I don’t know where to put this. I can’t even think…

I just know that I need to tell it. I need to let it out. I’m sorry if this is inappropriate in any way.

My BFF called me this afternoon as I was on my way to get my nails done. I’ve had a wonderful day. Good news about Lucy’s cancer. I went down to the office and saw my hubby’s new space. They have good reason to be proud of it.

We went to Pig out in the Park. A huge event where all the local food vendors get together and put up a food truck in the park. Lots of food, odd music and prime people watching material.

We got chased by a bee because it wanted some of the daughter’s barbecued pork.

And with my daughter sitting next to me in the car on a beautiful, late summer day… and with my BFF on speaker phone… she told me that her little sister, whom I have known since she was 12 years old, killed herself today.… [Read More]

In Memory of Lisa Michelle Manley

So… I had some yard work to do out front today. The weather is just gorgeous and I felt bad about leaving Mugen inside because it was super hot in the house and we haven’t done the first start of our A/C unit yet. Lucy was already firmly entrenched in her post-lunch, pre afternoon nap, nap.

So… I grabbed the long line and went out front.

We’re not allowed to have our front yards fenced here, so I checked around my big tree to make sure there was nothing for him to eat and to see how long the lead would go and then brought the pup and his bowl of water outside with me while I filled in the front flower bed with beauty bark.

I wasn’t sure how Mugen would do, tied out like this, but we’ve been working on tie outs for dog class. Mugen needs to let me walk away from him out of his sight and not freak out about it, but we’re not quite to that stage yet.… [Read More]

Mugen and the Street Sweeper.

Bullying isn’t a new problem.

When I was a teenager, I was bullied. My parents talked to the school. I talked to the school and told my teachers about the bullies in each of my classes in junior high. Every single time that someone called me a name, or hit me, they got caught doing it. Every single time, they got suspended and a phone call went to their parents that grounded them until the end of the school year.

I was never bullied by the same person twice.

When my kids went through a similar experience, I noted that the students that were bullying them were often not handed any disciplinary action. When I demanded action and insisted that a meeting be held between myself and my husband and the parents of the other child, I was informed that they would not be telling the parents of the other child and I was told that the school believed there may be abuse in the home and they were afraid of making it worse on the student.… [Read More]

Why Bullying is a Problem.

The son is 16…. almost 17. He’s getting his driver’s license as soon as he passes the test. He only failed it by two points last week, he actually did really well and the examiner told him that most kids fail it the first time because they get nervous, but the second time is a cakewalk.

He got his first job. He’s finishing up his junior year in high school with decent enough grades and a plan for college. He’s got a girlfriend that I actually approve of.

She invited him to prom.

WTH?

Prom. My baby… my little boy who I carried in one arm, with a jansport backpack with his diapers and bottles in it slung over the other… my little boy who was the talk of the town in his baby grunge jeans and flannel shirts. Who used to sleep on my chest when he was just born.… [Read More]

Prom.

Yesterday, I decided to try something different for dog school. I fed Mugen a larger than usual breakfast and skipped his lunch meal entirely. Dinner happens after dog school is over. I thought I’d see how this worked for us.

I got out my hot dogs (hebrew national, 97% fat free! Thanks to Annette! I never would have thought to share MY hot dogs with the puppy if she hadn’t mentioned it!!) and started slicing them up and prepping them to go in the nuker and Mugen started salivating all over the place. So I had him do a few sits and downs for me and I gave him a couple bits of hot dog and then we got into the car and left.

I missed dog school last week. I was painting my bedroom and my hands were weak and I pulled a muscle in my shoulder while I was painting around the ceiling.… [Read More]

Mugen is AMAZING!

It started at the end of August. I hadn’t even thought of adopting a second dog yet. Mugen had been home for just under a month at that point, and I had no idea that anything this heart wrenching was going to happen. I was wrapped up in chocolate Lab puppy dreams and sweet puppy kisses.

I didn’t know anything at all.

At the end of August, a female yellow Lab was picked up by a shelter in LaPorte, Indiana. Her test for heart worms came back positive and she had a wound on her left eye that looked as though it was having trouble healing, or possibly worse. The shelter had no idea and had no way of knowing. Municipal shelters often don’t receive funding to give animals necessary veterinary care. These animals are usually on the short list to euthanasia if those shelters become over crowded, and are often difficult to adopt out.… [Read More]

Miss Lucy Girl

Reilly,

It’s been almost three months since you left and I still miss you every single day. It gets hard every time I see another big black dog. It’s hard to drive my car because I’m used to having you breathe in my hair when I zip through the bends. The kids miss you sneaking into their bedrooms to sleep on their beds and I miss your nose pushing into my hand to wake me up every morning. Daddy misses your doggie bounce and wiggly butt.

We got a puppy pretty fast, I wasn’t sure I was ready. He’s nothing like you. He’s smart, he’s sweet but he’s not a happy go lucky little fellow. He’s actually sort of serious and kind of… pensive which is something that I never imagined I would see in a Lab. I thought all Labs were like you. Big, goofy and lovable. I think I was right on the big and lovable part.… [Read More]

Three Months Gone.

There has come a time in every relationship that I’ve had with most of the people I know… where I have had to walk away from them for a while. Either they create too much stress for me or they say things about me to my friends and family that are simply not true. Perhaps they are well-meaning and try to help when I complain about my problems, but instead they say things that go completely against my grain and I just smile and nod and then don’t bother to return their phone calls.

I know this sounds petty and childish, but it’s really not. The truth is, sometimes friends grow apart. Sometimes things change and the really great friend that you once had isn’t such a great person for you to be around anymore. I have a friend who refers to these people as “toxic individuals” and it’s a really good phrase for them, especially because I think that the moment a relationship with another person becomes toxic, that’s it.… [Read More]

Walking Away

So he’s home.

I thought I would need more time to recover from Reilly’s passing, and I still miss him horribly, but it’s hard to be sad when you stand at your kitchen counter typing and there is a brand new little baby licking your toes.

When I talked to his breeder, I expected to have to get on a waiting list. She ended up with two more puppies than she’d planned for this summer and hadn’t been able to find forever homes for them all at the time that we’d spoken. In other words, I got lucky. If I had waited a couple more weeks to contact her, she would have found perfect homes for all the puppies and I would have been out of luck. Maybe it was fate.

I always said that I would never just pick right up and get another dog, but the opportunity presented itself.… [Read More]

Mugen the Amazing Puppy Monster

The last few years have been very cathartic for me. I have had to say good bye to a lot of things that I loved from the time that I was very small. My grandmother passed away last summer, just ten days before my birthday. I had to haul ass to get home to talk to her just one more time before she left and she didn’t even get to say good-bye to my children. That was how fast I had to move just to be with her. After I said good bye to her, I said good bye to the house where I grew up. The yard was overgrown, but the trees were still there and I could still see the scars on the old maple where my swing used to be. I never knew how my grandfather managed to get the swing put up there, or if he made my dad do it.… [Read More]

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