smiles – Creations By Cathy

Do you think that dogs actually smile? I’m not saying “are they happy?” – I mean, do they really s m i l e…? I say Yes. Definitely. We have 2 dogs. The white dog is Tobie and the black dog is Ellie. Together, they are just referred to as “the girls“. Ya, I know. Tobie is a boy name. She is a tomboy at heart. Lifts her leg to go potty, burps after she eats… So what would you have suggested; “Princess”? Two more opposite dogs you will never meet. Their nicknames are as follows (Ellie/Tobie) Needy & Greedy; Crazy & Lazy. Ellie never stops. Wants to play fetch 24/7. This is NOT an exaggeration. Ask anyone. She never, ever, ever gets tired. Ellie is best known for body slamming into walls, often head first, kamikaze style while playing fetch. Perhaps one too many times… This has also earned her the additional nickname of “Google eyes”. Let’s just say that sometimes Ellie appears to be looking in several different directions at once. (Think “Ed”, the hyena from Lion King..) Yep – Having someone throw the ball is Ellie’s nirvana. It is DEFINITELY what makes her smile. Tobie; well…. not so much. An all day nap really suits Tobie just fine. Preferably in the warm sunshine. Unless there is food. ANY food. And by “food”, I mean anything that is on the floor… Paper clips, buttons, paper towels, screws… So what makes Tobie smile? Besides a sample of pork tenderloin (blame the hubbie; I give her apples and kale!), it would have to be her kids. Tobie LOVES having her kids home. Hands down, NOTHING makes her happier. Yep. They are definitely Tobie’s reason to smile!

As opposite as they are, they really are “best buds”. There is one common denominator that makes them BOTH grin ear to ear, equally, and that is going for a walk!! Just say the words, and they begin “the happy dance“… big grins as they hop like little bunnies and run in circles. And this happy state continues throughout the entire walk. Today was no exception. It was a beautiful, peaceful Sunday morning, and I felt quite reflective as we strolled the neighborhood… Watching their complete delight in the smallest of things… sniffing the trees (EVERY tree, in fact!), chasing a butterfly, checking out an abandoned toy in someone’s front yard, investigating what might be under a fluffy bush… It made me stop and think. I was taken back to my reflection four days ago on 9/11; my blog post “a life to live over” (Erma Bombeck). Conclusion? Wouldn’t we all be a little better off if we approached life a little more like a dog? Hmmm…. Think about that. There are literally hundreds of little things in a day that can make you smile – IF you take the time to pause and enjoy them. But do you? I think we all try; but life, and deadlines, and “to do” lists, and complications… they all get in our way, don’t they. So I guess we just need to try a little harder. Yep. Perhaps we just need to think, and smile, more like a dog…

live happy

What can you really get for $10 these days..? A fancy coffee drink and (maybe) a muffin? A couple gallons of gas? Unfortunately, we live in a world where things of value, things that matter, are gonna set you back a bit. It’s just the way things are these days, and we have to accept that. Or do we…?

Met some friends, two other couples, the other morning for breakfast at a little local area called “Park Place”, here in Kansas City. Following an early morning thunderstorm, the sun had returned and the skies were a glorious blue, so we all sat outside and chatted over coffee for a couple of hours. Afterwards, the hubbie and I decided that we needed to stretch our legs after sitting for so long, so we strolled the outdoor shops, hitting a couple of “end of season sidewalk sales”. By the time we hit late afternoon, we both admitted that our stomachs were grumbling a bit, and all of the little sidewalk cafes had started “Happy Hour”. Perfect timing for a glass of wine, some olives and a little hummus. So you might be thinking that this is the end of the story, but it’s not. You see, I haven’t told you everything...

What I didn’t mention yet, was the time between strolling the shops and Happy Hour… As it was, we popped out of one of the stores, and were immediately greeted with the sounds of a sidewalk musician – a lone guitarist with a voice a lot like “The Fray”. So we did what we knew we had to do. We pulled up a spot near the music and the fountains and settled into one of the brightly painted adirondack chairs for a little R&R in the glorious Sunday sunshine. As we all know, shopping can be absolutely EXHAUSTING for men!! (If you squint real hard on the pic above, you will see the guitarist on the far right of the pic, through the water droplets; and the hubbie is sitting next to my green chair, in a blue shirt, shades on, eyes closed…) The guy played his heart out, while folks strolled by and smiled, children ran in and out of the fountains, oblivious to anything but their own innocent joy, nearby sidewalk diners clapped politely…

Now I don’t know this young man’s story. At all. Was he paid by the merchants? Does he do this on the side, or is music his sole source of income; his passion? Did he know that we enjoyed the fact that he was there… that day… playing those songs… making our day a little brighter…? As I was up snapping this pic, he announced that it was his last song, and he thanked everyone who was there and wished them happiness for the rest of their day. My hubbie smiled at me and stood up, walking over to the young man. He had no “tip bucket” of any kind, so the hubbie merely thanked him for the gift of his music, and handed him a small token of gratitude. His eyes lit up with a sincere appreciation was so genuine it made my heart ache. A smile that was so worth every last penny… Be the reason.

live happy, cathy

Tag Archives: smiles

do dogs really smile…?

the ten dollar smile