How to Make New Friends and Influence People...By Lady Grey Darjeeling, the First

Humans would like to tell you that the laws of physics cannot be broken. I'd like to prove to you that they are made to be broken. Whenever my human takes me for a walk, I drag my paws and flop on the ground all the way to the street corner. Yelping and whining like the town crier on the day of the Apocalypse is also helpful. Then when my human turns and asks if I want to go home, I bound away in a furry bundle of paws and ears. In mere seconds we are in the driveway and I think she is also amazed at my ability to alter time and distance. I feel that I am also performing a valuable therapeutic service that she and her GP will thank me for in her later years.
If you really want to impress the neighbors or your humans have company, try this simple yet effective exercise and win yourself new friends and admirers. You may want to practise in the backyard or basement until you get it just right. First, sit on the grass until you can comfortably take your tail between your teeth. Next, roll gently to the side until you have completed one entire revolution. Be sure there is no furniture or other solid object in your direct path. Stagger, flop your ears and repeat as desired for intended effect. Hilarious shrieks of laughter usually follow.
Another favorite way to really make the most of the doggy days of summer is to have some fun with bath day. It takes some agility to leap out from a utility tub of bubbles and water and  beware the slippery landing. Be prepared for a long and interesting chase through the laundry room and be sure and whimper to be let out immediately. Find a mud puddle, roll ,run like the dickens and repeat the whole jolly treat until you feel sure your human has had a complete cardiovascular workout. They eat ice cream by the bucketful when we're our watchful backs are turned so feel no doggy guilt.
Finally, for all the Blue Jays fans, here's a skill I've spent a little time perfecting and I think you'll agree it could make the difference between winning and losing. Confidence is key in the successful execution of this move and I may have to YouTube a tutorial if my busy nap schedule allows. When sliding into home plate and the bases are loaded, shift all your puppy weight onto one haunch and fling the opposite paw into the air while giving your hindquarters a quick victory swipe with your tongue. I can see this move causing a few fumbles if the fielders react anything like my human.
Summer is a short season filled with lots of chances to show off your skills and train your humans into good physical condition. So get out there and make me proud. You too can make new friends and alter the laws of nature. Just don't do it on the living room rug. Ciao. Bow out.
 

Cuteness Quotient

Retail therapy, shoe therapy, chocolate and caffeine. Lady has them all licked...literally. Today I had a few moments where I would normally hop in the car and head to the nearest mall but instead, I thought I'd try and stand my ground. Since realizing how much anxiety and sometimes sheer panic and the urge to fight or flight has controlled my life, I've been making a champion effort to control these moods and not have them dictate to me. Enter Lady the ultimate lap dog.
Instead of taking off, I thought I'd take a walk with the four legged wonder and then write a chapter of the book I promised my brother I'd start writing. Instead of the instant regret that follows a huge dish of ice cream, latte or movie ticket, I felt calmer and more in control. I went online and checked out pet therapy programs finding that dogs are being used from everything to helping children read to defusing tense courtroom moments for children that have to testify on the witness stand. Nursing homes and schools for special needs children also have found the value of a furry companion in lowering blood pressure and creating a sense of calm and happiness.
Lady is quickly learning good habits and I'm amazed at her progress. She went for three hours today in her playroom without making a mess while my family and I went cherry picking. I came home and was as proud as any "mama" could be. She brings such happiness and a sense of pride and accomplishment as she learns the good habits that will make her my constant companion. There is a program called the St. John's Ambulance Dog Therapy Program that I would like to see her complete and I'm looking forward to her assistance for many years to come.
Unless it is like the other evening when I was working an overnight shift. It was a bit of a restless night and I didn't get my clients settled until the wee hours of the morning. Sighing with relief, I sank onto the couch only to hear the gentle rumble of a snoring puppy echo through the room. She has spent every night without a peep in a crate by my bed and I was quite shocked to hear such a racket coming from her travel crate. She continued to rattle the window panes from the porch outside the french doors and I sat inside trying to stifle my laughter at the unbelievable change in her behaviour.
It is silly moments like this that bind us together and I cannot imagine what I was doing for amusement before Lady Grey turned up...the volume. Good night sweetheart and dream your puppy dreams. I have also begun to dream again and it's a good thing.

Lady Grey Darjeeling

So much has happened since struggling through the dark winter. I find myself looking back and happy for all the good things that I have now. Lady is one of those good things. She is snoozing quietly in her kennel now that we purchased together this afternoon.  A torrential downpour is a gentle euphemism for the buckets of rain the heavens turned on my head in the parking lot of the dollar store where I left her in the car. A mad dash for treats, toys, shampoo and a leash then back to the car where a rather furry, unlicensed driver sat blinking up at me from my own seat behind the wheel. "Open the door, fuzzhead!" I admonished and fished my keys out of a damp pocket. Unperturbed, she remained at the wheel until her furry backside was relocated to my lap and I scrambled to bring my bags and body parts out of the elements. Whimpering at the loud rain, she wriggled into my coat and all the way up my side until another wriggle would have had her sliding back down my sleeve. With a pretend sigh of aggravation, I buckled in and drove to our next stop for a kennel: Lady Grey had already learned to topple her laundry basket and I was awakened with kisses at five a.m. this morning. Not a terrible start to the day until I remembered potty training. So, I zipped my raincoat and tucked her tail inside, heading for the closest entrance to the store. It's a bit of a challenge to look non-chalant while walking 'calmly' through a monsoon with a sleeping puppy stowed in your coat and I even caught some looks of surprise when my fat belly squirmed and a tail popped out. I quite enjoyed that.
Today was one of those days at work when I was reminded of the fleeting nature of our journey here under the blue skies and above the green grass. A life in my care was measurably fading in its intensity as the sun sets with a gentler warmth. Peace was there and acceptance for what the day would bring. Nonetheless, it was a day that I was glad I had Lady Grey's kisses to come home to.

The Beginning of Good Bye

I think it starts with the first time we hold our newborn baby in our arms and we feel such unprecedented love and connection. Mine. This life is in my care. It doesn't belong to me. It is on loan and I am only to love and cherish, protect and nourish the body, heart and mind of this beautiful being. I will introduce them to God and He will nourish their soul. One day we will be as equals and we will share our journey.
In September, my family said good-bye to a grandmother, mother, wife and friend. She was a lot of things to a lot of different people but to me, she was just my mom. Our family dinner was a little quieter tonight and the family down to just the three of us. My siblings live hours away and so it is more noticeable when there is just one absent. Just one life. Just one smile less at the dinner table. One less cup of tea to pour. I caught myself coming around the corner to the living room, steaming tea mugs in hand and remembering the last time my mother was lounging there on my couch, smiling and waiting patiently. My mind had hardly begun to process this hole in my life and I am faced with the beginning of another good-bye. My adopted mother, a close friend of our family and a lady who has known me since my infancy, has become ill. She is making a good recovery but as I was leaving the hospital tonight, all I could think of was that this was the beginning of goodbye and I'm just not prepared for the possibility. It seems those super heroes of our youth should continue on and always be there to share our lives and help us build our castles.
This afternoon, I sat down and wrote out a letter to this lady, mentor and friend to make sure she knew how much I treasure her.
Before my own illness, I would have given some of my heart and bought a fancy card...which I still intend to do...but shared only so much of my love. Having experienced so much despair and recovery has given me more love and patience than I would have ever had without the trial of my faith. It is easier for me to live my heart because I appreciate life much more now. I used to wonder why God has stood by silently and seemingly without any action. The lessons I have learned could never be taught from the comfort of an easy life and He was willing to bear my hurt and bitterness to see compassion and respect for the heart of another come out of the losses of life. I am not glad to have gone through the pain, but I am glad to have the strength and endurance I have gained.
Today, I caught myself starting the day with a complaint and hit the restart button. When I was little, it was located on my posterior but now that I'm almost a grown up, it's strictly a mental thing. So, I started the day over and determined that I am going to have a good day. Be a blessing to someone. Love without reserve. Cherish each day instead of assuming the martyr's stance. Acknowledge that while the beginning of good bye may begin with the first time we begin loving, it is never the end.