“Jesus said: If your leaders say to you “Look! The Kingdom is in the sky!” Then the birds will be there before you are. If they say that the Kingdom is in the sea, then the fish will be there before you are. Rather, the Kingdom is within you and it is outside of you.” The Gospel of Thomas
Chapter 2 – Love at First Lick
More barks and humps. Dad’s not the least bit impressed.
I ask the shelter lady, trying to sound very nonchalant (so she can’t detect any desperation), if they’ve made a decision about my adopting Homer.
“We’ll CALL to let you know if you’ve been chosen, MIZ Westerfield”. She’s annoyed. “Thank you”, I feebly respond, steeling myself against the pain of ultimate rejection, “WHY are you picking this dog?” Dad asks, clearly puzzled by my choice.
Ten (do you hear 10!) full days after falling in love I get the call, Homer is mine. I yank my husband into the car and tear down to the shelter before they change their minds.
Homer is, as always, DELIGHTED to see me, licking my hands, my arms, my neck, my face as I bend down to leash him. I’m half-listening to the shelter lady, “Homer’s very friendly but not quite disciplined on walks.” Homer and I are already half way out the door, neither of us taking any chances that the shelter lady changes her mind. AAAAAAAAAnd Homer’s in the lead, zig-zagging all over the place at full throttle. Drowning in delight, I laugh louder and louder which signals Homer to run faster and faster.
My husband finds us careening all over the front parking lot, both of us with tongues hanging out.
“I asked the shelter volunteer if there was anything else to know about him that would be helpful”, my husband says, as we cram all squirming, lurching and licking 29 pounds of dog into the back seat. “She really hesitated when I asked and said they put a wicker chair in his enclosure to see how he’d respond – he chewed it up”
“OF COURSE he would chew it up, rescued an hour before he was to die only to be imprisoned in that horrible enclosure without any companionship! I would do the same.”, I snap, while trying to control Homer from jumping from the back seat to the front to lick me. This dog really loves me. I AM IN HEAVEN.
Links to all the current chapters (they do need to be read in order to follow the story thread): Prologue & Epilogue Chapter 1 – Instincts Rule Chapter 2 – Love at First Lick Chapter 3 – Chewsing Heaven Chapter 4 – Unleashed Chapter 5 – Our Little Angel Chapter 6 – Favorite Flavors, Patience & Self Control Chapter 7 – Love has no Bounds
Love. This. Love to you from Lexi-Pro
Loving the “inside scoop” and story of Max.
Thank you for sharing with us! From across the miles and cyber-waves, you have been in my thoughts frequently, as well as the spirit of Max! xo ~b
Now, I’m smiling!! How are you sweetie??? This is a GREAT story!! Max would be proud!
Rose,
I’m doing well. Intermittent bits of tears but am sustained by knowing Max was’t MAX anymore and he was suffering. It was the right decision. I miss him and the house has a silence and stillness.
Thanks for the GREAT story pat on the back. I’ve not made anything up. That was The Max. Unbelievable character.