Words to Live By

Slice of Life Challenge Day 6 I have had great luck with rescue dogs. My first was Jack. He was supposed to be our daughter's dog, but I was his person. Jack saved our family, but that's another story. After an appropriate time of mourning after Jack passed over the Rainbow Bridge, we adopted Zuzu. Both dogs are absolutely adored but they are different breeds and have quite different personalities. One thing they both have in common is their love of books. In fact, many dogs in our neighborhood are avid readers.  Zuzu always makes a beeline for the Little Free Library down the street. When we dog sit, our neighbors' dogs also pull me towards the books. We often see the other dogs pull their owners towards it. No. We don't have literate dogs! In amongst the books, there is seemingly bottomless box of dog treats in there. That whole Pavlov thing is playing out in real time.  Another neighbor, on a street too busy for walking, has a Little Free Stick Library. Also for dogs...

 Slice of Life Challenge Day 4 I volunteer with a sweet charity called Lasagna Love. When someone needs a meal, for whatever reason - hard times, sickness, job loss, etc. - they contact Lasagna Love who pairs them with a local volunteer through their online portal.  Recipients let volunteers know if they have any allergies or food preferences such as vegetarian, no pork, etc.  This month, the recipient I was matched with made a note, in Spanish, that she likes chicken and vegetables. Mmm. I reached out an told her that I typically make lasagna with turkey sausage and asked if that would be okay, and she asked if that was the only ingredient. I responded with the list of ingredients - lasagna noodles, marinara sauce, and cheese, to which she replied "the first option please."  I believe I may be making this family's very first pan of lasagna! I'm debating whether or not to give her more information on lasagna. How do you define lasagna? Comfort in a pan?  Layered...

  Day 2 of the Slice of Life Challenge (posted on day 3) I work for an organization that provides transitional housing for homeless families. We provide each of our clients with a fully furnished apartment.  All of that furniture is donated and we have to get creative when sourcing items!  Yesterday I received a call from a professional home organizer who was doing a whole house clean out. She invited me, and several other organizations, to pick through the remains of a large home. I assumed the owner had passed away, so the organizer's cavalier attitude seemed a bit out of place. After chatting a while, I learned that the owner of this large home had simply took what he wanted and moved out of state.  I was shocked at what was left behind, as well as delighted by all the furnishings I could get on behalf of our clients. Furniture, area rugs, TVs, wall art, clothing, chachkies, plants, ancestral portraits, trophies, bottles of wine, golfclubs, and more.  He even...

 Here we go!  I'm a frequent failure at the Slice of Life Challenge, but one of my favorite writers convinced me to give it another go. I'm rusty and have been using AI way too much to write for me, so apologies for what's to come. My husband, Walter, quiet retired on me.  He has embraced the life of a retiree and has pursued his artistic passion - especially chainsaw wood carving. He's always got something going on, whether it be an art project or something in the home improvement genre. I'm still working full time and am pretty happy when I have nothing going on, but Walter has convinced me I need a hobby. I am the queen of failed hobbies, but that's a different story.  I think lately my hobby has been protesting our current administration. I'm in good company. Most of the other protesters I encounter are other middle/late aged white women. This used to tick me off. Where is the outrage from all the other demographics? I've decided the younger folks ar...