Life Perspective: Reviews & More

My Miss Katy: still loved; still missed. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have mentioned Rodan + FIelds to someone who has replied, "Yes, but you have the personality for it. I don't have the Direct Selling Personality. "  These people don't KNOW me. They have no idea I was so shy in elementary school I hid in the bushes next to the playground during recess EVERY DAY in 4th and 5th grade so the more outgoing kids wouldn't bully me. They don't know that for FORTY YEARS, I was not invited to my own high school reunion because I was so shy and quiet in school, apparently no one remembered me. These are people who don't know that for over 20 years, I published  my own local magazine  from my home with only my sweet dog for company, because I was perfectly happy quietly working from home by myself. They don't know I wrote for several publications from home after my print publication closed, because I was introverted and preferred to be wi...

Jack and blue bells A year ago in April, I got my little buddy Jack. To celebrate, we went to Edwin Warner park to check out the spring flowers. I was going to take photos of the flowers, but I decided they all looked better with Jack next to them! Jack and purple flowers Jack will never replace my beloved Katy, but he is his own little man. Full of personality, lots of fun, and with fewer of the insecurities Miss Katy had, Jack is a delightful companion and all-round happy little guy. I am glad we are friends. Happy anniversary, little buddy!

St. Patrick's Day was bittersweet this year as it was a year ago on March 16, 2012 that I lost my beloved dog Miss Katy . If anyone had told me I would ever miss a dog so much before Katy I would have laughed, but I still miss her an awful lot. However, little Jack has been as sweet and cuddly as can be, and it has helped to have his happy, warm, little fluffy body by my side. He really enjoyed trotting around wearing a St. Patrick's bow tie which made me laugh. Look how well he wears it! Later I went to the small St. Patrick's Day Festival in downtown Nashville and then to dinner and the Gettys' St. Patrick's Day at the Ryman with a friend. The Gettys' show was quite wonderful, worshipful, Celtic, and more, but I was quickly succumbing to a bad allergy attack during the show. It's a testament to how good the show was that I enjoyed it as much as I did in spite of assorted unpleasant allergy-related symptoms. You can find out more about the Get...

It's New Year's Eve , and my puppy Jack and I are waiting for the ball to drop. We are more than ready for a New Year. 2012 was a year of many losses for me following the Nashville Flood of 2010 in May and then my washing machine hose breaking in October 2010. After the massive water damage, seeing my house gutted, living in a tiny room at the Microtel for 9 months with a sick dog, having to pay for mold remediation and other repairs out of pocket, then having Landmark Construction cash their check and not finish the work, I lost my precious dog and faithful companion of 17 years, my dear little Miss Katy. Then I received so many damaged possessions back from the ServiceMaster in Nashville which did such a negligent job of packing out and storing my goods, it was just one devastating loss after another throughout 2012. But 2012 was also the year I got my little dog Jack (who looks very sleepy in this photo), started a new job at Sears, got to be an extra on "Nash...

How Far and How Long Should You Walk Your Puppy? There is nothing cuter than a little puppy exploring the world, jumping at butterflies, grasshoppers and grass, racing around the yard and tripping over its feet. Exercise is important for puppies, but when should you you start walking a puppy on a leash and how much distance should you plan to cover with your little fur friend? Here are some things I have learned about walking young puppies. Article at: How Far and How Long Should You Walk Your Puppy? - Yahoo! Voices

Tonight I jogged a mile for the 3rd time in my life. The first time I jogged a mile was around the beginning of August, and the 2nd time was last week, so I am only starting to be able to say "I can jog a mile." Growing up, I read, I climbed trees, and I played with dolls. I was outside a lot, and I did run through the woods near the lake where we lived, but these were short bursts of running followed by lots of walking and contemplating nature. As I child, I could sit still for long periods studying ants, or examining flowers, or looking for mica in the slate and shale rocks near the lake. In 6th grade, however, I flew around our little playground at Una Elementary and won a ribbon for running, so in 7th grade I tried out for track. It was a rude awakening to discover I was the slowest girl who tried out and the only one who couldn't run all the way around the track. I failed so miserably and was so deeply mortified, I never thought of myself as a runner again, but t...

Tonight I loaded Jack and Shelby in the car, and we drove out to Percy Warner Park to meet the Nashville Hiking Meetup group at the Mossy Ridge Trailhead. Since Jack is so little, we only walked as far as the small waterfall, but it was nice meeting others in the group and enjoying the trails. Shelby and  went out to the Percy Warner trails almost every day after Miss Katy died. Nashville Hiking Meetup hikes Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park   The Nashville Hiking Meetup held a night trek for experienced hikers at Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park on Tuesday, July 10, 2012. Eight members showed up to hike the 4.5 mile trail that winds through the hollows and ridges of the Harpeth Hills. Article at: Nashville Hiking Meetup hikes Mossy Ridge Trail at Percy Warner Park - Nashville Skin, Health & Beauty Examiner

I had the most lovely dream last night. I think this is the first time I have blogged about a dream, but this one was so nice, it made my day. If you have read my blog fairly regularly, you know I lost my beloved companion of 17 years, my sweet little papillon dog Miss Katy . Her death was very hard for me to take. I had thought she was making such great progress and was lulled into a false sens of security by my vet, and distracted by almost losing my business website. I didn't take her little symptoms seriously and I lost her. A month later, I got Jack, a little male papillon with bandit eyes. It was either that or go in for serious grief counseling. I have grown very fond of Jack who reminds me so much of my Katy, but is very much his own man. He has helped me heal, but 3 1/2 months after losing Katy, I still miss her terribly.  Last night I dreamed Jack and I were back home at the house my father built in Brentwood, TN back when Brentwood was a cow town with one g...

Thirty-six days after I lost my much beloved Miss Katy on March 16, I brought a new puppy home. I missed having a happy, bossy little dog trotting through the house, demanding attention (and treats), doing tricks, chasing me and and filling my life with laughter. Three days after I first saw his photo, I brought him home with me. Yes, it will be inconvenient to train a new puppy, and I have already cleaned up one mess, but I miss every inconvenient moment I ever had with Katy and am looking forward to all the cleanups and coming home early to let the dog out. If this sweet little puppy is half the companion Miss Katy was, I will be truly blessed. So far my other dog, Shelby, and my new rescue cat, Annabelle, have taken him in stride, and puppy just LOVES Shelby. I could tell that was when puppy felt at home, when he met Shelby. I still miss my Katy, but it is so nice to have a warm, soft, fluffy puppy asleep in my lap again. He hasn't told me his name yet, but I figure I ...

After having 3 1/2 really bad weeks since losing my little dog Katy (I have cried every day since Katy died), yesterday I was covering the MTAC Anime Convention , and one of the ladies I had done some PR work for mentioned Katy, and I started weeping on the spot. The house has just been so empty and quiet without her, but I have business meetings and life to attend to, and even though I have taken my B12 vitamins every day,  jogged almost every evening with Shelby, and prayed, I just wasn't moving past the grief like I should. So, on the way home from the convention, I saw a Cat Rescue and paid $20 for a slightly homely adult cat no one wanted. She had been on her last day at the pound several months ago, and a group rescued her, but they couldn't find anyone who wanted her. Poor cat had been shuttled from foster home to foster home. Since we were both sort of shell shocked and at loose ends, I figured we would be good company for each other. I can never replace my Mi...

 Miss Katy was much more than a dog, that much is certain. While almost every dog has traits that endear them to us: loyalty, companionship, unconditional love, even courage, I have never seen a dog impact people as much as my little Katy. This little 7 lb. Papillon brought joy wherever she went, most especially into my own life. Following the death of my parents back to back in the early 1990s, by spring of 1995, while I was still in mourning, I had reached the place where life was going on, but it was colorless and devoid of laughter. Then I got Katy and everything changed. Suddenly there was a happy little face waiting at the door for me, a tail wagging, eyes sparkling, ready to play and perform any number of funny little antics and tricks. It wasn't long before she wriggled her way into my heart and snuggled softly around it. She brought so much joy and laughter into my life. It was also clear from the start that my Katy had separation anxiety, so she went everywhere with ...

My dog Katy in the hotel bed in December -- I didn't realize how sick she was at this time, but we had already been to the vet several times at this point. Top Ten Benefits of Vitamin B12 Shots for Dogs The end of 2010, my little dog -- a 7-pound Papillon -- became very stressed after a flood in our house forced us to move into a small hotel room for many months. Moving to a strange location, my own stress, workmen tearing up our house over several months, and a chaotic schedule caused my dog so much anxiety that her little system began to fail. Read more at: Top Ten Benefits of Vitamin B12 Shots for Dogs  

Miss Katy and I went to a couple of Halloween events today. Our fall festivities started at Bellevue Baptist Church where we attended the last part of the Fall Family Festival. Halloween at Bellevue Baptist Church, Nashville - Fall Family Festival slideshow Saturday, October 31st, 2009 Bellevue Baptist Church Fall Family Festival Bellevue Baptist Church in the Bellevue community of Metropolitan Nashville held their annual Fall Family Festival this afternoon... Keep Reading »

The little "doll" with the big ears is Miss Katy. I was taking a photo for my Halloween Dolls article and put her in the middle! Halloween doll display - a variety of Halloween dolls for fall display Monday, October 26th, 2009 As seen in the Barbie Halloween slideshow at Trick or treat? Halloween Barbie dolls from 1963 to present , one of the things many doll collectors enjoy is creating seasonal displays of holiday dolls.... Keep Reading »