In Memoriam

“You've given your heart for a dog to tear.”
–Rudyard Kipling, The Power of The Dog


“Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail.”
–Martin Luther

Cub Poppy Forbus

2000-2008

How I'm doin'

Well, The Typist and The Alpha are still paying a whole lot of attention to me. They're glad I'm taking my pills with peanut butter again instead of protesting, but they won't just let me eat chicken. There's this icky stuff that we brought home in cans from the vet. If I don't eat it on my own (which I don't), they make a milkshake out of it and help me eat it. I don't particularly like that part, but I put up with because I really am starting to get hungry again.

Yesterday I decided I like treats again, so that was kinda fun. Also, somebody I've never even met called The Typist to see how I was doing! That was really sweet of her.

The Typist is still telling me I'm God's girl, but that's old news. I've always known that.

Glimpse of Grace

This bunny isn't named Grace. This bunny gave us a glimpse of God's grace, in the finding, the sheltering, and the setting free.

Another note from The Typist

Hey there... just wanted to let the blogosphere know that Cub isn't doing so well right now. Her liver disease seems to be getting more aggressive. The Alpha and I plan to do whatever we can to keep her comfortable. Hopefully she'll be back to blogging in a day or two.

Prayers are much appreciated. Again, and still.

Messing with my thumb-havers' heads

Some would say I'm behaving more like a cat than a dog lately. You see, I've decided I don't like my special menu anymore. Well, except for the bran flakes and the chicken. I love bran flakes and chicken. But I'm finished with eggs and cottage cheese and wheat bread. I just am. Who knows? Maybe I'll decide to eat regular chow again. You never can tell with me.

RGBP Big Event: Geocache Internationale

Hi, The Typist here, with another interruption of the dogblog to share some more about the RevGals' Big Event. (I pull rank now and then; it's one of the many benefits of having thumbs.)

So... if you know The Vicar of Hogsmeade, you know about geocaching. Trust me: this is a good thing! Here we are near the start of our morning in Cozumel:

(That was the part where we were going the wrong way. Which was perfectly fine; after all, we were on an Adventure.)

Then we got closer to what we were hunting:


See that cap in the lower left corner? It's on The Vicar herself, our illustrious leader for this endeavor.

And, after much careful searching (along with some toes in the water and a nice rest at a patio table), we found the cache!


As you can see, serious geocachers never go barefoot while on the hunt. The rest of us were along for the experience, and a lovely one it was. (If you click for the larger version and look really closely, you can see will smama's blister a few inches from her tattoo. Both accessories were hard-earned.)

So, while it may be on The Vicar's official log, God Guurrlll, will smama, and I also share the distinction of being international geocachers now.

Thanks, Vicar!

RGBP Big Event

The time on the ship is over, but I do feel as though the rest of it is just beginning.

I'll be reeally late for work if I blog all my thoughts this morning, but I do have time to share a photo...


Only one of these is permanent, but they're all "real."

As has been said by St. Casserole and many others: Love ya... mean it!

She's back, and look!

We got special bandannas!


The Typist got us these new bandannas when she was away with some other RevGals. Our friend Zorra was there, but didn't get Amie one because Amie doesn't like to wear bandannas. (We don't understand that around here. We like accessorizing.)


See the logo? These bandannas help out other dogs and cats in Cozumel.

The Typist had a great time with the other RevGalBlogPals, but is very tired now and is saying something about laundry and a shower and bed. The Boy and I don't really care for laundry or showers, but we're right with her on the bed thing. Anyway, we think she'll probably do her own blog entry pretty soon. But for now, we're glad she's back and that she brought us cool stuff.

Because I'm a prissy princess, that's why.

It only took one day for the thumb-havers to figure out why I wouldn't eat my oatmeal and chicken for supper anymore. They're learning fast.

What they learned is that I liked the oatmeal out of the other round box better.

And when that other box was empty and they brought in a new round box with different pictures on it, I didn't like that oatmeal.

They didn't think I'd notice the difference, just because they don't. Well, the nosery nose knows, and that's final.

These boxes both have pictures of oatmeal, but the oatmeal smelled totally different from the icky box. Also, the good box has cookies on it, too.

So The Alpha went out and got me the good box of oatmeal and fixed it with my chicken for supper tonight. And I rewarded him by eating it.

I still don't think I'd eat the oatmeal from the box with the man in the hat on it. He's kinda creepy.

Happy Easter!

This is a nifty picture for a lot of reasons:

1. All four of us have glowy eyes. That doesn't happen very often. The Typist doesn't like that, but I think it's cool. Besides, she doesn't really know how to use Photoshop so she can't do anything about it, even with having thumbs and everything.
2. We are all looking at the camera. And it only took one try.
   
3. We are all dressed in our Easter finery. See my sunflower bandanna?

Happy Easter, everybody!

Gleaning

The Typist says most dogs and thumb-havers aren't into following Levitical law. So she thinks it is interesting that I let The Boy glean from my bowl.

Here he is gleaning some cottage cheese, oatmeal, wheat bread, and maybe even a little chicken that I left for him. Yes, he gets his own chow, too, but he knows mine is special. So I share a taste with him.


"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien..."

Well, our Pop has been known to say The Boy is "poor as a snake," so I guess that means he's poor. And he didn't live here when he was a pup like I did, so I guess that means he's an alien, too.

It may just look like he's sniffing in the picture, but he was licking all over, really. His tongue is at least as fast as mine.

Good Friday Five

The Typist here; this Friday Five isn't really up Cub's alley, so I'm playing it solo.
From RevHRod over at RevGalBlogPals:

1. Our prayer concerns are as varied as we are this day. For whom would you like us to pray?
   Continued prayers for Cub, as we have her checkup at the vet in an hour. Her Aunt Cathy of marvelous dogsitting fame is coming, too, because while Cub will be just fine, I'm not so sure about me. So, I guess that means prayers for me, too. And prayers for all who are struggling with depression and related problems, as I'm always becoming aware of more people dealing with such.
   
2. Are there things you have done or will do today to help the young ones understand this important day in our lives?
   Don't have any young ones myself, but it was cool watching the youngest worshiper at last night's Maundy Thursday service being guided through the song lyrics by her mom, especially "Were You There (when they crucified my Lord)."
   
3. Music plays an important part in sharing the story of this day. Is there a hymn or piece of music that you have found particularly meaningful to your celebrations of Good Friday?
   "What Wondrous Love Is This" has long been a song I lean on this time of year.
   
4. As you hear the passion narrative, is there a character that you particularly resonate with?
   Peter, and his denial of Jesus after his insistence that such a thing could never happen.
   
5. Where have you seen the gracious God of love at work lately?
   In a fellow church member who is answering a calling to begin an adult special needs ministry, and in watching her establish a connection with a visiting family in need of that ministry last night after worship.
   

My sock is falling down!

At least, that's what The Alpha says my front leg looks like since I came back from the all-night vet.


What do you think?

Home from the all-night vet

Hey everybody! Thank you for praying for me. I got to come home! The Typist says I'm still "loopy from the Valium," whatever that means, but I feel pretty nice. I'm resting on the living room floor, and I had a nice breakfast and I was nice to The Boy and let him smell where I'd been all night. The thumb-havers at the all-night vet were nice. The bed in there was nice. The being able to quit having that big long string of seizures was nice. Alllll.... nice. I'm nice! They also wrote on my chart, "She is a very sweet dog." That's nice...

Pray for Cub

Hi, The Typist here.

Cub is spending the night at the emergency vet. While we were out for our evening walk, she started having a seizure -- she is epileptic, so we expected it to pass, but it didn't. We had to carry her back home, where it continued for another hour, then we took her to the vet. They have her on Valium and expect to keep her between 12 and 24 hours.

The rest of us are going to try to sleep now. Please keep our inter-species family in your prayers. And if you're not the kind of person who prays for dogs, don't tell me that. Just pray for us thumb-havers, then.

Thumb-havers are silly.

Tonight The Boy and I got to go for a ride, then a walk up and down the Greenbelt. Which really means up and down a wide sidewalk, because they wouldn't let us walk in the mud. No fair. (Might have something to do with those baths to which we were subjected over the weekend. But at least I'm all soft and fluffy.) The Boy managed to walk in some mud anyway. He's quick!

Another weird part was that The Alpha kept giving The Boy's leash to The Typist, and she would keep us sitting on the sidewalk while he rattled around in the bushes -- well, not so much bushes as little trees without their leaves on them, but you get the idea. He was "geocaching." I think it helps to have thumbs if you want to do that. And a Gee Pee Ess receiver, whatever that is.

Anothernother weird thing is that our blogfriend Mindy is getting her Peeps all ready for Easter, and that got The Alpha excited. He says there's going to be a Peeps experiment this weekend at the fire pit. Mainly the fire pit means "stay away, dogs, because your tail fur might get burned." But dogs are supposed to stay at the edge of the firelight anyway. It is our heritage.

So, that's what we've been doing tonight. How about you?

German Dog, Texas Snow

The Typist started playing with Movie Maker tonight, right after I played in the snow. And so, I present my first short-form documentary:



You know, The Boy decided later that he liked the snow after all. So we had The Alpha throw snowballs for us to catch. We never could find them when we dropped them, though. Strangest thing.

The Middle Name Game

Diane (Scout's mom) tagged me for a meme that uses your middle name.

I'm glad I have a middle name. Not all dogs have them. My middle name is Poppy. It's because of some silly video game The Alpha used to play, but it's also nice that a poppy is a flower. And around our house, it means a puppy, but all grown up.

Here are the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person (or blogger of another species) for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

P is for Pretty. There's no doubt about it, I'm a good-lookin' dog.

O is for Overjoyed, because I have a really sweet deal here with my family! Sometimes they tell me to get a job and pull my own weight, but I know they don't mean it.

P (this time) is for Prissy. I don't like to admit it, but there it is all the same.

P (again!) is for Protective. I do a lot of good guarding work, even when nobody wants me to.

Y is for "YES! What is it?" Which is what I answer every time I hear a question that starts with, "Cub, do you want a..."

And, I tag Whistle, Tiria, Molly, Phoebe, and Grendel, who has had a surprise houseguest this week.

Six random things

LawAndGospel tagged us for a meme! The rules are:
--Link to the person who tagged you. (done)
--Post the rules on your blog. (here they are)
--Share six non important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (we'll do three each, since we were both tagged)
--Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (we've tagged folks on this one before, so we'll just let you decide if you want to play...)
--Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. (Let us know if you play by leaving a comment!)

So here are the six non-important things/habits/quirks about me/us:

The Typist's turn:
1) When I give Cub and Angus good-dogs-go-out treats, I like the treats to be the same color. The Alpha makes fun of me for this, and I don't blame him.

2) I knitted a hat for the first time last weekend (thankfully, the yarn is pretty forgiving). It was a baby hat to match a blanket I'd done for a friend, and can be worn cuffed or un-cuffed:

3) I've watched more DVDs this weekend than I had so far all year.

Cub's turn:

1) The Alpha cut my toenails today. I was very good, and I got a treat after each paw was done (and all the treats were the same color).

2) During my nap today, I was chasing bunnies.

3) I have a habit of going On Patrol in the back yard. I cover the perimeter, then I sit sentry by the back gate. Sometimes a motorcycle goes by in the alley and I yell at it.

Oh, I got it. Yes, I did.

So, tonight we were going round and round and round the living room playing "Get him," which I usually do pretty well, but tonight I got The Boy very, very well! I got him so good that I took the bluebell right out of his mouth! No, I didn't knock it out and then pick it up. I took it. With my pointy teeth.


It's mine now.

See me with it?

I surprised The Boy and The Alpha (and myself a bit, too, honestly!). When The Typist got home, she called it a smackdown.

A Heavenly Friday Five

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Singing Owl writes:

I am in Seattle assisting with family stuff and preparing to attend a memorial service (Saturday) for my sister who died of complications of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

I am not grieving much, since the shock and tears and goodbyes and losses have been many and have occurred for a long time now. I am mostly relieved that my wonderful sister and best friend is free from pain and confusion, and I am thinking of eternity. That sounds somber, but I don't mean it to be. I decided to have a little fun with the idea. So how about we share five "heavenly" things? These can me serious or funny or a combination of the two.

First, prayers for Singing Owl, who has been through a very long goodbye because of her sister's Alzheimer's disease. And thankfulness that Darlaine is now free from it.

Now, we haven't played Friday Five in a while, so we're doing a tandem play!

What is your idea of a heavenly (i.e. wonderful and perfect):

1. Family get-together
The Typist: Vacations with The Alpha. Time with Super-Niece, made more precious now that she's even further away for grad school. Little moments that pass by so quickly you barely recognize them.
Cub: Everybody on the couch! Sometimes The Boy will climb on The Alpha's or The Typist's lap (or both) and let me stretch out a bit, which is nice.

2. Song or musical piece The Typist: Oh, this is too difficult! I really loved the last concert I attended, though, so I'll say something by Terri Hendrix.
Cub: I'm not that big on specific music, but I think it's heavenly when the band The Typist is in gets together at my house.

3. Gift
The Typist: Our trip to Alaska was a gift The Alpha and I gave each other for our 10th anniversary. Amazing and wonderful.
Cub: SQUIRRELY! The Boy and I each got another one for Christmas.

4. You choose whatever you like-food, pair of shoes, vacation, house, or something else. Just tell us what it is and what a heavenly version of it would be. The Typist: Back to Alaska, please. But we can skip Fairbanks this time and go inside the Arctic Circle instead. And I really missed my dogs for those 10 days, so it'd be heavenly if they could come, too.
Cub: You know, things are pretty good around here. I'll just leave it at that.

5. And for a serious moment, or what would you like your entrance into the next life to be like?

What, from your vantage point now, would make Heaven "heavenly?" The Typist: It's a very small piece of it that I'm sharing... my mom there to greet me, no longer allergic to anything, especially not animals, many of which she loved but couldn't be around. She would've loved Cub, but probably wouldn't have been able to spend more than a few minutes in a house where a dog lived.
Cub: All my favorite thumb-havers, of course, which is a lot of them, and my friends who have gone on... especially Lady.

Scout gave me an award!

My friend Scout gave me this award! Isn't it nice of her? I've always thought I was special, but it's nice to know others think so, too.

And another cool thing about this award is that I get to share it! So I give the So Special Award to Zorra and Amie, and Princess Mindy (who got some wonderful PantiPalooza publicity this week), and Spooky, a cat who has started coming by to visit my blog lately. (I'm not very good with cats in real life, so I try to be extra-nice to them on my blog.)

I made The Typist help me give out my awards before she left this morning for a very long day. I don't like it when she's gone for very long days, especially when it's supposed to be her work-from-home day, where she sits at the computer and I come up and she pets me. And I hear tomorrow will be another very long day away from me, too. I don't know what it means to interview candidates for bishop, or what a bishop even is, but it seems like it probably won't be much fun if The Typist can't hang out with dogs while she's doing it. I'm just sayin'.

Adventures of last night

Last night, The Boy and I got a big walk, and then a ride!

First, The Alpha and The Typist left in our car, and we stayed in the back yard. Not unusual. But what was different was that when they came back, they came in through the front door, and without our car! Then they fed us supper. (I could tell they'd already eaten because I could smell beef.)

So, after a little while they took us for a walk, but not our usual route. At first we thought we were going to get to go to the Magic Treat Window, but we walked right past that place. Instead, we went past a pond and over a bridge and across quite a few streets (I lost count because it was more than four), and before we knew it, we were at a place with lots of cars, including ours! We could also smell beef, so we were pretty sure they'd had their thumb-haver supper in the same area. That, and they said something about walking it off being a good thing.

We hopped in our car for our ride, and we rode... right back home! It didn't take long, but it was still fun. After all, walks and rides are two of the best things a dog can get, and last night, we got them both!

Didja see the big game?

Watching the Puppy Bowl was great yesterday!

Our favorite player, Bruin the Alaskan Malamute, didn't get MVP, but that's only because some silly thumb-havers Just Didn't Get how Cool he was. Maybe they thought he was too big for a puppy. But that's how big he is, even though he's young!

We did some playing of our own, too, but it was nice to get some napping in while the young pups frolicked.

The Alpha and The Typist especially liked the Bowl Cam. (We are not getting a camera in the bottom of our water bowl here. That would be a little too much for The Boy to handle.)

My special menu

I have an update on my special menu: I don't like yogurt anymore.

I decided not to like it when I saw how many big tubs of yogurt The Alpha brought home. I mean, if you can get that much of it, how is it special?

So, I'm letting The Boy have the yogurt now. I still like cottage cheese, though.

A memory of Lady

In the comments on my last post, The Alpha wrote: Cub, you need to tell everyone about the time Lady came to visit and you were both left in the kitchen for a few hours, and how you both made an escape and noted your displeasure with the situation. It was ... memorable.

You know, there are some secrets that I prefer to keep. One of those secrets is exactly how Lady and I got out of the kitchen that night. Let's just say that I was already taller than Lady, but much younger with practically no street smarts. This was more than 7 thumb-haver years ago, so I was still a pup. The Alpha and The Typist and Lady's thumb-havers think Lady was the brains of the operation, and I was the muscle. But I'm not talkin'.

When the thumb-havers got back from their late-night gallivanting at some place that doesn't allow dogs, Lady and I had made our statement. We made it by going through the trash cans and decorating the floor with what we found -- something I've never done since (it was a very special occasion).

And, on the carpet... right in the middle of the carpet... we left a very special statement that explained what we thought about Getting Left.

The thumb-havers marveled at the size of our statement, and concluded we only could have created such a huge statement by working together. Then they cleaned it up.

Again, I will not reveal the secret. But I will say Lady was one smart mutt.

In Memoriam: Lady

Before I was born, Lady was The Best Dog Ever.


Lady was the dog who helped The Typist want to have a dog of her own. And so, when I showed up, she was ready to say yes.

Late last night, Lady went on. We don't really know how old she was, but The Alpha and The Typist knew her for about 11 thumb-haver years.

She was a Great, Great Dog.

Rest well, Lady.

Day-Making Award

Spooky gave me an award! It's the You Make My Day Award. Which made my day! Here it is:


The award says you're supposed to give the award to 10 other bloggers, but as you may remember, I run out of counting paws at four. So, I give the award to:

Zorra, who prays for me a lot. (Her dog Amie is the same breed as The Boy, which is how we met.)

Mid-Life Rookie, who is way nice to me, even though dogs pretty much freak her out. She knows how much The Typist loves me, which helps. (Also, she and The Typist got really excited this morning because a bishop commented on MLR's blog. I don't get it, and neither does The Alpha, but MLR and The Typist assure us it's a very cool thing.)

Grendel, who spreads the word that Gravy is Love.

Molly, who started visiting my blog a long time ago and is a great blogpal (although I think if we met in person I might be scared because she's taller than me).

I have other blogfriends who make my day, too, so if you want to give out the award, consider yourself tagged!

Calm, for a change

That's how things have been around here the last few days! We like that!

The Boy has been back to his normal level of goofy all week (in fact, that picture in the last post was taken Saturday afternoon, well after the 1 a.m. incident -- see? he's fine).

I'm feeling pretty well, too. We like days that The Typist would describe as "typical," and we've had a few of them in a row.

Lots of you thumb-havers who pray for dogs have come by here lately, and I really do appreciate it. Would you do me another prayer favor? Please go to Zorra's blog and pray for Amie, who is the same kind of dog as The Boy. She has a big test tomorrow like I had a while back. I hope they don't shave her belly as much as they shaved mine -- I was chilly for a few days!

(Zorra and The Typist know each other through RevGalBlogPals. What a great bunch of thumb-havers they are. We've even met some of them. Mary Beth let us hang out in her flower beds when we went to see her.)

Guest Blogger: The Boy

How To Get Attention When Another Dog Has Been Getting More Than Her Share Lately
By The Boy
Guest Blogger

Step 1: Wait until just after 1:00 in the morning.

Step 2: Have a seizure. Grand mal, if you can manage it. I'm new at this, but my effort did not go unnoticed.

Step 3: Let a thumb-haver scritch you behind the ears for, like, an hour.

That worked pretty well!

Tagged for my 250th post!

Yes, we all know I can't count past 4 because I run out of paws after that, but The Typist says 250 is a lot of blog posts (even if she did throw in a few without me). So, happy 250th post to me!

For this special occasion, I've been tagged by my friend Rowan. Here's how it works:

- Link to the person/dog that tagged you.
- Post the rules on your blog.
- Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (I really like this idea, because we have had way too many important things going on around here lately, and it wears a girl out!)
- Tag six people and at the end of your post, link to their blogs.
- Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1) I'm not really ready to go to sleep for the night until I have a nice big sigh. Sometimes The Alpha and The Typist sigh after I do. They are mocking me, but I don't mind.

2) I like being a groupie. The band was over again tonight, so I got to hang out with them. The Boy doesn't like being a groupie so much. He usually hides under the coffee table or back in the bedroom.

3) My licking speed is so fast (Fastest Tongue in the West, they call me) that I can sometimes lick things thumb-havers would rather not have me lick, like their teeth and their eyeballs. I licked Miss Julie's teeth today. She was very surprised!

4) There's a couch in the den where I'm only allowed to sit on one end of it. But I like the other end better, and that's where I go when nobody's looking.

5) I like licking the holes in the compost bin. The Typist thinks this is disgusting and it gives me bad breath. She just doesn't get it.

6) I think any time is a good time for some yogurt. It's my favorite thing in my new menu. Except maybe the chicken. Or the cottage cheese.

I'm tagging... anyone who wants to play! Thumb-havers, dogs, other RevGalPetPals. Just let me know if you decide to play.

The Cub Report(er)

The Typist says there's not much journalistic integrity in reporting on yourself. But as a dog, I don't think I'm aiming too high anyway, so here goes:

After I finally finished being woozy from yesterday (I napped hard all day and last night!), I had the seizure this morning -- the one I meant to have at the special vet's office like I did before, but they drugged me up before I got the chance. So I went ahead and got it out of my system after breakfast.

But don't I look good this evening?


(Sorry for not smiling. I'm trying to look professional and stuff. Which is hard to do when there's a cardboard box and a red teddy bear sticking out from behind your head.)

Now I feel pretty good! I've been playing, and chasing The Boy, and Aunt Lidna came over to pet me, and I got so excited I squeaked a few times.

And I hear that I get some new kinds of food for breakfast tomorrow. Including that stuff called pumpkin that Amie told me about.

Thank you all for the praying and for the sweet comments! I'd lick you all if I could. Instead, I'll settle for licking The Alpha and The Typist. Because they let me.

Woozy day...

Well, I had an odd morning... glad I'm home. I'm still kinda..huh... from whatever needle they put in me at the special vet. Then The Typist came back and rescued me. I'd like another nap in a minute... I didn't want anything to eat until after my all-day nap, but when I was ready I got fed a lot!

Thank you for praying for me!

The Alpha and The Typist are talking about my food. They've been looking at something new. Amie will be happy because it has pumpkin!

Just couldn't do it.

Hi -- The Typist here. I sat on the waiting room floor with a shaking Cub for 25 minutes. I got her all checked into the surgery center, paid for and everything. I went out to the car and called The Alpha with my doubts... for instance, they didn't tell us until this morning that with the exploratory surgery necessary for this type of biopsy, she would definitely have to stay overnight, possibly two nights. Quality of life for The Cubbins would've taken a major downturn for a while, even after she got home. We talked it over (yet again!) and decided that if we can keep her at her current level of functioning, attitude, and behavior, then we shouldn't subject her to major surgery just to find out that we still don't really know much more, and confirm that we almost certainly can't do anything different to fix her problem.

So I walked back into the surgery center and got my girl back. Surprisingly, I got a full refund, too, even though they'd already given her a sedative and had to give her something else to counteract it before I took her home.

Going to work now. Still feeling sad that I can't help my girl get all better, but knowing that a solution wasn't likely to come of this experience anyway, I'm feeling good about the fact that I haven't subjected her to an unnecessary major surgery.

Thank you all for your prayers. I felt them.

S'picious...

I've heard some things today. Things about me not getting breakfast tomorrow (although I did get an extra big supper with more Egg Love). And about that specialist vet. And about something called a biopsy. Will all of you who are praying for me please keep it up?

In other news, The Typist says I was a groupie today and yesterday. I don't know what that means. All I did was hang around the band when they were all over here playing with their noisy stuff. I made sure every one of those thumb-havers had a chance to give me a good ear-scritching or two. Mid-Life Rookie's guy G&T was here. I licked G&T's hands while he was playing, and The Typist told me to stop, but G&T said it was okay for me to get in some "guitar licks."

Almost time for bed... all that company gets me worn out!

New year resolutions Friday 5

Sally over at RevGalBlogPals writes: Well it had to be didn't it, love them or hate them I bet you've been asked about New Year resolutions. So with no more fuss here is this week's Friday Five:

(It'll be a tandem play for us this week -- good thing, because it's been a while since either of us played!)

1. Do you make New Year resolutions?
The Typist: I used to, but I've been trying to stay away from them.
Cub: I have made and kept resolutions in the past, but I don't feel the need to be so formal this year. My fellow RevGalDogPal Scout says it well: "Silly! Dogs don’t have New Year’s resolutions! We live in the moment. We don’t regret the past. We don’t hope to do better. We know we are always doing our best."

2. Is this something you take seriously, or is it a bit of fun?
The Typist: Well, if I make a resolution it can be any time of year, and yes, I'd take it seriously. But for New Year stuff, nothing special. For a bit of fun, though, Questing Parson has a nice set of resolutions this year.
Cub: As a dog, there's not much that I take too seriously.

3. Share one goal for 2008.
The Typist: To behave at General Conference in a manner that honors God and my fellow delegates.
Cub: To be the best girl I can be.

4. Money is no barrier, share one wild/ impossible dream for 2008.
The Typist: Using about twice the vacation time I have available so I could not only go to the RGBP Big Event and GC2008, but also to things I've had to skip this year, like Perkins Theological School for the Laity, various locations in Alaska, and a visit to my niece in graduate school. And, while we're dreaming, have Cub with me at all of those things.
Cub: Frosty Paws every single day!!!!

5. Someone wants to publish a story of your year in 2008, what will the title of that book be?
The Typist: Confessions of a Church Nerd: Admitting That Following My Instructions Wouldn't Fix Everything
Cub: Bad Liver, Good Life: One Dog's Journey With the Thumb-Havers Who Would Do Anything For Her

Quincy's meme

Hi -- The Typist here, having been tagged by Law And Gospel, who writes: Dave over at Here I Stand posted on a sad note, that they had to put Quincy, the family dog, to sleep. Certainly, we pray for Dave and the family because we all know that pets are people too. Their stories are our stories. One thing that can guarantee good conversation is a sharing of the antics of our animals. So, in honor of Quincy and all of our animal companions past and present, I thought I would post a couple pet antics from our house and create a new meme.

1. What is an amusing anecdote about a pet friend in your life (past or present)?
When we brought Angus, a.k.a. The Boy, home, we pulled a fast one on Cub: we had some friends bring The Boy in through the front door instead of bringing him in from the garage as if he had arrived with us (which he had). She thought she was getting someone to play with for a little while, which was cool. Then our friends went home -- without The Boy. For the next 48 hours, Cub would stare at him, then at us, as if to say, Wasn't he supposed to be leaving? But things settled in after a while, and they're quite the pair these days.

2. What is a gift a pet gave to you when you really needed it?
There's nothing like a muzzle-nuzzle and a cuddle from a dog who understands that you're sad or upset. She may not understand why you're the way you are, but she knows how to be present with you and comfort you.

3. Share a picture of one or more of your pets - extra points for amusing photos.
I just happen to have a new amusing photo of Angus, a.k.a. The Boy, from our New Year's Eve celebration:

We were all hanging out around the fire pit, and he got thirsty. It was only ginger ale and pomegranate juice, or I wouldn't have let him drink it. (Certainly not with the existing canine liver problems in this household.)

And, just because she was so cute we could hardly stand it, here's a picture from the day we got Cub:


Isn't that sweet enough to rot your teeth?

Big grown-up Cub is having a liver biopsy on Monday. Please pray for her, if you're the kind of person who prays for dogs. (And if you're not the kind of person who prays for dogs... just don't tell me that, okay? I'd rather not know.)

Gracious God, we thank you for all of your creation. We especially thank you for the animals that grace our lives. May we learn the unquestioning love they share with us. Bless all of our pets, and those who care for them. Amen.

Now, I tag... Janie, Mary Beth, and SpookyRach.