Hello, Polly!

Hi everyone,

Polly just fits. 

If you've been following my blog, you know that Polly is not new to the family. In fact, she is our first honorary kitty, but she was never introduced properly. However long overdue, Polly doesn't mind; she's a happy dog, who always wags her tail. She rarely barks and prefers to lie on a lap or the couch (or both) all day. No wonder she gets along so well with the kitties. Some think that she's just a cat in a good disguise.

Polly is a mom to lots of pups, who joined other families, but she was left in a bad, unhealthy environment when my sister Julie met her at the veterinary practice. Julie saved Polly's life, adopting her and bringing her back to a healthy weight and lifestyle. Because of this radical change for the better, Polly is hopelessly devoted to Julie and the family. Even Mom lets Polly lounge in her spotless, fur-free house during weekend visits! 

Polly doesn't like long walks because she'd rather be on the couch in the living room. Why go out, she asks, when you have everything you need at home? She is not used to stairs or car rides, so sometimes, we have to nudge her up or down steps, and we always have to pick her up to get her into  the back seat of the car. Carmella has scheduled weekly therapy sessions with her to get to the bottom of these rooted roadblocks. 

Polly's ready for work. 

Polly loves to eat, which Norman and Emily completely understand. But, to the surprise of everyone, Mini was Polly's first and fastest kitty friend, who saw her as the giant, comfy, warm pillow she can be. Polly gets along with everyone, and she wants nothing more than to be lazy and surrounded by our loving crowd after so many years of hard labor.

Like everyone, though, Polly has her hobbies and other favorite pastimes. Despite the car ride, she looks forward to the routine of going to work with Julie at the veterinary practice, where she can lounge in the back and chat with the other doctors. Also, as most good moms are, she's great at helping my nephew with homework and video game strategies. Polly likes to read too and typically reads everyone a bedtime story each night. 

She plays fetch outside sometimes, for at least a few minutes; that ball is Polly's nemesis but helps her stay trim. Polly is best at watching the birds, though, and can tell you what's what whenever you point to one. She wants to get a parrot and teach it how to talk so it can help her communicate more clearly to everyone because barking, she says, is pointless. 

Polly doesn't pay much attention to the news, except for the hopeful bits. She hears all the important stuff from Carmella and the cats and is very impressed with the young people, like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. I believe that children are our future, she explains, just like that Whitney Houston song says.

Hello, sunshine!

Polly loves all kinds of music but particularly appreciates the classics, like the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duets, and music from the '60s and '70s, like Joni Mitchell; Carole King; Crosby, Stills, and Nash; and James Taylor. Some of her favorite songs are "Take it Easy" by the Eagles, "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Wings, and "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel. These days, she's a big fan of BTS (but still prefers the fun, harmonizing girl bands, like The Spice Girls and En Vogue). Also, she says the soundtracks to Grease and Xanadu are timeless. (I can't argue with that.)

Polly loves those musicals and so many more. When she's relaxing on the couch, she's usually watching them, along with lots of comedies (mostly classics from the '80s) and fantasy films. Some of her favorites are Ferris Beuller's Day Off (and practically any other John Hughes film); Johnny Dangerously; Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, The Sound of Music, and the Pitch Perfect and Lord of the Rings trilogies. 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Doolittle are at the top of Polly's must-see list right now. She loves Tom Hanks, John Candy, John Cusack, Julie Andrews, and Taylor Swift. And, she thinks Melissa McCarthy is hilarious. (Polly's actually watching The Heat again right now, and she's also about to fall asleep, so I can't ask her any more questions.)

We love you, Polly!