Black Hair Balls

I have not ever been one to put up baby gates, plug covers and other baby safety items. You might remember that last year I bought my first baby gate and it wasn't for the baby but for the dog who kept having accidents on the carpet upstairs. Well, I have gotten a bit relaxed in my "old" age and after getting tired of cleaning up kids' cups, plates and bowls from Liddy Leigh dumping them all over the floor while I cooked, I put rubber bands on the knobs. That would be the redneck version of a cupboard safety clip. She wasn't too pleased with me as she was delighted each afternoon to make such a mess. Honestly, I was delighted in a sense that I was getting to cook undisturbed. The problem came when the static in the plastic containers was picking up dog hairs from the floor. This I could not stand. And so she moved to the drawer to unroll the Saran Wrap.

A good friend from high school came over to visit us this past week. As I got out 12 cups to pour lemonade for the 12 kids between the 2 of us , I gasped when I saw a handful (and I mean a handful) of black Labrador hairs floating at the top of the pink lemonade. My first thought was to be utterly embarrassed, but my sensitive side overtook me and I almost teared up as I was once again reminded of our faithful dog/son that is no longer with us. As much as I have hated his dog hair balls collecting around our home for the last 13 1/2 years, this one particular dog hair collection I didn't mind. And thankfully my dear friend wasn't appalled and disgusted to think her child might have drunk out of that cup had we not noticed. She smiled and laughed and was a gracious guest, knowing the hole in our hearts that were once filled with a big black boy.