Does Your Dog Need a Bed?
When my dog Daisy first joined our family (she was 5 months old and at the pound for the second time in her life) we put a lot of thought into dog beds for large dogs. Where would she sleep, and what kind of bed would work best? I do think dog beds are important – like every other member of the family, your dog needs a space of his own, where he can retreat to and know that he won’t be disturbed. That said, Daisy actually prefers to sleep on an old sofa in our family room. But she knows she has to share that space – if the kids have friends over she has to move out of the way, or even right off the sofa onto the floor. The thing about her dog bed is that she can go to it for peace and quiet. I’ve trained the kids to leave her alone if she is there, so it’s the perfect retreat for her when she needs it. And what kind of dog bed did we choose? Turns out Daisy loves to chew foam, so a hard plastic bed with a blanket in was the solution for her. Your dog might have more self control though, and his reward could be a luxurious padded dog bed that coordinates with you decor.
I had a magical summer
- Image by Getty Images via Daylife
I spent several weeks travelling in New England. I love to travel and New England is one of my favorite places in the whole world! First I attended a group camping expedition with some good friends out in New Hampshire. Although it got off to a rough start—there was bad weather, and we had trouble finding somewhere appropriate to stay—it was a thrilling experience. Especially exciting was an encounter with a young bear who came to investigate the camp site! I also visited Maine, including day trips to the city of Portland and the islands. Then I completed my unforgettable journey with a week on a small farm in rural Massachusetts. What a wonderful summer it was.
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Another usual day
Today I got up and made breakfast for myself and my partner. I did my household chores, wrote an essay, and did some studying. I answered emails to friends, then cooked lunch: pasta with pesto sauce, one of my favourites. After that I went to the library to return a book I had borrowed. I ran into my friend John, and we chatted for a while about a study group we're thinking of forming. After I said goodbye to my friend, I looked for some books. I'm learning Arabic, and was happy to find a new tutorial set on CD. I also borrowed a basic Italian course--my partner speaks Italian--and a book on English grammar. After that I went to the launderette, then studied and wrote essays until evening came.
Ponderings on Politics
I spend a lot of time listening to the news. For better or worse I need to feel connected to the greater world and the condition of people around this planet. Since the election of Barack Obama I have been so hopeful, although not quite optimistic, that progressive change could really occur. And not just within our borders, but perhaps internationally as well. I am not impatient with our president, although I am certainly impatient with others’ impatience. I think if people, namely Congress, would allow him to do what he was elected to do and promised to do, we would all enjoy a better standard of living and better opinion in the world.
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