Write Again Soon

Maya and Gracie drive me crazy on a regular basis—Gracie in particular could try the patience of a saint. In fact some people* suggest on a more-than-occasional basis that Gracie might enjoy living in a new home.  A farm, perhaps, where she can run around and eat as many slippers as she wants.

Maybe I share too much of the bad side of our puppy-raising experience.  The destruction, the barking, the occasional altercations over a bone—I’ve chronicled it all.  But frankly, it’s what makes for good reading.  Kind of like how my blog got its best readership when discussing my disastrous dating adventures.  Finding love is great, but makes for poor copy.  Good dogs, likewise, are boring.

Every once in a while, though, I feel the need to add something to the other side of the scales.  Because Maya and Gracie really do have their good points.  Right at this very instant they are curled up on the couch next to me being perfect angels.  Gracie is snoring, and Maya is resting her head on a pillow at the exact angle that allows her to watch TV—she is entranced by HGTV. 

Gracie has learned to be friends with Madchen (the only one of our cats that deigns to appear before her canine siblings) and fetches a tennis ball in the backyard with a sweet enthusiasm that just melts my heart.  Every day she gets better about her manners.

Maya guards me from the dishwasher when I clean the kitchen at night, placing herself directly between me and the threatening appliance.  She understands “wait” and “stay” and patiently waits to be invited up the stairs and onto the bed.

They both are content to sleep in until 8:30 in the morning and after a quick run outside will happily return to cuddle until noon.  They will watch The Dog Whisperer for hours, and perk up every time a dog appears on a commercial.  They compete to see who can get the closest to the space heater and wood stove, and will wriggle across the deck in three inch intervals in order to track the best sunlight. 

They do their part to speed up the winter snow melt by tunneling through the backyard and eating the snow at an alarming rate.  They eat any and all food scraps and don’t scruple to devour carrots, apples, tofu, and other non-typical dog delicacies.  They are ridiculously excited when I throw Cheerios in the backyard.

In a year that has been full of ups and downs, Maya and Gracie are an example of the bitter and the sweet living side by side.  And each day that goes by tilts a little more towards the sweet.

* Mom and Dad, I'm looking at you.