Tag: teddie

family

Missing You

2chicksandapen

The last few days I have been missing my dad or the spirit of my dad.

Grief is a funny thing. It creeps up on you at unexpected times. It can be just a flutter in your heart or a vivid memory jerking the tears.

For me I have a night time shirt. An XXXL-type shirt bearing his photo. Not one I would wear out but one that’s comforting for those sleepy days. Maybe the visual on the shirt sparks the memories. Maybe it was the card in the mail from hospice on grief. Maybe it’s just the dust settling. I’m really not sure the nature of its source but it can take your breath away.

No matter the source I miss my dad in all forms. His younger vibrant days as my dad when I was a kid. The middle of the road days where he helped me navigate adulthood. To the end days when he needed help eating his dessert. I just miss him. There is really no replacement.

As life lessons need to be passed to my kids I find myself thinking what would he do. For now I cherish the memories and honor his spirit as I push forward.

I may never say goodbye to grief but I can push through the sadness. He would expect me to. Writing is a great form of therapy for me. If you lost somebody close to you, journaling your thoughts is always a great opportunity to push through the sadness.

I also have a great bestie named Teddie to hang with me as I write and today it was a nice cold glass of almond milk to wash away the woes.

Until next time…

Teddie Aspen

Where is Teddie?

2chicksandapen

Most of you have read about the adventures of Teddie in the past. The awesomely adorable and super snuggly Teddie. The cute little mini Golden Doodle who lives a spoiled companion life.

Well Teddie went for a long overdue grooming appointment. Teddie is still super soft but got all her baby hair cut or buzzed off. She has ears! I mean we knew she had ears but you can see them now. They were so cute before but now they are even cuter.

She loves having her ears massaged. It’s a calming tool for her crazy. Now the stroking of her ears feels different. In a good way of course. Look at those tiny little baby ears. All nice and freshly groomed.

From floppy moppy looking hair to bold buzzed cut. Is she looking fancy or homely? I happen to like the new do because her hair beard no longer gets caught in her water bowl but on the other hand I miss her curls.

So much change in such a short time. Do our dogs look at humans the same way when we come home from a haircut?

For now she is a little less heavy on the fur so hopefully she will stay cool on these hot summer days. Her coloring seems to have lightened up as well.

Her fur is still super soft and one of my favorite things about this breed. You can see her eyes. Her curious eyes. The groomer left some longer hairs by her nose. They are funny and crazy after a drive in the car. She gets the wind blown look that is similar to met head for humans. The wired, crazy look.

She had some ice cream to celebrate the day of her cut so I think she could care less about what she looks like. She was just happy to be spoiled with a treat. If every human just looked in the mirror and didn’t care about their image, we may live in a better society.

Today’s lesson from Teddie. Staying well groomed is good but overall appearance doesn’t indicate happiness. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. The observer in the distance. No matter the observer’s opinion. Teddie is happy just being Teddie.

Be happy with your image. No matter what your appearance is be content. But be a groomed content. Fresh and clean is always preferred. Don’t we all wish we lived a Teddie life?

 

 

mental health, perspective

Take A Chill

2chicksandapen

Sometimes we all need a moment to chill out. Just relax and really not do anything. For me that was a visit to my back deck one morning.

It was not too hot out, just right before 8am. The birds were chirping away and cars were passing by in the distance. Just some slight background noise.

A brief time out from life. A break from the computer. A break from today’s masked world. A little frisbee with pup before the sun hits the deck.

As I sit here and contemplate my day, my life happenings and the world as a whole I think about peace. I am at peace with where I am, where I am going and who is on board for the ride. It’s good to take inventory of life from time to time.

We all need to make sure our co-pilots are traveling to the same destination. We need to know our cheerleaders in life are truly there working with vs. against us. We need to make sure our mindset is in tune with all of the above.

This is sometimes a reset, refresh, recharge moment for people. It sometimes needs to be done multiple times a year. It may even require one to put a wall up, exclude, or ignore the Negative Nellies of one’s inner circle who are circumventing success. That’s a lot for some to overcome.

I am in a peaceful state in life. Maybe it comes with age. Maybe it’s maturity. Maybe it’s luck. Whatever it is, I am thankful. I am thankful for the bumpy roads in life that have taken me to today. I look forward to tomorrow. I look forward to the memories, milestones, and bumpy roads.

May you explore your refreshing moments like me on my back deck. One day or two. Make the time. You are a priority.

 

family

Mornings with Teddie

2chicksandapen

OK folks I’m a proud dog mom. I have been for some time but one little dog named Teddie has really stolen my heart and through all this solidarity during corona that bond has just thickened.

I could tell you one million reasons why but instead I opted for just mornings with Teddie. I am inviting you to share a glimpse of Teddie virtually with me. Hopefully you get a smile or giggle out of the adorable pictures in this post.

This is Teddie sleeping in after a rough day at the lake the day before. Lots of fun in the sun makes one tired pup. See her nestled snuggly on the pillow as a queen should be.

Morning Teddie reporting to work at the home office bright–eyed and bushy-tailed. That is if you can see her eyes as she is overdue for a grooming thanks to the corona shutdown. Nonetheless this is the fearless, well–rested morning version of Teddie. No need for caffeine, just pure youth shown here. Is this a face you would love or one to annoy you?

This photo represents feisty Teddie in the morning. The one that wants to nip at you to awaken you because she has to go to the potty in that very moment. No time to waste. Those teeth are clean but no joke if her playful self grabs onto a finger and thinks it’s a chew toy. So many sides to my cute little side kick!

Zonked. Our Teddie in one of her favorite spots, the foot of the bed. She doesn’t need any covers she just insists on being on your foot so she will know if you try to leave her. Talk about a true companion.

Then there is foot rest Teddie. When you are working hard early in the am at your desk you find the little companion cozied up on your shoe or very close by with a bone nearby to stay busy while you are busy working. It’s almost like a shadow some days but it’s also a coworker that doesn’t gossip at the water cooler. A true friend to the end. That’s my Teddie.

I almost forgot about loyal Teddie. I’ll spare you the photo but my pet pal even travels to the commode, can, toilet, potty or shitter while you take care of business. That’s loyalty like no other. Do cats even do that? Again she could be suffocating to some but she is my partner in crime.

I am a firm believer that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Maybe over time or in a lifetime  my Teddie chronicles should hopefully share with you a sliver of happy, a sense of the rewards of pet ownership, and how memories are carried forward with a photo. This is also my chance to say I would like to be born again and live a Teddie life full of snacks, grooming, massages, naps, belly rubs, outdoor play and treats. Who would wanted to be that kind of a dog?

Until next time I hope you enjoyed this tidbit of mornings with Teddie.

Teddie Aspen

Teddie Aspen Chronicles

2chicksandapen

Here we are about 30 days after my last Teddie post. For those of you who are new online readers, Teddie is my amazingly smart and loveable puppy. She is a golden doodle mini growing up in a sassy roo home with fierce girls and one lone male. She loves dress up, outings and social events where she is the Queen.

Now weighing in at 15 pounds and living through her first pandemic. What an experience. Her humans are home non stop and when she goes to the vet now she gets curbside pickup. Talk about spoiled. Never thought I would experience puppy valet service but in 2020 anything is possible. I mean I even have the option to do virtual pet well visits now too. My vet might even be more tech savvy than some pediatricians.

On a softer note this puppy came into my life at the right time. I didn’t know I would suffer the loss of another pet shortly after Teddie joined our family so she has been a huge comfort to everyone in that regard. In addition, who knew that a pandemic was lurking about and that a snuggling puppy would be the best therapy around. Another blessing in disguise.

There is no disguise when it comes to Teddie. She is as real as her name. As cute as a button and so similar to a teddy bear. Her soft coat is gentle to the touch and she is just so adorable. She loves lazy days on “her love sac,” lots of peanut butter treats and enjoys chasing tennis balls and frisbees. She can have her moments of doggie crazy but those moments are here and there.

Her bitch mode appears when her humans want to step outside alone for essential travel. She knows when shoes go on. She knows the sound a jacket makes crinkling. It’s almost like a baby in a crib that just fell asleep and the moment you try to sneak away the waling cries ensue except hers is a ferocious bark and a stern body pose appears: basically a commanding statement of don’t leave me! I like to ride in the car. I’m a good girl. Take me wherever you go. Take me now.

Oh, she rules us because we take her most places. She loves riding on a boat and having the wind blow in her face. She likes to ride in a jeep with the top off for the same reason and even perches herself on your head to get the best view. She loves sunbathing on the back deck but only if her people are with her. She likes to stay close by. Sometimes so close she doesn’t have personal space barriers. She could rest on a foot, and arm or even a shoulder. Uncomfortable to some but for her it’s comforting as she is with her people.

She is one of a kind and I can’t encourage a person enough to have a pet they can spend time with. Animals are non judgmental yet they seem to know when you need to be cuddled. For those of you with spouses….I bet you have felt your counterpart never gets that message at some point thus a pet is a great companion. Pets are loyal to their human(s). Maybe you are more of a cat person, a llama person or you might even be into goats.

Whatever you fancy get yourselves a companion for you! Stay safe wherever you are in the 🌎. We should all aim to live a Teddie Aspen life!