Carolyn Holm

Dear Mom,
Having guest dogs staying here over the holidays is exhausting.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You can’t be serious. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’m always serious. I’m not a cat.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Fair enough. What’s so exhausting?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
All that defending.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Okay, I’m glad you brought that up. The cats don’t need defending. For one thing, both of them are bigger than little Musso. And with their murder mitts they could do some serious slashing if they really had to defend themselves. Which they don’t.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Winston growled at Musso. And his tail was enormous.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That was just a carefully worded warning.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Then Musso barked back at Winston.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It was a low-key response. No need for you to dash in and yell at him.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Sometimes they get near my food bowl. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It’s EMPTY. I try to remember to pick it up after you’ve eaten, but sometimes I forget. Still, there’s no need to defend an empty bowl. This is all way too much politics.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Mika licks it.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It still doesn’t need defending. And she’s an old lady dog. She’s fourteen years old, sweetie. Don’t go attacking her over an empty bowl.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
She may be fourteen, but she’s a Corgi.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
True, she’s a tough headstrong old girl.
Love, Carolyn 

Dear Mom,
She’s deaf, so she needs me and Musso to let her know when we have some defending to do. Like someone at the door.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s another thing. You don’t need to work them up to a three-dog barking frenzy when one of our friends or neighbors stops by.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Yes we do!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No, you don’t. These are all people you know. They have security clearances. No need for a frenzy.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But Mika and Musso don’t know that.
XOXO Poppy 

Dear Poppy,
That’s why it’s up to you to take the lead, to show by your good behavior that the visitor has a security clearance.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
A barking frenzy is the most FUN thing ever!!!!!!! How do you not know this?????? It’s the best part of having guest dogs!!!!! A barking frenzy with extra dogs is AWESOME.
XOXO Poppy

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A note to our readers…

Poppy, Puffin, and Winston are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, 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!