The Kindness of a Stranger
We moved in March of 2017 from Hawaii to Oshkosh, WI. Hindsight tells me that the timing wasn't the best as it was still dark and depressing and as different as possible from home. All kinds of things went wrong with that move including the movers losing, breaking, or stealing the majority of our belongings. When you make a move of that magnitude you pare things down to the essential and those filled with memories. Topping the list were my kid's report cards and artwork, toys and clothes they might want to pass on to their children one day, special books, and Christmas decorations. You know the ones that each family has on their tree. Baby's first Christmas, the clothespin reindeer, the egg carton snowman, the don't touch glass one collected on various trips around the globe. But in 2017 we decided our days of having a tree were over. [...]
A Magical Doggy Day
What a day! Thank you to The Turquoise Door Oshkosh for hosting my book signing at their fabulous store on Main Street in Oshkosh. They are the nicest ladies on the face of the earth. So here's some back story. I have been a customer and cheerleader of their shop since before they opened. In fact, the owner's mother-in-law owned a shop in that location for ten years and then when she closed they took over the space. They are a consignment shop filled with purses, shoes, clothing, household goods, succulents. Every day is a new day there with all sorts of new additions. Sonia, the owner's daughter, adopted a dog from NEW PAWS and she allowed me to share her story in the book. It's called Serendipity and, as she tells everyone, is on page 217. They were one of the first shops to ask me to do a [...]
Today is National Roof Over Your Head Day
A few weeks I was at my grand son's preschool for Grandparent's Day. We did lots of fun things including an activity designed to help develop small mother skills. "Grandma, Grandma, I'm winning!" I explained that it was just an activity, no one was winning or losing. He saw it differently. "Grandma," he stated with as serious a face as I've ever seen on the kid, "Everything is about winning. Because winning means you get money and money is everything. If you don't have money you don't get food, or water, or a place to live." Well, he's not wrong. I still don't believe that winning is everything, but I do believe we all need and deserve food, water, and a place to live. Today is National Roof Over Your Head Day. Each day when I leave my house and walk my dog or simply [...]
National Mutt Day!
Today is National Mutt Day! This is a small part of the foreword of my new book was written by Hollywood dog trainer. R. Ruddell Weatherwax. "Dogs, or cats for that matter, who come from [...]
Giving
I grew up in family of givers. As poor as we were, and we were so poor that we lived in what would be described as a ghetto area in a two bedroom house with [...]
My Book Bought a Computer!
Yesterday was Cyber Monday. I don't usually buy anything because of Cyber Monday or Black Friday. If I buy at all I try and support small businesses. My house is all about vintage and resale [...]