LOVE THURSDAY
Cindy Maddera
"Her favorite spot"
The other day, I was scrolling though my Instagram feed looking for a particular picture for another entry when I scrolled past some pictures of Josephine when we first got her. Holy cow, I can't believe how tiny she was! I also can't believe how little I've talked about her here. I've gushed a lot about the chickens, but poor Josephine has only been a side note. She's definitely not a side note in our daily lives. I don't know why I haven't taken time out to go on and on about her here. Maybe because she's family? I don't talk about my loved ones too much here. I tend to limit those stories out of respect for their privacy. It could be that Josephine has been subconsciously put into the same category.
Josephine is now six months old and with the exception of a few I'm-so-happy-to-see-you-I'm-going-to-pee moments, she is completely potty trained. Last night we started being more vigilant in training her to meet house guests. I've been a little lax about the whole obedience training thing mostly because it's been too difficult to shift her focus from OH MY GOD LET'S PLAY to I AM TOTALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU AND THAT TREAT. She knows sit and down really well. She comes when we call her most of the time. Sometimes barking at the neighbor dogs distracts her. She likes to get in the last word. She wants to be petted while she bites on you, but she's learned to do the whole soft bite thing and she's lost most of those needle sharp baby teeth. I've taken to giving her the cardboard toilet paper insert to chew on and I finally gave in and let her have the forest ranger doll we brought back for The Cabbage from our Dakotas trip. Of all the stuffed animal/dolls in the basket, the girl forester ranger doll was the one that Josephine kept stealing. She showed a thousand times more interest in that doll than the Cabbage ever did, so I finally said "fine. she's your's." The next week the Cabbage said "What happened to my forest ranger doll?" Any way. Josephine loves that doll and carries her every where.
Josephine is the kind of dog that seems to always be on a mission. She runs with purpose to one room and may come trotting out with one of her toys or some bit of paper in her mouth. The other day she had a pecan, shell in all, in her mouth. I don't even know. She has a pigs ear she's been chewing on for weeks. Sometimes she thinks that I need to chew on it too because she'll place it on my lap while I'm sitting on the couch and then nudge it with her nose as if to say "go ahead...it's really good." She will be gone doing whatever outside on her own for twenty minutes or more and then come running inside like a bullet and then jump all over you like she wants to tell about this totally amazing thing that just happened outside. I'm sure whatever she has to say has something to do with the chickens. She wants so badly to get inside the coop with them and the only one that seems interested in this idea is Matilda. Matilda will walk up to the screen so that she can be beak to nose with Josephine.
Josephine has a way of holding her mouth that reminds me of Pepaw. I know this sounds really strange, but Pepaw had a certain set of his jaw. I don't know if it was because of his dentures or what. Sometimes I see my mom holding that same jaw set. I definitely see it in my Aunt Martha. Josephine does it too. In fact, one day she was sitting there just looking at me with her mouth set like Pepaw's. I cocked my head to one side and tentatively asked "Pepaw?" She didn't respond to that name, but I do wonder sometimes if Pepaw has been reincarnated as a miniature Schnauzer named Josephine.
The best thing about Josephine is that it appears she has grown to love us as much as we love her. I can tell by the way she wags her little nub of a tail and the way she sighs with contentment when she rests her head on my feet.
"Mess face. #365"
Happy Love Thursday.