• Two puppies sleeping in a recliner
    General Thoughts

    When Unexpected Blessings Come in the Form of Two Puppies

    My family was originally a one-dog family that became a two-dog family by chance. When Buddy passed away, leaving us with only Peanut, we chose to adopt Roscoe three months later because our fur-baby family didn’t feel complete anymore. And that was it. We were done—no more dogs—until life happened. Two starving pups needed a home I grew up just outside of Benton, where my mother still lives, about 80 miles away from where I live now. I talk to my mom daily and try to visit when I can. This spring and summer, she’s had some health issues, so I’ve been to her house more frequently. At the beginning…

  • Be thankful graphic with leaves
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    That for which I am thankful

    Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes If someone had told me a year ago the changes I would face in 2021, I’m not sure I would have believed them. This time last year, I was hopeful for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, thankful for my family and friends, grateful for a job I loved and was able to keep while working from home to help stop the spread of the virus, missing my best Buddy, and preparing to publish my 4th novel. In some ways, beginning the final month or so of 2021 feels like a repeat of 2020. I’ve jokingly referred to 2021 as 2020: Part II several times throughout the year because,…

  • Essays,  General Thoughts

    A New Family Member: An official introduction

    As many of you know, we lost Buddy, a dear four-legged and furry member of our family back in September 2020. By December, we were feeling the pull to adopt another dog. After three months of mourning had passed, I wouldn’t say we were healed; we were just open to expanding our hearts again. After some searching and conversations with our kids, Jonathan and I reached out to Needy Paws Animal Shelter in Clarksville, Arkansas. It was there we became interested in a young adult Kelpie mix named Roscoe, whom we adopted on December 30. I mentioned him in my first post of 2021, but here’s some more information about…