There was a time I enjoyed things such as baby showers. Back when my kids were being born, I didn't have much of a social life beyond my husband's buddies coming over to hang out. Therefore, I didn't have many folks around to do such a thing as throw a shower for me, although I did have one with the first child, because I was going (reluctantly & sporadically) to my dad's church. It was small, but I liked it nonetheless.
Over the years, I've grown used to saying, "I can't come, but here's a gift." Of course, there are always a few that you just CAN'T get out of, like a close family member's. The other day I went with my sister to a baby shower for her former neighbor, who also happened to be my former neighbor because I lived with my sis for a year. I don't know her well, but I like her well enough, and Sissy didn't want to go alone. (I love doing ANYTHING w/my sissy regardless.)
Susie knew a few people there, but none really well enough to chat with. So we piled up our plates with yummy finger foods and discussed the possible ingredients of some of them. Then we played a few games we've all played before, just with different characters. Thankfully, the guest of honor zipped right through opening the gifts while her twin sister recorded them. My goodness, baby clothes & accessories have come a long way from when mine were due to be born! How did I ever nurse without a Boppy or feed my milk without the bottles that are designed to mimic mom? My kids went around in onesies & drawstring bottomed gowns except when we went to the occasional church service or family get together. They didn't have toys to stimulate their brains or seats to hold them up at the dinner table. That's what mom & dad (& grandparents & aunts & uncles) were for!
Probably the most fun for me was the creativity some folks had with their gifts. The "pacifier" we pinned to our shirts - which could be taken away if anyone caught us saying "baby" - were made of two wintergreen LifeSavers hot glued together with a gumdrop glued to the end. One gift was wrapped with a metal plate on the outside of the box (under the paper) so that magnetic letters could spell out baby's name. Another creative person had their child draw a picture of the impending newcomer & his siblings, which was placed in a lovely frame that had the new child's initials glued to it at the bottom - PRICELESS! Coming away with those ideas for future gifts and some new recipes - along with the QT spent with my sister - were worth every ooh & ahh that night.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Pet Devotion
My husband, A.C. & I have a Daushund. Her name is Chloe, and she is overweight, due (mostly) to her being spayed a few years ago. Instead of calling her a weenie dog, I call her a sausage. She is Daddy's Girl, all the way. For some reason, she gets SO excited just to see him come through the door, her little tail not just wagging, but turning around in circles. All he has to do is say, "I love you" and she finds her voice. She will bark in her high-pitched voice until he calms her down. (She also sings along with the "SpongeBob SquarePants" theme song.) She sleeps on his side of the bed, all the way under the covers at his feet.
A.C. acquired Chloe a couple of years before we met. She lived in the same house for her first couple of years, until he & his ex-wife got divorced. He, his daughter, and Chloe moved to his parents' home. Shortly after that, he & I met & made plans to marry. So I moved into the home Chloe knew & loved (while he stayed at his parents') & began preparing for our new life together.
Our home was on a hill, just inside the city limits. In the summertime, you couldn't tell there was anyone around, except for the occasional noise of a car or dogs barking. Our home couldn't be seen from the street, so we were somewhat secluded. There were many trees and all kinds of wildlife - squirrels, foxes, raccoons, birds - could be seen at any given moment. Chloe loved our home on the hill so much that even though she would be excited to go "bye-bye", she would start whining once we got going down the road. On the return trip home, she would start whining & get so excited she (& we) could hardly stand it. By the time we hit our driveway, she was ready to jump out of the window while the car was still moving.
AC recently decided to take a job in GA, so we had to leave TN. There arose the dilemma of what to do with Chloe, as we would be staying with my sister & brother-in-law, and we weren't sure how things would go. My sis-in-law, Angela, was kind enough to do a trial run before we left, and all went well at first. THEN we came over for her son's 18th birthday party & when it was time to leave, OH BOY! Chloe got excited thinking she was going home with Daddy! WE had to have someone leave the room with her, then sneak out. Well, she got so depressed over the next couple of days that we had to bring her home.
My step-daughter was going to split her time between GA & TN (starting w/TN) so we decided to leave Chloe there for the time being. We knew we would have to either bring her with us or have her put to sleep. After talking with my sister, we opted for a trial run in GA. Well, things went okay at first. We came & went with no major incidents. Then came the day I left her in our bedroom & went bowling w/Sissy & her boys . . . I returned home to find the carpet in front of the door in shreds (in patches). I wanted to die of embarrassment!
We started putting her outside when we left. That was okay, until she decided to climb up the back stairs (not an easy feat for an overweight sausage!) and tear through the screen! Now we have a crate to put her in when we leave, and she cries, even when I put her daddy's music (he sings) on for her. Poor lil' sausage!
Last night A.C. & I left to go to Home Depot. Sissy was giving her dog, Melody, and Chloe a treat as a distraction. Well, Chloe went for it - until she heard the door close. Then she squealed at the top of her lungs as we ran for the car & closed the garage door behind us. Of course, she was happy as could be, red tail wagging furiously as daddy asked if she wanted to go outside. Funny thing is, this morning as I was preparing A.C.'s lunch, I noticed her treat on the floor near the door. She forgot all about her treat because we (or HE, rather) left.
Makes you think about the devotion pets have to their people. WHY do they love us so much? Is it just because we're there? Is it because they know we will feed them & take them outside? Is it the belly rubs & snuggles? I love it, but I just don't get it. Do they love us the same way we love one another (only less selfishly)?
A.C. acquired Chloe a couple of years before we met. She lived in the same house for her first couple of years, until he & his ex-wife got divorced. He, his daughter, and Chloe moved to his parents' home. Shortly after that, he & I met & made plans to marry. So I moved into the home Chloe knew & loved (while he stayed at his parents') & began preparing for our new life together.
Our home was on a hill, just inside the city limits. In the summertime, you couldn't tell there was anyone around, except for the occasional noise of a car or dogs barking. Our home couldn't be seen from the street, so we were somewhat secluded. There were many trees and all kinds of wildlife - squirrels, foxes, raccoons, birds - could be seen at any given moment. Chloe loved our home on the hill so much that even though she would be excited to go "bye-bye", she would start whining once we got going down the road. On the return trip home, she would start whining & get so excited she (& we) could hardly stand it. By the time we hit our driveway, she was ready to jump out of the window while the car was still moving.
AC recently decided to take a job in GA, so we had to leave TN. There arose the dilemma of what to do with Chloe, as we would be staying with my sister & brother-in-law, and we weren't sure how things would go. My sis-in-law, Angela, was kind enough to do a trial run before we left, and all went well at first. THEN we came over for her son's 18th birthday party & when it was time to leave, OH BOY! Chloe got excited thinking she was going home with Daddy! WE had to have someone leave the room with her, then sneak out. Well, she got so depressed over the next couple of days that we had to bring her home.
My step-daughter was going to split her time between GA & TN (starting w/TN) so we decided to leave Chloe there for the time being. We knew we would have to either bring her with us or have her put to sleep. After talking with my sister, we opted for a trial run in GA. Well, things went okay at first. We came & went with no major incidents. Then came the day I left her in our bedroom & went bowling w/Sissy & her boys . . . I returned home to find the carpet in front of the door in shreds (in patches). I wanted to die of embarrassment!
We started putting her outside when we left. That was okay, until she decided to climb up the back stairs (not an easy feat for an overweight sausage!) and tear through the screen! Now we have a crate to put her in when we leave, and she cries, even when I put her daddy's music (he sings) on for her. Poor lil' sausage!
Last night A.C. & I left to go to Home Depot. Sissy was giving her dog, Melody, and Chloe a treat as a distraction. Well, Chloe went for it - until she heard the door close. Then she squealed at the top of her lungs as we ran for the car & closed the garage door behind us. Of course, she was happy as could be, red tail wagging furiously as daddy asked if she wanted to go outside. Funny thing is, this morning as I was preparing A.C.'s lunch, I noticed her treat on the floor near the door. She forgot all about her treat because we (or HE, rather) left.
Makes you think about the devotion pets have to their people. WHY do they love us so much? Is it just because we're there? Is it because they know we will feed them & take them outside? Is it the belly rubs & snuggles? I love it, but I just don't get it. Do they love us the same way we love one another (only less selfishly)?
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