Makes Me Love You More

Last May we picked up our adorable Saint Bernard puppy. Yesterday we were given the news all giant dog owners dread. Valentino was diagnosed with “extreme hip dysplasia”. The vet told us V’s hips are as bad as it gets, and it’s a progressive disease. My husband’s response brought a tear to my eye, “I…

The Love Bully

There are five beings in my house. Two humans, two dogs and one cat. Everyone gets and gives plenty of love. The Saint Bernard puppy insists on being part of any and all interactions. If my husband picks up the cat, Valentino will cry because he wants to be held. If I hug my husband,…

Birthday Wish

Today is my best friend’s Birthday. It’s fun to reflect on 25 years of friendship. Gail will tell you she didn’t like me, when she met me. It makes me wonder where I would be, if she stuck with her first impression that I was a snob. Luckily she decided to give me a chance. …

What Do You Love?

 I can vividly remember walking through my house as a child, knowing each vase, piece of china had a back story. I didn’t know then, but a seed was being planted. I always thought old items were unique and cool. My love for antiques blossomed in 2010 when my husband and I went to our…

Can You Live In The Moment?

A woman at the gym saw me showing someone a picture of my puppy. She asked if she could see it too. I quickly replied, “Of course!” I had just finished showing the gas station attendant Valentino’s latest pic. He’s ridiculously adorable. Just looking at his big dopey face seems to bring joy to people’s…

Crossing All Barriers

Yesterday my husband and I brought our dogs to Wolfeboro, NH for some puppy socialization. Bringing the puppy, was like having Kim Kardashian with us. We suspected our 4 month old Saint Bernard was exceptionally cute. It was confirmed yesterday by the swarms of people who wanted to squeeze him and joked about stealing him. …

I’m…

How do you describe yourself, to yourself? What does your inner dialogue whisper all day? Do you focus on your accomplishments or your deficits? Think of someone that focuses on the negative. Are they fun to be around? I believe in the power of positive self talk. It took a while for me to feel…

Be With Me

When I drink my early morning coffee, I watch my 2 dogs interact. They are more entertaining than any TV show I’ve ever seen. And I learn more about relationships than any psychology course I’ve ever taken. Angelo the older one knows the house rules. Valentino the 13 week old puppy, doesn’t care about the rules. He…

Do I Have That Problem?

My best friend growing up had a frequent worry about having a booger hanging out her nose. It was such a huge concern for her, we came up with a way she could question me about it, in front of people. In a crowd, she would ask,” Do I have that problem?” She would flare…

Puppy Perspective

Valentino our 11 week old puppy woke me up half an hour early this morning. Not a big deal to most. But my alarm goes off at 3. So 2:30 AM feels outrageous! Not to mention he woke up 2 other times during the night on my husband’s “shift”. As I approached his crate, I…

The Gift of Feedback

I got an email this week with instructions to read a document and be prepared to give honest input. My colleague wrote, “Feedback is a gift.” There are times this is accurate. Other people notice things about us we don’t see. When something is brought to our attention, we can discontinue spinning our wheels and…

Puppy Power

I am the busiest at work I have ever been. Ever! I have considered working on my days off, skipping the gym and basically putting my life on hold until I feel caught up. Then I go home to my husband and pets and realize that’s ridiculous! They are what life is about. I need…