Return to Reading – Shelved Again

I started this post with the intention of announcing the summer’s return of Reading with Rowdy, reworked, refreshed, and renamed The Rowdy Readers Club, to our little local library.

But upon further review, the idea of gathering a group of energetic elementary schoolers in a small space with a rambunctious retriever who knows nothing of social distancing seems unwise. So, sadly, for the second consecutive year, the fleecy blanket shall stay in the closet, folded next to the library-only pawprint collar in the 2-wheeled tote that elicits spins of great joy when pulled out and thump, thump, thumped down the steps.

Rowdy may miss the ear scratches, head smooches, belly rubs, sticky fingers and smelly toes that come with children in the summer, but he will not, for one moment, regret the cancellation of the pre-visit grooming session. Five years into our relationship this remains a bone of contention, and he refuses to accept that he must occasionally endure the indignity of the bathtub and the blow dryer.

It occurs to me that by the time we return in 2022 (yikes!) many of the readers we knew way back in ’19 will have grown beyond our program, which makes me a little bit sad. But several of them have younger brothers and sisters who may need some handholding by older siblings, so I’ll have the opportunity to not recognize my old book buddies as they’ve matured 2 years closer to middle-school.

It also occurs to me that by the time we return in 2022 (can’t believe I’m talking about events in the year Two Thousand Twenty-Two!) the gregarious golden retriever will have celebrated his 6^th birthday, which puts him solidly in the middle-age sporting breed demographic.

Middle age. A time in which one may be expected to have put away childish things. Key word – may. Rowdy has yet to become the ironic twist of a name I believed it would be, but now we’ve got a whole ‘nother year to make that happen. So maybe we shelve The Rowdy Readers Club in favor of Relax with Rowdy. Possibly Read in Repose, Restful Readers, or even Recline and Read.

Just thinkin’. And hopin’

In the meantime, rowdy Rowdy and I will while away the summer hours hanging out at home, hiking in the park, and horsing around with Biskit, Chicago, Fennel and Mace.

We’ll miss the kids and the books and the fleecy blanket.

But not the bath.