National Mutt Day

We own a dog. Jed is a sweet dog. I enjoy him. As a puppy, he was pretty decent. He didn't chew and ruin much...I think there were three items. He got hit by a car when he was quite young. That solved all of our problems as far as teaching him to stay in the yard. Well, perhaps I should just say it solved the problem of him going into the street.  He is almost seven years old now. What I like best about him and his breed (Brittanies) is that he can turn on his energy when we take him out in the field, but for the most part, he is a pretty calm dog in the house. He doesn't usually bark too much. He will bark to warn us, but that's about it unless there is another dog going crazy. 


This week and for the next two weeks, I will have my sister's dog during the week. I don't remember what breed he is, but safe to say he is a little ankle biter, non-shedding type dog. The difference between the two breeds is amazing. One dog just wants to please, the other is fairly head strong. One dog is content to have some attention, the other thinks the world revolves around him. One dog is content to relax, the other jumps at any sound. I'll bet you can guess which dog is which! 

The most interesting little thing I have noticed though is the "bathroom" time. Jed is content to run out to the edge of our yard and do his business. Pompous little CC, however, is a different story. I began the week taking him out near the road to do his business. It worked okay, but we have since discovered that if we stay closer to the house, we will be successful much faster! It is as though this little dog thinks he is the king and needs everything to just the right specifications. You see, closer to the house there is more privacy. He doesn't need to worry about a car passing, a walker, a biker, or even a car door. Amazing!


When I checked the calendar to see if there were any stand out observances going on, I found that today is National Mutt Day...I didn't know there was such a thing. There is even a web page for it! www.nationalmuttday.com. In order to share with you just what this day is all about, I copied one paragraph from their website: 
   
National Mutt Day was created in 2005 by Celebrity Pet Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate Colleen Paige, and is all about embracing, saving and celebrating mixed breed dogs. The biggest percentage of dogs euthanized in the shelter each year are unwanted, medium to large mixed breed dogs, due to the constant over-breeding and public desire of designer dogs and pure bred puppies that are sold to pet stores supplied by puppy mills that often produce ill and horribly neglected animals. 



It goes on to encourage people to visit a shelter and adopt a mutt today. If you can't, they encourage you to donate $5. 

I will admit, mixed breed dogs can be a lot of fun. Quite often some of those little idiosyncrasies are eradicated in cross-breeding. So, I guess, if you are thinking about getting a dog, today was the day to visit the shelter. But in all fairness, shelters need people to adopt animals all the time. They need donations of food and other supplies as well as volunteer help from time to time. 

Enjoy your pet if you have one, but as Bob Barker always said, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."

Then and Now

Years ago, when my children were small, I remember getting together with a friend. Actually, I think I have done this with a number of friends over the years, but this particular friend and I somehow found a way to get together despite having a pack of little ones tugging at our apron strings. We had a great time with the simplest little meals. Muffins with tea/coffee were served on the special china. Chicken salad was made special with surprise water chestnuts, served in croissants, and strawberries were served on the side. Even though I love eating out from time to time, somehow, eating in a restaurant can never compare to eating food prepared by loved ones - not to mention the difference in atmosphere.  

Life was so different back then. In fact, I am amused when I think about what life was like back in those days. The two biggest changes? Back then we didn't have cell phones or computers. Just those two things make a world of difference! My world was filled only with those immediately surrounding me. Now, my world extends to Russia, Australia, Thailand, and Africa just to mention a few far off places. Within the United States alone, my friends and relatives are scattered throughout more than half of the country! I love mail but for some reason, the out box and I have not learned to cooperate very well. For that reason and more, I am thankful for the technology that keeps us all connected.

That same technology that keeps us connected somehow is able to keep us apart though too. It is so very easy to just say a quick hello on the computer or telephone. Today, I was reminded of the good ol' days. My friends and I gathered at one of our homes. She made coffee and tea. I made the muffins and we all had a great time. In fact, the time just flew by!

For quite some time now, I have been wanting to invite more people over. So, with today's little piece of encouragement, I think that is just what I am going to state as a goal. I would like to have someone come over at least twice a month. It won't be anything big and fancy, just a casual time to get together for an hour or two - a time that I can have fun treating my friends with a little extra love and some time to visit.

I know I will have some accountability here just because I stated my goal publicly. If you are reading this and we know each other personally, feel free to call or send me a private message. Let's set a date aside!

On the flip side, I encourage you to reach out to those you love. Think about a way that you can go the extra mile without electronics to show them you care. Send a card, invite them to your home or even plan a day to shop or go out to eat if that's what you enjoy.