Tag Archives: Dogs

27 days to go: Who let the dogs out?

Photo taken by Lulu Bell (evidence that she was NOT the one on the couch)
That’s Me, Hiccup, and Andy
(No, we don’t have laser eyes. This place has gone to the dogs.)

Mom has left the computer open.  She doesn’t know that the remote isn’t the only thing I can operate around here.  I will say it’s a good thing she is gone because this typing without thumbs is NOT easy. I see why she always says, “Huck-y if only you had thumbs you could help out around here.”  Well, I am going to help her out and pound out today’s blog.   (Do you know that she reads all of her work out loud; so, I have been an editor more than once.)

I don’t think they realize how much I notice when they think no one is looking.  Like I know what happens to all the missing cups and glasses, and I know why some people’s laundry baskets never seem full in this family. I also know which person to sit next to at the table for a little snack.  But I am like my buddy, Duke, I’m not saying anything.

It’s pretty obvious why my family chose to have a dog walk for Reed’s Run, but it is doubtful that anybody understands how much my boy meant to me.  Very few know that I came into Reed’s life because he had been diagnosed with an eye condition causing him to go blind.  My puppy energy helped him remember he was still a little boy.  Soon he forgot all about those big medical words that I couldn’t understand anyway.  All I know is that I would sit at the end of the driveway waiting until my boy got home from school every day, and then the two of us would be off on adventures.  Those adventures were everything to me, and eventually it got to where Reed talked Mom & Dad into to taking me everywhere.  (Just don’t ask the rest of them about our first camping trip.  Let’s just say Reed & I were seriously in the dog house!)

This weekend Mom invited over two of my good friends to hang out with my little puppy brother, Hiccup, and myself.  One of those dogs is my buddy Andy.  Andy is younger but I get it. He has a big heart too.  Somehow I think he understands that we have a bigger role than just friend now.  We carry a piece of our boys (Reed & AJ) in everything we do. Mom has met lots of nice people who have told her similar stories about their canine friends. Believe me, our Mom can talk.

Simply put dogs matter! Maybe not to all people, but we really do to grieving people. I feel when their hearts are hurting because I miss Reed as much as they do.  When I see them down, I try my best to snuggle up, but that is getting harder for me to do these days.  I know this is the last Reed’s Run, and even though I have had a few bouts of being down this year, I am going to make one last trip to the place where Reed and I earned those purple ribbons to remember my boy.

I am not sure that Mom is going to like that Hiccup and Andy just  licked her keyboard.  Pups! When will they ever learn to cover up the evidence? Trust me, I will act like I was never here.

PAWS OUT – Huck

3 Things – 8/13/12

I have had many things this last two weeks that have brought big smiles to me and my family; so, I’ve had a difficult time choosing how to narrow this down to just three items.  But I think that I have finally figured out which three I want to share.

1.  Revisiting the past – not all things bygone are worth a mention and no, not all of the things I remember growing up would bring a smile.  Think rainbow sweaters that go from sleeve to sleeve or pinning your blue jeans.  But on a road trip with some friends, I came face to face (well sort of) with an old love from my past.  Actually, my old friend was relegated to the top shelf in the convenience store cooler. You know the shelf where store-brand colas, Yoo-hoo’s, and that milk product that doesn’t actually need refrigeration sit.  There among the other “less popular” beverage choices sat a blast from my past – Pop Shoppe sodas.  I was immediately carried back to when my family first left the South and moved to Valley City, North Dakota where you could mix-n-match of case of sodas. Of course, now the pop has its own website www.popshoppe.com, unlike when our friendship began in the early 80’s. If you have a few minutes, check out the website and have yourself a chuckle at the humor found within.  I enjoyed every sip of my root beer thinking back to the days of playing balloon volleyball in the basement for hours on end.  With every memory that came flooding back from those days, my face was carrying a great big smile.

2. Visiting old friends– this is actually a play on words.  Last week I was able to return

Huck

(FINALLY) to my volunteer position at the Minneota Manor (nursing home) with my faithful sidekick, Huckleberry.  Actually, I am the sidekick (because he is much more popular there than I am) as Huck makes his rounds and visits his friends.  I love to see the spring in the old boy’s steps as soon as he sees me get out a bandanna scarf (of which he has quite a collection).  Huck has his favorite people and as soon as we arrive he has to go visit at least one of them. He has always been a special dog, but I think as he gets older he recognizes a kindred spirit when he sees one.  I am glad that Huck takes me along because there is one special grandpa there that has held my heart for a long time.  On his good days (when the dementia isn’t so bad), he recognizes me (or at least, Huck), and then even my heart smiles!

3. Taking a last minute vacation – last Friday, our family took a last minute vacation to go to the zoo and to go back-to-school (shudder) shopping.  We had made a promise to the smallest Stevens to let her see dolphins this summer.  Sadly, we learned that the dolphin bay at the zoo would be closing down soon due to lack of funding.  Nonetheless, we enjoyed the dolphins, but we relished our time with the dinosaurs’ exhibit.  Gladly, the dinosaurs were life-sized recreations that were robotic and somewhat interactive.  All of my kids have taken strolls through the “Land before Time” series, and we have shared a love of dinosaurs for many years.  I am certain this won’t be our last foray with dinosaurs (having dug for mammoths in South Dakota and visited Sue in Chicago’s Field Museum).  Somehow just being together sans technology (thank you Minnesota Zoo for having terrible cell phone coverage) was what this momma’s heart needed.  Watching our little Sally Gal have the same reactions to the dinosaurs that our once little red-head did at a similar dinosaur attraction brought tears to my eyes.  Knowing that that same red-head had to be looking on with pride from Heaven – definitely made me smile!

Whatever it is, BIG or small, find the things that make you smile!  It’s definitely worth it!