This is a guest post by none other than the missus herself, who insisted she offers her side of the story. You may remember Electra from her popular post, The life of an author as lived by his wife (or husband) – an expose of this author’s life (and absent-mindedness). I hope you’ll enjoy this latest post of hers!
And now, a word from our sponsor…
Hello, people from Nicholas’s blog! I’m the missus who misses a dog and I wanted to rectify a few things regarding Nicholas’s last post about Izzy, the Kindle-Eating Dog. In fact, I thought it was a bit unfair to Izzy, so I’m here to present to you the other side of the story.
I will agree that I was the one who wanted a dog. Nicholas takes about a century to move on, which is perfect because I’m his wife, so I don’t have to fear him running away with a fan (why is he chortling as he reads this?). However, when it comes to dogs who, unfortunately, live less than we do, moving on can be a good thing. We loved Meli with all our heart. I was crying for a year every time I thought about her, but I realized that taking in another stray dog could be good for us, the dog, and Mary-Natalie.
So, here comes Izzy. When I first saw her, she was skeletal, with no fur on. To be perfectly honest, my first thought was, ‘no way we are taking in such an ugly dog’!
Yes, sometimes I am vain.
But then, Izzy did the most amazing thing. The moment we sat on the sofa, she came and sat beside Nicholas, looking at him in the eyes. That is exactly what Meli had done 14 years earlier, when we had first gone to meet her! We had seen many dogs since losing Meli. None of them had displayed any sort of affection or even attention toward us. Some were scared, others didn’t even bother to come close enough to us to pet them. Izzy was the exception: a happy and joyous dog, full of life and (granted) mischief.
Now, let’s talk about Izzy. She loves playing and fetching her ball. She loves Mary-Natalie, even though the wee one’s affections can get pretty rough at times. Izzy has never, ever, barked or growled at her despite Mary-Natalie pulling her ears, trying to ride her, or playing chase with her. Izzy doesn’t even complain when Mary-Natalie takes her food bowl and runs with it, hiding it among her toys. Indeed, Izzy is a saint when it comes to the little monster!
Izzy is also awesome company for the adults in the house. Right now she is sitting under my desk. Imagine how wonderful that will be in winter, putting my feet under her fur! She follows us wherever we go and just loves being with us. She is curious and happy, playful but also quiet. Even Nicholas has to admit that she is an awesome dog (with a few flaws, as he hastens to add).
Flaws? What Flaws?
OK, let’s discuss the flaws. She is so joyous that she jumps on people when she sees them. That’s a tad tiring and annoying and we are trying to teach her to stop that. Also, as part of her playing, she bites (albeit in a playful manner). She really needs to stop doing that!
As for the elephant in the house: yes, she did chew on Nicholas’s Kindle. The Kindle is dead. Very dead. It keeps displaying a very sad message on its opening page saying that it has crossed the Kindle rainbow bridge and is in Amazon paradise.
Izzy chewed on that when she had just come to our house. We now tie her when we are about to leave the house, just to be on the safe side. Can you imagine what I would hear if she ate, say, Nicholas’s phone?
A Christmas Meli
My last little note is a bit poignant, mind you. Meli’s last couple of years were somewhat sad. We did not know she had brain cancer, but she was displaying a melancholic kind of behavior. She would sit on her own, didn’t show much interest in her toys, and sometimes even avoided us. We attributed her behavior to her old age and the arrival of the two-legged monster. Little did we know that it was brain cancer that was affecting her.
Indeed, when she passed, Nicholas told me that he felt he hadn’t had a dog for the last couple of years. It was as if Meli was not really in the house. Compare that to the bouncy, cheerful, playful Izzy and you see why I really love her.
Mary-Natalie loves her lively new friend, although she keeps arguing with her and sometimes comes crying to mommy, complaining about how Izzy stole a toy. I love how the two of them play together and how Mary-Natalie learns to care for and love another being. Sometimes I catch Mary-Natalie preparing her Christmas presents and she includes Izzy. So, is it THAT bad we have Izzy in our lives?
Speaking of Christmas, back in 2004 when we first took Meli in, it was three days before Christmas. So, on Christmas day, we went out for lunch with Nicholas’s parents and left Meli – a sprightly puppy at the time – at home, free (big mistake). We came back 3 hours later to find Meli sitting on our brand new sofa (a Christmas gift to ourselves), chewing a plastic plant pot. By the time we returned home, she had managed to cut up the pot in tiny pieces and spread them all over the sofa. Somehow, her appetite had included the plant itself. She had sprinkled soil all over the aforementioned new sofa and was actually chewing the plant she had dismembered (we found her with a flower in her mouth).
Not satisfied with a simple disaster of the garden variety, she had also chewed Nicholas’s slippers, probably because she thought they went well with the pot. And probably because she also wanted dessert, she had torn a cushion and had spread all the feathers around the house.
So, after a copious Christmas meal, it took us three hours to clean up the mess. After that, we would tie up Meli whenever we went out until she stopped being silly. Therefore, Nicholas remembers all the cute and cuddly things Meli did but seems to forget what a naughty and mischievous dog she used to be. Just for good measure!
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What a beautiful, heartwarming post! And lovely to see you back on the blog, Electra. Thank you for sharing 🙂 Sounds like Izzy was meant to be with you guys and I am so glad you could save him. As for his annoying little habits, Andy and I have used the youtube vids of Zack George many times and his methods have helped us lots in the past with the doggies we had. Try this vid for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_qUHppxOn8 Hugs! xx
Thank you, darling 😀
Hi Electra. It’s been a long time since you wrote that other post. I’ve told Nicholas you should have your own blog. As for Izzy, I’m so glad you took a chance with her. Even though we’ve never had a dog, even when our three sons begged for one (Hubby objected to getting one) I think they are the best companions for a child (or an adult). This was a lovely story and I hope Nicholas wasn’t too upset that Izzy chewed his Kindle. Our youngest and his wife adopted a rescue about 8 years ago. She is the sweetest dog.
I hope we hear from you again soon. Perhaps a Christmas story starring Mary-Natalie and Izzy. ❤️❤️❤️
I’ll try to convince Electra to write more often. A Christmas story may be a bit too much, but I’ll see what I can do! Meanwhile, we finally got Izzy groomed last night and she now looks absolutely perfect!!
Bwhahahahaha! … take that, Mr Rossis! 😀
Hey! That was uncalled for 😀
Seems to me Electra is a wonderful storyteller. Should you be worried? Lol, kidding. Look what miracles you’ve helped transform little Izzy. You guys are natural born fur baby parents, 🙂
Aw, you, thank you! I keep telling Electra she should write more but she doesn’t believe me. As for Izzy, I just gave her a much-needed bath and she’s now all nice and fluffy!
We recently adopted a second dog, an abandoned puppy. He is lively, but hasn’t eaten any electronics yet, although he likes to run off with towels.
Give me a towel-eating dog any day 😀
Lovely post Electra 🙂 It doesn’t matter what animal we have as our fur-baby, they’re always part of the family. I know my children grieved when one of our cats past away four years ago – he was a lovely ginger cat that we adopted when we found him under the shrubbery as a young kitten. He immediately became part of the family, a cute little boy that poked his nose into everything. He once stuck his nose in a cup and went running around the lounge with it on his head, much to the delight of my children. Needless to say it fell off reasonably quickly, but it was quite hilarious at the time – not so much from his perspective, mind you. We had him for eleven years when his heart gave out and he past away surrounded by his human friends. He is still missed and we still talk about the way he used to poke his face in our ears, purring loudly and just want pats and cuddles. There’s nothing as wonderful as fur-baby be it dog, cat, rabbit or yes, even a mouse 🙂
Couldn’t agree more, Catherine! I’m so sorry for your ginger friend. They’re part of the family and sorely missed when they go over that rainbow bridge. But their crazy antics make it all worth it.
Izzy looks like a sweetheart! I’m glad you found a new fur-baby for your family 🙂
Me too, but don’t tell Electra, OK?
Electra, what a wonderful Izzy story! She’s a treasure! Of course, I’m a dog lover with two of my own, Sammy & Charley, so chucked at the antics & cringed at the destruction. Growing up, our family dog lived 17 years. I know how sad it is watching a much loved dog’s decline to the end. Of course you know Izzy will grow out of her silly ways and be your faithful companion for years to come. Pats & scatches for her! 🐶 🧡🎃 Christine
17 years?! That’s amazing! And sorry, it’s Nicholas. Electra’s checking out the comments and will, hopefully, respond shortly (assuming the wee one doesn’t wake up and demand her mommy’s presence).
Hi, Electra.
I think it’s great for your little girl to have a companion, and to learn how to interact with and care for her canine pal. Losing a beloved dog is never easy, but we can content ourselves with the knowledge that they had a good life in a loving home.
We have never had to tie Ollie up. He has also never chewed anything that wasn’t one of his toys, not once! I know, we are lucky. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ollie’s a treasure!!!