In honor of National Dog day: the winding, not-super-linear story of how Wren came into our lives. I've written tomes about Chara, but I'm not sure that I've ever told Wren's story. And it's a great one: full of love and hardship and challenges overcome. When I first met Wren, we weren't looking for a … Continue reading On three-legged dogs
What does your typical morning look like? If you're anything like me two months ago, it went like this: the alarm goes off. You snooze it. And snooze it again. And again. Finally, the dogs click-clack cheerfully into the room, demanding to be let out. You extract yourself from the sweaty, sweet nest of your … Continue reading On Habits
When I was eighteen, my dad invented something called "slack leashing." Slack leashing is a sport involving one human, one dog, and a leash. You clip the leash on the dog like you're going to go for a walk, but instead of the human setting the pace, you have to allow the dog to set … Continue reading On Being Raised by Two Developmental Psychologists
[I realized recently that most of my posts follow a particular, positive format. In each one, I move from uneducated to educated. Unenlightened to enlightened. Sad to happy. Mournful to hopeful. But not all of life can be a lesson. And not all of life has a happy ending. This post is one that I’ve … Continue reading On Remembering My Mom
(All photos are of real shelter pets from the Oktibbeha County Humane Society, taken during my year working there. These pets have long been adopted, but there are hundreds more adorable critters just like them looking for homes). What do you picture when you hear the word "kill shelter?" If you're like most people, you … Continue reading On Kill Shelters
My first weeks with Linden were blue skies and rainbows and sunshine. I loved everything about our life together under the roof of our little brick house--the midnight snuggles, wispy baby hair, long, lazy mornings all curled up in bed as a family. But there was a storm cloud looming on the horizon--I only had … Continue reading On Being a Working Mom
A couple of week ago I was driving to pick Jordan up from the university after he'd spent a long couple of days out in the field, and a thunderstorm broke right overtop me. In seconds, the highway had disappeared beneath a glistening sheath of water, and the windshield roared with rain. It was simultaneously … Continue reading June
