When Kyle was 13, the beautiful little Lhasa Apso, Jasmine, that we had wasn’t dog enough for him. He wore us down until we adopted Blaze at 5 weeks old. He came from the cutest litter of 9 retriever mix puppies and he won my heart at the first kiss. Of course, as all 13 year old’s say when they want a dog, Kyle was going to sweep the floors of his hair and walk him and….well, things didn’t go exactly that way, but being the dog lover I have always been, I took on all that goes along with big dog ownership and Mitch is always the best partner at all things Zipp family. Losing Jasmine some years ago was hard, but Blaze makes everything better. When Kyle was away at college, he really, really want a cat and even though I wasn’t sure it was the best thing to do and his apartment complex didn’t really allow them (but I knew he was moving at the end of the year) we indulged him and over winter break he came home and adopted Roxburry and back to Orlando they went. When graduation came, and Kyle came home, we became the 1 dog 1 cat family and everyone learned to co-exist quite nicely. When Kyle landed a job and his first apartment in Tampa, I couldn’t handle the thought of Roxy being locked up all day when she had gotten so used to a house and a dog and a patio, complete with lizards to chase all day, so I suggested we keep her and he agreed. Last year, Kyle and Nicole, having moved into a much bigger place, decided it was time to get “their” cat and they brought Chase, a beautiful long-haired kitten into their home and hearts.
Now, Chase is spending a week with us and all the animals have to readjust. For a couple of days, there was lots of hissing, yelling and hairs standing on end for the cats. This morning, however, they have discovered that despite their many differences (gender, size, color, personalities, etc.) they have much more in common than what separates them. They have also learned that life is a whole lot better if they agree to make friends then stay strangers. I suspect, by Saturday when it is time for Chase to go back to Tampa, they will be best buds and sad to say good-bye.
The moral of my story is that we probably could ALL get along if we simply stood back, observed a little and then realized we would get much more out of this life if we embraced all we have in common and put aside our differences.
I watched (with very tired eyes) most of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition but did miss the last half hour or so, so I will catch up on what I missed this afternoon and be back to talk about it in the morning.
If you, like so many, ate too much salt this weekend, make sure you get in a good workout and drink plenty of water. The workout will make you sweat out all the sodium through the clear fluids you are ingesting today. Carole sent me a great pitcher that makes tea or infused water. I filled it with water and lemons and limes and I’ll be drinking a lot of it today! Thanks, Carole!
Finally, remember to take this day and seize it! To all the school teachers and students who begin their summer vacation today, remember to do all those things you said you would do if time allowed. For those of you undergoing major lifestyle changes, remember “one day at a time.” That’s really all any of us can ever do. Love and gratitude, for this day and then every day.
