thanksgiving week part one: the DOG has landed

Matt's parents are here for Thanksgiving (So Exciting!) and they have brought with them their dog, Levee, who was long ago rescued after Hurricane Katrina and who has recently been discovered to be an American Foxhound.

Before I go on, I would like to officially note, in writing, that I have permission to blog about The Dog and that I have been looking forward to and intend to relish the next two weeks and all the delights that await us. Also, if anyone would like to come and be with this dog, in the next two weeks, and earn a mite, facebook me and I'll hook you up. Levee, poor thing, cannot be left alone for any reason because of various anxiety issues (and who among us doesn't have an anxiety issue here or there, tucked away) which will make our movement around the great metropolis of Binghamton a touch restricted.

Anyway, where was I. Oh yes. Levee arrived with Matt's Parents yesterday around noon and was brought in and introduced to Ashy and all the children. Ash, in a fit of true bravery, barked at Levee, but also wagged his tale a lot and twirled round and round like we were all in the circus. And then we all went into the backyard and stood around admiring our gorgeous new fence. Matt's Dad, while saying lovely things about the fence, happened to look over to the large gaping hole between the house and the hedge and said, "Levee can't get out over there, can he?" And as I said, "Uh, maybe" Levee shot through the gap with boundless joy. And ran up the walk past the church and was lost from view. And so people still coming out of church were treated to the theatrical display of me running back and forth up the walk in my slippers, Matt running back and forth up the walk, Romulus...Elphine....Alouicious....Marigold....Gladys...Alouicious' friend from church....Ashy...all of us, back and forth, calling and freaking out. Finally Matt's dad got in his car and prepared to drive around, as did Matt (after yelling at me to 'Put The Dog And Babies In The House For Heaven's Sake') at which point Aloucious' friend retrieved the dog from the community garden and We All Calmed Way Down.

As I write this Levee is going to and fro and up and down doing his best to keep watch over the cat food both by day and night, hoping with a great great Hope that a cat will appear to be bayed at, as one bays and bays in the hunt, as it were. And here I am, blogging even though I need to go stop a child from banging on the piano, and get some of them dressed, and gather some cereal off the floor because We're Going Out, all of us, With The Dog. As I said at first, So Exciting!