Having a pet of any kind in your home is an adjustment, at first. But, once you to lay down the rules with them, it can be a tremendously loving relationship and the companionship of a dog is fantastic.
We had two little miniature poodles in our lives, both of which eventually came to control the house. First, we said, no dogs on the furniture. But then when we left, there was an indentation in the sofa when we came back, which was obvious evidence they had paid no attention to that.
Then we said, no dogs in the bed. But there was some whining when it was late at night, so we picked them up and soon they had their spot at the bottom of the bed by our feet.
Then we said, no dogs under the covers. But it was cold at night in the winter and those little dogs burrowed themselves underneath and bravely slept next to my husband. In fact one morning I woke up and our little poodle, Daisy, had her head on the pillow lying right next to him. That was really crazy.
I’m sorry if you have never felt the love of a pet. As a child I also had cats and they can be lovable in their own way. I’m not quite sure about the real value of a turtle, goldfish or snake.
A friend shared with me some advantages of a dog over a man or a woman in your life. Here they are: “Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor. A dog’s parents never visit. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go 24 hours a day. Dogs find you amusing when you’re drunk. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, ‘If I die, will you get another dog?’ A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad, they just think it’s interesting. (And last, but not least) If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.”
For the men: “To test the theory that dogs are wonderful, lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour. Then open it and see who’s happy to see you.” (Ok, just kidding).
This is an interesting observation: “If you can start the day without caffeine, if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains, if you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, if you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it, if you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time, if you can take criticism and blame without resentment, if you can relax without liquor, if you can sleep without the aid of drugs … then you are probably the family dog!
So, if you don’t have a pet, maybe this will inspire you, but I’m still not sure about a turtle, goldfish or snake!
J-T carriers care
Those people who distribute the Journal-Tribune every day are hard workers. They are out there in rain, snow and heat to bring you the newspaper every day. There’s also an added benefit to receiving the daily paper at your home. You’ll see what I mean when you hear this story:
A J-T carrier noticed that there were two newspapers on the porch of a customer. She also knew that person read that newspaper every day and never left the house. The carrier became concerned and notified the circulation director, Cheryl Welty, at the Journal-Tribune office, as they were trained to do. Our carriers are those who come in contact with the customer in some way every day and are in a place to be aware if a situation looks unusual.
Cheryl suggested the person had just gone away for a few days, but the carrier insisted the woman never left the house. So Cheryl called the home with no answer. Then she notified the Marysville Police Department. They agreed to stop by the house and see if they could identify a problem. Once they were able to move around to a window, they could see that the homeowner was on the floor and needed help. All turned out well for this customer. Your Journal-Tribune carriers care.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)