Catching Up, a String of Stories from Maggie the Bulldog

Hello friends! As usual these days, it's been forever, life is busy, blah blah, but here I am, sitting on the couch after a morning spent in Dallas at the Arboretum and an afternoon spent grocery shopping and attending Claire's volleyball game, before an evening at the ArtsGoggle street festival and feel like I should write something to take advantage of this moment. But Maggie just got herself out of bed and walked all the way over to where I'm sitting, and since nearly all my pictures from the last week are of her, I think I'll let her take it from here.

Hello internet humans! I'm Maggie, the deaf rescue bulldog. Soft and fluffy, sweet and wrinkly, I want you to know that I love you, even if I don't understand where you are and why you can't pet me.

So, on Fridays my mom works from home and it's my very favorite. I help her with her legal work and she helps me hold my head up in the air.

Two "mom is home" Fridays ago, the weather got very cold all of a sudden and it was SO GREAT. My mom was wearing everything fuzzy and put me in a cozy sweater and I took myself to the magical place where a fire appeared the last time it was cold outside.

Except, a fire did not appear. I waited around, just in case. You never know when wonderful things will happen! (I mean literally, I never know. Everything is a surprise when you're a dog and you can't hear anything and you have to sleep a lot and nothing wakes you up.)

But the fire did not come. I guess it wasn't quite that cold. I woke up at some point and my mom was still in her pj's typing away and I was looking oh so stylish in my sweater. I LOVE my clothes and I love when my mom puts them on me. I also love when I just sit and stare at her until she pets me. It never takes very long.

Later that day my family left the house with my big brother all dressed up. Something called Cotillion. It was Latin night and apparently he learned the cha cha. I don't know what that is, but I'm pretty sure you can eat it and if I was capable of being sad, I would be sad they didn't bring me any.

On Saturday, it was still chilly and I was feeling FRISKY. My mom was so excited to put me in my new puffer vest! I'm really feeling my new fall wardrobe. This is my majestic face.

This is the look I give when I want to look insecure to get extra pets. It's very effective.

Saturday was a really special day because my mom put together my new stroller and I got to go inside- with my snazzy vest- and then I got to go on the SUPER long walk that my family does on the weekends that I never get to go on.

I LOVED IT.

I walked 3 whole miles in my stroller! My bigger sister was so proud of me. I'm proud of her too.

Later that afternoon my whole family got fancy and left the house for FOREVER. Or maybe like 4 hours. Whatever. As always, I pushed open the back door to go with them, pretended not to understand when they gestured me back in, and then had to be picked up and carried back into the house.

Then I ran to the back door to watch them go and stare at them like my heart is breaking. But actually I'm okay, I just went and took a nap and when I woke up again, they were already back!

Apparently they went to see a play at the children's theater where I can't go.

It was called Tuck Everlasting and they said it was amazing, even though I wasn't there.

And then they went out to a new fun hot chicken restaurant, that I also can't go to but it's fine really I'm not mad even though I too like hot chicken, and everyone said it was delicious. They were celebrating a round of report cards everyone seemed very happy about. They also ate ice cream cookie sandwiches. No one gave me one.

Later that night I showed I wasn't mad by helping my brother put away the gymnastics mat. I'm a giver.

On Sunday morning, we went on ANOTHER long walk and I loved it so much.

My dad said it was embarrassing but I know he's kidding.

It was so fun to get to explore the park we get to on the end of our long walk- I'd never been to the park! Good thing I'm an intrepid explorer dog now because I walked all the way down to the creek to check out the flora and fauna. But then I didn't want my paws to be dirty so I walked back up with my mom and watched. I'm a lady of leisure now and I don't have to get dirty if I don't want to.

I really love that I have a chariot and get to join in on these long walks now. Being with my humans makes my whole heart happy.

After we got home I had to rest my head for a little while.

And then my whole body.

I have a funny story. It's something my littler big sister said to my mom this week that made her laugh and shake her head a lot later:

Cora: Mom, so Leo in my class has a crush on me.
Mom: Awwww, that’s so sweet. Leo is cute!
Cora: No, mom, I mean, I think it’s just because I’m so pretty every day at school. You know, with my pony tails.
Mom: Right, sure, and maybe also because you’re so smart and funny and kind.
Cora, literally laughs at my mom. Knows it’s about the tiny pony tails. Declines to respond further.

I love my littler sister, and her pony tails.

On Wednesday my mom gave me a new outfit.

I'm a pumpkin spice bulldog and I love it.

Also on Wednesday I went out for a walk with my mom and my sisters and, filled with the vim and vigor of a nice fall evening, I ran and RAN around the front yard, maybe even 4-5 times and everyone was so proud of me. I'm so fit, invisible readers, and I am FEELING IT.

My parents' retired neighbors across the street stopped by just to say how proud they were of me, telling my mom, "when you first got her she didn't know how to play and now look at her! We loving watching her and she always makes us smile. She even barked from behind your gate the other day when we were walking by with our dog. We are so proud of her!"

I'm the happiest bulldog on the block and everyone loves me. Sometimes I still can't believe that's true, but then I see my family or one of my new friends and I know that it is.

On Friday it was my dad's birthday, so my mom let him sleep in and she handled the morning duties. You guys, she's clearly not used to this, but I helped. I sent my sisters off to school with a smile, but I must confess that I find it VERY CONCERNING when they leave the car. Why are the leaving the car? Why can't they stay with me in this contained space? It would very much be my preference.

My family went out to dinner to celebrate and I wasn't invited, but I thought everyone looked very nice before they left.

My humans love my dad an awful lot. He's turning 38, which is basically ancient, but he told my mom that he bench pressed the most he's ever bench pressed in his life earlier that day, so I guess my mom isn't ready to retire him.

After dinner there was a cake. It was funfetti, with half vanilla rainbow chip icing and half chocolate fudge. Nobody gave me a slice.

Not even when I was wearing my party hat.

There was the ceremonial exchanging of the colored cards that I can't read and a blowing out of fire that I found very odd, but everyone else seemed to enjoy.

Alright, now it's late and my mom is tired (or wait, maybe that's me). We wrote this in two parts and now it's way past my bedtime, but I want you all to know that I love you and I love my family and I'm so proud to be a rescue success story. Just a year ago I was still living at the vet clinic, trying to recover from my bedraggled, beat-up state after being dumped by a puppy mill. I had a fresh c-section scar, giant untreated wound on my side, heart worms, infected ears, infected eyes, infected tail, and still so much love in my heart. I'm so glad I have people to share it with and I'm so glad Lonestar Bulldog Club Rescue fixed me up and found them for me. I hope you all have the best week, remember that Maggie loves you.