Carolyn Holm

Dear Mom
Why do you call me your little Viking?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Don’t you like that?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Weren’t Vikings crazy dangerous?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
They have that reputation. But in their day, life everywhere could be crazy dangerous. And you yourself get feisty on occasion.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’m a gentle dog!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You are! But you can’t deny your heritage. You are a Spitz. That’s an old Nordic breed. Which pretty much puts you right smack in the Viking category. With me.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
With you?????
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Yes, I’ve been reading up on this. When you go back a bit, my family tree is crawling with Vikings. Or, at the very least, folks who were Viking adjacent.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But I’m a German Spitz.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Northern Germany was Danish for a long time. Danish Vikings. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Is that where your people came from?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Yes! My people were also Swedish and Norwegian, with a bit of Scottish thrown in for flavor. But Vikings were all over Scotland too. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I thought cats were your people. Winston said you told him that.  
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I may have said that. But don’t feel bad, dogs are my people too. I’ve had lots of great dogs in my life. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I remember Molly!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Wasn’t Molly awesome? One weird terrier, but totally awesome. And before her there were Bruno, Pepper, and Sally. And when I was a kid we had Penny and Chrissy. When I was quite young I thought Chrissy was my sister.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But they weren’t Viking dogs.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No. You are the only one with that distinction. Do you want to go raid the neighbors now?
Love, Carolyn

Mom! 
We can’t do that!!!
Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’m picturing the look on Richard’s face if we burst in his front door and yell “Hand over your dog treats!!!!!”
Love, Carolyn

Mom, 
I think you are going to get us in trouble. 
XOXO Poppy

– 

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Mom,
Which team are you on?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Which team?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
You were telling your friend that there’s Team Cat and Team Dog in our house.
Winston

Winston,
That’s for sure!
Carolyn

Mom,
Which one are you on?
Winston

Winston,
Well that’s hard to say. Are you keeping score?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
No! I’m just confused. Team Cat and Team Dog aren’t the only teams!
Winston

Dear Winston,
They aren’t?
Love Carolyn

Mom
Don’t you even know????? You are on Team Human!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
Ok. Right.
Love, Carolyn

Mom
You didn’t know?????
Winston

Dear Winston,
Sometimes I need a reminder.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Are you on Team Cat?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Sometimes that feels about right.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
You are a lot like a cat. But a really big one. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
Cats can be really big. We call you our House Puma, but you should see actual Pumas. Mountain lions are huge cats.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Well, ok, but you don’t have a tail.
Winston

Dear Winston,
I’ve always wished I had one. Tails are so expressive!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
And you don’t have fur.
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s another wonderful thing! Soft silky fur all over, instead of clothes.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I’m really confused. Are you really on Team Cat?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Looks that way, doesn’t it? 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Don’t you want to be on Team Human?
Winston

Dear Winston,
I’m a bit put off by our species. Look at we’re doing to the world. And to each other.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But you are not really a cat!!! Why are you saying all these things???????
Winston

Dear Winston,
I’m sorry, sweetie, I just love to pull your leg a bit.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
That’s a Team Human thing to do, isn’t it.
Winston

Dear Winston,
I guess it is. That’s very perceptive of you.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
What about Poppy?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Oh she’s on Team Dog. For sure.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But how do you think she will feel if you join Team Cat?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Good point. I guess I’ll just have to stay in my lane.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I know what you can do! You can be on Team Berkeley Humane!!!!! That’s what it says on your Humane Society hat.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Good thinking. I’ll go with that.
Love, Carolyn

– 

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Dear Puffin,
I had a conversation with Dr. Judd today. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat does not want to go back there. The vet people are rude.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No, I understand. So do they. But we have good news, your diabetes is under control! Your numbers are now normal. The medicine is working.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
They are rude there. They poke and prod and take my temperature.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I understand. But it’s all necessary, sweetie, because you are not in very good shape. Your eye still looks terrible. And something is going on in your mouth.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The insults are not nécessaire.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
It has to be said. Your drool, when you sleep, has blood in it.
Love, Carolyn 

Cher Madame,
This petit cat does not do the undignified drool.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Sadly, you do, sweetie. And the elephant in the room is the lump on one side of your face.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat is not the elephant.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No, sorry, that was just an expression. We’re just really concerned about what’s going on here.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Is this why Madame has been giving this pauvre petit cat the annoying pink stuff?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Yes, we were hoping the Amoxicillin would clear up whatever is going on in your mouth. But it hasn’t.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The pink medicine, she is disgusting.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
It wasn’t any fun to administer, that’s for sure. We even got some on the wall, when you jerked your head at just the wrong moment yesterday. But that’s inevitable. Giving a cat Amoxicillin always means there will be pink on the wall at some point.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The sudden squirt in the mouth is an unpleasant move on Madame’s part.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Well, we’re done with that. For now anyway. It doesn’t seem to have helped. So the bad news is, we think you have a tumor there.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Will there be another disgusting medicine now, for this so-called tumor?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
For now, sweetie, you are going to be left alone. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Mon dieu, finally.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Thank heavens you don’t have any pain. And because you are sixteen years old, it would be really hard on you to do surgery, or chemo treatments. So we’re just going to let it run its course.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
But Madame will continue the delicious dinners?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh of course. And the tasty breakfasts. I’m so glad you are eager to eat, though I notice you are eating less these days.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And Madame will continue the treats?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
We’ll always have the treats. Especially the grooming treats.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And the game every evening?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh, we won’t miss the evening games! That wand toy with the prey on it is always there for you!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And Madame will let this petit cat sleep cuddled up to her, and not let young Winston push his way in?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh for crying out loud. There’s room for both of you.
Love, Carolyn

– 

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Dear Poppy,
You are up and about a lot during the night. More than you used to. I notice you disappear several times a night.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I don’t disappear!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No, sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. But you leave the bedroom.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I go to the living room. And spend some time in my bed there, under the coffee table.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
And sometimes you wake us all when you bark out an alert.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes!!!!! That’s why I’m there. To keep an eye on things!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You were going nuts a couple of weeks ago. Remember that? I came and looked out the window, and in the dark I could just make out that there were two guys right across the street, doing something to Bob’s car! 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
They were breaking into it! I barked to raise the alarm!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I turned on our porch light, and they didn’t even look our way. Brazen.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
They didn’t care about my barking, either.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I was going to call the police, but by the time I found my phone, they were gone. The next day Bob told me that they stole his car’s catalytic converter.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Is that what those other guys had in their huge bags when I barked last week?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No, that was a different sort of urban venture – Recycle Bandits. Because it was a Tuesday night, we all had our trash and recycling bins out on the curb for pick-up Wednesday morning. Those two guys were across the street, securing a huge bag to a cart by the light of the street lamp. I was fascinated by their set-up. They each had a bicycle and a cart on wheels, and they had three enormous bags filled with their harvest. ,
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s not ok! That stuff belongs to us and all our neighbors!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We don’t really care, sweetie. Let them have it. They are just trying to get by. But I appreciate that you are paying attention and barking out your alerts.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Sometimes my alert is because Louie is on our patio!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Oh, well now, that’s serious. That cat knows that I have a pot of catmint on the patio.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He has almost destroyed it!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s ok. I really like Louie. He’s got moxie. And he’s a gorgeous golden floof. Just like you.
Love, Carolyn

– 

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Hey Mom,
We’re having a Valentine moment!
Winston

Dear Winston,
Yes you are! I love that you all get along so well. You three are so sweet!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Mostly.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Well okay, Puffin tells you to get lost when you jump on the bed. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He wants you all to himself!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
He’s an old guy, and his health isn’t very good, so sometimes I give him a pass on grouchiness. You still get to be on the bed, just not on my lap.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
And Poppy isn’t always sweet. She likes to bark. That startles me and I run down the hall.
Winston

Dear Winston,
And she runs down the hall chasing you. I can tell you both enjoy that wild game. You are great friends! I took a picture of the two of you together that is a perfect picture for Valentines Day.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Valentines Day is about dogs and cats together?
Winston

Dear Winston,
It could be. You two are a very sweet pair.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Sometimes she barks at me when I walk past her food. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
There is that side to her. That’s her wolfish side. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
She’s a wolf????!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
She seems to think so when she scrambles up to the gate in a frenzy of barking, when one of her mortal enemies goes by. That’s her wolfish side.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
That sounds alarming!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
And I wouldn’t want to be a small mammal in her clutches. She has caught a few of those.
Love, Carolyn 

Mom,
Small mammals? I’m a small mammal! What did she do with them?
Winston

Dear Winston,
I saved the squirrel, but she killed one of the meadow mice. And once she caught a rat, but she was quite young then, and didn’t know what to do with him. Our other dog, Molly, stepped in and took over the kill.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Poppy killed one of our garden mice???!!! Would she do that to me????? 
Winston

Dear Winston,
No no no! You are a Pack Member. That means everything. And on top of that, she knows you are smitten with her.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
I like to walk with her, shoulder to shoulder.
Winston

Dear Winston
She seems to like that too. It’s lovely to see you two promenading around the house side-by-side.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But when I snuggle up to sleep with her, she leaves her bed.
Winston

Dear Winston,
She’s not completely on board with that kind of intimate relationship. I think she thinks of herself as a sort of big sister. A mentor. But she loves you in her way.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Poppy is my Valentine!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
I think in her heart she secretly appreciates that. 
Love, Carolyn

– 

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Dear Mom,
That was a very confusing walk.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Interesting. I thought it was pretty straight forward. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
We ALWAYS walk forward.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I meant it was one of our usual walks. Sometimes we go up the hill. Sometimes we go past Rusty’s house. Sometimes past the school. And this time we went over to the Avenue.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But today there was a bunch of noisy girls in front of the book store. And you got all excited too. It was very confusing.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
What was confusing about that? All the kids?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
All those kids, all the laughing, that girl who was dancing and flinging her arms around. And because you were so were excited to see them. And we stopped to talk with them.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I was delighted to find them there. They are Girl Scouts. Selling cookies. That’s always something to get excited about!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
They were shouting.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
A little, maybe. They were having a good time.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And one was dancing.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That was a very high spirited girl, wasn’t she!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But why were you so excited?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I love those cookies! And I have a special place in my heart for Girl Scouts. I was a Girl Scout leader for many years, with a wonderful troop of girls. And we sold cookies too.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Did your girls shout and dance?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
On occasion. On a lot of occasions, actually. We had a good time.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I don’t get it. It was just some boxes on a table.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Not just boxes. Cookie boxes. Those were boxes of treats for humans. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That makes more sense, then. I thought I smelled something sweet. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I love those cookies! And because the cookie money helps support the organization, I was delighted to stop and buy some. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But I didn’t want to stop. I just wanted to go into the bookstore.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s what this is about. Of course you did. You know that the nice people in the bookstore always have treats for you. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes!!!!! Of course!!!! That’s why we go in there!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

– 

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Dear Puffin,
What was that crashing sound?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
C’etait the rude surprise.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I’m guessing it was Winston creating the surprise.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Oui, the Winston unceremoniously jumped this petit and elegant cat.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I would imagine it would be hard to jump someone ceremoniously.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Toujours le sarcasm. Madame cannot resist.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I’m afraid you’re right, I can’t resist. I’m sorry. So, what was this jumping event?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The Winston jumped this petit cat during the exit from the litter box.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh dear. Well, that is an unceremonious ambush. I hope I’m not going to find a big mess in there.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
There is no mess, Madame, but it was très annoying. Why does that slinky Siamese find so much pleasure in annoyance?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Maybe if you weren’t such a grouch sometimes, Winston wouldn’t be so motivated to give you a hard time. You set yourself up for it.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
How can you call this elegant cat a grouch? Madame is reduced to the name-calling.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Ok, explain to me why Winston sleeps in the living room at night? He used to sleep on the bed, but gosh, someone must have told him to Bug Off. I wonder who would do that? Oh, PUFFIN WOULD.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Toujours le sarcasm. Yet again.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
When you wake up, look around, and see him on the bed, you reach out and whack him. Then you give him The Look. And he jumps off.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
That may be. But then all too often the Winston comes sneaking back to cuddle up with Madame’s neck.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
He’s a real sweetie. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat is your sweetie!
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Is THAT what this is about? You can both be my sweeties. Let’s try to keep the bed a whack-free zone. I know you two can get along. You get along at least half the time.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
He is still the annoyance. 
Regards, M. Le Poufin

– 
A note to our readers…
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Dear Winston,
Why don’t you ever let me carry you? When I pick you up, half the time you fly off in a wild panic and I get slashed! And yesterday you took off and ripped my sweatshirt with your hind claw. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
It was an accident.
Winston

Dear Winston,
I saw news footage of a woman fleeing the Los Angeles wildfire, carrying a cat. And that sweet cat LET her. In all that terrifying chaos. And I remember when the Ukraine war began, and folks were fleeing Kyiv, there was news footage of a train platform, and in the crowd several people there were carrying cats. In the middle of all that chaos. And the cats were calmly going along with it! You would never allow that. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Wildfire? War? What are cats even DOING there?????
Winston

Dear Winston,
Maybe cats are so smart that they evaluate the situation, decide it’s dire, and say “Looks like she’s got a handle on this, I’ll just let her take care of the two of us.”
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
We should go find a train platform to see what I will do!
Winston

Dear Winston,
You’d struggle, jump down, and go tearing off in a zoomie, yelling “Let ’er rrrrrrrrip!!!!!”
Love, Carolyn 

Mom
I like the word rip. Yelling “run” just isn’t the same.
Winston 

Dear Winston,
That’s interesting. Running around the house. Ripping around the house. I see what you’re saying! Ripping has more ring to it. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Today I’m doing a lot of ripping!!! I’m getting all Rippery!!!!!!!
Winston

Winston,
Rippery? I don’t think that’s a word. So, good for you, you made up a new word! I like that!
Carolyn

Hey Mom,
I got all rippery on the sofa!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
Yep, a whole lot of zoomies have been going on today.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Not that kind of rippery!!! A different kind of rip.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Like the rip in my sweatshirt?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Possibly.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Okay. What have you gotten into? What have you torn?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Don’t worry, Poppy said it was ok!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
You’re getting permission from Poppy now?
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
It’s a long story. I was ripping around the house and I jumped Puffin. He didn’t care for that. He said some rude things. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
As is his wont. 
Love, Carolyn 

Mom,
His what? 
Winston

Dear Winston,
Bugging Puffin is kind of like playing with fire. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
He growled and whacked me. I said WOO HOO!!!!!! and ripped off!
Winston

Dear Winston,
That does sound like fun. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
That was when I found there was a whole new game on the sofa. And Poppy said it was allowed.
Winston

Dear Winston,
So it was you who shredded the newspaper.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
No, first I hid under it. Then I made it rustle. And THEN I shredded it. And it was the COMICS!!!!! I love the comics!!!!! 
Winston

Dear Winston,
We all do. It’s the first thing I read every morning. So that I can get my day started on the right foot.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Now I’m confused. You read the comics with your feet?
Winston

Dear Winston,
No sweetie. Never mind. Anyway, I’m glad we had this conversation or I might have blamed Poppy for the shredded paper mess.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
She doesn’t even know how to play with paper. She just sat there and watched while I got all rippery. And then she barked at me.
Winston

– 

A note to our readers…

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Cher Madame,
This petit cat is resenting being called undignified names.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You are? Who is doing this to you?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It is being conducted by Madame herself.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh! I’m sorry. What did I call you?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It is useless to pretend you don’t remember, Madame. You called this pauvre cat “Smoochie”.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin
The name really fits, sweetie. Lately you’ve been waking me in the night being all smoochie.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
What does this word mean?
Regards, M. le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You come and go during the night, and every time you show up on the bed you come right up to me, put your face in my face, and purr and say hello. Which is sweet, even with your bad breath and your drippy eye. And if I don’t pet you, you nip my hands until I do.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
That’s a smoochie?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
That’s the lead-up to the smoochie part. Because then you rub your face on mine and lick me. That’s the smoochie part.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Madame makes it all sound so sordid.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No! It’s lovely, sweetie! Just a bit annoying sometimes, to be awakened several times a night for this. And the bad breath and the drippy eye part. Which I don’t hold against you – I realize that you are a sixteen year old cat, and old age sucks.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
There is no need for Madame to go on and on about the indignities of old age. As for the wake-ups, this pauvre petit cat thought that Madame appreciates a loving gesture.
Regards, M. le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Oh, I do! I cherish my sweet pussycat!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
It is to remind Madame that her petit cat loves her!
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
But at 3:30 in the dark of night? When everyone is sleeping. And you want to wake me up for some snuggling? I have to say, sometimes I suspect that there is more to this than love. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
What is suspected by Madame?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
That the wake-ups are also about a breakfast discussion.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This petit cat is always interested in the deployment of breakfast.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
It’s served in the automatic feeder! At the same time every morning!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Still, Madame, breakfast is such a lovely subject of conversation. And part of a loving moment that should not suffer the indignity of an undignified name.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I’m sorry, sweetie. I never realized you didn’t like being called “Smoochie”. I meant it as an affectionate name. I’ll think of something else.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And not Potato. Madame called this petit cat a potato yesterday. That too is unacceptable.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Poppy,
I notice that you are right at the door when I get home. Before I even put the key in the lock! How do you know it’s me? We live in a busy neighborhood – there are people parking in front and walking by all the time.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s so easy! I hear the beep-beep of your car when your clicker locks it. Dogs know this stuff.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Doesn’t it sound the same as Bob’s car, right across the street?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
It’s a different sound. Dogs know this stuff.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Ok, I’m impressed. What else do dogs know? For instance, what do dogs know about squirrels?
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Dogs know EVERYTHING about squirrels.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Everything? That’s a lot to know.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Dogs know there is only one thing to do with squirrels. CHASE THEM!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I guess that covers it.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And dogs know lots of other stuff. Dogs know the sound of the delivery truck. It’s a heads-up situation when it stops in front of our house.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It is indeed. I appreciate the announcement bark.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And the sound of the mailbox opening when the mailman pushes stuff in it.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Ok, that brings on another helpful announcement bark.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom
Dogs know which leash belongs to them! This leash is my special leash!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It is indeed. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Dogs know the difference between your house shoes, your going-for-a-walk shoes, and your going-out-without-me shoes.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You do pay special attention to shoes.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Dogs know which pocket has the dog treats. And if your hand is in that pocket, a treat is coming!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’ve noticed that! When I call you to come in from the garden, I find I get a much faster response when I have my hand in that pocket.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Dogs know that cat poop is delicious.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Ewwww. No comment.
Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And dogs know when it is 5:00.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Your dinner time. Somehow without a watch you do know exactly when it is 5:00. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Puffin knows that too. Even though he is not a dog. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Puffin is a very smart cat. Cats know stuff too.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Dogs know what the oven does!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You do? What do you think ovens do?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
The oven changes the way food smells!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Fair enough, it does do that.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Dogs know that most lamps need a human hand to make light, but some lamps magically make light all by themselves.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s because we have timers on a couple of our lamps. Remember Molly, the little terrier who was very elderly when you came to us? She was extremely alarmed by the magic of lamp timers. She never got used to that idea – she was startled every time.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Of course I remember Molly! She’s the one who told me to watch out for those weird lamps. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
She knew it was unnatural for a lamp to turn on by itself. Molly was the smartest dog I’ve ever known. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’m not the smartest dog? 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You are the softest, sweetest dog I’ve ever known.
Love, Carolyn 

Dear Mom,
But I know all the dog stuff.
XOXO Poppy

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!