Noodles and the Peanut Butter Jar

The other day I received a phone call from Baby Sister in Texas asking when I had last talked with Sister Mary.  No she is not a nun, just another of my special sisters.  Lil' Mary Margaret lives in New London, MO, neighboring the quaint picturesque river town where Mark Twain grew up, Hannibal.  Baby Sister would not divulge the story herself.  She said I had to get it straight from the horses mouth.  She said it was so funny she laughed until tears ran down her check and off her chin. That is a characteristic we girls got from our mother.  When we get tickled we get really tickled and we love to laugh so I had to call Mary immediately.

It seems Mary was awakened at 2 A.M. after completing 18 hours of work (Mary is a serious workaholic) by a thumping sound.  Thump ...thump, thump.  Quiet... then thump, thump, thump.  She woke her husband and the two crept out of the bedroom to explore the origins of the mysterious thumping coming from somewhere in the house.  When they turned on the lights in the kitchen they found their little dog, Noodles with her head stuck in a peanut butter jar.  Mary had just finished off a jar of peanut butter before retiring to bed and as was her habit gave the empty jar to the dogs to finish off that little bit of peanut butter clinging to the inside of the jar.  Who would have thought that the new and improved wider opening of the jar that was suppose to make it more convenient to get out the tasty peanut butter was now just wide enough for little Noodles to stick her whole head.

Mary and Robert looked at each other and chuckled then grabbed the poor dog to free her head.  It didn't take them long to see this was no longer a laughing matter.  Noodles head was stuck in the jar so tight there was a vacuum created and the poor animal was about out of oxygen.  Her tongue was hanging limply from her mouth and she no longer had the strength to struggle.  Robert grabbed the jar and Mary grabbed the dog and the two pulled trying not to tear the dog's ears off.  To no avail.  They then covered the dog's neck in olive oil hoping some would seep in around the jar opening.  Nope, that didn't work.  They would have to work fast.  Noodles was fading.  Mary then took a knife and tried to cut a hole in the plastic jar.  The jar was thick and Mary was afraid she'd push too hard and the knife would not only plunge through the jar but also into little Noodles.  Desperate, Mary handed the knife to Robert who was not nearly as cautious and was able to cut a large hole in the jar.  Noodles could now breath.  Without the stress of concern for Noodles lack of oxygen Mary and Robert were able to gently pry Noodles head from the jar.  Taa Dah, Noodles was free.

Noodles will live.  She has been bathed but she will be an oily mess for a while.  Mary and I were able to laugh at the predicament Noodles had gotten herself into but would not have been laughing if they had not been able to safe her.

Mary finished off another jar of peanut butter.  She quickly put the lid on the jar and put it safely in the recycle bin.  Noodles will have to get her peanut butter from a spoon from now on.