Margaret of Scotland

Our dog Maggie turned 8 today. While this may seem trivial to some readers, we think it's quite an accomplishment for a dog diagnosed with an aggressive cancer before she turned 3. We declined to put her through chemotherapy and were told to expect her to live another 6-8 months. The past 5 years have been gravy. All gravy. Or lovely frosting.

Maggie was named for Margaret of Scotland, whose feast day falls in November -- the month that Maggie was brought to us as a gift (!) from a dear friend and former rector. We selected one of the three female saints with November feast days in the BCP calendar, choosing from Hilda, Margaret, or Elizabeth. Not long ago someone asked us, "Oh, you named her for the character in The Simpsons?" Not hardly.

I know I'm not the first to post on the birthday of a dog this summer. Dogs, after all, teach us much about unconditional love. Happy birthday, Maggie.