 HERE I AM SNUGGLED RIGHT NEXT TO MERLIN'S PLACE WHERE HE LAY NEXT TO THE COUCH. THIS IS WHAT I DID WHEN THE FOLKS CAME HOME WITHOUT HIM. Hello Friends! What is it like to have one leave your life? To walk through the door expecting happiness and joy and instead silence greets your smile? People say dogs do not have emotions like people do, but THIS IS NOT TRUE. I find myself STILL LAYING IN MERLIE'S SPOT. He is newly lost to me, only a few weeks past. I find that I SNUGGLE IN STONEWALL'S PLACE. Gone this past year and three quarters. But it feels like yesterday. IT FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY! I snuggled up tight to Papa's left hip while we sit together on the rocker as he watches his shows. THIS WAS ALWAYS STONEY'S PLACE. I find that I lay in Stoney's sunbeam as it moves across the hardwood floor as if Stoney himself is saying himself "Hey Dharma, how are you today?" I find it WARMS MY HEART. IT WARMS MY HEART! AND MY OLD BONES. 
When I go into the sun room I ALWAYS AND I MEAN ALWAYS CHECK OUT THEIR DOG DISHES. LAYING ON THE FLOOR, A REMEMBRANCE, A MEMORIAL AS IT WERE. ONE LARGE dog dish, and ONE SMALL. EACH WITH IT'S OWNERS DOG COLLAR CURLED UP. THE SMELL OF BROTHERS AND LEATHER, NESTLED.  AND I SMILE. I SMILE. FOR I ONLY REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES NOW. RUNNING WITH STONEY WALL IN THE HORSE ARENA. MERLIN OLD MAN THAT HE WAS, WOBBLING DOWN THE ROAD CHASING ME. EVER HOPEFUL! EVER HOPEFUL! I MISS YOU GUYS. LOVE AND HUGS. DHARMA DHARMA 
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 MERLIE BOY. Our old boy has passed. DIED. MOVED ON. It feels silent in the house. Empty, quiet in a way where you feel something is missing. ONLY GOOD TIMES AND FOND MEMORIES REMAIN. Merlie Boy was in his fourteenth year. WHAT IS THAT LIKE 100 OR SOMETHING IN DOG YEARS? So much of our lives included his grand presence. His ability to “be with” who ever would allow him to just sit and be with them. HE ENRICHED ALL OF OUR LIVES. Dr. Jill told us it could be four to six months. IT WAS JUST OVER FOUR. Merlin would spend so much of his last days just following us around the house. LAYING AT OUR FEET. PUTTING HIS HEAD IN OUR LAPS. THROWING A PAW OVER MY FOOT. He understood his MAGICAL PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE. Just to "BE WITH" those that he loved. He knew what the one most important thing was. At Dr. Jill's on his last night, he lay his paw across my foot. I AM HERE MAMA, I AM HERE. AND IT IS ALL OKAY. The whole of his life he looked up at us with eyes that SPARKLED. His life force was so rich, it was as if rivers of diamonds reflected in those eyes. And so we say OUR GOODBY S TO OUR MERLIE BOY. WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE AND THE GALAXY BEYOND. GOOD JOURNEY. Mama, Papa, Dharma Dharma, Bumble Bee   A great picture of Gonzo and Mama getting ready to fly over the hills and over the dales on a snow driven winter's day. Hello FRIEND'S OF DHARMA!! Sorry we have been missing lately, but my Mama has been sick. Much better now. Skijoring is the Norwegian sport of using cross country skis while being pulled BY A HORSE OR A DOG!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? I mean that is truly a dog's spirit in action when they get to run. And in the snow no less. Anyway here is a Mama and Papa story that you might like.
When Mama's old Papa Grumpy was was in a hospital he made a new friend. Anyone who knew Grumpy knew that he made friends EVERYWHERE HE WENT. AND I MEAN EVERYWHERE. FOR GRUMPY A FRIEND WAS JUST SOMEONE WHO HE HAD NOT MET YET. And Grumpy LOVED TO SOCIALIZE. So of course he started chatting with his room mate who was Budd Zahn. Now Budd lived in Mama and Papa's town. And guess what? Old Budd had a Christmas Tree Farm where you could cut your tree, and your kiddie could get a free dog sled ride from any of his three huskies, FROSTY, LOKI AND GONZO. In the summer you could also go and pick blueberries. Mrs. Zahn did some pretty cool crafts that she sold in her shop along with her blueberry jam. One day while visiting her old Papa, Mama met Mr. Zahn.
So my Mama and Papa began going to Zahn's farm. For many years they cut down Christmas tree and hauled it home to give it a make over. They even got to watch the HUSKY BOYS give free SLED DOG RIDES to the children in families who came to CUT THEIR OWN. Mama would return to the farm in the summer and pick blueberries and can them for the winter. She would always stop to visit the three HUSKY BOYS who were in the kennel in the barn. It was such a treat to visit with the Zahns EVERY SINGLE TIME!
So one sad day Mama came by and found that Old Budd Zahn had died. What was also sad was that the oldest sled dog Frosty had died shortly after. He was 15 and clearly knew HIS BEST BUD was gone and it was time to GET OUTTA DODGE!! Mrs. Zahn told Mama that Loki and Gonzo, the remaining two sled dogs were with her daughter Melody and that she was not sure but that they might need a home. So Mama called Melody who shared that indeed they did need new homes. Both dogs needed more care than what was realized initially. That is how my Mama and my Papa adopted two sled dogs. So Mama the dog lover that she was, and Papa her MAIN MAN, brought these two guys home. Loki was young and only around six. He was a big woolly bear of a husky. It took about two weeks before Mama realized he needed a real, ONE ON ONE HOME. So after a lot of searching, Loki went to his FOREVER HOME. You can see him in the snow peeking out. DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT, CHICKA BOOM, CHICKA BOOM? He clearly is happy in the pictures above. Gonzo, named after a MUPPET, was nine when he came to live with us and spent those remaining three years with us we think, VERY HAPPY INDEED!!  Gonzo is in sled dog heaven here. And so for our story. Mama saw something on television on skjoring. She saw the BIG WIG SKIERS WITH ALL THE FANCY EQUIPMENT AND THOUGHT "HOW HARD CAN IT BE?" INDEED. So first she wrapped a dog leash around her waist, with her on cross country skis, then she put on a harness lead attached to the dog leash at one end and the harness on Gonzo on the other end. Now it seems kinda crazy but Mama thought Gonzo might make it all work. WHAT THE HEY!! Now Melody had shown Mama how the minute you put the harness on a sled dog, the head went down, and that dog was ready to go. Both Loki and Gonzo came with sled dog harnesses. Melody showed how it was much easier to catch them by the harness should they EVER GET LOOSE. BECAUSE, IF THEY DID, THEIR HEADS WOULD GO DOWN AND THEY WOULD JUST RUN. So Mama first got set up on the town farm with a little down hill slope which took Gonzo all of 12 seconds to take her through a CRASH AND BURN SCENARIO. YIKES. He might have been old, but Gonzo was a rocket. Then they found a rambling country road with a slight incline, up under snow frosted trees, two inch powder on the dirt road, no traffic that ended at Mama's house. Papa got Mama set up with Gonzo in front and Mama on her skis and dog leash get up. The second, and I mean the second Papa let go of Gonzo's harness the head went down and off they went. They were freaking flying. Mama never knew she could ski so fast. GONZO WAS IN PUPPY DOG HEAVEN. Gonzo knew exactly what to do and how to do it. Wow. ALL THE WAY UP THAT RAMBLING COUNTRY ROAD, TO MAMA AND PAPA'S HOUSE. It was so much fun. Both Mama and Gonzo went cross country skiing together many times before he died. Gonzo lived with us for three years until he was over twelve. Thank you for listening to me tell the story! Dharma Hugs Dharma Dharma    Hello Friend's of Dharma! This past week I went on a ROAD TRIP! WHAT ABSOLUTE FUN THIS WAS!! I have met quite a few FANS OVER THE PAST 8 MONTHS! And even if I meet other dogs. I don't really get to do REAL DOGGIE THINGS. LIKE BARK, AND SNIFF, AND BARK, AND SNIFF. YOU KNOW, LIKE TO MY HEARTS DELIGHT. Here is Chapek. He is a mixed Chiwa. We are not sure of what kind. Another thing dogs JUST LOVE TO DO IS SNIFF EVERYTHING!! AND I MEAN EVERYTHING. Much to the chagrin of many owners ACROSS THE WHOLE OF THE WORLD. Ha ha, you know who you are. And so when I got to meet two dogs, LOW TO THE GROUND LIKE ME, SNIFFERS OF THE BEST KIND, SQUIRMY, HAPPY, WELL I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WAS IN PUPPY DOG HEAVEN! Did you know that the olfactory canal of dogs has 200 plus million receptors? THAT IS A LOT OF SMELLING POTENTIAL.
 Anyway we went to a new home and I met FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME Auntie Liz, cousin Chapek and cousin Kafka. Now once auntie Liz's big dogs all went to DOGGIE HEAVEN living without a dog, well IS HARD. LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, WHEN IS THAT EVER RIGHT? And so OFF SHE WENT OVER THE MOUNTAIN AND THROUGH THE VALLEY AND INTO THE LOCAL SHELTER. There they were in a crate together squirrley wiggly, THOSE HAPPY SMILING FACES SAYING TAKE ME! TAKE ME! Of course, IT'S LIKE A GREAT POTATO CHIP YOU JUST CAN'T HAVE ONE!! And happy she was that both of them came home with her on that day. Auntie Liz knows all about dogs and she told Mama right away that she did not have to worry about the barking, or any thing else, like little doggie accidents, sh sh sh NOT THAT WE EVER WOULD, hush hush. She said THAT IS WAS JUST NORMAL DOGGIE BEHAVIOR AND THAT IT WAS JUST OK. Mama was a little nervous for me because when I meet new dogs I always get nervous, and then I bay like a basset hound, HAROOO!!!. And so Mama puts me on the floor and these two guys, there was so much BARKING AND SNIFFING AND BARKING AND SNIFFING, that for a brief moment I was nervous, but after we GOT IT ALL DONE, we were all good. And I didn't even bay once.
Now Kafka is a chihuahua, and he was named after a writer from Prague which is in Europe. MY GOODNESS!! And Chapek was named after a Czech writer, also from Europe. I think their Mama Liz likes writers or something. Anyway we hung out and had a VERY GOOD TIME! Auntie Liz, WHAT A GOOD SPORT, said sure you can take pictures and so I hope you enjoyed my story and pictures.  ALL OF US TOGETHER! THANK YOU LIZ FOR HAVING US! Dharma Hugs! Dharma Dharma  Hello Friend's of Dharma! Here is Bumble Bee taking riding lessons on her Chintogeau pony.  Here is a Mama story. When Mama was small she lived in the country. Her neighbor who lived up this old country road with big maple trees and rambling stone walls, had a Welsh pony. Mama was in love, AT FIRST SIGHT! This pony would graze out in the field, with the cows. It was very funny to see him out there. At one time she thought to jump up on his back ride off into the sunset. JUST like the Lone Ranger! And so on one bright sunny summer day she jumped up onto his back and off he galloped with her hanging onto his mane. And then off he bucked her right onto the ground. Ouch! This however did not dissuade her. The pony's owner often called him a WILD CHILD because he would come racing down the rock cliff embankment on his property, at full tilt. Since that time my Mama has loved ponies. She dreamed about them. She read every single book she could find about ponies, and of course horses. Her favorite read as a 11 year old was "The Ginger Horse". And of course She also loved "Misty of Chincoteague". One year she and Papa and auntie Heather even got to see the CHINCOTEAGUE PONY ROUND UP down in Virginia.   Mama's very first horse was Brandy. An ABSOLUTE WILD CHILD! This appaloosa baby LOVED TO BUCK AND RUN. One lovely afternoon, after a reasonable walk through an autumn forest, she decided, HAH, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! And off she went, BUCKING AUNTIE KELLY OFF HER BACK, NEIGHING HA, HA, HA, to Mama and Auntie Kelly who THEN chased her through the woods and out the valley and down the road to Grandmother's house, oh sorry, I meant home. And then there was Socks. Socks was a paint cob pony. She was low to the ground so she was so smooth getting up onto her. SHE WAS A WILD CHILD TOO! Socks did not like to get her feet in water, so if you just weren't paying attention and walked into a stream while you were riding her, she would gallop all the way out, with you bouncing all the way out.
 Finally we have Bilbo. Now Bilbo is a miniature horse. Mama fell in love with him because he had that roly poly shape that a Shetland pony would have. Bilbo is WAY TOO SMALL for any of us to ride, BUT WE LOVE HIM ANYWAY. Here he is doing WHAT HE LOVES BEST. You can see him here, one MORNING IN THE GARDEN ENJOYING THE SUMMER FEAST. Hope you like the pictures and our stroll down memory lane.  Dharma Hugs
Dharma Dharma  Hello to the Friend's of Dharma!! Have you every heard of Flat Stanley? Mama and I did some research BECAUSE a Flat Stanley was coming to see little ole me. I had no clue about WHO OR WHAT Stanley Lambchop, AKA FLAT STANLEY WAS. WE LEARNED ALL ABOUT HIM, via GOOGLE. CHECK HIM OUT!! Flat Stanley, is a paper doll cut out of a book character. He is mailed in an envelope to people who then take him on adventures. This "little man" was mailed to Meg Baker who lives here in Mont Vernon. Meg is grandmother to Ryan, who is in second grade at the Florence Sawyer School in Bolton, Massachusetts. Ryan mailed the cut out to his grandmother hoping that she would take him on adventures and then send back those stories.
I LOVE THIS IDEA!! When Ryan's grandmother Meg got her Flat Stanley in the mail, she decided to bring him on ADVENTURES ALL OVER OUR LITTLE TOWN. She had pictures taken with "the man" and then WROTE DOWN THOSE STORIES. Once she AND THE FLAT MAN are done traveling, she will put Flat Stanley back in the envelope and together with the pictures and stories she has written down, mail the whole thing BACK TO RYAN and his teacher Patrice Heffernan. HOW COOL IS THAT!? Papa and Mama and I had already met Meg a couple of times during our own DHARMA ADVENTURES! So when she called and said, hey "WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT" Mama was like, "WHY NOT". Meg thought it would be great to add to the other stories a DHARMA DOXIE story. I LIKED FLAT STANLEY A LOT. HE WAS A LOT LIKE ME. HE DEFINITELY LIKED ADVENTURE. And so, Thank you Meg for coming for a visit and good luck with the rest of your Flat Stanley Adventures. We enjoyed the visit! And also A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO TEACHER PATRICE HEFFERNAN, for making it so that I could become part of ONE OF STANLEY'S ADVENTURES. Happy New Year to Everybody. Dharma Hugs! Dharma Dharma   Hello Friend's of Dharma! Merry Christmas Everybody! Here is a picture of our Family. Christmas Night 2018! When I get up in the morning, I have to wait for the OLD FOLKS to stir. Now when Mama and Papa were working, BING the clock would ring and up they would SING, well not really sing, actually I think it was the ALARM CLOCK, HA HA! Anyway, it was very early, LIKE FIVE A.M., and our day would begin. LIKE THAT IS EVER GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN. This morning, it was after 9 AM when my Papa finally ROLLED OUT OF BED! Here is a little clip: THUMP, THUMP, THUMP Can you believe it. I mean HOW LATE DOES A GIRL HAVE TO WAIT? YOU KNOW, DOGGIE KIBBLE, BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS? So finally my Papa lets me down stairs, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP and as I leave the bottom landing, IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S FRODO the WONDER CAT who flies from where he has been waiting JUST FOR THIS MOMENT, to POUNCE ON LITTLE O'L ME AND WE TUMBLE ALL THE WAY TO THE FRONT DOOR. As my Papa slowly comes down the stairs, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, I AM ROLLING I MEAN ROLLING MY LITTLE BODY ALL OVER THE RUG IN FRONT OF THE DOOR as I wait, FOR MY DARLING PAPA TO LET ME OUT THE DOOR! AND OUR DAY BEGINS. And so, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Dharma Hugs Dharma Dharma You know, from the moment I wake up my battery starts a cranking and my tail begins a wagging. And of course, I always have BED HEAD, in case you never noticed before. But I just love a good scratch before going out the door. Since Mama put in the rug, for brother Merlie who will be 13 in a week or so, I mean, that's like 100 years old or something, I mean I am in DOGGIE HEAVEN. You can see Merlin's tail at the bottom of the clip. Ha! And here are a few pictures from MY SCRAPBOOK! 
Sunset across the beach at Assateague National Seashore 11/2018 The LONG AND WINDING ROAD!
 Hello Friend's of Dharma! Here we are in Wilton, New Hampshire at the town's holiday festivities night. This is Annmarie and Paul. Now I may not have told you this but when Mama started to write down my LITTLE STORY she brought the very simple drawings, DONE BY OUR VERY OWN JUDI WING, along with my story to the children at FLORENCE RIDEOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in WILTON, N.H.! FIRST she read my story to a SECOND GRADE CLASS, WHO SAID OOOH, OOOH, OOOH. THEN she read my story to a THIRD GRADE CLASS, WHO LAUGHED THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH. FINALLY, she read my story to a FOURTH GRADE CLASS, who said WE LOVE DHARMA, CAN SHE COME TO VISIT US? Mama thought yeah, I GUESS WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH MY STORY SINCE THE KIDDIES SEEMED TO LOVE IT! And she did. It seems strange NOW but that was a LONG, LONG, TIME AGO.  So here I am with Annmarie and Paul and as you can see, I AM DOING WHAT I DO BEST!! Thank you to Annmarie and Paul. Annmarie told me all about her little YORKIE BELLA, who she says is such a LICKY, AND HAPPY LITTLE PUPPY. Annmarie told me that NO MATTER HOW LONG SHE HAS BEEN OUT OF THE HOUSE whether it is one minute or one hour, HER LITTLE BELLA is always so happy to see her AND DANCES ALL AROUND WHEN SHE COMES HOME. Go Bella! Bella also lives with a CALICO CAT NAMED MELLY. Annmarie says, that cat LOVES PAUL. And so thank you for sharing your little story folks. And of course for giving me LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF HUGS. IT WAS WONDERFUL! Thank you to all of the FRIEND'S OF DHARMA for reading my stories. Dharma Hugs Dharma Dharma   Hey Guys. Last week Mama took MY BOOK to the Rindge Elementary School. What a hoot. Here are Courtney and Allison. Thank you guys for being on my BLOG!! So many little Kiddies came to hear my book read to them. ACTUALLY, MAMA SANG IT TO THEM. It was fun. I just want to say how much I love you and to THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!! And to all of the children who listened to my story and all the ABSOLUTELY GREAT TEACHERS who MADE IT ALL HAPPEN! YOO HOO!! Also, thank you Peterborough Elementary School, The Well School, Mountain Shadows School, Rindge Elementary, Sunrise Center, Country Village School, Nellies Treehouse, Highbridge Hill Elementary School in New Ipswich and of course The Mont Vernon Village School. IT HAS ALL BEEN GREAT!! At the last count we have read MY LITTLE STORY to well over 1000 STUDENTS. WOW. I AM AMAZED.
  Hello All! Yoohoo!! The holiday is coming. Hey Heather, what a blast from the past!! In the morning I OFTEN FIND MYSELF LISTENING TO WACKA, WACKA, WACKA. I am often in the mud room when this happens. At first I thought it was a little bird TAPPING TAPPING TAPPING at the front door. But it seems that it happened every time I WAS IN THE MUD ROOM! I MEAN WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT? I asked Mama AND SHE JUST SMILED. My brother Merlie who is in the mud room with me and Mama, AS WE GET READY FOR OUR WALK SMILES TOO!! He has this LONG TOOTHED SMILE, ROWS OF WHITE SNAPPERS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. Anyway, it got where I would go to the door of the mud room and LOOK IN, CHECK IT OUT, FIND OUT WHY SOME LITTLE BIRD KEPT CHECKING ME OUT. I MEAN IT MUST BE ABOUT ME, DON'T YOU THINK? Anyways, no luck. Finally my little bro, Merlin says HEY BIG SIS it is you, IT IS YOU, YOUR TAIL WHACKING THE DOOR. And we all JUST SMILED TOGETHER.  Here I am at the door. I guess you can tell I am getting up in years, but I am still full of DYNAMITE!! When we go for our walk Merlie wanders down the road CHASING ME. He has been chasing me his ENTIRE LIFE!! Even thought he is a REALLY BIG GUY and I am a REALLY LITTLE GIRL, it was LOVE, I MEAN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. HE NEVER GAVE UP HOPE! What a guy. Anyway, thanks for reading my story. Dharma Hugs!! Dharma Dharma  |
AuthorChell Sommese is a retired teacher.
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