I knew I would cry, but I didn’t know I would be this touched. It’s apparently based on a real life story about a family that was caught in an earthquake in Japan, 2004. What a marvel, this little actress. The Japanese really have a penchant for producing heart-wrenching tear-jerker animal stories. So I watched and sobbed and sank my tear-soaked face into my pillow and hugged my Latte boy until 3 am in the morning. Now my eyes are swollen. Latte boy, mommy loves you.
We had the wonderful-est weekend. The furry boys met up for a late afternoon walk, Armani tottering his way around (limping for two months, that poor chap!), and Latte relentlessly herding him around. The merciless sun showed its prowess, so we succumbed and it was back to the homeland for ice cold tea and more doggy frolicking. We’ve never had another dog at the homeland, and Latte proved himself to be a most delightful host. Armani had free access to Latte’s buffet of toys on the floor, his treats, and even his favourite spot in the homeland - under the white wicker bench. Our ditsy boy just wanted to groom and herd his little friend. Nothing else mattered.
As dusk gathered, Armani fell asleep under the wicker bench, while Latte simply watched him sleep. Like his guardian angel. So we passed more than three hours of laid-back Saturday fun with the Sheltie boys and our neighbour from across the street. I can’t think of a better way to spend the blistering day. He’s happy, we’re happy.
I so adore Armani. I want another Sheltie. But two Shelties and a baby, it really can’t be. For now, I’ll keep it to Latte, baby, thee and me.
friends are worth celebrating, cyn says. so here we are, cyn’s and my combined birthday picnic on the green green grass of botanic gardens!
we couldn’t have asked for a better day. i’m tinted a little brown by the sun, teased a little by the breeze. it was gorgeous.
we haven’t seen the band juniors for some ten years, and nothing has changed. i feel sixteen all over again. my montage of memories turned from sepia to colour today, and looks like it will not go away. the group grew bigger, the laughter grew louder. and fei ji qi is fun. even more fun when i win. so there must be a momentous picture taken after my superpower aeroplanes have flown into base, four at a go. my four jumbo airbuses! and i’m loving how the checks on the picnic mat add a pop of pattern to the retro-looking game sheet. pretty picnic paraphernalia.
latte amused himself with dogs, with leaves, with picnic-ers, with us. really, this boy is ditsy. he knows no size, no breed. just play, just love. he was all over girl girl the retriever, attempted his first adult male dog natural behaviour (gasps!), got growled at (unrequited love once again), and made friends with at least ten other dogs, including a gentle saint bernard thrice his size.
i celebrated love.
so that’s love this valentine’s day. and everyday.
adrian and angela sealed their ten-year romance with a sweet wedding in a flower-sprigged room. tomorrow, i may go all teary-eyed again seeing lili and kenneth dance their first dance, toast the first toast. i get goosebumps just thinking about it. the splendour of the thing called love.
it came a little too early, but i think my boy’s in love too. we walked an hour to huier and jeeteng’s for some homey dinner and canine cuddling. four small fleecy maltese snowballs like miniature baa baa white sheep running around him and from him, he was a tireless herder who amazed us with his instinctive sheepdog qualities. halfway through the night, he has made his choice. lollipops, it is. latte’s so smitten with her he stalked her the whole night, herding her under the bed, through the table legs, down the hallway. i never thought i would see the boy so moonstruck, so besotted he became a jumbo shadow of the bright white lass. it’s almost embarrassing because it seems like unrequited love at this point. lollipops apparently, already has her eyes on a-tai, the great dane. latte boy, your charm didn’t work this time. better luck next time.
love knows no size.
love is patient.
and love is to leave the girl’s mama alone.
she was probably only six then. she licked my hand gently for the first time, and i remembered how i told andy, we’ll never find a dog as sweet as casey.
we keep a photo folder of her. one day, we tell ourselves, our latte boy will sit right next to her, smiling widely. big sister and little brother.
tonight, i let the tears flow and the memories spill. how else do you remember, i don’t know.
i ask andy if she can hear me. if there’s a heaven, will she be happy?
he says she will. gideon says it’s the best for her. it’s just time to let go. and i know it’s true.
so goodbye casey. you’ll be happy up there, won’t you?
feifei’s gregarious owner and us bade a silent goodbye to a pooch who was put to sleep. the owner walked out of edmund’s room with an empty crate. she stood by the counter, eventually breaking down. i so wanted to give her a hug, to share that grief. i dont know what stopped me. i wish i had done something for her besides sitting misty-eyed on the bench.
it’s going to be an early night for us. we are off to touch some clouds tomorrow at the highlands with my folks. it’s been more than a decade. changes must be many, and hopefully a much prettified place than i remember it to be. i know it’ll be fun, and i cant wait to tell him how i walked through the clouds some 15 years ago pretending i’m in a faraway land known to none up on the faraway tree. it was then i realised clouds feel like…nothing. but the nothing feels full, and i like that. a full poetic passion.
imaginary auyong dog is now renamed latte. i like how it sounds, and he likes how it tastes. so the auyong pooch will be latte. for now at least. till we get ours, we ogle at gideon’s oh-so-lovely ones. he shoots pets so beautifully. no clothes please, he says. we couldnt agree more. enjoy!
we havent seen another blue merle as pretty as her. which makes the sheltie search such a long arduous one.
this dodi montage tickles me so. the boy who is always a boy.
the fine pair. dodi and casey. we want two too!
i cant wait to go home to smell the flowers left out in the good old sunshine. they bloomed two days ago, and are now in full lilac glory. i want to see the setting sun colour the baby breaths pink as cotton candy. this morning, i danced a little dance of congratulations to myself as i saw the blossoms shy towards the sun, and the sweet little corn reveal itself amidst the grassy leaves. the air is mint-scented, with a slight slight tinge of basil sweetness that could perhaps just be part of my imagination. our babies they are. so i have lilac petals to start the day, provence lunch as a pleasant distraction, sweet chats with the dear ones at work to pepper the fine slowness, and a visit to the sheltie and cavaliar king charles at the village to end this work week. it’s good, really. only i have this little headache from eating too much chips. shan’t whine shan’t cry. it’s a lovely friday, i say.
the sheltie search continues. we were told by this chatty lady that we have just missed the season, and would have to wait another year if we want a pup. a tad bit disappointing, though in the very first place, we agreed that we were to only window-shop. olio is slowing making her presence felt at the au yongs. that is where we have to place her basket and line it with papers. that is how she will leap up to do her quiet happy dance when we come home. that is what she will do when the bothersome window lock salesman comes knocking again. and these are your poochy friends, dodi and casey. casey is just like you, olio, only a little bigger and a little greyer. and no, dodi, she’s not reached puberty yet. go catch bear bear.
this little game is getting addictive - we cant stop imagining she’s there. it gives you that certain elevation of spirit that makes you want to smile to even that grouchy boy next door. someday, we’ll be out there in bishan park, skipping and playing, sunkissed and all highy. and when those beads of happy perspiration come trickling down, the clouds will come out to play. picture perfect.
this is fun. somehow i cant get the sheltie by my side. it’s time to get a real one. yakult.
our potential photographer charmed us with two pretty pooches at his plush place. alliteration intended. i cant even begin to describe how right it feels. i have never gone to a house, and experienced the ‘dang’ that shows the dear one in his nike tee and 81 berms and proudly showing off his cement wall with our wedding photo montage. very right. his works convinced us, his mannerism won us, his house awed us, his dogs wowed us. photographer search is likely to end sooner than i thought. wham bam bam.
this endearing sheltie called kasie is a precious gem. she sheds seasonally, and is as docile as a lamb. 
this manja one called dodi is one affectionate pooch. i’ll run my finger down the oblique line of his body, and he’ll stay by my hand, warming it.
and when you have a soft spot for all things called shelties, you just cant get her off your mind. when we get one, we’ll have a room for her. i’ll fill her basket with purple cushions for a warm snuggle. the dear one says he’ll allow her to roam freely in our cove. the au yongs’ bed is out of bounds, he says. but when she’s naughty and decides to warm our bed, i’ll pass her hair off as mine. because on good days, the dear one will just pat us both on our small heads and laugh like a king.
good things happened altogether yesterday. and it wasnt even a friday.
