By nature I'm an optimist and I believe we'll get through the current crisis. However that belief gets shattered on a daily basis and I start to panic. This usually happens when I'm tired or accidentally hear a news report. I've learned that if I don't listen to any news, not even NPR, I don't…Read more My Dogged Hope in these scary times
stress
Rough Times for My Dog Goldie
On Sunday afternoon Goldie and I were taking our usual walk on the campus of Occidental College, enjoying the warm, sunny weather, when she stopped to poop. She assumed her normal crouch position then suddenly started screaming with an intensity I’d never heard from her before. At first, I thought one of her dew claws…Read more Rough Times for My Dog Goldie
Keeping it Simple with Lucky Sean O’Sloth
I feel lucky every time someone orders one of my sloths on Etsy. When a friend suggested I put some of my holiday ornaments on Etsy in December, I never expected people to buy them, especially since there are already a gazillion super cute items there. I've been giving my ornaments away for more than 10 years, and hadn't considered selling them,…Read more Keeping it Simple with Lucky Sean O’Sloth
Distractions from Depression During the Holidays – Do They Work?
It may seem odd that I'm writing about my holiday "blues" this late in the game, but for me, Christmas day is the darkest. It brings inexplicable depression and despair, so I call it D-Day. All the hoopla in the weeks preceding Christmas doesn't bother me at all. In fact, that's when I have fun getting my holiday…Read more Distractions from Depression During the Holidays – Do They Work?
Dionne’s Demise – Stress?
On the day before Thanksgiving I found one of my beloved box turtles lifeless in the middle of the aquarium. In 2008, I adopted three eastern box turtles from a friend at the zoo, whose children had "outgrown" them. My friend had hatched these three turtles eight years earlier as a way of teaching her…Read more Dionne’s Demise – Stress?
Dogged Hope 