Lecturing Small Dogs

Yes. The kids. Staring at me like most days. Food? A walk? You can just barely see Charm.

Here she is! She always stays tucked up under my feet JUST IN CASE I drop a crumb of ANYTHING.

This HAS to make you laugh. Immediately after the "you better start doing something with your lives!!" lecture. You can tell it did a LOT of good.

My coffee. My crossword on a clipboard, and YES they are gargoyles at their best!!

The Fantastic Mr. Fox after a solid 30 minutes of guard duty explaining to me why oh why he needs and deserves a treat. Corgis will do ANYTHING for food.

66 degrees and the sun is going down as well as the warmth. That's OK. I am liking the coolness and the shadows these days, even the cold doesn't feel quite as unfriendly which is great, because DANG we are heading into that I better get A LOT of presents and many, MANY happy things better be happening for everyone-ME INCLUDED--YOU INCLUDED season OR ELSE. OK. Now that is decided--oh!!! Because, this time of year is arrrrguably and for some confusing reason my lowest point on the old wheel of fortune but NO!!! Not this year!! I am taking a stand and I am NOT going downhill in any way shape or form--JUST WATCH ME!!! Wow. I don't know where all of that confidence is coming from . . . . . could be the lightness of one less tooth. Now, about lecturing small dogs, the slender kindness thread of life in our community and the world itself actually, and a slap down to AN EXTREMELY FUNNY woman who had better start writing!!! And she can thank me when she steps up to the mike to accept her FUNNIEST WOMAN IN AMERICA screen writer's award!! Here goes: When my Sancho died, my watchdog security and daily Queensland feed of loud barking and tennis ball chasing and general kick it up rowdiness STOPPED and as you well know, the past several months have been largely framed by my grief and challenge in getting over past through beyond that missing and heartache, and sometimes--I lecture my lil dogs. "You have to be the watchdogs now!! Grandpa is gone and I need you! Look sharp! Bark at those people! Bark at those dogs! Bark at that almost full moon!" And here are Fox and Lucky doing their damndest, LOL, high above the street looking like gargoyles and barking like little stage mother prompted maniacs. They are not Sancho, that is true, SIGH, but pretty damn cute in their own right. And check out Charm. Unless there is FOOD in any form attached--she is NOT coming up for air. As watchdogs they tend to leave A LOT desired, but hopefully my oh so sincere lectures will inspire them to bark at imminent danger and not an errant poodle or an argumentative blue jay or stray crumbs. My next incredible September 27 story is one of gratitude and actually, AWE, over just how close and how far we all are--a woman felt very faint and hot and lightheaded at the grocery store and I was so glad to be there and to be able to help her with her wallet and bag and shopping cart and HERE IS THE COOLEST THING--even though all of the idiots on the planet are trying to stir up the various hate pots all around the world right now so that we can all continue living in DEBT and HATE and JUDGEMENT and FEAR--every single customer, bagger, and our checker helped this woman and were SO VERY VERY KIND. It was extremely tender and comforting to witness the genuine concern and empathy for this woman. I asked her what she wanted to do and if there was someone waiting for her at home and YES she had a husband to go to so that was good. I left her with a heartfelt wish for better health and a wonderful evening and she thanked me most sincerely. And how odd--how far--I know that I will never see her again and that close moment, those moments just came and went like all of the others. It was touching and had nothing to do with our daily bombardment of mean spirited people. Everyone was kind. And helpful. And nice. So there, don't you feel better about being in the world? I know I do. Now my last is a pointed comment or few, you know me--why use one sentence when 50 will do? and this is for a woman I know who is a LIGHTENING BOLT of energy (funny) and stories (funny) and one-liners (funny) and personality (funny)--so she had better get off the respective couch and start honing her comedy writing skills because DAMN we need her to do this!!! Like now!! And love always.