And baby makes three

You know how when you are home alone and not expecting anyone to drop by and you decide comfort comes first? I tend to slob out. Yesterday I had dirty hair, pulled back in a ponytail with big red clips holding back the growing-out bangs. No make up. I had on a huge white t-shirt with holes in it, with no bra on. A t-shirt is good enough for a bra when I am home alone, right? I had on baggy sweat pants, socks, and sandals. Michigan does not do socks and sandals. I do them in the house. I was minding my own business, healing, and consumed by a book with my beagle girls cuddled up. I have the new Laurell K Hamilton book about Anita, the Vampire Slayer (Incubus Dreams).

I jumped about a foot straight up when I heard a knock at the door. Uh oh. I opened the door a crack and found my next door neighbor there. She had a leash in her hand with a little tiny beagle puppy girl named Chase on the other end of it. Oh, my!

Of course I jumped out onto the porch and picked the little thing up. Nothing smells like a puppy. I had forgotten that they had told me they were getting a beagle soon, and I had offered to dogsit at any time for them. The neighbor told me that she wanted her baby to meet my girls to see if they would get along. I put the girls in the dog run, and added the baby to the mix.

Oh yes. They all got along fine. Everyone got a smell of everyone else's bum, (minus me and the neighbor, that is) and little Chase got her face washed. They ran around, played and generally acted like goofy dogs. I can't wait for the neighbors to go on vacation so I can spoil the little tiny baby.

I haven't done much of anything for almost 10 days, and I was getting confined-crabby. Today I set out with the girls to walk. I figured that even if I can't lift more than 8 pounds, surely having 60 pounds of beagle struggling to chase a rabbit can't be an issue. Baby Chase was outside, and I offered to take her along. We went into the fields behind our houses.

Walking two dogs is entertaining enough. Add one baby who does not know yet how to walk with a leash. Picture me as a May Pole, wrapped entirely in leashes. I finally found two ways that I can walk three dogs. I can put the two experienced walkers in one hand, and the baby in the other hand. Or, I can carry the baby (She can't weigh even 5 lbs, in case my doctor reads this.). I did both. I smiled and laughed so much at their antics and playing that I forgot I was miserable and sore. Reluctantly, I returned Chase to her family. What an adorable sweetie. I am happy.

Rx: one puppy