Hip, hip, hooray, Daisy turns one today. Not only has she filled our house with her happy personality, but she has stolen our hearts with her kisses and smiles. Yes, she does smile, and she just loves being with us, and that love extends to everyone she meets. She is a breath of fresh air on a rainy day, sunshine on a cloudy day, and pure joy every day. She continually surprises us with her antics, and of course, she is a toy poodle, making her very smart. She came to us when we needed her most and helped to heal the pain of so many losses last year, one of which was our beloved Gracie. I was a bit skeptical of getting another white toy poodle, thinking that the new dog would remind me of Gracie, but the choice was taken out of my hand when we went to the breeder, and Daisy was the only dog that came over to me and started kissing my hand. Let me tell you, she chose me, and she has been kissing us ever since. In no way does she resemble Gracie except in being innovative. Gracie was gentle and sweet. Daisy is a whirlwind. Where Gracie was shy, Daisy is a rock star attracting all kinds of attention wherever she goes. I look at her precious face, and I see a confident rascal who exhausts me with her energy, but then, when it’s time to rest, she quietly gets on my lap, and we have tea and cookies. I will always miss Gracie. She was the best dog ever. I mean that. Now Daisy is in town; our work is cut out for us. We have been blessed again. I know she is the right pooch for us.

On October 9th, Daisy came home with us, and she met her new family. She wasn’t too shy, and she let everyone pick her up. The boys loved that because Gracie did not like to be held by the boys when she was a pup. I think Daisy and the boys will be best friends. Before too long, both Daisy and Papa were pretty tired, so they went off to bed. Daisy fell right to sleep. Just look how cute and snuggly she was. Unfortunately for her, she got moved into her little crate that night and slept in the bedroom with us. She did amazingly well.

First things first, Daisy learns about grass and potty training. She did fairly well, but she was well over six months before she really understood the entire concept. Now, she is great at it. In November, she went to her first football game. Jaxson just loved carrying her around and then declared her his best friend. I think he related to all his “stuffies,” and she felt like one of them to him. The first road trip was in early December when we visited Chris and Julia in Camden, Maine. Lots of first on this trip. She had a long car ride in her car seat, her first time sleeping in bed with us because she cried in her “pink castle.” Also, first time sharing space with Gus, Chris, and Julia’s dog. She is learning how the outside world works. She did great, though, and loved being with everyone and meeting and greeting people downtown. Her “rock star” life has begun.

Christmas is always busy with lots of people, flying wrapping paper, and little boys full of the Christmas spirit, so we decided it was best for Daisy to spend the day home and enjoy some couch time. She is growing for sure but not at a very fast pace. She is, however, getting cuter and smarter every day. On New Year’s eve, once again, she was home but then again, so were we…our little family of three. She was the best gift from last year. The last photo is Daisy’s first visit to the Salem Willows in January. She is definitely a dog that loves the ocean. That’s good for her because that is where I spend most of my time, and Salem is my hometown, so I visit often. She lets me take photos of her, and she is learning to smile, although you might not have picked up on that. I loved her hair-do back then. Sweetness overload, right there.

She is starting to change and is becoming more like a little dog than a puppy. She finally got a haircut, and in the last photo, taken on her second visit to the beach, she looks pretty cool. She is still only 3 pounds, but that doesn’t bother her, and now she likes to dress up a bit, mostly in pink. She learns new tricks daily and is now pretty much all settled in. She loves it when the doorbell rings and runs to meet all who come here with her tail wagging 90 miles an hour.

She meets and greets people waiting for coffee at Tatte’s bakery, and then she snuggles up with a shop owner on Charles Street. Everyone wants to pick her up. Cracks me up. Once again, Jim is enjoying himself as her keeper. I think Jim and Daisy would do fine without me. LOL.

After lunch, we took a stroll through the neighborhood of Cambridge, and it wasn’t long before the cleaning crew arrived at a house just as we were passing. Daisy charmed them again. She is really starting to act like a Princess now. The last stop of the day was the bookstore. Jim decided to sit outside with her while I shopped. He needed a break even if Daisy didn’t.

This was Daisy’s last trip of her first year. Although three days after she turned one, she took her first ferry boat ride to Nova Scotia. I can honestly say she is a great little traveler. She loves every place she goes. She never complains about how long it takes to get there. Perhaps she knows the secret, which is to enjoy the ride because something good is coming your way at the end. She has grown into the most loving and funny dog. She still needs some work, but she has accomplished all the big stuff, and now we are working on the small stuff. She indeed is a gift. Although we still miss Gracie, I think Daisy was the right dog to follow in Gracie’s footsteps.