I miss Bishop Maginn if I don’t get there regularly, I had to meet about a new wish list, I skipped last week because of my eye surgery and Zinnia’s arrival.

I’m going tomorrow to teach my class, Maria is coming along, and possibly Zinnia as well.

I’m going to meet with school officials about supporting a Christmas Wish List – a small and inexpensive list – for refugee children whose families can’t afford to buy them gifts.

Sue Silverstein has been fending off her class for weeks now, but I think it’s time they got a look at Zinnia.

The kids at the school have been waiting very patiently to see her, she is their new mascot and future therapy dog.

I’ve held this trip off for a week or so to give Zinnia a change to acclimate herself.  She sure has, this dog is not intimidated by anything she’s seen so far, including sheep, donkeys, and dogs.

A hunter fired off a shotgun behind the pasture yesterday and Bud jumped a few feet into the air and shook. Zinnia just looked curiously towards the sound and finished peeing. I might have seen a yawn.

I’d like for the students to see her, it’s important to them, and to me, and next week, the school goes on break for Thanksgiving.

It will be some time yet – a month or so –  before she can hang out there or do any kind of therapy work, or meet strange dogs.

Zinnia is neither overwhelmed or fearful in every way by people, and in therapy training work, the more people she sees and the more different kinds of people she sees in different places while she’s young, the better.

I hope for her to meet more than 100 different people by the time she’s four months old.

I don’t want her handled by a lot of people for a lot of reasons, I don’t think most dogs like that, and people shouldn’t see her as a teddy bear. She should always have some control over her movements wherever she goes.

If people sit down and wait, she’ll come to them, tail wagging. It ought to be up to her.

I’m eager to get back to my class, the writing workshop, and polish up some of the very good story ideas.

Also, I want to mention that I’ve happily agreed to support a new Bishop Maginn High School Amazon Christmas Wish List.

We’ve asked the teachers and parents if anyone needs support in buying needy students (or some teacher’s kids) an inexpensive Christmas gift. The Muslim children don’t celebrate Christmas but many of the refugee children do.

We also know of one or two single parent-teachers with several children, the teachers are seeking help in getting them gifts. One teacher needs help in getting presents for her kids. Teachers don’t make a lot of money.

We won’t publish anybody’s names, of course, but will post a wish list seeking a small number of inexpensive gifts for the few teachers and students and parents – and grandparents –  who have asked for help this Christmas. We’ll help.

They’ll be shipped directly to the school, and distributed by Art and Theology teacher Sue Silverstein.