Puppies are a lot of work
New puppy Cato and I are taking our late afternoon walk down the gravel driveway to the turn-around. Beside me, Cato ambles loose leash, sniffing along to find good spots to mark. Suddenly, he stops, eyes me, and jumps, mouthing my sleeve like I’m a chew toy. I...
There is no fear in love
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 On Thursday, I volunteered for open hours at WriterHouse and grocery shopped on the way home—as...
Curbs, mirrors, and guides help us stay calm
Keith and I adopted another shelter dog last week, a puppy we named Cato. When we first brought Cato home, he pulled on his leash and jumped on us despite our “off” commands. He chewed on Heathcliff and Freya’s ears, legs and tails despite their warning growls. He...
This is a story about my mother’s love for chocolate
When visiting Mother at the care center where she lived for eight years, we routinely ate lunch at the facility’s Bistro downstairs. But a few weeks after she moved to skilled nursing last November, the trip to the Bistro became too much for her. So, we ate with...
Laughter is worth a lot of pennies
The truck’s gas gauge registered below a quarter of a tank. I rummaged in my purse and checked my grocery store receipt. We had enough reward points for ten cents per gallon off at the grocery store’s gas station. “If their price is lower than the going rate, we’ll...
It is well with my soul
My mother died early yesterday morning. She was 96. For several years, she had lived in a care facility near my older sister. Mother was a teacher. Though she suffered from dementia, Mother greeted everyone and always said thank you whenever someone did...