Mr. Rogers in the Neighborhood

my real name is MURPHY DOODLE, but sometimes jack and letty confuse me and call me other names like mud foot and shaggy dog, i guess that is just how people talk

one day when it was windy enough to blow my tail, jack let me off the lease at the park to run because no one was there, no dogs to play with me made me sad and happy because i like to run free to chase squirrels

i like to play with other dogs, even when they hide behind brown fences i bark and say things like WON'T YOU BE MY FRIEND

sometimes they bark back GO AWAY, GET AWAY FROM MY HOUSE

at the park that day i ran all over chasing birds and squirrels and then i heard a dog bark saying  COME SEE ME, COME SEE ME, COME SEE ME

i ran all the way down a fence line and saw a little dog who has black and white hair but not curly like my hair, she has straight hair and funny hair cut

we ran up and down the fence line but she wore out after two laps, i think her short legs were tired

letty found out one day that her name was NOLA and i saw her pink collar, 

that day there was another small dog visiting NOLA, he could not run very well and sometimes he fell over, jack said he might be a puppy

one day NOLA did not want to run so instead we barked at each other through the black rod fence,

NOLA whined I WANT A FRIEND

i barked CAN I BE YOUR FRIEND

now sometimes when i go to the park we run together on separate sides of the fence, and sometimes we go the corner and bark at each other,

that is so much fun, she makes me happy

now letty calls me mister rogers when i bark at other dogs to play, i do not know what that means but her voice sounds happy

i have a lot of other friends, too

PENNY is my favorite fence friend, and we can play in her yard and swimming pool or in my big backyard,

when CASH  comes over he tinkles on all of my bushes and i have to go tinkle everywhere after he leaves, when i go to his back yard i tinkle on the trees and bushes, so i guess that means we are friends

my big brother OLIVER comes over sometimes, he tries to make me behave but i just run run run all around, finally he lays down and we get to roll around on the ground just like we did when we were puppies on the farm

i think it is the dogs we love the most that makes us the gladdest

**letty is trying to teach me punch uation about capital letters, now i use capital letters when i talk, she said it sounds loud like my bark 

Murphy Doodle--the Witness

penny is my fence doggie  friend

 my dog friends are so much fun to play and run with in the backyard,  sometimes penny comes over and we play gentle on days when she does not want to play with me and somedays we play chase and roll and bark bark bark

oliver is my brother

when my brother, oliver, comes over or i go visit him, we run, roll, and bite just like when we were puppies, oliver is brown and white and i am black and white, people think we look alike, how can that be ? 

when bebe comes over we run, run, and run, bebe likes to drink a lot of water and play in the water, i do not like to play in the water but letty makes sure that bebe has a big bowl of water to drink and splash in

bebe likes the water better than i do

bebe makes a mess in the water, her gold long hair and even her tail get wet when she sloshes in the bird bath or crawls in the tub, i prefer to run the fence line and bark at squirrels

one warm day before the rains came bebe and i spent the morning running around the yard, letty came out to fill the water bowls and something bad happened to her

she does not remember so i have to help her and tell what happened

after she filled the bird bath with more water for bebe letty turned to walk back in the house and i ran out into the yard to play

bebe ran after letty in leaps, on the third leap she hit letty's left leg and i saw letty fly in the air toward the yard, she landed on her yard side shoulder and head then did not get up and go inside 

i never saw that before except on tv when i watch football, it is called blindsided and i think it really hurts everyone who gets hit like that

i have been blindsided by my doggie friends sometimes and it can make me roll over, i get up and run after my doggie friend, but letty did not get up and chase bebe

one day penny blindsided me 

then i heard letty scream and cry

jack didn't come help because he was not home, i didn't know what to do, bebe kept running around letty and letty kept screaming, i almost howled like i do when the siren rings on some days

when i saw letty crawling to the back door i knew i had to help, i began to get underneath her body so it did not drag on the back porch, she was crying, i heard her say thank you murphy, help me and i did

at last she got on her knees and opened the back door, bebe ran in first and i was so mad i almost ran after her to bite her, but i stayed with letty

inside letty stopped moving and laid down on me and cried cried cried, i whimpered because she was on top of me, then bebe sort of helped when she stood in front of letty and barked, that made her move

at last she reached for her phone and called for help, bebe left with her family, and jack came home

i think if letty could walk on four legs like i do she might not fall so far to the ground

jack looked at letty's hand, her ring finger was crooked, her ring finger leg was crooked and her ring finger ankle was crooked, it did not look like letty's body, i backed away and wanted to cry,

then they were gone

i stayed home and protected the house just like jack told me to, when they came home letty crawled on the couch where i sleep and went to sleep, 

this is me sleeping on my corner of the soft couch, letty would not share a picture of herself, she said my words had to show the picture

many days passed and letty slept on my couch with her legs up on stacks of pillows, she wore blankets around her, it looked strange, her foot is bigger than my head, maybe

no matter what she could not walk very well, and she had to walk with help from a red wheeled cart, or jack, she could not throw my toys, whatever bebe did really hurt letty and now letty cannot play with me,

now she sleeps in bed and i still worry about her

i miss playing with her, but jack is the best, he plays with me, we walk every morning even when he has to put on coats, he throws the frisbee for me, he feeds me, and he puts water down for me

he even feeds letty, i see him stand at the stove where letty used to stand and i can smell food, breakfast is the best time because he gives me left overs,

he even stands at the sink and makes noises like letty did with the dishes, he pushes a machine across the floors that i chase and bark at, but he does not stop, he says he is helping letty feel better

now she can walk very slowly in a big boot, but she does not go outside and play kick the ball

friends come over everyday to play with me and bring her food, i like that part,

i crawl in bed with her at night now just to make sure she is happy and then i get down

she is happy because i hear her laughter and i know she will be better and playing kick ball soon

Dear friends, yes the fall was bad, but the good thing is that I was in great physical shape from strength training, walking, golfing and stretching. If  I had not been so very healthy I might have broken a leg, a wrist, and an ankle. 

 I saw this at Physical Therapy Central before I fell. Now I don't think it is as funny as I once did. 

CELEBRATING A DAY TO BE THANKFUL

And the dog barks just as I reach my fingers to the keyboard. Doesn't she know that I have thoughts and feelings to share with friends on this Thanksgiving, but toss and tug will not wait on words or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Stepping outside into a cool day with sunshine on our backs,  Jack and I play toss, tag, and tug with a Golden Doodle. We could qualify for the funniest video of the day. We are younger because we can still play with puppies. We jump, we run, we make sharp turns, and then we take a Advil. We give thanks that our knees and legs can still move with agility.  

I give thanks that the Macy's Day Parade is being held, even in the light rain fall. Afterall, as my husband says, "Be glad they didn't postpone the Parade this year." I am glad that it is being held for the world to see and hear the music from Broadway musicals.  Al Roker, who is dealing with cancer, looks sprye and happy to be on 34th street. This year's parade is being broadcast so that visually impaired people can enjoy it, too. Perhaps one of the blessings in this year of COVID is that we are all learning to be more inclusive. 

West Indian American Day, Jamaica, Haiti, Panama, Trinidad

 There is something special about parades, from hometown Christmas parades, to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and my favorite the Rose Bowl Parade. They remind me that this is a time to come together, to share  our lives through colorful scenes, songs, beauty of the flowers, fascination with floats, themes from books and imaginative idea, and a time to be  happy together. 

I am keeping an eye on the clock. No, we have no turkey cooking. We have reached a new level of enjoying the day.  My sister and her husband are in charge of bringing two homemade pies from Shari's Diner in OKC.  Jack and I ordered a meal from The Trails Country Club.  At 11:30  I will simply put the two trays of side dishes in the oven to heat, along with the turkey and beef tenderloin.  On my own, I will fix Pepperidge Farm stuffing and open a can of jellied cranberry sauce. The puppy, we are dog sitting, will then clean the dishes for us. 

When we turned the cooking over to someone else, it seemed to ease the day for my sister and I. We can share a relaxed time with our husbands and each other. For that I am grateful. 

Later today we will call our daughter, Katy, in Okc, our oldest son, Michael, and his family in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, and son, Matthew,  in Brooklyn, NY. Like so many families in the world we have not seen our sons since 2019. I am not thankful for that, but I am proud of them for taking this virus seriously and staying safe. 

Over a month ago many locations in the OKC area woke up to frozen and broken limbs and trees. Trees covered with leaves and ice sound like gunshots when they break and fall to the ground. It took Jack and I nearly two weeks of cutting, dragging, and stacking  tree limbs. I have not found reason to be thankful for this blow of nature, until we offered to babysit June Bug, a four month old Goldendoodle, for the week of Thanksgiving. Suddenly, our cut tree limbs have become the greatest toy for a chewing puppy. Jack took time to cut up limbs, some heavy some light for her to chew, and several have found their way indoors. Suddenly, bark takes on new meaning when it is a puppy barking with surprise at a new discovery or tree bark all over the living room floor. I texted my sister and said,  "We have a puppy dog visitor. Please dress appropriately for a dog who wants to chew anything in sight." 

Jonya, my sister, replied, "We will dress appropriately, protectively, and defensively." So our family will celebrate this day and say our blessings that Covid has not struck our family. Our prayers and heartfelt love is extended to all who are suffering at this time. 

MAY THIS DAY BE A REMINDER OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS IN LIFE.

Meaningful Moments

November brings sunlight, migrating birds, and a chill in the air, and yet this glorious state of Oklahoma can find summer days in November. Next week we have planned golf tee times for four days out of five. It is refreshing to enjoy so much sunshine and warmth after the ice storm of October, that has left our landscaped scarred. The rising fear of COVID 19 once again has settled into our souls, and we are looking for chances to enjoy friendships in the sun. 

Taking time to breath and relax after chopping, pulling, tugging, and tossing tree limbs, Jack and I took a long walk over the hidden hill, up and down, breathing deeply and laughing when we tired so quickly. On the last hill upward and homeward bound we saw a giant 'kissing tree,' or at least I saw a giant  tree on the horizon filled with mistletoe the size of leaf bags. Needing a chance to slow our pace, I gently tugged on Jack's arm and pointed upwards. He looked at the mass of mistletoe and smiled saying, "I love you." I returned his smile but didn't budge.

Once again pointing upward I asked, "And what is the custom when standing under mistletoe?" Without another word he pulled me into his chest, covered my body with his arms, and planted a sloppy loving kiss on my lips. I just love being in love.

During this week when the world whirled with Presidential controversy, we said yes to babysitting a Goldendoodle puppy nearly four months old. No cliche of my mother's could describe the hysterical mayhem that existed in our quiet home for two and a half days. So innocent, little Miss June Bug appeared.

Her puppy energy flowed indoors and outdoors. Like we did with Lucy, we went outside with our puppy and played ball. It didn't last long because she discovered the torn tassels of the pampas grass broken and strewn all over our yard by the storms. Junie B, as I nicknamed her, carried the flowering tassels in her mouth and ran in a gallop back and forth across the yard. Tiny fluffs of pampas grass floated into the air like children blowing bubbles.

On day two I drove to PetCo and bought chew toys, and oh, did she ever love to tug, growl, and bit at anything that moved, including our feet and ankles. We never quit laughing.

On day three I attempted to sit in on a Zoom meeting. What was I thinking? I did my best to pay attention, but Junie B had other plans, like chew on a golf ball. Not good I tried to explain to her, then she found a squeaky toy that I keep for kids to play with, not good I explained and grabbed it from her.  At last she found a workout ball that she could chew, and occasionally found my sock and ankle to chew on. I lasted forty minutes on Zoom. I can't imagine the view my friends had of me as I continually dropped away from the computer screen to pull something out of the dog's mouth. 

That afternoon, I invited our neighbor to bring her six month old puppy over to play.  

Quinn, Australian Shepherd looks so regal on his footstool, but in action he runs like an Oklahoma dust storm in constant motion, never missing a swirl.  

Watching Junie B trying to run figure eights was a riot. Quickly, Junie B caught on that she would not be able to keep up the race, so she stood crosswise to the running dog and took the passing blows of Quinn, leaving both dogs to roll and tumble. For nearly an hour, Linda and I sat in lawn chairs watching the dogs play. For a moment, I thought back to the days when I sat in the park, a proud young mother watching her daughter play on the slides and swings. She was always a dare-devil in the spirit of play. 

Our minister called to check on us this week. It filled my heart with joy to hear his voice and concerns. I explained that even though we felt apprehensive with the coming months of indoor activity, we had managed to play more golf this summer than in the years when I felt younger. He wished he had an escape like golf.

Ironically, I have golfing friends who sometimes say things like; I am really not competitive, I just like to play golf with friends and be social. I just laugh, because I know that deep down inside each one of my golfing friends has a competitive streak. 

On a warm day this week, with only a hint of a breeze three of us teed off near the ten o'clock hour. Even though I thought I hit the ball with zing and power I found that my short game stumped me. On hole nine, I chunked my favorite chip shot to the green and my head dropped in disgust. "That hurt my ego," I expressed out loud. We laughed. 

On hole thirteen none of us went in the water, but Donna, our five foot tall dynamo out drove me, on a great drive I might add. She nearly danced a jig she was so proud. Naturally, we took a photo with her showing her bitch wings and me pointing to a ball not even in the picture.

Being a non-competitive group of ladies, and that's a tall tale, we continued on our lovely day in the sun sharing stories. On hole number eighteen, the last hole of the day, we teed off and each of us found the fairway with our tee shots. Being able to say that our tee shot is in play (in the fairway), is a great line to use in golf, especially when the leaves have fallen and the rough is littered with brown crumpled leaves that hide golf balls from men and women alike.  

"Ah ha!" Kathy yelled pointing her finger toward the ground, "Look what I did. I just out drove both of you."

With a little imagination look for three golf balls, 
foreground, middle left, and front. 

I am sure glad this is not a competitive group of women golfers, but they are some of the greatest ladies I have ever been blessed to play golf with regularly. And that is most meaningful for me.