Life Archives - Page 13 of 18

If You Could Create a School From the Ground Up…

March 7, 2010 / Cait and Me, Life / By Karen Shanley / 9 Comments

Spring cleaning is well under way around here. There are several projects already in varying stages of completeness. Living in an old farm house means there’s a never-ending supply. Fortunately, Cait usually likes to help. It’s a chance for us to have some uninterrupted talk time, while I apprentice her on the finer points of home repair.

As Cait and I were painting , the subject of one of her school projects came up. Her assignment was to create a … Read More

Sing Like Nobody’s Listening

February 28, 2010 / Cait and Me, Life / By Karen Shanley / 8 Comments

Cait loves to act. LOVES to act. And she’s actually pretty good at it. But all her middle school plays are musicals. Which means that to get a decent part, she must also sing well. But, um… she, ah… doesn’t sing well. And that would be putting it kindly.

At least, she didn’t sing well — before I signed her up for singing lessons last year.

I’m not one to get Cait lessons for every little interest or activity. I’m … Read More

Reason #34 Why Not to Get a Dog

February 21, 2010 / Life, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 8 Comments

There are a hundred reasons not to get a dog. And only one reason to get a dog. On the Don’t Get A Dog side, Reason #34 is:

Mud Season

Muddy Yard

Muddy Dog

Muddy Floor.

So don’t say I never warned you.

Oh, and the one and only reason to get a dog? If you can’t live a day without unconditional love and laughter. There’s nothing else in the world quite like it.

They Still Exist

January 24, 2010 / Dogs in General, Life, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 4 Comments

I always find it interesting how life events cluster together.Â Perhaps you’ve heard of this phenomenon known as “The Law of Threes.”

My little cluster at the moment has to do with healthcare. Within a few months of each other, my family doctor, dentist, and vet have retired. I’ve yet to find people to replace them. That’s because essentially they’re irreplaceable. They all came from the old school where they were human beings first and medical practitioners second. If any … Read More

Happy Easter and To All a Good Night!

November 29, 2009 / Life, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 5 Comments

When my family gets together, there are a lot of us. One of the many things we’re thankful for is that we all enjoy each other. There’s always a buzz of activity and lots of laughter.

We got to share an unexpected moment of merriment when, after a long day of cooking, we finally all got to sit down to eat. My mother, tired from helping my sister and me with the day’s non-stop preparations, raised her water glass and … Read More

The Worst Part of My Day

October 18, 2009 / Life, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 11 Comments

Lately, I’ve had to spend more time working at my “office” office, which means that I haven’t been able to work from my home office nearly as much.

Seeing these two faces at the door as I drive by is the pits. I hate it! I don’t know how mothers who have to leave their children in daycare do it.… Read More

Hitting the Dusty Trail

September 20, 2009 / Life / By Karen Shanley / 21 Comments

I’ll be leaving in a few days to head out for another Walkabout to spend time in my belonging place.

It seems every so many years, it’s just something I need to do — go spend time in a natural landscape that speaks to me. That’s partly because I live in a landscape that I would not choose, if I had a choice — Upstate New York, in the Adirondacks.

It’s not that there’s not lots to love about the … Read More

Points of View

July 12, 2009 / Dogs in General, Funnies, Life / By Karen Shanley / 4 Comments

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without pep pills,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can resist … Read More