Trixie, Bruno, Mugsy and Molly

This is my neighbor from across the street, Trixie. When I was taking her picture you can tell she was right in my face, waiting for a kiss hello and a few scratches and pets on her back. She's often just sat on the walkway up to my door waiting for me to come out and say hello. The sweetest little puppy.

And then...a dog comes by....that sweet little cute puppy I adore turns into a beast!

I've been walking her for my neighbor as she's hurt her knee and this morning Trixie wouldn't come outside. She was all happy when I got there, wagging her tail and knowing I was taking her out. But it's raining. We put her leash on and she was still wagging her tail all excited and when we opened the door and she saw it was wet she walked away, turned her head away from us, like, are you kidding me, you know I don't walk in the rain. I tried a few times to get her to come but she still her her little attitude and as soon as her leash was off and she knew she won, she was back to herself again, cuddling and kissing me.

Our first time out her mom didn't think she would come with me, she did but I could tell she wasn't the same, she was a little unsure of what was going on. Probably thinking, I love this human but why is she taking me away from my mom? Her mom, Millie, told me that Trixie would lead me around the block, where her evil nemesis resides. A big German Shepherd! Trixie is always on the hunt to let that dog know she's boss around these blocks. I've seen her with her dad, Tony, or as I like to call him, Mr. B. Mr. B stands for Jack Bauer from the awesome TV show, "24", as me and Mr. B used to have many discussions about what we thought would happen next on "24". But I've run into him and Trixie around the block and she's heading right down that block and you can tell she's on the hunt, looking for her evil nemesis. She didn't do that with me. Maybe unsure if I was brave enough to fight back with her, which I'm not, I don't want to run into any dogs when walking this tough cookie. So far we haven't, but her own leash jingled a bit yesterday, and she stopped, making sure there was no one around but us.

I have another great neighbor, Dixie. Dixie barks a lot, but truly not annoying. It's just when someone walks by and she's just saying hello. I say hello and she stops. Yesterday when Trixie and I walked by Dixie's yard, she didn't make a peep, she knows Trixie the boss.

Trixie's parents are awesome neighbors, as are their 2-legged daughters Teresa and Gina and need I say, their 4-legged daughter Trixie.

And again what a small world. I have had my hair cut by the same person for the last 30 years at least. Theresa. Theresa and her sister Nora used to own their own shop when I first met them and Millie worked for them. It was funny, when I first moved here almost 7 years ago, there was something about Millie that was familiar but I just assumed it was because she was a nice person and I just felt comfortable talking to her. The more we talked though, we got around to asking what we did for a living, she was a beautician and then something clicked. I remembered! Hearing her name. She was just starting out then and as they all do, cleaning up, rinsing hair, ringing you up for your haircut. Millie, I remember you! I can't believe it, I've talked to you so many times. Even when I moved back to Brooklyn I still would come back to Staten Island to get my haircut by Theresa. It's just a small world. Theresa even drove up our block not too long ago and was yapping with Millie when I came home.

I have met so many people by introducting myself to their dogs first. And mostly I know the dogs names better than I do their owners (at first). Such an easy conversation to start...what's your dog's name, followed by, can I pet him or her?

Now this is Bruno, who lives up the block. He reminds me of my Molly but I honestly have to say he's a much better behaved dog than my Molly. She was the alpha. I'm a mush, too easy with dogs and my nieces and nephews!

Bruno will walk up the street with a stick in his mouth twice the size of his cute little body and when he sees anyone he jumps like a bunny through the grass and lays down for you to scratch his belly and give him kisses. He's another awesome dog in my life. There was no way I could get a picture of him without him kissing me.




And this is my nephew Mugsy.



Mugsy really is one of the dogs that is "man/woman's best friend". He's Robert, Jojo and Bella's brother. All he wants to do is play with you and a ball. He can do it for hours. He's like the dog in the movie "Spanglish". You couldn't start to play with the dog in that movie and Mugsy is the same way. I found a great ball a few years back that was great for all the slime that would eventually be all over whatever ball he had. This ball is a strong rubber ball and it's hollow with just strips of rubber shaping the ball and much less gross! You can't leave a basketball in the yard with Mugsy. He'll play with it for hours and eventually the ball is flat and ruined. The kids have learned after Mugsy already destroyed one too many of theirs.

Mugsy had a bad car accident a few years ago and thank God he survived, lost an eye but he just looks like he's winking at you all the time, and though there are very few times he's bumped into things, with one eye, he can see better than me. I was playing ball with him in the yard in the dark, I couldn't see a thing, but Mugsy kept bringing that ball back to me, I could barely see it when he laid it at my feet.

A lot of my friends and family say it's time for me to have a dog again but I know I'm not ready. I love my four-legged neighbors. My sister Linda has 2 dogs, my cousins Doug and Chrissy have a dog, my friend Maria has 3, Mugsy is right downstairs from me. I love all these dogs and I also know I'm not ready for another one...yet.

This was my last Christmas card I sent out with my Molly. I didn't want to have people asking me how she was. I couldn't talk about losing her and I sent this poem along with my card, made it easier for me. So I love dogs very much and someday I will have one again, I'm just not ready...yet.