Love

He was just a little thing, black and fuzzy with perky ears and liquid brown eyes. She was just a little thing, too, with curly strawberry blonde hair and pink cheeks and shining blue eyes. They tumbled one over the other, flashes of black and blonde and blue jeans rolling over the grass. Quiet little yips and boisterous giggles abounded as they played together with abandon. Finally they both came to a rolling halt, breathing in huffs and gasps, one with her hands resting on her heaving stomach, the other's tongue lolling out of his puppy grin.

A girl and her dog, love at first sight. He was rescued from the local SPCA shelter, just a pup reaching the leggy, playful stage of youth. Why had his family given him up? Such a beautiful, shiny black coat, with a bushy, curly tail and those soulful eyes. His chin had a small patch of white fur just below his lip, as if he had been dipping into a bowl of cream and was caught just after licking his upper lips. Such a sweet puppy, not wild or nippy with a grasping preschooler. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged with all the love she could hold, and his jaw opened in that familiar grin before he licked her cheek full-on. She pushed back, giggling and sputtering and wiping her face with an "ewwww, pup!" They played for hours outside, simply entertained with chasing and wrestling each other.

She was so used to his friendly, easygoing nature that it came as a shock when one day he grabbed her shirt and pulled hard against her. Chubby hands pushed against his clenched teeth, but a low growl sounded instead of his usual yips. Her face showed shock and dismay, eyes wide open and pooling with tears as she tried to pull away from this new and upsetting animal. As hard as she pulled, he pulled harder and more insistently, twisting and turning to gain purchase against the ground. She didn't know what to do, what was wrong that her playmate had become so angry, so she stopped where she stood and let out a wail. He took advantage and let go, pushing his muzzle against her back and sending her over her feet in a heap. Then he ran to the mound she had been advancing toward and began to bark frantically.

It was only after the barking and the following yelps of pain that we understood what had happened to change our playful puppy into an unyielding sentinel: a nest of yellow jackets was waiting in that mound which she nearly had stumbled upon. It wasn't irritation with her childish play that had caused his change of attitude, but the presence of danger to one he loved so much. The pup took stings to the snout and ears while trying to chase off the bees and protect his charge, no matter what the cost.

People may talk of "puppy love" derisively, but in this family we know what true puppy love is. The forever-bent ear of our family dog is a testament to his love for his girl, who still curls up next to him, buries her long fingers in his thick black fur, and lays her head next to his, a picture of love and devotion between guardian and precious kept.


This post was written for Bridget Chumbley's "Hoping To Make A Difference… One Word At A Time" Blog Carnival on "Love." For other bloggers' thoughts on what love is, does, or means, please check out the links and Bridget's own post here.

Buried

This last month has been a swirl of things to do, places to go, people to see, and snow, glorious snow. I don't remember when the "Blizzard of '09" hit, but it left us buried more than two feet deep. Thankfully, unlike the snowstorm that came through a week or so before, the power stayed on the entire time, so I didn't have to cook on the woodstove. It is only when the power goes out that one can truly appreciate the wonders of woodheat...otherwise I mutter and glower about bringing wood up in all kinds of cold and messy weather, or poke and prod the less-than-enthusiastic embers and kindling viciously. But when the power is off and silence covers the house inside and out, the woodstove takes its place with the oil lamps as a connection to times past and a much-loved method of survival.

Although we were literally buried in snow, I've been feeling figuratively buried this past month as well. The beginning of the month was filled with a flurry of papers and exams as the semester wound down. A bout with stomach and cold viruses left us up to our eyeballs in chicken soup, crackers, and tea. The bad weather caused a switch to the night shift at the shop for my darling dear, and left us all feeling a bit out of sorts and mentally foggy for days. Candlelighting bled from one night to another, somehow the tree was set up, but none of us could tell you how or when.

And then there were the gifts. The mail carrier knew our house very well. I felt so bad for her that I was compelled to clean the leaves and flower debris from the porch, as well as the detritus of children playing and dropping things where ever they may. When we weren't inundated with packages from online retailers and the National Guard, I was sorting through giftbags and piles of presents meant to bring a smile to the face of teachers, neighbors, friends, and the children. The teetering top of this tower of mayhem was found on the kitchen counter: bags of flour and sugar, chocolate morsels and marshmallow creme, shortening and evaporated milk tins, and the sweetly decorated gift boxes which would house cookies and fudge.

The flurries of fluff whirled into a blizzard of bundling as we hosted a friend for dinner, then braved the wet and wild to three separate family get-togethers over Christmas. Food was shared, children ran and giggled and cooed and were cuddled, and presents found their rightful homes.

Although the month has been full to the bursting with events and deadlines, the final product has made it worth all the hustle, bustle, and fuss. What could be better than being buried in a pile of hugs, smiles, and love...along with the deepest snow in over a decade?


I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and made a mound of memories to carry them through the winter months. Happy New Year!

My First Bloggy Award!

It's been entirely too long since I've blogged...I've thought about it, I've started a dozen blogs in my head while getting ready to leave or driving or washing dishes...but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to the keyboard. I had planned to finally compose something today, when I checked my email and found a sweet message from a dear friend of mine. I've never received a blog award before, although I love to admire the interesting and original ones that are floating around the blogosphere...but lo and behold, my good friend Sarah thought I was deserving of the "Happy 101" award! Apparently, I brighten her day...I hope I manage to do that as well as she brightens mine. ;) Since I can't regift this award to her, I have a special message: Sarah, you are my honorary Happy 101 awardee. You never fail to brighten my day with your beautiful smile and wonderful attitude.

Believe it or not, bloggers don't get to rest happily on their laurels when they receive an award! So here are the (not quite) legally binding rules of the Happy 101:

1) list 10 things that make you happy, and try to do at least one of them today.

2) tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

3) if you are one of those 10 lucky (happy) bloggers who get the award, link back to my blog and create your happy list!


Without further ado, here's my list of ten things that make me happy:
1. Literacy
I would say "books," but without being able to read them I probably wouldn't be quite so happy about them! I love how I can become immersed in such a large variety of topics so quickly. I can never be bored with a book by my side, even if the most interesting part of it is the binding. I've traveled the world, committed great feats of derring do, made new and exciting discoveries, and experienced wonderment and amazement over and over again, thanks to being able to read.

2. Children
Specifically my children...although they do have their moments when I'm straining my patience to its absolute limit, my life wouldn't be complete without my children. They teach me to be more open-minded, less structured, more whimsical, and less hurried. I'll never get over the thrill of seeing my child grasp something new, or the bubbles of laughter I feel when they share their quirkiest thoughts with me.

3. Nature
Living in a rural area makes this one a bit of an easy choice. I feel soothed and refreshed when I'm out and about, listening to the trees murmur in the wind, watching the grasses wave, hearing the cheerful chattering of birds, or smelling a scent of flowers floating on the breeze. I feel embraced by the folds of the mountains and showered with jewels by the changing leaves. Water flowing down its little passages in the woods rushes by with abandon, and the sun's warmth on my face is happiness distilled.

4. Love
Not just the love my husband and I share, but the love I see in my father's ministrations to my dementia-afflicted mother, or the love of a community reaching out to its weakest and most hurt members. I never fail to smile and feel joy when I hear of neighbors helping each other, or when I'm the one who is able to give or receive that expression of love. Love is ever-growing, and is found even in the hardest of times.

5. Friends
They know your story without needing it spun out all over again. They share experiences and pass on new knowledge. They listen through the tears and know when to dispense a close hug or swift kick in the britches. Best of all, they know just what will make you fall down, gasping for breath after laughing a full belly guffaw together.

6. Pets
Of course, for me this means my three compadres, the dogs. Each one has his own unique personality: the independent Jack Russell with an adventurous streak, the sidekick SPCA mix who sticks closer than a brother, and the block-headed, leonine Airedale mix...as blonde as they come, more brawn than brains. Together, they're the perfect storm of flying fur and twisted leashes, but each by himself is ready with a doggy grin, a leaning "hug," or an energetic air kick.

7. Mail
I know, it seems the oddest choice imaginable, but I do live for the connection to the outer world that mail represents. The snowstorm of the weekend has brought that to a screeching halt, and the feeling of being cut-off from letters, cards, even bills, is very disconcerting. That short jaunt down the drive to the mailbox is a miniature moment of anticipation and excitement, never knowing exactly what might be lurking within the metal box. It's like a present to open every government business day.

8. Hot Drinks
It's just a little bit of warm homeyness that can relax, refresh, or reenergize. Fixing a hot cup of coffee in the morning sets a tone of preparedness to meet the day. Brewing a mug of chai tea with milk in the evening warms and soothes away the day. Mulling a batch of spiced cider during the holidays brings back childhood memories with a cheerful scent and taste. A toasty mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows or whipped cream is the perfect thing to wrap cold hands around, getting a little sweetness on the tip of the nose and a sparkle in the eye during the cold winter months.

9. Bread
The crust is golden and crisp, the center warm, soft, and holds a hint of flakiness. Whether it's a braided loaf, rounded rolls, or even puffy biscuits, nothing beats a good piece of homemade bread. I've blogged before about the therapeutic powers of kneading bread; that process is the perfect preparation to the denouement: taking in the swirling tendrils of yeasty-scented steam and drawing the final product from the oven. Too hot to touch, but beckoning with the promise of melting on the tongue...the perfect bit of bread.

10. Change
I'm often afraid of it, fighting it, or ignoring it, but without change I would be bored out of my gourd. Even though change can be negative (bringing loss, hurt, or heartache), it is also positive (bringing excitement, new experiences, and new friends and family). Since we're barreling toward the new year, change is an especially appropriate end to a happy list. Who knows what it will bring next year? Not only can change itself bring happiness, its forerunner is anticipation, and cheerful anticipation can make anyone happy.

Now on to the fun part, my top ten pics to award "Happy 101":
1. Wendy over at Weight...What?
2. Mandi of Mandi Speaks
3. Joyce from This Side of the Pond
4. Katdish with the ever-fascinating Hey Look, a Chicken!
5. Tina of The Homestead Heart
6. Annie, who would love it if you Buzz by Annie's
7. Sherri (who is always) Matter of Fact
8. Dani of Divulge with Dani
9. Julie, another Army Wife
10. Jo over at Mylestones

There are so many more bloggers I would love to give this award to, but then no one else could pass it on! Even if I haven't listed you here, know that reading your blog still brings me joy. Have a heaping helping of happiness!