"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." E.E.Cummings

Wow, it's been two weeks today since Brandy came to live in our home, and with this our lives have forever been changed. Having a Jack Russell puppy is like unleashing a tornado in the confines of your kitchen. If you are not prepared with all the appropriate apparatus, be assured of impending disaster. As my husband so aptly put it, Brandy is like a toddler with the quickness and agility of a Jackrabbit. Everything from food crumbs (my husbands) to leaves to dogie litter goes into her mouth. All objects ending up on the floor within her domain are presumed  to be her property. Just try to take it away!

As a proud parent, I look back at the highlights of these last two weeks and at the humor of our situation as the owners of an eight week old Jack Russell puppy. In our world, now known as puppy-land (adage coined by my daughter), the horrors immortalized by past puppies has returned fourteen years later. How much quicker those past puppy disasters surface when Brandy's piranha-like teeth are connected to my baby toe. There is an art to learning to traverse the kitchen with a puppy attached to your pant's leg, and it takes time. Luckily a word from the past came to mind. Redirect flashed across my brain just in the nick of time, which shattered the impulse to fling my annoying furball across the room. I used the Bully Bone to redirect in a positive way. They soon became my best friend, occasssionaly acting as a crowbar to pry her needle like teeth off my hand. Like a smelly pacifier, I watched Brandy peacefully gnaw it, and thankful that it replaced her need for my blood. But all kidding aside, the Bully stick has been my savior. My toes, fingers, ears, and all other bodily projections are also very grateful.

The first three days of my self imposed exile to the kitchen were a blur, but one thing did become clear during that time. I could not continue to spend my days sitting on the floor waiting patiently for our Brandy to become a grown up dog. Between getting up and down, the cold floor, and the auto reflexes needed to escape her razor sharp teeth, I felt like a truck had hit me, not a four and a half pound furball. I recommend you have the phone numbers of a good chiropractor and masseuse at hand. Oh, and a good chair.

On day three my husband brought down the chair from my writing desk, and my laptop also appeared on the scene, adding to the clutter and the chaos. Our once beautifully appointed kitchen had morphed into a gigantic playpen; with dog pen, dog bed, dog crate, puppy litter box, dogie rug, and a dozen or so bones and toys. All evidence pointing to the fact that not only had my life changed, but my environment as well. My space had been transformed into a safe haven, a protected space, a world in which I was now responsible for the care of a little brown eyed package of love and boundless energy. And in the quite of that morning I asked aloud for Rhea to help. If she was looking down on me, I needed her now. I needed her to look out for not just the puppy but for the mom, and see to it that I did my job, be a good mom. I missed my grown up dog. Even with all the joy and love that this puppy brings to our home, she was not a replacement of my companion, for my best friend, Ms.Rhea.

In dawns early light, when life is in balance and harmony, Brandy sleeps, eyes small black slits, motionless in my lap,and I am reminded of the simpler joys in life. Feed me, play with me, love me.

"A great man is one who does not lose his childlike heart." Mencius

Even the ancients knew the heart of happiness lies in the viewpoint of a child.

I could not resist sharing the heart felt story I received from my daughter-in-law today. Life should be kept simple, for in that state, joy and love abound.

A Dog's Purpose? (View point of a six year old)
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa and their son Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offed to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be a good for six year old Share to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surround him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered  if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I think and live.

He said "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life, like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

From the mouth of a child comes the knowledge of the aged:
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.

And remember, if a dog taught your class you would learn to:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them,
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride,
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy,
Take naps,
Stretch before rising,
Run,romp, and play daily,
Thrive on attention an let people touch you,
Avoid biting when a simpe growl will do,
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass, On hot days, drink lots of water and find a shady tree,
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body,
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk,
Be loyal,
Never pretend to be something you're not,
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it,
When someone is having a bad  day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!!