My First Blog! (Even though it was the second thing I posted…)
Well, this is my first posting!
I’m so excited. I’ve never blogged before! I hope this thing has a spell check… I’m computer literate, but this whole wide inter-web thing is sort of new to me.
So, I’m supposed to write something humorous designed to help people get through the day. Oh my. The irony here is that lately I get through the better part of my day by dodging phone calls I’m too flustered to take and eating fried food. Which reminds me, anybody know where I can get a Monte Cristo now that Bennigans shut down?
Since I’ve never blogged before, I’m not sure what I should do, so I think I’m going to make this a two-for. Or, as Hope taught me, a BOGO (buy one/get one). As this is my first posting, I figure I should introduce myself, and nothing helps me get through the day better than my boys! As such, I think I will include some pictures of them since, as TV taught me, the simple act of petting a dog reduces your chances for heart disease…and there’s no better way to get through the day than avoiding a heart attack. (And yes, I know, my previously mentioned fried food is counter-productive to this endeavor—I’m a glorious dichotomy.)
One “churchy” thing about me is that I love the Sundays when we have the blessing of the animals. If you weren’t there a couple of weeks ago, you missed something that made me smile for a straight hour! I’m a huge animal person and when I first heard our church did this, I thought it was a joke. I love watching the dogs pace the aisle as the cats (and occasional chicken) sit warily in their pet porters. I especially love it when they bark or whine or “talk” during the prayers, as if joining in. When I was little, I asked my mother if dogs went to heaven. I could tell she wasn’t expecting the question and wasn’t quite sure how to answer, but I love what she said. She told me that she couldn’t imagine why not, since we know that there are horses in heaven. In true Baptist fashion, she was referring to the apocalypse, but it still brought me great hope.
As an adult, I have ended up with three dogs and a cat, who I adore. I would love to bring them for their blessings, but they’re so ill-behaved I don’t dare. So, since I can’t bring them to church, please allow me to introduce my boys here as I hope they will make you smile.
Ferguson Wylie Causey-King (yes, they hyphenate) was my first-born. Jason got him for me as a puppy when we moved away from my home state of Mississippi to help me get over being homesick. He is a short haired, miniature red dachshund who barks constantly, hates being outdoors and is highly motivated by food. I call him “mini-me” and we plan on being buried together, as, thanks to my mother, I have no doubt we will share our afterlife.
Odell Eliot Causey-King came along shortly after. He was a cat who Jason found in the park he was working at during a prescribed burn. Apparently, the mother got separated from her litter of kittens, so Jason found homes for all but one of them and brought home the “runt.” I am a dog person and Odell could sense it. As such, he made it his mission in life to make me love him most. Being raised by Ferguson, he is ridiculously dog-like and is by far, the most wonderful cat in the world. He also grew to be among the biggest cats I have ever seen, and is my mighty panther.
That brings me to Otis Jackson Causey-King. Otis belonged to a co-worker who was going to have to take him to the pound as her land-lord laid down the law. I couldn’t let that happen and brought him home, telling Jason that we were just dog-sitting for the weekend. Like Odell, Otis knew what he had to do, and by Monday had Jason wrapped around his paw. They are inseparable.
Finally, there’s Baxter Ribault Causey-King…the ugliest dog in the world. Abandoned and left tied to a gate at Fort Caroline, Jason found him and called me to see what I thought about adopting a Shih tzu. I said I didn’t like that idea at all as they were dirty and high maintenance. He asked if he should take the dog to the vet or the pound and I told him the pound, since I knew if he took him to the vet, he’d name him something silly like “Baxter” and would bring him home. You can see how that turned out. While not pretty by any definition, a little grooming went a long way for him.
Before:
After:
So, that’s it: my first post and an introduction to my boys. In retrospect, I should have probably said something about my partner, Jason, but it’s best he knows his place…maybe later.
So go, pet a dog, avoid heart issues and make it through the day! I think we’d all be better off if we were as excited to wake up each morning as my little angels are.
And seriously, if you know about that Monte Cristo, call me.
