My Twin Sister, Harley....

This is me, Mabel, not my twin sister, Harley (just in case you can't tell us apart).

Oh, it has been a very long day today!

Remember when I wrote about the white marbles that fell from the sky (Hail, I think it's called)? The stuff that bonked my sister cat, Agnes, so hard in the head that she just sat and stared off into space for a week or so?

Well, it hit the houses around here pretty hard too. At least, that's what Mama #2 told me today after the noise started.

Yes, the noise. I don't know what else to call it. There are strange men hanging around on the roof next door. They are scraping stuff off the roof and tossing it off the house. They are unrolling this black stuff on the roof, then pounding, pounding, pounding and pounding some more on the roof.

Harley is hysterical.

You know that I don't like to say bad things about my sister (My identical twin sister! So you know she's beautiful!). BUT, she does have these anxiety issues. And all that pounding, pounding, pounding is making her nervous. And when she's nervous, she barks. And barks. And barks!

So, she's been barking since early morning.The strangers arrived soon after the Mamas had left for the day. Maggie, my super smart big sister, had talked Mama #2 into letting her sleep on the couch in the TV room this morning. So, I was left alone with my barking sister. 

I tried to calm her. I jumped on her. I chased her. I even bit her tail! (That's a little embarrassing to admit, but I was desperate!). 

Finally, I dug up one of my favorite rawhides to give to her. It didn't help.

I thought she'd pass out, from lack of breathing (It's hard to breathe when you are barking so much!). I'm surprised her barker didn't break! (Personally, I prefer not to bark unless absolutely necessary -- and I find it is rarely necessary).
When Mama #2 came home mid-day to eat, she found poor Harley barking away. She picked her up. She held her close. She wrapped her up in her special "thundercoat" and covered her up with a blanket. Harley calmed down.
I was able to snooze for almost an hour before Mama #2 left again. I hoped she might stay home the rest of the day to keep my dear sister calm -- and to let me continue to snooze. But NO! She had to leave. BUT, she did make my older sister Maggie stay in the special pup room with us.
Harley barked. And barked. And Barked some more.
Finally, she took her rawhide and curled up in a corner and passed out. I went over to her and curled up around her and took her rawhide (Harley didn't mind, she was asleep. Besides, I gave it to her, so I can take it back if I want to).
The Mamas came home and Harley was OK last night. I dread tomorrow.

I wonder if My Martha can come and stay with us? Harley could curl up on her lap and they could snooze together and I could get some peace and quiet! (and I wouldn't miss my morning nap or my afternoon snooze).

Harley, looking exhausted after a long day of barking.

Recovered!

Here I am, a mere shadow of my former, robust self.

Your Diva is now fully recovered from my recent illness.

Amazing.

Amazing because I had to recover without proper nourishment. Yes, the Mamas tried to make me eat this disgusting dry, crunchy, questionable tasting junk food that my doctor sent home with us. I went on a two week hunger strike. It did no good; everytime I turned around, there was the disgusting food. 

Harley would have eaten it for me. Harley wouldn't mind.

But no, the Mamas wouldn't let her eat it, they just kept putting it down over and over again for me. Just me.

(OK, I admit it; I did eat it sometimes, but I made Mama #2 hand feed it to me, piece by disgusting piece. I did have to eat something to survive).

They even tried to mix stuff with it. 

Mama #1 first mixed some tasty gravy with the dry disgusting stuff. It was good for 2 maybe 3 bites.

Then, Mama #2 tried pouring chicken broth over it.

Chicken broth! How disgusting! Disgusting and more disgusting food will NOT make me eat! I totally rejected that attempt.

Cruel and unusual punishment, just for being a little sick (OK, just for being near death).

Horrifying.

The final straw was last night. Mama #1 had the brilliant idea of mixing this yucky food with some delicious canned food. I watched closely as Mama #1 carefully stirred the really disgusting food into the wonderful canned food.

I pondered my choice; should I eat the horrible food just to get a taste of the wonderful food? Or should I just reject all of it?

When Mama #1 put the mixed bowl in front of me, I lost my head for a moment (I really didn't lose my head, it's just an expression) and started gobbling food. I guess I really was starving to death.

As my stomach started to fill up and the desperation went out of my eating, I realized I didn't have to eat the disgusting food, I could just suck the wonderful food off the hard, dry disgusting stuff.

 See the disgusting, dry food on the floor? Once I sucked the wonderful, delicious canned food off the awful dry stuff, I carefully placed it on the floor where Harley could eat it. Harley didn't mind cleaning up for me.

See what a smart Diva I am?

And, my plan worked; today, I received not one but TWO bowls of delicious, canned food. It was not mixed with the dry, disgusting stuff. Mama #2 went back to my doctor and demanded that he give me better food --- if I had to eat a special diet. And he did! 

I am in heaven! Canned food twice a day! Even Harley and Maggie don't rate that highly with the Mamas!

I am definitely #1 Pup again!

Note from Mama #2: Diva Mabel is still eating her special diet, but now she eats canned special diet, not dry special diet. After a two week hunger strike, we gave in. She'd lost weight, but she does have to eat to get better. I hate to say it, but the Diva won this battle of wills. Canned food twice a day for the next two weeks. The Diva is in heaven.

Note 2: the picture Diva Mabel posted of herself is well over a year old; she was only 6 months old. She was definately smaller and thinner then. She is not this thin or small today.