Sweet Emmy Lou

Yesterday was one of those days. You have all had them. Everything I touched went wrong. The paint did not dry fast enough and to top it off, I painted some of the bead board in the bathroom and then realized I needed to do some sanding on the drywall. As long as there was wet paint in the room, that had to be delayed.

So, off to my sewing room I went. After picking out three seams, I decided to quit. Sighing deeply, I sat for a moment and all four dogs crowded to be next to me. They all smelled like dogs. Their monthly bath had been postponed for nearly three months. It is, after all, winter. Things go slow in winter. We watched a LMN movie and I removed myself from the blanket of dogs and headed to the kitchen to prepare a culinary masterpiece involving left-over chicken and rice and some other ingredients topped with crushed Lay's sour cream cheddar potato chips. These were out-dated from our store of items not sold during the season and we were out of cheese.

Dinner prep out of the way, I decided to tackle the canine bathing marathon. Usually, I put them all in the tub together and then bathe them and rinse them. That was before the big bath re-do. There were shower doors and I could close them as I removed one dog at a time to dry them.

No doors meant I would be bathing one dog at a time. Oscar went first. No complaints from him. He enjoyed the one on one as I lathered him and massaged his muscles. He almost purred. I sat holding him wrapped in his towel and rubbed him dry. He could not stop kissing me. Maybe it was the group part of the bath he hated so much.

As I was toweling Oscar, Wall-E was hiding under the table and carefully stealing peeks, no doubt wondering who would be next. Toni Louise was leaping up and down, sniffing Oscar and wondering about the possibility of treats with this activity. She went next and tried to bolt as soon as I got her wet. She seemed to enjoy the lathering and the warm water rinse, but sitting still to be dried was not on her agenda. She ran and shook and tried to engage Wall-E in her romp, but he was adamant about not getting caught.

You would think he would know better. I always catch him. Actually, I make him come to me. He slinks across the floor on his belly and submits to the bath. He clings to me as I dry him, mournful about the indignation he thinks he has suffered.

While watching the movie, Emmy sat in my lap. I noticed that her long hair on her ears was tangled. I can usually detangle it and finger comb it, but it was bad, so she got a little trim. I trimmed her "skirt" around her back end, too. I think she looks younger. That long hair was pulling her down and aging her. That's what I told her, anyway. Emmy loves the whole bathing and grooming process. She likes the warm water and the massage. She makes these little grunting noises  as I rub her little muscles. She likes her water a little warmer as she rinses and then a nice long rub down with towels. Yes, towels, as in the first one to soak up all the excess water and then a nice dry one for the final rub ..... she actually prefers one still warm from the dryer. Then she sits under the warm blast from the blow dryer. 

No, she is not spoiled at all. Emmy is such a sweet old lady.

She will soon be 12 years old and I regret none of the pampering I have given her over the years. She repays me daily with unconditional love and adoration. And look at her .... who could not love that face?

My day was not so bad, after all. Even Wall-E sidled next to me and offered a forgiving kiss. And ........ unlike the AAA lady from yesterday, I have a vehicle in running order right outside my door. Her vehicle still sits at the shop. Hmmmm, I guess AAA didn't see things her way after all.