A Book, A Cold, And Six Dogs

     Nothing nicer than to have a dog sympathize with your illness!

The weekend started on a high note, as weekends should. Friday night dinner with a girl friend and then off to Eagle Eye bookshop in Decatur, round the corner from my house, for a book signing of The Fall by award winning novelist David Fulmer and the kick off party for Five Stones Press, an innovative publishing venture David has started with some partners. One is my good friend Anna Foote. Check out their web: http://fivestonesllc.com/. I had a grand time catching up with some old friends who had stopped by. I left with my autographed copy of The Fall tucked safely in my purse. As I hit the cool night air I felt a scratchy throat and my head started to plug up. Oh pulease, no. Not another cold. But it seems that is exactly what was coming. I woke up Saturday morning sick as a dog. ('Scuse me doggies, just a figure of speech). And stayed that way until mid day today. Rotten, sick, headachy, don't want to nothing but rest type of cold. That was the bad news. The good news is that I started the weekend off buying a new book. There was some perfect timing. I had something to do when the quilt came off my head.

One thing to be said about being sick with six dogs is that you are never alone. Six dogs fighting to lay next to me, on me and by me all weekend long. The dogs thought we were having a sleeping party. Annabelle wiggled next to my side hugging the back of the couch and barely moved unless I did. Chloe finding this to be great fun, would run up the back of the couch and then jump down on my chest. Only seven pounds, but try that every few hours. And Rascal, the 35 pound bull that is like a bowling ball, jumped straight up in the air and came straight down on my stomach more than once. Now I have that flat tummy I wanted for summer. I think it exploded out my brain however. April in Paris came over to kiss me when I was sleeping, a kiss to my lips that, if it had been human, would have been a great kiss. Let's not comment on how odd it is to have a dog who can kiss, but she has a special talent.  I opened my eyes slowly, dreaming of that kiss .......Was I sleeping beauty? And where was my prince?  Alas, only those deep brown dog eyes staring back at me. I reached out and gave her head a little tap to the side. "Thank you sweet April In Paris, now please find a guy with kisses so sweet."  Bray and Foxy kept tabs by sleeping on the floor close to me only nudging me when it was time to eat, a gentle reminder that even if I was ill, the dogs were hungry. So much dog love it was hard to feel bad.

So next time you find yourself feeling under the weather, grab a good book, hide under a quilt and keep the dogs close for warmth and snuggles. Almost makes a sick day a party.

Widow Lesson Learned: More healing than any cold medicine, dogs cuddled close that generate a healing warmth. Warning, it could become addictive.