Okay... Smile!

Me: Gracie, C'mon... let me take a fall picture of you for my blog.  My blog friends love you.  They think you're cute.

Gracie:  I have a better idea, let's put twigs and brush in your hair and make you sit still while everyone stands around laughing at you.

Me:  That's it girl.  Smile.

Gracie:  If you see a smile on this face it's because I have gas.  And thanks for that by the way...   You know better than to give me chicken.

Me: Oh Gracie, you look so cute.  Now lets go inside... Mommy's got to go to work.

Gracie:  Sure, and without even so much as a Beggin' Strip as a reward for being good.  That's how you are.  

Me:  Oh Gracie, why are you so sad?

Gracie:  Well, lets see.  You yelled at me for having my chew bone in the middle of the floor, you haven't changed my water yet today, you told my buddy Gumby you were going to throw him away if you tripped on him one more time, you didn't share your toast with me, you pulled me away from the best smells outside - near the fire hydrant, you always have that stupid Mac on your lap instead of me.... and my ears itch!  Why do you think I'm sad?

Me:  Gracie I love you

Gracie:  Yea, well I guess I love you too.

********************************

DOG LOVERS/GOD LOVERS:  BE SURE AND CLICK ON THE YOU TUBE VIDEO BELOW.  IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

Hmph!

Dear Diary,

Gee, guess what I get to do today?

 I Watched the house again.  Surprise, surprise.  

Hmph! No surprise there.... who are they kidding?

They act like it's such a big deal.  'Oh Gracie, you have to protect us', 'Watch for intruders, Gracie'... and so on. 

 Yea, right.  

Let me bark at a shifty looking little old lady and her poodle as they pass by and see what happens. 

 'Gracie! Muzzle!'  

Whatever!

Wait.  Is that my new neighbor and boyfriend Max?  

Could it be?  

Is it...???

False alarm.  

There ain't nothing going to get me out of this funk I'm in.   

Nothing. 

Not Dairy Queen.  

Not tennis courts. 

 Forget Scooby Snacks.... 

I'm mad and I wish to stay that way thank you very much.

Nothing will stop me from moping around...

Except...

My squeaky Chickie Bird!! 

 Daddy!!  Where did you find it?

  I thought it was lost forever!!!

Happy for now.  Gracie.

PS  I found out that my Squeaky Chicky Bird was not lost at all but PUT AWAY because it makes too much noise.  I'm hiding it now...  see how they like that!

My Weekend With Marley's Dad

So what does this Christmas stone 

have to do with John Grogan ? 

 

Christmas '05 

 I'm guessing Hubby was clueless as to what to get me that year. 

 With this gift... how could he go wrong? 

 I was pretty excited about being able to 

'create a weekend' of my very own.  

So I tucked it safely in my lingerie drawer waiting for the perfect opportunity.

The gift was just what it said it was.  

A weekend anywhere, doing anything. 

No limits.  

What would you choose?

Early in 2006 I began paging though one of Waldenbook's best sellers 'Marley and Me'. 

The book went home with me... 

Through laughter and tears I felt everything the author must have felt, especially with Gracie having just turned a year old and the  puppy horror still fresh in my mind.  

Though the book was sprinkled with the funny antics of the author's dog Marley, there was a deeper and more meaningful message that I took away from the book.  For me it was about relationships, hurts, loving, and letting go. 

 I could relate.

 I didn't even have to think about it.  I was in the 'There's no greater book ever written (not counting the Holy Bible of course) than Marley and Me mode'.  

And so several months later I cashed in my weekend stone and we packed our bags and reserved a room at the Hilton on Airport Road in Allentown Pa.  

Emmaus was not only John Grogan's hometown, but my hubby's mom resided there as well... so I had every right to be near the infamous author without being labeled 'stalker'. 

 His book signing wasn't there, but in another town about an hour away at a Walmart. 

I was second in line.  

My inspiration for 'Gracie's Diary, A Memoir'


www.graciesdiaryamemoir.blogspot.com