The Miraculous, Universal Language of Dogs and the Human Smile
It's a stunningly beautiful day here in the upper Midwest. Please don't blame the Mothers' Day temperatures in the 70's on global warming. That would take away all hope that the chance of frost has come and is now gone until at least next September.
I've been writing this blog post in my head for at least a couple weeks. In fact, I had a couple false starts while we were still in Florida. I think I'm finally ready to get it onto the computer screen (remember when we used to say we were ready to get it onto paper?)
In Florida, we rented in a townhome complex in Indian Rocks Beach. My youngest sister lives there, which is how we found the place. That factored into our decision to rent there. We've been there a couple times and had a sense of what the community was like, where stores and restaurants were located. We both liked that it was a little more laid back Florida beach town, less touristy than other nearby places. Plus being 100 feet from the complex pool and 500 feet from the Gulf of Mexico didn't hurt.
Hank, our beagle, accompanied us on the trip. In retrospect, that was maybe the best decision we made.
Hank is a replacement dog. When our other beagle, Emmitt, died, it was not yet time for our family to go without a dog. We like the breed and decided we would get another. Hank came into our home over Memorial Day weekend ten years ago.
Nothing draws people to you like walking a puppy, especially an adorable little beagle who prances down the street. So I wasn't surprised that the neighborhood turned out to meet the little fella.
I was surprised at how many of our neighbors, the bulk of whom I did not know their names, asked about Emmitt. Upon being told that we had sent him over the proverbial Rainbow Bridge that winter, one woman smacked her husband's arm. They had come to count on Emmitt braying at them through the living room window when they walked by our house. "See!" she said, "I told you something happened to Emmitt."
Something similar happened in The Cove in Indian Rocks Beach.
One of the residents laughed that it's a requirement for ownership that you also own a dog. Shortly after we arrived, Dan began walking Hank through the complex and pretty soon people knew Hank. They could identify us as his "parents" and a few even remembered our names. In turn, we came to greet the other Cove doggies and ask their parents how their day was going. In some situations, these brief interludes turned into longer conversations. Stories about all the dogs we have loved and lost. Expansions into how the dogs interacted with children and grandchildren. Tales of careers, retirements, former homes, future plans.
All it took was walking the dog. And a smile.
There were some folks who, even though their dogs pulled toward Hank, kept their heads down and walked on by. But if they looked up and smiled, we were all hooked--leashed together if you will.
One Cove neighbor stopped her car as I was walking back from the beach and rolled down her window. "I just want to tell you how cute your dog is. Hank, right? He's so cute and such a nice dog." And we smiled at each other. And I remembered she had a dog but couldn't remember the dog's name :(. She didn't care.
On the drive down and back, each time we stopped at a gas station, we walked Hank. I heard the same stories as I did in the Cove, this time hovering around a gas pump. "Have a good trip," we would say. "Drive safely." "Maybe the weather will finally be nice when you get home."
Can I tell you how warm inside I felt when I climbed back behind the wheel of the car?
It was a similar story as I walked the beach. Other people were looking for shells so I would smile as I passed and ask if they had found any today. Fishermen were particularly gregarious when asked if they caught anything. I smiled at one woman who then asked me where I got my hair cut. I smiled at another who wanted to know where I bought my bathing suit. I photobombed a couple people taking selfies who laughed uproariously. Great smiles.
Social isolation is a great concern for retirees. I came away from that month in Florida knowing I have retained the skills to make connections and build community. I had the distinct privilege of offering a presentation on Health Care Directives at St. Jerome's Church in Largo and in that short two hours, felt as if I had laid some foundations for people to continue the conversation. That an enormous gift.
Getting out there is step one. You know where there is or where it could be. The weather is warming up, perfect for being outside which is a pretty perfect there.
Smiling is step two. A grin. Eye contact.
Dogs are optional.
Cooking
We've been keeping it pretty simple lately and with the warm weather, the grill is getting a workout so I'm going to have to go back into the NYTimes and seek grilling recipes.
However, I had a taste for an O'Brien staple which has many different names and iterations. I call it Chicken Nuggets. My middle daughter Maggie and I cooked it at her house last Tuesday night and it hit the spot. Deliciousness!
Chicken Nuggets A La O'Brien
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depends on how chicken-y you want this)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c breadcrumbs
2-4 cloves garlic. You can chop them or leave them whole
3/4 stick of butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. fettucine or other pasta of your choice
Shaved Parmesan cheese
1. Cut the chicken into pieces, similar to chicken nuggets.
2. Dip the nuggets into the egg.
3. You can add chopped fresh parsley and parm to the breadcrumbs, if desired.
4. Coat the nuggets in the breadcrumbs.
5. Cook the pasta
6. Add a little olive oil to a large frying pan and saute the garlic. Melt the butter. Add the nuggets and cook through. You may need more butter.
7. Add the lemon juice, turn heat down, allow to cook for a few minutes so that the chicken absorbs the juice.
8. Put the pasta in a large serving bowl. Pour chicken mixture over pasta and mix. Garnish with parsley and Parm as desired.
I've started adding a bag of spinach into the chicken mixture and wilting that.
I've been writing this blog post in my head for at least a couple weeks. In fact, I had a couple false starts while we were still in Florida. I think I'm finally ready to get it onto the computer screen (remember when we used to say we were ready to get it onto paper?)
In Florida, we rented in a townhome complex in Indian Rocks Beach. My youngest sister lives there, which is how we found the place. That factored into our decision to rent there. We've been there a couple times and had a sense of what the community was like, where stores and restaurants were located. We both liked that it was a little more laid back Florida beach town, less touristy than other nearby places. Plus being 100 feet from the complex pool and 500 feet from the Gulf of Mexico didn't hurt.
Hank, our beagle, accompanied us on the trip. In retrospect, that was maybe the best decision we made.
Hank is a replacement dog. When our other beagle, Emmitt, died, it was not yet time for our family to go without a dog. We like the breed and decided we would get another. Hank came into our home over Memorial Day weekend ten years ago.
Nothing draws people to you like walking a puppy, especially an adorable little beagle who prances down the street. So I wasn't surprised that the neighborhood turned out to meet the little fella.
I was surprised at how many of our neighbors, the bulk of whom I did not know their names, asked about Emmitt. Upon being told that we had sent him over the proverbial Rainbow Bridge that winter, one woman smacked her husband's arm. They had come to count on Emmitt braying at them through the living room window when they walked by our house. "See!" she said, "I told you something happened to Emmitt."
Something similar happened in The Cove in Indian Rocks Beach.
One of the residents laughed that it's a requirement for ownership that you also own a dog. Shortly after we arrived, Dan began walking Hank through the complex and pretty soon people knew Hank. They could identify us as his "parents" and a few even remembered our names. In turn, we came to greet the other Cove doggies and ask their parents how their day was going. In some situations, these brief interludes turned into longer conversations. Stories about all the dogs we have loved and lost. Expansions into how the dogs interacted with children and grandchildren. Tales of careers, retirements, former homes, future plans.
All it took was walking the dog. And a smile.
There were some folks who, even though their dogs pulled toward Hank, kept their heads down and walked on by. But if they looked up and smiled, we were all hooked--leashed together if you will.
One Cove neighbor stopped her car as I was walking back from the beach and rolled down her window. "I just want to tell you how cute your dog is. Hank, right? He's so cute and such a nice dog." And we smiled at each other. And I remembered she had a dog but couldn't remember the dog's name :(. She didn't care.
On the drive down and back, each time we stopped at a gas station, we walked Hank. I heard the same stories as I did in the Cove, this time hovering around a gas pump. "Have a good trip," we would say. "Drive safely." "Maybe the weather will finally be nice when you get home."
Can I tell you how warm inside I felt when I climbed back behind the wheel of the car?
It was a similar story as I walked the beach. Other people were looking for shells so I would smile as I passed and ask if they had found any today. Fishermen were particularly gregarious when asked if they caught anything. I smiled at one woman who then asked me where I got my hair cut. I smiled at another who wanted to know where I bought my bathing suit. I photobombed a couple people taking selfies who laughed uproariously. Great smiles.
Social isolation is a great concern for retirees. I came away from that month in Florida knowing I have retained the skills to make connections and build community. I had the distinct privilege of offering a presentation on Health Care Directives at St. Jerome's Church in Largo and in that short two hours, felt as if I had laid some foundations for people to continue the conversation. That an enormous gift.
Getting out there is step one. You know where there is or where it could be. The weather is warming up, perfect for being outside which is a pretty perfect there.
Smiling is step two. A grin. Eye contact.
Dogs are optional.
Cooking
We've been keeping it pretty simple lately and with the warm weather, the grill is getting a workout so I'm going to have to go back into the NYTimes and seek grilling recipes.
However, I had a taste for an O'Brien staple which has many different names and iterations. I call it Chicken Nuggets. My middle daughter Maggie and I cooked it at her house last Tuesday night and it hit the spot. Deliciousness!
Chicken Nuggets A La O'Brien
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depends on how chicken-y you want this)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c breadcrumbs
2-4 cloves garlic. You can chop them or leave them whole
3/4 stick of butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. fettucine or other pasta of your choice
Shaved Parmesan cheese
1. Cut the chicken into pieces, similar to chicken nuggets.
2. Dip the nuggets into the egg.
3. You can add chopped fresh parsley and parm to the breadcrumbs, if desired.
4. Coat the nuggets in the breadcrumbs.
5. Cook the pasta
6. Add a little olive oil to a large frying pan and saute the garlic. Melt the butter. Add the nuggets and cook through. You may need more butter.
7. Add the lemon juice, turn heat down, allow to cook for a few minutes so that the chicken absorbs the juice.
8. Put the pasta in a large serving bowl. Pour chicken mixture over pasta and mix. Garnish with parsley and Parm as desired.
I've started adding a bag of spinach into the chicken mixture and wilting that.
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