Pets

Faithful Companion

1 Comment
image

Our sweet English Shepherd, Cassie, resting her head on her toy after playing with Mama for a while…

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”
~ Mark Twain

“To those who have cherished an affection for a faithful and sagacious dog, I need hardly be at the trouble of explaining the nature or the intensity of the gratification thus derivable.”

~ Edgar Allan Poe (“The Black Cat”)

Lassie 1977

My beloved “Lassie”, circa 1977, at the Homestead

I had one dog growing up. Her name was “Lassie” (original, I know, but she was a full-blooded collie, though the runt of the litter, and the sweetest, most faithful, loyal and intelligent dog I’ve ever known).

Cassie is my dog now…a full-blooded English shepherd, who is also sweet and loyal. We also have two cats, and I had cats all my life growing up, but there is something about a faithful dog that tugs my heartstrings.

Anyone else have or have loved  a pet they still cherish?

Some of Life’s Little Pleasures

Leave a comment

As summer winds down here in upstate New York, I’m trying to continue to cultivate a sense of connection and gratitude to my life: it’s so easy, in the hustle and bustle of daily living (which for me, as a HS teacher, has already been busy with meetings and planning all summer long but is about to increase exponentially with the arrival of students in less than a week), to forget to slow down, take a breath, and recognize some of the many little pleasures that can make up a day.

Although this is by no means a complete listing, I’ve just randomly chosen some pictures that represent some of those pleasures for me during this season. Then I’ll gear up for autumn (and probably do a similar post about it in the coming months!)

Ok, so here goes:

coffe and kindle on the deck

 

Having my coffee and a few minutes to read my kindle out on the deck in the not-as-hot-as-it’s-been sunlight this morning.

 

 

 

Full moon

 

 

A late July full moon, visible through the trees around my house.

 

 

 

 

flowers in the garden

 

Early summer flowers in my little “backdoor garden”.

 

 

 

 

 

pets

 

 

Pets who actually get along. 🙂

 

 

finished book

 

A finished book, after five years of work. I guess this one isn’t so much a “little pleasure” as it is the very satisfying culmination of a huge undertaking, but it’s a pleasure to have written “The End” nonetheless. Information about it’s release – how, when, and by whom – will be forthcoming in the next month or so.

 

 

So that’s it for this post. How about you? What are some simple pleasures you relish at this season of the year (whatever it’s like for you, depending on where you live) or at any time?