Today is my birthday. I am 10 years old today. Or thereabouts. Mom doesn't really know the exact date of my birth, since I came from the shelter and you know how THAT goes. We just guesstimated about how old I was and counted backward from there. I could be younger. In fact, I'm sure that I AM younger, but try telling anyone that. Mom insists on having a date so we can celebrate. Oh joy. If there is headgear involved, don't call me. HATS are ok. In fact, I already have a pawty hat from my pals Jarvis and Diablo Davis. So just keep the silly, goofy birthday headbands with strange bits and knobs waving all around on your own head, 'k? Do I look like an alien baby to you?? Ahem...as if that were not bad enough to anticipate, it is raining today. Has been all night. And not just rain. THUNDERstorms. I hate thunder. I know, I know, by now I should have learned that it is just noise and isn't actually going to come into my house and kill me. Or so they say. At any rate, I spent a good part of the night panting and pacing. Dad won't allow me up on the bed, so I couldn't get to mom. Then I had a brilliant idea. I'd crawl UNDER the bed, right underneath mom. That way I'd be close and she could be between me and the murderous demons out there. It was a bit tight, as dad has some boxy things under there too (Mom calls them guitar boxes, whatever that is). With some effort and a bit of banging and thumping around, I was able to get on top of one of them and get securely wedged in. Actually it felt pretty good. I could still hear the demons but didn't think they could get to me. What I failed to take into account was getting out. Somehow, getting IN was not a problem. But when I tried to get out, legs and elbows and paws and the noggin seemed to keep bumping into things. I tried stretching one leg out behind me and pulling another leg in and around--no, that didn't work. Maybe if I fold this leg under me and turn my head THAT way...arrgh. So there was nothing for it. I had to whine for mom. She jumped out of bed and peered under at me, and I could just tell she was trying not to laugh. I'm not sure how she managed it, but she pushed that box thing around and gave me space to slip off onto the floor. I shook my head and stalked out, trying to pretend nothing unusual had happened. In fact, I attempted to turn the focal point to the major dust bunnies under there, but I'm afraid it is hopeless.
Mom was feeling a little sad tonight--dare I say blue??--as was I, after Bou going to the Bridge and the news about Ernie George getting ready to go to the Bridge. But the thing about the Bridge is that it is the RAINBOW Bridge, which, as anyone who has ever seen a rainbow can tell you, must be quite a beautiful place. Me and mom have found that we can find some peace in reading lovely quotes and seeing beautiful pictures, so we went looking for some tonight. This is one that we found, that we'd not read before, and what it brings to mind did put a smile on our faces, even on this sad day. So we hope this will bring a smile to you also, no matter what you are facing.
"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination." ~Robert Fulghum
Dogster Obsessions: The Starter Kit for Dogs by Wildebeest
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