Today, Memorial Day in the United States, I wish for all of us to take a moment and remember. Remember someone in your family, or a friend, or a friend of a friend, who has served this country.
Remember that some didn’t come home.
Remember that some came home permanently changed.
Remember that we owe them all. And that we owe their families too.
And then get on with your weekend party. Celebrate summer and life and family.
But never forget.
Katie here. Guess what, guess what, guess what?
At my park last night.
It finally got warm! And our grass is green! And sometimes I get to sit in my kennel and watch the birds and bark at anyone on my street! It’s amazing. This weekend my mama even said she might put up the tent! That means it’s summer, right?
Well, maybe not quite summer cause she never did put the tent up and we had to sleep inside the boring old house. She said she was too tired. I swear, that mama is always too tired to do fun stuff.
Well, I take it back, she did come home Sunday evening from somewhere all dressed up and she rushed out of her good clothes and put on her park clothes and we got to go to my park just as the sun was going down!
She said we had to get my dandelion photo, whatever that is. And something about the park people mowing the grass if we didn’t hurry up. So we rushed over there so fast she forgot my treats…and she marched me out to the middle of the field and guess what? Apparently dandelions close up when the sun goes down! Who knew? So she found a little patch of them in the last bit of sun and said that would have to do for this year.
Boooorrrring
I found the whole thing terribly boring. But then she and I walked all the way around the park and it was just wonderful. Don’t you think the sun makes my coat look good? I hear I’m going to the groomer Friday. Maybe if you all tell her how beautiful I already look she won’t make me go. It’s worth a shot, right? I’d give you her private cell number to call her, but she won’t tell me what it is.
Golden sun on my golden coat.
So anyway. We also got to do weeding this weekend. I’m not sure what that is either, but it seems to mean I get to lie out in the soft grass while my mama digs around in the dirt and gets all smelly. She is definitely not a princess. Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with her at all.
Then tonight after supper she and dad went back outside to weed some more. I loved it because I got to sit in the grass again and watch my road. I kept them safe from two marauding joggers and a couple of trucks. Good thing I’m around.
But when the sun started going down mama said that was enough and now she and I are hanging out on the deck!f The sky is getting all apricot, and there’s a big pink puffy cloud to the south. AND…best of all mama saw the green herons come back for the summer! All three of them flew over and made a big production of landing in our trees. Boy they are noisy! She seemed awfully glad to see them though.
AND we just saw a humming bird! Mama put the feeder up yesterday cause she figured they’d be around by now and sure enough, just a few minutes ago a little hummer flew around our heads and went to the feeder! He seems more skittish then he was when he left last fall, but he’ll get used to me. I never bark at hummingbirds. They are so cool and they make my mama happy.
So anyway, I almost forgot…mama says that by Friday it’s supposed to be hot here! And if there aren’t any storms for sure we’re going to go camping in the back yard! I almost can’t remember what that means, but I’m sure when I help her put up the tent I’ll be all excited again.
This was me last year!
So all of that means it’s summer. Right? I think it is. Princess Katie proclaims that summer has arrived. I don’t care about stupid calendars and official dates. I can’t count anyway.
Everybody enjoy this beautiful weather! I hope no one has storms and you all get to go out for walks with your peoples or your dogs or (I suppose) even your cats.
Now I need a nap. This weeding thing gets a girl exhausted.
See you soon in my tent!
Come camping with me!
Hey Mama!
Katie here. Mama’s busy working on that truck stuff so I figured I could get a little blog in while she wasn’t looking. Shouldn’t be hard, she doesn’t pay attention to me much anyway. She works works works and then she comes home all tired and stuff and doesn’t want to play with my pig or my cow or my elephant. I bring them to her and she doesn’t even realize until my dad tells her that I want to play. Good thing he’s around to make sure I get the attention a princess deserves.
I really want to go on an adventure with my mama, but all she will say is not now baby. Maybe the weekend baby. It’s almost summer baby and then we’ll go camping. Sure mama. Whatever.
So for now I just focus on doing my job. I let my mama know when it’s 9 at night and time to go to bed. I start huffing at her at exactly 8:48. I have to start early because, as I’ve said, she’s not paying much attention to me. I keep huffing and stomping my feet and if that doesn’t work I poke her really hard. That usually gets her attention. Then she checks the time and is usually grateful that I’ve reminded her to go to bed.
Once she gets settled in for the night I vigilantly watch over her for about 4 seconds and then I crash myself. My mama’s a big girl, she can sleep without me checking on her. Plus I need to get my beauty sleep you know.
Then sometime between 5 a.m. and 5:02 a.m. I make sure she’s up! Oh yes, I know her alarm isn’t set to go off until 6, but I’m saving her the stress of having to hurry in the morning. I can’t remember the last time that silly alarm even had to go off. She doesn’t need it. She has me!
As soon as I’m sure she’s wide awake, (sometimes I have to bark at her quite a bit to get her fully awake, and I find a good walk in the rain helps too), I go to my favorite spot, curl up and go to sleep. That way my mama can get ready for work without any interference from me. I’m thoughtful like that.
So anyway. Don’t you think she should reward me for all my hard work and take me somewhere fun? Soon? I think it would do us both good.
Yes I do.
Pay attention Mama!
Katie here.
Things have been kinda strange at our house. For one dad’s been missing in action. I guess he was just down South enjoying himself at the lake, but I wasn’t sure and it was a bit worrisome. Then my mama has been having my best, most favorite teacher in the whole world come and take me out at lunch time. I really like that but usually when that happens it’s cause my dad is missing, so it’s a mixed bag. When my dad comes home my teacher lady goes missing! It’s all just so hard for me to figure out.
And then, did I tell you, the most horrible thing of all happened right in the middle of all the crazy comings and going! I had to go to doggie camp! For 6 whole days! Rumor has it that my mama went down South too to hang out with my dad at the lake. I ask you, don’t you think I’d like to go to the lake once in awhile? OK, so I don’t like to get my feet wet. Whatever.
So when my mama picked me up from jail…um…camp…I was real excited to see her and then I made her feel really bad by sleeping up next to her all the time making sure part of me was touching part of her. All. The. Time. So when it finally got to be the weekend she took me to a different park and we did some exploring. I even pulled her way down this big hill.
I’m a mountain climbing doggy!
I didn’t make her go back up it though, we walked back to the car along the creek. We had fun, but it was only one adventure in a really really long time. And right after that we had a big storm, and all my barking didn’t make it go away fast enough and there was a big lightening bang and guess what? It fried the modem thingy, whatever that is, and the big TV! So mama didn’t have a computer or TV for more than a week! All she had was her phone and she wouldn’t let me write a blog on that!
I just knew all my peeps would be worried, so when dad fixed the computer tonight I got right on line. I wanted all of you to be able to sleep tonight. I know it’s a big weight off of my shoulders, so I think I’ll just go to bed now myself.
Happy almost Monday to you all! Mama doesn’t seem happy that it’s Monday tomorrow. But I am, cause I’ll have my dad all to myself!
Night night!
Hey Mom,
Sunset at the lake
We’ve been thinking about you as all your kids gather in the house you and Dad built on the lake. I’m sure you two were here too, laughing over the silly stuff, bobbing out at the end of the dock, your toes pointed to the sky, maybe even jumping from the dock for the traditional family photo, though I know you didn’t like to get water in your eyes.
Hey Mom
Last night we went out to the big water to watch the sun set. I know you and Dad liked to do that and the neighbors say he went out alone just about every evening that summer after you died.
Heading home
It sure was great out on the warm water with the crescent moon hanging overhead. The sunset didn’t pan out all that well; we only had one pink cloud, but we had a really nice time anyway.
Of course I’m sure you already know that.
Wish you and Dad were here.
Jump!
On the lake.
Doesn’t it seem like people are stressed more than ever lately? Frightening sights from all over the world flow into our nightly news every evening. The economy continues to wallow and we all work harder than ever trying to get by, trying to make a difference, trying our best.
So I appreciate a lovely long weekend filled with nothing but good food and good company. Here in the United States it’s Labor Day Weekend, when we celebrate the labor of so many generations before and appreciate those people that worked so hard to build the country we are lucky enough to inhabit today. It’s a time for family barbecue, camping in the woods, bonfires, boat rides, long walks, and naps.
I’m spending this holiday weekend on a lovely lake in the South where the weather has cooperated and the waters are warm, where the skies fill each afternoon with towering clouds but only a little bit of rain falls.
When I head back to work next week I’ll keep the memories of boat rides and deck sitting and bobbing in warm waters tucked safely away in the back of my mind. And when that customer demands immediate attention or the coworker calls in sick I’ll pull those memories out and smile again.
We hope all of you are having a lovely weekend as well. May we all relax and then start again next week with high spirits and wonderful memories.
Change Is Hard 