April 12 Times Two

I'm a day late, but April 12 is associated with great memories for me.


First, it is the birthday of my 3rd grade teacher, Debra Andrews (then--Debra Swinson). I have wonderful memories of being in her class. I felt welcome. She went out of her way to make each child feel special and it worked for me. I felt special. She had a bi-monthly activity where a child's name would be selected from a hat. We each then wrote something that we liked about that classmate. She would copy those statements onto card stock--in perfect penmanship, one card for each statement and hang them on a classroom wall. She also had an exercise where we would reach into a bucket and pull out a slip of paper with a word on it: lipstick, washing machine, typewriter, etc. and we would speak for 2 minutes about that item in front of the class - impromptu. I confess that my favorite memory of Mrs. Swinson (errrr....Debra) is that she let me wear my red earmuffs indoors...during class...all day long - or, that's what I remember. She never asked me to take them off. I had chronic ear problems - infections, ruptured ear drums, operations and the like. I remember telling her that they made my ears feel better. She believed me. Third grade came after two very strenuous years in my family and I think that my red earmuffs gave me a sense of security. Thank you, Mrs....I mean Debra, for letting me wear my earmuffs in class.


I somehow got wind of Debra's birthday when I was a third grader and I remember taking up a class collection, getting her a pair of earrings, and bringing in a homemade cake for her birthday. When I was in the 4th grade, I made a cake that year, too. Kristin McLean (now Mather) and I (and one other girl - maybe Shannon Leo Potter?) were dismissed from class and permitted to bring the cake to Debra's classroom, which was in one of the trailers outside of Williams School. I felt so grown-up, walking from Cone School to the trailers and arriving with my homemade cake in hand. I can still remember the way the aluminum pan felt in my hands on the way over to her classroom. I could be wrong, but I think that I did this every year until I left for Mt. Ararat to start 7th grade. After that, I sent her a birthday card every year. I thought that I had a picture of Debra, but I guess that this picture of my third grade class will have to do. Happy Birthday to my 3rd Grade Teacher!

Now...here's the "take 2" part of April 12. In 2009, on April 12, we brought Drake home from the breeder's - way up in Bradford, Maine. It was Easter when we picked up Drake. He was a handful right from the start. We picked him from from among three other puppies. Neil loved the way that Drake strutted around the whelping box, demonstrating confidence and self-assurance even at eight weeks old.

I stood in the breeder's kitchen holding Drake, or trying to hold him. He squirmed and wiggled and whimpered until the breeder suggested that I put him down. Another couple was also picking up a puppy. Their puppy was quite, docile, and seemed to love being petted. Every time I tried to pet Drake he would wiggle all over the place. I wondered about this puppy business and remembered how little I had enjoyed Blackberry's puppyhood. I have trouble relating to and trying to tame anything that is unruly (don't even get started on how I am married to Neil....). But, we had selected a puppy and we were off. From the moment that we entered the car, Drake started to howl and wiggle. He was happiest on the floor in front of my feet. He howled and wiggled and whimpered some more, but eventually fell asleep.

Pictures from that day, however, also show that Drake's intense bonding with me happened from the moment that we were in the car.

That's pretty much what life was like with Drake for the first three-fourth months. He was easily stimulated--to put it gently! He was over the top anytime anyone tried to pet him. He would wiggle and attack you, licking you all over. It was everything that anyone could do to pull him off of you. Picking him up was almost out of the question as he would wrestle out of your grip. He was, and still is, one of the happiest and most enthusiastic beings I had ever known. (More enthusiastic than me!) At one point, when I was completely overwhelmed on day 5 or 6 with Drake, I discussed with Neil and my friend, Kathy, the possibility of "trading" Drake for a different puppy. There was no doubt that he was a little rascal, as this photo here, shows.

I didn't see how he would ever settle down and become my buddy. Drake went to work with me every day for the remainder of the semester. I'm not sure how I managed given his personality. Faculty and students alike loved him and thought he was adorable. He was, if you liked a wiggly, squirmy dog that went bonkers any time you approached him and that licked you all over. Drake still licks obsessively...floors, car seats, filing cabinets, lamp shades, and humans, of course, as demonstrated in this photo.

But, Drake eventually did settle down and without a doubt, he's my buddy now, always by my side...unless we are outside...and there are other dogs, or a Frisbee or a source of water. Then? Just stand back, because this confident, self assured dog, is prepared to have fun!