Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: birthday


by 28 Comments

Who called me a wimp?

Penny here. Of course.

Now normally I wouldn’t be allowed back on mom’s blog so soon after my birthday post. That was only 10 days ago and mom likes to remind me that this is her blog and not mine and if I want a blog of my own I’m going to have to hire my own slave labor.

To celebrate my 2nd birthday mom took me to a fenced in dog place at a state park so I could run. We have only been there a couple of times and both times mom and I had the place to ourselves. I love to run and jump and generally act like a crazy girl so I enjoy it there a lot, even by myself.

But on my birthday, after mom and I were there just a few minutes, another couple showed up with their little terrier. I’ve already forgotten her name but she should have been named Hurricane. (Her name might have been Mandy.)

Cause she was!

She was a few months younger than me and, I hate to say it, she was faster than me! And she never stopped chasing me!

And then, while we were running around, another couple came by with their baby beagle who’s name was Toast. He was only 5 months old and he loved to run too! For awhile the terrier chased him, but he must have been boring, because she went back to chasing me, and let me tell you, I got exhausted!

I started asking everybody, even complete strangers, to pick me up!

Mom said I was a wimp, but picked me up and we sat at the picnic table while the two youngsters ran around. Then that terrier went right up on the table and landed on mom’s head! Well, mom said that was enough and we left to go home so I could get a birthday nap.

Now I’m rethinking asking mom for a playmate for Christmas. I might be a lucky dog after all, even as an only!

Signing off for now,

Your lure dog, Penny


by 46 Comments

Happy birthday to ME!

Hey, hey, hey, it’s your birthday girl Penny here!

Mom says in honor of my birthday I get to let you guys all know that I’m a very special girl, highly intelligent, an over achiever, and athletic to boot.

Oh, wait. Mom’s trying to get my attention.

Mom says that was not what I was supposed to tell you. I’m suppose to tell you it’s my birthday and I turned TWO today! And that she’s not giving me any cake or blowing up balloons or anything.

On the other hand she’s also not making me wear a silly birthday hat, so I guess it’s all good.

Right.

But somehow it doesn’t seem fair that there’s not a worldwide celebration of my birthday. Or at least a house-wide celebration. And you’d think there might be a present or two.

Well. Mom does promise me a walk in the woods at a park of my choice. And she says I get an extra snuggle with daddy, which is one of my all time favorite things to do.

I’m a happy girl, that’s for sure, and all I really need is my mom and my dad and their big bed and my supper bowl and an occasional treat.

Yep. That’s all I need.

Oh…and my ball to chase and mom’s shoe to chew on.

And my sofa to nap on.

Yep. That’s all I need.

So….happy birthday to ME, the happiest sheltie in the world!

Talk later, I’m going to go threaten mom’s ankles until she gets me a treat and then a walk…

…your birthday girl, Unstoppable Penny…now moving on to her terrible adventuresome twos!


by 35 Comments

When you have too much to say, say Happy Birthday

Here it’s been a week since Penny posted and there’s nothing new on my blog.

I know you aren’t out there waiting with bated breath to find out the latest in our exciting lives. Still. My mom always said, as the owner of a small business, that you had to have consistent hours, you had to be reliable, or people won’t come back.

I think about her a lot, my mom, and the advice she gave. Her birthday is in two days, August 11th. She would have been 96 this year. These days, as I creep further into my senior years, 96 doesn’t seem all that old.

Though I suppose it is.

Anyway. My mom told me I should be consistent, and I will try.

In the last few weeks I’ve done a little traveling, seen a few barns, had some fun, thought about political stuff, and tried not to sink into the divisiveness of our country. I’ve watched my yard bloom into summer and followed the flight of little birds, eagles and turkeys. I’ve asked Penny if she wants to go out, or to the park and what is that in your mouth and to stop that!

All of that is stuff of blog content.

But sometimes all a person can do is think about her mom who’s turning 96 and isn’t here. So that’s what I’m going to do today. And maybe tomorrow too.

Happy Birthday, Mom. You’d have made 96 look marvelous.


by 54 Comments

The Princess celebrates a birthday

Katie here! Guess what, guess what, guess what??!!

Today is my 15th birthday! I wanted to share it with all of you because I was sure there would be balloons and presents tied up in pretty ribbon and visitors singing to me, and of course, cake!

I got to go on a birthday walk over the weekend! Don’t tell anyone but it’s not really a wilderness.

I mean, 15 is a milestone age, right?

There were a few times this year my folks didn’t think I’d get to see this day. With the surgery back in April to save my life when my gall bladder filled up with sludge and then the harsh antibiotics I had to take because they found infection in me and then the kidney disease…well…things haven’t always look so good this year.

The late afternoon light was amazing.

Mama says it’s been a roller coaster. I don’t know what that means cause I never get to do anything fun, but I can tell mama and daddy have been stressed.

All the more reason to spend today celebrating me and eating cake! I’m sure you agree.

Years ago there were farm fields here, this is part of a rock fence line.

But mama says I need to be more realistic, and that cake isn’t good for me, and balloons would just scare me and that I can’t expect people to just show up and start singing to me. Besides I’m deaf, so singing might not be the best way to celebrate.

Plus she said I’d just bark at people and balloons anyway.

So you know what we’re doing instead? We’re going to the vet, that’s what we’re doing!

We didn’t walk real far, but I was so glad to be in the woods!

Yes, you read that right. Mama made a vet appointment for me on my birthday. I swear the woman has no sense of appropriatness at all.

I’m just a little girl in the big woods.

To be honest, she didn’t make the appointment until yesterday. And she only made it because I’ve been throwing up after I eat. Three times this past week. She and daddy are worried and the vet said to get me in there, so she scheduled it even though it was my birthday.

This was a giant fungus. Mama made me pose next to it a few years ago too.

And then she said seeing the vet and making sure we do everything we can to make me more comfortable is the best present they could give me.

I guess. But cake would have been good too. Just saying.

This was a nice spot to stop and rest. Or get a treat.

I did get a real present from my daddy this past weekend. It came in a box from the nice guy who drives the big noisy brown truck. I got to sniff it and everything. I was excited because everything that comes into this house should be for me.

What’s in there daddy?

I’m sure you agree.

Daddy ordered it for me after mama told him I was having trouble eating out of my bowl on the floor. My bad right foot kept slipping out to the side as I tried to get my head way down there.

Those of you that are older like me know how hard it is to get up off the floor the older you get. Well, I was having trouble getting my nose way down there into the bowl, but I love eating so I wasn’t complaining.

Hey daddy! This is perfect!

The day mama noticed my problem she ended up holding the bowl up higher for me, and letting me brace my sliding foot against her. Eating is much easier with a little help.

I just love the dinner and water dish thingy daddy got me! It’s the perfect height for a girl of my stature. And it has the perfect angle too, though it’s designed to have the bowls propped up at an angle or flat. I like them propped up.

You really get me, don’t you daddy!

So I can’t say I didn’t get anything for my birthday. I just didn’t get cake. Mama is such a strict dietitian. If any of you want to sneak me a treat I won’t tell.

And if you want to sing to me while you’re slipping me that biscuit, I’ll smile and pretend I can hear you.

A birthday walk AND a new dinner dish. Guess my birthday wasn’t a complete washup after all.

Talk later,

Your 15 year old Katie-girl.

Birthday nap. Daddy got me the pink princess rug too.


by 38 Comments

Birthday girl is all smiles

Katie here,

Guess what, guess what, GUESS WHAT?!

Today is my birthday! My very own special day when my folks have to pay attention to me! When I get whatever I want. Like to go to the park, and then take a nap and then have cake and ice cream. With presents!

We went for a walk earlier this week. But this wasn’t my birthday walk.

Well, maybe not the cake and ice cream, and maybe not presents either, but definitely the park and the nap! And because it’s my birthday mama says I can use her “Weekly smile” post too. Cause there’s nothing so easy to smile at as a happy sheltie-girl.

Mama, you’re being silly now.

And let me tell you, this birthday girl is happy!

Cause you know what mama got me for my birthday? She got me SNOW!

My birthday walk today was special cause it was snowing!

I just love snow. It’s so cool on my face, and enhances my natural beauty. Mama said she didn’t know what to get me, I’m now a teenager in addition to being a princess, so she ordered up my favorite thing next to supper. Snow.

We had this part of the park all to ourselves.

We went out to one of my parks and walked a long way through the woods. Mama was very busy taking pictures of me in my snow.

This is my supermodel pose.

I didn’t mind because she brought treats. In fact I started looking for good spots for pictures too. I figured the more pictures she took the more treats I got!

This tree trunk is pretty cool, mama, and I look good next to it.

But then mama said since it was my birthday she’d put the camera away and we’d just enjoy the walk. I was OK with that too, there was lots to sniff and I pulled her around to a bunch of places.

I’d look over in one direction and she’d say “Do you want to go check that out sweetie?” and then we would! It was a great morning! We just kept exploring.

We were near some picnic tables when mama asked me if I wanted to be a special birthday girl and leave something for someone else more needy than me. I said sure, so she left some birdseed for the squirrels who were running around the park.

I hope you enjoy this squirrels! Happy birthday to me!

I figured it was the least I could do, cause I know I’m pretty privileged.

We walked for a long time. And then something amazing happened. The sun came out!

The sun smiled down on me, perfect for my birthday walk.

Well! The camera came back out, right away. Mama said I glowed like a true princess! But the sun only stayed out for a moment or two and then we were back to a typical cloudy December day.

It was a perfect walk on a perfect sheltie-girl birthday!

I didn’t mind at all.

Mama said it was pretty perfect for her too, she watched me sniff and explore and enjoy the snow and she forgot her own wet feet and cold fingers. She couldn’t stop smiling herself.

Isn’t the snow beautiful on my fur?

So that was our smile for the week – my snowy birthday walk.

We hope you all had a wonderful week too. As we head into the busy holiday season we remind you all to slow down and enjoy the time you have with family and friends.

The woods are so beautiful in winter.

And if you can, take a walk in the woods, especially if it’s snowing. You’ll smile too.

Happy Holidays!


by 26 Comments

It’s my birthday!

Katie here. Mama said it was OK for me to hijack her blog cause it’s not every day that it’s my birthday. I know I get spoiled every day, but that’s not the same thing. That’s just what’s due me as a princess.

Obviously.

We got sunshine!

But today, Saturday December 15, is my birthday! I am now a big mature girl of 12. Mama says I am too old for cake and ice cream and presents and that I should be happy to just go to my park for a birthday walk.

Does she think I’m going to buy that?

Whatcha mean no presents mama!

Well…going to a park for a walk is my most favorite thing to do. But geeze, mama already took me to two different parks this week. So she’s going to have to up the ante a bunch to make it a special enough walk to qualify as my birthday adventure.

Do I get an extra treat for standing up here?

The pictures I’m posting today are from our two walks. One was last Tuesday when we had our one day of sun. Mama said we shouldn’t waste it and we hurried right over to my park.

It was extra cold that day so I was very very happy. I trotted around that park like I was a puppy! I love it when it’s cold out. Mama? Not so much.

Yep, the pond’s frozen. Must be winter now.

She was wearing about 50 thousand layers and she was still cold, but she let me sniff wherever I wanted and we stopped to take a lot of pictures (of course).

Mama says it’s very hard to take a selfie with a sheltie. I personally think it’s very hard to take a selfie with a mama.

What’s that over there mama?!

Then on Thursday we woke to new snow all over my yard and mama said we shouldn’t waste that either, so she bundled me up in the car early in the morning before it all melted.

Are you going to make me sit in front of a bunch of stuff again today mama?

I was scared. Usually when we go somewhere in the morning I end up at the vet or the groomer or camp. But this time we ended up at a new park!

There was a nice wide path that had been mowed and it moved through the woods which were covered in the new, wet and sticky snow. It was beautiful!

It was hilly too, mama said we did the equivalent of 6 flights of stairs!

But not as beautiful as me!

I don’t know what I’m getting for my birthday, but mama got a new camera for an early Christmas present and Thursday was her first time taking pictures with it. Of course most of them were of me.

Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.

Personally I don’t think she needed a new camera to take pictures of beautiful me. I look good no matter what camera she uses. I can’t help myself.

Which way should we go mama?

But anyway. We had a great time walking through the snow even though the sun didn’t shine until we got home. Mama says that figures. I don’t know what that means but I hope it means we get to go out again soon.

Come ON mama! You are sooooo slow!

Like today, for the promised birthday adventure. Maybe even without the silly camera.

A princess can only hope!

Happy Birthday to ME!


by 23 Comments

It was my birthday mama!

No one loves me.

Katie here. Bet you think I’m here to wish you all a happy holiday. Wrong. Wrong wrong wrongwrongwrong. I am here to protest! To tell the whole world how abused I am! To get back my birthday rights!

Look, I know that turning 11 is not a big deal. It’s not like turning 10. Ten is important. Eleven is just another year. I know that.

But you’d think I’d at least get a birthday treat! You’d think there’d be a little present or something. Maybe a special meal.

At least a birthday tummy tickle!

Anyone want to tickle my tummy?

Did I get any of that? No I did not! I wasn’t even home for my birthday! I was shuttled off to camp and no one cared it was my birthday at all!

So I’ve been protesting. Loudly and often. I think mama gets it now and maybe she’s a tiny bit contrite. But I bark to wake her up every day anyway, just to be sure she doesn’t forget.

Can’t we just go play mama?

I haven’t been on any walks or to any parks or on any adventures since they got home either. I told mama last night that she better come up with a fun trip for me pretty soon or I was going to go on permanent strike. No more pictures until we do something fun.

I’m not kidding.

PS: Merry Christmas to all of you. I’m sure she’ll shape up before the holidays.

Come ON mama!


by 21 Comments

Happy Birthday Baby-Girl!

It’s Katie’s 11th birthday today. She’s celebrating it with a few of her closest (literally closest — they’re in the same facility) friends at the kennel because her negligent mama and daddy are traveling.

It’s my party mama, and I’ll cry if I want to.

I’m pretty sure she will make us pay for our lack of planning, but I promise she’ll tell you all about it when she gets home. Meanwhile, Happy Birthday sweetie. We miss you and we’ll be home soon.

And yes you can tell me off if you need to. I’m sure you’re practicing right now.