Category: dogs

Peace Corps Fail

Posted in dogs, memoir, Midwestern, Peace Corps, postal service, relationships, Spain, teaching, travel, VenezuelaLeave a comment

(re-run) It was in the spring of my first year of teaching when the call came. I was at Greenwood Elementary in Greenwood, Nebraska. I had applied to the Peace Corps the year before. They had just seen my application. They wanted to fly me to Chicago for an interview that weekend. They gave me… Continue reading Peace Corps Fail

Musical Cleaning Day (waiting for plumber)

Posted in Bill Withers, CD player, children, cleaning, dogs, Isley Brothers, memoir, music, musicians, pandemic, plumber, poem, purge, reflux diseaseLeave a comment

(re-run) The plumber said he’d be here by mid-morning, but it wasn’t looking good.  I worked on a review for a new children’s book coming out next month. I watched some Dry Bar Comedy while I digested my breakfast.  That is no longer a multi-tasking feature of my aging body. Reflux. It’s best to let… Continue reading Musical Cleaning Day (waiting for plumber)

Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

Posted in 4th of July, Akita, animal training, animals, boyfriend, California, casino, dating, divorce, dogs, father figure, Japan, kayaking, lake, Lake Tahoe, puppy, river, swimmingLeave a comment

(re-run) Beth’s husband had two Akitas.  She wanted to get one for their six-year-old son.  She got Lee a puppy and named him Kuma, which is Japanese for Bear. The two older dogs kept attacking the puppy.  The marriage wasn’t going well, either. Beth and her son moved out and got their own place and… Continue reading Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

The Day my Dog Herded Me to the ER

Posted in ambulance, California, chiropractor, concussion, dog behaviors, dogs, ER, headache, Iowa, memoir, Omaha, orthotics, paramedics, pregnancy, repair man, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Way back when, I had two children and a rare free day. The kindergartener was going on an all-day field trip. The two-year-old was going to daycare for the day. I had hours ahead of me to do all the yard work and gardening that I could squeeze in.  I put on some old… Continue reading The Day my Dog Herded Me to the ER

Staying Fit without a FitBit

Posted in cleaning, dancing, dogs, exercise, fitbit, gardening, gophers, hiking, memoir, Monterey county, moving, succulents, Zoom, ZumbaLeave a comment

(re-run) Today, before and after Zumba class on Zoom, the ladies were discussing how many steps we take during one class and how many calories we burn. This went on for a while, and I signed off. I don’t need a gadget to tell me if I am getting enough exercise. I have dogs. They… Continue reading Staying Fit without a FitBit

Pavlov’s Perfume

Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, animal shelter, ARF, Belgian Malinois, California, dogs, Houdini, humor, Jack Russell terrier, memoir, Pavlov, pet, pom chi, relationshipsLeave a comment

(re-run) My girlfriend, who shall remain nameless, lest someone recognize her on this page (okay, it’s Suanne), has a three-time rescue dog like mine. Hers also started out as a voluntary surrender puppy after his owner first lost a home in the Redding fire. Or possibly he was at the Redding shelter and got shipped… Continue reading Pavlov’s Perfume

A Great Dane Story

Posted in animal training, Barbie, birds and bees, dog manners, dogs, friends, Great Danes, humor, Iowa, Ken, memoir, parents, relationships, teensLeave a comment

(re-run) When I was almost thirteen, I hung out at my neighbor Bonnie’s house, just one block away from mine, but it was different world.  Both her parents worked full time, so we teens could hang there with no parental supervision. We were supervised, though, by the family’s Great Danes. I remember three dogs, but… Continue reading A Great Dane Story

Weed Whacker Workout

Posted in beach, dogs, foxtails, garden, memoir, Monterey Bay, mulch, neck, neighbors, weedsLeave a comment

(re-run) I’ve never owned or used a Weed Whacker. I’m an Iowa girl who pulls weeds by hand so they don’t come back. But this year is the exception.  With record rainfall, the weeds are on steroids this spring. See photo. I ordered an electric weed whacker from my local hardware store since I didn’t… Continue reading Weed Whacker Workout

The Dog Who Thought He Was a Squirrel

Posted in apple tree, apples, candles, college, dog training, dog years, doggie door, dogs, Halloween, memoir, old age, squirrelsLeave a comment

When my middle kid went to college, I kept his Dachshund named Wiener. I asked him if he’d miss his dog at UCLA, and he said, “They have squirrels there, Mom.” As it turned out, Wiener thought he was a squirrel.  Maybe not so much in the big marriage house, but when he got to… Continue reading The Dog Who Thought He Was a Squirrel