wow - a 3-fer. Today was warm...a light jacket over a thin long-sleeved top, sitting on the back step with a new magazine...pup was hunting for a bone she'd left somewhere. As is her usual routine, she came up and snuggled in against my legs looking for a puppy massage. she hasn't gotten nearly enough attention lately, so i soothed her old bones and scratched in her favorite spots, not stopping til she was ready to go look for her bone again. i read a few sentences, and she was back for more. always when we do this, i end it by giving her a kiss on top of her head, saying "and there's where the extra love is, in case you run out." off she went to chew on her reclaimed bone. a few sentences later - the face of a little arctic fox was staring intently at me. more, please. i asked her "did your love run out already?" and then i realized what the lesson was: love isn't meant to be stored up for later...it's meant to be used up fully and recharged and refilled.