Author * Speaker
We had a great weekend. Saturday, my in-laws hosted a family BBQ in the back yard. It was relaxing and fun (except when my sister-in-law’s 7 pound chihuahua made a power move on THIS DOG, who currently weighs in at 89.3 pounds. That was a little tense. But funny afterwards, because the little dog did […]
Read MoreAbout halfway through this book, I stopped reading, found the author on Twitter, and messaged her: Rare Bird is breathtaking. Thank you! Indeed, Rare Bird is the brilliant, heartbreaking, yet somehow encouraging memoir of a mother coming to terms with the death of her twelve-year-old son, Jack, and her struggle to keep life afloat with […]
Read MoreSo much to catch up on. Blog posts are stacking up in my head! And then I sat down to write this update and Steve starts watching Footloose. I mean, who wouldn’t be inspired by that?!? Let’s hear it for the boy! I want to finish this before the farm kid finds his rhythm, so […]
Read MoreWe refinished a bedroom dresser this weekend! It was quite the adventure. I’ve longed to refinish this dresser for awhile now, along with the mismatched assortment of side tables we’ve gathered along the way (the overall look of which was less “charmingly eclectic” than “indoor yard sale”). The dresser dates all the way back […]
Read MorePlanning my blog post this morning, I was working with a theme of “Summer: Our Chance to Read More Books!” That’s when I realized that I see EVERY new season as an opportunity to get more reading in, so this theme was a bit ridiculous. In summer, I think of long afternoons reading on the […]
Read MoreFriends, THIS is the novel you should read this weekend. Okay, I’m not sure if that’s possible, as the pub date isn’t for a few days yet. But order a copy now and then take a day off from whatever you have planned to dive into this astonishing book. Mother, Mother is Koren Zailckas’ first novel. […]
Read MoreToday was Bergie’s BIG day at the vet: her second weigh-in since she joined our family. As you may recall, she’s been on a slim-down regimen for the past three months, and we’ve noticed a small but exciting difference as her hip bones emerged from the flab. She’s still a full-figured pup, but we’ve been […]
Read MoreThe Here and Now by Ann Brashares is another great YA read, continuing the tradition of me being entertained by books written for teens :) Although I’ve never read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series– Brashares’ best-known work– another of her books, The Last Summer (of You and Me) was a favorite of mine […]
Read MoreIn honor of THIS DOG’s unleashed tour of the neighborhood yesterday, I thought I’d share about my recent tour of dog training books and resources. I’m proud to say that my response to yesterday’s adventure (sprint after escaped dog to recapture her by whatever means necessary, even if it means looking like a complete idiot […]
Read MoreTHIS DOG got loose yesterday. A man with a dump truck pulled into our driveway to deliver mulch. The truck made a loud jump forward that freaked us both out. But while I stood my ground, Bergie had the smarter, more honest reaction to having an enormous piece of machinery lurch toward you: She slipped […]
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Trish Ryan 