Getting Warmer

Usually MyJerri and I go for a walk in the mornings around 9:00 or 9:30. We used to walk in the afternoons, but mornings seem to be more the thing lately. This morning was different, though. Notice those long shadows beside us? That is because around 8:00, MyJerri put her books down, turned off the coffee maker, WITH COFFEE STILL IN IT, and we hit the road.

Why?

Because of these beautiful things.

Here in North Texas the temperatures are going up, which means walking surfaces are getting hotter, and hot cement and asphalt can burn my feet, so MyJerri is taking care of me and making sure my paws avoid the hot stuff.

Along with making sure we walk at cooler times, My Jerri is now wearing a booty bag (some folks call it a fanny pack from what I hear. In it, she carries a bowl and two bottles of water. Some days I don't need it at all, but some days it is really hot or the air is full of moisture, and days like that are really hard. On those days, we stop regularly, and I got to drink a lot.

Also, I've noticed on the hotter days or more humid days, we go to the park more, which I like because there is more shade than just walking around the neighborhood and the cement doesn't get as hot.

Why does MyJerri go through the extra effort? I'm not sure, but I like it so much I am going to add some air holes to her tennis shoes so they are cooler for her too. I think she'll like that.

Puppy love!
Semper

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day according to the secular calendar. MyJerri isn't really into Mother's Day because when a mother is missing or a child is missing, it can be a hard day. So I thought I would offer some thoughts on how to get through today.

 

Be kind to yourself. Really.

 

Be brave. Being brave doesn't always mean doing the normal despite the pain. Sometimes being brave is choosing not to do the normal even when people don't understand. Did I mention be kind to yourself?

 

Do something that feels like joy. Maybe it is going to your favorite place or eating your favorite junk food while you watch you favorite movie or hanging with some folks you love.

 

If you need to, go to a grave and stand there. Be heartbroken. Go through a box of kleenes. Write a letter. Lift a toast and leave a glass untouched. Grieve what is gone or what never came. Grief is its own kind of courage.

 

Don't celebrate if you don't want to. If your church or place of worship makes a big deal of Mother's Day and that feels crushing to you, take a week off. God gets it even if no one else does. It isn't walking out on Him. It is trusting Him to love you where you are, literally and figuratively.

 

Celebrate the time you had.

 

Celebrate the mom you had or the children you had. Even if they aren't connected by blood, they are just as real and just as beautiful. They are gift and are worth celebrating.

 

Most of all, make it through today. If that is all you can do, then do you all you can and feel proud of yourself.

Praying you find joy and love today...and above all else, may you know you are loved by God.

Shalom and puppy love,

Semper

Finally, An Update

Semper Update:

Some folks have asked about me and where "things with Semper lie". Well, it is pretty clear I'm staying with MyJerri, MyBoy, and MyGirl.

I am now about 7 months old and around 40-ish pounds. That sweater you see on that tiny puppy in the main picture might fit my head. They know my mom was Lab/Hound, but no clue what the other gene donor was, but they seem to think my beautiful ace says there is some Pit in there, but my body is long and lanky, so Hound? Something else? Does it matter? No.

I have won them over with my charm, my expressive face, and my incredible ability to know the exact place to link them that makes them jump, like ankles, toes, and back of the knee. It takes someone who loves deeply to be that observant, and they appreciate that about me. I also help clean house. My tail is the perfect height and length to totally wipe of the coffee table (full cups of coffee included). I also help recycle paper, and I have only used MyJerri's reading glasses to check the paper before I ate--I mean recycled it--once.

For the last three months I have spent a lot of time with MyJerri on the couch because that is just where she has been (virus turned bronchitis turned pneumonia--just ugh), and I am not leaving my wingman. But yesterday we went for a walk, and she gave me lots of treats and told me I was good. We also met some neighbors up the street, and they petted me. Mr. Tim was in the USMC, and they scratched my head when they heard I am Always Faithful.

Gotta run. Literally. MyJerri wants to go for a walk, and I need to be there to meet and love the other peo--I mean protect her from the other people on the road. You know, I distract them by letting them pet me and tell me what a great dog I am while she can get away...or something like that. That is what we will go with for now.

I hope you are all well, and I will update you again soon. Until then...

Puppy love,

Semper

Out and About

This week MyJerri, Myboy, and I did what they call "socializing". I call it adventure.

First, we went to Home Depot. MyJerri thought I could go in with her, but there is a sign on the door saying no pets unless they are service animals, so I was a good girl and wandered with MyBoy while MyJerri went inside. As it turns out, Home Depot does let pets in as long as they are on a leash, so next time we go, I'm going inside with her.

So let me tell you some facts here. I don't know why MyJerri went into the building. There were all kinds of folks, smells, and things to sniff in the parking lot. I could have spent the day there telling folks hello and checking things out. I tried to meet everyone, but you know how that goes when you are on a leash and someone else is on the other end, but here was my thinking: I'm here to make folks feel better...and maybe get petted...and you never know who needs to feel better...or pet a dog just because they are a nice person, so EVERYONE really needs a chance for some love. Didn't happen there, but when we went to Starbuck's, I got to show my stuff.

A nice lady snuggled my face in her hands and blew me kisses. She wanted to know if I was a Jack Russell Terrier. She had one of those once, and she loved him. From the sound of her voice, he might now be living with Fluff, but I didn't ask. Instead, I let her run her hand down my back, and I kissed her palm when she patted my head.

After that, MyJerri and I sat at a table and waited for MyBoy to come back. I was so good. I sat right in front of MyJerri.




After awhile, sitting got tiresome, so I decided to nap so I could be fresh for our next stop, which happened to be home, which is okay.

Home is the place you like to get away from sometimes but always feel good coming back to.

I hope you have a great day at your home.

Puppy love,

Semper

Coming and Going

I haven't had a chance to write in awhile. A lot going on here. The week after I came to live with MyFamily, one of my housemates was released to live with Jesus. I know some folks don't believe that happens. Some folks think that when a dog stops living here, it simply stops living. I can't convince you otherwise, and I won't try. Just seems to me God wouldn't waste a good animal that way, and while I didn't really know Fluff because he mostly kept to himself in MyGirl's room, I heard them talk about them, and they seemed pretty sad to let him go. From what they said, he was a good dog, lots of love, they kept saying he had a heart of gold, which seems a bit concerning to me, and I wondered if that was the problem, too much metal, but they said it like it was a good thing, like it was special. If so, I hope they say that about me when I am released from here to go on. By the way, Fluff was over 18 years old. That is a lot of dog years, and it says a lot about MyFamily and how they love their animals. I am definitely in a good place, and so is Fluff. See you on the other side, One Who Loved With a Heart of Gold! Puppy love to you!

And to all of you,
Semper Fidelis

My Job

Yesterday MyJerri came home from the last day of renovating the house she is going to rent, and she was a bit tense. Okay. She was a lot tense. Long day. Lots on her mind. Very little sleep, and she might have had a mild meltdown from all of it (but don't tell her I said that). So, I did what I am here to do.

I lay down on her stomach and chest and explained to her the importance of being still and taking a nap. I did such a good job that she slept for 12 hours. (I know, I am impressive.)

When she woke up, she was far happier, relaxed, and easy to enjoy.

Plus, while she slept, I could go potty in her bathroom instead of her making me go outside in the rain. It was a win for everyone!

Remember, rest is a good thing! Puppies aren't the only ones who need naps!

Snuggles and naps,
Semper Fidenlis

Hi!

Like the description above says, I am Semper Fidelis, and I am a therapy dog par excellence! Okay, so I am a therapy puppy growing into the great bigness off my heart and all the goodness packed inside me. I was handpicked by my human mom, Jerri, because she was looking for someone just like me. Other folks had met me, and one family even took me home, but they took me back to my foster mom, Amanda. We didn't click, but then, Jerri and her kids came to see me. She lay on the floor, and I knew the person I had been waiting for had arrived. I snuggled right up to her and kissed her on the nose. When you love someone, you should let them know, right? An hour later, I was snuggled down in my bed in the backseat of her truck with my boy. An hour after that I was home.

I decided to publish my tales because Jerri is a writer, and I thought she could help me, but more than that, I want to tell you about me because you mind find something about you in my tales. We can talk about that more later. Right now, I have exhausted my energy level. It is hard work being a puppy, and even harder work typing on a keyboard. Chewing on Jerri's shoes is far easier, trust me.

Gotta nap, but I hope you come back soon so we can get to know each other.

Puppy love!
Semper Fidelis