Puppy Love

THE HAPPY ACCIDENT OF 

HOW MR. HERSHEY NUGGET CAME INTO MY LIFE

Me and Nugget on the beach one week after meeting

This past August we were driving home from an overnight event at Wolf Haven when Dave, my husband, took a spontaneous pit stop at Cabela's. As we drove up to the parking lot there were signs proclaiming "PUPPIES!" at which point my 9 year old niece squealed in delight, "Can we go see the puppies...please please!?!?" Upon exiting the car my sister, my mother and I along with my niece took a right turn toward the signs while my husband took a left to Cabela's.

We enjoyed snuggling the lab puppies and cuddling the pugs but when our fix was satisfied we started back to find Dave. This is the moment my sis discovered a truck parked almost out of sight around the corner and said, "I wonder what is down there....let's go see!" As we came around the corner there was a placard with the words "Boykin Spaniel" written in bold letters. I know plenty of dog breeds but this one was new to me. Turns out that Boykin Spaniels are well known back east and are even the state dog of South Carolina (only 11 states have such a category!). There is even a Boykin Spaniel Society.

Growing up I had a number of Springer Spaniels and one in particular, Sprig, was my favorite...the one I always look back upon as THE DOG. Lately I had been visualizing the next dog I wanted to have in my life. It pretty much encompassed all the attributes that Sprig had: gently loving, easy-going, not distracted by other dogs, easy to take places, incredibly happy greeter (he would even smile when we got home from school) and great with people from babies to the elderly. On this particular day Fate lined me up with the dog I had been dreaming of.

On the open tailgate of the pick-up were two wiggly, curly-haired, impossibly adorable, dark chocolate colored dogs. The 6 month old pup that was alongside his sire had the most compellingly yellow green eyes I have ever looking into. I was mesmerized. Looking back I can see it was love at first sight! People would think that because I am a huge dog lover that this would happen often, but it doesn't. In general I love my dogs but it is rare to be so quickly and overwhelmingly smitten as I was with Nugget. I asked so many questions that day all the while loving up those two gorgeous beasts!

The owner was there with the purpose of finding a loving home for Nugget and apparently I fit the bill..he had passed on several offers that day for which I will be eternally grateful! I suspect that he was a washout as a bird dog. I have yet to see him take to water and his fetching skills are fine for the first 4 or 5 throws, but he quickly loses interest after that. But he has love spilling out of his pores! He could spend the day looking adoringly into your eyes as long as he is right up next to you. I could tell that the man was very attached and when it was time to say his goodbyes he got choked up, kissed Nugget on the forehead and exited quickly.

Until Nugget entered my life he had never been indoors and that first night he cowered at the back door, uncertain and scared. By the second day he had crawled in 10 feet and by the third he was reveling in this thing called "the couch"!  He was kenneled at night the first week and by the end of the second week I couldn't keep him off my bed!

We are now a 2 dog family with Homer, "The Weiner-a-tor" being the Alpha and Nugget the Omega. They get along famously and are forming their own special bond! I am amazed when I think of the happenstance of it all. This furry gift that was bestowed upon me is phenomenal and I am so incredibly grateful!!!!

Sprig circa 1970's

Purpose

Not long ago I woke up one day and started to question my purpose. "What does all this mean?" "Why am I creating art while people are suffering pain, illness, hunger and children are being massacred in their classrooms?" "Is there anything of value that I am giving to the world?" Maybe it was my own experience of going through the fire after my husband's stroke 18 months ago that lent my outlook this sharp edge. While we are very blessed and lucky that he has overcome so much, he will always be impaired and life has changed dramatically.

When I sat down to my computer this morning I had no idea what to write...in fact I had no idea I was going to write. It has been after all and entire year since I blogged for my written words have dried up. All my energy has gone into keeping out house running, being present for my husband's needs, getting myself to the gym and painting. As for why I am writing this morning I blame the newspaper delivery guy. He broke my up routine. My morning ritual of eating breakfast my while reading the newspaper is my favorite time of the day. For years I have eaten the same food, cheerios with sliced bananas and frozen blueberries, and for a person who loves variety in life it is strange indeed! I love this time of day when the hours ahead are fresh with possibility. I also love the quiet solitude before the demands and responsibilities kick in and I am needed, so necessary to the function of our little world. So the newspaper was not on my porch this morning. Instead I sat down with my bowl of cheerios at the computer and here I am. I am breaking fast while breaking a longer fast of writing.

Art and aphasia...how do they connect? How do I say something on canvas that I am unable to express out loud?

When I was writing about my husband's stroke in the days and months immediately after I was defiant about his recovery. In my naivete I refused to believe that he would not recover 100%. I would still chose this attitude because it helped us get through those early difficult times. People would tell us that we need to adapt to a "New Normal" as if it were a frock one should slip over one's head. Recently a friend who is going through her own challenges with her husband used the term "New Reality". I like this better...for believe me, there is nothing normal about life when your husband cannot read books, has difficulty holding conversation and writing is out of the question. All this while being the EXACT same person he was prior to his stroke. Can you imagine? I can't!

So I am adopting the term "New Reality"and will forge ahead with promise mustered in my heart. Art can heal all in my world. And if my soul is calmed, in turn I can help heal my husband's world.