Mr. Minnihan

First, a few words from my favorite dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Main Entry: dachs·hund
Pronunciation: 'däks-"hunt, -"hund; 'däk-s&nt; esp British 'dak-s&nd
Function: noun
Etymology: German, from Dachs badger + Hund dog
Date: 1882
: any of a breed of long-bodied, short-legged dogs of German origin that occur in short-haired, long-haired, and wirehaired varieties. The greatest Dachshund ever known was of course, the world renowned musical instrument, Collie herder, best friend of Lollie, and in general, just a really fine dog, Mr. Minnihan. We wanted a picture of him for this entry because he is the best looking dachshund ever created but Lollie hasn't sent one yet. :<


[years later, finally, here is a picture of the Min man.]
Mr. Minnihan last summer, at age nine. His age shows in his face, but not in his actions or character. He's a little man, but he's still young, playful, and strong too. He's the best friend I've ever had.




It started with a prayer....

In the beginning... I had no dog. My best friend, Deanna, raises beautiful Collies and wanted to give me a Collie puppy. She says that dogs and cats are gifts God made for our pleasure, and it's just plain mean, as well as stupid, to refuse such a precious gift from our creator. At the time, I was living in a 22 foot travel trailer.

'They're too big for my little place,'I explained. Okay...she decided that she would find me a little Sheltie which is just like a Collie only smaller. 'But they have so much hair, you know,' I objected.

Deanna was determined, 'Okay fine. Then a Pug.' Yes, Deanna felt a Pug would be the perfect dog for me...

'Yes, they ARE cute, but they make that snuffling noise all the time you know....'

Deanna's feathers are not easily ruffled. She was only a little curt when she said... 'all right, FINE.... I'm gonna pray for you to get the perfect dog for Lollie, and that's all there is to it.'

'Well, it'll have to be a female cause you know the males can be so rude sometimes and all....'

'I have prayed for the PERFECT dog for YOU,' she replied. 'It will be PERFECT for YOU! The subject is closed.' Deanna is the kind of person that can make a person like me believe in prayer.

One week later we found ourselves down at the flea market selling Collie puppies that Deanna couldn't bear to part with till they were too big and gangly to sell for even half of what they were worth. One kid about 11 kept coming around, all moonie-eyed over the puppies. Deanna and her husband Fred, had put little pink and blue bandanas around their necks to make it easy to tell the girls from the boys and their hair glistened from daily brushing.

At the end of the day, we had one Collie pup left over, and with the mother's permission, Deanna gave the boy the pup. His voice broke and his eyes watered up when he said thanks. To my way of thinking that was worth more than $50 bucks any way you slice it, and if you don't agree, well then, my heart goes out to you is all I can say.

Now I'm not a weekly flea-market visitor... I happen into one about every 6 months or so usually.... but as fate and God would have it, Deanna and I returned to that same flea-market located on the four-lane highway just outside of Woodall, Oklahoma the following weekend.

As we were leaving, we noticed the small, brown dog running in the ditch across the road. 'Aaaawwwwwwwwa' we both said at once.

'Look', Deanna said, 'He doesn't even have a collar on and look how skinny he is!' Then she went to digging in her purse for a cigarette. That was when I knew this was the dog that had been sent in answer to her prayer.

Deanna thinks she's Ellie Mae Clampett. She adopts EVERYTHING. Yet here she was about to let me drive away without picking up the cutest dog you've ever seen???? No way. It was a sign as clear as there ever was one. As soon as the traffic cleared I pulled across and parked on the other side of the road.

Deanna wanted to know what was up. 'Just gettin' my dog.' I say as casual as anyone can when they're looking at the answer to a prayer.

Lollie and Mr. Minnihan. Yes. He's wearing a blonde mohawk. You can hear the story of how he happened to be wearing it, at my page over at keen.com
"Commere' boy... come here...." I said softly, stooping down low to the ground to present less of a threat. He hunkered too... then he wagged his tail a little. "Come on buddy it's time to go home." He perked up like those were just the words he'd been waiting to hear and jumped in the car. I got in, and the first thing he did was start licking Deanna's chin. Little did we know he would become my lifetime favorite pet and Deanna's miniature boyfriend.

This picture is four years old. I no longer wear glasses and Mr. Minnihan no longer wears a mohawk.






Finding a name....

Once home, this small brown stranger began by sniffing around and trying to make love to everyone and everything on the place including the cat, the Collies and a small tree. As I'm watching this incredible display of miniature machismo I can hear everyone around me coming up with cutesy names for him. I remember someone said "Muffin"... someone else came up with "cutie pie." I think Oscar Myer was even mentioned. As I watched him trying to crossbreed with a guinea hen and listened to all the cute names being tossed about I was reminded of my Ex-boyfriend, Kelly Minnihan. Kelly was short, scruffy lookin' and thought every woman in town was his. :) Hence the original Kelly Minnihan was long gone and the name was there for the taking. It stuck from the moment I first called him Mr. Minnihan. Since then, in order to protect him from his own machismo he has been taken to the vet where he has been 'tutored'. Or at least thats what we call it in front of Mr. Minnihan. It was an education he felt like he'd of been fine without, but it has stopped him from attacking rottweilers and we as well as rottweilers all over the world are happy for that much.



Enter Mutant Ninja Kitty.... i.e. 'Velcro'... 'Sugah Mittens'

Note: More will be added to this page soon. For one thing, Mr. Minnihan has acquired his own kitten. He watches over it like a hawk. It is not an ordinary kitty. I will have pictures of both of them posted by September 1997 (This was not a fib. I believed it when I wrote this segment back in 1997.) but in the meantime I want to describe Mr. Minnihan's kitten to you. First of all she is a mostly white 'mutant ninja kitty'. She has 6 toes on each foot. On the front two feet, the two extra toes stick together and stick out in such a way that it looks as if she has thumbs and she's wearing pretty little fur mittens. Her upper arms are too short, her forearms are too long thus giving her front legs that look like the arms of a spider monkey. Her hind legs are too long for her body and look like they belong on a jackrabbit. She has a possum's tail, her ears are too large for her head and her eyes are different sizes and placed unevenly like Alfred E. Neuman's from the cover of Mad Magazine.

I promise, you'll want to see pictures of this little baby and I promise to provide them as soon as I possibly can. Oh yeah and I promise the photos will not be tampered with or doctored in anyway. This kitty is very real. We've had a difficult time settling on a name for her. I call her 'Mutant Ninja Kitty', 'Velcro', and 'Sugah Mittens' so far.



Exit Mutant Ninja Kitty"

I shouldn't make so many promises. (grin) Houston... there was a problem. No one thought anything when I got what appeared to be Strep throat about the time Velcro became part of our family. We didn't put two plus two together until I'd had the kitten for a month - strep for two weeks and a worsening case of laryngitis for two more weeks. I never paid that much attention to when my voice would fade out and when it would get stronger. I didn't put any of it together until my Doctor explained that i was allergic to 'Velcro's hair'.

That same day I gave Velcro to a cat lover I know who has another kitten about the same age. We're good friends and I can visit Velcro when I've recovered but only for short visits as my vocal chords will allow. Also, we shampooed the carpets, mopped the floors, wiped down everything including the walls and sanitized all the curtains and bed linens. My voice is getting better. People can hear me from over three feet away now!

Mr. Minnihan had grown attached to Sugah Mittens in spite of himself and moped around the house whining and "sighing" at me for two days before it dawned on him that Mom's lap was all his again. You can guess where he's asleep now, as I'm typing this. :)

Here is a little humor and insight you can maybe use as further aid to increase healthy happiness in your life. The philosophy of life, by dogs... contributed by val of Val's Value Venue

Things We Can Learn From Dogs

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When friends or family visit, always run to greet them.

When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.

Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

Take naps and stretch before rising.

Run, romp and play daily.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

Be loyal.

Don't worry, be happy.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout -- run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.



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Awarded September 7th, 1997




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