Author: authorpolk

I live in the suburbs of Washington, DC with my dog, husband, and two sons. I teach environmental education and am a librarian. I also write children's books and hope to be published one day. In the meantime, I blog about the crazy things my dog Pettigrew does.

A Fine Old Dog

…is like a fine old wine. Mellowing and becoming more complex with age. Our dogs are aging. Many of my friends have kids the same age as mine. We met through playgroups, at the park, at the schools our kids attended. We invited dogs to join our families at a similar point too. The kids … Continue reading A Fine Old Dog →

In My Own Voice #37:  The Two-Bed Solution

As much as I love my family, and trust me, I do, they can be Shockingly obtuse sometimes.  Take the beds. This past year they bought me two, count them, two beds! Of course, I was fine in their beds, but they discouraged it. Go figure. The first bed went upstairs, where they sleep. Well … Continue reading In My Own Voice #37:  The Two-Bed Solution →

The Girl Next Door

There’s a courtship going on under my nose and I was none the wiser. Pettigrew, like most dogs, likes to poke his nose out the door and sample the weather. Depending on what he learns from that preliminary sniff he either saunters out on to the porch and settles down or, he turns tail and … Continue reading The Girl Next Door →

When “Thank You” Isn’t Enough

Type “Xtreme” into a search engine and you pull up all sorts of things for which there are amped up versions: sports, pizza, auto detailing, etc. What I’m pondering is Xtreme thank yous: when the nature of the gift or the service rendered doesn’t seem to be appropriately or adequately acknowledged by a simple thank … Continue reading When “Thank You” Isn’t Enough →

Mind Reader

There’s comfort in believing you are truly known and understood. Accepted for who you are. It’s the meeting of minds that happens when, you pause in the middle of a sentence and your listener finishes your thought perfectly, so in tune were they. Pettigrew believes we share a similar level of communication. Pettigrew models his … Continue reading Mind Reader →

Rethinking Goldilocks: Was She Actually Easy to Please?

Goldilocks is the quintessential picky kid. Turning up her pert nose and shaking her bouncy golden curls at other people’s preferences. They weren’t good enough for her. Or so I’ve always thought.  Maybe inflexibility was more her challenge. In her world, there were right and wrong options. After all, it only took three tries for … Continue reading Rethinking Goldilocks: Was She Actually Easy to Please? →

Embrace Your Inner Cat

Without thunder and lightening’s fanfare, the rain came with a suddenness and force that kept me glued to the window. Curled in an armchair, I stared at the fat drops splashing into already swollen puddles. The torrent that had formed in the street left no prisoners behind. Almost a vibration, the rush of water falling … Continue reading Embrace Your Inner Cat →

Separation Anxiety

Pandemic pups are struggling. Originally adopted to brighten the lives of people isolating in their homes as they followed social distancing guidelines and didn’t see friends, family, or co-workers, the pups are now finding it’s hard to be alone as their families resume their former activities. Since I don't know anyone with a pandemic puppy, … Continue reading Separation Anxiety →

Cool Dad: Fun Dad

My husband tends to be the more indulgent one, the person Pettigrew knows he can wrap around his paw, see How I Know George Lucas Had a Dog. But sometimes, like today, there really is no effort required. https://ruthpolk.com/2017/09/24/how-i-know-george-lucas-had-a-dog/ In his younger days, Pettigrew was always on high alert whenever there were signs that the … Continue reading Cool Dad: Fun Dad →

In My Own Voice #36: The Fake Out

These hot muggy days really drag me down. No matter when we go out, the weather is dreary. The Woman is usually amenable to cutting our walks short if I’m just not up for it, but sometimes she resists. On those dreadful occasions, instead of following my lead when I turn, she forcibly drags my … Continue reading In My Own Voice #36: The Fake Out →