by Joanne Wiklund
This time of year I reach the epitome of laziness. Or I simply run out of steam. At a time when I’m supposed to be heading out, I’m reading magazines about how to decorate for the holidays. Look out for bouquets this year. Huge flowers in all the arrangements. I just read about them, I don’t make them.
What are you doing to make August be gone? School shopping? Car buying? Sending a student off to college? Trying to ignore the empty nest? Even one at a time is hard to take. When it comes to leaving, I don’t do well at that. No matter what the reason.
But I find that August is full of memories. Last August I chose to pick a puppy for therapy for me. Didn’t work. Mini Bernadoodle. A lover, five months old. I tried but had to rehome her in the middle of September. No hair anywhere, but dander is different, and I’m allergic. She’s loved where she is. When people ask me why I could let her go, I tell them it was too much for me and not enough for her. She sees her sister on a regular basis and snuggles family. I named her Grace. And she was. Except when she got hit by a bad spell of the Zoomies. Boy, that pup could run. She learned to fetch with me throwing the ball off the deck. Once she even stood at the bottom of the steps with the ball in her mouth when I held the door open for her to come in. Nope! She was ready to play ball! Even in the rain. I went down five cement steps and helped her back in. Not a good scene. But dogs are a wonderful gift to us from a God who knows we need a special friend who loves us unconditionally. I have people friends who do that for me too! I am blessed.