Calvin Chronicles: A Week With Grandmom
Calvin here, Chocolate Lab, reporting for duty. Yes, I’m a big guy who may think he’s the size of a Yorkie, but that’s not really the point. I’m also the proud Grand Dog of Life With The Top Down, a.k.a. Tops.
Lately, Top’s been around more, babysitting my housemates, and I couldn’t be happier when she shows up. You know what that means: extra treats. I consider it a win for everyone, especially me.
Now, I’ll admit… sometimes my excitement gets the best of me. What can I say? I’m in love. When I see her, my whole body goes into full wiggle mode, and occasionally things in my path don’t survive the celebration, kids, chairs, maybe even a toy or two. Collateral damage.
Grandmom seemed a little surprised by my day all week. She kept saying things like “poor Cal” and “be gentle,” which I didn’t fully understand. But I did notice I was suddenly getting ice water and cheddar cheese added to my meals. So whatever happened… it must’ve been important.
I guess she didn’t realize that the littlest housemate has been using me as a step stool. Look, I’m just trying to be helpful. He was reaching for those cheese-flavored fish, and he does like to share… sooo, I consider it teamwork.
Here I am, starring as Rapunzel. The little girl housemate loves a good dress-up moment, and let’s be honest, her brother just doesn’t have the same natural talent for the role.
The weather was beautiful, which meant outside activities. I posed for my portrait. The artist did her best to trace my body on the deck, but space was limited, and apparently, I’m a bit larger than my inner Yorkie.
As for the finished masterpiece… I wasn’t expecting two noses and the bonus ear on top of my head, but hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The expression on my face says it all. I clearly know my alphabet, but I’m willing to play student one more time if it helps this housemate finally fall asleep.
This is me in my “Sunny Square”, that’s what my parents call it. I love when they say, “Cal, go to your sunny square.” Trust me, you don’t have to ask twice, I’m already there.
While my little housemates are napping, I take a moment to gather my thoughts and gear up for the rest of the day. It’s no small job protecting them from themselves.
Grandmom and I both had a rough day, so I stayed close and slept with her. It felt like the right thing to do.
As the day winds down and my housemates finally settle, I take one last patrol of my kingdom (also known as the living room). Everything seems in order, no snacks left behind, no tiny humans in immediate danger, and my Sunny Square will be waiting for me in the morning.
It’s a big job being me, but someone’s gotta do it. And tomorrow? I’ll be ready, wiggles, love, and something tells me the role of “Bunny” might be waiting for me.
Enjoy the Ride!
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Two Bad Days
Over the past year, we said, “See you later,” to our beloved dogs Peanut and Landon. Landon left us on July 15th, 2023, and Peanut on November 1st, 2024. No one quite prepares you for the deafening silence that comes to a house without paws. We’ve had a set of paws for 19 years.
Landon came to us through the Dutch County Rescue. He was approximately 3 years old when he was rescued from a horrific puppy mill in Missouri. This left him with some physical issues, but nothing we weren’t able to take care of while he was with us. Landy is the dog version of a real rags-to-riches tale. Just when I thought my diaper days were over.
Peanut came to us through some friends who loved him enough to place him in our care when they could no longer give him the love and attention he deserved. Having just lost our beloved Chester the Beagle, we had plenty of love waiting to be given. Boy, did we provide it!
Although Peanut and Landon were their government names, they had many lovingly given names over the years. Landy and Dandy were most common for Landon, while P, Fred, and Pee Wee were the go-to’s for Peanut. There are many more, but I don’t want to seem crazy.
Pets truly leave their prints on our hearts. It’s incredible, really, when we think about it. I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t left with a mark from an animal. Even if they didn’t own a pet, someone’s pet along the way touched their heart and left a memory. Why am I envisioning Zoro but with a paw print? Anyway …
Losing these fur angels has been challenging. As I said earlier, Landy came to us with physical issues from the abuse he endured as a puppy, and I believe those things took a toll. He was 13, and we had him for 9 of those years. Last Summer, he had difficulty standing independently, and one day, he couldn’t walk. It became our “normal” to cater to his needs. It was so normal; we didn’t recognize how much he declined until we did. It was such a difficult decision because his spirit was still alive. At 10 pounds, he still had the appetite of a Great Dane and barked at anything that moved. He crossed over peacefully in my husband’s arms, where he was most comfortable.
Peanut, oh my sweet P. He wasn’t feeling well on Monday, and he still wasn’t himself by Wednesday, so I took him to the vet. The diagnosis: pancreatitis. He was scheduled to stay the night for treatment and testing. Peanut had never been away from the comforts of his home, and I was concerned he wouldn’t get the 5-star treatment he is accustomed to. Then the call came, one I did not see coming. P had a huge tumor on his spleen that spread to his liver. There was nothing to be done. It could be a month from now or tomorrow. If the tumor bursts, it will not be good. The only thing I could muster was, “Can I bring him home,” and that’s what I did.
My husband returned from his work trip early, and I took off. We spent the day loving P and discussing what to do. Our fear was not being home if he needed us. Again, he seemed fine, but our “fine.” If we were being honest, he hasn’t been “fine” for a while. We took him Friday morning, and he crossed at 11:11. We were bawling our eyes out, and Peanut lifted his head and started licking our faces passionately. He NEVER did that in the 12 years we had him. We believe it was his loving goodbye. Peanut was 14 years young, and the best fur baby a girl/family could have.
Writing this was difficult, but as someone once told me, “Get it out” and “Write it down.” I’ve been taking this advice very seriously these days.
Our fur babies gave us some of the happiest days of our lives and two of the worst.
Enjoy the Ride! This one was bumpy.
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Room Service
I’m not sure when this happened; all I know is it did. What, you ask? Well, I’m here to tell the tale of the king of our household—yes, you guessed it, the one with fur and paws.
Somehow, over this year, my husband and I have gone from owners of this abode to staff members.
We haven’t been able to pinpoint a time frame, but I know I was not the first to be hired, although I’ll admit I’m now a full-time employee.
We are so accustomed to our new roles that unless we have a guest, we don’t realize just how weird our behavior must look to the outside world.
My daughter was here for Mother’s Day, and she was the first to say, “What are you doing?” Without missing a beat, my co-worker replied, ” I’m getting P a drink.” Oh, let me clarify, P, our dog, was lounging on the sofa when he sat up, looked directly into my co-worker’s eyes, and telepathically demanded that his water dish be air-lifted in front of him to quench his thirst from doing absolutely nothing but snoring for the past two hours.
Needless to say, my daughter thought this was utterly insane, thought we needed help, and stated that she would under no circumstances be delivering water to P while he had four functioning legs.
Fast-forward to this weekend, when my sister, who I still believe birthed my daughter due to their similar personalities, came for a visit. We had plans for Saturday night, so she decided to stay in to catch up on Bridgeerton in peace.
The next day, she said, “I think something is wrong with Peanut.” Of course, I was not concerned because I somehow knew what was coming next. She explained that for a good half hour of Episode Six, Peanut was sitting on the couch crying, and she could barely hear the show. Without hesitation, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to say, I replied, “Oh, he probably wanted you to get him a drink.”
My sister is not delivering drinks to humans who are capable of getting up, let alone a dog. I wish I captured the look on her face. It was part horror, confusion, and a lot of WTF.
I explained the insanity, and as you all know, it sounds much more insane when you hear it coming out of your mouth. She responded, “Well, last I checked, I was not working at the Four Seasons.”
Something tells me Peanut n knows who will and will not be waiting on him hand and foot at the slightest sound of a whimper.
No worries, folks. We are well aware that we have created a terrible habit, but P is almost 15 years old, which is 105 in dog terms. If he wants room service from us, he will get it.
Enjoy the Ride!
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Sandy Paws
The Fur Balls!
Leading up to our vacation the concern was growing about the fur babies and their reaction to everything salty & sandy.
Peanut sat on my lap shaking like a leaf for the 2-hour drive. The poor little guy did not know what the heck was happening, other than his toys and bed were going with him. The last time this happened his previous owners left him at our house and never came back. Can dogs have PTSD? Yes.
Landon, on the other hand, slept like a husband, occasionally opening his eyes to check on his surroundings. Oh, it must be nice to be Landon.
Ocean City, NJ does not allow dogs on the beach during the regular season, however, the dog-loving beachfront homeowners paying a zillion dollars in taxes say “Oh please, just tell me to get off.” Gotta love the rule breakers who welcomed our pups to their protest.
Peanut & Landon LOVED the beach during the very early morning and late evening as much as we did. I think they sensed the peace.
Peanut channeled his inner mountain lion while climbing the dunes, and Landon played tag with the waves. Sandy paws are happy paws.
It’s strange, but I swear dog owners have some sort of magnetic force that attracts them to other dog owners.
Look who I met on my way to the way to the beach. Shhh … Peanut & Landon do not 
know about my Summer Fling.
Ladies and gentleman, meet Lucy. Could a name be more perfect?
This little-redheaded beauty is a 12-week old Cavapoo. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel crossbred with a Poodle a/k/a freaking adorable.
Her owners picked her up in Rochester, NY on Friday and drove her straight to their Summer home on the beach. Sadly, I only received a blank stare when I asked if they would consider rescuing a middle-aged woman.
I had the pleasure of seeing Lucy every day. We mainly discussed how the salt air was not friendly to our hair. You know, girl talk.
Ok, back to the fur boys that stole my heart. Spoiled is an understatement.
Here they are sitting outside of the ice cream parlor waiting for their order. Vanilla soft serve is their favorite.
They definitely received the memo about ice cream not having calories at the shore.
They went for walks.
Ate ice cream more than once.
Ran on the beach.
Went to the Chatterbox, a dog-friendly restaurant in town.
Enjoyed the beautiful sea breeze on the deck every night.
They were surrounded by all the humans they love unconditionally for 7 solid days.
“They’re on vacation” was the justification for all of the extra spoiling.
Seems like they’re on vacation every damn day while their home, but who am I to judge.
Surround yourselves with those you LOVE and Enjoy the Ride!
Life With The Top Down 
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