Monthly Archives: December 2022

Each of my five sons benefitted from school lunches when their birth parents didn’t provide regular meals for them at home. My eldest son depended on school lunches and often they were the only meals he got throughout the week.

The sunshine that graced us for several days has flown leaving us with the dullest of grayness spread above. The temperature is currently 27 degrees and is only expected to climb four more notches where it will remain throughout tomorrow. … Continue reading →

Tonight is my 59th Christmas Eve. I do not recall the first several occasions, but I’ve been blessed with a strong memory that can retrieve moments from most Christmases following 1967. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, our Christmas … Continue reading →

Yesterday was Bailey and Harrigan’s GOTCHA Day, celebrating nine years of being with The Haasienda. I retrieved them from Tylersville Road around 10 PM, Christmas Night, 2013, four days following Navi’s tragic death. Chief and I needed these little gals. … Continue reading →

It should be hitting 40 degrees this afternoon with 50 degrees for Thursday and a rainy 55 degrees for Friday. Sunday will begin the new year and it promises to be 56 degrees. There is little to report, today. It’s … Continue reading →

The weather cooperated with great, comfortable temperatures, and The Guests could not have been more jovial and kind, even when lines were not short. I had a terrific team tonight with a regular staff person, Mary; Campbell from Oakwood High … Continue reading →

It’s overcast but unseasonably warm at 53 degrees with an upcoming low of 51 degrees. I had the doors open to freshen up the house. It will be the perfect night for train rides at The Park. One of my … Continue reading →

It was hectic tonight in The Roundhouse Cafe but we had no cocoa machine malfunctions as we did Tuesday night. This. Is. A. Good. Thing. Tonight, I was fortunate to have Toni, a nursing major at University of Cincinnati; Jason, … Continue reading →

Mama Kay and I went to St. Mary’s Church in East Dayton to see the interior and their annual nativity. We had tried a year before the pandemic struck but the church wasn’t open. This was Mama Kay’s first time … Continue reading →

The sun is not to be held back this fine Christmas Day, even with the temperature currently set at 8 degrees. It looks refreshing but is still very cold. Sleep came upon me quite effortlessly and it was a peaceful … Continue reading →

My thermostat reads 70 degrees, but it still feels slightly chilly in my study. The Quartet is scattered about, resting from their incredibly busy day of sleeping, eating, and going out to potty. Erma seems better though slightly anxious and … Continue reading →

My rash of cabin fever is genetic. I’m convinced of it. Both Mother and her father, Grandpa Leroy, braved weather conditions to go on adventures. Mother’s last few years alive, she was less adventurous and a bit anxious, whereas Grandpa … Continue reading →

The rain has moved into The Miami Valley in advance of the dreadful weather conditions to reach us in the early hours of Friday. I cannot keep track of the changing forecast, nor all the issues included save the incredibly … Continue reading →

The sun has been with us all morning and into the afternoon, though a bit obscured by the overcast sky. Thursday, we are promised rain all day which could interfere with the train rides at The Park. I hope not. … Continue reading →

It’s been a dull, wearisome day between the horrendous weather, Erma’s current health, and my gut issues. I detest not being able to go out to explore on a free day, but I had no business going out in the … Continue reading →

One week from today we bid farewell to 2022. I find it amazing how fast the years move by the older I get. I slept in small chunks throughout the night as I sat with Erma. When I did attempt … Continue reading →

Mid morning, Erma began exhibiting the same symptoms from last summer: anxious, walking in circles, restless, panting. She did eat her lunch and will sometimes wag her tail when I talk to her. Erma finally came into the study to … Continue reading →

Through many years of sharing my life with dogs, I’m always amazed at their inane ability to sense something getting ready to happen. Now, so many things were natural. Flyer, and all those who’ve followed her, knew sons and students … Continue reading →

I woke before 7 AM and decided to go ahead and feed the dogs. I went to open the storm/screen door to the deck and the handle was frozen. I went to the kitchen door that leads to the side … Continue reading →

The train rides at The Park were cancelled tonight due to the rain and the entire Park is closed Friday. The Roundhouse Cafe still received a respectable number of Guests. I got to spend the time with Sam, the former … Continue reading →

“Getting worn out and run down robs you of receiving what you need from the universe.” Our natural state of being is vibrant, happy to be alive. Yet, there can be times when we feel run down and worn out. … Continue reading →

“When we schedule too much in our lives trying to meet our obligations, we only end up draining our energy.” We all encounter obligations in life, from spending time with family and friends to being present at important functions in … Continue reading →

“It is dishonest to enter into a relationship with the idea that you are going to change or fix them.” A relationship, in the truest sense of the word, means relating to another. Usually when we say that we relate … Continue reading →

NOTE: This is not my submission; it is from DailyOM. “We all live in a community, in one way or another, and we all have an opportunity to make it better in some way.” It’s easy to get caught up … Continue reading →

I believe all of Dayton and the surrounding area came to The Park tonight due to the impending winter storms approaching. It was maddening and I had the most incredible team who braved the never-ending lines as hot chocolate machines … Continue reading →