Puppy Diaries

animals / Puppy Diaries — 10 Comments
21
Mar 12

Separated at birth? A tale of two Tebows.

Looky what I found under a car seat.

I love him.

I christened thee…Tebow II.

 

He sits when I ask him to sit.

He stays when I say “stay.”

No pooping on the floor yesterday for me to step into racing out the door to a teacher conference.

No needing to walk outside at 5 a.m. (Or 10 p.m.) No. He’s just happy to sit on my dash.

No black dog hair all over my white subway bathroom tile. Hair that NEVER completely goes away even after I tried cleaning the floor with my tongue.

No bumping my arm relentlessly as I try to type. No, he never gets jealous of my prolific, below-poverty-standards writing career.

He’s so very cute.

 

They really could have been separated at birth.

 

Well, I guess he’s not really Tebow the first.

 

iPhone Photo Phun

animals / beach / iPPP / Pets / Puppy Diaries / Uncategorized — 13 Comments
11
Jan 12

So much to get done today. Then came Tebow.

3:45 a.m.

I got out of bed and already felt behind.

Stumbling in the dark to make coffee, I smelled…

A very bad smell.

Dog poop.

Now I had cleaned up a large mess yesterday. (At this point, I realized I was dealing with a case of doggie diarrhea.)

I turned on the light.

There by the door was a pile. Many sloppy piles.

The first minutes of my day were gobbled up cleaning and scrubbing carpet.

*    *   *

I sat down with my coffee at 4:15 to quiet my brain and reflect on spiritual matters. To draw strength from things which I believe but cannot see.

And as I looked around, what I did see is?

This place was a wreck. I’ve got writing that absolutely needs to get done, appointments with children and exercise.  (For there is always time to exercise.)

Overwhelmed with guilt on the state of this house, my anxiety bumped up a notch with how little time I have in the next few days to get things under control.

Sensing my distress, as dogs do have that my-Master’s-freaking-out-ESP, Tebow came over  and laid his head on my lap.

I gave him some love and got up to pour more coffee.

Walking to the kitchen and looking behind the couch, I saw a glistening pristine lake of dog teeter in the spot I just cleaned from the poop.

 

 

God spoke to me through dog teeter.

Forget it, Jamie.

Forget your house being perfect.

Your life at this moment  is children, a husband, deadlines and a pooping, peeing menagerie.

I hate not being in control. And I don’t feel capable to control much these days.

But I can rein in my emotions. I can chose to love, encourage and hold my children accountable.

I can love my husband the best I know how. Sans providing a nice straight, beautiful home when he walks through the door.

I can write awesome articles and turn them in on time.

And I can clean dog poop….

But that’s about it right now.

How about you? What was the moment that you realized….I can’t do it all?

 

Pets / Puppy Diaries — 6 Comments
1
Nov 11

Musing on Tebow turning two. Or is he 14?

Tebow.

Two years ago today you came into the world.

The runt of the litter you were always number one in our hearts.

A Christmas Eve run to Midvale, Georgia brought all smelly, dear 65 pounds of you into our lives and into our house.

Well, you weren’t 65 pounds the day we got you.

 

No. You were a bitty, black, furry lump.

 

Our two younger children had never had a dog before. Soon after the excitement of finding a puppy under the tree wore thin, they were unimpressed.

I told them to just wait. A good dog is the greatest thing in the world.

But even with the greatest thing in the world you have to overlook look some Tebowisms.

*  A love for chewing up pencils and leaving the bitty wooden shards on the floor. Just after I’ve vacuumed. (How does he find them? I can never find a pencil when I need one.)

*  Love of running. Tebow dear, you’ve really gotten in too good a shape.  I feel like I’m running behind an Iditarod-caliber wolf straight out of a Jack London-Erma Bombeck sports romance novel.

*  Love of sleeping on my bed after your run. You act quite bothered when I have to move you to make up the bed.

*   You always want to believe that everyone is okay – but your bark gives the stranger  who’s not fair warning.

*    And I love the way you lay your head on my shoulder just like a child who loves his mummy very much when I get a chance to lie on the bed for a moment. The bed you have been on since I placed the last pillow back in place.

 

*     *     *

Tonight when we were giving Tebow his cake, I asked his pack,

What do you love about Tebow?

Joe, 8 years. “He’s warm.”

Dad. “Seriously? I love that he’s not a twin.”

(Actually, he was an octuplet, Dad. So there. )

Hannah Kate, 10. “I love everything.”

Jake, a very grumpy high school senior at this second. “He doesn’t really annoy me too much.”

 

 

No, with the exception of your black fur on the white bathroom tile (and stepping barefooted on chewed pencil bits) you don’t annoy me much.

You are a very dear soul. Happy Birthday.

What do you do for the pet in your life on his special day?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puppy Diaries / Running — 15 Comments
7
Sep 11

Musing on a jog with my bestest running buddy, Tebow.

I started running with a group of women when school went back in session. Many push children in strollers. A herculean task for anyone who has ever tried to run and push child.

My black lab Tebow is the perfect house dog. He sheds, slobbers, and chews anything that isn’t cat poop. (Wait. Can’t even say that.)

So to keep my furry child from getting chubby, I leased him up and took him with the group of gals one morning.

He was hooked.

Now if I go within 8 feet of my running shoes, he pants at my side.

Each morning, the routine goes like this. Everyone piles in the car to go to school. After drop off, me and Tebow pull into the church lot to run.

When he thinks time is drawing near for the kids to leave.

His excitement builds in the Primary School carpool line. (Which was EXTRA long today.)

After dropping brother and sister off, it’s “game on” pulling into the church parking lot.

After checking in with everyone…and a tad disappointed there were no other four-footed joggers this morning.

We are off!

It’s rather like water-skiing. Except that there’s no water and you’re staring at someone’s rear end.

We have to play catch-up sometimes. Tebow stops to do the things dogs do when they finally are OUTSIDE in fresh air surrounded by the fresh smells of all the billions of dogs who have run the race before him.

All done.

Did you get exercise in today? Did your dog?

 iPhone Photo Phun

Georgia / Life in Madison / Pets / Puppy Diaries / South — 2 Comments
22
Apr 11

Musing on Doggy Easter Egg Hunt to Support Georgia Rescue and Rehabilitation.

Why let Man’s Best Friend miss out on all the Easter fun?

Come out tomorrow, Saturday April 23,  for the third annual Georgia Rescue and Rehabilation Doggy Easter Egg Hunt at Heritage Park in Madison.

Whoo. Our Tebow’s getting excited at the thought of all the new friends to meet — along with all the new smells to savor.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. — with all sniffing and hunting to begin at noon.

The fee is 5 dollars per dog and all dogs must be on a leash.

There will be a rabies clinic with very affordable shots and opportunities to get a Pet Portrait of your dog in all his Easter finery. Micro-chipping will be available to ensure the safe return of your loved one should she ever roam too far from home. There will be refreshments for two-legged types as well.

Georgia Rescue and Rehab is a local non-profit organization that rescues and finds loving homes for abandoned dogs and cats. A completely volunteer organization — come out and support this wonderful cause.

Columns / Latest Newspaper Column / Pets / Puppy Diaries — 5 Comments
10
Mar 11

To reproduce or not reproduce — that was the question.

Traditionally, the answer whether to procreate is decided by husbands and wives who love each other very much.

However if you happen to be a dog, more likely your master makes that choice, unless there is a one by two foot gap between the chain link fence and dirt. And with our dog’s increasingly randy behavior a decision needed to be made for him. Continue reading →

Family / Puppy Diaries — 2 Comments
13
Nov 10

I should be blogging about being transformed but I feel caught between the Starship and some planet that was on that Star Trek show.

I had to clean my car.  Madison Care Car, who changed my oil Tuesday, will not believe I attempted this….  

First, tried to find Derrick’s phone number. The one in my cell was no longer working.  

Then my husband and I independently spent 2 days working on it (Madison Car Care and Derrick will believe that.) John’s bought this new product that he’s kittens about. He scrubbed and buffed it inside and out yesterday.  Amazing. I went outside and saw this..  

My 2004 Suburban was transformed into a Lamborghini.

 

 Not really.  

I took this waiting for my friend in Atlanta for lunch the other day. Just to look like a hick to the young impeccably dressed guy talking very loudly on his cell next to me.  

But John did have my carlooking real purty.  

Not mine. But could be mine, if I stepped out the door and took a picture.

 

Today I went to clean out her innards.  

Gross.  

I decided the best tactic was to position her between two machines and pay twice. Once for the left side of the car. Then use the other machine for right side. For $2.00 in quarters, it was a good move.  

Got around to the right side of the car and this is what I saw.  

Anyone care to guess what this says?

 

 Reading top to bottom..  

I love Tebow <3 <3 <3      The artist signature is on the arm…Joe

How did I know that what it said? Because I know my Joe. And I know our Tebow.  

This was two minutes ago. Had my daughter take this because Tebow does this all the time when I am trying to work..  

She did a good job of keeping all my cr*p out of the shot per my instruction.

 

Looks amazing like my life (take away the old witch’s hand attached to my wrist — some one’s idea of a cruel photoshop joke).  

I know what that scrawling on the car says because I know my son and his crazy little mind.  

God knows us like that.  

He sees our scribble on the car seat and smiles. Though anyone else (like my husband) would scream.  

I still can’t remember that “beam up” thing on Star Trek. The transformer?  

I know that’s not right.

Puppy Diaries — No Comments
6
Sep 10

Today’s Muse. Dog poop.

 

Photobucket

It’s Labor Day. I should writing about that…

But less than 24 hours ago, dog poop took over my existence.

Mom and Dad were visiting. We were enjoying coffee outside on porch. Came time for them to leave…

(I so want to write a few other words defining a dog bowel movement, but I shall not in the interest of my most-of-the-time, family-friendly blogging integrity.)

Mistake # 1

 Early yesterday morning, I asked my daughter to walk the dog.

Continue reading →

Family / Food / Puppy Diaries — No Comments
16
Apr 10

Chicken Breasts. Once again the Lord works in most mysterious ways.

I vowed to prepare my clan healthy meals.

Looking over the selection of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I wondered… since when do they fill them with gold  pellets?

But thankfully the nice man in the Ingles meat department pointed me to some that were on sale.  I bought two packs. Googling “easy chicken recipes”, I found a great one on a web site with “mom” in the title. (The title of the web site not the recipe.)

I bought all four ingredients. And was ready to cook. Then life got in the way and the chicken sat in the fridge — for two days.

Did I say our puppy ran into a car on Monday night?

No. I haven’t blogged that our dog was hit because it was traumatic. I am into denying any drama that might try to navigate into my life these days.

Pulling up to our house 8 p.m. on Monday night, I see my husband carrying the dog. 

“Tebow’s been hit. I think his leg is broken.”

Life’s funny. You are so tired and holding it together. Then your daughter disobeys and takes the dog into a neighbor’s yard to visit with their dog — takes Tebow off his lease. Then the other dog chases Tebow across his rightful territory into a car being backed out my our dear animal-loving neighbor.

Collision.

That’s when I arrived on the scene and we made an appointment to go to a emergency animal clinic. Then our wonderful vet called.

He asked me lots of questions,

“Is he alert?”

“No,  I think I’m going into shock. Should I wrap myself in blankets?”

 ”The dog? Is he alert?”

“Oh. His tail is flopping all over the place like normal. He still has that stupid grin. But looks like he had a mini stroke on his left front leg.”

The more we talked I could tell that our Tebow probably just got his bell rung by some Kentucky defensive end. The next morning, I hobbled more leaving bed than he did getting out of his crate.

“Labs are tough,” the vet had said.

His little tummy was puny four days later, so the vet suggested I feed him chicken and rice. There was a reason I bought that chicken.

It’s always something in life. Dogs running into cars.

 I’m glad labs are tough.  

No. I’m glad the Lord made labs tough so I don’t have to be.

.

Life in Madison / Puppy Diaries — No Comments
26
Feb 10

He really didn’t want to go. But I insisted.

The other day I was running late for an appointment. I worked out and there was just enough time to slip into my house and clean up. 

At my backdoor, I heard something. I turned around and saw… 

 

This cute guy. Of course, at the time we met he had no leash. He was on the loose. 

Darn. There goes being clean and purdy for my appointment. I thought he might be from across the way, but need to check his tag which I couldn’t do because that would involve reading small print on his tag. 

I opened the door to get some glasses and he bounded in… 

It was so cute how he ran over to Tebow’s crate and they communicated. So cute until he marked the crate and my carpet. Dogs are funny that way.People just come into a room and act all loud and braggy or flirty and weird to assert dominance. 

Dogs teeter. 

Hi.

There he is right after teeter.  Terribly cute, but I leashed him up (cursing how stupid I was for letting him in our house) and took him to his home. I opened the fence and let him in.

 

He really didn’t want to go.

But I insisted.

 His owner pulled up right as I was leaving, so relieved that her pup was safe and sound. She had been so worried for we live on a very busy street. 

The dog didn’t have a care in the world. He just loved every teetering minute till I made me go behind the locked fence.Dogs are that way, so trusting. They often need the kindness of others to get them home. As a runner, I come across lost dogs quite often. I must smell a certain way when I run.They love the way I smell. It’s a curse, really. 

As one who has gotten many stray dogs home ~ get your dog a dogtag. It helps those of us who smell inviting to lost dogs get on with our lives instead of spending all afternoon trying to get this wayward creature home. 

But of course the most important thing is getting puppy home for they are dear members of the family. 

What lengths have you gone to get a stray pup home?

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