Stormin' Weather and My Dog

This past weekend, the Metroplex was blessed with constant rain from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. As it is the usual in this part of the nation, the storms are accompanied by thunder and lighting.

It was a good thing that I was home for 95 percent of the weekend, as Honey was almost glued to my side the entire time I was there. Each time a thunderstorm would roll by, she would lay next to me and wait for me to hold her.

She'd sit there, shaking, but content because she wasn't alone. To say the least, I didn't get much housework done, but I managed to rest.

Magical Time

Once in a while, it happens . . . and it did to me last night.

Honey and I were out on our walk. It just happened to be the twilight hour, that time of day when daytime and nighttime mix, letting us know that the time has come to cease labor and relax.

I found myself enjoying the walk for what it was, a time to relax. All worries and thoughts fell away. I entered a state where it felt like everything was perfect as it was at that moment.

The magic lived in the moment, and I enjoyed every second of it. Honey must have sensed it, because she stopped, turned around, and came back to me, so I could pet her.

Faithful Dog

I wasn't feeling very well yesterday, and I decided that things would go best for me if I stayed home, curled up on the couch. Ron, my roommate, encouraged me to get a shower before I made a final decision, as getting cleaned up might just remove the last of the early morning blahs.

No such luck. The shower only made me feel worse. I got ready for spending the day on the couch, which meant putting on some comfortable clothes, firing off a couple of e-mails, and making sure that I had liquids nearby. Ron was kind enough to check on me a few times before he left for work, and even cooked lunch.

After lunch, I started drifting in and out of sleep, wondering if I would be OK on Friday.

The one remarkable thing? Honey was glued to my side all day. From the moment I got up, she refused to leave my side, and when I finally laid down on the couch, she jumped in, siddled up to my side, and laid down.

I am sure that she got up a few times during the day to eat and drink, but whenever I woke up, she was right there, looking at me or sleeping nearby.

Now, that's what I call faithful.

Chemotherapy Stopped Until May

Some of you might know that my dad has been going through chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. My dad went to his check-up before his next chemo treatment today, and the doctor gave him good news . . . the blood didn't have any traces of cancer.

They will stop the chemo treatments and my dad will be on his own until May 30. The doctors then will evaluate him again, to make sure all is well.

For the time being, we are all holding our breaths and waiting for the recovery to begin. Life is good again.

Snow Dog

Here is a picture I took of Honey after the terrifying, bone-chilling snowstorm that blanketted the entire state of Texas for hours!

If you expand the picture, you will see that part of her muzzle has a little bit of snow on it. She had been exploring in the bushes behind her for rabbits and who knows what else.

What I recall of that day was that I could not get her to come back inside. She was just so taken by the snow, she wanted to play for as long as it lasted.

It definitely was one of the best afternoons we both had. A copy of the framed picture sits in my living room.

The Little Lady Meets the Little Girls

The time came to pick up the mail, and as it is our custom, Honey led the way out to the mailbox, frolicking and jumping in sheer happiness at the daily game of walking out to the driveway.

Two of the neighborhood little girls -- neither one more than 5 years old -- were out playing. The moment they saw Honey, both of them noted how pretty she is.

The bolder of the two asked if they could pet the doggie. I said OK. The girls proceeded to run on the lawn to meet Honey, and the little lady let them approach. These girls, used to boisterous dogs used to jumping on anyone who approaches them, were very apprehensive when they saw the 41-pound ball of fur.

I reassured them that Honey would not jump on them, and true to my word, the little lady behaved. She approached them with ears perked up, tail down, and quite slowly. She got close to them and let them pet her.

The girls said thank you and headed back to their game. Honey and I went back inside. Once inside, Honey turned to me and gave me the "Did I do good?" look. I told her what a good girl she was and proceeded to show her how good she was by petting her for about five minutes. I think it was a great reward for a job well done, and so did she.

The Stitches Came Off at Last!

Today was the day Honey went to the vet to get the stitches off.

I took Honey for a ride in the car, and she was just so excited to get in for a ride. She loves her car rides. We got into the shopping center where the vet office sits, and she started to whine. I guess she figured out where we were going. But since she was with me, she didn't get too excited.

When we got in the office, the ladies there said, "Look! Honey's here!" and they promptly proceeded to shower the little lady with pats and tons of attention. She was still a little freaked out, but she didn't resist too much when they took her to the back room for the procedure.

Ten minutes later, out came the stitchless doggie. She was just so happy to not have that bandage around her leg, and overeager to get home.

We made it home, and after much affirmation, a thorough brushing, some treats, and a walk, Honey was once again laying down, resting. All was well in her world again.