Friday, May 14, 2010

Where I Been?

Food's been somewhat of a bore chez nous. Nutritious and satisfying, but honestly, another photo of minestrone?
I have something I'm dying to write about, but it's warm-weather eating. These days, we're hunkered down in puffy coats, not particularly interested in a confection from the freezer. So that'll have to wait.
Ah, but. I always have my other preoccupation. The puppy.
She has been growing and maturing, and bit by bit, I find my equilibrium returning. We've spent nearly seven months training the demons out of this doggie! She was never evil by nature, but she was always jumpy and feisty and chewy and jumpy. Not really barky; we were lucky. But we had to teach her how not to run herself into a helpless frenzy. How not to eat every stick in the yard. How not to stand on our chests, with those sharp, hard little paws digging into our ribs, while she looked imploringly into our eyes. I'd ask her, What Do You Want? I will do whatever you want. Tell me, please.
But little puppies find it hard to talk with humans. Sometimes a jab in the chest means "poop" and sometimes it means "I don't frigging know; I'm a puppy."
Well, things are coming along. Today I found myself saying, "This is the dog I want." I feel that she has developed and learned, and she's a fine dog, indeed. Maybe not finished yet, but doing very well.
Suddenly, jeepers! I thought: "She's not wiggling! She's holding still! I can take a picture!"

17 comments:

Greg said...

I've been jumpy and feisty a little lately. Maybe it's going around.:)
Cool picture!

J-in-Wales said...

Only seven months?
It took about two years before my pooch could be allowed out in polite society!
But she is adorable nonetheless.

cookiecrumb said...

Greg: It's going around and around...
Hey, thanks on the photo. Sometimes you just get lucky pressing the buttons in iPhoto.

J: Two years? You can't imagine what relief that gives me. I thought she was retarded (but adorable nonetheless). Now I suspect she's just on target, and an especially frisky pup.

Zoomie said...

Love the halo around her in the photo and she has turned into a very handsome little doggie, indeed.

Zoomie said...

Oh, and, did you see the movie? I enjoyed it!

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: It was one of those crappy photos you can save by editing it into oddness. The "halo" was a white cushion on the leather chair she's sitting on.

Movie? Not getting the reference. Enlighten, please?

One more thing. Do you think she looks a little like Cora?

Anonymous said...

Ah, they grow up so fast! But still cute. Hopefully she won't grow out of cute.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

But from that gleam in her eye I bet she was wriggling pretty soon after :)
My last dog was an Irish Setter, she didn't settle until she was about 7 years old!

Nancy Ewart said...

What beautiful brown eyes! I know that resisting the pull of puppy love for the sake of a better behaved dog has been difficult at times. But I am waiting for her coming out party with breathless anticipation.
And yes on the down coats. It does seem like it's taking spring a long time to arrive this year.

Zoomie said...

The reference is to your new remark in your header - they used that line in a movie recently - "Blind Side."

I'd have to say that, no, she doesn't remind me of Cora, but she's very pretty nonetheless.

meathenge said...

Hi !!! Good to see you, totally hip. Who wants to see another slab of smoked ribs, lordy.

You should have that shot framed, like today an junk.

xo, Biggles

Hungry Dog said...

Sweet girl. Lucky you.

seantimberlake said...

Reese is over five years old, and still feisty and jumpy and more or less as incapable of communicating. That said, she has her ways of making her desires known, usually intense staring followed by a poke to an extremity with the nose, barring that, some rowr-roo-roo-ing is a good indicator that she wants something or other. Anyway, don't expect those demons to expunge too soon. You may even come to love them.

cookiecrumb said...

Zia: This is one puppy who's not growing up too fast. Our major accomplishments have been housebreaking, and she doesn't bite us.

Mouse: Seven years? That's not "settling," that's old age! Yes, Bartlett still has a major wiggle going on. One solid hour, every morning, of exercise.

Nancy: Great idea! A coming out party for the Pear-Shaped Pup! You've got me thinking.... Yes! Summer will be fine; the tree will be producing.

Zoomie: AHA! Yes, I was referencing the movie. (I'm a dolt.)

Biggles: It's like you're mad at me, an junk. You hate the photo. You hate minestrone. (But I know you don't. You LOVE the photo.)

Dog: She is sweet. She means well. But don't wear cashmere around her. (What is cashmere?)

Sean: That both helps and worries me. I don't want her personality trampled by my little old lady needs, and it's enlightening to hear that some doggies will just always be this way. But it's so HARD. Even so, the joy is off the charts. We're all happy.
Licky-licks to Reese. Five? Eee!

meathenge said...

Yeah, fricken brilliant. The colors are absolutely to die for. The subject matter is perfectly wonderful and especially placed. Wonnerful!

Just got back from the Berkeley Farmer's Market. Got me a pound of duck fat and 2 boar cutlets.

xo, Biggles

cookiecrumb said...

Biggles: Totally uncropped. Just a snapshot, really, but all those fun post-production buttons!
Got two lamb chops for a grape-leaf imaginarium. Grape leaves growing in the yard.

GFDINER - Kathy said...

Love the look in her eyes. They say MOM I'M BEING GOOD, GET THE PICTURE. MOM I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND DAD OF COURSE.

So proud of you all.