A New Home for Maizzy

A New Home for Maizzy

Written and Illustrated by Cathy Hartt

Maia-N-Isaac Publishing

Video version at bottom of page

Positive Psychology Short Stories for Kids

It was the day after Thanksgiving and Granca slept late, because eating too much makes her sleepy.  Once the sun came up, though, she opened her eyes and remembered!  “This is the day! This is the day!” she exclaimed.  She was so excited that she jumped out of bed wearing only her pajamas, and ran out into the driveway to wake up Mini Pearl.  It is a good thing it was very foggy and Granca’s neighbors could not see her! 

 

“Mini Pearl, Mini Pearl, wake up and get ready because today is the day!” shouted Granca.  Mini Pearl opened her eyes real wide and gave a little honk, and then scratched her hood (because cars don’t have heads).   “I hope this means we are going on a road trip, Granca,” said Mini.  “Because I love road trips.”  

“Oh, Mini,” said Granca, “Today is the day we go to the animal sanctuary to find a dog to go on road trips with us.”  Mini smiled a little, just thinking about road trips always made her happy.  “What is an animal sanctuary?” she asked. 

Granca explained to Mini that an animal sanctuary is a place where cats, dogs, horses, donkeys and other animals stay while they are waiting to find new homes.  “Oh, something like the car lot you got me from?” asked Mini.  Granca smiled and said, “Well, yea, something a lot like that, Mini.” 

“Now, get your fog lights ready while I get dressed and have breakfast, because it is a bit of a drive through the country to the animal sanctuary,” said Granca  In a few minutes they were headed down the road.

They drove for about an hour through little towns called Olathe, Delta and Crawford.   It was less foggy when they got to the country, near the sanctuary.  Granca dug out her directions and Mini tuned-up her GPS.  Pretty soon, they took a curvy dirt road past the horses and donkeys.  And, off in the distance, there were lots and lots big pens with dogs in them.  “Ah, we found the right road,” said Granca, sounding a little relieved. 

When they got there, a lady named Sheryl came out and greeted them.  She was assigned to find just the right dog for Granca.  They went into a big building with lots of different dogs.  Mini waited outside, of course.

Sheryl knew Granca was looking for a small dog . . . so she took Granca into a couple of cages to meet dogs.  And, there were dogs, dogs, dogs, I tell you.  There was every size and shape of dog you could imagine in those cages. 

In the first cage, was a cute little brown dog, who seemed happy enough to meet Granca.  She was quiet and liked to chase her tail.  She was a funny little short-legged, long-bodied dog with pointy ears.  Sheryl told Granca that this dog had lived with lots of cats before, so they thought she might be just the right match. 

After they looked in a few more cages, Sheryl had Granca sit in a little chair and she went and got two dachshund dogs that jumped all over Granca and barked a lot.  They were really lively little things, and Granca was afraid that they would scare her cats.  So, she told Sheryl she would take the little brown dog with pointy ears. 

 

When Granca came out with Sheryl and the little dog, Mini Pearl winked just a little.  Only Granca noticed, of course.  “I think Mini likes this little dog, too,” thought Granca.  So, they tied the dog’s leash to Mini’s seat belt and away they went, back up the windy road and through the little towns.

On the way home, Granca asked Mini, “What should I name her?”  Mini thought for a minute and said, “I think Mini Pearl is a good name for her!”  Granca laughed because she would not be able to keep them straight if they both had the same name.  “Oh, Mini,” she said, “You are named for my Grandma, Minnie Pearl.  My grandma always kept me safe when I was little, just like you keep me safe.  That name is just for you, not the new dog.”

Mini got real quiet for a moment and then she smiled so big that Granca was afraid her hood would pop open.  “Mini,” said Granca, “Be careful. I don’t want your belts to fall out on the dirt road.”  Mini reassured Granca that she was just smiling.  “But, I have a name for our dog,” said Mini. “I think we should name her after your grandkids, Maia and Isaac.”  “That’s a cool idea, Mini, but she only needs one name,” replied Granca.  

They both thought, as they drove down the road with the little dog sound asleep in Mini’s passenger seat.  Mini tried hard not to hit any bumps, because she liked the little creature and wanted to let her snooze peacefully. 

But, then, all of a sudden, Mini let out a loud and crazy “HONK!”  “I have it,” she proclaimed happily.  “I have a name for our pup.”  “Ok,” asked Granca, “What is it?”  “Maizzy! – Spelled like Daisy but pronounced like Maia and Isaac (whose nick name is Izzy) put together,” shouted Mini Pearl. 

“I like it a lot,” said Granca.  “Plus,” she added, “If you are named for my grandma and she is named for my grandkids, it is like you are related!  Let’s see – you would be Maizzy’s great, great grandmother.”  Mini Pearl laughed because cars can’t be great, great grandmas to dogs!

Soon they were home and Maizzy settled right into her new space in the laundry room.  Maizzy liked her new bed and enjoyed playing with Granca a little.  They had so much fun getting to know one-another that they hardly noticed the spies at first.  

Then, Granca got an odd feeling, like she was being watched.  She was the first one to notice the little spies on the stairs.  When she turned around to see who was watching, she saw a big fluffy grey tail disappear around the corner.  She watched for a few more minutes, still playing with Maizzy.  Pretty soon, little grey ears popped around the corner.  Then, ever so slowly, two four-pawed spies with very puffy tails crept cautiously toward the doggy gait. 

“Oh, Sage and Galveston,” said Granca, “You are curious and scared, all at the same time.  Look at your tails!  You don’t make very good spies when your tails like big dust mops on your rear ends.  I can see you a mile away.”  Sage and Galveston looked away, as if they had no idea what Granca was talking about.  

Maizzy didn’t seem to mind the little spies, and Granca felt happy because she knew that would help the cats feel safer around a dog.  “Those little dachshunds would be barking their heads off,” thought Granca, as she gave Maizzy a small pat on the head.  

The next morning, Granca went downstairs to the laundry room first thing to get Maizzy.  She noticed the spies had been down to visit, because the milk bones where all knocked over on the stand near Maizzy’s bed.  “Hmmm.  I have a feeling curious Sage has been fishing around in the milk bone,” thought Granca.  

When Maizzy got upstairs, the spies got really silly.  They all crept down the hallway together, all five of them, and they peered around the corner into the kitchen.  That’s where Granca was exercising and the new little dog was sleeping.  “Five spies with feather duster tails,” laughed Granca.  Those spies tried so hard to act innocent that Granca burst out laughing.  Then they all tucked their ears behind their heads and ran back down the hallway a little, acting like they weren’t curious at all.   

By the next week, though, the cats relaxed.  Well, pretty much, anyway.  And they all sat under the kitchen table, together with Maizzy, and watched Granca doing her exercise.  Granca went around and patted them each on the head, because she was proud of them for getting along so well.  When she got to Sage, however, she did notice her breath smelled a little like a milk bone.  That’s the moment Granca knew for sure that Maizzy would become part of the family.  

The End

A Princess for Christmas

A Princess for Christmas

Written and Illustrated by Cathy Hartt 

(Both video and written versions below)

 

   

It was a cool fall morning and Grandma Cathy was tucked soundly under her covers, still asleep.  Then all of a sudden, she jumped up straight in her bed.  Even with her ear plugs in, she could hear a very loud and annoying noise.  And this time, it wasn’t her cats bowling their toy balls into her door to wake her up.  Oh, no, this time is was Mini Pearl.

Mini Pearl is Grandma Cathy’s car.  And she is not just a car; she has car-o-nality. That means she acts like a person.  And for some reason, today she wanted to go someplace so bad she was sitting in the driveway blasting her horn.  “Come on, let’s go,” she honked while Grandma Cathy stood in the doorway, less than amused.  “I was trying to sleep in, Mini Pearl,” replied Grandma.

Mini Pearl looked down at the ground and sighed a little.  Grandma Cathy stood in the doorway looking at sad Mini Pearl. “ Hmmmm,” she wondered, “Where did my silly car want to go so badly?”  Mini Pearl looked up at Grandma.  Well, Grandma Cathy could not resist THAT look.  “Mini Pearl,” she asked, “what on earth is so important that you woke the whole neighborhood up honking like that?”

Grandma Cathy had forgotten that it was the day that she always leaves for a special place called the Four Corners.  That is where the corners of four states meet – just like if you laid 4 big, white pieces of paper flat on a table so that the corners would meet in the middle.  Four Corners is where Grandma Cathy talks to the Native American Indians and buys special gifts for her grandkids, Maia and Isaac (and everyone else in the family).

Mini Pearl quietly pointed to her GPS – and there it was!  Right there on the screen was a picture of four states all bumped up together at the corners.  The road to get there was long and winding over some very tall mountains called the San Juans.  

Grandma Cathy squinted as she looked at the GPS screen as Mini Pearl continued to point.  “Oh, Mini Pearl,” replied Grandma Cathy, “I am so sorry.  I totally forgot that our trip was today.  I’ll go get packed and we can get started!”  

Then Grandma returned to the house and started to pack.  “This will be a great day.  I love going places with Mini Pearl,” she thought.  She through her stuff in her small red suitcase and went into the kitchen for a little bite of breakfast before the road trip. 

When she returned to the bedroom, her suitcase was totally unpacked and all the clothes where piled in a huge heap on the floor.  “Sage!” yelled Grandma Cathy, “Did you fish my clothes out of my suitcase, again?”  She didn’t hear anything, so she looked on the other side of the bed.  There they were, all five of them, looking at her like they knew nothing about how the clothes got all unpacked and rumpled into a heap.  Grandma sighed, “You guys!  I know you hate it when I go places without you.  But, seriously, you can’t take a cat on a road trip.  Especially, all 5 of you.”

 Grandma Cathy patiently went back into the kitchen and made sure the food and water bowls were full.  The kitties followed.  All but Sage, that is.  

The other kitties were happy to be fed and they promised to be good for a couple of days, and Grandma Cathy scratched them all on the head.  “Soksabai, Chaco, Galveston and Serendipity,” Grandma silently said to herself.  “Uh, oh, someone’s missing!”

Grandma returned to the bedroom to find Sage carefully fishing the last pair of socks out of the suitcase, carefully using her claw like a fishing hook to grab them out of a special pocket.  “Oh, Sage,” said Grandma, “I know you like to fish, but my socks are going with me to Four Corners.”  With that, Sage went to join her feline friends in the kitchen and Grandma Cathy repacked her bag and flew out the door.  “About time,” said Mini Pearl.

Grandma Cathy threw her bag in Mini Pearl’s hatch, jumped in the driver’s seat.  Mini Pearl honked with joy!  That car acts just like a barking dog, sometimes.  Away they went, down the road.

After about an hour, they came to the San Juan Mountains.  Mini Pearl sighed and let out a cough of smoke.  “It’s hard to climb a mountain with a person and a suitcase inside of you,” she complained.  “Oh, Mini,” said Grandma Cathy, “You were the one who woke everyone up to go this morning.”  “I know,” said Mini Pearl, “but I thought we were going to visit the Native Americans at the Four Corners.  I didn’t realize I had to climb a giant mountain to get here.”  “Oh, Mini,” exclaimed Grandma Cathy, “didn’t you see the Mountains on the GPS you were pointing at this morning?”  “Well, yea, I did,” said Mini Pearl, “But I had no idea they were so tall.”  

Grandma Cathy explained to Mini Pearl that the mountains are sacred (that means very special) to the Native Americans from the Four Corners because they protect the Native American lands.  “Oh,” replied Mini, “something like how my safety features protect you when we travel together.”  “Yes, Mini Pearl,” replied Grandma.  “If you need to go slow, that is OK because the trees are so pretty in the mountains in the fall.”  They stopped a lot on the trip so Mini Pearl could rest and Grandma Cathy could take lots of pictures of the brightly colored leaves.

After climbing the mountain, Mini and Grandma rested the whole night in a hotel before they went on their Christmas Shopping journey to the Four Corners.  When Grandma Cathy got to the parking lot that morning, there was Mini Pearl honking again. “Oh, Mini!  Shhhhhh!  People are trying to sleep in the hotel.”  Mini sighed and looked down kinda sheepish.  “Oh, let’s just get going, silly,” said Grandma.

They drove for a while, down to where the states all meet at the corners.  There were a lot of funny big red rock mountains, called buttes, along the way.  “Mini Pearl, this is Indian Country,” said Grandma.  Mini Pearl smiled just a little, with her eyes.  

A little while later, they came to a big, square building with lots of flags.  Grandma said, “here we are, Mini!  This is the Four Corners!  Mini parked right by the Indian taco stand.  “Ok, Grandma Cathy,” said Mini Pearl, “You go on in to the market while I check out the Indian tacos.”  “Oh, Mini,” replied Grandma, “Cars don’t eat tacos.”

Grandma Cathy walked around to several of the little Native American shops inside the big, square building with lots of flags.  There is one flag for each of the four States that touch there.  In fact, right in the center, you can put each of your hands and feet in a different State.  At the same time, even!  Lots of people take photos of themselves doing that.  

Each little stop has special things made by the Native Americans who sit behind the counter.  Grandma likes to talk to them, as she looks to see what she might want to buy for Christmas.  Then, after passing several shops, she came across a shop where the Native Americans had left to take a break.  The door was open and Grandma looked out to see if she could see the people who run the booth.  All she could see were the butte mountains and a Pepsi cup that someone had been drinking from recently.  

Grandma knew the shop owners would return soon, so she quietly looked at what was on the counter.  She wondered if they would have anything that Maia or Isaac would like for Christmas.  What caught Grandma Cathy’s eye was a beautiful Indian Princess doll.  She had a purple skirt, black shirt and a beautiful turquoise necklace.  “Hmmm, maybe Maia would like her,” Grandma thought.

Just then, a little breeze blew through the open back door and it seemed to breath magic into the little doll, because she started to rub her eyes and sit up.  Grandma Cathy rubbed her eyes, too, because she could not believe it.  “Hello?” said Grandma.  “Hello!” said the doll.  Then, like magic, a beautiful little purple shawl appeared on the breeze, and the doll put it around her shoulders.  There, in the distance, was the sound of Native American drum music.  The little doll began to dance, and dance and dance.  And the shawl swirled, and swirled and swirled.  Grandma Cathy could not take her eyes off of the magic little dancing doll.  

When the music finally stopped, Grandma asked the doll if she had a name.  “Yes,” replied the little dancer, “My name is Chipeta.  I am an Indian Princess and I was made especially for your special granddaughter, Maia.”  “You know my granddaughter?” Grandma asked, surprised.  “Yes, I am a special gift to her from you and the Native Americans.  I represent love, like the love you have in your heart for Maia, always.  Even though you won’t be spending Christmas with Maia, I will be there to hug her and I will be there for her whenever she wants to feel loved and special.” 

“Oh!” exclaimed Grandma Cathy, “You are just what I was looking for because I have felt very sad about not seeing Maia this Christmas.”  “I know,” said Chipeta, “But love is always there, in our hearts.  I am just there to remind Maia about that.” Grandma felt happy inside!

“Now, to find something just as special for Isaac,” Grandma said to herself.  Chipeta seemed to know just what Grandma Cathy was thinking because, without being asked, she said, “Can I suggest something for you special grandson, Isaac?”  “Of course,” Grandma said, kinda confused.  

Chipeta then walked across the little shop table to a small Native American turtle.  She said, “The turtle is a symbol of protection, long life (that means living to be very, very old), and of water.  In the West, we do not always have enough water, so turtles are a special gift.”  “I like the idea,” said Grandma Cathy, “In fact, I have gotten Maia several Native American turtles like this, but Isaac is still a baby.”

With that, Chipeta smiled.  “I know,” she said.  And she swirled around the turtle with her shawl and in an instant, the turtle became a wooden pull toy.  “There,” said Chipeta, “Now, this turtle is perfect for your special baby grandson, Isaac.”  “Wow, thank you Chipeta,” said Grandma Cathy.

And as quickly as she said it, another breeze blew through the door of the shop, and in walked the owner to ask if Grandma Cathy needed help.  Grandma looked down at the counter, and  the doll was  laying there,  just like she was when Grandma first saw her.  And the little turtle was back to being made of pottery.  But, Grandma trusted Chipeta and all she had said so she bought the little doll and the pottery turtle.  

Then something caught her eye.  There were all sizes and colors of dream catchers hanging above the counter.  “Hmmm,” she said to herself, “I wonder if Maia and Isaac would like one of those?”  Just then, she looked down, and the little doll did a small wink at her.  It was as if Grandma Cathy could hear Chipeta say, “Yes, of course they would.  Your grandchildren must always believe that their dreams can come true, especially when you can’t be there to tell them in person.”  With that, Grandma bought the dream catchers, because that is what hope is all about.

Then Grandma Cathy jumped with a start!  “Oh, no! I hear honking,” said Grandma.  “That Mini Pearl!”  Grandma Cathy ran to the parking lot with her gifts in a sack.  “Mini!  No honking in the parking lot!” she shouted.  Mini just grinned, kinda sheepish.  “I just want to get back to the hotel safely before dark,” said Mini Pearl.  Grandma was not mad anymore, because she knew Mini Pearl always wanted her to be safe. 

“Mini,” she said, “I have two new passengers.  One is a doll named Chipeta for Maia and the other is a turtle for Isaac. And I have two dream catchers, to remind them that their dreams are always important.”  “Very good,” said Mini Pearl.  And off they went, down the road and back over the tall, tall mountain to Grandma Cathy’s house.  

When they got home, Grandma went inside and put Chipeta, the turtle and the dream catchers away for Christmas.  The cats where glad to see Grandma had returned from her trip.  Chaco and Galveston were asleep on back of the couch, but jumped –up kinda startled when Grandma Cathy entered.  Serendipity, who is always afraid to be without Grandma, was so happy she started singing!  And Soksabai rubbed softly against Grandma’s leg.  

“Ok,” said Grandma Cathy, “You all look fine.  But where is Sage?  Oh, no.  Where is Sage?”  Grandma went in her bedroom, still carrying the bag of special presents.  “Oh, great!” she laughed.” Sage had fished every sweater  out of Grandma’s dresser drawer.  “Sage missed me most of all,” though Grandma.  And then Grandma Cathy put those special gifts in a very high drawer, where Sage could not get them, so they would be already to send for Christmas Morning with Maia and Isaac.

The end!