joyful paws

Mystery Solved. But the Guilty Party Not Fessing Up.

mitten snatcherKylie is truly one of the sweetest dogs ever. Though she didn’t inherit all the typical Lab qualities such as playing fetch, swimming, or hunting, she is the best, most cuddly “big ole bear” ever. She also has a mischievous side about her.

I keep my mittens on the second shelf of a small table next to our kitchen table so they are easily accessible. They’ve been there since the beginning of December.

The last few days I’ve come into the kitchen to find them lying either in the middle of the floor or on the bed that Kylie and Gidget share which is also in the kitchen.

Each time I’ve picked them up and put them back on the shelf, wondering how in the heck they got to the middle of the kitchen. You’d think I’d be smart enough by now to know what’s going on. I’m a work in progress. What can I say?

Yesterday the mystery of my mittens were once again in the kitchen lying on the dog bed.

It finally dawned on me (stay with me here – my blonde hair gets in the way now and then) as I witnessed just then Kylie squeezing her body in between the big table and little one, snout sniffing out the second shelf.

“Aha!”  I said. “You! You are the one whose been snatching my mittens from the shelf!”

Ever so slowly she backed out, head hanging down as she slinked her way toward the bed. Along the way she picked up her favorite stuffed toy, Lambchop.

She had the gall to sit her sweet little butt down upon the bed right in front of my mittens, her puppy dog eyes really playing up the scene now and is if to say, “Oh, how could you?  How could you think me, your sweet dog, the one you call “big ole’ bear” and love with all your heart—how could you possibly think it was me?”

“Not confessing are you, Kylie? Well, okay then. But I’m on to you. I just want you to know that.” I was chuckling the whole time I said it as I reached over to pat the top of her head.

And just so you know, I’ve gotten smarter since the last episode last night and my mittens are now on the top shelf of the table. I might not be able to teach my old dog, Kylie new tricks, but this old dog is catching on.

Joyful Paws Getting a New Look. Come See.

JP banner website

It was time. Time for a new banner for Joyful Paws. I’ve been giving thought to this for a long time.

How to capture all that Joyful Paws represents in a single banner? Not an easy thing to do. I thought much about words, ideas, thoughts, the past, the present, and how I want to move forward.

My last banner had pictures of both my wheelchair dogs, Frankie and Joie. Now both living happily in another realm. Still very much a part of my heart and soul, but residing quietly in a place I hope suits them well.

I felt it time to let them rest even deeper into that feel good place they now are and share photos of my current dogs, Kylie and Gidget which are a joy in their own right to have as part of my daily existence.

In all honesty, it was hard to let go of the photos of Frankie and Joie. It is still a part of what Joyful Paws is about. But because of them I’ve grown deeper into my spirituality and who I am. I will forever have them to thank for that.

As I also have been giving thought to why I became intrigued by the process of SoulCollage®  and completed my training this past November, it is because of how far I’ve come because of the innate wisdom I’ve gained because of the animals in my life. I’ve done much reading, exploring, and reflection the past 12 years to be at this point of living a more meaningful life.

My online journal and my memoir, and children’s books, I hope encourages others to do the same. As I move forward I want to encourage you to pause more often, listen deeper to your heart, and capture what matters most to you (hence the reason for using pause. listen. capture. in my banner).

It is through my writing and offering SoulCollage® workshops in the near furture, in small groups, and one-on-one, that I’m working with as I move forward.

This is in part a big reason for my new banner. I’m growing and evolving and yet, in many ways, still the same — just expanding in new ways.

It feels good to be in this place of new projects and new avenues to pursue. It has felt like a long time coming since I’ve really felt this type of positive movement forward. I welcome it.

I hope you like the new banner. I’m quite happy with it. I’m also working behind the scenes of updating some of my pages on my website too. I hope to present a cleaner, crisper look and one that helps you feel even more connected to me and all that Joyful Paws represents.  Stay tuned!

Something New: Capturing My Joyful Pause Moments. Weekly Recap.

garden off deck 1200Looking out my writing cottage and enjoying how my little perennial garden is starting to grow once again for the season.

I’m trying something “new.” While I do try and live a joyful life, I decided I wanted to try and capture a moment of joy each day. Something that makes me smile. Something that makes me forget time exists. Something that fills me up. While I will concentrate mostly on capturing it in photos, I may also include a quote now and then too, or whatever strikes my fancy as a moment of joy.

The name of my website, Joyful Paws, was born because of my dogs showing me the way to more joy. Even when Cassie Jo was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, and Frankie became paralyzed from IVDD, they lived each day from a place of happiness despite their challenges. They taught me that we always have a choice.

Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it everyday. -Henri J.M. Nouven

So each week I’ll recap my daily moment of joy and share it here on my blog (I’ll recap on a Saturday or Sunday- just depending on how my week plays out and what’s going on on any given weekend). I like this idea as a practice to look for, and choose joy, just as Henri J.M. Nouven said.

I hope you will find joy in my “joyful pause” moments I will share with you. And I hope it will encourage you to look for those little moments of joy in your own life.

Here is the rest of my joyful pause moments from the week:

flowers and rainbow outside cottage 1200Bringing home flowers for outside my writing cottage. A second, unexpected joyful pause moment was looking at the photo and it looks like there is a rainbow running through the center of it. I have no idea how that happened!

yoga gidget 1200Coming out of shavasana pose, onto my side, and seeing this sweet face.

cassy painting 1200Seeing my dear friend, Cassy Tully’s heart happy doing her art outside on a beautiful day.

tea and books e 1200Spending time on the deck in the morning, reading, sipping my warm lemon water, listening to the birds, and soaking in a bit of warm sun. These simple pleasures truly bring me so much joy.

tree frog  e 1200Hanging out with a tree frog.