One Full Moon, Eight Dogs, and a Strange Cat

4 a.m. is not a great time to get up. Especially true if there's no sound reason to do so, it tends to make one need more make-up and feel hungry at odd hours. I wish we had a turkey to put in the oven and roast.

Nonetheless, here I am. OK, it's 5 a.m. but I have been awake for an hour, composing this in my mind.

There's a full moon and the dogs know it. All 8 of them (ours plus 3 visitors) and their additional personalities. We know there's a good dog/bad dog for each of them. Who else shows up on these full moon nights? I'll tell you. One new strange, stray, long-haired black cat. Lovely. Just what we need - another reason to be territorial.

And, we all know dogs will go back to sleep instantly, as soon as they get what they want, usually kibble, out, and a little attention. Then they lick themselves inappropriately, drop over on your personal space, and start with what gets us every time, "Oh, look how cute! He's dreaming." or "Aren't her little dream whimpers sweet?" Uh-huh.

But I'm up. I did mention that, didn't I? Short of making coffee or taking a dog for a drive to an all-night store to get the abovementioned turkey, there isn't much else to do other than write in the blog. (Sorry, don't take it personally.)

Actually when you read this you should count your blessings that we haven't crossed paths in some other way. If I go out somewhere today I know at least I, and probably others, will write notes to me and pin them to my shirt so that when I get home I can read them aloud to the four-legged culprits. They all start something like this:
Your person was not in the best of form today. Perhaps a nap, providing a little more sleep, would be beneficial. She seems a bit disturbed and grumpy.

Do yourself a favor. If you see a crazed female who needs a makeover, trolling the grocery store as if she has the blind nibblies, and perhaps even talking to herself and wearing her tee shirt inside out, give plenty of room when nearby.

Beware, one full moon, eight dogs, and a strange cat can play with your mind.

Helen Reddy Got It Right

There are a few blogs I read regularly. At least one disturbs me and one other inspires me. I like being inspired. Isn't it nice? There's a Goethe quote about knowing someone somewhere who makes of this world a garden. That's how this person is. I've never met her. She plants flowers in my garden that otherwise would never grow because we are in different growing regions! But whenever I read her entries I want to write.
I have a friend in MN who brings out the same connectivity even though we haven't seen each other in years. Really. Years. There is another in MO who does so many quirky things I look like a toad sitting still. There are the workers and volunteers at the animal shelter - devotion and sacrifice are their trademarks. And, a cousin in CA who is surrounded by her offspring and their offspring and loves it. These are females. I'm a male-centric female who was surrounded by males in a male-dominated industry so these women are really special. They broke through and reached me.
I moan about and mourn lost friends, gone for a variety of reasons.
Tonight I realize how tied I am to these new and old relationships and how grateful I am for them, how surprised I am by them, what a fool I have been for underestimating them, and how I love them.
I hope everyone is blooming!javascript:void(0)
Thank you. It is time to ROAR!

School Has Started

Our team of volunteers went back to school today to begin the SIT STAY READ program. Each of us takes a dog or puppy from the shelter. Once there we spend an hour having 4th graders read to us. We change readers every 12 minutes.

And, we love it.

The students get to interact with a critter. They work on reading skills; the dogs never critter-cize them! The dogs get some socialization.

Our school has many students who have unfortunate home settings. This is one chance for them to have two breathing souls focus only on them.

I mean in a positive way.

One of my readers today is in a foster home because her biological mother beat the crap out of her. She came to school this year and told her teacher, "This year I'm going to be normal."

Let's hope so.

I Remember When They Asked "Beach Volleyball is an Olympic Sport?

Yes, it seems there was a day when Beach Volleyball was not considered worthy of Olympic game status but it's not a day in the year 2008! I'm not following the men, although I should. But those women ROCK. It may be I skip my book group tonight to see them play. We're reading JANE EYRE.
She never played volleyball anywhere! No doubt the Bronte sisters led much less public lives than the vast majority of females today.



Anyway, I enjoy the games and the commentary about where our tremendous duo goes, that they each got married, etc. It's nice. And we need nice in our lives.

Flex your muscles, ladies! Guys - what can I say? These are exciting times and we should all be excited for each of the athletes and their accomplishments.

When the Games are done I'll go back to reading the Classics.