January 19, 2013

White Dog sat up suddenly and looked around. "What is that sound?" she whispered into my ear. "What sound? I don't hear anything." I replied. "Exactly!" she responded.

We have gotten used to a sort of constant hum of activity around our house...Steve keyboarding his homework...laundry going for someone...Josh making lunch...Becks grooming Daisy or Maple...Michael making his grocery shopping list. Conversations and music and computers. There is always some one busily doing something...

except today. right now. smack dab at noon on a Saturday (when you would EXPECT noise).

The White Dog Army and I were alone; just the seven of us. Michael was at the museum volunteering. Steve was at school teaching his Saturday classes. Becks, Josh and the poodle girls were on an adventure to Santa Fe to meet one of Josh's distant relatives. It was just us.

I looked around the front room, the silent sun-filtered room was dotted in white. WD sat at my shoulder on our chair. Quinn slept with his chin nestled on his front paws near the sofa. Puff was at my feet, her amber eyes scanning the room as I did. YoYoMa softly snored as he guarded the front door. Nuka and Oso shared the blankets on the hearth curled up against each other's backs. We were hidden away from the world, frozen in a moment of blessed peace, selfishly enjoying just us.

The others will return one-by-one or the phone will ring; something will break the spell and the music of our lives will play on. But for right now, right here...the WDA and I know bliss.