Learning about Coping Gracefully from My Pets

Over in Marriage I wrote about how this year has been one blow after the other and I feel like I’m living under a black cloud. A string of them to be exact. No sooner does one pass than another one moves in and pours on me some more. I don’t even get a chance to fully dry off. I’ve been trying to cope as well as I can, but I have to be honest. My defenses are wearing down. Yesterday I got another blow. My dad’s girlfriend called to say she was at St. Anthony’s with my dad. He … Continue reading →

Celebrating a Second Anniversary as a Pets Blogger

Two years ago today I officially started on with Families.com as one of their newest Pets Bloggers. Ironically enough, two years later on my anniversary date, here I’ve turned in my two weeks notice. (I just realized as I started writing this that I did that on my start date anniversary.) It’s been a good ride, a very fun ride, and an amazingly informative one. I’ll still be around for the next couple of weeks, but I wanted to take a moment and reflect on some of my favorite blogs from the past couple of years. A Few of My … Continue reading →

An Unexpected Lesson about Halloween Costumes

On Halloween, I decided to dress up my dogs Moose and Lally for our afternoon walk. Lally had on a green tee shirt with a cartoon character on it. Moose wore a white shirt with pastel lettering that says “charmer”. (Both shirts are mine, as you might guess.) I was pretty pleased with myself as we headed out for walkies. But at the first bush, disaster struck. Moose lifted his leg to piddle… and peed all over his shirt. I was so excited to have the dogs dressed up that I didn’t think about the length. The hem of the … Continue reading →

Rain or Shine, My Pets Are There

This hasn’t been a very easy year for me. In fact, of all my years on this Earth to date, this past one has been the most trying by far. And the most blues-filled. One After the Other It started last summer when we tried to move back to Jacksonville. Thankfully plans changed, but instead of life sailing along unencumbered as I’d hoped, I got sick in November –the same week Wayne moved home and we left to go to Denver for Thanksgiving. Then Wayne got sick, and I had a relapse and fell ill again. Come January and February … Continue reading →

Beware If Your Pet Gets Hurt During a Kennel Stay

Just as Aimee (and most of us pet owners) experiences separation anxiety when she has to be away from her pets for an extended length of time, so do I. But after what happened this last time we went away and came home from vacation to a hurt Murphy who needed surgery on his paw, I’m going to be even more anxious. And not at all inclined to entrust my Murph to any kennel. A Lesson in Responsibility Wayne and I learned very fast that the kennel was not going to accept any responsibility for Murph’s injury without us pressing … Continue reading →

Appreciating Pet Photographers

I got the brilliant idea of a “family portrait” the other day — Moose, Lally, and I all in the same picture for once. (It’s rare that I can get that to happen.) Moose is the easy one. He’s pretty happy to lay there and pose for pictures without a problem for quite some time. All it takes is a little petting and you’ve got a Moose in place! I’m probably the second-easiest one out of the family trio. I’m not usually fond of pictures of myself, but I’m willing to pose and try not to blink. Lally is the … Continue reading →

Learning From Our Mistakes as Pet Owners

Accidents don’t make you a bad pet owner… as long as you learn from them. I was catching up on posts in one of my favorite pet communities and saw a scary story. A young child knocked a lamp off a bedside table, which scared the family dog into making a run for it. When the dog jumped from bed to floor, she landed on the shards of the lamp and ended up severing nerves and tendons in one of her back legs. After emergency surgery, it looks like the dog will be okay. Thank goodness! Do I think this … Continue reading →

My Dog is a Better Man than Most Humans

Just about every night before I go to bed, I take my dogs for a last walk. Sometimes it’s just a short run outside; sometimes it’s a longer stroll through the apartment complex or around the block. Since I’d been out of the house a lot today, I figured the pups deserved a longer walk tonight. I decided we’d walk around the outside of the apartment complex — lately I’ve been avoiding the paths inside the complex since my dog Lally can be skittish around kids. We were halfway around when a large white SUV came roaring by. Someone was … Continue reading →

Prevent Lawn Damage from Pets

It is pretty easy to figure out that this apartment complex welcomes pets — not just because of inconsiderate neighbors who don’t pick up poop, but because of the urine burn spots around the grounds. Many pet owners — whether you own property or rent — suffer with dead, bald spots on the lawn thanks to pet piddle. But your lawn doesn’t have to look like Swiss cheese! Here are some tips to help minimize lawn damage from your pets. Water your lawn deeply. A long, deep watering can encourage grasses to put down deeper roots — up to two … Continue reading →

Designing a House with Pets in Mind

A while back I was watching a show on HGTV in the waiting area of the Nissan dealership while Nissy’s oil got changed. I don’t remember the name of the show, but it was one of those where they feature people’s homes for one reason or another. Usually very fancy houses with lots of neat upgrades I can only dream about. Cold Rooms Must Mean a Cold Heart The episode showcased a lady’s home that, while very pretty, also struck me to match its owner’s personality: cold and sterile. The floors were entirely hard surfaces, save for maybe her bedroom. … Continue reading →