The Devine Miss Midgie

Our Guest Pet Blogger today is the sumptuous and daring Thea Devine. . . known far and wide in the romance world for her tough, sensual heroes and erotically venturesome heroines. But she has a softer, more playful side as well. Who would have guessed that there was a Devine Miss M behind the Devine Miss T?

"This is our Midgie, who came to us when she was a two year old unhappy, nippy untrained mini-doxie. She was my nearly blind 90 year old mother-in-law's dog, a gift from a well-meaning granddaughter when mom's dog died unexpectedly. When mom went into the hospital, we took Midgie, despite the fact we had our beloved lab mix Maggie and sister cats Charlotte and Emily Bronte.

I did NOT want the dog. I particularly did not want this dog, who'd run free for two years and who, on the ride home I soothed by calling her Munchkin. Munch. Munchie.

But I fell in love almost immediately. She proved so easy to train that she would run to the door or bat her bowl with her nose when she wanted out; and when I intuit what she wants correctly, she jumps up and down or races around joyously. She loves company on the couch, doesn't like to be held but she loves a good tummy rub.

And I realized that she had had a rough two baby years: she was taken from her mother at six weeks, put on an airplane and flown to New York from Texas, handled by strangers, given to an old lady who really couldn't take of her, and abruptly removed from that environment into one with big dog and more strangers. I wonder that she's so good, so even tempered, such a delight.

Surprisingly, there were no integration problems with Maggie or the cats. And when Maggie developed cancer and had a leg amputated, it was Munch who lay with her for hours on the couch, mirroring her body language in a most fascinating way. When my mom came to live with us, she fell in love with Midgie too. But I'm the worst and most intrusive. I'm always holding or petting her. I make up silly nicknames: Mrs. Goodmunch, chunky munchie, Desdemunchie. And you know that famous play, A Moon for the Munchbegotten ...? I'm gaga over this dog, absolutely nuts about her. Can't imagine our life without her.

Maggie passed away last year, after surving a year of cancer and teaching us all how deal with illness gracefully. Emily died suddenly of kidney failure. Charlotte is 18 now, and coping with the addition of two new and younger cats to the family. And Midgie keeps going in her funny Munchie way. Just look at the picture. Don't you think she's smiling?"

Thea Devine
Her Little Black Book
Pocket Books, October 06