a few good things
happy birthday harley | why do dogs stare? | irish tings'
I am curious by nature and when I stumble on something worthwhile that piques my interest or better yet, connects with the heart, I feel you might appreciate or enjoy knowing about it (them) too.
Please enjoy.
xo Char
happy birthday harley
My old soul. Just look at this face.
Lucky number thirteen years ago, I rescued a pup. I chose “Sheffield” (her given name) as she was the calmest and cuddliest sweetest of the nine week old bunch.
Somehow, Sheffield just didn’t fit, so I went with Harley.
I have always gravitated toward the labs. The opey dopey, loyal kind who plod happily along in life, requiring only love, pats, chew toys and as much food as their human will allow. Harley is a lab mix with some form of terrier, perhaps Scottish. Hence, her beard, her longish body, and her temperament. She is far more a terrier than a lab, but where it counts, there is goodness.
Harley is not a cuddler by any stretch of the imagination, yet she is never too far from where I sit (yes, water closet included), stand or lie, for instance, let’s say on my yoga mat. If an inch remains on the mat unoccupied, she will find it and plop until I need the spot. And she is anything but the calm little pup she seemed to be all those thirteen years ago.
Several years back, while enjoying a nice quiet and relaxing evening at home, there came a knock on my front door. In typical Harley fashion, she catapulted herself from the farthest end of the couch, in full shriek protective mode, sprinting to the front door in what surely took only a mere two seconds at best. Consequently, within one week of each other, Harley suffered two ruptured CCL’s, requiring surgery on both legs to repair the ruptures. My high-strung, bionic pup was back to her usual self after a few months of rehab, doggie downers and crate confinement.
I won’t lie. The nature of her temperament has been a challenge these thirteen years. Aside from her obvious anxious tendencies and neediness, she can be unrelenting when she wants-what-she-wants-when-she-wants-it, i.e., food, and will pace and whine until I yield to her demands, if I allow it. The good news here is that she is smart and the little old dog can learn new tricks. While defiance is in her nature, she will (and wants to) obey me, only not without a fight and getting the last whine in.
Fun fact: Her insatiable desire for food knows no bounds - she has been known to climb onto the kitchen counter (see image to understand how) scrounging for food while I am away, confirmed irrefutably, by the wrapper remnants of my bread loaves, granola bars, and the like upon my return. Suffice it to say, it is exasperating.
But through it all, Harley has been the one constant during some of the most difficult and profound moments in my life. Covid, the death of my mom, the journey of writing my memoir, leaving a job with no Plan B, and the process of learning to believe in myself.
A well-deserved Happy Birthday to my ever faithful, wee little pain in the ass, Harley. As I wrote in my poem last year, she is the purest love, I believe, I have ever known.
why do dogs stare?
Given Harley’s proclivity for this behavior, I found this article fascinating and helpful. For anyone with adoring doggies at home, this one’s for you.
It can feel a little strange. A little intense. Sometimes you might wonder if you forgot to feed them. Other times you might feel like they are judging you for eating that second slice of cake. But the truth behind the stare is much deeper. It is one of the oldest forms of communication between two different species. A conversation happening without words.
There is something profound about being truly seen by another being.
irish things
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. A joyful reminder of my momma, my heritage and an opportunity to celebrate the goodness in my life.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to yet visit Ireland, here is a delightful video that just might entice you to ponder such.
Enjoy and sláinte.
Daragh Fleming is an Irish writer and poet from County Cork, Ireland. His powerful words require only a listening ear and your open heart.