Hello, Saddlebag Notes friends! I’m Emma, your cheerful little white dog with a big heart and four busy paws. In this column, I usually share a dog’s-eye view of life with kindness, gentle humor and tail-wagging wisdom.
November is here, which means cooler desert mornings, delicious kitchen smells and the season of Thanksgiving. But this month, I decided to do something a little different. Before we dive into pumpkin-spiced gratitude, I have to let you in on a very unusual tradition of mine—one that involves a set of car keys and a very nervous passenger.
Readers who follow my blog, Life With Emma in The Desert (over at emmathewhitedog.com), might remember my wild autumn last year. In a momentary lapse of Dad’s supervision, I took private driving lessons from none other than Toonces the Cat, famous from the classic Saturday Night Live skits. Now, Toonces had a bit of a reputation for driving off cliffs, but I took detailed notes and adjusted my mirrors. With a couple of sturdy booster cushions and paws firmly at ten and two, I earned my road chops.
Last November, I decided to put those skills to good use and took my buddy, Tom Turkey, out for a scenic cruise around SaddleBrooke. As you can see from our photo, I take chauffeur duties very seriously. Tom, however, looked a bit ruffled. He was gripping the dashboard the entire way—partly because of my lane changes, but mostly because November makes him terribly uneasy.
For some mysterious reason, Tom doesn’t seem to share Dad’s and my wild enthusiasm for Thanksgiving dinner. Still, our annual cruise is officially on the calendar, and I’ve promised him we won't stop near any open kitchens.
And now, speaking of Thanksgiving...
Once we pull the car safely back into the garage, my heart settles into what this season is truly all about. Down here, twelve inches off the ground, Thanksgiving isn’t measured by the elegance of the centerpiece or even the size of the turkey—though I certainly wouldn't refuse a tender scrap falling my way.
To a dog, Thanksgiving is a feeling that fills the entire home. It’s the warmth of paws curling up against your feet while the oven works its magic. It’s the sound of familiar laughter drifting from room to room, and the soft, quiet moments when the busy world slows down and we simply sit together.
Dogs are natural experts at gratitude because we live completely in the present. We don’t wait for an annual holiday to feel thankful; we find joy in a crisp morning walk across the desert gravel, the comforting scent of our favorite human and the simple gift of an afternoon nap in a patch of Arizona sunshine. Thanksgiving is simply the day you humans join us in celebrating those everyday blessings.
Wishing you a belly full of good things and a very grateful heart.
If you have a question for me, I’d love to hear it. Email me at emmathewhitedog@gmail.com, mention you saw me in Saddlebag Notes and I just might answer it in a future column.
Stay Paw-sitive,
Emma
Diner coming to Tucson's Sunshine Mile
