Before They Come Into The World

Every morning, Claire and I take Chewy for a brisk morning walk down Truman Street before heading to the bus stop. We walk and talk, pausing to let him sniff the grass and leaves so he can find a place to do his business.


"I know he has to go," Claire said. 
She was smiling at me. 
Chewy was sniffing and circling.
"I have a sense about this." 
"I believe you," I said.
"Well, a dog looking for a place to poop is kinda like a kid looking for the right parents."
"You mean, before they come into the world?"
"Yeah, kinda like that," she said.

Dog In Birthday Hat

happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday, dear chewy
happy birthday to you...

Make A River

"Man, is it raining," I said, "The yard is one giant mud pie. Guys, we can't be throwing the ball to Chewy out there. He's tearing the whole thing up."
"Look at him, Mom," Claire said.


Throw me the ball.
Throw me the ball.
Throw me the darn tennis ball.


Please?


"I should just take him out to the river and let him run. Otherwise the boy is a cuckoo bird," I said, "But I don't feel like driving out there. I have work to do and would rather go out back..."
"Well. We could make a river," Claire said, "It wouldn't be that hard."

At Our Fingertips

Being alive is our invitation to act in fresh, inventive ways. All it takes is concentrating on our inner vision in combination with external reality. The components for accomplishing any task are at our fingertips, awaiting discovery.


Our burdens are lightened when we understand that all situations are resolvable - no mystery need leave us in the dark for long. Just as surely as we each exist, so exists every element we need to solve any problem or chart any new course. 


- from *Mom's Meditation Book


Does this mean that recruiting a family member to walk the dog in the pouring rain this morning was as close as my fingertips? 


And no, I am not giving Chewy the finger. Pinky promise...


*The Promise of a New Day

Around Here

It's around here somewhere...

My Dog Is A Mirror

I was out with Chewy walking in the sun and it really was so beautiful, even with the bloody cold wind, it was still beautiful, and my body felt strong and moving, I was running with him in the snow, and he was very happy, of course. Such freedom. 


I thought, my dog is a mirror for all that I long for: go ahead, sniff that, jump in, go to the edge, dig in, run, chew on tree branches, play, be joyful. Okay, well, maybe not chew on branches. But I sure can gnaw on things for a long time. Years? Even the way he gets all whimpering and staring out the window reminds me of me. Like there's something out there; we'd better check it out. 


So I've vowed to stop yelling at him when he is being his dog-self, to have more compassion and understanding for his wanderlust and joie de vivre. He gets so caught up in happy thoughts, he can't always hear what I'm saying. Anyway, maybe this will translate into me not being so hard on my *wobbly person-self.

The final sweetness was when we were getting in the car. I saw the two eagles, their white heads so clearly visible through the trees. I was too far away to get a picture so I sat quietly and watched them glide over the creek.


Surely, it was a sign.


*read: A Bit Wobbly (Jan. 12, 2011)

The Inside Stuff

Staring out the window is a little like watching a movie. There's the outside stuff: squirrels, sunbeams, leaves, falling snow.


Then there's the inside stuff, a slide show of random images passing through the mind, click click click, on a Sunday morning while I'm curled up on the couch...


The December night Mom died ~


Square dancing with Jeffrey Wheeler in 5th grade ~


Eating three slices of pepperoni pizza like a she-wolf after 24 hours of laboring Jesse into the world ~


Warm hugs, soft kisses kind of thoughts about my husband, then out of the blue, a squealing sharp left turn. Suddenly I feel disconnected and out of sorts with him. Yank the wheel back to love ~


The complete soundtrack to the King and I ~


Such a busy busy mind for a quiet morning. Eventually after enough staring at squirrels and blowing leaves, the heart softens and the mind rests in the present moment, however briefly.


Chewy is a quick study. Two weeks of hanging out with me and he is so down with staring out the window. I haven't a clue what's running through his doggy head but it sure is comforting having another full-time daydreamer in the house.

You Know The Kind

Team Sister (Jesse & Claire) did it again, running their second YMCA 5K. The morning was chilly and clear; perfect running weather. This is a post-race shot with Chewy squeezing in...


It was Chewy's first race, a major socialization experience, hanging on Main Street in a crowd of strangers on a Sunday morning. I'm happy to report he passed with flying colors, calmly sniffing shoes and butts and the occasional friendly hand as we walked him through the crowd. People murmured and smiled over his big ears, but Chewy didn't notice. He was way too busy sticking his nose into a number of dog crotches, tail a-wag-wag-wagging. 


When the church bells rang, precisely at nine, I felt washed in happiness. Something about standing on the curb of Main Street as the runners took off. The crowd cheering, cameras clicking, bells ringing. Shouting to my daughters as they ran by. GO! You can do it! The morning sun on my face, Chewy leaning into my leg. 


It was one of those pure moments. 


You know the kind.

Live Your Gratitude

November 18


Kindness is gratitude in action.


Living Your Yoga: 


What one person, circumstance, or thing are you grateful for today? Express your gratitude quietly to yourself, and then live your gratitude by offering kindness to those you meet throughout your day.


- A Year Of Living Your Yoga 
   by Judith Hanson Lasater


(on the mat with Chewy)