Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at eclecticali.wordpress.com!
I hope you don’t mind being sniffed! My dog is very curious around new people. Don’t worry about setting your coffee down; he has never tried to get into my cup and seems to understand the need to sit around and take one’s time with a cup of java.
Life has been busy like usual, but I had some time with old friends Thursday at dinner, and then Friday was a day off from work, so I had lunch with some old friends who have now retired, and we did a little shopping. It was a slightly indulgent day, but the best part was the laughter! I really enjoyed myself.
When I got home, my dog came running to the door to see me, as always. He manages to always make me feel loved and missed. Tomorrow, it will have been four years since we adopted this furry bundle of fun and days later, were allowed to bring him home!
It was Nov. 11, 2014. Work was super-stressful for me. My son was going through some personal trouble and had dropped out of college for the first time. He was not working and seemed depressed most days. I was feeling inadequate as a mom. I’d write poems now and then to express my feelings, but nothing longer than that. I had stories inside of me but didn’t know which story I could share with the world, or how. My hand and arm would get sore from typing I did at work; I wasn’t sure I’d ever write the way I wanted to. I’d thought of having a dog before, but the thought of having another mouth to feed and a living thing that needed attention just seemed like nothing but another responsibility. Still, my son was alone at home during the day, and people with dogs looked so happy and active.
So, Mom and I talked about it a lot. She went with my son and found the sweetest dog in the puppy room. He wasn’t a puppy, but rather three years old, and just too small for the big dog area. Mom came home and said she was in love. If we got a dog, she really wanted Bixby. So, having a day off on Veteran’s Day and with Jacksonville Humane Society running an adoption special, I took my son up there to see this dog. Mom was at work. Guess what? She was right. He was special, and such a sweet dog. The sign said “pomeranian mix.” It was mostly in his tail. 🙂 He was skinny with a choppy haircut. The worker lifted him out of the cage; he seemed scared. We got into a visiting room, and he sniffed like crazy, then peed on the floor. I started the paperwork. He let me hold him briefly, then got up to pee on the floor again.
Upon meeting: Skinny, curious, and a little hopeful but unsure.
I’d have to wait two days, because he was on a stray hold. I requested the neutering, and they’d give him any other shots, etc. I hated leaving there without a dog, but going back was exciting! I’d already bought a leash, but learned it was not a good leash, so they gave me a plain, cloth leash. I paid at the checkout, and my son held the dog. He was an excited and scared canine. “Get me out of here!” “Wait, where are we going? Is it better there?” And then there was a defensive pit behind the cashwrap next to the cashier who barked back and forth with my dog and even lunged a little. It had been abused and her hair was following out, due to stress, the cashier said. I don’t think it would have fared well out with all the other barking dogs. Poor girl. We held on tightly to our new dog. Finally, we were leaving, and I had to let him down to walk, but it was awkward with him on a leash. Maybe he wasn’t used to one.
We came home and surprised my mother. (The three of us live together). “Oh, Mom, I have to show you something.” The dog, sniffing around like crazy. My mom was so ecstatic when she saw him. He was sickly for a few days, maybe due to the switch of dog food or the neutering procedure, but we gelled as a family. I took to walking him and being awakened at sunrise by the dog to take him out to water his favorite lamp post. The fresh air was good; seeing sunrise was wonderful. Walking him at night was good exercise. I really enjoyed this. There are three of us here, so I usually only walk him once a day now. It seems I was able to handle the responsibility; I just needed to make room in my life and in my heart for this. I think it made my heart bigger.
My son did not take to the dog ecstatically; it was just another responsibility. A few times, he asked why I wanted a dog. I told him it was fun, and it was. Our first time at the dog park months later was the cutest thing. Bixby loved it, but my son just took a long walk. Now, years later, he plays with the dog more, and if asked, he will walk him. He smiles when playing with the dog and when hold the leash if we go to the trails to walk. It obviously has enriched his life as well. The dog will be in my mom’s room at bedtime, and sometime in the middle of the night, he seems to end up on my bed. I tell people he loves us equally. He has two mamas to spoil him, and my son to play rough with, as well as my boyfriend who loves to play chase with him but also will stroke his belly. Bixby will stay still at least an hour for a good belly rub.
Winter fur. We normally keep him trimmed! 🙂
Since getting the dog, I have added several other things to my life, such as service to my church and writing and self-publishing. I think getting Bixby was just the start of it, helping me to say “Yes, I can do this” and to make time for wonderful things that are rounding out my life and who I am as a person.
So, this ends my dog-centered Weekend Coffee Share. My Cold brew Con Leche was delicious. I hope you have enjoyed your choice of java as well. My dog is currently at the front window, guarding me from whoever had just walked by. You’ve got to appreciate their efforts to love us, calm us, and protect us.
Bixby is the star of my short book, From Lost to Loved, a Stray Dog’s Tale. I tried to imagine why such a great dog would ever be a stray. It makes a great gift in paperback for doglovers young or old (Age 8 to 98+), and has a happy ending. If you want to read it first on your own, it is in Kindle for free for a limited time. Find your Kindle copy or order a paperback at: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Loved-Stray-Dogs-Tale-ebook/dp/B073XTV2JF
A wonderful experience of combining two things I really love! Have a great week!
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Written June, 2014. Ready to share~
pamelascanepa 