For those of you who have been following this blog, you know that our elderly dog has lately been off his food. This is complicated by the fact that he has an Incredibly delicate constitution so tempting him with substitutions from his typical diet is fraught. We’ve been warming his food to heighten its aromas. … Continue reading Pettigrew’s Reducing Regime
In My Own Voice #41: I Am Not a Tool For Your Procrastination
The Woman sometimes has trouble settling down at her desk. I sense her agitation. Up and down the steps she pounds carrying baskets full of clothes. Down she stomps with the clothes smelling of my family. A short time later she repeats her march carrying back up the stairs clothes wiped of all good scents. … Continue reading In My Own Voice #41: I Am Not a Tool For Your Procrastination
Tumbling Down the COVID Hole
Like Alice in Wonderland who found herself in a topsy-turvy world when she followed the rabbit down a hole, my family was turned upside down a few weeks ago when first one, and then another came down with COVID. In educational circles there’s a concept called windows and mirrors. Loosely defined it refers to how … Continue reading Tumbling Down the COVID Hole
In My Own Voice # 40: Holiday Love
This time of year, the house fills with delicious smells and I wait, expectantly, patiently, hopefully on the couch until the scrape of the knife against the sharpener. Then and only then is it time to move to the kitchen. Pettigrew gets a tidbit. Sometimes, it's clearly not accidental at all! My position? Seated. Front … Continue reading In My Own Voice # 40: Holiday Love
Preconceived Ideas
For reasons I don’t fully understand, earlier this fall I became obsessed with The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, by Stephen Covey. I read it numerous times, taking different lessons from it. What do you see? An old woman? A young woman? Both? In one segment, Covey writes about how sharing a simplified drawing … Continue reading Preconceived Ideas
Taking a Tumble Off My Pedestal
A few weeks ago I left work early, sick and exhausted. At home, I crawled straight into bed. At some point in the afternoon, Pettigrew came up to join me, perhaps after I didn’t show up to take him for his afternoon walk and he had to accept my son as a substitute walker. His … Continue reading Taking a Tumble Off My Pedestal
Left Out in the Cold
Pettigrew and my husband have their own love language. Peanut butter is their conversational lubricant of choice. The other day while I was enjoying a mug of green tea for my afternoon pick-me-up, my husband wandered into the kitchen for a snack. On his heels came Pettigrew. I invited Pettigrew over for some rubs, but his … Continue reading Left Out in the Cold
It’s Too Quiet to Sleep
Contrary to popular belief, quiet is not always conducive to sleep. When my parents were first married, my mother got in the habit of falling asleep to the sound of the tv turned low whenever my dad was working late. It kept her company in the empty apartment. Pettigrew curled up on his bed that … Continue reading It’s Too Quiet to Sleep
In My Own Voice #39: I’ve Got My Eyes on You
I’m not one those dogs that feels a compulsion to herd people, constantly circling and nudging legs to keep my group together. But I do like to have a big-picture sense of where everyone is. My family is challenging me right now and I don’t appreciate it. For example, the youngest one disappeared. Poof. One … Continue reading In My Own Voice #39: I’ve Got My Eyes on You
Forbidden Fruit Tempts Every Time
Why is it that when something is off limits it is so alluring? My younger son has left to start his freshman year at college. He is the only one in the family for whom Pettigrew reliably sits when asked. Their relationship is clear and Pettigrew acknowledges that he is not the alpha. But now, … Continue reading Forbidden Fruit Tempts Every Time
Ruth Polk 