Sundays with Willow

Yesterday was one of those days where I found myself sadly lacking in ambition or energy, with no desire to tackle any projects.  I had plenty of things that needed doing around the house, but no motivation to do anything except curl up on the sofa, read a good mystery and play with my dog.  And let me tell you, she was delighted to have this unexpected time to snuggle!  Willow takes the term LAP DOG to a whole new level! After my shih-tzu Belle left us in 2011 I vowed to never again have a pet, as the pain of losing them is so very great.  But after a few months, the house was too quiet and I knew it was time to open our hearts and our arms and welcome a new member of the family.  My husband, who was devastated when we lost Belle, was strong armed gently persuaded to help us in the hunt for our new shih-tzu and it was he that found our Willow Jade and brought her home.  She was so tiny and so quiet that the first few days we thought perhaps we had ended up with a bark-less dog, but as she settled in she found her voice and her spirit and has been happily loving and entertaining us ever since.

Willow perched like Snoopy on top of his doghouse, although her favorite spot is the top of the family room sofa.  From this vantage point she is poised to leap at unsuspecting family members that cross her path.  Her eyes aren't really that green, but green enough that her middle name is Jade!

She plays and plays and plays... (this isn't Willow, by the way...she looks just like this when she runs but I can't get the picture taken without her being just a blur!)

but isn't averse to a good ol' nap!

The New Dog  

by Linda Pastan

Into the gravity of my life,
the serious ceremonies
of polish and paper
and pen, has come

this manic animal
whose innocent disruptions
make nonsense
of my old simplicities--

as if I needed him
to prove again that after
all the careful planning,
anything can happen.