Writing Problems

Schatzie wants to play

          I love my girls. My furry, four-legged girls, that is. They are smart, beautiful and devoted and I think they love me, too (they should, I’m the one who gives them their treats…my DH calls me the Cookie Mommy. They know exactly what he means when he says it and run to the kitchen where I keep their goodies…yes, I’m well trained). But I digress….

          As I said, I love my girls, but sometimes….they can make things a little difficult. Like children (my son was an expert at needing me/wanting me for something the minute I got on the phone…DH is the same way), they know exactly when you’re trying to accomplish something. For instance, for a person without these furbabies, folding laundry is a quick one, two, three job. Not so much for me. I have to contend with one or both of them trying to help and by trying to help, they like to lay right on my freshly folded clothes. Schatzie, my youngest, has also been known to “unfold” something I’ve just folded. Daisy, my older girl, has no interest in unfolding….she just likes the warmth of the clothes from the dryer. 

Daisy waiting for pets

          When cleaning, they are right under my feet, sprawled out on the floor (they’re big girls….when they sprawl, they really sprawl!). Or better yet, they like to walk in front of me as I’m going from room to room then suddenly stop so that I trip over them. I’ve made some fantastic saves so I didn’t face-plant on the floor.

          And yet, these things are tolerable and sometimes, amusing (at least to my DH, who has instigated this behavior a time or two….They do not do this to him).

          BUT….there are times when their bid for attention is a bit distracting. Like when I’m writing. The younger one is very vocal and makes no attempt to hide the fact she is bored and wants some affection….she does this by standing as close to me as possible and barking softly (at first….she gets louder if I don’t acknowledge her and then she stamps her two front paws!). Neither one of them thinks anything of nudging my hand off the keyboard or shoving their toys at me or the best yet, trying to crawl on my lap. We are not talking about chihuahuas here….we’re talking almost 70 pound German Shepherds! It’s even worse if I’m sitting on the couch, trying to read!

          Still, I wouldn’t give them up for the world, even if my books do get slobbered on occasionally (fortunately, neither one of them has developed a taste for paper, as my old dog, Sasha, did….she ate my entire collection of Stephen King books!).

          So what, if anything, impedes your productive writing or leisure reading time? Is it the DH, the kids or dogs like mine?

          As always, happy reading (even if your dog—or cat—makes it a little difficult).

Marie