Journal of a Living Lady #251
Nancy White Kelly

Our son, Charlie, and wife, Tori have just celebrated their third wedding anniversary. They are to leave tomorrow for a much needed and deserved vacation in Colorado. Both worked two jobs, completed their Masters Degrees, and had their first baby this year. Amazingly, they still have their sanity. It makes me tired just thinking about the pace they have been keeping. The only negative to their trip is that we have their dog. Snickers is supposed to be a Chihuahua. Believe me, it is our unprofessional opinion that Snickers lied on her birth certificate. She looks more like a miniature Doberman with her long legs and standing ears. We have a Chihuahua ourselves. Snickers and Oppie don’t even look like kissing cousins.

Snickers got off to our bad side several months ago when, as a puppy, she baptized our carpets and left us other undesired gifts. However, she is much better now and we tolerate her. Snickers is used to sleeping in bed with Charlie and Tori. Naturally, she thinks our bed is her bed at night. Neither Buddy nor I care for animals in our bed, but what we won’t do for our kids. Last night Snickers had her head in-between mine and Buddy’s. Buddy asked me if that meant three cups of coffee in the morning instead of the usual two.

We also have Charlie and Tori’s cat. They gave Coco to us just before baby Micah was born. We gladly took the former stray cat because we didn’t want any jealous animal harming our new grandson. The intent was to find her a good home. She has one. Right here in the Kelly household.

I was told last week that when an animal brings you their prey, they are showing much affection for you. I wish Coco didn’t love us so much. I shutter to walk down the hall way at night. So far I have been greeted with frogs, lizards, and birds. Once Coco left the gourmet insides of some yet to be identified creature.

Most of the critters that I find in the hall way are still alive, though severely traumatized. Coco enjoys toying with her prey before they become her dinner. Despite her displeasure, I mercifully rescue them from their definite dormant fate. I turn them loose to live once again in the outdoors. However, I am certain Coco has brought me the same stupid frog twice.

I am afraid the best laid plans of mice and men so often go astray. We just got a phone call that the baby is sick with a high fever. The trip to Colorado is off. So, while we baby-sit the dog, we fret over Micah’s latest medical emergency. He is in the hospital with an I.V. in his head. The doctors have ruled out spinal meningitis, Praise the Lord. And, to think, we were perturbed over a six pound dog crowding our bed.