Many of you humans believe there is a Heaven. I am told that Heaven is a place where God and the angels and all holy people live. While you humans have many opinions of what Heaven is really like and of how humans can actually get yourselves back to Heaven, one thing is for certain: Heaven is a wonderful place, a paradise, beautiful and calming for everyone who is there.
How would I describe Heaven? For me, as a 7-month old puppy, Heaven is like Dog Park the day after a giant snowstorm! There are zillions of dogs there for me to chase, play with, and with whom to share a stick. Some of us wear coats and sweaters to keep our fur warm; others wear little booties to keep our paws dry.
We have snowball fights by tossing snow up in the air with our noses!
We play "King of the Mountain" by chasing each other up and down the snowy hills!
We play Tug on each other's coats and sweaters!
We dig big holes and bury our toys in the snow, only to dig them back up again a few minutes later! You should see all the snow fly when we are digging so fast and furious!
We have "Who Can Eat the Most Snow (Except Yellow Snow)" contests!
We play "Hide and Seek" in the snow drifts! More often than not, our wagging tails give our location away!
Some of us run on the paths made by each other's pawprints in the snow; others make our own paths!
We Dog-Sled by sliding down snowy hills on our tummies!
When we lie on our backs, we make Snow-Dog Angels! Our flimsy legs and paws dance in the air!
Most importantly, we help each other take off the clumps of snow that accumulate on our paws and our fur.
So, my kith and kin, while you humans try to determine who can get to Heaven, I am just going to enjoy my own idea of Heaven: a playful paradise made of snow!
Thought for you humans:
What is your Heaven? What brings you pure delight?
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
My First Report Card
I got my very first report card the other day. My human friends--Stella, Miriam, AJ, and Marie--were the ones who thought it would be a great idea to create a character assessment of the first six months of my life. Here is my report card:
Character Trait Grade Comments
Obedience A Responds with alacrity (especially to "treat")
Courtesty A+ Includes all in his leaps and licks attention
Hygiene B+ Regularly washes ears and face in Water Dish
Neatness C+ Does not return toys to Toy Box
Concentration A Fiercely attentive to doors and food
Friendliness A+ Tongue and tail always say, "I like you."
Effort A+ Aims high (especially to reach the table)
Perseverance A+ Relentless in games of Tug
Comments
Thunder's area of greatest improvement is his response to discipline regarding the begging for food at the table. He manifests good self-image and future leadership potential in the canine world.
My Rebuttal
Regarding the C+ in Neatness: I don't see the importance of having to put my toys in the Toy Box. Mom does that for me every day. And when she does, I just take them out so I have them ready for playtime. What is the purpose of putting away toys when I want to play with them?
Regarding the B+ in Hygiene: The grade I was given is a bit low. Not only do I clean my face and ears in Water Dish, but I also smell very good. Everyday I go outside and roll in dead squirrel, dead bird, or dead frog. I'll even roll in other animals' feces. So a dog with clean ears, clean face, and who smells really good ought to receive at least an A in this category.
Thought for you humans:
What honest assessment can you give yourself? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? How can you make your strengths even stronger?
Character Trait Grade Comments
Obedience A Responds with alacrity (especially to "treat")
Courtesty A+ Includes all in his leaps and licks attention
Hygiene B+ Regularly washes ears and face in Water Dish
Neatness C+ Does not return toys to Toy Box
Concentration A Fiercely attentive to doors and food
Friendliness A+ Tongue and tail always say, "I like you."
Effort A+ Aims high (especially to reach the table)
Perseverance A+ Relentless in games of Tug
Comments
Thunder's area of greatest improvement is his response to discipline regarding the begging for food at the table. He manifests good self-image and future leadership potential in the canine world.
My Rebuttal
Regarding the C+ in Neatness: I don't see the importance of having to put my toys in the Toy Box. Mom does that for me every day. And when she does, I just take them out so I have them ready for playtime. What is the purpose of putting away toys when I want to play with them?
Regarding the B+ in Hygiene: The grade I was given is a bit low. Not only do I clean my face and ears in Water Dish, but I also smell very good. Everyday I go outside and roll in dead squirrel, dead bird, or dead frog. I'll even roll in other animals' feces. So a dog with clean ears, clean face, and who smells really good ought to receive at least an A in this category.
Thought for you humans:
What honest assessment can you give yourself? What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? How can you make your strengths even stronger?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
A Monster Under the Bed!
There's a monster under mom's bed! A real-life monster!
I love to play hide-and-seek with Mom. She'll say, "Where's Thunder?" Then I'll scoot myself under Mom's bed and close my eyes really tightly so Mom doesn't see me. She will keep calling me over and over again--"Thunder?? Thunder?? Where are you?--until finally she gets the bright idea to look under the bed.
When she looks under the bed and finds me and says, "There's my Thunder!," I open my eyes, wag my tail, and scoot back out from under the bed. Then we'll play a little bit until she says, "Where's Thunder?" and the whole game starts all over again.
Except the other day, I wasn't the only one under the bed. There was a monster there.
When Mom said her usual, "Where's Thunder?" and I scooted myself under the bed, the monster bit me on the tummy. I felt it and I yelped and scooted really fast back out from under the bed. I sat in Mom's lap and wimpered. She gave me lots of hugs and kisses as I tried to explain to her that there is a big monster under the bed. It is a big, scary, hairy, and furry monster that growls and slobbers and bites really hard!
Mom looked under the bed and said she couldn't see the monster. I told her, "Of course not! The monster can only be seen with dog-eyes!"
I was too scared to go back under the bed. I still am too scared to go under there.
But Mom believes me that there is a monster under the bed and we are trying to figure out how to get rid of under-the-bed-monsters. Do you have any ideas? I really want to play Hide-and-Seek with Mom, but I cannot until we get rid of the monster. I want to tell the monster that under the bed is my place to play, not its place!
Thought for you humans:
Of what are you afraid today? Is your fear real or based upon make believe?
I love to play hide-and-seek with Mom. She'll say, "Where's Thunder?" Then I'll scoot myself under Mom's bed and close my eyes really tightly so Mom doesn't see me. She will keep calling me over and over again--"Thunder?? Thunder?? Where are you?--until finally she gets the bright idea to look under the bed.
When she looks under the bed and finds me and says, "There's my Thunder!," I open my eyes, wag my tail, and scoot back out from under the bed. Then we'll play a little bit until she says, "Where's Thunder?" and the whole game starts all over again.
Except the other day, I wasn't the only one under the bed. There was a monster there.
When Mom said her usual, "Where's Thunder?" and I scooted myself under the bed, the monster bit me on the tummy. I felt it and I yelped and scooted really fast back out from under the bed. I sat in Mom's lap and wimpered. She gave me lots of hugs and kisses as I tried to explain to her that there is a big monster under the bed. It is a big, scary, hairy, and furry monster that growls and slobbers and bites really hard!
Mom looked under the bed and said she couldn't see the monster. I told her, "Of course not! The monster can only be seen with dog-eyes!"
I was too scared to go back under the bed. I still am too scared to go under there.
But Mom believes me that there is a monster under the bed and we are trying to figure out how to get rid of under-the-bed-monsters. Do you have any ideas? I really want to play Hide-and-Seek with Mom, but I cannot until we get rid of the monster. I want to tell the monster that under the bed is my place to play, not its place!
Thought for you humans:
Of what are you afraid today? Is your fear real or based upon make believe?
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Joy of Waiting
It is not easy to wait for anything when you are a six-month old puppy like me!
Advent is a time of waiting. It is an important four weeks for Christians as they prepare their hearts and homes and wait to celebrate Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ.
So I am learning to wait for Christmas, too. There is now a big tree in in my favorite corner of the living room where I love to take my naps. The tree is decorated with pretty bulbs and little lights. I'm not supposed to go near the tree, so I've got to wait until after Christmas when mom puts away the tree until I can take my naps in my favorite corner of the house.
Outside, there is a wonderful place in my yard that turns into a puddle of water whenever the sump pump goes off. I love slurping up the water that comes out of the sump pump hose! But now, because the weather here in Wisconsin is so very cold, the water turns into ice as soon as comes out. I've got to wait until the weather warms up before I can slurp up the water again.
The other day, when Mom and I were out walking, I discovered a dog toy. It is orange and black and filthy and torn up and full of dog slobber. Mom says it's a toy only a dog would love. I proudly carried that new dog toy with me for the remainder of our walk.
When we got close to our house, I took a little detour and went to my neighbor's house. In warm weather, my neighbor, Connie, likes to plant pretty flowers alongside her house. Now that it is cold outside, there are no flowers, just delicious dirt! So I went over by the dirt and, with the new dog toy hanging from my mouth, I promptly dug a nice hole in the dirt. The dirt felt cold, but it was still gooey and most importantly, very messy! I got dirt all over my paws and my face.
When the hole was dug, I gently placed that dog toy into the hole and then I used my nose to cover it up with more dirt. The dirt became a blanket to keep my new dog toy warm!
Then I sat down and looked at mom and said to her, "Now I've got to wait until springtime when Connie digs up her garden and discovers this dog toy! I can't wait until Connie finds it! It will be such a surprise!"
"Oh, it will be a great surprise!" Mom said.
That's the funny thing with waiting...at first it can be annoying, like having to find a new corner to take my naps or not being able to slurp up sump pump water when I want to, but then waiting can be very exciting because there can be many surprises that come along!
It's still not easy waiting for anything when you are a puppy. But this Advent, I am going to try to find the hidden blessings and surprises that times like Advent bring!
Thought for you humans:
How do you deal with waiting? Are you impatient? Are you calm enough to be open to new surprises?
Advent is a time of waiting. It is an important four weeks for Christians as they prepare their hearts and homes and wait to celebrate Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ.
So I am learning to wait for Christmas, too. There is now a big tree in in my favorite corner of the living room where I love to take my naps. The tree is decorated with pretty bulbs and little lights. I'm not supposed to go near the tree, so I've got to wait until after Christmas when mom puts away the tree until I can take my naps in my favorite corner of the house.
Outside, there is a wonderful place in my yard that turns into a puddle of water whenever the sump pump goes off. I love slurping up the water that comes out of the sump pump hose! But now, because the weather here in Wisconsin is so very cold, the water turns into ice as soon as comes out. I've got to wait until the weather warms up before I can slurp up the water again.
The other day, when Mom and I were out walking, I discovered a dog toy. It is orange and black and filthy and torn up and full of dog slobber. Mom says it's a toy only a dog would love. I proudly carried that new dog toy with me for the remainder of our walk.
When we got close to our house, I took a little detour and went to my neighbor's house. In warm weather, my neighbor, Connie, likes to plant pretty flowers alongside her house. Now that it is cold outside, there are no flowers, just delicious dirt! So I went over by the dirt and, with the new dog toy hanging from my mouth, I promptly dug a nice hole in the dirt. The dirt felt cold, but it was still gooey and most importantly, very messy! I got dirt all over my paws and my face.
When the hole was dug, I gently placed that dog toy into the hole and then I used my nose to cover it up with more dirt. The dirt became a blanket to keep my new dog toy warm!
Then I sat down and looked at mom and said to her, "Now I've got to wait until springtime when Connie digs up her garden and discovers this dog toy! I can't wait until Connie finds it! It will be such a surprise!"
"Oh, it will be a great surprise!" Mom said.
That's the funny thing with waiting...at first it can be annoying, like having to find a new corner to take my naps or not being able to slurp up sump pump water when I want to, but then waiting can be very exciting because there can be many surprises that come along!
It's still not easy waiting for anything when you are a puppy. But this Advent, I am going to try to find the hidden blessings and surprises that times like Advent bring!
Thought for you humans:
How do you deal with waiting? Are you impatient? Are you calm enough to be open to new surprises?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Footwear Fetish
Hello. My name is Thunder. I have a Footwear Fetish.
I love all types of human footwear. I love slippers. I love tennis shoes. I love clogs. I love dress-up shoes. I love boots.
No, I do not want to wear these types of footwear. What I want is to carry each one of them very proudly, softly, and carefully in my mouth, then smother it in kisses, then chew on it gently, and finally lie right next to it. I must have some type of footwear next to me when I take my naps.
I love mom's shoes. I love Annie's slippers, Emily's slippers, Emily's boots, Sarah's boots, mom's slippers, and Marie's shoes.
And I found out today I absolutely and completely love Miriam's slippers.
I admit my Footwear Fetish problem here because today I got caught chewing up Miriam's slipper.
Here's what happened:
Today as I visited some of my human-friends, I found Miriam's slippers behind her bedroom door. I carefully carried one of them from behind the door into the living room. I tried not to prance so proudly and loudly so not to arouse any suspicion from Mom as to what I was up to.
The slipper was not at all heavy, so it made carrying it all the way to the living room undetected very easy.
I could see that Miriam took great care in her slipper. It was so soft. It had little pink flowers on the top. It tasted so flowery and sweet and perfumy when I started giving it kisses. And more kisses. And more kisses.
Soon the kissing turned into biting. And biting. And more biting. I bit the pretty pink flowers. I bit the leathery sides of the slipper. I bit the bottom of the slipper. I couldn't stop. I had to keep biting that slipper until nothing was left.
Then I was caught. "Aha!" exclaimed Mom. "Now I have proof you are the one carrying my slippers and shoes all over the house and chewing on them! What is Miriam going to say when she sees her slipper all chewed up? She needs to wear her slippers in these cold Wisconsin days to keep her feet warm! No more slippers for you!"
I just couldn't stop myself. I had no self-control. I had to keep eating up her slipper!
My name is Thunder. I have a Footwear Fetish.
Thought for you Humans:
What is your own guilty pleasure?
I love all types of human footwear. I love slippers. I love tennis shoes. I love clogs. I love dress-up shoes. I love boots.
No, I do not want to wear these types of footwear. What I want is to carry each one of them very proudly, softly, and carefully in my mouth, then smother it in kisses, then chew on it gently, and finally lie right next to it. I must have some type of footwear next to me when I take my naps.
I love mom's shoes. I love Annie's slippers, Emily's slippers, Emily's boots, Sarah's boots, mom's slippers, and Marie's shoes.
And I found out today I absolutely and completely love Miriam's slippers.
I admit my Footwear Fetish problem here because today I got caught chewing up Miriam's slipper.
Here's what happened:
Today as I visited some of my human-friends, I found Miriam's slippers behind her bedroom door. I carefully carried one of them from behind the door into the living room. I tried not to prance so proudly and loudly so not to arouse any suspicion from Mom as to what I was up to.
The slipper was not at all heavy, so it made carrying it all the way to the living room undetected very easy.
I could see that Miriam took great care in her slipper. It was so soft. It had little pink flowers on the top. It tasted so flowery and sweet and perfumy when I started giving it kisses. And more kisses. And more kisses.
Soon the kissing turned into biting. And biting. And more biting. I bit the pretty pink flowers. I bit the leathery sides of the slipper. I bit the bottom of the slipper. I couldn't stop. I had to keep biting that slipper until nothing was left.
Then I was caught. "Aha!" exclaimed Mom. "Now I have proof you are the one carrying my slippers and shoes all over the house and chewing on them! What is Miriam going to say when she sees her slipper all chewed up? She needs to wear her slippers in these cold Wisconsin days to keep her feet warm! No more slippers for you!"
I just couldn't stop myself. I had no self-control. I had to keep eating up her slipper!
My name is Thunder. I have a Footwear Fetish.
Thought for you Humans:
What is your own guilty pleasure?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Top Ten Reasons to be Thankful this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in the United States is a wonderful holiday where we, in part, remember everything for which we are grateful.
My top 10 reasons to be thankful this, my first, Thanksgiving:
10. Dog-Toy, Walrus, Squeaky Ball, Silly Ball, Ball, Squeaky Weights, Squeaky Dog, Squirrel, and Fuzzy Wuzzy Man-Toy.
9. Food Dish and and Water Dish. Sometimes Mom puts surprise foods in Food Dish, and sometimes she puts ice cubes in Water Dish. Yum!
8. Chasing everyone and everything.
7. Squirrels, birds, trees, geese, ducks, frogs, sticks, and fire hydrants.
6. The Dog Digestive System that allowed me to throw up in the middle of the night the very tasty chocolate truffle and its wrapper I ate Thanksgiving weekend.
5. My dog-friends (especially Ellie, Squiggy, Gus, Max, and Louis) and my human-friends (especially Marie, Ellen, AJ, Miriam, Stella, Annie, Dan, Jim, Melissa, Ben, Emily, Sarah, Alecia, Dr. Ann, and Mom).
4. Climbing into the dishwasher and cleaning dirty dishes. Yum! Yum! (See my photo below.)
3. Taking long walks, especially without a leash. My favorite places are Hobb's Woods, the Dog Park, and the cemetery.
2. Car rides. I don't care where I go, just as long as I can put my head out the window and pretend to soar like the birds!
1. Treats.
Thought for you humans:
What is your own Top 10 Reasons to be Thankful this Thanksgiving List?
My top 10 reasons to be thankful this, my first, Thanksgiving:
10. Dog-Toy, Walrus, Squeaky Ball, Silly Ball, Ball, Squeaky Weights, Squeaky Dog, Squirrel, and Fuzzy Wuzzy Man-Toy.
9. Food Dish and and Water Dish. Sometimes Mom puts surprise foods in Food Dish, and sometimes she puts ice cubes in Water Dish. Yum!
8. Chasing everyone and everything.
7. Squirrels, birds, trees, geese, ducks, frogs, sticks, and fire hydrants.
6. The Dog Digestive System that allowed me to throw up in the middle of the night the very tasty chocolate truffle and its wrapper I ate Thanksgiving weekend.
5. My dog-friends (especially Ellie, Squiggy, Gus, Max, and Louis) and my human-friends (especially Marie, Ellen, AJ, Miriam, Stella, Annie, Dan, Jim, Melissa, Ben, Emily, Sarah, Alecia, Dr. Ann, and Mom).
4. Climbing into the dishwasher and cleaning dirty dishes. Yum! Yum! (See my photo below.)
3. Taking long walks, especially without a leash. My favorite places are Hobb's Woods, the Dog Park, and the cemetery.
2. Car rides. I don't care where I go, just as long as I can put my head out the window and pretend to soar like the birds!
1. Treats.
Thought for you humans:
What is your own Top 10 Reasons to be Thankful this Thanksgiving List?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Visiting the Dog-Emergency Room
I had to visit the Dog-Emergency Room yesterday.
The day started out in a fantastic way! Mom and I went to our friend Marie's house to help her put up Christmas decorations outside. I got to spend a lot of time outside, chasing leaves, saying hi to neighbors, and barking at the newspaper carrier. It started drizzling and so I got soaked and full of mud. It was the best day.
Then Marie and mom went to the garage to get out of the rain and I followed them. As they untangled strings of lights, I came across a little package of green pellets in the corner. I took a pellet in my mouth, chomped on it, and decided this was a tasty treat. I chomped on some more pellets and, because I have not yet learned how to chew with my mouth closed, I was chomping quite loudly, so loudly that mom heard me and literally flew across the garage to get out all those treats out of my mouth.
I didn't see what was the big deal. I was just enjoying some tasty treats, after all! Then Mom kept saying, "Thunder ate mouse poison! Thunder ate mouse poison!" I remember hearing the word "poison" before, like at home when I tried eating leaves off a plant or when I tried to eat dirt from the same plant. I can't eat anything that is called poison. So I guessed that the new treats I found were actually poison.
Mom and Marie whisked me into the kitchen and mom fed me something called hydrogen peroxide from a water bottle. It tasted horribly, and then they made me go outside so I could throw up. I threw up right away--over 3 times--and when I was finished, Marie and mom took me for a long car ride to the Dog-Emergency Room in Appleton.
On the way there, Marie and Mom said a prayer to St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. It is a good thing that I wear a St. Francis of Assisi medal around my neck. I knew I was doubly protected then! St. Francis of Assisi would keep me safe!
The nice Dog Doctor at the Dog-Emergency Room gave me some charcoal to eat and I got black charcoal all over my beard. He gave mom some vitamin K pills to give me all month. Everyone expects me to live a long, long time.
While my day yesterday started out really well as I helped mom and Marie decorate outside, it ended with a trip to the Dog-Emergency Room.
I really don't like poison.
Thoughts for you humans:
What thoughts or actions are poisoning you? How will you take care of your poisons?
The day started out in a fantastic way! Mom and I went to our friend Marie's house to help her put up Christmas decorations outside. I got to spend a lot of time outside, chasing leaves, saying hi to neighbors, and barking at the newspaper carrier. It started drizzling and so I got soaked and full of mud. It was the best day.
Then Marie and mom went to the garage to get out of the rain and I followed them. As they untangled strings of lights, I came across a little package of green pellets in the corner. I took a pellet in my mouth, chomped on it, and decided this was a tasty treat. I chomped on some more pellets and, because I have not yet learned how to chew with my mouth closed, I was chomping quite loudly, so loudly that mom heard me and literally flew across the garage to get out all those treats out of my mouth.
I didn't see what was the big deal. I was just enjoying some tasty treats, after all! Then Mom kept saying, "Thunder ate mouse poison! Thunder ate mouse poison!" I remember hearing the word "poison" before, like at home when I tried eating leaves off a plant or when I tried to eat dirt from the same plant. I can't eat anything that is called poison. So I guessed that the new treats I found were actually poison.
Mom and Marie whisked me into the kitchen and mom fed me something called hydrogen peroxide from a water bottle. It tasted horribly, and then they made me go outside so I could throw up. I threw up right away--over 3 times--and when I was finished, Marie and mom took me for a long car ride to the Dog-Emergency Room in Appleton.
On the way there, Marie and Mom said a prayer to St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. It is a good thing that I wear a St. Francis of Assisi medal around my neck. I knew I was doubly protected then! St. Francis of Assisi would keep me safe!
The nice Dog Doctor at the Dog-Emergency Room gave me some charcoal to eat and I got black charcoal all over my beard. He gave mom some vitamin K pills to give me all month. Everyone expects me to live a long, long time.
While my day yesterday started out really well as I helped mom and Marie decorate outside, it ended with a trip to the Dog-Emergency Room.
I really don't like poison.
Thoughts for you humans:
What thoughts or actions are poisoning you? How will you take care of your poisons?
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