All the Latest . . .

Party Time: We did something kinda neat Tuesday evening. Our Kiwanis club agreed to scrub Tuesday morning’s regularly scheduled meeting and hold it instead at one of our member’s homes as a combination business meeting and Christmas Party. Lots of great ordervs (I know that’s not the way it spelled, it’s spelled hors d oeuvre (but I think that’s a dumb way to spell it) and delicious clam choweder (I had four bowls; one of my favorites!). When I got home my blood sugar was 365! Way too high . . . but I sin so seldom anymore . . . so I took some extra insulin.

Each of us had a list of clothes, toys, sporting equipment, etc., that the Army family we’ve adopted needed. (Husband, wife, five kids, all beautiful). We had brought the gifts and loaded them into evelyn’s car after the party, for distribution later this week. Each of us also brought a gift valued at about $50 . . . then we had a game where we raffled them off via tickets. We raised $400 for our admin fund in the process and had fun doing it. Evelyn won one of the prizes she had brought, which was fine, because it was jewelry and that girl does love her jewelry! I bought $20 worth of tickets and didn’t win nuttin’!

We got home and were met with a squealing, crying puppy who was so excited that mommy and daddy were home that she about went nuts. She normally does that whenever evelyn returns but last night she even did it for daddy. Made me feel rather special, and wanted.

The Trixie Chronicles: She is making great progress in teaching mommy and daddy when she wants to go outside to tinkle or poopie. We used to think she just wanted to be held or played with when she’d come to us in the office and jump up and paw at us. Eventually, we old folks finally figured out she was telling us Ma Nature was calling and we’d better take her outside.

This morning, I was at my computer and she jumped up and pawed at me. This time I recognized the signals, threw some clothes on, put on her leash, took her out and it wasn’t 10 seconds and she hit the corner of the yard and took a nice long pee. The poor thing had probably been desperate to go all night and held it till the old man had gotten up out of his bed at about 6:15am.

I took her for her usual walk up around the cul de sac and she did her poopies. Each time she does her business I give her a treat. She now does her business, runs to me, sits down, waits for me to tell her she’s a good girl . . . and then waits again while I dig the treats out of my pocket.

We bought what looks like, and smells like, a large slice of salami. We cut slices off and then dice it up and put it in little plastic bags to carry with us when we take her walkies.

She now recognizes evelyn’s car. The other day I was walking her and I saw evelyn come back from shopping. “Look, Trixie, there’s mommy coming home . . .” She looked, recognized the car and made a beeline for it.

I still can’t understand it. I weigh about 225 lbs. She weighs about 15 lbs. But she has the strength of a lion. She ran toward evelyn’s car in the driveway so hard that she literally pulled me along by the leash. I actually had to trot to keep up with her. When she finally reached the driveway, evelyn was laughing and clapping her hands and Trixie ran right up to her, begging to be picked up and held . . . which, of course, was promptly accomplished.

And, yes, I’m getting a fair amount of exercise . . . finally. A friend of mine once suggested I get a dog so I’d get some exercise . . . well, she, or whoever it was who suggested it, was right. I’m getting back in shape, a little bit each day. Why, come our 55th high school reunion time next year, I reckon I’ll be about 165 lbs., just solid as a rock, full of muscle, no flab, no fat. I fully expect all the high school alum-ladies to swoon over me and shall be bitterly disappointed if they don’t.