I Love Lucy

This version of "I Love Lucy" is not a review of an old Ricky, Lucy, Fred and Ethel rerun. This is the story of a re-life Lucy who may be as spunky as Lucy Ricardo was, but she certainly doesn't get in as much trouble! There is a saying, "A dog is man's best friend because it wags its tail - and not its tongue." Well, I thank the Lord for my precious little "chihuaweenie" Lucy Lu-Lu...the little princess of the Jeter household.

Lucy's mother was a red miniature dachshund and her father was a small "white" chihuahua (still haven't figured how they hooked up), but Lucy is the sweetest, most loyal friend and gives unconditional love.

Our lives changed when we brought her home 6 years ago. She really has a lot of personality - she is so smart! She craves teriyaki beef jerky and Clift's homemade sausage balls, and when we sit down to eat...she thinks it's time for her to eat. When she's not harrassing us for a bite, or glaring up through the glasstop kitchen table with her begging little eyes...she'll just mosey over to her food station and eat whatever is there while we eat. She will take you down for some deer meat too! Insistent on standing on a rug instead of my kitchen tile to eat...she grabs the bite and runs into the dining room to leave all her crumbs on my new contemporary rug!

She's a snuggler...and that's just a chihuahua trait...they want to stay warm all the time. She likes to be completely covered up with a blanket on your chest or in your lap (I don't see how she breathes like that). My kids have even spoiled her by plugging up a heating pad for her to lay on. I'm telling you, this gal is "pampered." She has an ultra plush suede and silkened fur bed that's about 4 times bigger than her. She just gets lost in it - you have to roll a round to find her in it.

She has a toy that we call "the baby." I bought it at Walmart for 80 cents...looks sort of like the "hoops & yo-yo" characters on the singing Hallmark cards that wreak on your nerves. If you ask her, "Lucy, where's the baby? Bring me the baby," she will go nuts...she'll whimper and grunt and will go get her baby. We will say, "Lucy, now spank that baby. Spank it!" and she will take that squeeky toy in her mouth and literally slam her head back and forth, left to right knocking it to the ground..."spanking the baby." It's a brutal whipping and it is absolutely hilarious. The more you cheer her on to "spank the baby," the more she beats it. I've often said it's much cuter than any of the funniest animal videos on tv. It occurred to me that I need to submit a video of her spanking the baby. Some have won $10,000 on there just for having their bird chirp. Why...we could possibly win some money!

It's interesting to me how a dog will sense that you are down, when even family members don't. Of course I just had surgery and the day I came home from the hospital she was so excited to see us, but she soon figured out that she couldn't run and jump in my lap like she normally does. She quickly toned down and sort of had a creepy way about moving around me...trying to be careful not to hurt me. Her common reaction was to try to do something to cheer me up, even if that meant having to settle for lying at my feet rather than in my lap.

Lucy gives me (and my family) unconditional love...she is totally devoted to us. Once the trust is established, a dog will stick with you through thick and thin. They will share your joys and happiness, be there through your sorrow, always trying to give you love and never expecting a great deal in return. That's a true friend isn't it? I Do Love Lucy.