On the Verge of Lunacy

Manu was expert at begging. He looks at you with his brown, soulful eyes. Sometimes he'd smile so you'd see how cute he is. We loved taking pictures of Manu and his spots. Manu was brave when he had to but he hated rainy days and was miserable on thunderstorms. Ever curious, Manu loved to smell and watch. When he doesn't like the smell he'd snort, shake his head and make a gagging sound. Lazy Manu loved to sleep all day. When he wanted pats and hugs he'd use his front paws to poke you. You must look at him or he'd keep poking. Manu loved the camera. When he's in a good mood he'd even smile. He was a big dog but he scares easily. Good dog Manu. Sometimes Manu looks lonely. He'd stare at something and he'd have that sad look on his face as if he's contemplating the world's problems. He knew how to look sorry when he did something wrong. How can you not forgive that face? Manu whined ...

Manu (more known as Nung) December 9, 2005 - June 21, 2014 I remember the night you were born. You were so beautiful. You were the second eldest puppy in the litter and the biggest among your siblings. No one said anything but everyone silently agreed that we were gonna keep you.  You might have been the largest puppy but when it came to feeding and finding your way to your mom you were slow and clumsy. You always smelled of poop and one of the other puppies sometimes peed on you. The first time I put you on my lap I was in love. We decided to name you after Manu Ginobili, but we loved calling you Nung among your many (and I mean a lot) nicknames. You were as gentle and loving as you were cute. You have always been photogenic even in your last weeks. That's why you have more pics. Name every angle, we have pics of you. Even when new dogs came, you were the favorite.  You growing up with Dunkin and Chubby was fun to watch. Dunkin was more playful and Chubby ...

Manu. Born December 9, 2005. We named after Manu Ginobili of San Antonio Spurs. Very sweet and smart... and maybe a bit spoiled. Eldest of late Timmy's (she was one of our dogs too) litter and the only surviving descendant.                                                   Tonia. Born June 14, 2012. We named her after Tony Parker of San Antonio Spurs. She has huge appetite and loves to snuggle. She looked starved and lonely when we bought her from a guy selling half-breed puppies on the street. Hachi. Born May 29, 2012. Named after Hachiko of the movie of the same name. Extremely energetic (and a bit destructive if left alone at home) and loves to kiss and snuggle family members. We got her from my sister's friend who breeds dogs.

Irish Fairy Tales is a collection of ten stories mostly about the Fenian Cycle. The tales which feature Finn primarily, begins with the story of the settlement of different races in Ireland. The rest of the stories are about the people related to Finn or about Finn himself. The following are the stories contained in this book: The Story of Tuan Mac Cairill The Boyhood of Fionn The Birth of Bran Oisin's Mother The Wooing of Becfola The Little Brawl at Allen The Carl of the Drab Coat The Enchanted Cave of Cesh Corran Becuma of the White Skin Morgan's Frenzy Although most of the stories are related to the Fenian cycle, there was no mention of Oisin other than the story of his birth. There was no mention of Grania and Dermot too. The stories are easy to understand even if the reader is not familiar with Celtic mythology in general. When Stephens used an unfamiliar term, he explained its meaning. Readers who are well-versed with the Fenian cycle however, will find...

This beautiful tale of loyalty and friendship will surely make dog lovers cry. It is a remake of the Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari about an Akita named Hachiko who found love and friendship with a music professor named Parker Wilson. Parker tried to find the owners of the puppy who he found wandering in the train station and he even offered it to other people. But no one claimed Hachi. Even then he was becoming more attached to the dog. His wife was reluctant at first but she soon accepted the loving Hachi into the family as well. For the next two years, Hachi grew more attached to Parker. He would often accompany the professor to the train station every morning and then wait for him to come home. It became their habit to meet outside the station. Hachi would wait for his master on the same spot. Some people near the train station noticed this too. Then one day, his master never came back. Hachi did not know that Parker has passed away. Parker's daughter decided to take...

I read a passage in Dean Koontz's book, The Darkest Evening of the Year, that loving dogs is a 'penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we made because of those illusion'. We take them in knowing that a dog's life is short. The inevitability of losing a friend would force us to share their joys and pains. Their death reminds us that whatever we do with our lives, we can only do it once. Death is not at all that bad because it humbles us. It reminds us to cherish those we love, including creatures who repay us with love and loyalty. My mother Rhoda has always been fond of dogs. We grew up with a proud half-breed spitz named Dogart. I remember when me and my mother took him home. He was in an open red plastic bag and everytime he crawled on my mother's lap at the back of the bus on our way home, I would giggle with delight. He was furry and ferocious even as a puppy. I remember he bit me once when he was having his dinner and I tr...

I'm sorry I failed you as a friend I'm sorry I could not do anything to ease your pain I'm sorry that your cries for companionship and comfort are ignored at night I'm sorry we complained I'm sorry we could not fulfill your expectations We tried to do everything but we lost the battle Yet you never gave up Hope sparkled in your eyes everytime a loving hand soothes you We did not see it coming You were so full of life and joy You liked to play You loved me even if sometimes I wasn't such a good friend to you You greeted us with a wag of tail everytime we approach you even if you're in pain I'm sorry we could not do anything Why did it have to be you You were loved You were special Just like all dogs I'm sorry our efforts failed You will always be remembered Thank you for being a good friend Thank you for the smiles, for every wag of tail, for the happiness you brought, for being naughty while you're waiting to be fed, for being cute even if you h...