Thankful Sunday

I am thankful for joys in my life.

 I look for something to smile about every day. A good joke, a flower, a wave from a stranger, or a call from my son all make me happy and bring a smile. But true joys are fewer and farther between. 

I can't show you the neighborhood dogs, but I can show Miss Landers' dog
joyfully playing ball in the river.

However, I am blessed that I have an opportunity for a joyful activity most mornings. A golden retriever, Max, lives across the street, and every morning at 7 am, he has a visitor, Frodo - a smaller black dog. Frodo's owner lets him off the lead, and Max comes out to play. They romp, run, and wrestle. They exude joy as only dogs can, and it is contagious. They play for about 15 minutes while Frodo's owner stands quietly on the side. And then they all go on their merry ways. It's a great way to start the day.

Tonight, I had a rarer joy- Christmas carolers. For a few years now, the kids in the neighborhood have gotten together and gone caroling. Tonight we were serenaded by 16 kids ranging in age from preschoolers to teenagers. The older ones took care of the younger ones and pulled them in a wagon from house to house. The group had music to which they sang 4 songs. There were shy kids who hid behind others, there were bouncy ones who danced to every song, and there were serious singers who sang from the heart. Watching and listening to those kids was pure joy for me. They represented the spirit of the season in every way. And not to mention, they were too cute for words.

I can't show you the neighborhood kids, so I'll show you Charlie Brown and the gang caroling on our doormat. (Along with my toes.)

So for the free spirit and joy of playing dogs and the caroling of children, I am thankful.

Thankful Sunday, September 22, 2019

I am thankful for good endings.

Several days ago Ward and I were driving along a busy highway when we saw a truck rush through the light in front of us. It looked like something fell out of the side of the truck, but we weren't sure until the truck cleared the intersection and we stopped for the light. Then we saw a stunned golden retriever puppy standing in the middle of the intersection. We didn't believe it, but we had seen a dog fall out of that truck.

Representative picture from
thehappypuppysite.com

Luckily the traffic had stopped going the other direction, so I got out and led the puppy off the highway. He seemed to be okay and we knew soon that that was true when he wanted to play just like puppies do. I kept him on the side of the road in sight so the owners could see us when they came back. Ward went into a nearby parking lot and then helped me look for any identifying information on the collar the dog was wearing. There was none to be found.


After what seemed to be a very long time (although time can play tricks on you when your adrenaline is rushing), the pickup returned and a young woman got out. She was visibly shaken and very happy to see her dog. She said something about they thought they had the childproof lock on, but maybe not, and the dog stepped on the control and fell out. She also said something about a disagreement she had with her dad, who had been driving, about the best way to travel with the puppy. But mostly she was happy to see her dog in one piece. And so was I.

So for a good ending to what might have been a very bad situation, I am very thankful.

Thankful Sunday--May 7, 2017

Red is being leash trained while he learns boundries and to come when called. 

I am thankful for buttercups.

Every year Aunt Martha selectively mows her yard to let a field of buttercups grow into a striking mass of yellow. Over the years, this became a great place to photograph her dog, Bear because he was totally black and didn't always show up well in photos.

Sadly, he passed away last year, but they have a new dog, Red. Red is a rescued redtick coonhound and has a varied, auburn coat which does not present the same picture challenges as Bear's did. However, I thought the tradition of buttercup dog photos should go on, so I took a picture of Red in them. And he looked just as good as Bear did. Enough so, that my sisters and I are thinking about having our pictures taken with the buttercups, since we also have auburn hair.  :)

So for buttercups, old traditions and new dogs, I am thankful.