Recently, May May began to return home from her neighborhood rambles with a lone glove of unknown origin. She would tell me “C’est tombe de ciel.”

After several days, she had brought home a black glove, a brown glove, a red glove, a kid glove, and a glove with fur cuffs. This loot did NOT feel like things falling from the sky.

Then she came home four days in a row with doggie toys of assorted sizes and shapes. I asked her where these toys were coming from and she said, “Je l’ai eu pour une bouchee de pain.” I said, “I doubt you got this for a mouthful of bread and why on earth are you suddenly speaking to me in french all the time?”

The next day, in answer to my questions, she returned with an elegant boot. I told May May, “Je ne suis pas ne hier. I wasn’t born yesterday. I know that boot.”

I went next door chez Teddy with May May’s haul and my apologies.

I knew May May had to be raiding Teddy’s home because Teddy is the only one on this hilltop that dresses like she just got off an ocean liner from a trip to Paris.

Ahhhhh Teddy. Teddy has style. Teddy has savoir faire. Teddy has that je ne sais quoi that I will never have. Few of us will. Teddy is more french than the french. She will always be my definition of chic.

It’s more than just the way she dresses. It’s the way she does everything. As I carried May May’s loot to her door, I knew my visit to her house to apologize for May May would include a fragrant cup of interesting tea, some divine, beautifully plated treat and many moments of beauty thanks to her table, the set of her windows in her charming kitchen, and the way she fills her home with beautiful fruits and flowers.

Of course, a visit to Teddy is also a visit with her dogs. As she would say, “Qui m’aime aime mon chien.” Only in this case, to love Teddy is to love her three dogs. And really, given her love of all things french, it’s no surprise that these three are miniature french poodles.

And also no surprise, given what we know about May May, that she loves to tease this coterie of poodles.

To give May May some credit, she is very polite when she runs into this trio of french attitude out on the road. She gets very submissive and lets them jump all over her. This works for the neighborhood because it means none of us have to worry about May May hurting one of the trio.

However, when the poodle trio is stuck on Teddy’s glassed in front porch and unable to get outside to run May May off, well then….. May May likes to sass them. Strut around right outside the porch where they can see her but can’t get to her. What can I say? It’s the oldest dog game on earth. Na na na na na na!

When May May is sassing them, they respond as any self respecting french poodle would. Lots of attitude and barking. All of us in the office can hear the noise from a quarter of a mile away. When we hear that racket, we know what that chorus of three dogs barking means…… May May is torturing the trio…… and probably getting ready to take a souvenir of her adventure. We can almost hear her asking herself, “What shall I take today?” Chacun son gout and we all know May May and Teddy’s taste runs to gloves.

As I handed Teddy back her gloves, boot, and dog toys, she laughed, indicating, “C’est ne pas grande chose”. She also noted that May May had truly outdone herself over the weekend.

Early on Sunday morning, the poodle trio of Winnie, Muffin, and Curly had begun to bark but wouldn’t stop. At first, Teddy thought, C’est toujours la meme refrain” ie its got to be May May doing her usual torture dance outside the window. But the barking did not cease so Teddy felt compelled to check out what particular brand of torture May May was practicing.

Comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles, May May had snuck into Teddy’s home. Like a dog in a game of nine pins. she had pushed open the door to the porch, helped herself to a hearty snack of the poodles’ gourmet food, and then gone to sleep on their couch!

What a sensible dog! Let’s face it, we’d ALL like to eat over at Teddy’s and then settle in for a nap on her wonderfully comfortable couch on her wonderfully comfortable front porch. Of course the dog food is better at Teddy’s than at our house. Of course the couch is more comfortable than any bed at our house. Teddy’s motto is, “Even if NOT in Paris, dress like a Parisian, live like a Parisian, and feed your dogs like a Parisian”.

May May will stop these raids ‘Quand les poules auront des dents.” And until hens DO have teeth, I will be slipping over to offer my apologies, suffering through one fabulous snack after another, then resting in her cosy living room feeling loved and pampered.

Let’s face it, at Teddy’s house, nous sommes tous dans la meme bain. And what a lovely bath to all be sharing! May May knows just what she’s doing and it works for me too!

Here is Muffin examining the scene of the break in. Muffin reports that May May has learned how to open this door handle!

Here Winnie and Muffin discuss the tragedy of May May violating their couch. They look heartbroken , don’t they?

Under duress, Curly joins the rest of the clan to discuss the case. If that look isn’t a searing indictment of May May, I don’t know what is.

And May May? That is the fakest look of chagrin ever caught on a mug shot.

In fact, I just heard her whisper in my ear, ‘Le champ est libre.” Good news this! The coast is clear. I can let her out to go get another glove that I will have to return. After all, it’s a cold, rainy day and I feel like a nice cup of tea.