Ode to Ophelia

Ophelia, Ophelia... Not from Hamlet, but it is from another classic story by an American author. Harriet Breecher Stowe wrote a novel called "Uncle Tom's Cabin" that changed the way America viewed slaves and the slave trade. A character in this book is named Ophelia, and my mother was reading this book when her and dad got a puppy... Her name was set as Reba by the breeders, and my folks had already agreed to name her Sedalia. But on the drive home from picking her up, somehow her name became Ophelia...

Now, I have a special bond with Ophelia. We're buddies. Not that Turk and I aren't buddies, but Ophelia and I have a special thing between us. Maybe because we are both girls. Whenever I get hungry or sleepy or wet, I tend to cry. If I am downstairs, the first to arrive on the scene is ALWAYS Ophelia. She will sit down in front of me and stare at me, sometimes tilting her head the cute way dogs do. I don't think she understands how to make me a bottle, otherwise I bet she would.

And while I am laying down in my play gym, Ophelia loves to lay down beside me and stare at me. Ophelia loves attention about as much as I do, and one way she tells you she wants attention is by placing a paw on you. Well, she does this to me a lot. I try my darnest to get my hands down and pet her, but stupid motor skills haven't developed that far yet. By this time, Ophelia is dying for my attention, so sometimes she will inch as close to me as possible, even wrapping paws around me!!

Don't worry though, my play gym is literally at my mother's feet while she is working on the computer (she works from home three times a week, so I don't have to go to daycare!) and mom's eyes are ever aware of how close Ophelia is getting to me. Once Turk tried to lay down beside me and Mom made him move, she said his motor skills are worse than mine and didn't trust his big paws next to my body. I don't blame her...his toenails are bigger than my whole finger!! His paw is bigger than my face!!!

But I love my dear Ophelia...here are some of my favorite photos of the dear soul...

(running in the snow)

(at the lake - no, she didn't jump, Gramps pushed her!)
(laying in front of the stove - her favorite place in the house!)
(putting her head outside the car window!)

(celebrating New Year's Eve)