

As hard as you know how.

And make this moment last,

Because the best of times is now,

Is now, is now is now, is NOW!"

'Til next time ...

Molly

Life is Good!

You may be wondering how I'm doing! I'm a little superstitious and didn't want to jinx it, but the good news is I am so much better! In fact, I'm fine. The bad news is it seems I'm better because they changed my diet. If you're one of those people who have to watch what you eat, you know having a "special" diet isn't fun. But it beats traveling down the road I was on!

The only good thing about feeling really lousy is the day you figure out it's not forever, the day you wake up and think .... Wow I feel good! I talked a good game about getting better, but the truth is I wasn't really sure I was going to be okay. Now I'm back to my old self. I've even lost some weight and a couple of times I've actually jumped up on the bed (something I couldn't do for awhile).

So life is good once again. Well ... almost. Guess what came out of the attic? Those dreaded suitcases. Clothes are hanging all over the place, stuff is getting dumped into the suitcases and I know it's just a matter of time until they wheel those things out and I'm left here alone. Well .... "alone" may be an exaggeration. My good friends across the street will come and pick me up every morning and take me to their house for the day. They have 2 dogs so it won't be all about me the way it's supposed to be, but it's a darn sight better than hanging here all day.

I'll come back here to sleep at night; something about territory Meme says? I don't quite get it, but I know I'm not welcome over there overnight. And that's just as well because I like the smells over here. I'm comfortable in my own house. Besides, it's good to check to see if they've come home and no one told me!

Meme says that today is such a special day ... the day before a cruise. Cruising is magic; there's something about being out on the sea with blue sky and ocean surrounding you. At night the stars fill the sky sparkling like diamonds. Back here it's never really all that dark, the cities light the sky and we can't see the stars all that well. But out there on that big ocean they light the night.

Meme tells me that after all the excitement of the day Poppy goes to the Casino and she comes back to their room for some "quiet time". The lights are dim and chocolates sit on the pillows, the sheets are pulled back by the Steward and "towel animals" are placed on the bed (this one looks a little like me, doesn't it?). After she gets comfy in her robe, she steps out onto the balcony.

She looks down at the whitewash of foam slipping by as the ship cuts through the ocean. She listens to the swoosh of the water and gazes up at the magnificent night sky filled with the moon and the stars realizing that now and then you really can have it all. She knows that anyone looking up at that moment sees that same moon and that grounds her and gives her a sense of closeness with everyone she loves while at the same time feeling one with the vast sea and the warm Caribbean night. It's a very special time for her.

And because they love it so much, I forgive them for leaving me back here. I love them. Most of the time I am enough to keep them happy, but every now and then they pack up those suitcases and can't take me with them. That's okay. I am healthy and full of life, I have my friends to watch over me and I know that sooner or later Meme and Poppy will come back home to me.

So life is good.

'Til next time...

Molly

I won't go quietly ...

Everyone knows that I try to be as positive as I can about just about everything, but I'm not stupid. I've been making an awful lot of trips to the vet's office lately and that's never a good sign. Used to be I'd go once a year and that's that. I really like it in their waiting room and try so hard to put a positive spin on being there, but it's never good.

The other night I knew something was up when my water bowl disappeared. Lately I've been drinking an awful lot of water. I can't quite figure out why. And sometimes I lie down where I never did before and I've needed to go out extra times. I'm ashamed to say I've even had a couple of accidents waiting at the door and just not wimpering quite loud enough for anyone to hear. I just hate to bother them, but when you gotta go you gotta go.

I sleep a lot more, content to lie on the bed for hours, but when we go for walks or play together, I'm just as happy as I ever was and nothing really hurts. And I absolutely still love to eat! But I wasn't surprised the morning after the water bowl disappeared when my walk treat didn't show up and there was no food bowl either. Next thing you know Meme popped me into the car and off we went to the vet's office for a blood test. It was over quickly and while Meme paid them(why she would pay for that invasion I have no idea), she fed me 3 of the special treats they have on the counter. So all was well! When we got home my food was back and my water bowl full and I drank half of it in one gulp.

But last night Meme and Poppy went out for pizza and the phone rang. The machine picked it up and I stood listening to my vet's voice and he sounded really serious. Meme was so sure that this blood test was going to be okay, but it wasn't. He said my cholesterol is higher and it didn't sound like high was a good thing. Now they have to send my blood for a thyroid test. And so it goes.

Meme doesn't understand. They cut out all the treats and boy do I miss them. I never get fruit anymore which makes no sense ... I thought fruit was a good thing. Maybe they should give me that again!!!

So we'll have to see what happens. Today is my Birthday. I'm 9 years old and I think I feel pretty good. This is what I know ..... Meme and Poppy will not let any harm come to me, they won't let me hurt, they probably won't have me cut to fix me. They will just make sure that every hour I spend on this earth for the rest of my life will be as good as they can make it for me. Poppy said he's going to take me to my favorite lawn where I can run because Meme read somewhere that exercise is good for me. They'll find something good for me to eat that might be better for whatever's wrong with me (if they can ever figure it out). And no matter what happens down the road I know they are just happy I've been here with them all this time.

I can't make this stuff up. I heard them talking and that's what they said. And it's okay with me. I always knew I'd have to leave this earth before they do! After all, what would I do if it were the other way around? Truth is, I talk a good game but I'm helpless without them and depend on them for everything.

So it's all good ... not for them so much because I worry what they'll do when I'm not here to make them laugh. But they love each other and they'll get through it. It's just not the best of times in our house right now and I didn't want everyone to wonder why there hasn't been a peep out of me since Christmas.

I share the good times and the bad times here and I hope the next time you hear from me, it will be much better times. I'm hoping to be around a good long time.

'Til next time ...

Molly

A Brand New Year Awaits

It's Christmas and Holiday time again and there's a whole new year sitting on our doorstep just waiting for us to open the door and invite it in. This is a joyous time for all of us who celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, a very special time of year when families and friends gather to share the traditions set down for generations. And sometimes magic happens because people can just feel the spirit all around them and somehow dreams come true and prayers are answered.

"They" say we dogs live in the moment and I guess that's true. This isn't a moment I've liked a whole lot so I'm sort of ready to get out of it and move on to the next one! Meme and Poppy have been a mess because I'm not feeling up to par and they instantly went into doom and gloom mode. Lucky for me it looks like I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, but in the meantime it looks like my diet is going to change a bit and I'm not at all happy about that! Still, a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do ... I have no control over what I eat anyway so I might as well just learn to live with it. Meme's been in the kitchen baking and I smell all these delicious smells including peanut butter, but all I get is a cut up piece of my own dog food. Who does she think she's kidding? I know the difference between dog food and peanut butter!!!

I had to visit my vet twice just this past week and they did things to me that shouldn't even happen to a cat!!! Then I had to undergo the embarrassment of Meme sticking a tin pan under me when I'm just trying to pee!!! I tried to tell her to get that darned thing out from under me and give me some privacy, but she was relentless. Seems my kidneys aren't quite right, but I told them they're good enough to get me through the next 5 or so years I plan to be around so just leave me alone!!!

All the boxes came out with the ribbons, wreaths, ornaments and lights. I thought for a minute they were packing again for one of their trips and got pretty depressed, but then I figured out they were unpacking the boxes, not packing them. So now we have three trees with dozens of lights and shiny ornaments; glittery stuff and red bows all over the place. Candles burn to make it smell like pine and balsam, but this is Florida for heaven's sake! Nobody's fooled! Still, I understand it's Meme's little slice of New England so we let her have her fun. The presents are being wrapped and put under the tree, but so far I haven't sniffed anything worth my while to attack.

When I saw how upset Meme and Poppy were I decided to put my best face forward ... figured if I jumped around a little and stood on my hind legs for them, they'd stop putting me in the car and taking me to the vet. So far it's worked and I'll let you know if I have to go back there again. If there's a angel watching over me, she'll make sure I don't have to go back for awhile. It's one of my least favorite places, even worse than the groomer if that can be said.

It seems that snow has fallen almost everywhere, but not here. It never snows in southern Florida. That would be a good name for a song if someone hadn't already used something like it for a song about California. So we're jealous of people with snow because it just makes it seem a whole lot more like Christmas and it's much easier for Santa to land on the roof in his sleigh. I have no idea what he does down here because we have tile roofs and no chimneys so that's quite a conundrum for him.

But I'm thinking somehow Santa will figure it all out and come Christmas Eve he'll make it to every house around the world where children sleep waiting for him. And Christmas morning, as it's been for hundreds of years, the faces of thousands of children all over the world will fill with wonder at the sight of stockings stuffed to the brim, hanging from their hooks by the fireplace and presents large and small laying nestled beneath the branches of Christmas trees that have been adorned with the ornaments of today and generations before.

And I'll be sitting on our bed with my little stocking stuffed with little treasures for me. I'll watch as Meme and Poppy open their gifts on Christmas Day. And on that day, at least for that moment in time, all will be right with the world.

But the biggest present of all is the one as yet unopened ... a whole new year, a fresh start, a bright new beginning. Happy New Year.

'Til Next Time,

Molly

Letting Go of Yesterday ...

It's been months since I've written and that ugly monster, guilt, is setting in. The only things uglier than guilt are jealousy and greed. But I don't know those emotions so I don't feel equipped to talk about them.

It's not really my fault. I wanted to write about our trip to Cape Cod, but my paws are tied. If Meme won't type, I'm out of luck. Meme had sort of a "mishap" at the end of our trip. But overall, just like last year, our month on the road and our time on Cape Cod was pure bliss. Add to that the time we got to spend with family and friends and we came home relaxed and happy, safe and sound, and our life is back to normal.

Just yesterday Meme was saying that guilt is a wasted emotion. It accomplishes nothing, it solves nothing ... just a waste of energy. We can only live for today and there's no point in feeling guilty about what we could have done differently. If it's that important, we should just do it and move on.

We can't always control our guilt because we can't predict tomorrow. We don't always know the outcome of our actions. It's easy to look back and realize we made a bad decision even though it seemed right at the time. So we can't possibly avoid guilt altogether.

But sometimes guilt can be a little self serving, don't you think? We know in our hearts there's something we should do, but for whatever reason we don't do it. And then the guilt sets in. So what's harder? Doing it? Or feeling the anguish of not doing it? The guilt can last an awfully long time ... that's for sure.

Guilt can find its way into everything. Meme even feels guilty about clothes. She feels if she loved them once, she should love them always. If they fit once, they'll fit again. And this can work both ways .... she figures one day she may gain weight again and need those XXL's or she may get really skinny and fit into the tight jeans she bought that never lost their snugness. So every few months she does a "review" of her closet. She takes everything out, lays it on the bed and tries just about everything on as if she's out shopping!!! She never does this when Poppy is around because then he'd know that when she says she has nothing to wear, she's not being completely honest.

Women can be fickle about how long a favorite stays a favorite. All too soon something once cherished can fall to the bottom of the pile, get pushed to the back of the closet or worse get packed in a box under the bed! Every once in a while she'll come across something long forgotten and suddenly it's brand new! She has so many clothes packed in the closet that she could open her own L. L. Bean store. The polo shirts in every color are stacked so high that she can't pull one from the bottom without messing all the ones in the middle.

She keeps thinking she'll take stuff to Goodwill, make some room in the closet. She told me she feels guilty if she lets them go, but she also feels guilty if her closet is stuffed with clothes she seldom or never wears!!

And then there's guilt about family. Lucky thing Meme has no kids of her own because she'd be locked in a cage somewhere by now. That doesn't mean there's not a whole lot to feel guilty about where family is concerned ... the time not spent, the time spent when things were said that shouldn't have been or not said that should have been, the phone calls she didn't make, the invites she didn't send. I think we feel more guilt about family than anything else on this earth. We were born into them and they are born of us. But along the road sometimes we lose touch, grow apart, get busy with other 'stuff' and then kick ourselves for not being as close as we once were. That bond is always there, it never gets completely broken no matter what.

Let's face it; we all make mistakes as we walk through this thing called life. And it's always easy to look back and think about how we could have done something better, rushed to someone's side, made a phone call, chosen a path that turned toward someone instead of away. I always wonder why people are always going somewhere else, they never seem to live where they think they should be ... makes no sense to me.

All of us can feel regret and we learn from that. Thinking back over what might have been is fine as long as we don't kick ourselves in the butt about it. It's done and finished. Doesn't do any good to lie in bed at 4 o'clock in the morning going over the whole thing in our heads. There's a saying ... "you made your bed, now lie in it!" Feeling guilty doesn't fix anything. The only day that we can fix anything at all is today.

As for all those clothes sitting there not being worn? Toss 'em ... take them to Goodwill or your charity of choice. The truth is that coat you don't wear might keep someone warm on a cold day, a new pair of unworn shoes that pinch might not pinch the next person. That orange scarf that makes you look orange, too, will look amazing on someone else and they'll be glad to have it. And if the clothes have seen their better days, do what Meme's friend always says ... "kick 'em to the curb!"

I don't think anyone ever feels guilty about what they gave away ... whether it be clothes, kisses, hugs ..... or just a smile. Even words on a page like these. We just never know when our words will float out there and maybe someone will see something just a little differently. That's really why I write all this down ... I do it to share with you and when I do that, I get back double what I might have given you.

When we give something away, when we share with someone else, we never miss it. We never wish we could take it back. And we never, ever, feel guilty about it.

'Til next time ...

Molly

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