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| Foster Dachshunds, Wren and Sassy. Photographer, Stephanie Landis |
Merry Christmas!!
If you are hoping for a perfect Christmas day
story, well look elsewhere! Keeping it
real, here. Christmas Eve brought cold and wind. Doxies wouldn’t go outside; they were too
terrified of the sound of air blowing through the trees, around the corner of
the house, and bumping bits of tin on the shed roof.
Christmas Eve day, I tried attaching a leash to
the doxies’ harnesses, coupling them together since they move as one when
stressed. Of course, they did the
opposite! They pulled apart, reached the
end of the line and froze in a T at the end of the leash. No amount of gentle talk or petting unfroze
them. No treat coaxed them to move. I had to remove all the trappings before they
relaxed enough to walk away. So
disappointed!
Dogs were discombobulated enough that Sassy marked
the rug by the kitchen door. I yelled no and crated her. As I was cleaning up the marking, Wren marked
right beside me. Sigh.
After dinner, some of the family came over to
watch the Muppet Christmas Carol. Both
doxies growled at the littlest human, so into their xpen they went. Sassy soon settled, became curious, and
earned the right to lie on daughter, Stephanie’s lap. Wren rumbled on and on, just the sight of the
happy, dancing 2yr old made her quiver, so into her private crate she went. After
awhile Sassy stressed and went into her crate too. Both dogs were stressed from
Christmas Eve festivities but only Wren wouldn't go outside to relieve herself
once everyone went home. She held it all
in for 18hours. Her record hold is 2
days so I figured she wouldn't explode.
Halfway through the puppet movie, I went with Jude
out to the kitchen. He pointed to the
freezer so I opened the freezer door to see what he wanted. I couldn't make out his words so I leaned
down to pick him up so he show me, somehow in the leaning over my right eye
collided with his finger; his finger went up underneath my eyelid. He shot my eye out without a Red Rider BB
gun!! The eye poke was bad...eye
swelled, watered nonstop, oh how it hurt and burned! I cold compressed it for hours.
Early Christmas morning, Wren still won’t go
outside because Jay is loading the corn/wood pellet furnace; she fears all
those sounds. Okay, back in the crate until the scary sounds stop. Later, both dogs run wild in the sunny back yard,
ears flopping, long bodies hopping.
Sheer joy on Christmas morning! In
all my smiling I forget the pain in my eye.
Burren opens her wrapped gift first. She digs out the hide-a-squirrel and pounces
with glee. She bites it so hard I have
to slow her down. Gentle biting rewards
her with pulling a squirrel out of the log. Then, onto her stocking. Filled with excitement she almost rips it in
half so I open the sock for her nose to reach in and grab a squiggly toy, which
she promptly tosses away. She goes back
in for the gingerbread biscuit and dried hamburger bone.
Sassy gets her stocking next. She too almost rips her in half until I help
her grab a toy and then her biscuit and bone.
I offer Wren a sock; she snatches it and takes it to her den behind my
chair. When I hear ripping sounds, I follow her and help her get out the
treats. She wolfs down her biscuit, then
darts out to snatch Sassy’s bone and sock and toy while Sassy is chewing on the
biscuit. Sassy is oblivious, only
focused on the yummy gingerbread. Wren’s
second nickname is Snitch!
It’s 9:30am on Christmas morning. All dogs are fed, tuckered out, sleeping in
their beds. I’m listening to the Ephrata Cloister Chorus. My dear husband is cutting boughs of greens
to adorn the nativity sets we put up on this day. The song, Still, Still, Still comes on and I
remember my sweet mother who loved this song.
She is gone now, so is my Dad. My left eye waters now, along with my
right. I’m shedding tears of pain, love,
memory, and joy. I await my family
gathering later in the day, will continue to celebrate love, despite painful
eye pokes, loud ruckuses, dachshunds peeing on my floor, kids flying around,
and the general joy and mess that is holidays.
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| Burren goofing off during photo shoot |
For all that is, for all that has been, for all
that will be, I open my hands and heart.
May the Child of Love born this day, bring love,
peace, joy and renewal to you and your precious families.
Joyfully,
Sharon
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