Dexter and Tucker Bear

Good day, world. This is Tucker's sister, Dexter.

I will be keeping things going here because Tucker can't get to the computer right now. I am a little older and a little wiser, I think. He was way more trusting of others than I have ever been. I was raised in a city during my formative years. I learned myself that those were not tobacco cigarettes the kids were smoking in the park back in San Francisco.

But the truth is that Tucker's magnanimous spirit and goodness needs a place to inhabit online forever. So I will share some of the good things that I see around me to honor that.

Besides, I like to make lists. And tell other dogs, babies, and short people what to do. Just like I told Tucker to go sit in the snow the other year. And he DID IT! Ha!

Anyhow, here is a song that makes me think of him. Music is a good thing, and it brings joy to the world. He was my friend, Tucker Bear. I just change the lyrics to be Dexter and her Tucker Bear. Works for me. My dad changes song lyrics all the time (although I don't think he is aware he is doing it).

This Is My Sad Face

Things happen, not always for a reason; sometimes the effects of these things cannot be undone. Some things make us feel good and some make us feel bad.

When it is time for the bad things to happen, we just have to get on with it the best we can. Over the course of a day or days, we find ourselves forgetting about the bad things and back to our normal selves.

But it doesn't mean we forget that it happened or that it didn't happen.

And then a song or a picture or a misplaced motion in a routine make us remember the bad things and we start to feel sad again.

This can go on forever and can make us forget to remember the good things.

Which means we let the bad things win, like a naughty squirrel who escapes out of the yard by jumping from tree limb to tree limb. And this is not a good thing at all.

Rather, I like to look at the bad things as opportunities to inventory the good things I have and have had and make sure I appreciate them as much as I can when I have them.

That way, when I don't have them anymore, I can know that I treated them well and wore them out with love.

And then my sad face resembles more of a perplexed face gazing into the distance of a happy memory. It also helps me save money on tissues (which are fun to eat, by the way).

So , now, let's think about happy memories and remember to forget the bad things. Because those bad things don't help the sun come out at all.

OK folks. Remember to stay curious and stay positive. Because life is a good gift; the best gift is the goodness you give to those you love.

A New Hope

The past few days have witnessed Tucker on the mend. He is sitting and laying down on his own accord, able to smell different things and appears to make out more distinct shapes. His appetite is mostly up and he is drinking like a champ. Most importantly, he is no longer pacing in circles to the point of exhaustion and he seems to get sleep. That may be a result of the medication or the reduction in swelling in the brain, but it is welcomed news all the same.

This was the first morning in a week that he was allowed out of the safety of the kitchen to wander the hous

e and only got stuck once under a side table. He even came up to me at the table to press his cold wet nose against my hand as he has done for so many years.

Things are looking up and we're hoping for a major recovery and our old friend back.

The other dogs, however, have grown accustomed to sleeping in all the large beds and are now a bit perplexed why they have to move to make way for this guy who should be sleeping in the kitchen by their accounts.

Tucker the Dizzy Dog

Tucker doesn't feel very well right now. He would prefer it if the world's axis moved much more rapidly in a clockwise fashion. That way, he could stand or lay still and let things move the way his brain wants them to move.

But soon Tucker will be a happy dog walking straight and smiling. Because he made promises and we are going to hold him to them.

Tucker is love and kindness

The Tucker we know is kind and loving and a goof. He likes playing in dirt, playing in snow, playing on asphalt, playing on grass, playing on carpet, playing on rocks. He would probably enjoy playing on the moon if he could devise a master plan to get there.

Tucker is happy and he is happiness.

Dear Dexter, I bring the world nothing but joy and love. Here is an open-mouth kiss for you.