I Get By...

For a Monday, today has stacked up pretty well. However, I think I earned a good Monday, since my entire weekend was spent sitting on piano benches. Contrary to Mae West's famous quote, you actually can get too much of a good thing, and the past two days proved it to me!

This morning I managed to get in a walk before driving Magic and Molly to the groomer for their monthly haircuts and baths. Imagine my delighted surprise when Tami, my lovely friend/doggie stylist, gave me this gift~

This darling decoupage box is covered with pictures of M & M and filled with little bows for Molly and kerchiefs for Magic.

Tami is one of those people you meet during your life that warm your heart with their willingness to go the extra mile. When Magic was just a puppy, he apparently had a bad experience with the groomer I was taking him to at the time. She obviously hurt him, whether intentionally or not, I'll never know, but the result was the same. He was terrified of being groomed, and when Magic is frightened, he's gets aggressive. I was in a horrible quandry. Shih-tzu's must be groomed regularly... they get matted very easily and then you have to shave their hair all off!. (Trust me, that isn't a pretty sight, because we had to do it to Magic once or twice!)

I was at my local PetSmart one day, and happened to be talking to one of the salespeople there about the situation. She called Tami over from the store's grooming salon, and she suggested we begin a grooming rehabilitation program with Magic.

"Bring him in a couple of times a week and we'll work with him," she said.

So we started popping over to PetSmart every so often, and Tami would sit on the floor with Magic, just talking and playing a little. Then, we'd put him up on the table. At first, he'd start growling and snapping the minute he was up there. But she was very patient (and wearing a big glove!). She started out with just a little brushing, maybe two or three minutes, followed by a treat. Gradually, and this was over a period of several months, we worked up to actually cutting his hair, and then finally, he trusted her enough to have a bath and a full haircut!

This whole process took about a year. Not only did Tami spend all this time with us, she refused to ever take a penny! She said Magic became sort of a "pet project" for her, and the day she was able to completely groom him from start to finish without one growl or snap, she was as proud as if her firstborn had graduated from college. Now, sometimes he actually licks her face when she's grooming him~what a success story! What a gift for me, too~ I trust her with both my dogs, because I know she's a kind and caring person.

So often we don't realize how going the extra mile can mean so much to someone. Sometimes, I'll run into students that I haven't seen in a long time, and they'll tell me about things I did for them that meant so much to them. Often, it was such a small thing that I don't even remember it, but to them, it was meaningful. Those comments make my day, and remind me that every one of us can make a difference to someone else, often with very little effort on our part.

So, now I have two shiny clean doggies, and the rest of the afternoon to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. I just made a cup of tea in this nifty little tea maker (it's the greatest! if you like tea, click right over here and order yourself one!) and I'm ready to enjoy my afternoon "cuppa" with a couple of crisp butter cookies. I hope your Monday has turned out as well as mine :)

Afternoon tea, courtesy of my new Ingenuity tea maker from Adagio teas, and my mom's famous butter cookies.