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How to Prevent Dog Urine From Creating Burn Spots in Your Lawn

/ Dogs in General / By / 5 Comments

There are three types of calls I routinely get from my family:

  1. All medical related concerns thanks to my EMT background.
  2. All vegetable gardening questions thanks to more than a couple of decades of dirt under my fingernails.
  3. Last but not least…  Dogs of course!

It ensures that I regularly get to hear from most of my family fairly often.  The most recent call I fielded was from one of my nephews who has a delightful female Golden Retriever. As … Read More

The Time Has Come…

/ Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By / 2 Comments

… the Walrus said, to talk of other things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings…

Anything but how time is starting to catch up with my beloved girl…

Kiera is closing in on 13 years old. Her recent visit to the vet confirmed what I had been observing. Kiera is now 90% blind.

So we make changes. And we adjust. And we now use baby gates to prevent her from getting stuck on the stairs … Read More

I’m Thinking Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

/ My Dogs and Me, Nature's Grocery Store / By / 1 Comment

The garden is lush with all the rain and warming temps. It looks like it’s going to be a bountiful season. We already have lots of lettuce and herbs, peas and beans, kale and broccoli, and of course all the June berries.

Looking for a quick something for dessert this evening, I came back with these. I was thinking a nice strawberry rhubarb crisp would be refreshing.

strawberries in a basket

But Graidy was thinking fresh strawberries… … Read More

What’s In a Name?

/ Cait and Me / By / 2 Comments

Cait was doing her homework at the kitchen table while I was getting dinner ready.

Out of nowhere, she started, “Mom, Shanley is a funny name. It’s kind of hard and soft sounding at the same time. And I always have to spell it because no one ever gets it right.”

“I don’t even wait for people to ask me to spell it anymore, I just automatically do now,” I said in agreement.

“And I always end up toward the … Read More

The Best Presents…

/ Cait and Me, Life / By / 3 Comments

The presents I love most always come free and unattached to any Hallmark holiday. This little gift of peonies are fresh cut from my garden and the smell is heavenly. Which is interesting. Because I’m allergic to perfume. But not to the incredible scent of these beauties. But this bouquet is especially special to me because it carries a secret message.

peonies in vase

Did you spot it?


Cait is always leaving me little notes expressing her love for me. I’ll often sit … Read More

Outstanding in the Corn Fields — Odyssey of the Mind World Finals 2012 Ames, Iowa

/ Cait and Me / By / Leave a Comment

ootm 2012 logoCait and I’ve spent the last several days in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State University. She and her Odyssey of the Mind team won 1st at Regionals and 2nd at States, which qualified them to compete at Worlds. Which is sort of like the Olympics for creative mind types.  Here’s as good as any explanation I can find on what Odyssey is, if you’re not familiar with it:

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative

… Read More

Almost Time for Planting….

/ My Garden / Recipes / By / 4 Comments

seedlings in hot house

In the Northeast, we use Mother’s Day as the official opening for our gardening season. For those of us who want to get a jump on growing, starting seedlings a month or two in advance is a way of life.

Before I can plant these outdoors, I’ll start hardening them off by putting them outside in a sheltered sunny spot for a few hours a day. That will help lessen the transplant shock.

Then I’ll direct seed the rest of … Read More

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