Every Single Day

"I'm just living daily and I thank God for every day that I have." -Daniel Jacobs

"Good morning, Mother. Have you considered serving me breakfast in bed?"

I'm one for starting the day off with a freshly made bed.

I usually sweep my bedroom floor to boot, and straighten up any stray socks my husband may have thrown on the floor.

Just kidding. My husband has literally never thrown a single sock on the floor during our nearly four decades of married life. Not even once. Into the clothes hamper they go, just like clockwork.

But the truth is that I have a different problem in my morning cleaning routine. 

She is eighty pounds of Irish delight and her name is Gracie.

And the truth is also that she isn't trying to cause me any trouble. 

All my darling girl wants to do is catch a few last winks as I prepare to go downstairs, and she just happens to like to do that on my bed. Preferably on my husband's pillows. 

But have you ever tried to make a bed around a large and lazily lounging lady bear? It's not easy but I have found a way.

I encourage her all the way up to the top of the bed

Then I gently slide the covers out from under her furry self.

And I simply make the bed over the top of her.

When I first tried this, I figured she would leap out of the bed the instant I pulled the comforter up over her already toasty warm body. My previous setters would have stood for this nonsense for a total of zero seconds before kicking their way out to freedom.

But Gracie seems to quite like her cozy nest. She watches with interest as I continue to smooth out all the wrinkles and plump my pillows just so. I don't dare touch the ones she's using. 

And she reclines with regal ease as I finish up whatever chores remain.

Only when I am completely done do I walk to the door, open it, and as I step out into the hall, call "Come on, Grace. Let's go down."

Then she gracefully slips out from the covers, tiptoes across the smooth blankets, delicately hops to the floor, then thunders down the stairs like a runaway locomotive. 

Thus another day with Gracie begins. Every single one is a good one.