Welcome to the Paws & Play Side of Life

While much of my work centers around spiritual teaching and inner exploration, my dogs are the ones who keep my feet firmly on the earth. Off the meditation cushion and out of the classroom, I’m just a regular person who is entirely devoted to her dogs. Here, you’ll find stories, lessons, and everyday moments from the journey of loving, learning from, and sharing life with four-legged companions. Just real life, dust bunnies, and unconditional love.

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How to Break into Magazines

/ On Writing, The Mail Bag / By / 1 Comment

From the Mail Bag: Kate writes: I’d like to start writing nonfiction, human interest stories, emphasizing topics such as dogs and life with dogs, health and psychology. I’d like to start with articles (magazine, newspaper or both) and eventually work towards a book. I have done a few small human interest pieces for the newspaper at the University where I currently work and also back when I was in college. Any advice you’d have to share would be appreciated.

Dear … Read More

You Know You Want To

/ Cait and Me, Funnies / By / 12 Comments

My daughter is doing a jig, jumping on her bed in her pajamas, and singing, You know you want to… Uh huh, uh huh. Her arms are flailing around up over her head as if raised in a Hallelujah chorus.

I’m laughing so hard, I momentarily forget how tired I am.

Cait wants me to tickle her. As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve had nearly nightly tickle fights since she’s been a baby. But, tonight, I’m just plain too tired. … Read More

The Earth Knows My Name

/ Nature / By / 9 Comments

There is no trace of my garden buried under two feet of snow. No hint of Spring in the air. And yet, like the magnetic forces beginning to draw the birds back north, I hear the earth beckon.

Having listened for so many years, I am elated to hear her voice begin to grow stronger once again. And, as I have for so many years, I answer her call.

This morning I placed my order for organic seeds from Seeds … Read More

The Steering Wheel

/ Cait and Me, My Favorites / By / 27 Comments

Cait has a fear of fire. She seems to have been born with it. It’s been a frequent topic of conversation since the time she was first able to express herself. To help her with this concern, we’ve practiced fire drills at home, we have an action plan for what we’d do and where we’d go, and she helps me replace the batteries in the smoke detectors quarterly. Even with all our preparedness, she still occasionally needs to talk about … Read More

Sheep Herding Game

/ Life / By / 9 Comments

I know. I’m nuts. But, go ahead. Try this sheep herding game and see if you can get all eight sheep in the pen, then report back! I’ll even give you a hint. Just as in real life, don’t let your “dog” chase the sheep.

Darned if Cait didn’t get all eight in before I did.

I never said I was good at herding –just that I like it! :)… Read More

How Smart?

/ Dogs in General / By / 7 Comments

I live with a dog who is brilliant. Really. Kiera’s reasoning powers are on display everyday. (Graidy’s smart but doesn’t quite have the same wattage.) So when I come across articles that imply our animals might actually have consciousness and be able to think, I’m inclined to roll my eyes and think, Where have you been all your life–certainly not around animals. Because if you were around animals, you’d already know this.

A recent article of this ilk, What … Read More

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