It's Not My Bag, Baby

So, yeah, I bought a diaper bag at Target* the other night. Now, don't get excited. Even though it's not a gift, I'm not pregnant. Let's not even go there. Actually, I got the bag for Rusty, my therapy dog. When he goes to work, there are certain supplies I need to bring along. Some of the items we carry include a Polaroid camera, a towel, a small photo album, a dog brush, possibly a couple of costumes, poop bags, water and a collapsible bowl, etc. I've used various tote bags, since I have plenty of those, but nothing was quite doing the trick. As I whined about needing a better solution, E suggested a diaper bag. "They have lots of compartments," was his reasoning and I agreed.

This is what I got and it's perfect:

Part of the reason I was so desperately in search of a new bag was that Rusty and I were preparing to attend a big even this past Saturday. Snowball Express is an amazing organization that I feel honored to have taken a small part in. Children, men, and women who have lost parents and spouses in military action during the past six years were flown to Southern California for an all expenses paid weekend. There was a big event at the Oakley in the O.C. There were a lot of activities going on and most of the kids seemed to have a fabulous time. Rusty was a friendly face and a warm being to hug. He generated a lot of smiles and laughter, as well as gratitude from the parents, a few of whom said, "Thank you so much. The dogs were my kids' favorite thing today." Admittedly, the day was pretty draining, physically and emotionally, but I was happy to participate. It certainly put real faces to what is going on in the world and was quite profound not matter where you stand on certain issues.

So, I may be kind of a scrooge this time of year, but not in terms of giving to those in need. I don't have much money to give, so I give my time and share my snuggly little teddy bear-like dog and his unconditional love.

*For more great Target stuff, check out the Inside My Target Cart blog.