Freedom to Change

In an effort to ready our house for selling, I decided that the baby, er...Miniature Schnauzer, gates needed to come down.  The three gates have been a mainstay in raising the puppies this past year and have helped to contain them to a manageable portion of our home.  But, there is a time for all of us to evolve and mature and have a little freedom to find, grow and explore new things.

... so the gates came down.

Copernicus, just barely over one year old, took to the newfound freedom quite fast.  He quickly went off to find his new boundaries without any hesitation or reservation.  He loved the newness of it all and then came back to get his brother to join him.  Copernicus then began to entice Newton into a game of chase so that he too could discover the great new space.  He loved the change and wanted his brother to feel the same way!

Copernicus

But, baby brother had some trepidation.  It was questionable how Newton, now just a mere six months old, would handle so much space albeit he's the more adventurous and wild one of the two.

It took him awhile to realize that the gates were down and he was surprisingly more cautious than his brother.  He kept looking back into the previously gated space as though he really wasn't sure he wanted to find out what was outside of the gates.  He wanted the new without leaving the old.

... and isn't that just like us?  

Sometimes we engage the change in our lives without hesitation and just drive right into the unknown like Copernicus did.  Then, there are those times when we just can't seem to push ourselves out of the comfort zone and into something new like Newton experienced.

Change is such a crazy mixture of  the "stop" and "go" that we experience throughout the movement of seasons within our lives.

For Newton, it took his brother's game of chase before he went into the new areas.  He needed the security of retaining something of the old with him as he went into the new.     

Once in the new spaces, he ran and ran and played with his brother and reveled in all of the fun! Sprawled out and panting he landed at my feet as if to say, "Thanks for all of this freedom!"

I hope that after all of the seasons of change and the maturing and the growing and the refining, I will resemble Newton's stance:  a smile on my face, totally out of breath, looking heavenward and shouting, "Thanks for all of this freedom!"

I vow to take all that comes my way today and delight in the freedom to change.  Won't you?

Top 11

Copernicus

Even though a Sussex Spaniel won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show, the Miniature Schnauzer made a nice showing.  And, considering the AKC's most registered dog breeds list just posted, I thought I would let you know that the Miniature Schnauzer remains in the Top 11...in the 11th spot.  To celebrate the breed and brag on my boys, here's a few pictures for the day.  ;) 

 Newton

Copernicus

Newton

Can You Even This Out?

I watched him go off by himself and start to get really upset.  Normally a content little guy, I became somewhat startled by his behavior.   I left my seat to investigate his angst and as I got closer to him, the scent of mint grew stronger and stronger.  Perplexed by the smell, I wanted to find out where it was coming from but I needed to tend to him first.  He was obviously in distress and needed me so the scent dilemma would have to take a backseat to the situation at hand.

I bent down and scooped him up into my arms as I cooed and stroked his hair in an attempt to settle him down.  And, as he was beginning to relax a little bit, 

I saw it. 

The cause of the problem.  

And, it was a really, really big problem.  

He allowed me to poke around a bit to assess the damage.  

It was a big wad of still-wrapped but now chewed piece of peppermint gum that had sprawled across Copernicus' beard and under his lip.  

The damage was widespread and immense.  

There was only one solution.  I needed the scissors.  I started to work with less than Edward Scissorshand style dexterity and managed to cut the affected area free from the gum.  

I took a look at him:  lopsided, half bearded, half shaven.  A mess, really.

It was reminiscent of being seven or eight years old when a little girl wields scissors to her head for a brand new do.  Her mom, upon discovery of the hair mishap, looks at her to decide the next step.  She chooses and carts her daughter off to the hairdresser asking, "Can you even this out?"

In the same manner, I looked at Copernicus and then carted him off to the groomer asking, "Can you even this out?"

Here he is sporting his brand new, non-bearded look.  Not quite the distinguished schnauzer-man of days gone by. 

Silly dog, gum is for kids. ;)