Happiness is a New Puppy Named Claudia

~ Jenny

No, not my puppy, Pat Gaffney’s, but I am an aunt.  Every time I look at Claudia’s pictures, I feel joyful.  Lucky Pat.  Lucky Claudia to belong to Pat.  Lucky Aunt Jenny to get puppy pictures in e-mail.  Puppy-happy all the time.

How were you happy as a new puppy rolling in the fresh-cut grass this week?

38 thoughts on “Happiness is a New Puppy Named Claudia”

  1. Kids are going back to school on Monday! Husband always takes first day of school off and we go on a daytime date. That always makes me happy.

    We also had two (mostly) successful outings to the public pool this week with just the boys and me.

    The pool had been really difficult for the older son on the spectrum for a long time. Lots of rules he didn’t understand, having to be flexible about where we swim when parts of pool are closed, etc. Lots and lots of meltdown memories there. For years we just didn’t go.

    There were still some hairy moments with these visits, but every time we started strong, we finished strong. Both boys are more mature and have some swimming skills so I got to mostly dangle my feet and watch, which is frankly my favorite way to experience the pool.

  2. Happiness is hanging out with interesting teenagers. I had such a joyful time of it today, I want to hug the feeling close to me and save it to take out when I’m dealing with work.

    I’m vacillating on the second dog decision. But oh, how I want one.

  3. Claudia is unbelievably cute, and a danger to anyone trying not to have a new dog!

    I’m sure good things happened this week, but right now, just happy abut the beautiful weather in MI this week, and the cat purring on my lap. Oh, and I read a book sample that was good enough that I bought the book, so I have that to look forward to as well.

  4. SIL, BIL, and youngest niece are coming for a visit next weekend and we got a text from the oldest niece saying she is flying out to come visit her boyfriend and they are making a day trip to our house and that it’s a surprise for her parents. We haven’t seen her in about 4 years but she was home visiting her mom and dad earlier in the summer.

    I am also happy that after a week of us both being sick, Tall Boy and I are both feeling better. I actually feel like I can get my butt out of this chair and do something. I might not, but I feel like I could.

    My mom might be coming to visit this week as well.

  5. I have a corgi puppy who is six months old today and he makes me laugh every day. That’s a big happy.

    We are replacing the crumbling concrete steps at our front door with a brand new Trex deck and are laying the decking boards this morning. So this afternoon I will be enjoying my new deck and will be free to do anything I want. Sewing, reading, watching the puppies play from my deck. Another big happy.

  6. I’m on a waiting list for a puppy – hopefully before Christmas. One of my colleagues remarked that I had been a pleasure to work with this week as I seemed very happy (not sure what it says about the other weeks). Given that my boss was away, as well as half team and I was doing double/triple duty some days, this goes in the win column. A visit to one of my favourite consignment stores yielded great finds on the end of season rack. I got a jacket and 2 shirts for our upcoming trip to France for less that $40. Good quality bargains always make me happy.Off to Pride parade this afternoon.

  7. I’m able to quilt again! Because 1) the weather is — or was yesterday — is nice, 2) the sewing machine to replace its dead, older version of the same make/model arrived, 3) I’m FINALLY free of the infection that’s been plaguing me for the better part of a year because I had the root canal repairs — worse experience than the original work, but at least it’s over — and I’ve got back the energy that the infection had been depleting. Plus, I’m seeing some possible light at the end of a tunnel I’ve been in for more than fifteen years.

  8. I read ALL DAY yesterday. I didn’t get out of bed until noon, drinking my tea while lolling in bed with a book. Then, I grabbed my book and headed to the garden where I sat in the shade and read all afternoon. When it got dark, I took my book inside and read until bedtime. It’s been a long time since I pulled an all-day readathon. Lovely!

  9. A friend’s cat escaped and came home pregnant, so I got several weeks of kitten pictures and videos. I am in withdrawal since the last of the kittens was adopted this week.

      1. I’d say you’re not posting enough photos & videos to Instagram of the kittens. Cats are now the second reason I’m on Instagram. Argh being being reason #1.

  10. Happiness is four and a half week old kittens (and their very sweet stray cat mama, who has completely recovered from her very scary bout with mastitis). A few times a day I go upstairs to bring mama wet food and spend about ten minutes socializing the kittens. (Yes, that’s what I’m calling it, and I’m sticking to my story.) So much joy there.

    They went for their first check up today, at the shelter I’m fostering them for, and all got good reports. The woman who runs the place told me that they are adoptable as of 8 weeks old…it is hard to believe that in 3 1/2 weeks they might all be gone. I can’t keep them, but man, it’s going to be tough. But for now, hanging on to the happy of having them here.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B1mKrPLnDYu/

    1. My friend that sent me the kitten videos is retired and said she was planning on spending 8 weeks playing with kittens and other things can wait. She was quite unashamed about it.

    2. Thanks for posting kittens and their momma! Remember wise words of Dr. Seuss,”Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” 😻

    3. Stagger the adoptions and see if they can stay with their mama until 10 weeks. We gave away kittens at 8 weeks and all on the same day. The mom was concerned when the kittens weren’t there that night and she was still making milk. Her belly got hard as a rock. So, even though vets say kittens can be given away at 8 weeks (and they can as they are all well), it is rough on the mom. Wait until they are weaned.

  11. I’m enjoying the weather – by lurking in the shade and admiring my garden when it gets too hot. Enjoyed harvesting my potatoes on the allotment yesterday: it’s scrappy but still beautiful, and makes me happy. Also enjoyed watching a couple of dozen hot-air balloons flying over my garden – a few so low I thought they might get caught in next door’s tree.

  12. Off to the Tournament of Rosés this afternoon, where I get to hang with some friends who are back in town after way too long away and drink pink wine, so there’s some happiness for you.

    Also got the replacement bracelet for my Camino charms, so my wrist is bedecked with memories of 3 Camino walks as I plan my 4th. Makes me smile every time I look at it – the charms were originally on a leather cord bracelet that broke without my noticing, so there was trauma until I discovered that it broke in the backend of my car. Whew!

    But really, today is all about the rosés. 🙂

  13. Puupppppyyyyyy!!!!! I just want to bury my face in Claudia’s cuteness. That belly!!

    It’s been a good week. I’ve been spending lots of time in the pottery studio, which makes me very happy, and I’ve been asked to teach a mini workshop on teapots next month. I think that will be fun! I also reorganized my home office, which improved it greatly, and I turned down at least three different requests to work on (personally unfulfilling) projects. That, along with getting out for several lovely walks, felt like a good shift in a healthier direction for me. Long way to go, but every little bit counts.

    And yet I slept terribly last night, and have no energy today. My only real accomplishment so far has been to bathe both my dogs. The result is that my ‘puppy’ (1.5 years old) smells exactly like a turd dipped in shampoo, which is actually a terrific improvement. Next up is lunch, but after that, I may aim for a nap.

    Happy weekend, Arghers!

  14. One of my very good friends came over today and helped me get my living room in order. It makes me so happy that the stuff leftover from renting out my upstairs rooms is no longer all over the floor.

    One of the teachers at work has a golden ret. puppy. So Dang Cute. Little black button eyes. She brought him to work on Friday and that was another big happy for me.

  15. Happiness is snuggling with a newborn baby. Especially one that is your first grandchild. Also seeing my daughter’s two Schnauzers being so protective of the baby instead of feeling threatened by her.

  16. Happiness was coming home from Sydney, and bringing Harry home from cat boarding school. The poor wee boy hated it so much – I don’t think I can do it to him again. Took him a while to settle in back home, but now he’s good, purring non-stop and climbing on my lap whenever I sit down.

    The other major bit of happiness was having lunch with my publisher and hearing that Sales and Marketing also love the chicken book, and that she should be making me an offer in the next week or so. Phew! I’m so pleased about this.

  18. Happiness is sleeping later than usual Happiness is a friend joining my cousins and me for the weekly Sunday lunch. Happiness is cooler temperatures and drier air.

  20. Happiness is also Back to School Supplies. The dotter was taking a lo-o-o-ong time to “inventory last year’s leftover supplies.” I went on Amazon and ordered a high school, middle school and grade school package to be delivered to her. Will it have exactly what’s on the lists? No. But they lied about the lists last year. That’s why there are leftovers this year. There will be leftovers next year, too.

  21. Our garden is in full bloom and attracting so many butterfly’s that it looks like a Disney movie. And our fig tree is producing about 5 figs a day. ( We are not in a fig growing zone but my husband feels he owes it to his Italian ancestors to grow tomatoes and grapes and figs. The four year old grape vine has yet to produce fruit for us, s d the tomatoes tend to get eaten by squirrels, but the figs are fabulous. )

  22. That puppy is way too cute. Happiness is going to the beach and seeing all the happiness there. The sound of waves and laughter is intoxicating. I rarely see an unsmiling face at the beach.
    I am linking my newsletter. Forget my stuff. Scroll to the bottom, get the recipe for Pavlova and click on the picture of Billy Crystal and Helen Mirren. 4 minute video of When Harry Met Sally 2. I love these people.

  23. Granddaughters here for 6 days while son and wife off to Costa Rica for 10th. Tiring them out every day. Usually a few things out of the house and the beac, smores by the fire, swimming in the ocean, walking Marlowe at Spanish Banks with favourite uncle and auntie then brunch, play date with a cousin…”that was a great day, Grammy” eldest granddaughter said from the back seat on the way home tonight. Score – greatest Grammy ever.

    On the downside there is a certain pitch little girls can squeal or shout or whine that can be so grating. Older sister is frustrated with younger sister. Younger with older.

    Nothing like joyful giggles from happy girls.

  24. The puppy is adorable!

    I was happy to take Friday off last week and attend the AQS quilt show in Grand Rapids. It was lovely. I went with friends and saw other friends there. I then was able to do a little bit of quilting on Saturday. I always get inspired by the shows but rarely have time to play.

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