Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Trying New Things


"Try it. You'll love it!!" How many times has a mother or father rehearsed those very lines in endless efforts to encourage their children's nutritional eating habits? Followed by bribes. My parents never needed to employ such an encouragement. Not for me!! I was always the adventurous child who would try anything!! To everyone's amazement!! But, remember, I was also that oddball kid who would ingest Play-Doh!! Yep. Home-made Play-dough only enticed my "habit", because it had this delectable salty taste!! Yummy!! But store-bought Play-Doh tasted much like it smells: Of chemicals!! Not that that stopped me!! My point? What is it? Do I even have one? Here it is: Anything could get past my lips as being "eatable". For the most part. And Rose, my "food-lovin'" Beagle cross is not exempt from this!! For the most part!! There are--believe it or not!!--certain food items which Rose either snubs or refuses altogether!! Like honey. Or lettuce. These food items must be written on some "list" within her head, however minuscule that "list" may be!! Well. The other day, I discovered yet one more food item that Rose dislikes. Pecans!! I was chopping up eight cups of the nut for some dessert that we were baking, a Taylor Swift CD blaring loudly in our stereo. Eight cups?! It was for some church event, so we needed enough. Rose, ever the beggar, wanted those pecans!! Please, Mama? Can I have some? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Pleeeease? Oh, those colossal deep brown eyes!! Who can resist them? So, I set one aside, just for my little girl. However, Rose had to wait. Patiently!! Otherwise she will return and beg for more!! Plus, I had a huge task to complete!! So. As soon as I had nearly eight cups of the chopped nut--we ran out!!--I kept my promise to Rose. Her one pecan awaited!! Rose, who had moved on to chase squirrels in lovely Autumn sunshine, was visibly eager. I do get one? Really?! I had just about given up hope!! I tossed the raw pecan into Rose's expectant mouth. She spit it out. Immediately. Only to pounce on the nut, and throw it around our great room like some hunting feline with a mouse!! Repeatedly!! This carried on for seemingly the longest time!! I laughed, and laughed, and laughed!! So hard, in fact, that my abdomen muscles ached afterward!! Which, of course, was a good sensation!! Meanwhile, I felt like that parent--that mother--who encourages her picky child to "Try it. You'll love it!!". How so? Following Rose's little "game" with her pecan, I found myself nervously asking: "Aren't ya gonna eat it? Well, eat it!!" Come on. You'll love it!! She tried. First sniffing the pecan with her ebony nostrils, then licking it. I waited. She picked that pecan up, and chewed on it. Eventually. But then, she spit it out!! What?! After "playing" with the pecan, you are not going to eat it?! Rose!! Hasn't your mother ever told you not to play with your food? Apparently not!! At least she tried the pecan....  

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Bless Rose , how funny. Yep we there with you on lettuce and actually anything green for that matter. Have a terrific Tuesday and we hope the pecan bake went well.
Best wishes Molly

Sketching with Dogs said...

That made me smile about you eating the play doh, lol. I was the fussiest eater when I was a kid and must've driven my parents insane. My Mum said at one point when I was about 5, I would only eat salmon and strawberries and cream!
I love it when the dogs 'play' with a bit of food like Rose did with the pecan, ours love Maltesers - but only one.
Lynne x

Anonymous said...

Maybe next time.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Rose must feel that nuts are for squirrels.

XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

jessej said...

hey doesn't your pack leader know... play'n with your treats is the tastiefun part! you go girl! you get that terrorizing P-can.! woofs

Mary Lou said...

Molly....
Thank-you for the comment!!
Rose dislikes spinach, as well, however she loves broccoli!! ;-D
The pecan bake was successful.... We made a bit too much!! Hee, hee, hee.... ;op

Mary Lou said...

Lynne....
Thank-you for commenting!!
Yeah, about the Play-Doh. We were shopping earlier this morning when I picked up a package, curious on its ingredients. What harmful dyes did I used to ingest? On the back it read something like this: "Fun for playing. Not for eating." Crack. Me. Up!! ;op

Mary Lou said...

finnhoward....
Thank-you for the comment!!
Hey, you have a new Blog site!! I did not know until just now!! I am adding it to my Favorites!! Right. Now!! ;-D
Yeah. Maybe next time.... ;op

Mary Lou said...

Daisy, Bella & Roxy....
Thank-you for the comment!!
"Rose must feel that nuts are for squirrels.". That "cracked" me up!! (This was a spontaneous joke!! Seriously accidental!!) ;-D
She happens to like peanuts!! ;op

Mary Lou said...

jessej....
Thank-you for the comment!!
"Hey doesn't your pack leader know... play'n with your treats is the tastiefun part!". Good one!! Although. I adopted Rose as an adult "second chance dog", so, as her "mother" in regards to that saying, I'm innocent!! For once, at least!! ;op

Suka said...

Very funny story! Love the description of how Rose played with the pecan. If Suka does not like something he will just let it tumble right out of his mouth. No fun and games for Suka! BOL! I have never seen Suka play with his food, so I can imagine how funny that was to watch Rose play with the pecan. She may not have gotten the nutrients from the pecan but at least she was able to get some joy of out of it! :->

I love pecans! I bet your dessert was delicious!

K and Suka

Mary Lou said...

K and Suka....
Thank-you for the comment!!
Rose "plays" with her food quite frequently, actually!! Whether or not she even enjoys it!! Sometimes, like with the pecan, Rose will roll around on something, and then eat it!! Just not this time.... ;op

Alison said...

This was a great story. I had a good chuckle myself and could picture Rose playing with the pecan and thinking "what the heck is this crap?" Although, now I'm craving pecans.

Mary Lou said...

Alison....
Thank-you for the comment!!
"I had a good chuckle myself and could picture Rose playing with the pecan and thinking 'what the heck is this crap?'". I liked that!! It made me giggle!! ;op

KSO said...

Awe- Betty loves to play with acorns on the ground during fall also. But she never does eat them. Dogs can be so funny!

Mary Lou said...

KSO....
Betty plays with acorns on the ground during Fall?! Now that is cute!! ;op

bbes tribe said...

Loved this funny and entertaining post. Thanks for stopping by to visit. Yes, agree Peyton is very andsome and a Puggle. Will miss him when he gets adopted.
Ernie and the pack

Remington said...

Great post! Thanks for the smile!

Mary Lou said...

Ernie and the pack ....
Thank-you for commenting!!
You're welcome!! You commented on my Blog first, so now we are Friends!! Yay!! ;-D
My neighbor thought that Rose could be a Puggle. She was wrong!! Beagle. Yes. Pug? No!! She is a "Mystery Dog".... The best kind of mutt!! ;op

Mary Lou said...

Remington....
Thanks for the comment!!
I am glad that you enjoyed this Blog post!! ;op

Ziggy Stardust said...

That was a really fun story. Thanks for sharing that. I am a really picky eater, so Mommy has gone through that a few times with me.

Loveys Sasha

Mary Lou said...

Sasha....
Thanks for the comment!!
You are a "really picky eater"?! Wow. I cannot even imagine owning a canine like that, for Rose will ingest nearly everything!! Hee, hee, hee.... ;op