Feb 17, 2015 Chronicles of Holly-our Standard Poodle

 

Happy Anniversary With Us, Holly!

©February 17th, 2015

By Vijaya Sundaram

On this day last year, we brought home our beloved Standard Poodle pup, Captain Holly Short (aka Holly) all the way from Colbrook, N.H. — from our Crabapple Downs Standard Poodles breeder, Arlene, and this day last year was the day on which our lives changed completely, and for the better.

Holly (also known as The Hod, Hoddles, Goofampuppum, SillymaPup, ThoThaPooThaPup, and various other difficult monikers) is the goofiest, sweetest, nicest, cutest, silliest, bestest Poodle in the world.

Happy Anniversary, Hoddles!  We love you, HollyPollyPoodlePie!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Addendum (Feb. 18th, 2015):

Today, post haircut (not a full one, but just a trim):

 

Tags: Chronicles of Holly, Crabapple Downs Standard Poodles, First Anniversary with Standard Poodle Pup, Holly

Jan 8, 2015 Original Poetry

Playing with My Dog

©January 8th, 2015

By Vijaya Sundaram

It’s water leaping into the air

Catching light and tossing it up.

It’s laughter and growls

And scurrying and skittering

And funny mock-battles.

It’s being willing to shed

Time and dignity

And be utterly free.

It’s letting go of dead weights

Encircling ankles, gripping me

By the neck.

It’s saying, Yes, death waits

But I will simply be

Right here, right now.

 

This is what it means

To play with my dog.

 

I will play.

And sing.

I will tug at my dog’s toy

And bring her joy.

I will leap and pirouette

And jump and spin.

For, at the end of the day

After all the news and the din

Of competing stories, voices

People tapping at my head

Waiting to get in,

There is just this:

Time narrowing down:

A living room, a rectangle

Of wood and light,

Colors and music,

And a dog with

Rubber chicken in mouth

Growling happily while I

Tug and pull and play.

And we leap around each other,

All existence sharpened

To this point.  None else.

___________________________________________________________________________

Tags: Chronicles of Holly, Fun, Holly, Playing With my Dog

Apr 7, 2014 Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries

Pinecone and Stick
©April 6th, 2014
By Vijaya Sundaram

Walking, I gaze at the passing of things.
Inexplicably sad.
The sun shines.
A hollow gong sounds.
Heart beats
Dully, solidly.
Birds carol loudly.
Children play.
Dogs cavort.
Springtime blooms.
Silence reigns.
My mind listens with
Half an ear.
Beside me, a tail wags.
A smile curves the air.
A brief “woof” startles.
A stick becomes
A thing of desire.
A pine cone the apex
Of beauty, pride in possession.
A run home, two hearts pounding.
Two sets of legs, one biped
The other, quadruped
Fly over cement sidewalks
Race up the flight
Of stairs, all the way
Home.
Water lapped.
Water sipped.
Things settle.

Sadness meanders away,
Replaced by a pinecone and a stick
In the mouth of my pup.

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

____________________________________

Tags: #NaPoWriMo, Holly, pinecones and sticks, Puppy, sadness, springtime, Walk in the park