Still Here

I thought about taking the morning off and putting a "Gone Fishing" sign on the blog this week except that would mean waiting until next week to share the weird and wonderful happenings and it just didn't seem right.  We celebrated on several fronts, looking back and anticipating what is yet to come.  Teneo Consulting Inc reached it's second anniversary and on the home front, the swake owners celebrated thirty two years of hanging out together since tying the knot in Calgary's Centre Street Church.  If you know the statistics on survival for small businesses and marriages, you know they are dismal.  However stubbornness and sheer determination has won out in both in instances, and we have managed to scramble, cry, and laugh our way through the messiness of life.  Typically laughter has won out, and that might be why we are still here - together.

Early in our marriage, I was not just in a snit, I was stoked up, hopping mad about something.  Obviously whatever it was, was not tremendously important because I can't remember it.  What I do remember is ending up laughing instead because of a well-delivered one-liner that totally took the wind out of my "I will be mad" sails.  Greg is very good at using humour and trust me he has had to use it many times to keep us adding years to the marriage metre.

Last night as we prepared a wonderful celebratory dinner, Kanti was whining and talking to us incessantly, trying so hard to tell us what was on her mind.  Greg got down on his knees on the floor to talk back to her, which is a common occurrence in our house.  He asked her just as seriously, "What's wrong Kanti?  What are you trying to tell us?"  She responded by vigorously licking his ears and neck, and I mean vigorously.  I watched that little demonstration of affection and informed my husband of thirty-two years that I wouldn't be kissing his neck or ears after that.  Without missing a beat or taking a breath he said, "I'll wash."  About that same moment the dumb humans figured out that the raw steak sitting on the plate on the counter, prepped for the barbeque, was Kanti's source of torment.

Kanti showed remarkable self-control for the most spoiled dog ever, as our family likes to describe her.  She turned two years old this week and the signs of her ability to manage her exuberance have begun to evidence themselves.  That steak was completely accessible to her, we were on the other side of a large kitchen island, and she had been sitting right beside it with her nose grazing the countertop, twitching from the delicious scent of steak.  Yet she left it alone and simply told us all about it instead.

For the last two months we have been hearing about the newest member of the extended family, Doozer, officially our grand-dog the golden doodle.  At eight weeks, Doozer left his mum and moved to Edmonton so we finally got to meet him.  Doozer and his 'parents' have come to visit several times but the first time was the big test.  What would Kanti think of having another critter visiting?  You'll be happy to hear that she displayed remarkable gentleness with the little guy, sharing her toys and even her bone without any hint of jealousy.  Doozer on the other hand displayed a touch of attitude, which was out of line with his size.  It was the bravado of a male who fails to realize he is dealing with a female who can take him out with one swat of her gigantic paw.  That was good for more laughs.

Animals and humans alike enjoyed laughter and springtime by the swake last week.  We celebrated, we reminisced, and we looked forward to more of the happiness we can wring out of life by simply grabbing the moments before us and living them fully.  We are still here, together, with lots of life behind us and more ahead.