Re-Engineered Love

This week was a bit more slow than the normal.  Momma and dadz both had unusual obligations, but I was able to tag along with them for some of their appointments.  Momma had to go to work to catch up on things since she was sick so much last week, I was able to join her for part of her schedule; and then when she couldn't watch me at her office, she took me to the doggy day care right down street where her co-workers would pop in and say, "Hi Mattiedog!"

Dadz time commitments where a bit different... he spent time at Habitat for Humanity and helped build some houses for people, and their pets.  I mention the "their pets" part because that is how dadz selects the projects he will work on.  Dadz asked if I could come on site while he worked and explained that I wouldn't get in the way and that I was a trained therapy dog and understand a lot of different hand signs for my own safety.  The Habitat for Humanity staff pondered this request for a day and then told dadz that it would be fine but that I'd have to stay close to another dog, Ploppers, the dog that would soon be occupying the house with his family.

Ploppers was a little white fluffy mixed breed doggy and his hind legs were in a little trailer with bright red wheels.  Ploppers dad was also in a a trailer of sorts, my dadz called it a wheelchair.  Poppers dad was in a serious car accident and left with paralysis.  He explained that as part of his therapy, both physical and mental, his training as an engineer allowed him to customized Ploppers little trailer so that it had rubber wheels and a stronger suspension, allowing Ploppers to run around in the grass.  I sat in Ploppers dadz lap while Ploppers ran around the yard yapping at all the people building their soon to be house.

On day 3 dadz completed the ramp that both Plopperz and his dad would use to get in and out of their house; and to together dadz and Plopperz dadz hung a sign that said, "Miracles Happen in this Home!"  Plopperz dadz and my dadz talked a lot during the 3 days we spent together and made plans to customize a wheelchair/bicycle for Plopperz dadz so that he and my dadz can go bicycle together through the open roads in our state.  Dadz is excited because he will learn how to "engineer" a bicycle from Plopperz dadz, and he promised that while he is spending time with Plopperz dadz, riding their bicycles, that I could spend time with Plopperz and run around their gated yard and chase squirrels together.

It was a good week, meeting new people, experiencing new things, learning new skills and seeing the joy of a family living a complete, full and joyous life.  Yep, it was a good week!

With love, Mattiedog

Listen to Mattiedog's March 13, 2010 Podcast