Monthly Archives: December 2016

Welcoming a good old dog into our lives

Back in May, after we made the sad decision to say goodbye to our lovely, 16-year-old lab-mix dog, Lucy, Douglas and I agreed to take a break from dog ownership. Although both of us have loved dogs all our lives and welcomed many of them into our respective families, it seemed like a good time […]

Here’s what I love about Christmas cards

  I love getting Christmas cards. It’s a once-a-year flurry of news, photos and greetings from distant friends and family, people I value in my life but don’t have much opportunity or reason to stay in really close contact with. It’s true that Facebook fills some of the same niche, but there’s something very special […]

Sharing Christmas quirks in a new marriage

Last Wednesday night when I came home from work, there was a beautiful fir tree in the living room and the whole house smelled like Christmas. Douglas had brought the tree in earlier in the day and set it up in its plastic stand, which holds about a gallon of water and helps keep the […]

A confession about crows

Most winter mornings at Sandy Point, we are awakened at dawn by the cold cawing of the crows. Who knows what all the racket’s about? They go on and on, back and forth, calling and repeating from the poplars behind the house to the spruces across the road to the trio of stately old oaks […]

How music eases me into the holidays

The holiday season has landed with both feet, as it does every year. I wish I could say this with more warmth and cheer, but the truth is that the lead-up to Christmas always makes me a feel a little crazy. I know I’ll get up to speed soon, and by December 20th or so […]