Tilda the pup teaches his humans a lesson worth learning. (True story)

Lila took the fresh muffins from the oven. The kitchen smelled of cheese and ham and she switched on the coffee machine to warm up.
Wil and Vi were coming to her home to hear the next story that she had found on their website:
the “ Wil, Lil and Vi survivors’ club”. It was attracting a lot of positive attention.

Since the telling of the last one about Billy the grey horse who saved all seven horses from being roasted alive, she had found another delightful animal story about a pup who taught her a thing or two about being over sensitive – a subject that put her on the defensive.

She bit into a test muffin and the soft texture was offset by the generous bits of ham and lots of crispy cheese that had melted on the top.

own photograph,

She used a faithful old recipe that could be prepared in a jiffy and sparkled up with bits of things like her choice for the day, ham and finely chopped onion with a dash of mustard to give it a ‘zing’!

Wil shouted with glee from the front door, ‘my favourite cheesy muffins, please please the recipe today Lila!’

‘It’s that old basic favourite easy recipe Wil,’ she said over the heap of thickly buttered muffins.

‘Here I’ve typed it out, I know you and your old fashioned cook book. Today I’ve done a double portion so you can take some home for your freezer.
The basic is:
(remember to heat your oven to 180 ` C before you start)

1 A heaped big cup of self raising flour
2 Add a half teaspoon of bi carb to make them light and fluffy with all that heavy chopped ham and the finely
chopped half onion…..about a cupful.
3 Tip -Sieve the bicarb, even a tiny lump will definitely make you gag…..
4 Mix one large egg with two thirds of a cup of milk…..mix well with half a teaspoon of mustard.
5 A generous cup of grated cheese that has a good flavour. Keep some extra to put on top for a delicious crispy
topping.

Mix well and add water so that the consistency is moist and the mixture holds its shape on a spoon when you ladle it into the patty pans.

I have used a pan that makes 12 small muffins. Ideal at a tea party when a person probably wants a piece of cake as well.
‘I’ll just have several of these,’ said Wil laughing. The smell of coffee is tantalising too!’

own photograph

'Now the story,' demanded Vi eagerly as soon as she saw that Lila had sipped her coffee.
‘This story comes from a reader named Lee and took place in her family when they brought a new pup into their family. Lee has 4 kids and Tilda a gorgeous Boxer was number 6 in her dog pack.

The whole family is dog crazy.

A new puppy in their household is put in a sleeping cage at bedtime with Lee and her husband so that they can make sure it is warm, safe and they can soothe it when necessary.

Tilda showed her independence early when she discovered that the 3 Boston terriers each slept with a child and the two fluffy big spaniels had a cushioned comfortable kennel on a veranda off the master bedroom. They had access to the garden through a dog flap and were vigilant watchdogs at night.

She was keen to join them.

They however curled their lips at this boisterous puppy and gave her warning growls that she was trespassing if she even poked her nose into their kennel. The gold female would nip her now and then to keep Tilda in her place.

Tilda took no notice of their ambivalence.
While she enjoyed playing endlessly with the Bostons, she found the spaniels turned backs an invitation to lean against them. She found their silky furry bodies irresistible especially as winter crept in.

She soon let Lee and her husband know that she was too big for the bed time cosseting and that she was ready to take on the responsibility of learning to be a watch dog on their large property. Very amused Lee watched this growing pup go outside after the bedtime biscuit and walk in the garden and join the spaniels in their kennel.

They were against this ‘kid’ joining them and tried to make her life as unpleasant as possible. Tilda simply didn’t take their growls and nips personally. She would wait for them to be curled up in a glorious mass of gold and black fur and pile in on top of them, wriggling until her smooth body was in between theirs and covered in the duvet of their fluffy bodies. With deep throated rumbles and grumpy adjustments the 2 older dogs would sigh deeply, close their eyes and sleep.
Tilda had found her place, her idea of heaven.

Lee put the ‘puppy sleeping cage’ back in the rafters of the garage.

As Tilda matured into a sleek and quick witted dog it was she who became the black spaniel’s mate in their gallops around the property, often at 2am to give the neighbourhood the signal that all was well on 42 West Road.
The gold female was happy to give up that responsibility and stayed in the kennel keeping it cosy and warm for their return.
Gradually Tilda assumed second in command in the dog pack under Lee who was most definitely the leader.’

Lila finished the story and her last sip of coffee. ‘That Tilda has taught me a huge lesson about survival,’ she confided. ‘As old as I am,’ and she smiled broadly, ‘I have always been over sensitive to other people and imagine that they are critical of what I wear, say and do!’ She rattled her empty cup on its saucer. ‘ I guess it stems from my mother who always picked on small details of my clothes, friends and my table manners.’ She sighed.

Wil patted her on her arm. ‘You have come a long way in the confidence stakes since we met you, bloody and broken in that bus accident a year ago Lila.’
‘Yes, I was in deep depression and was wondering how I could end my misery. Seems like a very long time ago. You two have revived my confidence and I’ve even spoken to my mother on several occasions.’

‘You are in a sense Lila, a survivor not only of that bus accident but of your upbringing,’ added Vi. ‘As for me I was MRS GRUMPY when we became friends. She squeezed Wil’s hand as he took hers. ‘You guys………..saved me!’

‘In a sense we are all survivors of one thing or another,’ thought Lila thoughtfully as she swept up the crumbs and put the cups into the dish washer. ‘Each one of us should take Tilda the bold pup as an example. She took absolutely no notice of non acceptance in the pack. She knew her worth and simply persevered until others accepted her.
My stand exactly since I found two people who have helped me to believe in myself.
She stood still and took in the beauty of the bouquet of sunflowers that Wil and Vi had brought her..... and smiled in contentment.