Grateful hearts.

Hello and welcome to the 4th edition of our newsletter!

I had commented to Blue just the other day that I wasn’t quite sure if he was pulling his weight with these newsletters. I mean, I feel like there is a lot of relaxation and sleep that is happening for Blue while I am trying to get the thoughts in my brain translated to written words that may make some sort of sense.

If you’ve seen the movie “Just Friends” with Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris…Anna plays quite the diva and is a smidge difficult. At one point during the movie she puts a container with aluminum foil in a microwave while on a plane causing an emergency landing and a visit from the fire department.

Fireman - “OK, who’s the genius behind this?”

Anna’s character - “The container said microwaveable.”

Pilot - “But the aluminum foil wasn’t.”

Anna’s character - “Well - I’m not supposed to worry about stuff like that – I’m the talent.”

SO, when my husband heard me questioning Blue’s contribution to our writing…he quickly spoke up for Blue and said “Well, Boss…I’m the talent”.

And, I don’t think this statement could be any more true. Blue really IS the talent. He is smart, funny, loving, and kind. Such a true friend and all around great fella. - Can he be a smidge difficult…well, I would have to say “yes”. - And, I’m so blessed to get to love this little guy and to learn from him.

This week we’ve been thinking about gratitude…

Watching Blue…

It started the other day when Blue and I were out playing in the backyard. We have a patio table that doubles as a toy box…we just keep the toys on the table top. There is a Bumper, a Wubba and a Chuckit just to name a few.

There is also a small PVC pipe that we chose at Home Depot when Blue was first in his formal retrieve class. I call the PVC pipe his “doobie”....because it seriously looks like he is holding a doobie. I’ll say “fetch” your doobie. “Hold” your doobie. “Don’t you drop your doobie.”

—So far, our neighbors haven’t expressed any concern or asked us any questions…

We do take turns playing with all of the toys from the table…but, the toy that Blue consistently wants is the Chuckit. Not the actual tennis ball from the Chuckit…but the long white handle that is the throwing stick part of the duo.

Blue will extend himself as far up and over on the patio table as he possibly can to reach the throwing stick. If he gets it, or if I give it to him…he takes off running into what we call the “Blue Dog 400”. He runs laps around the backyard. Over and over and over again.

The Chuckit stick is totally awkward and unbalanced so as he is running he is constantly working to hold the entire stick and keep one end from dragging in the yard. Still…he will repeatedly wear himself out by playing keep away with this toy.

The lesson…

Blue has FUN with this toy. It’s basically a white, chewed-up stick. And, he LOVES playing with it over and over again. It’s a game of chase. A chance to play outside. To be with his humans. To get exercise and let some energy out. So much happiness with this white, chewed-up stick.

What it is to me…a simple reminder to pause in the moment and be grateful for what is right in front of me. A moment of mindfulness.

Our gratitude…

In our first edition, we wrote of my enchantment list and why we created our Dogs & Mindfulness newsletter. Though the connection is something we really believe in…it felt scary and maybe a bit silly to actually publish our thoughts. And, we felt very uncertain and anxious about what the response might be.

We offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has taken a look at our newsletter. We appreciate the generosity of your time and attention. We thank you for your kind feedback and comments. And, we are grateful to know that you have had relatable experiences and laughs while reading our posts.

Blue and I are so grateful for our connection to each other and to this community.

Of course we can’t write a newsletter without sharing a quote:

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon

Until our paths cross again we wish you the best,

PS - We are on Instagram @dogsandmindfulness