What has my puppy taught me?

 

         Yes, you’ve read that correctly. What has Flossie, this bundle of fluff and mischief, taught me? 

1. That there’s lots to notice. She can find the tiniest piece of twig incredibly interesting, and bury her face in a shrub as if something really, really exciting is happening. Now, I don’t actually find a lot of pleasure in sniffing leaves or the ground myself, and I don’t usually carry twigs around using my mouth. But while she does these things I start noticing the buds on the trees are about to open, and there are one or two snowdrops appearing or the grey sky has a scrap of blue. Something exciting is happening!

2. It is important to stop to listen to the birds. She demonstrated this to me on one of her very early walks around the garden. It was just getting light and she sat down, put her head slightly to one side and listened. The dawn chorus continued with the calls rising and flowing - a harmonious cacophony. She is 10 months old now and still does it. I praise God for this moment at the start of the day.

3. The joy of darkness and the stars. Out we go in the evening and she will not stray far from me in the dark. But she looks up and I do too, into the deep, dark distance scattered with the pinpricks of light. So humbling and majestic.

4. To keep precious items safe and to define what is precious. OK, this one is me being trained by the puppy’s bad behaviour. I’ve replaced two chewed laptop leads, several glasses cases, one pair of (my favourite) prescription glasses, a new book (just one when the house is full of books) and more pens and pencils than I can count. The list goes on. And bibles, cards, special ornaments etc go higher and higher.

5. That I must sit at a table if I want to write on my laptop or iPad. Otherwise she thinks I am doing nothing important and will try to play, or decide she needs to climb on my lap, adding her own heavy-pawed addition to my text on the way, somewhat interrupting my story and thoughts.

6. Calming down with music with birdsong. I tried this with her, building on her love of the dawn chorus. I started with YouTube music and found it worked with me too, especially if I allow her to sit on me while we listen and she can see the video of the birds. This time when I could gently stroke her was much needed in the first few months when I was searching for some bonding time to offset the sheer exasperation I felt when she chewed something else, jumped up to our startled visitors, chased our cat or puddled where she shouldn’t.

Looking back at this list, I can see that I am appreciating God’s creation more and have some new ways of being still and quiet.

But, let’s be realistic, I guess the most important thing Flossie is teaching me is that I’m not the patient person I thought I was!

I am now learning patience by training a very lively, naughty puppy, who nonetheless is teaching me too.

The great blog revival!

 ... or perhaps my title should be ‘My Great Blog Revival’.

Somehow I had lost the route to writing posts on this blog. The only place I could get to was morethanwriters.blogspot.com which is, of course, the ACW blog, where I post on 15th of each month. Meanwhile, all attempts to access this blog failed. What’s more, I found it impossible to set up a new blog with a similar name. Very strange.

Today I was absolutely determined to sort it out. I found annie-try.blogspot quite easily as usual, but once I found a way to post I was immediately moved to the ACW blog. I did manage to creep onto my details and change the outdated photo when I spotted the word ‘Edit’ and tentatively tapped on it. So I thought ‘Here I go, at last’, pressed ‘Post’ and jumped back into More than Writers. Which is obvious really, as I write as Annie Try on there too.

Time to stop and think. Perhaps I had only one account on blogger, but two blogs? With further investigation I found it is so! In fact, finally I have arrived at my original blog via More than Writers. Let’s hope I can find my way out again.

So let’s update you on my book news. 

In addition to Losing Face, published in 2012, I have written three books about the very interesting clients of Dr Mike Lewis, Clinical Psychologist. Each book contains a mystery, close relationships, healing and a touch of faith. They are standalone novels, but if you’d like to read them in order then start with Trying to Fly, then Out of Silence and finally Red Cabbage Blue. They are published by Instant Apostle.

In December 2022 my most recent novel came out, The Dangerous Dance of Emma JJ. It is written in diary form, with handwritten lists scattered throughout and follows the story of 15-year old Em. It is a voyage of discovery, as she tries to find out exactly what happened to cause the death of her late father. Her mother refuses to talk about him.

There are other questions about why she came into care and who else there is in her family. The search for where she really belongs is interwoven with her longing to dance.  She is not ready for what she discovers.

This book is suitable for most 13 years and older, including adults, and has hints for coping with anxiety and finding identity throughout. It is a story of faith, friendship and courage. 

I can report it has 100% 5* reviews on Amazon but, as I wrote in the morethanwriters.blogspot, that might change when I have more than one review! It’s early days yet.

I’d love to tell you what I am writing at the moment, but I’m not sure. I have several projects on the go - a sequel to Dangerous Dance, a dystopian novel The Post-bill Writings of Zak Greeson, and a book as yet unnamed on relaxation and prayer. But I am being prodded by readers to write another Dr Mike Lewis story too.

How shall I choose? I need to write 24/7 for the whole year to fulfil my plans, yet still I cannot prioritise!

I will let you know which one I choose to finish first.

Happy reading, or writing,

Annie

annie-try.co.uk