It's A Beautiful Day in the Countryside

In the summertime I used to tell my dogs “it’s a beautiful day in the countryside” as we went for our walks. I think it came from Mr. Rogers but I’m not sure. Anyway, the loved it and now I tell the same thing to Thumper and Cherie. They immediately know it’s time to go out to play and they eagerly run to the back door. This morning Thumper dashed off to the woodpile and hasn’t been seen since. He is in love with that playhouse and will likely not come home until I call “breakfast” this afternoon. He comes when I call for food since he is a greedy little critter. Cherie, meanwhile, likes to bask in the sunshine, roll in the grit and then come and hog me with affection for a couple of hours, pest free (that being Thumper of course). They are like little kids fighting for my attention and sometimes I cannot help laughing at the stunts they pull to get it. Often they will wrestle with each other, run races (a few shattered vases being the result) or they will find some toy to fight over. Yesterday they were fighting of a nail file and then they dashed backwards as it flipped back on them. It was quite funny to see.

Cherie has now wandered off and I have managed to clean the sunroom and the kitchen as my lovely mother is coming over later with hot cinnamon rolls, slathered with chocolate icing. I can hardly wait. John will be here as well to help me install the new heater which I am very excited about. If all goes according to plan I am hoping to talk him into taking me to Winners tomorrow to buy a carpet for the sunroom. My friend Marsha and I discovered a couple that I really liked but they were both way too big to get in her vehicle. We need a truck. What else are brothers good for if not their trucks? Well John is good for a lot of things. He is a talented carpenter, mechanic, roofer, millwright, painter and critic. Yes, he almost sounded perfect ,didn’t he? But John has 2 flaws. He loves to criticize other people and he is the president of the Procrastinators Club. That is, he would be if they ever got around to having a vote. (yeah, yeah, stale vote but oh so true – if you have ever lived with a procrastinator you would understand we have to find humour where it comes)! If John would ever give me a word of praise I would fall over in a convulsion or I would be suspecting a clone. He is definitely not generous with praise. However, I know somewhere in that Grinch-like heart of his he must have some respect and affection for me because way back when we in our early twenties he had a conversation with Dad that went something like this:

Dad: If you were a car what would you be?

John: (can’t remember what he said)

Dad: And me?

John: Grand Torino

Dad: Sanne?

John: Cadillac

When Dad told me the story I was rather insulted because I thought a Cadillac was rather a stogie kind of vehicle but Dad said that I should take it as a compliment because it meant quality. Well, naturally I was very touched and now as I sit with my hair all sweaty and wild, in my too short joggers and a stained t-shirt I pretend to myself that there is a Grace Kelly inside just waiting for a shower! J