midnight meltdown

So I went to this fantastic wine tasting party last night with a bunch of girls. I ended up actually leading the wine tasting, after Nina spontaneously nominated me for the job. My disclaimer was that I only know anything because I read it in a book somewhere. :) We tasted twelve delicious wines and ate some yummy cheeses and other wine-loving goodies. Needless to say, I was glad that I didn't drive.

Nina and I got back to my house around midnight. I am so thankful she came inside with me because little did I know that I was about to have a major midnight meltdown. I found a note on the kitchen counter telling me that my dog, Lindy, had run away and that she was nowhere to be found. I cannot describe the despair that overtook me in that moment. Some may think it silly, but if you have ever loved an animal the way I love this puppy, you'd understand. All of the worst case scenarios kept running through my head. We live near 3 main roads so I was sure she would get hit by a car in the dark. It doesn't help that she's black. I was fairly certain she was smart enough to find her way home, but I wasn't thinking straight. I was panicked. I couldn't drive to go look for her. I had no way of knowing where to look. I probably would have started walking around the neighborhood in the freezing cold if Nina hadn't forced me to go to bed. I think I cried for about an hour. I cried myself to sleep.

I woke up this morning around 5am to the pitter-patter of puppy feet in my room. SHE CAME HOME!!! HALLELUJAH!!! My roommate must have let her in. I jumped out of bed and sat on the floor with my puppy in my arms and cried again. Then I went back to sleep for a few hours. I am so grateful for good friends like Nina. I am so grateful my Lindy came home, safe and sound.

I feel emotionally drained and mildly hung-over from the events of last night. I need a good nap.

(Photo by Daniel Greene)

a busy puppy

People always told me that Border Collies were hard workers. I knew that they were great for working on farms, herding sheep, or competing in dog shows. I read somewhere in a magazine that the Border Collie was declared the world's smartest dog. Now that I have the great blessing of sharing my life with a beautiful Border Collie named Lindy, I do not doubt that statement. Nor do I doubt that Border Collies were made to work. Lindy is nearly 8 months old now, and the best way to describe her is: BUSY. She always has an agenda. She always finds a job to do. Sometimes they are good useful jobs, or silly jobs, even cute ones. Other times they aren't so pleasant. As she gets older I am committed to finding legitimate useful jobs for her to channel her work ethic into. But for now, I am enjoying watching my busy little puppy grow up into the busy dog she will be for the rest of her life. :) I'm sure in her mind, Lindy has a rhythm to her day. I imagine she has a great checklist in her head of "things to be done." I've come to notice several of these things, and I chuckle to myself when I imagine her going down her list, placing a check or a star next to each item as she succeeds in completing them each day. I've listed some of her favorite jobs below.

• Chasing squirrels up a tree

• Staking out the tree that the squirrels are hiding out in (Lindy would make a good cop...she's relentless)

• Digging holes in the yard, especially around the oak tree

• Creating nice cool burrows in the dirt underneath the azalea bushes to rest in during the day

• Herding the other dogs (much to their chagrin)

• Gathering firewood (there is a new pile of large sticks at my back porch nearly every day)

• Killing mice and depositing them on the back steps

• Antagonizing the neighbor's cats

• Playing referee for the neighbor's kids when they play ball in their backyard. This consists of Lindy running the length of the fence calling fouls on the game and trying very hard to get control of the ball.

• Fetching just about anything that can be thrown. (favorites include tennis balls, sticks, Frisbees, and squeaky toys)

• Working on rawhide bones

• Getting treats out of kong toys (actually this is quite a difficult task)

• Opening the porch screen door, even when it is locked

• Greeting all visitors at the door with overwhelming excitement and wagging tail
  

• Taking me for walks in the park

• Sitting for treats

• Waiting by the fence for me everyday when I come home from work

• Chasing me when I am swinging on the tree swing

• Pulling out the garden hose into the yard

• Chasing water

• Cuddling on the couch with me

• Resting her head on my knees when I'm sad

• Being cute, pretty much all the time

• Teaching me to be less selfish and more responsible

• Being the best physical companion a single girl could ask for

This is only the short list, though that may be hard to believe. At the end of the day, I feel so blessed to have this busy little puppy constantly working for me, and more importantly working on me. I am her biggest project. :) It's a good thing for me she's a Border Collie. A different dog might have given up by now!

Chasing Water

I was outside this morning planting flowers in my garden while Lindy, my puppy, played in the yard nearby. When I got out the hose to water my newly planted flowers Lindy stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes were fixed on the stream of water coming out of the hose. I stood still and watched her as she slowly crept closer to the end of the water stream. Just when she got right up to it I wiggled the hose and got her nose wet. She jumped back and then ran towards the stream! I moved the hose around and she began to chase the water back and forth around the yard with very ferocious puppy attempts to bite the water. But, to her dismay, and my amusement she only got wet! :)

It made me realize that there are so many simple things in life that are worth giving my time and attention to, that I usually just overlook. And, its the simple things that end up bringing me the most joy in the end. I have a thing or two to learn from Lindy - today I learned that chasing water is great fun! I think I'll go back outside and try it myself!

Mother of Lindy

I received a phone call on Monday afternoon that brought great joy and change into my life all at once. My old college roommate, Mary, was calling to tell me she had found me a puppy! For years I have longed to have a Border Collie, but I have never been in a position to actually adopt one. Either I didn't have enough money, or enough space, or enough time. Its interesting how God works all things together for good. I wasn't expecting the puppy to come this week, but she came. I wasn't expecting the money to be available this week, but my tax return came and it was surprisingly larger than I was expecting. It was the perfect amount I needed to bring home a puppy. My landlord and my roommate were supportive, and my new job now enables me to have a schedule that is conducive to raising a puppy!

So she arrived late on Monday night, and I am the proudest puppy mama in the world! She is even more beautiful than I ever imagined, and I am surprised at how much I love her more each day. She is super smart too! Only 10 weeks old and she learned to SIT and play frisbee in just one day! Although she is a bundle of love and fun, she is also a bundle of work! I feel as though this is perfect preparation for me before I have kids one day. She requires lots of attention, training, exercise, and love. I think she may even break me of my bad habit of sleeping in! I've been up two mornings before 6am and I have been exhausted with pouring into my little baby girl. I am really starting to feel it now. But, I know it will be worth it. Just like children, though it is difficult sometimes to invest so much time and energy, the return is too great to measure. I hope that I will be a puppy mother and that God will use this as one way to prepare me for true motherhood. I long for motherhood more and more these days it seems. Does that mean I'm getting old? :)

I named my puppy Lindy, after my favorite swing dance, the Lindy Hop. The name is fitting, for she loves to hop around in the yard and is full of life and excitement! Perhaps one day I will teach her to dance!

I love God's surprises - they are always better than anything I could ever have expected...