Mind Games

I'm freaking out.

I just took on a pit mix puppy that JL wants to name "Green Bean."

"Really?" (That question comes with a tinge of sarcasm.)

What had I done? My kid is gaga over this newcomer (so am I) and now he wants to give the puppy a weird name. Even his girlfriend likes it. Perfect. No, no, no... Let's start again.

Poppy at 10 weeks

I'm freaking out because I fear my life is about to be turned upside down and inside out by my emotional response to a puppy. Well, how else do you respond to being handed a 10 week old, 12 pound bundle of fur, toenails and tongue? Yep. With your heart. Then, within 24 hours, all your deepest fears and anxieties creep in to that "first blush" and you start freaking out.

"How do I feed her? Where can I find training resources? How does my community feel about pit bull type dogs? Is my town one of those unfriendly to pits? Can I afford the fees for shots, spaying and training?" The questions are getting very close to overwhelming what little I know about dog-rearing and what's left of my common sense.

Heart Speak

July 5 - Snoozing

On July 5, 2011, I was at my neighbor's teasing him about his love of Dodge trucks - he'd rather sit in the cab, having a conversation over a cold one. than go into the comfort of his house or back yard - when his nephew, a young man with huge, neonate eyes walked up to us with a puppy in his arms. Those dark eyes were pleading his case (and hers) before he'd uttered a word.

"Please, I just want to find her a good home. I can't keep her and if I don't find her a good home, she'll be bait."

I reached out and he put her into my hands. Slippery, loose puppy skin covered in reddish tan fur, white toes, black tips on her ears and nose that was smudged with white on the left side. The warmest coppery brown eyes I'd ever seen looked up into mine and I fell in love. But... wait...

Damn. She was a pit bull type pup...