Heroism: It All Counts, Right?

I’ve spent a couple of years trying to figure out how my very smart dog—who can remember and break into any place food is stored—can have such an extremely short memory. Every day, when Scout the Lab sees the horrible menace of the mail truck as it stops in front of... read more

I Hope You Dance

Do you remember Lee Ann Womack’s hit song “I Hope You Dance?” One of the lines goes, “… And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.” Here’s a story that I hope makes you not only want to dance, but just as... read more

All I (Don’t) Know

This happened before the election, when I wasn’t so worried about the country. My daughter and son-in-law claimed they still have only a three-year old girl and a six-year old boy, but they lied. They suddenly have nine kids, maybe more. I know this because my... read more

REMEMBER MY BEAUTIES Publication Day

I’m excited to let you know that Remember My Beauties is published today. I think this novel will particularly appeal to animal lovers as well as to readers who are interested in how people with the best of intentions can make a mess of everything and the surprising... read more

It’s A Small Town Thing

Here’s what I love about this small university town I’ve lived in so long: the townies. Half are university professors and staff, and half work the businesses and services of our tree-lined, brick-paved uptown with its intersecting Main Street and High Street. We... read more

The Colonel, My Sister, and The Barber at the Base

Here’s a sweet story. My parents retired south from New England where they’d grown up, married, raised their family and had a huge network of friends. They moved primarily because my Dad developed a particular loathing for snow. This isn’t really the point, I just... read more

Of Horses, Humans, and Healing

Of course, it’s not only horses; it’s most animals that respond to human attention, nurture, and love on what is very much a two-way street. I wrote about my beautiful therapy Labrador retriever, Hannah, in Where The Trail Grows Faint, a memoir of her... read more

Reunions

I’ve just come home from a big family reunion in Florida. It was actually my second reunion of the year, the first having been in Connecticut, a three-day extravaganza of my high school graduating class. Fortunately, that one was in October and I’ve had two months to... read more

Getting There is Not Half The Fun

When Google maps swears that a drive to New England from southwestern Ohio is absolutely going to take sixteen hours and twenty-one minutes, you can be completely sure that Mr. Google Maps is a gold-level member of the Pinnochio Club.  Like a certain person to whom I... read more