COLD NOSE

My dog Mattie is my constant companion. She's a black terrier-type pound dog that I rescued from a certain inferno. She is so devoted to me and loves and trusts me without question.

I started my marriage with a black Scottish terrier-type dog named Scooter who lived for 13 yrs. After Scooter died, I waited an entire 5 days to go to the pound and get Gizmo, a black terrier-type pound dog. This worried Lance because he said that if he died that, with calculating the dog years, that I would only wait around about month to replace him. I am curious what point he was trying to make.

I happened upon dog #3, Mattie, when I was on my way to Publix. A dog rescue unit had set up outside the grocery store. I had to look; the dogs were drawing my attention like M & Ms on Halloween night. As I was browsing, I saw a black terrier-type dog. She was wooing me to pet her and play with her and buy her cute little doggie outfits and talk baby talk to her and probably "give her a home where the buffalo roam..." (this is from a show tune.)

So, I dared the impossible, I called home to ask Lance what his thoughts were on getting a second dog. He had previously told me that he was a one-dog man and that if we were to get another dog, I'd have to give up one of the kids. (Hmmmm...something to think about). So the call home was to see if God had given Lance a little wisdom on his dog policy. Gee, Lance was in a golf tournament and not home and couldn't be reached by phone. Hmmmm...who should I ask next? I chose my daughter, McKenna, who was a dog nut like I was. I told her to bring Gizmo, dog #2 to the store and if Gizmo tried to eat the little dog, it would be a no, BUT, if Gizmo didn't eat this little hot dog, then it must mean by divine judgment that we NEEDED another dog.

OK. Skip the gnashing of teeth by Lance. God had clearly deemed that He wanted us to SAVE a doggie soul from the fiery furnace. We named her Mattie and she has been my constant companion since the day I came home with her.

She follows me from room to room. She sits behind me when I'm working on the computer or eating at the dining room table. She sits on top of the sofa and puts her head on my shoulder when I am watching TV. She sleeps like a hyphen (horizontally) between Lance and me. But my favorite thing she does is that when she follows me, she is so close to me that she touches each of my calves with her COLD NOSE. It's step, touch (cold nose), step, touch (cold nose), step, touch (cold nose).

She is always so close to me that I feel her presence. That got me to thinking that I wish I would be so close and in step with God that I was with his every step. Maybe, that is something that I should strive for...God-step; follower step; cold nose--God-step; follower step; cold nose...


Until next time,

Mama Chick