Category: A Little Personal

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy in the Morning

~ John W. Howell ~ 129 Comments

“Hey, Twiggy. What are you doing?”

“Just waiting to see what kind of day we will have.”

“Well, you know it will be hot.”

“On the walk with Mom, I could tell it will be a scorcher. What’s the forecast?”

“Looks like 104° F, which is 40° C.”

“I would say an inside day.”

“I think you are right. At least you don’t live in a dog house.”

“Whatever that is. Have to think of stuff to do.”

“There are your toys. Plenty to play with.”

“True. Some are a little long in the tooth, though.”

“You just got the Bee Mine toy.”

“Yes, I do find it interesting still. Also, Mr. Eel and Watermelon are good friends.”

“You and I can play tuggy too.”

“That’s true. I wish I would win more often.”

Well, I could throw a game or two.”

“Now, Dad. You know that’s not how we roll. What the heck is that stuff?”

“It’s my breakfast. Raisin Bran Crunch with banana. Want some?”

OMG. Looks like something left over from high tide.”

“So I guess that’s a pass.”

“You are very astute, Dad. Now if you had a spare Porterhouse steak, that would be a different story.”

“If this was a Porterhouse steak, we both would be in the wrong house and possibly in a different dimension.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like something you would eat. Would be fun, though.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy’s New Toy

~ John W. Howell ~ 132 Comments

“So Twiggy. I want you to evaluate two toys and see which one you like the best.”

“Yes, it sounds like a good way to select a toy. I’m ready.”

“That is a hedgehog toy.”

“It does have an animal scent.”

“How does it feel?”

“The mouthfeel is okay. The stuffing is a little too soft for my taste.”

Is it playable?”

“Yeah, it flips nicely. Doesn’t land on its feet, though.”

“How about durability?”

“Now there’s a problem. As I pull on the fur, it comes off in my mouth. Yuk.”

Here’s the next one. It doesn’t have fur.”

“Sometimes that’s better. At least I don’t have to worry about swallowing some.”

“It is a bumble bee and a heart with ‘Bee Mine’ on it.”

“So, looks like a leftover Valentine’s Day toy. Hmm tastes okay. No unpleasant aftertaste.

“How about the fragrance?”

“Nice bouquet. A bit floral without the usual vinyl interference.”

“Playability?”

“Yeah, it has a pleasing crunch, and these antennae are very satisfying.”

“What is your overall opinion?”

“This toy fulfills all the expectations for a real entertainment treat. It is subtly understated, which then has the effect of overdelivering on the satisfaction promise.”

“Which do you like the best?”

“Unfortunately, the hedgehog has a shedding problem, so I have to select Bee Mine.”

“Maybe we can revisit the hedgehog sometime.”

“If he stops shedding we can.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy’s New Carpet.

~ John W. Howell ~ 99 Comments

“There’s watermelon and Benebone to play with, Twiggy.”

“Are you missing the elephant in the room?”

“Elephant? I didn’t know you had an elephant toy.”

“Not toy, Dad. Presence, situation, big looming problem.”

“I still don’t know what you mean.”

“The carpet. It’s not the same. There’s no black and tan.”

“Oh, that? Yeah, Mom decided an all-white soft tuft would be better.”

“Better how?”

“Well, it feels good when you lay down.”

“I can vouch for that. It does feel good. What else?”

“It is very durable. Can stand up to a lot of wear.”

“You mean dog traffic.”

“Well, People too.”

“Uh-huh. I can see it goes with the couches.”

“That is true. It is like a monochromatic effect.”

“With a splash of color from my toys and those grey stairs.”

“Well, you still need those to get on the couch.”

“Yes, that is for sure. Unless they make a couch that sits on the floor, I need this.”

“So what do you think?”

“I like the softness, and I can also see if I roll around on it, the carpet will hide my hair for a while.”

“That has to be a big benefit. ”

“Okay, Dad. You’ve sold me. The carpet stays.”

“I’m sure Mom will be happy to hear that.”

“You are just humoring me, right?”

“Right.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy Inside

~ John W. Howell ~ 119 Comments

“How’s cheeseburger doing today, Twiggy?”

“He looks pretty tired. I think I need to play with someone else.”

“Fishbone looks rested.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Let me take a sniff.”

“So?”

“I think he needs a bath.”

“There must be something over there that you will want to play with, isn’t there?”

“I’ve had my eye on the chuck-it ball.”

“Well, then go for it.”

“A little problem, Dad.”

“What’s that?”

“Chuck-it is stuck inside the igloo.”

“Can’t you get it out?”

“Not that easy. Gotta make sure the sides of the igloo don’t get in the way. Way too much work.”

“You giving up?”

“No, just taking a breather. It’s hot today.”

“I don’t want to mention that the temperature has been the same inside the house for weeks. Here I took it out for you.”

“Oh, thank you. It is just that chuck-it is more or less an outside toy.”

“You can play with him inside too.”

“I know that. I think playing with him outside is more fun.”

“That’s all well and good, but it’s 105 degrees out there.”

“And for our Celcus friends, that’s almost 41 degrees. I guess outside is not an option.”

“So what now?”

“I think I’ll just chill here inside and maybe get Mr. Eel to play with me later.”

“You okay with that?”

“Sure am. In fact, it sounds pretty good given the blowtorch conditions outside.”

Thursday a Little Personal – Twiggy Remembers Lucy.

~ John W. Howell ~ 163 Comments

“Hi, Little One. Whatcha doing?”

“I’m missing Lucy.”

“Come up here, and let’s talk.”

“How do you stop missing someone you love, Dad?”

“I don’t think you ever stop missing those you love, Twiggy. The key is to replace the pain of missing them with the wonderful memories you shared.”

“Like what?”

“I know you don’t remember this, but look at this photo.”

“That’s Lucy. OMG, that’s puppy me hanging on to her.”

“How about this one?”

“That’s Lucy and me playing puma and water buffalo. We loved that.”

“And you two chillin’ on the patio.”

“We did that a lot. We both enjoyed it.”

“How about Lucy trying to teach you how to lick the dishes in the dishwasher.”

“She still enjoyed that, and I wasn’t very good at it.”

“You both loved those sunny days in the yard.”

“We sure did. We had such fun out there.”

“Of course, passing out on the cold floor was a specialty.”

“Oh, that floor felt so good. I still do that and think about Lucy.”

“Remember trying to figure out a new tool?”

“Lucy was so good at getting to the bottom of things.”

 

“You seemed to enjoy the snow.”

“It was the first time ever. Lucy was an old hand ’cause she had seen it before.”

“How about you two trying on Christmas sweaters?”

“Poor Lucy was miserable. Hers was too small. I liked mine, though.”

“Now there’s a photo.”

“I loved taking naps with Lucy. She was always so warm.”

“So, what do you think?”

“I will always miss her but should concentrate on what we shared and remember the good times.”

“It will still hurt, Little One, but those memories will help you smile through that hurt. Dr. Seuss gives us good advice when he said, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.'”

“I can see that, Dad. I think it is time to play ball. Toss it, please.”

“There you go, Little One.”

“Thanks, Dad. Rest well, Lucy. I got this.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Lucy Needs to Rest

~ John W. Howell ~ 144 Comments

One of my favorite photos was taken on July 23rd, 2021, as Twiggy and Lucy celebrate the joy of their new turf.

The Producer and I know you have been following Lucy and Twiggy’s antics for the last five years. Because you have invested your time and love in these two, we feel you should know that the time has come for Lucy to take a trip across the rainbow bridge and join her sister Bailey in eternal peace. Lucy has been with us for thirteen and a half years, and we have done our best to make each day a blessing for her. She has definitely made each day a blessing for us.

Pets are the only creatures that love us more than they love themselves. Their sole existence is completely and utterly for their human family. Ultimately, it’s not about their quality of life because they’ve learned to adjust to their illnesses, and life goes on for them-good or bad. As family members, we must realize and accept that all animals are put into our lives to teach us something we could never learn on our own. When that goal is achieved, their mission on earth is complete, and their quality of life to them is perfect.

Lucy has taught us the beauty of unconditional love, both given and received. She came to us as abandoned and mistreated. Even so, her big heart opened to us and then to Twiggy. We must honor her love with heartbreaking measures that will be more than painful for us.

Lucy will be at home with us, and we will be with her when she takes her steps to peace. This will be tomorrow at 4:00 in the afternoon.

Comments will remain open. I’m not sure I will be able to respond now, but I know I will in due time. A “like” on this post represents your best wishes to all of us.

I will be taking a blog break and hope to return on Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy Visit No Dog’s Land

~ John W. Howell ~ 115 Comments

“Lucy. What are we doing back here in no dog’s land?”

“I thought we should get out more and see new things.”

“Yeah, but we never come to this part of the yard.”

“You have to ask yourself why.”

“No, I don’t. I know why.

“Okay, want to fill me in?”

“This part of the yard is filled with nothing but ghosts.”

“Ghosts? Listen to yourself. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”

“You can believe that if you want to, but I know different.”

“You do, eh? Well, tell me what you know.”

“Late at night, when no one is around, I see a weird light back there.”

“Weird light? Oh, you must mean the camera.”

“Camera? What the heck is a camera doing back there?”

“It’s a security camera for the gate back there. The light comes on when there is movement.”

“Ah ha. And just what moves in the middle of the night?”

“The wind blows the trees, and they move. The camera reacts to the trees.”

“So you are saying there is nothing else causing the light to come on.”

“That is what I’m saying.  Ask mom if you don’t believe me.”

“I wonder if mom ever saw a ghost on the camera?”

“Oh that would be a good question to ask her. I think your answer would be a fast trip to the feelings doctor.”

“Still wouldn’t it be great if she got an image of one.”

“You’ll never know till you ask. By the way keep me out of it.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy Discuss Characters

~ John W. Howell ~ 86 Comments

“Remember two weeks ago when you thought about being a werewolf, Little One?”

“Sure, I remember. I know there were a lot of comments about it from folks.”

“Are you still considering that option?”

“You know there are so many downsides I’ve pretty much decided not to be a werewolf.”

“What are you considering now. You know we can’t play until you decide on what you are going to be.”

“This is a decision that can’t be rushed. It has monumental import on how we go forward.”

“Okay, but maybe you are putting a little too much thought into the whole thing.”

“Can you imagine coming after a wildebeest with the wrong animal?”

“I thought the puma was perfect.”

“Hold on. I think I’m picking up the scent of a puma right now.”

“Excuse me while I continue my stroll. Puma scent indeed.”

“I’m telling you. There has been a puma through here this morning.”

“Why don’t you just give in and keep your puma alter ego.”

“But a puma is a cat. You even said so.”

“But think of how powerful the puma is. Who cares if it is a cat. It is just play time anyway.”

“Playtime? I’m serious. One has been lurking here, just waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting Wildebeest.

“So you are going to be a puma again. Right?”

“The puna turns its back on the slow-moving Wildebeest, knowing the move will confuse the poor dumb animal.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy Investigate

~ John W. Howell ~ 112 Comments

“Hey, Lucy, come here quick.”

“What’s going on, Little One.”

“I’m not sure myself. All the porch furniture is missing.”

“What the…You are right. The tables and chairs are gone.”

“We haven’t had a mystery like this in a long time.”

“We need to do a little investigating before raising an alarm.”

“Where you going?”

“I see some stuff by the patio.”

“I think I smell a rat.”

“Don’t be silly. There are no rats here.”

“I’m telling you. Something is amiss.”

“Where do you get language like that. Amiss?”

“Well, say what you want. All this equipment spells trouble.”

“I think I remember Dad saying that the house was going to be painted.”

“Someone unknown to us has been walking here.”

“Did you hear what I said about house painting?”

“Yeah, I heard. We need to go and ask about this.”

“That’s the first sensible thing you have said so far.”

“I’m telling you. Someone has been here.”

“I love your obsessive tendencies. Here comes Mom. She’ll straighten it out.”

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy and Lucy Juggle a Big Problem

~ John W. Howell ~ 113 Comments

“So, what is the big problem you wanted to discuss, Little One?”

“I’m thinking of changing my predator character.”

“Okay. I don’t see that as a problem. You can be what you want.”

“Yeah, but. I have invested a lot of time developing the Puma character.”

“What character did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking of something along the lines of a wolf.”

“Along the lines? Why not just choose to be a wolf and be done with it.”

“Well, you see, there are various kinds of wolves.”

“I get that. They are not all that different.”

“But you have to be comfortable with the kind I choose.”

“To the Wildebeest, a predator is a predator. Still scary.”

“I want you to be comfortable with my choice.”

“Oh,, I’m sure anything you choose will be fine.”

“It may take me some time to figure this out.”

“Take your time. You and I aren’t going anywhere.”

“There is one wolf, in particular, I’m leaning towards.”

“Oh yeah? Which one is that?”

“Ware wolf.”

“OMG.”