DREAMING IS FREE!
Ode to a Beast Friend, Whimsical Photos of an Ex-Cop and His Mom, Happy 80th Birthday, Deborah Harry!
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Hiya Friends,
I have sad news.
On June 12th, our dearest furry friend Noodle, like many a legend before him, left the building. Our hearts are broken, but we know we were the luckiest humans to have been in his company for over 17 years.
Everyone (including his vet) thought Noodle was a Corgi mix due to his chonky physique and short legs. A DNA test, however, claimed he was a cross between an Australian Shepherd, a Standard Poodle (??), and a Labrador. I’m pretty sure the test was a scam.
Rescued from a “hoarding situation,” Noodle endured some childhood trauma. The folks at the adoption organization told us that he suffered from extreme separation anxiety, had leash aggression, and couldn’t live with other dogs or children.
“Perfect. We’ll take him,” we said.
We lured him to our car with a roll of salami. Back at our house, Noodle ran inside and peed on our bed. “Just marking his territory,” friends explained. Though that was the first and only time he intentionally christened our space, Noodle’s severe separation anxiety meant that our new pup demanded human companionship 24/7. If left alone, he’d bark nonstop or go full Houdini by chewing through a wooden gate in the kitchen, jumping the fence at a friend’s place, and escaping the backyard by slipping out the side entrance.
Since we couldn’t leave him unattended, we’d drop him off at doggie day care and spy on him via the establishment’s web cam. All the other dogs would be playing with each other. Not Noodle. He’d park himself next to the exit like a prisoner running a tin cup against the cell bars shouting, “Guard! There’s been a mistake.” Alas, we came to accept that Noodle preferred our company and adjusted our schedules accordingly. We didn’t mind. We loved his company too.
A trusty shadow, Noodle never left our sides, and even followed us into the bathroom. “Don’t forget to tip The Bathroom Attendant on your way out,” we’d joke. If I closed my office door to try to get work done, Noodle would bang against it on the other side. I’d open the door, and he’d sit in the doorway to prevent me from shutting him out again. Keeping watch over us seemed to be his vocation and he took it very seriously.
Noodle possessed an iron will, beat cancer twice, and lived strong for almost 19 years. He knew what he wanted, and knew how to get it. If Noodle was indeed part Labrador, and I’m certain he was not, he lacked the water-loving gene. We once took him to a dog beach on a very hot day. Rather than venture into the ocean, he stood on the sand and barked at the waves. Unfortunately, we were ill-prepared for the heat that day with zero provisions. This was the only time Noodle’s loyalty wavered. After about ten minutes of sitting in the blistering sun, Noodle ditched us and found another family with umbrellas, water bowls, and coolers full of food. He plopped down and never looked back as if to say, “I’m their dog now.”
Another hilarious Noodle memory took place at our friend Charlie’s BBQ. Noodle wandered off and later Charlie brought him back, holding him by the handle on his harness. Apparently Noodle had been shaking down some small children for their burgers by growling until they abandoned their plates. To be clear, Noodle never harmed a child nor would he, but he recognized an easy mark when he saw one.
During the pandemic, we started giving him little pieces of turkey at 8pm while we watched TV. That became Noodle’s raison d’etre as he got older. He’d sleep all day, wake up right at 8pm, and work us for turkey. Once a month, his favorite vet came over to give him acupuncture treatments and an injection of a medicine called Librela that helped him with his arthritis in his hind legs. Over time, the treatments proved less effective and we’d carry him or “sedan chair him” as my mom liked to say, down the two steps to our front yard.
As many of you know, we were a bit like the Three Musketeers, Noodle, Jared, and Hilary. For our yearly holiday card, we’d pose for a portrait in matching outfits and our incredible photographer
, would capture the moment. Right now, we don’t even know who we are without him.
The tears have been free flowing and the house is far too quiet without him. Still, we continually remind ourselves that Noodle’s spirit lives on, and that we did the best by him we could. More so, he was the greatest friend anyone could ever have. I’m sure some of you have grieved the loss of a pet. The absence leaves a gigantic hole in your home and hearts, but I suppose it’s the price we pay to love our furballs, and to be loved unconditionally in return.
MIDLIFE EX-COP BECOMES A PHOTOGRAPHER TO TAKE WHIMSICAL PORTRAITS WITH HIS MOM
These Wes Anderson-esque portraits of a former cop turned photographer/artist and his mom are the dopamine hit I really needed right now. B S Shivaraju aka Cop Shiva grew up in a rural village in India and his family couldn’t afford a camera. For over forty years of his life, he’d never taken a photo with his mom. Then at age 46, he decided to make up for lost time. He built a photo studio, designed and sewed backdrops and matching costumes, and even received a Harvard University’s Visiting Artist Fellowship. Just goes to show, it’s never too late to live the dream.
“We’re a farming community and I grew up playing with cows, sheep, goats and donkeys. I love animals and wanted to ensure they could pose for photos with us, so I built a studio on our farmland,” smiles the artist from Karnataka, who calls the city of Ramanagara his home. Every photograph took weeks, sometimes months, to perfect. Much of this time was spent hunting for the right props, backdrops and costumes. “I found items from the mythological plays that used to take place in our village, which my grandfather also performed in. I used bedsheets, my mother’s old saris, leaves, flowers. I’d stitch the fabric myself and create the set with whatever materials were available.”
Click here to read the full article in Vogue India and to see all of the gorgeous photos of Shivaraju and his mom that are now part of an exhibit called No Longer A Memory at Gallery Sumukha in Bengaluru.
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY DEBORAH HARRY!
In the spirit of living the dream and dreaming of a better world, let’s all wish rock legend, actress, artist, and philanthropist Deborah Ann Harry (neé Angela Trimble) a happy 80th birthday today! “Dreaming is free!”
In With The Old is a free publication.
Another reminder of just how special Noodle was. Sending love to you and Jared during this hard time of adjustment to the Noodle-shaped hole in your lives xx
Oh Hilary, I’m so sorry to hear about Noodle. You’ve written such beautiful words about his character I feel I know him well.
I hope that wherever he may be the turkey tit bits continue at 8pm.
Much love to you.
I saw the phenomena Debbie H on her 78th birthday. Life goals right there.
I love the photos too. Beautiful.