Here a Dog, There a Dog, Everywhere a Dog

a new neighborhood brings new people, new sights, new sounds, new smells and lots of new dogs.

sophie the puggle has made friends with lucy, a black and white border collie.
lucy makes a bee line right for us if she is being let outside.
they love to play together.
lucy even comes inside and helps herself to everything.
sophie just jumps all over her.

then there's lily, a golden retriever, she's a people dog, not a dog's dog.
she keeps trying to get to me to be petted, but sophie keeps wanting to play.
lily doesn't want puppy play time she's a person pet me kinda pup.
sweet as can be.

then there's bricks, a french mastiff puppy, he's HUGE and a puppy
sophie walked under him with no problems.
he's so well trained, but he couldn't resist playing with sophie
he was so excited; of course his owner was upset.
he has worked hard to train bricks to obey
and you know sophie, she just egged him on to play.

then there's maximus, a shih tzu puppy, the very opposite in size to bricks
looks like a little rabbit or furry ball walking around
at first he'd shake when sophie sniffed him but now he's a little bit bigger
and i really do me a little little bit bigger
he loves playing with sophie, for once sophie is the big dog here and i think she likes it

then there's gizmo, the chihuahua, he's big and tough, at least in his mind
he gives sophie the whole me man dog you woman dog show
he puffs out his chest, kicks up some dirt and sniffs her butt
sophie takes it all in stride

then there's bruiser, a boxer, he's so sweet
he and sophie played and then lied down and he began to lick her ears
which was addorable, bruiser gets so excited to see her
and she runs right to him

there are many more dogs in the neighborhood but these are the ones she's played with the most.
she never seems to lack for company.
sophie the puggle love her new home and all her new 4 legged neighbors.

Arthritis in the Knee

My kid is 22.
she is what has been called double jointed.
she can hyper extend her joints.
she always injures her left knee.
dance, cheerleading, walking, running
it never took much to get the knee to hurt
finally got an mri
she has a baker's cyst and the beginnings of arthritis in the left knee
at 22 she has what she calls an old persons disease
i had to laugh
she didn't think it was funny

my kid and i have become our very own gray gardens.
i can't picture her living anywhere else.
we've become so accustomed to each other's crazy we can't tolerate anyone else's.
i can hope she can find a man that can marry the both of us,
but she's so stubborn and so much a red head with the temper and all.
the story is there's someone for everyone, but i'm living proof that story is false.
i don't know where i went wrong or even if it is wrong.
my kid and i are each other's best friend and worst enemy.
sometimes we are like an old married couple.

i want her to be happy.
i want her to have a life full of joy.
but at the same time i will miss her and i don't ever want her to go.
she lives my fears as her own.
i have passed down the worst of me.
she somehow turns it into the best of her.
i've been blessed with her and though i regret not having more kids i never regret the one kid God gave me.
i don't know where other teenage mother's end up with their kids,
but my kid and i are in a good place.
we struggled, but who doesn't.
isn't the best life the one where you know the good times because you've lived the bad times?