Everyday is an Opportunity

Me & Arrowroot

The other day dadz and I were walking around the property, checking on fence lines and nailing up fallen boards.  I sit and watch him, his eyes focused on the curled barbed wire, checking the gaps to make sure it is attached to the weathered split-board fence.  We walk over a few little hills, I wander about sniffing the arrowroot flowers growing in the mounds that surround the barn. "Bubby-flowers," that's what momma and dadz call the arrowroot - one of my nicknames is Bubby - why they named this flower after me is curious, dadz says it's because their bright yellow color reminds him of my fur when the sun shine's on me.

Dadz grasps the barbed wire in his gloved hands and pulls the wiring tight in an attempt to reconnect it to the fence, and minimize the space between the posts so the mule deer don't get in and nibble on our newly planted vegetable garden.  Momma's proud of her vegetable garden. "I can make salsa anytime we want," momma said to dadz in her effort to establish the need to have a garden...and to get dadz to till up the land.  Dadz didn't seem to understand momma's need to grow things that she could go down to the store and buy, but he ended up tilling the land, planting the seeds, connecting the hose that waters the garden, and pretty much everything else to make momma's garden grow.

No matter how many times dadz tries to reconnect the wiring, it pops off of the fence.  He grips the wire and tries again, "This had better work this time," dadz mutters to the fence while he twists the wire and looks at me. I use my eyes to convey, "I can't help you dadz, I have no thumbs!" I think he gets what I'm saying because he looks back to the fence and continues to twist the wire and reconnect it to the splintered wood pole that holds the fencing in place.

After about eight attempts, and numerous colorful words, dadz sits down next to me - he slips off his worn gloves, placing them next to me.  Dadz hand touches my back and I can tell we're going to settle in for a little spell of 'watch the world go by.' "Well, Mattie, the fence doesn't want to work with me today.... lets sit here and think about this for a while." By 'sit here,' I know that dadz really means to lay down in the cool shade of the big tree and rest a while.  "The fence will be here tomorrow, everyday is an opportunity," said dadz.

I think about that. Every day is an opportunity, dadz is right. It's an opportunity to be with friends or make new friends, be joyous or create joy, be thoughtful to others, help someone, laugh a little bit...or fix a fence, or try to fix a fence. And, every day is an opportunity to lay under a tree and watch the world go by - without a worry, with your dadz. I like fence fixing days. I hope you find a fence that needs fixing, it's not important that you fix it, just that you put some time in to trying - and that you enjoy the journey.

With lub,
MattieDog

To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn

Mattie & Stuffy

Today, with the rays from the morning sun shining bright in to my bay window, I am going to spread out all comfy on my pillow, prop my head up on my blanket and take a look around the world outside.

Life is perfect and I am content!

The warmth of the sunshine soothes me and so I sprawl out, basking in the warm glow of the mid-morning sun and peer out the window just in time to see the mailman walk up the sidewalk and make little deposits in to the mail slots of my neighbor's doors.  Curious things, mailmen. When he reaches my door he sends a few envelopes through our mail slot and I lift my head a bit and watch them drift down and settle on the wood floor below.  I hear the scamper of dog feet skidding along the floor and so I flip over on my side to get a better advantange, and watch my brother Spike, a little Chihuahua, tear up the mail...curious that he feels the need to attack the mail. So I watch for a while, until Spike's aggressions subside.

The sun beams grow warmer, heated up by streaming in through my bay window. I like the feel and I stretch out on my tummy to look outside just in time to see Max, my next door neighbor's cat, gingerly meandering through my yard...leaving her paw prints in the morning dew of my grassy lawn.  Max likes to walk over and sit just right outside of  my bay window and peer up at me.  I peer back at Max through the window, slowly wagging my tail to signal my pleasure at seeing her.  In return Max flicks her tail and grooms herself a bit, and after a while continues on her journey of walking through my yard...leaving a trail of her paw print marks as she strolls through the dewy grass.

This is what Tuesday's are made of - pleasurable things. Moments not to be disturbed.

The morning lazily turns in to the afternoon.  Laying on my little sun-warmed doggy pillow I look out my bay window to contemplate the day - what to do? Out of the corner of my eye I catch a little tiny creature stirring in the sill of my bay window.  It's a fly coming back to life after it's long winter's nap. *Flap flap flap,* it's little wings start working. I tilt my head a bit and watch as the fly starts to get his energy back, trying to fly...he only has enough energy to bonk in to my paw and flutter back to the windowsill.

Curious little fly. I watch him for a while. Back and forth he zips and bounces along the windowsill, trying with all of his little fly might to get airborne...but all he does is continue to bonk me on my paw, and sometimes my forehead. I'm not really bothered by the little fly, we all have to do our thing.... like the mailman, like Spike, like Max, and like me.

It's good to have a purpose. Today I'm going to lay on my warm doggy pillow, looking out my bay window and watch the world twist and turn, and change all around me, and I'll be happy and contented!

With lub,
MattieDog

The Meaning of My Journey

As you can see, I've taken a little time off from writing.  Mostly it's been due to my health - it is declining and I am getting older, and well, time has mostly been spent sleeping and reminiscing with my momma and dadz. That's the way it is supposed to be, a journey, a travel through this little world where we meet people and animals and engage in something magical - loving others and allowing ourselves to be loved in return. Connecting.

Mostly, I've just been busy being me.

All of us are called to this wondrous planet for a reason - the truth of which we can either simply see and revel in, or we can struggle...regardless, the journey occurs every day, and we are on it, whether we accept our path or not.  I have accepted my path. It's a good one, mostly filled with miracles.  It is miraculous that I get to spend time with our neighbors, make friends on my walks, get dirty rolling around in horsie dung, meet other happy and playful dogs, snuggle with my neighbor's cat who sneaks in through my doggy door and confiscates my little bed, bark at the seals as they peak their noses up through the cresting waves of the cold water; and be a comfort to my little human companions as they walk through their cancer journeys.

The meaning of my journey - why am I here? Because the world needs joy, the world needs love, the world is better because I am in it.  Why are you here? Simple, the world is better because you are in it. The true meaning of life is the simplest of things - to experience the joy of love. You do not have to see your path, but you do need to feel it - your heart will lead you, your passion will touch you, and in return you'll feel fulfilled by each step you take along your path.

A while back I joined by dadz as he visited his friend Vince. Vince was getting ready to pass from this earth, he had metastatic pancreatic cancer and had elected to stop treatment. Dadz asked Vince if there was anything he could do for him, anything he could take care of for Vince. Vince said there wasn't really anything, that he had peace - however, he wanted to listen to Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World while he looked out his bedroom window, gazing in to the Puget Sound.  Dadz and I went to Vince's house every day for a week and, while I joined Vince on the bed, dadz would sit on a chair, pull out his guitar and sing to him. Vince would smile and slowly fall to sleep. Vince's family gathered, and everyone came together to sing. Vince's journey was complete.

As I travel forward in to the remainder of my journey I am at peace - I have joy in my heart and am surrounded by love. I am thankful for all that I have experienced. I hope each of you are thankful for your journey and feel the true, unique, blessings you experience and contribute to - you are a miracle!

With lub,
MattieDog