THE BOYS ARE COOL

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Thanks Gurdy.

My favorite dog ever. And that's saying something

I am lucky. for lots of other reasons but for perhaps most for having great dogs. This sounds like a petty petty thing but in the growing up of a boy its a pretty big deal. I mean come on. It's your dog.

My first dog's name was Tinker. She was a "Benji" look a like but fifty times cooler. Like Benji, she was a smallish-somewhat-shaggy-white-brown-ninja-style dog. Tinker had a light blue bowl - that my sister made - that had "tinker's turf" written with bubble-end letters. She could jump over chain link fences. She sleeped under my crib. She went EVERYWHERE with us. Tinker was my first dog.

My second dog was relly my second and third dog. Suger and Snikers were two different dogs who arrived together. I was around 10. How my bothers and sisters talked my parents into TWO dogs is Suger - golden. medium sized. Athletic. Snickers. Shaggy. Lean. Big. Pooped weird. Both really great dogs.

When Ashley and I got married we got a dog together. We actually went to a few different shelters. We actually answered ads in the newspaer that advertised puppys for sale.

Gurdy was found via the Dallas Morning News. Everytime I vistited my parents on Sunday I would cherry-pick the nice section of the paper that my Dad and Mom had already have read. My Mom know we were looking at Dog so she made sure I took home the classifieds.

LAB MIX PUPPIES FOR SALE
4mo. CUTE! 2 mal 2 fmal
214-XXX-XXXX

When we arrived There were not "puppies" there was "a puppy". It was Gurdy. We paid $50 for her and we took her home.

Gurdy was named after The Drew Barrymore character in the movie E.T. She was the type of dog you could walk without a leash. She came when you called and liked being around people. She wouldn't jump on you but would greet you happily - then leave you alone. She understood kids and would play lovingly. She protected our homes with pride. She didn't bark in the house unless she "needed" to. If Gurdy was barking it was at something that "something"needed to be barked at.

When you are a dog that listens and behaves you get to do more things. Like travel to Missouri with the family or take walks in the woods and chase deer. She would chase as fast as she could. The deer would run effortlessly at half speed and still pull away from the chasing canine. Gurdy would continue chasing and dissappear for 5 minutes and then reappear down the trail right next to us. I like to think that was Gurdy at her happiest.

Gurdy died in our house a month or so ago. I cried. But I like to think she's in the big woods in the sky chasing very slow deer.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Turner's Song

When Ashley was in 5th grade she took guitar lessons. Recently Gigi brought that guitar back to Ashley in Dallas and Turner's eyes lit up. He asked to take guitar lessons. To gauge his enthusiasm Ash and I told him that to have the guitar and for us to pay for lessons that it would cost him 120 Superbucks (the family currency). After more than 2 months Turner had saved enough to earn his first guitar and lessons.

He's been taking lessons for a while now and can play jams like Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with the best of them. About a week ago he wrote his own song and I have to say that there is something magical to see your son with a pencil in his mouth, strumming on his guitar to find a sound he likes then writing the music down. He was using all of the tools he has learned from practicing and lessons to create something wholly his own.

This past Wednesday Zach (his teacher) came over for Turner's lesson. He recorded and accompanied Turner as he played his song.