Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for so much.

First in my heart will always be my darling boy, who has grown into a kind and thoughtful man who (thankfully) doesn’t seem to share my penchant for anxiety.  The dog is a close second–shh, don’t tell her that!

I have a job I’m learning to love.  (Teaching kindergarten is my superpower!) My little students are exhausting but exhilarating.  In just a few weeks of school, they’re already learned so much.  Everyday we’re together, they make me a better teacher.  If you’re not inspired by a room full of five year-olds, you’re beyond help.

I have a cozy little house with enough closet space and room for friends.

My fridge is always full, and between Netflix, my overflowing bookcase and a couple of Soduko books, I’m never bored.

Best of all, I’m looking forward to the future.  (I’m already planning where to put the Christmas tree!)

It’s been a tough road, but I came through the darkness, and I’ve reached the light.  (And the divorce is finally final!!!)

And Penny…she’s just thankful for the electric fire.

 

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To Sir, With Love

Because Tom Jones is way too awesome for just one post…

Five highlights from my up close and personal Tom Jones experience:

5:00 AM–the time I had to get up to drive my Boy to work the morning  after Tom.  (TGFA–Thank God for Advil)

4 glasses of wine on concert night.  While I admit my alcohol consumption may have enhanced my concert experience, I’m adamant it had no bearing on #3 below.

3 cups of coffee I spilled over the weekend–two of them on my long-suffering friend, D.  Oops!

2 new tricks mastered by the dog while I was away–howling outside my bedroom door and dragging my dirty laundry around the apartment.

1 super duper star–Sir Tom Jones.

It’s Always the Little Ones

There was a huge, placid dog in the front yard.

He watched silently as I passed.

Suddenly he barked.

His voice was high-pitched and yappy.  Not at all like I’d expect a pony-sized canine to sound.

I looked back…and understood.

The gentle giant wasn’t alone.  He had a loud little friend.

Why is it always the little ones who make all the noise?

 

Chihuahua School

Whenever I’m worried, anxious, stressed, or otherwise out of sorts, I can’t sleep.

Penny, on the other hand, never struggles with insomnia.  She falls asleep as soon as she finds a cozy spot.  And she wakes up unfailingly cheerful and ready for her next adventure…no coffee required to turn on her engine.

I could learn a lot from my dog.

It Must be True

I picked up this nifty little sign up at the thrift store.

It must be true because it’s painted on a block of wood.

(Sorry, cat people.)

When Good Dogs Go Bad

So, I think my Chihuahua tried to kill me last night…

I put the bath mat on the floor before I went in the shower.  Climbing out, I took a huge step, expecting some traction from the mat.

Instead my wet foot slid across the bare slippery floor, and this girl who never advanced beyond a beginner level yoga class came close to doing the splits.

Confused about the missing bath mat, and slightly shaken by my near fall, I heard a snort in the bedroom.

I discovered the missing bath mat.

You can’t see it in the photo, but my little bath mat thief is grinning…in a threatening manner.

I knew I shouldn’t have told her she’s in my will.

You’re in Luck!!!

Chirpy Receptionist:  Hello! Sechelt Animal Hospital!

Me:  Do you have any appointments today?

CR:  You’re in luck!  We’ve just had a cancellation!  What’s the problem?

Me:  My dog has diarrhea.

CR:  Oh–that’s too bad!  Can you bring in a sample?

Me:  Sure–there’s still quite a bit crusted on the car’s upholstery.

Friends, the word of the day is:  why me???

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

So…Monday was Thanksgiving.

I love Thanksgiving.

It’s the first long weekend of the school year (yay!), we’re into cozy sweater weather (cardigans–yippee!), there’s government-sanctioned family time (stat holiday–woo hoo!) and…turkey!!!

This year I was alone…for the first time ever.

My boy was going to come, but decided to wait for Reading Break next month because it’s a couple of days longer.

It’s fine.  I get it, but it did make for a long and gloomy holiday weekend.

I had to dig deep to find things for which I’m thankful.  (Other than a roof over my head, food in my tiny bar fridge and living in a safe and peaceful community…)

Here are the things that make my life a little brighter during difficult times:

The dog, for sure.  Her anxiety has been a challenge, but after a turkey, she is the animal I most want to spend Thanksgiving with.

My friends.  Do I wish they lived locally?–of course! But for once, technology is helping, rather than making my life more complicated, and it’s fairly easy to keep in touch.  (Last night N and I Skyped for two and a half hours!  It was a flashback to our multi-hour high school phone calls.)

And…that’s all I’ve got this morning.

Maybe it’s enough for now?

 

Dog Days of Summer

Ugh–someone is having trouble settling into her new digs.

By trouble, I mean she barks and whines anytime I leave her alone for more than about a minute.

A small dog with issues is able to achieve an impressive volume level.

Since the cottage isn’t particularly sound proof, I have to go to work and it’s too hot to leave her in the car while I toil to put a roof over our heads, this means I have trouble, too.  Big trouble.

I’m a believer in the power of the professional so we went to Penny’s least favourite place–the vet.

Apparently all the recent changes have proved to be too much for her small canine brain to process.  Just sending our beloved boy off to university was likely enough to upset her equilibrium, never mind everything else we’re enduring.

I’m grateful the vet and her staff didn’t judge me for raising a neurotic dog.  Instead, they provided hand-outs on dealing with separation anxiety in dogs and the golden ticket–pharmaceuticals.

Penny has some low-dose tranquilizers to get her through the rough first days of work.  I, on the other hand, will be dealing with all the stress of a new job on my own.

We also have a bottle of artificial dog pheromones to spray on her bed to relax her.  Apparently, it smells like a mother dog, which I suppose would be calming for a dog who is feeling abandoned.

The best news is the spray won’t cause me to start licking myself and humping strangers’ legs as it has no affect on humans.  (Yes, I had to ask.)

In the event none of this helps my little friend, the vet clinic can offer her doggy day care so at least she’s not pissing off the neighbours with her incessant barking.

Why does everything have to be so difficult?