My mother-in-law mentioned on the phone the other night that while she was at my sister-in-law's house taking care of the grandkids while He-Who-Still-Remains-Nameless-8-Days-After-Birth was being born, that she had to sleep with my niece Hailey AND the dog.  Not only did the dog sleep in the bed, apparently she needed to lay on top of my MIL in order to sleep properly.  I asked my MIL if she had been allowed to sleep with her dog when she was growing up.

This was a valid question because if you have ever heard stories about Nana, she was NO NONSENSE at all times.  I was guessing that the answer was "no" and that was the reason that my MIL allowed my SIL to have about 20 pets at any given time during childhood.  You know, that whole "I'll-do-it-differently-than-MY-mom-did."  She said that her mother was very strict and the dogs weren't allowed in the house unless it was 40 degrees below zero. 

Does it get to 40 degrees below zero in eastern Washington?

She said that she came home one night and walked into the living room to find a black lab laying in the middle of the floor.  She said that she knew at this moment that someone very important must be there for her mother to allow a dog in the house.

My mind wandered off for a second, thinking about who the important person could be.  This was the one horse town that gave my husband's grandfather a house in exchange for moving there and opening his ear, eye, nose and throat practice, a la "Northern Exposure" but without the moose.  There aren't moose in Eastern Washington state, are there?  They gave him a house.  I've seen it.  It was huge. 

The town mayor?  The Methodist minister? 

"Bing Crosby."

Admit it.  You never saw it coming.  I know I didn't.  But now you know why Nana let the dog in the house.  Who could deny Bing anything?