Animals, Family

Pizza, Errant Squirrels, Death, and a Dash of Laughter

It happened in absolute slow motion. I watched in horror as the squirrel plummeted toward me, its pale belly hurtling from the sky and its arms and legs outstretched as if trying to stop (or at least change) its trajectory. Was this how things were going to end? We had just lost my mother unexpectedly.… Continue reading Pizza, Errant Squirrels, Death, and a Dash of Laughter

Dogs, Fostering, Life Lessons

8 Things I Learned (or Was Reminded) About Life From a Foster Puppy … in Just Three Days

Sometimes, it takes an 8-week-old foster puppy to remind you of how to live life and what’s really important. First, let’s set the scene. In what some might deem as a temporary loss of my common sense, my home-from-college daughter convinced me to foster one of about a dozen puppies the local animal shelter was… Continue reading 8 Things I Learned (or Was Reminded) About Life From a Foster Puppy … in Just Three Days

Family

The 4 Words I Didn’t Expect My Father to Say at My Wedding

I was excited to reach the end of the red-carpeted aisle, yet it meant leaving a lot behind. As my father gave me away, I expected an “I love you” from him; instead, he whispered, “Don’t be a stranger.” While this wedding day advice surprised me, it turned out to be the words I didn’t… Continue reading The 4 Words I Didn’t Expect My Father to Say at My Wedding