Dogs may not be able to talk, but as all you dog owners can attest, they will make themselves heard! So I have been working a lot lately. Too much. Yesterday was the height of craziness. I admit it. Today many projects are done or just about done. I have been ignoring my dogs sad eyes looking longingly at the front door begging me for our morning walk. I swear they sigh resigningly as I instead open the back door and send them there. Just like my kids when I send them to their room, they have been playing together a lot more. But, they have made sure that I know this arrangement is not to their liking. This week I have lost two shoes. Both from different pairs. Granted, I am a total low maintenence gal and one was a $3 jobbie from a thrift shop and the other was a Target find from 2 years ago, but still, I wore them all the time. I think now they realized that. Now, Rufus has eaten couches, pillows, the occasional Barbie, but that was months ago. He had stopped this and no longer even was in his kennel when I went out. But the past two nights this dog plotted. There were other shoes to choose from, a towel left out, a pillow on the floor. Rufus is not the brains of the operation, and I know Lucy would never get caught doing something so unseemly. I can just see her, "No, Rufus, not Noah's shoe, this one here, see, it smells like her! Eat this one!" And together they said, "No walks?? We'll teach her about no walks!" So I woke up, scolded the dog, but got the message. I just got back from an hour's walk where we stopped at the park, found a tennis ball and I ran those two ragged! Then we sat on the porch at home, me with my coffee, them lapping their water happily. I swear they are looking at me different. Dogs can smile and I think the smile they are giving me is more smug. Yep, dogs can teach a human that is rushing about a lot a lesson or two. Sometimes you just have to stop and throw the tennis ball. Thanks Rufus and Lucy!