Simple Joys

I was in a foul mood the other night. No particular reason, just suffering a bout of low self-esteem and a general I-can't-do-anything-right-ness. The weather was nice so my husband and I took our two girls out for a walk. (The girls are Bichons, by the way, not humans. On the next block, we passed a neighbour we had not seen since last summer. This neighbour has Bassett Hounds, and so our dogs would always greet each other whenever they met. The lady let me know that her female had recently had a litter and asked me if I wanted to come inside and see them.

Oh. My. Dog.

If you have never seen a litter of little puppies, you must add it immediately to your bucket list. If such a sight does not appeal to you, you have no soul and should go on a spiritual retreat as soon as possible so that you can obtain one.

Eight tiny five-week-old Bassetts squirmed in a large fenced-off area of the basement. They climbed on top of each other to get to their new visitor, who was melting into a glob of mush as she crouched in front of the low gate. They clambered into one big pile of bellies and ears and noses. Every puppy was wet because every other puppy had either drooled on it or gummed it. Some of them fell over onto their backs in the ensuing crush, exposing me to the fact that puppies are indeed 75% tummy.

In a time when too many people look for answers in a pill or a bottle, it's easy to forget that natural remedies are often far more potent. The perfect cure for a lousy day? Puppy therapy. Guaranteed to work every time. Side effects may include urine spots on the carpets, chewed-up shoes, overturned garbage bins, holes in the sofa, stolen sandwiches, vomit in the backseat of the car, and terrified house cats. Puppy therapy is not be recommended for people with new carpeting, expensive shoes, or white floors. Do not leave your puppy unattended around your collection of rare books. If you do leave your puppy unattended around your collection of rare books, contact your insurance agent immediately.