"Writing retreat" sets the imagination on fire and gets writers dreaming of focused time with their laptop and notebook. Nothing but seclusion and time to discuss and hammer out trouble sections of their book or essays. And a retreat IS a dream come true. But there are downsides that no one ever mentions. So I'm here to offer both sides of that coin based on my recent excursion to Hawaii.
Ask any greyhound owner, and they'll assure the dogs are big couch potatoes. So we weren't sure what Juniper would think when we took her on her first hiking trip. But she loved it! And she's turned into a regular backpacker ever since.
The decision to say farewell is never easy. And while 14 years can sound long, depending on your perspective, it comes up short by other reckonings. Firefly has been such a huge part of my life - and my husband's - and that makes saying goodbye even harder to say.
Remember that tiny tuxedo kitten we brought home back in January? Well, today is his 1st birthday! (It doesn't seem nearly long enough to mark that milestone)
Okay, so remembering to take photos AT DragonCon was a big failure on my part. And not forgetting my camera was another. But I had my phone with me, and I managed to document SOME of our venture into normality as we attended DragonCon 2022 (and the zoo and aquarium).
Birthdays are important milestones for our furry family members. And if they have the kind of medical history Firefly does, they take on a new importance. Especially when you're talking 14 YEARS. He's our champion lemon - and we wouldn't have it any other way.
The Minions all get along (for the most part). And when we introduced Ekko to the household, we knew he came from a foster home with dogs. Juniper, of course, tolerated cats. So we never anticipated a problem. We also didn't foresee the eventual bond that's sprung up.
Okay, so maybe North Carolina wasn't at the top of my dream vacation list. But vacations away from work and responsibility count wherever you get them. And now you get to enjoy some of my photos. Think of it as living vicariously in case you're still chained to a computer.
April 1 is a magical day! (Nope, not April Fools Day) It's Tonks's birthday! And she's a whopping 4-years-old today! (Insert tears here)
When most people think of a 70-pound dog, they consider them "sturdy." In other words, you wouldn't expect that pup to run and hide from something unexpected. Such as little dogs they could otherwise step on. But Juniper's - well, not like other dogs. As we've come to learn.
