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 a shelter are more affordable than buying through a breeder or at a pet store. You know exactly what you’re getting with a shelter dog. In fact, most of the dogs that land in a shelter are not bad; they simply did not always come from ideal first homes. Maybe there was a family divorce or the owners moved overseas. There are a multitude of reasons a dog ends up in an animal shelter. My experience also has shown me that dogs adopted from a shelter, especially mutts, tend to have fewer vet bills than costly purebreds. They’re not just cheaper to get, but, with fewer health problems, shelter dogs are usually a bargain throughout [...]
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 eight children, we always had food to share. We had quite a few sketchy characters in and around our neighborhood, but everyone knew if you needed a meal you could always go to our house. We didn't recognize the lady, who I remember coming to us one night well after dinnertime. but that wasn't unusual because word of mouth often led people to our home to ask for help. She seemed an older woman to me, but now I think she has just had a hard life and cigarettes and booze aged her prematurely. Her skin was hard and brown and wrinkled. She was hunched over and her coat was not warm enough for the [...]
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 and I can tell you it's been way too long since I bought new clothes. I hate clothes shopping. But this year was different. Yesterday I made up for a lot of Cyber Mondays when I didn't buy anything at all. Except for dog food and treats. Priorities. I've been nursing my computer trying to get through this year of writing and marketing. It's got life left in it, but it was well past time to upgrade. I only wanted an iMac and I was willing to wait if i had to. But I have two books I am writing plus all the work I do to marketing the current book and the computer was [...]
Light, Joy, and Hope
A few of years ago I decided I wanted an outdoor clock for our porch. I searched everywhere I could think of, but they were either hideous, they were not suitable for the arctic Wisconsin [...]
A Simple Pair of Gloves
I am thankful for all we have. I've never been homeless but I have been close and I went bankrupt after taking care of my husband through his fight with Huntington's disease. This morning I [...]
Lily in the Hostas
When we moved here the yard was neglected. We spent our time and money the first year getting windows and ceiling fans and a furnace and a ton of other things we needed to make [...]