Day 536
"Nose Art" is a common occurrence at our home and cottage. Our front door, at The Big White House, is always a work of smudgy creativity and the sliding glass doors at the cottage...a fresh canvas. Our clothing has Golden Glitter, the corners of each room have "golden bunnies" and our cars...well, there is massive evidence of Goldens having been passengers within each vehicle.
Although I battle to keep our living spaces somewhat clean, it is a losing battle. Dog hair is simply part of the decor! People seem to know that about us and love us anyway. A common greeting to guests is, "Please leave your shoes on ...our dogs never bother to take their shoes off!." This generally elicits a good laugh, but my German/Scandinavian roots cringe when our guests leave with furry garments.
However, when I look at the culprits who happily share their dander and hair, I also realize that their very presence in our Doggy Home is the essence of what we have created together...a home full of unconditional love.
There was a time when we had Arthur, Ranger, Lilly (Goldens) and our border collie, Oreo, in residence. We were driving home from Texas when our dear friend, Mama Kay, called to tell us she was going into hospice. She frantically asked us to find a home for her beloved Maltese/shitzu mix, Nicky. Our conversation went something like this:
Me (in tears): "Kay is entering hospice and she is afraid that her family will put her Nicky down! She wondered if we knew ANYONE who would take him."
Mac (big sigh): "How old is that mutt?"
Me: "I think he's about 12...please can we take him?"
Mac (long pause): "OK...call her back and tell her we'll take him." With a smile in his voice, he added, "BUT, if we get a sixth dog, I'm moving back to Texas!"
Me (drying my tears and calling Mama Kay's number): "Honey, if we get a sixth dog, I'M moving to Texas!"
Nicky joined us for four wonderful years and certified to be my "portable" Therapy Dog. He was a charmer!
So, let the nose art flourish, the dog hair waft and our clothing proclaim we are dog people! The love those furry faces bring to our home and cottage is immeasurable! Just so our guests don't find my "signature ingredient" (a dog hair) in their portion of Sunday Dinner!
