Bookends – Getting a new puppy with an old dog

Blind cocker spaniel with springer puppy and me

I thought it would be too cruel to Buffy to bring home a puppy. But that’s exactly what we did the day after my husband retired. My last springer spaniel, Cassie,  died in 2015 and I’ve been longing for a puppy ever since.

Snow and Weather – It’s all Changing

Bad weather causes me to remember many of the events in my life. In January of 1967, Chicago received a whopping 23 inches of snow. I was only 7 but I helped my brother, sister, and parents shovel not only our driveway, but halfway down the street after three days without the street being plowed. … Read more

Falling off My Bike

Buffy with Christmas loot that returned my memory

Last week, I finally had the courage to get back on my bike after my injury. It felt pretty weird…strange, with some fear along with a tiny bit of pain when I hit a pothole and it jarred my healing pubic bone – yeah, my crotch. On December 26th at about 8 a.m., I started … Read more

The Mushroom House – Book Launch of Meaningful Conflicts

My personal essay, “The Mushroom House” was recently published in Meaningful Conflicts, the Art of Friction. Here is my reading of about a third of the story during the Off Campus Writers Workshop book launch on April 30th. Below is the text since the video is quite soft. The picture on the screen is my … Read more

Bloody Dog Pee – It could be a Urinary Tract Infection

My senior dog left pink spots on the snow after she peed. I knew instantly what it meant—she had blood in her urine, likely from a urinary tract infection. My first thoughts were: Why did she get this? If I hadn’t walked her, I may not have caught it. If untreated, a UTI can lead … Read more

I’m Published – Watch the Book Launch on Sunday

I’ll never forget that sky. To this day, I still remember it, even though back then I was only an 8-year-old child during the deadliest tornado to hit the south side of Chicago during the 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado

Cure for the Winter Blues

Dog in stroller

“I’m surprised you went for a walk,” my husband said after we received a few inches of snow—not the fluffy white stuff, but instead, crunchy snow and ice—too little for skiing but enough to make the sidewalks challenging. I walk outside almost every day since covid-19 hit, in all kinds of weather for about 2-4 … Read more

What is Cavaletti Dog Training?

Dog using a ladder to improve balance

Back in 2015, when my springer spaniel, Cassie, was tripping frequently, my veterinarian recommended that I have her step over poles to remind her to pick up her paws. Little did I know we were actually doing cavaletti. Cavaletti was borrowed from horse trainers in order to train dogs to learn to master body positioning. … Read more

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