Puppy Fever (an introduction)

I keep forgetting to tell y'all that I'm a contributor to TheSmartlyLA. It's part of a new group of regionally organized writing sites (plus one "geo-neutral" one for writers outside those localities, and a forthcoming "anonymous" site), and its focus is the writing. I'm posting there twice a month.

My first couple of pieces for TheSmartlyLA were based heavily on posts I'd done over here, but this recent one is all-new:

She turned up in a dream not long ago. “Oh, there you are, Missy! Where have you been hiding?” I greeted her. Her coat was as silky as ever, and her eyes just as bright; fortunately, the dream was not vivid enough for me to learn if her breath was still as hideous.

A few days ago, I heard a noise that sounded just like her tags jingling. I looked up, sure I’d see her entering the room. She didn’t always follow me around, but if she hadn’t seen me for a little while, she’d always come looking for me.

She’s been gone a little over six months now, but we had eleven years together. It’s been a busy summer, but now that things are slowing down and I have more time to be aware of it, I’m aware that the space is still there. I’m still missing Gypsy. I’m missing her specifically, but in general, I’m really feeling the lack of a four-legged family member.

When we said goodbye to Gypsy in late January, we agreed that we would put any consideration of another pet on hold until fall...But now we’ve agreed to extend the hold on the new-pet question a while longer.

Please read the rest of the story of my lingering case of "Puppy Fever" at TheSmartlyLA! Gypsy's been gone for a while now, but she's still on my mind - as is her potential successor.