So What If She Has Gray Hair

If there is one thing in life that causes me constant stress and worry it is this...my dog is getting older. She is 12 years old. Depending on which study you listen to, in people years she is somewhere between 55 & 84 years old. Obviously, the one I subscribe to is the first number. The 84 years was calculated using the pretty much discounted theory of 7 people years for every dog year. The 55 is based on a theory I heard on Animal Planet a couple of years ago.

Anyway, back to my main point. Obviously, as the years have passed there have been many signs and symptons that Noelle is "not as young as she used to be." But that's okay...neither am I...neither are you. I have found that while it hurts me to see her struggle to do things that once came so easily...I am filled with so much more joy when I catch little glimpses of her "inner puppy" emerging on a daily basis. She still loves to run...even though the arthritis has slowed her. She still follows me around...even if she has cut back on some trips to save energy. She still loves to go for rides in the car and to sleep on my bed...even if I have to help her up into both places. She still loves to dive on top of me and lick my face until it's raw...even if she has to take a few more breathers these days between attacks.

She still loves to smile...

Tonight, while we were on our walk, Noelle lost her balance and fell. It was something I haven't seen her do before...and it scared the crap out of me. I helped her up and tried to make sure she was okay...but she would have nothing of it...she was already rushing off to finish our stroll. That's Noelle...dedicated to fun.

For 12 years (with many more to go) Noelle has been there to pick me up when I am down. Now it is my turn to return the favor.

I love this dog.

A Workday Chuckle

Noelle reading some of her mail

The biggest perk of my job (by far) is that Noelle comes to work with me every day.

I get very annoyed with the large number of sales people that call me at work on a daily basis. So to entertain myself, I have a little fun at their expense. Whenever possible I like to order subscriptions and refer calls to "my assistant" Noelle. It is always funny to see mail show up at the office addressed to Noelle.

So, the other day I got a nice little laugh when a salesperson called and asked to speak with Noelle. HAHAHAHAHA. I told the secretary...tell them she's not available right now...she will give them a call back when she wakes up from her nap.

The More Things Change...

Today, just as I was getting in my car to leave work, I realized that I had left my phone in my office. So, I dropped my bag & yelled, "come on Noelle", and we took off running back to the office building. As I was running I looked down at her and saw her smiling with the pure joy of running and playing alongside me...and I smiled too. Two old pals enjoying a quick dash...SCREECH...Noelle tripped and slid across the boardwalk on her belly!! No worries... she was fine. In fact she pulled herself back up and ran the rest of the way to the front door, just as excited and happy as she was before the fall.

My dog is 12 years old, has plenty of gray hair, arthritis in all 4 legs & her spine, needs help up the stairs, hacks sometimes, has some hearing loss and tons of lumps...BUT...in every way...she is the same puppy that came into my life Christmas 1993.

Picture of the Day

Stylin' and profilin' in my beanie

Noelle's Arrival

As I stated in my "intro", Noelle was given as a gift to me on December 23, 1993. I was just about to walk out the door to go on a Christmas trip to Williamsburg, when my sister and dad walked in carrying the cutest, little black puppy I have ever seen. She was even wearing a little Santa hat on her head.

I had been wanting a black Lab for years. My family had two dogs during my childhood, Casper and Beau, both "miniature collies" but it had been about 8 years since we had a dog roaming the house. No, instead we had cats...9 (my fault) to be exact, but that is a story for another time. But I longed for a high energy dog to spend my time with. I just knew that a black Lab would be the perfect dog for me. A dog that not only had undying love & devotion, but a dog thats energy would make it seem like a "puppy for life."

I always imagined that my black Lab would be male, but when I saw my new female puppy, it was love at first sight. According to my family, Noelle was the runt of her litter...smaller than the rest. When they went to pick out a dog for me they were happily greeted by a small puppy trotting around proudly with a flip-flop in her mouth. My dog had been chosen.

In her first 3 minutes at her new home, Noelle looked for something to comfort her...unfortunately, no flip-flops were readily available, so she settled for carrying my sister's tennis shoe around in her mouth. It was the first of thousands of times that Noelle has made me laugh out loud at her antics. Minutes later, we let her out in the backyard and I got to see the difference between my previous dogs and a Labrador Retriever. Miss Noelle left the deck and promptly glued her nose to the ground, seemingly sniffing every square inch of grass in our yard. Her nose did not lift off the ground until she reached the back corner of the yard. When she finally did lift her head she had something in her mouth...but it wasn't a tennis shoe. It was a bird! No doubt, a bird killed by a member of our cat army. But my brand new puppy had found it & boy was I proud!

I wish I had pictures to post of Noelle as a puppy, but I didn't have a digital camera back then. But never fear, I will be scanning photos in & you will get to see the cutest puppy in all the land.

Here's Noelle!!

Christmas 2005...always smiling