"Smiles"

If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills, be cheerful by ignoring aches and pains, resist complaining and boring people with your troubles, eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it, understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time, love people even when they take things out on you that you had no control over, take criticism and blame without resentment, face the world without telling lies or deceiving anyone, conquer tension without medical help, relax without liquor and sleep without the aid of drugs- you are probably the family dog.

"A Stump for a Tail"

You can't by loyalty, they say.  I bought it though, the other day.

You can't buy friendship, tried and true, well just the same, I bought that too.

I made my bid, and on the spot, bought love and faith and a whole job lot of happiness.

So all in all, the purchase price was pretty small.

I bought a single trusting heart, that gave devotion from the start.

If you think these things are not for sale, buy a brown-eyed puppy with a stump for a tail.

Unknown

Excerpts from "Pets' Letters to God" by Mark Bricklin (a terrific book!)

-"Dear God, Is it true that in Heaven, dining room tables have on-ramps?" p.40

-"Dear God, Is there really a food called 'moused potatoes" or is this just another myth? p.16

-"Dear God, Do bird angels have 2 sets of wings, or is the one enough?" p.5

-"Dear God, Why do I have to share my aquarium with a catfish?  Is this somebody's idea of a joke?" p.38