I was at a women’s breakfast a few weeks ago, and the organizer used this question for an icebreaker: “Over the past 18 months, what is one thing you are grateful for?” She waited a few minutes, and then one by one, each person took a few minutes to share their thoughts. Since I was […]
Read MoreOne lovely thing about our annual January sojourn in the desert is the sense of being unplugged from all responsibilities, worries, and the sense that something must be accomplished. At the end of the day here, rather than looking for done tasks, I just think about the lovely and unusual experiences of the day. But […]
Read MoreI know it has been awhile since I wrote, but I have not been inactive. It has been a chore keeping my humans calm during the current election season. Some days I have been suddenly snatched from my bed and hauled around by Mom, Dad, or Grandma Bella. My ears have bald patches from being […]
Read MoreI’ll be honest here: I’m ready to leave the planet—at least until after the election—so I am purposefully searching for distraction. Last evening, our neighbor Dave asked John if he was scared. It seems that Dave turns on the news when arising and goes to bed with it. John suggested accompanying this diet with wine. […]
Read MoreOn Saturday I made a coffee cake. An “honest to God” coffee cake that filled the house with the fragrance of cinnamon and sweet spices. But baking was just as tedious as I remembered. For me, it has always been a means to an end: you bake so you can eat whatever wonderfully fattening thing […]
Read More“I just didn’t see myself here at this time in my life,” my husband, John, said with an expression that would have done a bloodhound proud. It was the kind of day in the life of a puppy owner when you ask yourself, “What was I thinking?” This was supposed to be our year to […]
Read MoreWhen you think of puppies, what is the first picture that pops into your mind? Innocent, sweet, new, lovable—adjectives like that, right? Now, when you think of the word toddler, what comes to mind? I picture a brown-haired little boy in striped Oshkosh B’gosh overalls that gives extravagant hugs, has incredible energy, is busy exploring […]
Read MoreI have had the oddest feeling that time is standing still. The past is hazy, the present is somewhat overwhelming, and the future offers hope. But to get there, we have to negotiate an abyss filled with puppy pads, dog treats, bleary trips out into the starry night, immunizations, puppy food choices, and the all-important […]
Read MoreI would like to say there is a freshening wind blowing from the sea, but the truth is that a hot, dry Santa Ana wind is bending the trees and parching my skin. The temperature is in the 90s. The air conditioner has kicked in, and I’m perched at the dining room table, thinking about […]
Read MoreThe last puppy that came to our home was Trixie, soon to be renamed Trixie Noodle by my grandson James. That was in 1998. As I recall, we bought a bed, puppy food, a cat collar and leash (because she was so tiny), and that was that. Princess, our ten-year-old dachshund, was helpful in teaching […]
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Kathleen Chamberlin 