Friday Dog Blogging

I’ve seen some Friday Dog or Friday Cat blogs out there, and this will probably be my only addition to the ouvre. We’ve had a lot of dogs around here lately. First, of course, is OUR dog, the beautiful Genevieve. She is a Keeshonden/Sheltie mix, and we’ve had her for about 3 1/2 years. We got her from a Keeshonden Rescue. She’s a VERY good girl. Good girl, Genevieve, Good Girl!

Last weekend, Ted’s parents went to Ashland, Oregon for a mini-vacation, and they left their dog, Nietzsche, with us. Nietzsche is an Australian Shepphard/Border Collie mix, she’s about 13 years old, and they got her from the pound. She’s a little stiff in the joints, but she’s also a Good Girl! See, don’t they look happy together? Good girls!

Last, but not least, we have Katie. She’s Ted’s uncle and aunt’s dog. I’m not sure how old she is. She looks to us like she’s part greyhound or whippet or something. Katie is a good girl, too, but she stresses us out. She walks around the house with a stuffed whale in her mouth, crying. She whines a LOT. She won’t eat. We joke that she’s a supermodel, because even if you put food in her mouth, she will just spit it out. Look at her. See how she’s cowering? See how she’s NOT interested in her food? She’s like this about 75% of the time she’s here. And the snubbing food? That’s 100% of the time. She’s on a fast until her folks come home tomorrow, I suspect. Honestly, we do NOT beat her senseless, no matter HOW much she whines. She’s so tall and thin, she makes our gorgeous Genevieve look kind of dumpy in comparison. I can sympathise…I have several very tall thin friends, and when we get together, I feel dumpy in comparison. Such is life.

Last night, at yoga class, the instructor said something about holding a pose with grace…just a passing phrase, not the lesson or anything…but the word struck me. How does one live one’s life with grace? How is that above and beyond the normal? I looked it up in the dictionary, and didn’t find anything particularly helpful. But when I think of living with grace, I think of someone who has overcome adversity, who bears themselves with charm and kindness. Who doesn’t have a bad word to say, etc. I don’t know if that’s an accurate description to anyone out there, maybe it’s going to far. But last night I vowed to live my life with more grace…so when I got in the car and decided to pop a mixed tape into the Volvo’s tape deck, and it jammed and didn’t work, and I couldn’t get it out, and now the radio won’t play either, did I bitch and moan? No. I accepted it with grace. I listened to the sounds around me. (Other cars, whoop de do). When I got home, however, I came upstairs to check my email and blog, and Katie came in, whining with her stuffed whale in her mouth, whine whine whine, and I said, “KATIE, SHUT UP!” So, minutes lived in grace? 15. Oh well. Back to my snarkey self.