Mouse in the House!

My son Patrick came into the kitchen, his face worried. “I caught a mouse in the basement.” I shrugged. Mice came into our house all the time, part of life in the Connecticut woods. “Put it out,” I said. He looked at me like I’d just spoken Swahili. “How?” I sighed. Time to teach my […]

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“Cone of Shame?” Not so fast.

The sight of that plastic sphere around Libby’s neck hit me harder than expected, her head poking out like she lived in Elizabethan times. After one night in the veterinary surgery, my baby looked tired, spent, and in pain. At pick-up, the nurse carried her out to our car and placed her on my son […]

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Would a Robot Dog Be Easier?

  I recently saw the most perfect product for sale possible – a lifelike robotic canine. It comes with soft fur, a pliable body, and even a “heartbeat.” It moves its head and gives the cutest life-like “responses” to petting and words. Then I looked at our terrier Libby. Don’t worry, I’m not thinking of […]

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3 Wonderful Things About Spring (and one scary thing)

  Yes! In Connecticut, we survived another winter of storms, freezing cold, icicles, power outages, and slippery roads. Now comes our reward. I always think of spring as the real start of the year. All that burgeoning new life. The earth smells clean and fresh. There are so many things to appreciate, but here are […]

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Finally Making Peace with Alexa

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of this strange cylindrical object sitting on our kitchen counter, courtesy of my husband Randy. “Have a nice day” it would say in a cool, female voice, or give the local weather forecast, or play whatever song we asked. Five years later, I’ve not only made peace […]

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Freedom at the Dog Park

It finally happened. My dog Libby got to run around outside, off-leash. On our neighborhood walks, it always breaks my heart this pint-size Yorkie can’t go off on her own since… well, she can’t be trusted and would end up in the next county. Instead, she tugs (and tugs and tugs), performing a slow-motion gallop, […]

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My Reading Revolution!

I try and stay away, but fail every time. It’s so easy to use, so lightweight and compact, so effortless. When I want something, I press a button and what I crave appears in seconds, like magic. The other day it occurred to me – I can’t live without this object. Yes, I’m addicted to […]

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Too Many Cooks In Our Kitchen?? Never!

Welcome to the Stone house, where everyone gets a turn at the culinary wheel. There’s five of us living here – my husband Randy and myself, two adult sons, and my 80-something year old mom. Thankfully, everyone takes a turn one night a week procuring dinner. Over time, five distinct styles have emerged… Sunday – […]

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5 Ways Amazon Doesn’t Play Fair

It always starts innocently. I’m minding my own business on Facebook when “it” appears on the sidebar. Like a mirage in the desert, this object shimmers on the edges, enticing and beckoning. That shirt I pined for last month, but could never find, is there in the perfect fit and color. I don’t need it, […]

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