ABCs of Thanksgiving – D is for Dogs – The Write Side of My Brain

“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.”

Charles M. Schulz

It’s a true story that I spent almost five hours last Saturday deep vacuuming the living room.

I found two or three small dogs.

To be fair, there was probably a cat in there as well.

I love the two goobers that more than fill our house. Even if they did cost me the Gross National Product of a small European nation yesterday at the vet.

The picture above shows all the dogs I’ve loved in my lifetime. I’ve written about each of them here. Links are below.

I didn’t write about Tucker, our collie who ate the neighbor’s lawn furniture. He went to live on a farm when I was just a small child. I only have a couple of memories of him. But I think Tucker, and maybe Lassie, are the reasons I’ve always had a soft spot for collies. Although I’ve never owned one.

The dogs that currently live here now, Nic and Nola, have eaten furniture, books, at least one shoe, and a couple of Christmas stockings, and terrorized the cat.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Although, in fairness, the cat probably deserved it.

It’s also why when a friend was offering her used living room furniture last year, we jumped at the chance to replace ours.

Not all of the cushions have lost corners.

Here’s the thing about dogs. They love unconditionally. All they want is to be near you.

And to be fed and pooped, but then again, don’t we all?

I’ll admit to getting frustrated with them a lot. Especially now that school has resumed and, since I’m still teleworking, I’m the one to gets to make multiple trips to take them out to the backyard.

And it’s true that, because they go crazy with the doorbell, the wife and I sat in the driveway with Halloween candy on Sunday.

We were passing it out. We weren’t just sitting in the driveway eating candy.

That’s another story.

As much as we love the dogs and well, I guess the cat, my wife and I have a no new livestock policy. One day we’ll be happy to visit the grand dogs at their parents’ homes.

But for now, we love them, and they love us right back.

Even when we forget to feed them.

In other news of things to be thankful for, yesterday I had my first follow up visit from the Summer’s Unpleasantness (™). My doctor told me I had “no detectable PSA.” He wouldn’t come right out and say “cancer free” but I’ll take it for now.

I’m thankful. I’m blessed.

I have the dogs to prove it.

Jill – Short Story Friday: The Best Dog